Page 48 of He Claimed Her Heart

They moved their ‘meeting’ to another room so I could rest in peace. But not before Drake kissed me on the temple and told me to get some rest. Dad did the same thing. Tom told me not to go anywhere, like I was going to hop right up and runaway somewhere. Leave it to Tom to try to bring levity to any situation.

My protection detail was more than doubled. I had two inside the room with me and two outside the room. I didn’t know what was going on, at that point, I didn’t care. I just wanted to feel better. I felt like shit. I didn’t know how long I would have to be in the hospital or anything. I started to cry. I had no one to comfort me so I sobbed into my pillow. The two guards in my room looked at each other like, ‘what should we do?’ They stayed put like they should have, but they looked uncomfortable not doing anything.

The meeting was moved into the room Elias went to for his blood work. Everyone started to brainstorm who could have stolen the wolfsbane or poisoned Bree.

“Hold on, we first have to make sure, she was the target before wego off halfcocked,” Alpha Bennett stated with a frown on his face.

“You’re right.Have any of the tests come back yet on the food or other items from your suite Beta?” Drake asked dad as they were to get a hold of their emotions.

“No, no results as of yet.I don’t know what to do right now. I feel fucking useless! My daughter is in another room, and I have no idea how to help her,” growled dad as he ran his hand through his hair.

“Theo, I understand how you feel.I wish I could help her as well. I don’t like seeing her like this either. It fucking kills me to see her in a hospital bed like that,” bellowed Drake as he stopped dead in is tracks. “Do you hear that? She’s crying, no more like sobbing. I’ll be right back.” Drake quickly left the room and ran back into my room to hold me.

“Shush, I got you. Why are you crying my love?” Drake inquired as he held me and rubbed circles on my back.

“I have no idea what’s happening to me.I have no idea how to make it stop. I feel fucking useless. That’s why I’m crying,” I sobbed into his shoulder as I gripped his shirt from the back.

“Everyone feels the same way you do honey.We are trying to figure it out. We just have to wait to see what was tainted to see who the target was. We’re not sure if it was you, your father, or your whole family. We’re just not sure yet,” Drake whispered as he continued to console me.

“We will find out who the target is and then we will find out why. It will take some time though,” stated Alpha Bennett who entered the room shortly after Drake. We didn’t notice that the meeting moved back into my room after Drake left to come and console me.

“Puddin’, I don’t know what to tell you, other than I’m sorry. I’m so sorry this happened to you. You can’t go and get to know your potential chosen mates. Everything has become so messed up. I’m so, so sorry Puddin’,” Dad lamented as he approached me on the other side of the bed.

“It’s … it’s not your faultthis happened to me dad. You didn’t do this to me,” I sniffled as I reached out to hug him.

“I know, but I just feel so useless and… sigh? I wish I could trade places with you,” dad announced as he wrapped his arms around me and held me.

“Can I ask an off the wall question?” Elias hesitated as he looked from me to dad on the bed.

“Um, okay,” dadanswered him clearly with confusion in his voice.

“Why do you call her Puddin”? Elias asked with aslight grin on his face to which those in the room who knew the answer burst out laughing.

“Well, our little Breonna here lovespudding. We were at a pack event and there was a huge container of chocolate pudding. She was what four or five?” dad asked Alpha Bennett for clarification.

“Five I believe, Theo,” Bennett replied with a huge grin on his face.

“Right,five. Anyway, she saw it and couldn’t resist. She took it and hid under the table. She began to eat the container full of chocolate pudding,” dad chuckled as he began to recall the story.

“No way! Did she eat it all?” Drakeasked as he began to see the humor in the story.

“Oh yes, she did. Every drop of it. Ann became livid. Bree was covered from head to toe in chocolate pudding. She tipped the container up so it would go into her mouth easier since she forgot the spoon. Thus, the pudding all over her. I got the pleasure of trying to wash all of the pudding off of her that night. Pudding doesn’t come off too easily.” dad said howling as finished recalling his story.

“How much trouble did she get into?” Eliaswondered out loud in between fits of laughter.

“Well, my dad thought it was hilarious. Her mother, on the other hand, didn’t think it was.She got a whipping for it and no desserts for a week. But the nickname of Puddin’ stuck,” Alpha Bennett explained through his howls of laughter.

“I’m the only one that can call her Puddin’ though. Yes, her mother was livid. I made sure her spanking was not too bad because she was only five. I think she learned her lesson though. Didn’t you sweetheart?” dad asked me as I uncovered my crimson face from behind my hands.

“Yes, dad. I did learn my lesson.Next time, bring a spoon,” I added as the room erupted into new rounds of laughter. We all needed a moment of release from our situation. Elias brought that moment to us. When the laughter died back down, I added, “You always had my back dad even then. Thank you.”

“You were and will always be my little girl. I’d do anything for you and for your brother. Now, we just need you to feel better and get out of here. How are you feeling now? Hmm?” dad inquired with hope in his voice as he looked me over.

I wish I could give himgood news especially after all that laughter and happiness, but I can’t. “Um, I still feel about the same. I want to feel better so I can get out of here. I don’t like sitting on my ass doing nothing,” I contended as I felt him wrap his arms around my shoulders again.

“Where’s Rufus? Shouldn’t he have some test results back by now?” dad barked out in frustration.

“Calm down Theo. He can’t rush the tests. They take time.When he knows, we’ll know. Now, …” Alpha Bennett didn’t finish his sentence because Dr. Rufus Strongwood entered the room.

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