Page 23 of Rejected Mate Bride
Her voice, which had started as quiet and horrified, had risen with each passing sentence. It was as though she couldn’t control her volume any longer as she thought about her worst fears coming true. She wiped her hands on a towel absentmindedly, abandoned the sink full of dirty dishes, and began walking toward the stairs. Camden could see she was planning her escape right then and there.
“Easy,” he said, wrapping an arm around her waist gently as she tried to pass by. “Take a minute and breathe, okay? You’re safe.”
“I’m not,” she whispered back. “I’ll never be safe.”
Camden turned her so that she was looking into his eyes. She needed to see proof that his words were true as he spoke them.
“Youaresafe,” he assured her. “You and Sofia do not need to run away or be afraid of Alpha Sier or your parents anymore. I made you that promise already. I’m going to protect you, I swear. Nothing could prevent me from taking care of my mate.”
Flora exhaled forcefully, a flash of anger sparking in her eyes. She shoved Camden’s arm away and turned back toward the kitchen sink, then wheeled around to face him angrily.
“You’re going to protect me?” she scoffed. “You think I feelsafeliving with the man who left me in the dirt all those years ago?”
Camden was alarmed by how quickly her emotions had changed, but his resolve remained steadfast.
“I’m a different man now than I was back then,” he assured her.
“You’re asking me to take your word for it,” Flora argued. “I can’t just believe you. You have no idea what I’ve been through and what I’m trying to escape. It’s my job to keep Sofia safe, and you’re asking me to just ignore this threat.”
“I’m not asking you to ignore anything! I’m the one who told you about what’s going on!” Camden’s frustration was bubbling to the surface now. He knew that his life experience was different from hers, but he was doing everything he could to make it better. Why wasn’t she trusting him now? “All I’m asking for is a little trust.”
“And I’m telling you that it doesn’t work that way,” Flora insisted. “The past doesn’t just go away because you decide that it should.”
“I never said it did.”
“Yes, you did!” she argued back.
Camden growled in frustration. “Must you argue with everything I say?”
“Only the stupid things,” she countered.
The floorboards creaked, and Sofia walked into the room. She was already wearing her pajamas and was clearly ready for her mom to put her to bed.
“Mom, you said you’d come up and read to me when you were done,” Sofia said.
“Of course,” Flora said, snapping out of her argumentative state and back into mom mode. “I’ll be right up. Did you brush your teeth?”
Sofia nodded, and Flora crossed the room to her, grabbing her hand.
Why was it that all their interactions had to be cut short by someone? First Jasper, and now Sofia. He didn’t want to be angry with the little girl, but it seemed like every time he and Flora had the chance to talk, there was someone there to put a halt to any progress they were making. He desperately wanted to finish their conversation, if only to be sure that Flora wouldn’t disappear in the night with Sofia in tow. He knew that the squad would keep them safe and that they would soon find more information on Demetrius that would allow them to take him down for good, but getting Flora to just listen to him long enough to understand that was proving difficult.
As Flora and Sofia headed up the stairs, Camden followed them. He felt a pull to remain in their presence, if only as an observer, for as long as he could.
“Which book did you want to read tonight?” Flora asked as Sofia climbed into her bed.
Sofia pulled a book from under her covers and presented it to her mother. Flora smiled as she snuggled up next to her, propped up on pillows, and opened the cover.
“Once upon a time, there was a princess who lived in a tower…”
Camden barely registered the rest of the story, entranced by the picture-perfect scene in front of him. He ached to be able to join them instead of lurking in the background of their lives. He knew that Sofia wasn’t his daughter, but he couldn’t help but feel like he could be a father to her if given the chance. He had done as much as he could without feeling like he was overstepping Flora’s parental authority already, but he wanted to do more. This little girl had been through enough in this life, and so had his mate. He wanted to give them the world.
Instead, he shut the door of Sofia’s room and headed back downstairs. The only way he could keep them safe was by solving the problems with the Ironbrand pack, and he had always been good at solving problems.
Chapter 11 - Flora
Every morning for the past week, Flora had woken up early and headed to the fields for training, but after the way yesterday’s session had ended and the conversation with Camden that night, Flora decided it was time for her to switch her focus. There was still a chance she and Sofia would need to run away from Silverrose, and she still had no money saved up. Camden had been providing for her needs ever since she arrived, but she needed funds of her own. It was time for her to look for a job. Even a temporary, low-paying gig would give her a cushion so that she could get Sofia to safety in an emergency.
Flora had plenty of skills that would translate into the workforce, but without any previous employment, she knew her choices would be limited. It was better for her to start at the bottom and stay out of the public eye as much as possible. She was a realist, after all. Her days of dreaming about a thriving career or fame were so far in the past that she wasn’t sure they had ever existed. Survival was the key.
