Page 42 of Rejected Mate Bride
“Trust!” Harold said with a laugh. “You think I can trust you when you’re running around telling people that women should have more of a say?”
“That’s exactly what I mean. It’s not just me you should trust. The women in Silverrose deserve just as much trust and respect as any of the men do. They’ve been sidelined for too long, uncle.”
There was a murmur of agreement from the crowd now. Whatever conversations Camden had been having lately seemed to have paid off. He was winning over the pack with each word he said, and Harold was losing ground.
“He’s right, Alpha,” Thompson agreed. The rest of Camden’s squad had materialized, standing shoulder to shoulder with their leader as he faced down against Alpha Hughes.
“If we don’t make changes to how things have always been done, we’re forcing the pack to be stuck in the past,” Jasper said. “And that’s going to hurt all of us.”
“It already is,” Flora said, daring to speak up.
There were a few murmurs from the crowd. She wondered how long it had been since a woman dared to speak to the alpha in public.
“I know firsthand what Alpha Sier is capable of. I’ve seen it. The world is changing, and you have a choice to make. If you keep making the same choices you always have, Alpha Sier will be able to take down the entire Silverrose pack.”
“I know you care about your people,” Camden said, taking Flora’s hand. “I don’t want to fight against you, uncle. I want to fight with you. Come to the women’s training grounds. Let us show you how things can change for the better.”
Outnumbered by Camden, Flora, and the squad, not to mention the rest of the pack who were watching in rapt silence, Alpha Harold waved his hand dismissively. “Fine,” he said. “Tomorrow morning, you can show me whatever you want, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to agree to go along with it.”
***
Flora was surprised when Alpha Harold showed up at the field the next morning, but even more surprised when a dozen men showed up as well. They came forward hesitantly at first, but when the women welcomed them to the field, they seemed to relax somewhat, joking around with each other as Camden’s squad set up their training session.
“Everyone, gather over here, please!” Jasper called. “Groups of four!”
Naturally, they started to pair up, joining together in groups that were separated into men and women, until Camdenstarted moving people around. Flora was the first to catch on to what he was trying to do.
“We need to mix up the groups,” she said, grabbing Tessa’s arm and pulling her toward a group of all men. “Can two of you go over to that group?” she asked, pointing to the pair of women they had just left. “Camden doesn’t want the groups segregated.”
She expected a little resistance to the idea, but both the men and women seemed, if not enthusiastic, willing to comply with the squad leader’s request. When they were sufficiently intermingled, Jasper began the training session.
For the next hour, they drilled together, pushing their bodies to their limits as they worked to become stronger, faster, and more in tune with each other. That was another thing that Camden had been drilling into their heads: being a part of the pack meant that no one needed to be a lone wolf. Fighting alongside your pack mates meant you could rely on each other to fill in for your weaknesses, and that you should cover them with your strengths.
By the end of the session, Flora was exhausted. Everyone was sweaty and red-faced, but happy with their progress.
“Great job, everyone!” Camden announced. “Make sure you drink plenty of water and stretch at least two more times today so your muscles don’t seize up. We need to stay in a constant state of readiness.”
Flora saw that Harold was watching from the side of the field. He didn’t look upset, as he had been with both Camden and Flora last night, but he was far from being impressed with them, either.
“Think he’s coming around?” Camden asked her quietly.
“I hope so,” she replied.
Chapter 20 - Camden
As days passed and no news came from outside the pack, Camden felt a mixture of relief and trepidation. He wanted to believe that the Ironbrand alpha had given up on his quest to get Flora back after hearing that she was mated, but in the back of his mind, he knew he couldn’t be that lucky. Sier had been made a fool when he had sent his warriors into Silverrose, and they had been sent packing without retrieving their target. Alphas didn’t tend to enjoy being put in the position of appearing weak or ineffective.
What worried him most was that Demetrius Sier was biding his time, waiting for an opportunity to strike again. He was confident in his squad’s ability to keep Flora and Sofia safe. They had continued their rotating schedule to keep extra eyes on the house, the coffee shop, and Sofia’s care provider at all times. That, in addition to the doubled security around the entire territory, and Camden’s own hypervigilance, would be difficult for Sier to bypass. But the longer they went without word from Ironbrand, the more on edge Camden became.
Flora had done what she could to reassure him, but Camden couldn’t escape the feeling that something bad was about to happen. He and Flora were finally in a good place, and his relationship with Sofia was flourishing. He finally had the family he had always dreamed of, and he didn’t want to lose them now.
Camden was distracted by these thoughts as he helped clear out the damage from one of the buildings that had been burned in the fire. He had been true to his word to Harold and shown up every day, toiling side by side with other members of the pack to put to right what the Ironbrand wolves had destroyed. As he removed a singed chair from the house a blockaway from his own home, his childhood friends Aidan, Thatcher, and Scott sauntered up to him. They hadn’t been involved in the repair work yet, and Camden’s face brightened as they rounded the walkway and came toward the porch steps.
“Good to see you!” he said happily. “You here to lend a hand?”
“Absolutely not,” Thatcher said with a sneer. “You and your mate caused this mess. I’m not wasting my time fixing what you broke.”
“We’re just here to see the damage,” Scott said dismissively.
