Page 101 of Her Second-Hand Mate

“Who gave Penelope the tea?”

Dominic shook his head, still disappointed in himself because of it, “I did. I parked the car, and Heather thrust the tray into my hands before getting out. I didn’t question the gesture. It was just tea!”

I felt through our bond how much he blamed himself, and I let him feel how sad that made me.

“What happened then?”

“She said goodbye to Penelope, and we drove off.”

“What was their relationship like?”

“As far as I could tell prior to that day, uneventful. My mate had expressed her displeasure about me acting as Heather’s chauffeur a while ago, but that was because I’d acted like an ass,” a few snickers and huffs of amusements could be heard at Dominic’s confession.

“Did Miss Taylor talk to you during the drive? Did you feel anything was off?”

“Nothing at all. I tuned her out as I always did, so even when she talked I didn’t really respond. When we got to the station, I helped her with the bags, got her settled on the train, shook her hand and said goodbye. I then went about my business.”

“When did you notice the effects of the wolfsbane?”

“Not until much later. I’d been working alone in my office for maybe 4 hours before Theo, my Gamma, came in and his arrival caught me by surprise. I realized that I hadn’t heard him arrive, and I couldn’t feel his scent at all.”

“What did you do then?”

“Honestly? I panicked. I didn’t know what was going on. I tried mind-linking Penelope but it was all wobbly and wrong, and I couldn’t reach her or feel her. Then I used the campus phone to call my office, where I reached my Beta who informed me that my mate was at the hospital. Theo drove us there because I wasn’t in any shape to drive.”

“Where was your pup during all this?”

“I’d left him with my mother that morning, luckily,” Dominic swallowed, pressing his palms against his thighs to stop them from shaking at the thought of Gabriel in a room with that insane female.

“When did you go to your house?”

“Four days later, after Penelope woke up.”

“Can you describe the state of the nursery?”

Dominic took a few deep breaths. I could see that his claws were out, but he was blocking me from the brunt of the pain the memory evoked.

“There was so much blood. The carpet was soaked. It was awful.”

“Thank you, Alpha Hedge. We’ll take a short break now, see you all in thirty.”

“Are you okay?” Dominic asked me as I cuddled Gabriel in one of the drawing rooms.

Florence had come with us to care for him while we were at the hearing. Queen Regina had encouraged everyone to bring their pups, and had even organized pupcare for those who didn’t have a Florence like we did. I was very averse to being away from my pup these days.

Not only had Heather’s attack and the four days I spent in the hospital because of it taken the breastfeeding bond from me and Gabriel, but the injury and stress associated with it had also stopped the heat I had been about to enter. I wouldn’t let her take anything else from me. I looked down at Gabriel, who was happily drinking from his bottle and I hated the reason for it.

“I am. A bit nervous, but not worried.”

“Hedge,” a tall, blond male approached us with Agnes in tow.

I smiled at her, and she smiled back shyly but didn’t say anything. Her eyes had dark circles under them.

“Larson,” Dominic said, angling his now-tense body as if to shield me from the other Alpha.

Gabriel seemed to sense his father’s anxiety and started wailing, promptly spitting out a mouthful of milk onto my sleeve as he flailed in my arms. Agnes quickly got a handkerchief from her purse and handed it to me.

“I gotta say, Dominic, I’d never hand over my mate to be commanded like you’re about to,” Larson said, and Agnes’ hold on the handkerchief tightened.

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