“Touch me,” she whispered back.
Camden drew his hand away immediately as if he had been burned. Flora felt a moment of guilt at how harsh she had been. She could see that he had taken her words badly and was visibly hurt by her desire for distance. She wished they couldhave some space to talk so that she could explain herself and let him know that she wasn’t ashamed of sleeping with him last night. But she also knew that even her explanation would be false. What she really needed was time away from both Sofia and Camden, when she could decide what she wanted to happen next, but getting that space was going to be a struggle.
“Sorry,” Camden mumbled, backing away from her to finish breakfast cleanup.
She sighed regretfully, knowing this wasn’t a problem she could fix right now. As much as she hated the idea, she knew the time for a serious conversation was fast approaching. She wasn’t ready for the truth about their daughter to come out. She had no idea how to even begin that conversation—with either of them.
Chapter 14 - Camden
It hadn’t thrown him when he woke up to find Flora had gone back to her own room. She was a mother, after all, and Sofia surely would have reacted strangely if she found Flora in Camden’s bed. But he wished she had given him the courtesy of a conversation, at the very least. Her rejection after breakfast had completely derailed him. Camden had intended to spend the day with the girls, but now that Flora had made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him, he wasn’t sure what to do with himself.
He was lost in his own thoughts, wandering aimlessly around his house as he tried to figure out why Flora was pretending nothing had passed between them. Meanwhile, Flora and Sofia were in the backyard. Camden watched as Sofia tried to blow bubbles. Her small hands gripped the wind tightly, sloshing bubble solution all over as she dipped it into the container. Flora clapped as her daughter blew a bubble. Her wide smile transformed her whole demeanor, illuminating her features. She was the most beautiful person in the world, Camden thought.
He felt lucky that he was able to witness her joy, but he wished once again that he was able to break through her hard exterior and become a part of the reason for her to be happy. He thought they had been getting somewhere last night, but now he felt like he was back at square one.
As he watched the mother-daughter duo, he couldn’t help but wonder about who Sofia’s father was. Had Flora been in love with him? What kind of relationship had they shared? Did he abandon them, or was he pushed away by the pack, or by Flora herself? After the trials he had gone through to get Flora to trust him again, he had a better understanding of how fiercely protective she was of Sofia. If Sofia’s father hadn’t been good toFlora during their relationship, he didn’t doubt that she would have done everything in her power to protect her daughter from the same treatment. Unfortunately, he didn’t think there was a way to ask Flora without pushing her even further away than she already was.
Camden decided he had spent enough time sulking. The answers he was seeking weren’t going to magically appear before him, and he had wanted to spend time with Flora and Sofia. He didn’t want to allow his jealousy of Flora’s past to interfere with building a future with her, so he swallowed his pride and hurt and headed into the backyard.
“Cam! Bubbles!” Sofia shouted, waving the wand in the air and causing tiny droplets of soapy solution to splatter around her.
“That looks fun!” Camden agreed. “Can I try?”
Sofia brought the container over to him, and he blew a few bubbles. She jumped up to pop them and then came back for more.
“It looks like it’s almost empty,” Camden said.
“I have more,” Flora said. “Be right back.”
She went back into the house, and Camden was struck by a sudden thought.
“Sofia, do you remember your father?”
“I never had a father,” Sofia said.
“You’ve never met him?” he asked.
She pouted slightly, thinking about the question, and then shrugged. “I don’t think I have one. Mom’s never said anything about my dad.”
Camden didn’t think it would do any good to argue with a four-year-old. She had to have a father somewhere in the world, but she was too young to understand that. It was strange that one had never been mentioned before, though. Had Sofia never questioned why everyone else had a dad, and she didn’t? Perhaps Flora had filled in the role of parent so well that Sofia had never noticed one was lacking.
“Here they are,” Flora said, brandishing a brand-new tube of bubbles.
Camden accepted them and began to blow a stream of bubbles for Sofia to dance in. As he watched her twirling and popping, he felt his mind ease slightly. Flora was his mate. She and Sofia weren’t going anywhere. The past didn’t matter, only the future. His plans to build a better pack for both of them were making progress. He would just have to be patient for the rest. What Flora needed was space; she had made that much very clear.
He cast a glance at her, and the familiar ache welled up in his chest. Patience might be what was required, but looking at her only made him want more than the life they were living now.
***
It had been a while since the squad had been out on patrol together. They had all been enjoying their break and getting rested up after years away from home. But after spending the day with Flora and Sofia, Camden needed a distraction, so when Alpha Hughes asked him to take them on a border check, he was more than happy to go. His squad also seemed eager to get back out into the field.
“You sure you want to come, boss?” Marbles asked. “We can handle this.”
“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t trust you guys out there on your own. Who’s gonna keep you in line if I don’t come along?” Camden teased.
In the dimming light of evening, they transformed, allowing their wolf forms to come to the surface. Marbles and Camden took the eastern side of the border, separating from Jasper and Thompson, who went to the west. It was faster and more efficient this way, each covering their own ground and meeting up at the northern end of the loop.
It had been a long time since he had gone for a good run, and Camden enjoyed the feeling of the wind whipping through his fur as they stretched out their pace. Marbles ran enthusiastically by his side, sniffing the ground for any sign of an encroachment into Silverrose territory. After an hour, they completed the circle as the two groups ran into each other. Stopping, they transformed back into their human forms to debrief.
