Page 36 of Rejected Mate Bride
“How dare you show your faces here,” he seethed.
“Easy,” Ben said, holding his hands up in surrender. “We came here to talk to you.”
“Peacefully,” Stella added, her eyes wide with fear. “We mean you no harm.”
Camden clenched his jaw, narrowing his eyes at the two of them as he tried to decipher their body language. What could they possibly have to say to him?
There was a park bench not too far away from where they stood, and he nodded his head toward it, indicating that they should follow. Wordlessly, they obeyed, sitting on the opposite end of the bench as Camden. Stella wrung her hands nervously, and Ben wouldn’t stop tapping his foot.
“Well?” Camden said when they made no move to speak. “What is it?”
They glanced at each other nervously. “We’re here because we know our daughter has been staying with you,” Stella began.
Camden winced at the casual use of the word “daughter” when he knew how poorly they had treated Flora.
“We understand why she left, but we miss her and Sofia. We’d like her to come home.”
“She is home,” Camden replied. He wasn’t going to give them any more information than was absolutely necessary.
“Silverrose used to be our home,” Ben agreed. “But the opportunities for us—for Flora, in Ironbrand—are far better than they were here.”
“Opportunities? You mean being forced to marry Alpha Sier?”
“Forced is a strong word,” Ben warned. “She was encouraged to find a place in a world that wasn’t built for her. The alpha is still the best option to make that happen for her, Sofia, and for us. Everyone benefits from their marriage.”
Camden wished he were surprised, but their tactics were exactly what he had expected. They had tried appealing to his heart by saying how much they missed their daughter, but the truth was far more sinister. They were only here to get Flora and Sofia back so they could give them back to Demetrius and gain his favor.
“Flora doesn’t benefit,” Camden spat. “Sofia doesn’t. Somehow, you two have deluded yourselves into thinking your daughter is your property. You don’t own her, and you certainlyhave no right to come here and try to harm her any more than you already have.”
“We would never!” Stella exclaimed. “All we’ve ever wanted was what was best for—”
“—yourselves,” Camden cut her off.
She opened and closed her mouth in shock, looking like a fish out of water. It was clear that she wasn’t used to being spoken to so brashly. How Flora had managed to survive all these years with these two for parents was a mystery Camden knew he would never solve.
“Careful, boy,” Ben warned in a low voice. “I hear you learned last night just how much Alpha Sier wants his bride to return to him. I’d be careful about getting on Ironbrand pack’s bad side.”
“Not everyone is as afraid of him and his thugs as you clearly are,” Camden said pointedly. Then he smiled as he added, “Even Flora held her own against two of his strongest men. Are you telling me you’re more scared than a human woman?”
The cut was deep, and Ben’s eyes filled with anger. “You little piece of sh—”
“That’s enough,” Camden interrupted as he stood up from the bench. “I’ve listened to you for longer than you deserve. It’s time for you to leave. You aren’t welcome in Silverrose, and I warn you not to come back again. Your reception will be far less hospitable if I ever see your faces near my pack again.”
He turned his back on them and walked away, aware that they had stood up and begun to follow him. He picked up speed, but the Jones’ only walked faster.
“She’s lying to you, you know!” Stella shouted as she practically jogged to keep up. “Flora has been lying to you for years!”
Camden wheeled around to face her. He had tried being nice, but these two were beyond hope.
“Stop. Just stop this,” he insisted.
“It’s true,” Ben added. “Or have you never asked her who Sofia’s father is?”
“If you’re trying to convince me that Flora has to go back with you because Demetrius is the father of her child, then you’re barking up the wrong tree. I already know that he isn’t.”
Ben shook his head. “Not the alpha.”
“I’d think long and hard about whether you want to risk everything to protect someone who hasn’t even told you about her daughter’s parentage,” Stella added. “What kind of a person would do that?”
