Page 54 of The Enforcer’s Rejected Mate (Red River Rejected Mates #1)

Chapter

Thirty-Seven

CORDELIA

A fter a cup of chamomile and mint tea, the rest of the morning passes peacefully enough, which is an unexpected development after the excitement of telling off both Cassidy and Thorne.

I had my first patient, a pup with a cough that was easy enough to fix with a recommendation of Marshmallow and Licorice Root tea.

“It’s not sweet,” the pup complained when they tasted it. “You said this had marshmallows,” they accused.

“So I did.” I laughed with their mother while adding two spoons of honey to their cup.

They’d left with thanks and a promise to come back in two days to let me know how their cough was shaping up. Their mother had even invited me to dinner that week.

“I’m Maria Brom. You should come by on Friday. I’m making cottage pie.”

The offer caught me by surprise. I’d never been invited over for dinner before and I’d accepted with a fumbled, ‘of course, thank you’. Maud would tsk at me for not asking what I could bring. I’d have to make sure I did that when they came back.

I smiled and looked out the window. My first day on the job and I had a dinner invitation.

How was this my life? Everything was so different now.

It felt like I’d been gone from Frostclaw for years but it had only been what?

A week? I had to keep pinching myself that I was awake and not dreaming.

Bloodstone treated healers differently from Frostclaw.

I wasn’t out at the edge of the pack, a visit people only made in dire situations.

I was in the heart of things. Outside my doors I could hear voices and laughter, the heavy step of folks walking past on their way to somewhere else.

The Keep was alive and humming with energy, and I was welcome in it.

“Knock, knock!”

I turn just as a red-headed woman with a tray in her hands breezes into the room.

She’s my age and wears her hair in a messy bun.

A verdant green peasant dress swirls around her legs as she practically skips over to the examination table and puts the tray down.

Her eyes are blue, big and innocent like the eyes that I remember seeing in the dolls carried by the children of the high-ranking families.

“I’m gonna put this here because I’m assuming you haven’t had a patient or done any poisonous experiments here just yet, so we’re safe to enjoy lunch on it.” She pauses and puts her hands on her hips before she gives me a mildly concerned look. “I mean, we are safe, right?”

“I had a patient today but we are safe.” I hold up my hands with a smile. “No toxic experiments have gone on here today.”

She claps her hands. “Oh that’s wonderful the pack is already visiting you so quickly.

We’ve been needing a healer since Jo but sometimes they’re slow to accept newcomers…

” her voice trails off and she clears her throat, “But you’re not a newcomer, are you?

You’re pack. You’ve just now returned from your…

well, from your time away…” she stops talking and flushes.

“Time away? What the hells am I saying? It’s not like you were on vacation.

I want to say kidnapping but that just feels-”

“Right?” I ask. “Because that’s exactly what it was.”

It’s weird to say it. I’ve never said it, not even to Maud. It was one of those things that I just…didn’t think about, didn’t linger on, never dared to hope would ever be over.

“Yes! Thank you, that’s what I have been telling everyone all morning.

You were kidnapped, just like the rest of the orphans and Luna knows what happened to you while you were away and we all just need to band together and make sure you know that you’re welcome here.

” She stops short and claps her hand over her mouth.

“Oh my gods, I just made it sound like you weren’t welcome and that I’ve been a gossiping gilly all morning, haven’t I? ”

“I’ll take it over the silent stares that I got all morning.”

She makes a face. “That’s Annie and Ceelie’s doings.

They mean well but there isn’t a thought between the pair of them that doesn’t hinge on salacious gossip and drama.

They treat all of us like their own personal entertainment.

I’m really sorry about them. I thought that I’d bring you lunch and introduce myself.

” She comes around the table to me and holds out her hand.

“I’m Piper Greenpaw. Pleased to meet you. ”

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” I say and shake her hand. “I’m Cordelia Fireheart.”

Piper grins at me. “Oh, I know. That’s the whole problem with this pack.

Everyone knows but they’re either too shy or nervous to come say hi, so all that staring wasn’t about you.

It’s a them problem. Plus there’s the fact that the males definitely did want to talk to you, but well, you know Thorne. ”

You know Thorne.

“What do you mean?” I ask her because I Totally. Don’t. Know. Thorne.

Piper shrugs as she starts unloading the tray.

There’s a silver domed lid on a plate that she takes off with a flourish and I see tea cakes and sandwiches piled high there.

Fresh cut fruit sits in a silver bowl, seasoned crackers sit on another plate and are accompanied by a small bowl full of a dip.

All of it looks amazing but it’s rounded out by what looks like two chocolate cheesecake slices.

“Just that he’s protective and definitely does not share. Like ever.” Piper looks around the room. “I didn’t bring anything to drink because I thought you might have something here, like tea? Jo used to have the best blends.”

I nod. I saw some blends when I was going through the curio cabinet full of herbs. “Yeah, I saw some in there. I can work on a pot now.” I open the cabinet and think about what Piper just said–protective? “Do you want Goddess Pink or Berry Fresh?”

“Ohhhhh, Goddess Pink! I haven’t had it in a whole year. I ran out of my stash last year and I’ve been dreaming of it. I tried mixing it but I couldn't figure it out.”

“I can make more,” I tell her as I start preparing the tea. “Jo left her recipes.”

Piper lets out an excited whoop so loud that I nearly drop the kettle that I was putting on the burner I found after Thorne left.

Whoever designed this space thought of everything.

A full set of burners was built into the counter with a nifty cover that slides right over them to hide them when they’re not in use.

“This is the best day ever!” Piper cheers. “First, I get to meet you and I know we’re going to be best friends, and then you have Goddess Pink tea? I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day!”

Best friends.

It’s silly how those two words hit me square in the chest but like most things since I’ve left Frostclaw it lays me bare in the most unexpected of ways. Hope mingles with relief while I set the pot of tea to boil and Piper continues to fuss over our lunch.

Clover welcomed me and made it clear we’re friends and now Piper? Maybe…there’s nothing wrong with me. Because this is the perfectly normal that I used to dream of in Frostclaw.

If there was something wrong with me Piper wouldn’t be here and Clover wouldn’t have taken to me like she did, right?

“Do you like mustard? I normally don’t but these tea sandwiches aren’t the normal delicate variety, they’ve got a secret,” Piper tells me in a hushed whisper like someone might overhear.

I glance towards the open door. Maybe someone could if whoever this Annie and Ceelie she mentioned are creeping around so I whisper back.

“I do but what’s the secret?”

“Sauerkraut and pork.”

I laugh. “What?”

“Tea sandwiches get a bad rap for being frou frou and full of stuff like cucumbers and I dunno, pimento cheese, although I love pimento cheese because who doesn’t? It’s the cheese spread of the people.”

“I’ve never had it.”

“What? We are fixing that. I’m taking you to this little bar and grill in Oak Fast that makes the best pimento cheese sandies for a GNO.”

“A what?” I say, trying to sound out what Piper is saying. “A Gee-noe?”

She giggles at me. “Girls Night Out, bestie,” she tells me and points at the tea sandwiches, “but like I was saying, these aren’t taken seriously, not normally, but that’s when I’m not the one making them.

The only one who understands me is Clover.

” She pauses and resumes her whispering so I lean forward to hear her.

“I beef these babies up, like literally but in this case, pork. They have pulled pork and sauerkraut and the best mustard ever. Janine makes it along with alot of other stuff like pickles. Today, I made us that anddddddd my famous Chicky sandwich.”

“What’s a Chicky sandwich?” It’s hard to keep up with Piper but I’m willing to try.

“Chicken, Bacon and Ranch. My own little recipe that you are going to loveeeee. ”

“It sounds delicious but you didn’t have to go through all this trouble. Not for me.”

Piper gives me a raised eyebrow. “And why not for you? You’re worth it. It’s not every day that we get a new pack member.”

I don’t know what to say because of course, I don’t know what to say.

Luckily the kettle whistles and I’m saved from bursting into tears at a stranger telling me I’m worth them making me lunch.

I pour us two cups of pink tea. I sniff the air and smile at the scent of fragrant rose petals, berries and hibiscus.

I can’t wait to try this tea out. From the smell of it I know Maud would love it.

I wonder what she’s doing now. I need to write to her as soon as I’m able and let her know that I’m safe in Bloodstone.

I’ll send her a letter when I’m in Oak Fast, I think then smile when I realize I might be able to check in on Jenny and Gus.

How did my life become so wonderfully full of friends?

“All right, bestie! You ready to feast?” Piper asks when I head to the table with our cups of tea.

“Absolutely, it all looks delicious.” I sit and hand her her cup of tea.

Piper sips it with a moan and shakes her head. “Now that’s fresh.”

I sip my own tea and hum in agreement. “It really, really is.” The tea is an explosion of flavor, there’s more than what I smelled when I poured it. I’ll have to go over the recipe today to figure out where the creamy undertone is coming from. “I’ll pack you some tea after lunch,” I offer.

“You’re a lifesaver. Now, repeat after me.” Piper holds out her cup to mine in a toast. “To Best Friends and GNOs.”

I lift my cup and clink it against hers. “To Best friends and GNOs.”