Chapter 5 - Flora
Holding Sofia in her arms again, even though they had only been parted for a few hours, made Flora feel like she was floating on air.
When she had woken up in Silverrose, she had been terrified.
She hadn’t known if she would ever get to see her daughter again, but now she was here, and they were leaving Stella and Ben behind for good.
As they drove back to Silverrose, Flora did her best not to think about how her adoptive parents were going to react when they realized that Sofia was now missing, too.
They had done everything within their power to keep them both under their control so that they could make money off them.
What would they do, now that their windfall had been taken out of their grasp?
And then there was Demetrius. He had publicly claimed her as his mate and the future luna of the Ironbrand pack, only to have her disappear the very same day.
Any alpha would fight to get their luna back, but Alpha Sier had another reason to want to keep her close by.
She was the only one who knew his secret.
She was comforted knowing that they had no idea where she had gone.
The black ops squad hadn’t left a trace of their involvement, so there was nothing to tie her disappearance to their old pack.
If her luck held out, they would go looking in all the wrong places.
By the time they thought to look for her in Silverrose, Flora and Sofia would be long gone.
They could slip away under the cover of nightfall and never be seen again.
But as she thought through her plan, problem after problem came to mind. She had nowhere to go, no money, no identification, and no way of providing for her daughter. Her heart sank as she realized she was stuck, once again, under the power of a man she didn’t trust.
At least he’s a better option than Demetrius, she thought to herself.
Except for the marriage part, that was. She couldn’t imagine waking up every day for the rest of her life next to the man who had rejected her so callously after taking her virginity and leaving her to raise their child alone.
By the time they got to the pack house, the sun was setting and Sofia was asleep on Flora’s lap. She brushed the golden ringlets away from her daughter’s face as Camden pulled the car to a stop and opened the door for them.
“Do you want me to carry her?” he asked quietly, careful not to disturb her.
Flora didn’t want to let go of her daughter, but her legs had fallen asleep, and she worried she would drop her.
She nodded, allowing Camden to lift her out of the car and gently carry her inside the pack house, Flora trailing behind him.
He walked into the bedroom at the end of the hall and set her down on the large bed.
The room was simply furnished: a guest bedroom, with plain walls, an empty desk with a hardback chair, and a bookshelf filled with dusty books.
“You and Sofia can have this room,” he told her quietly. “The alpha, myself, and my squad are the only other ones staying here at the moment. You’ll be safe here, I promise. I don’t have any clothes or anything for you yet, but tomorrow we’ll go and get you whatever you need.”
Flora nodded uncertainly. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been to a store.
The mere thought of it terrified her, but she could tell Camden was doing his best to make her and Sofia feel comfortable.
He nodded back at her and turned away to leave the room when Flora was suddenly overcome with gratitude.
“Thank you for helping me get Sofia back,” she said quickly.
Camden’s hand paused on the doorknob, but he didn’t turn around as he spoke.
“You’re welcome,” he said quietly.
He left, shutting the door quietly behind him.
Flora breathed a sigh of relief mingled with exhaustion and trepidation as she sat down on the bed next to Sofia.
There was no way for her to leave Silverrose—at least not yet.
She was going to have to hold up her end of the bargain she had made with Camden and become his wife, even though the thought terrified her.
She pulled the covers up over Sofia and watched her peaceful expression. No matter what happened, this was her priority. She would keep Sofia safe and keep the secret about who her father was. If the truth came out, they would never be able to leave.
“I love you, baby,” she whispered as she stroked her daughter’s cheek. “I won’t let anyone hurt you again. I swear it.”
***
Flora slept better that night than she had in ages.
She woke up to the sound of birds singing outside the window as shafts of pale light filtered through the sheer curtains and opened her eyes to see Sofia, still dreaming, lying next to her.
She grasped her hand gently, reassuring herself that they were both safe, and kissed her gently on the forehead.
Sofia’s eyes scrunched together, and she lifted her free hand to rub them sleepily.
“Mama?” she asked. Her eyes opened, and a wide smile beamed across her face. “Mama! I thought I was dreaming. Where are we?”
“We’re at the pack house in Silverrose. That’s where my…
friend Camden lives,” she faltered. The truth was too complicated to explain to a five-year-old, but calling Camden a friend felt strange.
It had been the closest description she could think of.
“We’re going to be staying here for a little while. ”
“Is he the one who carried me?” Sofia asked. “He was nice.”
Flora nodded and helped her daughter out of bed. As soon as they opened the bedroom door, the heady smell of bacon reached their noses, wafting up the stairs of the pack house. They headed into the kitchen, where Camden was plating up a mountain of food.
“Oh, good, you’re awake,” he said. “Sofia said she was hungry last night, so I thought a big breakfast might be required.”
He smiled at the girl, who was hiding partially behind Flora’s leg. As she caught sight of the food, she took an involuntary step forward and then looked up at her mom.
“Come on,” Flora said, gently pulling her toward the table.
Camden set the food in front of them at the small kitchen table, and Sofia dug in. Flora grabbed some toast and ate quietly, watching her daughter enjoy an abundance of food that she had never had access to before. She smiled, happy that her daughter was finally free of the life they had led.
When they finished eating, a knock sounded at the kitchen door. Flora’s eyes went wide with fear—a holdover from her time living with Stella and Ben—but Camden reassured her.
“Don’t worry, it’s just the stylist,” he said.
Confused, Flora followed him as he stood up to greet the stylist. A woman in her forties carrying at least a dozen garment bags whisked into the room.
Her hair was wild with curls, and her clothes were tailored perfectly.
Flora was intimidated by her very presence.
The garment bags hit the counter with a soft whooshing sound, and the woman turned around, arms open wide, with a smile beaming across her face.
“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 realized he 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.”