His comments about Flora giving him children only highlighted the old-fashioned and harmful beliefs he still clung to. Flora had a child already, and Camden had no expectations that she would go through pregnancy again. From what little he’d heard from Flora about her pregnancy, Camden understood that it had been a difficult and trying time for her. He had no intention of forcing her to go through that again unless it was something she wanted.
If anything, he was grateful because having a home away from the pack house would allow Flora and Sofia to have a respite away from the others. The separation would keep them away from judgment and prying eyes until he had the opportunity to do something about the pack’s views. There was a lot of work to be done if the others were ever going to welcome Flora as one of their own.
Camden didn’t see much of Flora or Sofia as he went through the process of furnishing the home and getting it ready for them to move in. A few days after the wedding, he showed up at the pack house, full of nervous energy as he knocked on the door to Flora’s room.
“I have a surprise for you,” he said, grinning wildly.
“Will I like this surprise?” Flora asked, putting her hands on her hips.
“Can I see it, too?” Sofia asked excitedly from somewhere out of sight.
Camden chuckled at the differing responses from the two members of his new family. “Yes, and yes,” he answered. “Come on, let’s go.”
Reluctantly, Flora followed him. Her face betrayed surprise as he led them to his car and opened the door for them.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“You’ll see,” he said with a grin.
Sofia jumped inside without hesitation, and her mother followed behind her. As they approached the house, Camden’s excitement was barely containable. His foot was tapping on the floor, anxious to see what the girls’ reactions would be.
“Are we there yet?” Sofia asked from the backseat.
“Yes,” he said proudly, pulling into the driveway of the white, two-story house that was now theirs.
“Who lives here?” Flora asked.
“We do,” he said. “Welcome home.”
Sofia squealed with excitement and ran to the front door, bouncing up and down as she waited for Camden to unlock it and let them inside. Flora, on the other hand, was less impressed.
“When did you get this?” she asked in a prickly voice.
“After the wedding,” he said. “It was a gift from my uncle. I’ve been getting it ready for us to move in, and I finally finished everything this morning.”
He opened the door with a flourish, revealing a cozy and clean living room that opened up into a dining room and kitchen. A vase of daisies was on the table, and he had made sure to include Flora’s favorite colors when he selected the furniture.
“You still like pink, green, and cream, right?” he asked, pointing to the decorations he had chosen.
She didn’t answer. Her brow furrowed as she walked around, looking at the space.
“Mr. Camden, where’s my room?” Sofia asked.
“Upstairs,” he said with a smile. “Do you want me to show you?”
She nodded, a wide smile on her face, and took Camden’s hand. He saw Flora’s frown deepen as the two of them headed up the stairs, and a moment later, she followed behind them. There were two bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor. They were meant to be children’s rooms, but he had decorated them for Sofia and Flora. The primary bedroom was next to the kitchen. Camden had made that his own bedroom to ensure that in case of an emergency, he would be the first on the scene.
He opened the door to Flora’s bedroom first and showed her inside. “If there’s anything else you want in here, just let me know and I’ll make sure you get it,” he assured her.
“Took the big bedroom downstairs for yourself, I see?” Flora asked.
“I assumed you would want the room closest to Sofia’s,” Camden said, confused by her dissatisfaction. “But if I was wrong, I’m happy to switch with you.”
“No,” she replied simply.
“This room,” he said, turning back into the hallway to talk to Sofia, “is for you.”
She reacted exactly as he hoped she would. The walls had been decorated with pastel flowers and fairy lights. Along one wall was a bookshelf filled with books and a toy chest that he had already filled up. A child-sized desk was under the window, filled with art supplies. A bed filled with pillows and stuffed animals completed the room.
