Page 49 of Rejected Mate Bride
The memorial service and luncheon were over, and the squad had left. She wanted to go home with her daughter and crawl under the covers while she waited for Camden to return, but there was still work to be done. Mr. Thompson had decided to open Moon Brew for business today to give the pack somewhere to congregate if they needed to be with friends and family, so Flora was on duty as well. She knew she could take Sofia to Clementine for the day, but with Camden gone, it seemed too risky. Better to keep her close, she thought.
“Not yet, baby,” Flora told her daughter. “We have to go to work. Want a hot chocolate when we get there?”
Sofia brightened at the suggestion. “With whipped cream?” she asked excitedly.
“Of course,” Flora said with a smile.
The sun cut through the cool chill in the autumn air as they walked through town toward the coffee shop, and Flora found herself needing to take off her jacket after just a few minutes. Sofia skipped ahead before running back to her over and over, as she usually did. The atmosphere in town was somber, but not hostile. Townspeople sat outside chatting, commiserating over their loss, and waving to neighbors. Flora only wished that Harold’s sacrifice hadn’t been needed to bring everyone together.
The coffee shop was busy with groups of people milling about, sharing stories and comforting each other. Flora took Sofia to her usual seat at the back table and went up to the register to ring in an order for hot chocolate.
“Sofia with you?” Edgar asked.
“Yes,” Flora said, nodding toward the table.
“I figured she would be,” Edgar said. “My boy told me he and the squad were going out on a mission. Didn’t say what it was, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. Are you and your little girl doing okay?”
“We’re managing. It’s tough when he’s gone. I worry,” Flora said with a shrug.
“I know what you mean. Cillian has been with the army for years now, and I still panic a little when I haven’t heard from him,” Edgar said, giving Flora’s hand a gentle squeeze. “But you’ve got me, too, you know?”
“Thank you, Mr. Thompson,” Flora said, tears welling in her eyes.
“Alright, enough mushy stuff,” Edgar said with a wave of his hand.
Flora gave a slight chuckle and headed back over to Sofia, handed her the hot chocolate, and got to work. Time seemed to fly by as the day stretched on. The shop never slowed down. With patrons coming and going all day, the tables were always crowded. Flora was having a hard time keeping up when she bumped into a couple who had just come into the shop.
“I’m sorry,” Flora said automatically, but her apology died on her lips when she recognized who it was. “What areyoudoing here? How did you get into Silverrose? Camden said you aren’t welcome here anymore.”
Stella and Ben had disguised themselves as tourists and snuck into Silverrose. For what nefarious purposes, Flora didn’t quite know. Had Alpha Sier sent them?
“I don’t think Camden will be bothering us today,” Ben Jones said.
“Not when Alpha Sier has a nice little trap set for him back in Ironbrand,” Stella added. “He and his squad will be walking right into it.”
“Any second now, I’d imagine,” Ben agreed.
Flora’s blood ran cold, and she glanced over at where Sofia sat, drinking another hot chocolate from a tiny mug. She looked at Mr. Thompson, hoping he had seen her distress, but he was busy with a gaggle of customers at the counter.
She backed away from her adoptive parents slowly, moving toward Sofia. They followed her at a distance, careful to stay between her and the front door.
“Sofia,” she said, snapping her fingers to get her daughter’s attention. “I need you to come with me. Leave your things.”
Her daughter recognized the tone of her voice immediately and scurried to her side. Flora needed to get her daughter to safety, but she also needed to warn Camden about what he was walking into. They would be stronger if they were together. She just needed to get to him.
She picked Sofia up and walked toward the counter. Stella and Ben were closing in on her, but the tables in between them would slow them down considerably. Flora took off suddenly, running toward the emergency exit at the back of the shop. She threw the door open with a bang and ran as fast as she could. Her legs burned, and her arms screamed from the effort of carrying Sofia at such a pace. By the time she reached the forest, Ben and Stella had almost caught up with her. As much as she had trained, and as fast as she had run, she was no match for the speed and agility of shifters.
“You aren’t going to make it!” Stella said in a sing-song voice. “No one is coming to save you, and you can’t outrun us. You might as well accept it!”
A tree root snagged Flora’s foot, and she went flying to the ground. Sofia tumbled from her arms and rolled down the hill, coming to a stop. Shakily, Flora got to her feet and stumbled toward her daughter.
“Sofia!” she yelled. “Run!”
Sofia, covered in dirt and bleeding from her leg, sat up, but before she could get to her feet, a man stepped from the shadows of the trees behind her. Flora let out a scream of despair as Demetrius scooped Sofia up in his arms.
“Let her go!” she screamed. She lurched forward, but Stella and Ben grabbed her arms and held her back. “Let go of my daughter!”
“Mommy!” Sofia shouted, trying to free herself.
