Page 4 of He Claimed Her Heart

“What does that mean?” I inquired looking from dad to Tom.

“Well, Alpha Bennett is tired of your mother’s behavior.She’s getting more out of control. Tom is right, she should be proud of you, not insulted to have a strong daughter. You are a phenomenal warrior. I am so proud of you and Tom. You have both proven yourselves beyond all expectations,” dad explained with a proud expression on his face.

“Aw come on dad, don’t go getting all mushy,” Tom whined as he continued to eat his sandwich.

“What Tom meant to say was, thank you dad. You helped to shape us into the best fighters. We have you to thank,” I praised as I swiped at Tom to take the hint.

“Yeah, what she said.” Tom chimed in with a mouth full of food.

“Just remember, I’m very proud of both of youand I love you very much,” dad added with a little mist showing in his eyes.

We all continued to talk aboutthe upcoming tournament and the type of training I wanted to introduce for our warriors. I wanted us to win. Alpha Bennett wanted us to place in the top four, but I wanted us to win. Tom wanted to participate, but it really wasn’t up to me, it was up to the alpha. I would add his name to my list of possible participants.

It was at this point that Tom announced that he had plans for dinner with his friends. He decided he needed to go take a shower and change. Dad noticed the disappointed look on my faceeven though my brother did not.

“I’m sorry your mother made it hard for you to keep friends. I know thatthe friends you do have aren’t really close to you. I know you get lonely sometimes. I wish I could change things, but I can’t. What can I do to make it better for you?” dad pleaded as he sat next to me on the couch.

“Dad,there’s really nothing you can do. I’ll be alright,” I soothed as I hugged him. “I love you, dad.”

“I love you, Puddin’,” dad whispered as he hugged me.

How I wish I didn’t have such a psychotic mother who made my life a living hell every chance she got. Every friend I ever made; she ran off with her tyrannical ways. Boys steered clear of me simply because they didn’t want to deal with her. Tom’s friends never came to the house, he always went over to their house. I walked into the kitchen and went straight to the pantry. I opened it up to look to see what I would make for dinner tonight.

Dad saw what I was doing and announced, “Since Tom is having dinner with friends, why don’t you have dinner out with me?Bree, would you do me the honor of your company for dinner tonight?” dad asked with a cheeky smile.

“I would love to join you for dinner tonight. How should I dress?” I repliedwith an equally cheeky smile.

“Let’s go casual. It’s been a long day. What are you in the mood for Italian? Mexican? Pizza?” questioned dad.

“Let’s do Italian. We haven’t had that in a while,” I suggested as I headed to go change for dinner.

“Sounds like a plan. Meet me in20 for dinner?” queried dad.

“Sure will. See you then,” I declared as I entered my room to prepare for dinner. I quickly undressed and took a quick shower before picking out a casual outfit. I chose a pair of jeans and a light blue blouse with a sweetheart collar. I put on a pair of sandals instead of my usual tennis shoes. I decided I needed to dress like a girl instead of a tom boy tonight. I even put on mascara, a little blush on my cheeks, and pink lip gloss. I left my hair down in a loose braid going down my back. Checking my reflection in the mirror, I decided I looked like a proper young lady. I exited my room and headed for the living room.

I was met with a wolf whistle from my brother. “Who are you trying to impress tonight?” he asked as he looked me over from head to toe.

“No one. I decided I should look like a proper young lady since I am going out to dinner with dad. You have a problem with that?” Iquestioned him with a scowl on my face.

“No. I don’t have a problem with that. I was just wondering. You look good sis. Have fun with dad,” Tom exclaimed as he hugged me before he left to join his friends.

Dadentered the living room looking quite dapper in his casual attire. He wore dark blue dress slacks with a light blue button-down long sleeve shirt which was rolled up to his elbows. To him, that was casual. He will always be handsome. Dad is 6’2” with dark brown hair that is kept cut short in a professional cut. He has ocean blue eyes, a straight nose, a square jaw, and perfect lips. I’m glad I take after him in the looks department. I look a lot like dad except my eyes are hazel blue. They change color depending upon my mood or clothes I wear. I’m not as tall as dad, I’m 5’ 5” with dark hair that goes down to my waist. Other than that, I look just like dad.

“You look good dad,” I observed as he came to stand next to me.

“So do you. Why are you so girly tonight?” he wondered aloud.

“Can’t I just look nice to go out with you?” I inquired.

“Yes, you can. Now, are we ready to go. I’m hungry,” dad announced grabbing his car keys off the table by the door.

“Yes, I’m ready to leave,” I stated as I joined him by the door holding my purse.

We left thesuite and went to the restaurant. We ordered our drinks and started talking shop when all of the sudden I got a whiff of something totally delicious and irresistible. I was caught off guard and my dad looked at me with a confused expression. I kept sniffing the air trying to find the delicious scent when a handsome young man showed up at our table. He was 6 feet tall with blonde hair, blue eyes, a straight nose, plush lips, and a strong jaw. He was built like a linebacker. He had muscles on top of muscles.

“Mate,” heclaimed in a husky voice.

When our eyes met, the bond began to click into place. He was my mate.

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