Chapter 16 - Camden
Camden stayed awake all night watching the house in case Alpha Sier’s men returned to take Flora away.
His mind raced with thoughts of how close he had been to losing her again, and he swore he would never allow it to happen while he still had breath in his body.
He had no idea where their lives were leading, but he knew for a fact that his destiny was intertwined with hers.
As the sun came up, he went back inside and waited at the foot of the stairs. Sofia always woke up before her mother did and went in to wake her up, but Camden knew Flora needed her rest. When he heard Sofia padding out of her room, he called up the stairs gently.
“Sof,” he said. “Can you come down here, please?”
The young girl’s head appeared at the top of the stairs, blond hair sticking up as she rubbed her eyes sleepily.
“Let’s let your mom sleep in. Do you want some waffles?”
The thought of syrup made Sofia smile, and she came down to greet Camden with a hug.
His heart swelled at the gesture, knowing that she didn’t owe him her affection.
He and Sofia went to the kitchen, where he whipped up a batch of waffles while she chatted.
After years of living alone or with his squad, it had taken a while to grow accustomed to the constant noise that came with sharing a home with a four-year-old.
Now he couldn’t imagine being without it.
By the time Flora came downstairs, it was nearly time for lunch.
Camden was drinking coffee on the couch while Sofia played with puzzles at the coffee table.
He had light music playing through the portable speaker, and the windows were open.
For Camden, it served a dual purpose: he could hear anyone approaching, and the light breeze coming in through the windows helped keep him awake after his night watch.
“Why didn’t you wake me?” Flora asked. “I’ve slept the whole day away!”
“You were tired, Mom,” Sofia said, matter-of-factly.
“She’s right,” Camden said with a smile. “You needed your rest.”
Flora sat down on the couch next to him and sighed, her whole body relaxing into the cushions. He reached out and took her hand tentatively. To his surprise, she grasped it firmly in her own hand.
“I wanted to wait until you woke up,” Camden continued. “But I need to run over to talk to my uncle today.”
“About….”
“Last night,” Camden said. “You know that I would do anything to keep you safe and prevent you from having to leave, but I can’t stay awake all day and night forever. I need to ask the alpha to increase the security around Silverrose.”
Flora gulped and nodded. Camden could tell she was still shaken by what had happened last night.
Her fear of being forced to go back to her adoptive parents and Alpha Sier was very real.
If she were kidnapped and taken back to Ironbrand, she was sure to receive cruel treatment at their hands.
Camden refused to entertain the thought of it.
“I’ll be back soon,” he assured her.
After witnessing her fighting off her attackers, Camden felt more protective of Flora than ever before.
He vowed that nothing like that would ever happen to her again.
If he needed to set aside his conflict with Harold about the running of the pack to prioritize her safety, that was what he was going to do.
***
“What are you doing here?” Harold asked gruffly as Camden entered his office.
“I’m here to ask for help.”
Camden used the most deferential tone possible, bowing his head slightly as he spoke. His uncle had always responded well to signs of respect.
“Help, huh?” he exhaled forcefully. “What makes you think you have the right to ask me for anything after the danger you brought down on my pack? You think because you’re family that the rules don’t apply to you?
I haven’t even decided what your punishment is going to be yet, and you’re already here with your hat in hand. ”
“I know that you’re upset with me. I know that you don’t agree with what I did, or how I did it.
I’m here because someone I love is in danger, and you are the only person who can help me protect her,” Camden pleaded.
“The territory needs to double its security measures if we are going to prevent Flora or anyone else in Silverrose from being harmed by Alpha Sier.”
“Or I could just give him what he wants,” Harold pointed out.
Panic threatened to close Camden’s throat, but he persevered and pushed past the lump in his throat.
His uncle did not appreciate weakness. “He won’t stop, even if he gets Flora back.
You’re the one who asked us to investigate him, which means you know he is a dangerous man.
I will do anything you ask me if you increase security around the pack.
I’ll cover the costs of any overtime and resources needed.
I’ll fix every single inch of the damaged properties with my own two hands. Please, uncle. Protect your people.”
The alpha narrowed his eyes at Camden, staring at him hard. For what felt like an eternity, the two men stared at each other.
“Fine,” Harold finally said. “You will pay for all of it, but I’ll do as you ask. Not for that woman’s sake, though. For the pack.”
“Thank you,” Camden said, breathing a sigh of relief. As much as he wanted to argue with his uncle about why Flora was worth protecting, he was willing to overlook it if it meant she would be safe.
As he left the pack house, the sunlight felt invigorating.
He was excited to head home to let Flora know that his uncle was willing to help with protection, but before he got more than a block, he saw two people who flipped his mood upside down: Stella and Ben Jones.
The presence of Flora’s adoptive parents in the middle of town, as if they had done nothing wrong, made Camden’s blood boil with rage.
“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 certainly have 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?”
Camden tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach.
He had been wondering about this ever since Flora had first mentioned she had a child.
Flora had insisted that the father wasn’t in the picture and that the man wasn’t Alpha Sier.
Despite his curiosity, Camden had convinced himself that was enough.
He had done his best to give her space and let her confide in him when she was ready, but something about the situation wasn’t adding up.
“Leave Silverrose,” Camden repeated. “Don’t make me say it again.”
They shrugged, gave each other a knowing look, and backed away.
As Camden hurried back to the house, he thought over everything they had said. He wanted to trust Flora and give her the benefit of the doubt. She had her reasons for keeping quiet about who fathered her child, and she had every right to do so.
But a thought had taken hold in his mind. It couldn’t possibly be true. She would have told him. Wouldn’t she? He needed to be sure.
Camden pulled out his key to unlock the front door, pleased to see that Flora had followed his request in keeping it shut tightly while he was away. He had Marbles keeping watch over the house while he was gone, but it never hurt to be careful.
“Flora?” he called out as soon as his feet hit the threshold. “Where are you?”
“Laundry!” she called back.
He wasted no time in getting to her, needing to ease his mind about what her adoptive parents had caused him to suspect about Sofia.
She was folding towels on the ironing board, her hair up in a messy ponytail and still wearing the pajamas she had woken up in.
She rarely came downstairs without getting ready for the day, and the change caught him off guard.
He wondered how she managed to be as beautiful and desirable as always, no matter what she wore.
“Everything went okay with your uncle?” Flora asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.
“Um, yes,” he said, shaking his head. “Yes, he’s going to double the guards around the territory like I asked him to.”
“That’s great,” she said, smiling with relief.
“Yeah, it is. Um, Flora, I need to talk to you about something,” he said, running his hand through his hair.
She paused her task and gave him her full attention, waiting patiently for him to continue.
“I know I don’t really have a right to ask, but I had a thought that has been driving me a little bit crazy,” he admitted.
“What is it?” Flora asked. She sounded concerned.
“Is Sofia my daughter?”
Flora inhaled sharply, her mouth opening in surprise. Whatever she had been expecting Camden to ask, it wasn’t this.
The house was silent as Camden waited with bated breath for her to ease his mind.
She would tell him that Sofia had been the result of a one-night stand, and he would have no reason to doubt her.
Now that he had asked the question out loud, he felt ridiculous.
If Sofia had been his child, Flora would have told him long before now.
Or would she?
“Yes,” Flora said.