Page 37 of Tamed Wolf

“You’re going to come with me, okay? I don’t like hurting you, Lark, but you make it so damn hard sometimes to stay sane. What is it about you that just pushes all my buttons?”

I manage to choke out a ‘fuck you’ as I shake my head and try to reach for the door handle, but of course he’s quicker.

Ivan squats down beside me, gripping something in his hand that I can’t quite see. “Nothing else needs to happen here, okay? If you just cooperate, it will be so much easier. We messed up the first time, but I want a do-over. I know we can do better by you. I just want a chance. If you can’t come with me peacefully, then I’m going to have to dose you with this, and it will force a heat into you. You know we’re the only ones you can tolerate when you’re in heat. We just need to get another pup on you, and everything will be okay. I know you’re older now, but I’ve been doing research, and plenty of shifters have pups at your age. So, what’s it going to be? Can you come with me, or are we doing this the hard way?”

With that one well-placed kick, I’m right back to being his pretty little tamed wolf. My head hangs in supplication, and the fight drains right out of me.

“You need to change. You’re not getting in my fucking car or going anywhere with me wearing another male’s clothing.”

He starts digging through my meager supply of non-work clothing as I try to sit up, every tiny jostle sending shards of pain through my body, tears openly flowing from my eyes as I cry silently like they’ve taught me to.

I let him dress me like I’m a doll, grateful he doesn’t linger on the naked body underneath, and I watch him take the clothes that the triplets loaned me and throw them out my tiny window, immediately mourning the amount of comfort they brought me.

“Do you need me to carry you?”

I shake my head no, because I’ve learned too many times that doing things on my own always makes them happier. I’m in too much pain now to fight, and as he leads me down the hall, pretending to escort me, I pray we come across somebody that can slow him down, while simultaneously praying we don’t because I know that will implicate anybody else and he’ll just snatch me and run anyway.

I can’t do much of anything when I’m hurt like this, and he knows that. It’s why he did it. He likes me docile.

If I were to hit the emergency button they’ve got mounted outside, he’d snatch me up and bolt before anyone could get there, and then I’d just be in bigger trouble with him, so I just resign myself to my fate.

The drive back is fucking awful, every bump jostling the injury and making me very nearly black out in pain, but I fight through it.

“I don’t know why you thought you could replace us, Lark. You had to know that we would never allow that.”

“Why, Ivan? Why can’t I just be happy for once? You don’t want me, not really. What if somebody else wants me? Do you really hate me so much?” The effort it takes to get the words out is excruciating, so I’m gasping and slouched over by the time I’m done, sweat trickling down my temple from the effort.

“They don’t want you, Lark. They saw a beautiful woman dancing for them and fell under your spell. Give it a weekend and they’ll forget all about you, I guarantee it. I watched the footage from the club after we realized one of them sprung you out; it’s kind of pathetic how easily you believed them. They’re going to be the alphas. What use do they have for a used-up woman almost fifteen years their senior? It literally doesn’t make any sense. You should see how beautiful their fated was; you can’t even compete.”

I allow these words to hit their targets, internalizing the pain as all the self-doubt rises within me, drowning out all the helpful voices telling me I’m good and deserve good things. He’s right. The Storm Pack wanting me doesn’t really make sense. And with Ivan and Trevor in the picture especially, I could never allow that energy anywhere near their sweet little baby.

“Don’t you think it’s better for everyone if we all just keep things the way they are?”

I give him a nodded yes, because I know that’s what he wants, and he hums to himself as he navigates to their home.

It’s never really been mine, but it’s familiar at least. I know where everything is and what the rules are, so I can sort of relax into my shitty role there.

Because his favorite activity is fucking with my head, when we park, Ivan is out of his side and at mine immediately, opening my door and helping me down with all the care he apparently has saved for this one moment.

“You okay?”

I glare at him, because, no, I’m fucking not. “You fucking kicked me in the rib and broke it. What do you think?”

“Let’s get you inside so you can rest. You’ll heal before you know it.”

“You do realize my wolf is fucking barely there, right? I heal at nearly a human speed.”

He trips, looking at me in a panic. “What?”

“Do you have any idea how things work for rejected wolves? No. Of course you don’t. Why would you? You’re the rejector here, you get to live like a king.”

“Why the fuck you running lip?”

Awesome. Trevor. Yay.

“She’s hurt. I pissed her off, okay? Just be nice for a bit. Help me get her situated.”

“Mom?” Camden asks as soon as we’re through the threshold.

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