Page 11 of Rejected Mate Bride
“Camden Hughes, my darling,” she said loftily, pulling him into a hug that somehow only extended to her hands before kissing him on both cheeks. “It’s been too long. I hope you don’t mind my intrusion, but one of the wolves in the front hall told me you were in here. Are these my subjects?”
Sofia was hiding behind Flora’s legs again. Both girls’ eyes were wide with surprise. They had never seen someone like this before.
“Millicent is the owner of the local boutique,” Camden explained. “I had her bring everything in your sizes. I didn’t want you to have to go out today if you didn’t feel up to it.”
The entire affair seemed completely unnecessary to Flora. She and Sofia were fine with the clothes they were wearing until they could go to a store in person. Millicent, on the other hand, was going on about the importance of something called a “capsule wardrobe” and letting them know exactly how many pieces they should each have. Camden was watching with polite amusement, his usual charming smile plastered on his face. He had always been good at using his personality and good looks to get his way with the people around him, but she hadn’t realizedhe was still using that tactic. What kind of person could convince the owner of a boutique to make a house call to the pack house? Apparently, Camden could.
Flora was silent as Millicent unzipped bag after bag, showing off her selections with a flourish. After another moment of hesitation, Sofia’s curiosity overcame her shock, and she joined the woman in looking through the dresses, jumpers, shirts, pants, and skirts she had brought for her.
“Mommy! Look at this one!” she said, pressing a pink dress to her chest and twirling around in a circle. “It’s like a princess dress!”
“It’s beautiful, baby,” Flora said, smiling at her.
She turned her attention to her own pile of clothes. The number of options before her was overwhelming. Up until then, she and Sofia had worn whatever clothes were chosen for them by Stella. Although she appreciated the agency of being able to choose for herself, it was far more than she had ever seen before.
She did her best to avoid Camden’s gaze as she chose a few items that caught her eye. She ended up with four simple outfits—and one dress that Millicent insisted she get, although Flora had no idea where she would wear a floor-length, emerald green gown. Sofia’s pile was much larger than hers. Her daughter was showing each and every piece to Camden for his approval.
“They are all wonderful,” he said kindly, and Sofia beamed.
A pit formed in Flora’s stomach as she watched their interaction. It would make it so much harder to leave if Sofia grew attached to him.
“How much do I owe you?” Flora asked the shopkeeper.
“Don’t worry about it, doll,” Millicent said with a wave of her hand. “It’s all been taken care of.”
Embarrassment colored Flora’s cheeks, knowing that Camden was covering the cost, but even if she wanted to protest, she couldn’t. She had no money to pay Millicent for the clothes.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
***
A few days later, Camden caught Flora outside in the backyard of the pack house where she was watching Sofia play. The day was bright and sunny, and the breeze was fresh and cool, but when she heard Camden’s words, the air seemed to become oppressive.
“I’ve set a date for our wedding,” he said. “With the short notice, it was tricky to find a place that would be suitable, but I hope you’ll be pleased with the arrangements I’ve made.”
Flora’s stomach twisted up in a knot of worry. “Short notice? Why? When is it?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Absolutely not,” Flora said, crossing her arms. “That’s far too soon. I couldn’t possibly be ready by then.”
“You don’t have to lift a finger,” Camden assured her. “Everything has been taken care of.”
This was all happening too fast. She thought she would have more time to escape from Silverrose, enough time to save up money that would get her and Sofia far away from her past. A wedding tomorrow didn’t leave her much time to find a way out of her promise. Flora opened her mouth to argue again, but Camden cut her short.
“Flora, just stop,” he insisted, moving closer to her. Their faces were mere inches apart, and he spoke in a low voice that only she could hear. “I know that I’m not your first choice, but I’m not marrying you out of some sick or twisted desire. I’m doing this to help you. You need to be mated with someone before Alpha Sier finds out where you are and forces you back there. I don’t want you to end up at his mercy, or back with Ben and Stella Jones. This is what needs to happen to keep you safe, okay? So please, stop fighting me.”
He lifted his hand and stroked her briefly on the cheek. The movement was so tender that Flora was frozen in place. She didn’t know how to respond to his monologue. She had never considered that his insistence on their marriage was for her own protection.
“I just wanted to tell you what was happening,” he said, taking a step backward and returning to a more formal cadence. “I’ll make sure you and Sofia’s dresses are set out for you in the morning.”
***
The next morning dawned, and Flora felt even more nervous than before. She dressed in the gown that had been laid out for her while Sofia chattered away.
“You’re beautiful, Mommy,” Sofia said. “Like a queen, and I’m the princess. Are we going to a party?”
“Sort of. Remember when I was engaged to get married to Alpha Sier?” she asked, unsure of how to explain the situation to her daughter. “Well, I’m not going to marry him anymore because he wasn’t going to be good to us. Instead, I’m marrying Camden. The wedding is today.”
