Page 19 of Tamed Wolf

She prints a few copies and presents them to us all. “I’d like you two to know that this is a legally binding contract. I need your signatures on this line signifying that you agree to these terms presented therein.”

“That means you have to write your name there,” I say slowly as if they’re absolutely stupid. Let’s be honest though, I might actually be helping them out here. “And by doing that, you’re saying you will follow the things she typed up already.”

“Dumb bitch,” Trevor snarls under his breath. It doesn’t hurt me though, I’m too happy with myself currently.

While they’re reading over and signing, I address my other needs with Matron. “Since I’m still rejected, Matron, I would like to retain my rights to keep a room here. I don’t have enough faith in them that they’ll uphold the contract, and I need to know there’s somewhere else that Camden and I can get to if we’re endangered.”

“I was going to suggest that, actually. Normally I’d be an advocate for cleaning out rooms so we have them available for new tenants, but this is a different sort of situation. Your room remains yours as long as you need it, Lark. To do that though, you will need to pull a few shifts each week to contribute. Is this something we can make work?”

“I can bring her,” Ivan mumbles.

“Excellent. Lark, if you need alternate transportation, give me a call and I can help you figure out a bus route or something.”

“Thank you, Matron. I appreciate it.”

When we start heading back to my room, Trevor adopts a troubling sneer, but I need to start steeling myself for whatever games he’s going to try to break me with. “You’re going to have uniforms when you’re with us, I hope you know that.”

“As long as said uniforms don’t come with your fucking slimy fingers all over me, I can manage.”

“And you’ll be dancing at our club. Just a few times a week to start while you train, and we’ll increase the frequency as we see fit. You’re going to rake in so much money.”

I stumble and have to catch myself on the wall. I did say I’d do anything, and if I tell myself I must do this to support my kid, it’s completely fine. I have no problem with people that dance for money, I just hate that my mates are taking advantage of me and forcing me into it.

“Patrons will not touch me.” That’s a hard and fast rule. That’s how strip clubs operate, right? I’ve never been to one other than the few times I was at theirs with them, but I kind of remember that being a thing.

“Nobody fucking touches you,” Ivan spits, glaring at Trevor who I’m pretty sure was going to say something ungainly.

It’s interesting to me that there’s such a wedge pitched between them. I feel like I could work with that knowledge and try to sway Ivan to my side more just so I have some sort of protection.

I have to pause and take a few deep breaths before I walk into my room and pretend like my world isn’t falling apart again. The important thing though is they aren’t taking me away from him.

“Camden, honey, I’m back,” I announce as I slip inside. The two fuckers step inside and look around, seemingly fascinated by the hovel we call home, but they don’t exist to me right now. “We need to talk, baby.”

“Is this about them being my daddies? I thought daddies spent time with their kids; how can they be my daddies if I’ve never met them?”

“Well, there are all sorts of types of families Camden, you know that. You know that I used to be…mated to them before you were born, and that was wonderful because it gave me you.

“It’s very important to them that we go live with them. I’ve seen their house, and unless it’s changed a whole bunch, I think you’ll be much more comfortable there. You’ll have to switch schools, but I’ve told you that this was always a possibility.”

He thinks about this for a few moments, looking at his fathers and trying to make a decision on them. “Are you nice?” He asks them, going straight for the throat.

Trevor tries to speak, and I snort, try to cover it up with a cough, then wait for them to figure out how to get themselves out of this hole they’ve dug by forcibly injecting themselves into our lives.

Ivan squats down and tucks his hair behind his ear, honestly trying to be decent. “I think we need to spend some time getting to know each other. We weren’t a good fit to be partners to your mom, but I think she’s done a really great job raising you, just like I knew she would.”

“Yeah?” Camden asks, a little smile on his face.

Ivan meets my eyes and answers, “Yeah.”

“I don’t want to go anywhere without my mom.”

“I know, buddy,” he falsely sympathizes. “She fought pretty hard for you, and we think it will be good for you to have her around, too. I really think you’re going to like our home; there’re a few kids on the street you could play with, and you’ll have a bunch of really nice things.”

“I guess that sounds okay,” Camden says, looking to me for approval.

I give him a nod. “Let’s just pretend it’s a new adventure, okay C? We’ll find all sorts of new quests to complete when we get there.”

Chapter Nine

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