Page 2 of Tamed Wolf (Rejected Mates of the Shelter #4)

Lark, Before

“Say that again?”

My father sighs, quite dramatically I might add, and rubs the bridge of his nose. “Your mother and I are going to sell the house. With your brother moving out to stay with his own pack, there’s just no reason for us to stay here. You know we’ve always wanted to travel.”

“But…but I’m in high school! How am I supposed to do high school while traveling? And what about Ivan and Trevor? I don’t think they’d like me moving around like that.”

“How long are we going to do this, Lark? Humans may view 16-year-olds as children, but wolves know better. Yes, you’re young, but you’ve found your mates and are more than capable of making adult choices. You cannot continue to hide out here while your mates sit there, patiently waiting for you to feel ready to be with them. The goddess chose them for you; are you saying you think she’s wrong?”

Am I going crazy? What on earth is happening? “No, no, of course not; but dad, we told you we were going to wait until I graduated; it would be so weird to get mated right now; plus, they’re in their twenties. Do you have any idea how much side eye we get in public? We got stopped by cops last time they took me out to dinner.”

“Honey,” my mom butts in, trying to soothe the situation because my dad is getting visibly irritated with me. “Don’t you think you’re being just a tiny bit selfish? Those men care for you a great deal. Do you not feel comfortable around them? Moving in with them doesn’t mean you have to start a more physical relationship, but I remember what it was like at your age. Why are you fighting this so hard? You’ve known them for nearly five months now. Most wolves move into matehood immediately when they meet each other. Do you really want to risk them losing interest in you if you keep putting things off? I don’t think it’s going to be as bad as you have it built up in your mind. Sometimes, there are things us women must do to keep our mates happy, and this is just one of those things. I really do think you need to give them an actual chance, Lark. We’re merely offering you that opportunity. With us travelling, you’ll have to rely on them more and it will bring you so much closer. I’m sorry, but our decision is final. Whatever you don’t wish to bring to their place with you will be donated because we don’t want to pay storage fees while we’re out there exploring. The house doesn’t close for another week, so you have plenty of time.”

“ You already sold it? Are you just sick of having kids? Is that what this is? Trying to live out the glory days you missed by getting mated so early? Do you hear what you’re asking me to do?”

My father backhands me, which is more than enough of an answer.

“We’re going to meet Sue and Robert for dinner, and then we’re going to evening service to thank the goddess for all her gifts. I suggest you reflect on what put you in this position and adjust your attitude. Is it really so bad that your mother wants to see you grown and happy? You’ll see; this is going to be the best thing we could ever do for you.”

The door shuts behind them and I’m left there on my knees, shaking in anger and fighting tears.

I’ve noticed them pulling away since I met my mates, leaving me alone more and having far less patience than normal, but it’s not like they ever had a high amount to begin with.

I lift my head to look at my childhood bedroom, all the stupid posters of boy bands and supermodels, magazine ads I thought were cool, my collection of stuffed animals that Ivan likes to make fun of; am I acting like a child?

Since meeting the guys, it’s like my body has been on a fast track to fill out. My chest has been outgrowing bras almost faster than I can buy them and my hips are curving so much that I’ve resorted to only pants with stretchy waistbands because nothing else fits right anymore.

But maybe it’s because I’ve been trying to act like a sixteen-year-old kid instead of the adult everyone wants me to be.

I wipe my eyes off with the sleeve of my sweatshirt and stumble to my closet, brushing a hand over the section of clothes I’ve barely touched that Ivan and Trevor bought me. They’re all lacy and form fitting and very…mature. Hardly what I’d wear to school, skirting on the edge of the dress code, but clearly this is what they want to see me in.

I need to call them. They hate it when I wait too long to tell them I’m upset because then I tend to blow everything up into a bigger deal and I get too emotional to properly process things.

I take a few deep breaths and hover over both their names, searching through my history to see who I called last time. I have to alternate so they don’t think I’m paying more attention to one of them over the other.

“Lark, what’s up? This isn’t a great time. Shift just started.”

Music blares in the background, making it a bit difficult to hear Ivan. “I’m sorry, you can just call me back later. It’s nothing we need to talk about right this second.” My voice cracks and I have to cover my mouth with the back of my hand to block out the sobs that want to break free.

I just want to be held and listened to, want someone to tell me it’s okay to feel hurt that my parents basically just dumped me.

“One second.”

The sounds start to get quieter until Ivan comes back on the phone, wherever he is completely quiet now. “I’m here. What’s up?”

“I’m sorry. I forgot you were working tonight. Really, we can just talk about it later. I could maybe come over tomorrow after school?”

“For fuck’s sake, Lark, just tell me. I walked all the way down here so I could hear you. What happened?”

“My parents just told me they’re selling the house; they’re gonna go travel or something. They don’t want me to go with them and I only have a week to pack up my stuff.”

“So why are you crying? Is the idea of moving in with us such a hardship?” I hear some soft voices in the back and the phone gets muffled while Ivan says something to somebody, and then he’s back on the phone, his voice a little strained. “You know we’re going to take care of you. Fuuck . I—sorry. Yes. Okay, um, fuck. One second.”

The phone gets muted again, and I sit there twiddling my thumbs, wondering what’s wrong with me that this feels like a bad thing. Most wolves are over the moon to be able to move in with their mates and begin a life. There’s just something holding me back.

When Ivan comes back, he’s slightly breathless. “Pack a bag and one of us will come pick you up in a little bit, okay? I know you aren’t going to want to stay there after your fight with your parents.”

“Are you like working out or something? Why are you so out of breath?”

“Erm, yeah. I just had to run up the stairs and grab something, sorry. Are you okay?”

“He hit me again. I probably deserved it because I was talking back, but—”

“He fucking did what? Lark, listen to me. He does not get to put his hands on our mate. Pack your shit, I’m on my way.”

I think about texting Cheyenne, but we’ve been fighting a lot lately. She doesn’t like my mates, but it’s not like I can do anything about that. She just doesn’t understand them. I don’t want to fight with anyone else tonight, so I grab my suitcase off of the top shelf of my closet and start grabbing everything. When that’s full, I run downstairs to the now empty kitchen and grab the box of trash bags, then begin emptying my dresser into those. Finally, I make sure I have all of my school stuff, makeup, and hair products I can think of and dump it into a bag and start hauling everything downstairs. I’ve just gotten the second bag to the front door when headlights paint the dark living room wall, the crunching of gravel announcing Ivan.

I’m out that door as fast as can be, running barefoot down the steps and into his arms, somewhere I know will make me feel better.

He smells a little different than usual, but his arms are just as strong as they always are as he lifts me up and carries me back inside. “Baby, you’re not wearing any shoes. You’re going to hurt your feet.”

He brings me straight up to my bedroom and sits on my bed, keeping me on his lap as he sits. “Let me see your cheek.”

He’s tender as he turns my head, his anger a tangible thing. “He had no right to do that. What the hell was he thinking?”

Why do I want to defend my father at all? I shake that away and focus on the facts. “It doesn’t matter. I just want to get out of here.”

“You know, there’s no one here. I know a good way to get all these emotions running high in you to fizzle down and wear you out.”

He wags an eyebrow at me, making me giggle. He’s always good at bringing me out of a bad mood. “I thought my bedroom weirded you out?”

“A man can change his mind. Besides, don’t you want to stick it to your parents by making sure they know exactly what we got up to in here before you move out?”

“And what exactly did we get up to?”

“Don’t play coy with me, Lark. I’ve waited so long. Don’t you trust me by now? Haven’t we treated you well?”

“Of course you have, Ivan.”

“Then what is it?”

“I—” everything I want to say flees, because it’s what I’ve been repeating since I met him. The age gap is too big. He’s too old for me to touch when I’m so young. It’s gross. It’s predatory.

But then I trace the side of his face and feel his legs underneath me, supporting me, I think about how he rushed over here because he knew I was upset, and I realize it’s actually none of those things. Why would the goddess give me mates she didn’t want me to be with? I’m nearly seventeen, which is the legal age for consent here anyway.

“You’re right. You’ve been more than patient with me.” I kiss him and wiggle over his lap, trying to put myself in the right mind set, willing myself to get aroused.

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

I lift up my shirt, revealing the black and white polka dot bralette I have on, my breasts barely contained in it. His face looks like Christmas morning and every birthday rolled into one when he sees me topless. I’ve never done anything with them that necessitates my clothes being off, only over-the-clothes touching.

“Fuck, I knew they’d be this fucking gorgeous. Take that off, too. I want to see all of you. And these leggings. Fuck, I can’t wait to see how incredible you feel when it’s just your skin against me.”

I do as he asks, shaking the whole time because I’ve never been this vulnerable with anyone before. But the way he’s looking at me makes me feel grown up and beautiful, so I don’t stop until I’m completely nude.

“Get over here. I want to see you on the bed with your hair splayed across the pillow.”

He stands over me and unzips his jeans, pulling himself out. It’s much bigger than I thought, and I’m worried about how it’s going to fit inside of me, but I have to do this. Everyone does this at some point, and it’s time to grow up and do what’s expected of me. He’s my mate; he would never hurt me.

He kisses me everywhere, but he’s too excited to wait very long. He starts working himself inside of me and I want to yell at him to stop because it hurts, but he looks so happy. Maybe if I just get this over with, it will get better.

“You were made for me, Lark. You’re going to remember this day for the rest of our lives. It’s going to be so great having you at home with us. We’ll get to do stuff like this all the time.”

He starts to pump in and out and eventually the burn does subside a bit, making it start to feel slightly better. But maybe everyone just greatly over exaggerates sex. It’s not so special.

“Going to fill you up so everyone knows who you belong to.” He reels back onto his knees and stares down at my body as he gets himself off, and I just sit there and wait for it to be over. His hands start to caress my breasts, and before I know it, he’s making weird grunting noises and collapsing on top of me, sinking his teeth right into my neck.

“What the fuck? You weren’t supposed to bite me yet!”

I’m panicking, but there’s no going back. He sinks his teeth in a little farther, keeping them in there until he’s satisfied that it’s going to scar nice and obvious like. “I couldn’t help it, Lark. You just make me so goddess damned crazy. You have no idea the level of restraint we’ve been exercising around you.

“You’re moving in with us, it’s time to wear our marks. You’re not going to be there and not be our actual mate. We don’t do roommates.”

Tears burn my eyes, but I force myself to control my breathing, telling myself this is a good thing. I’ve been conditioned my whole life to be the kind of mate my mom thinks I should be, the kind that she assured me every wolf wants, and I’m fucking it up.

He pulls out of me and buttons his jeans back up, running a hand through his hair. “You should get dressed, Trevor needs me back at work. We’ll have to leave your stuff in the car for a bit, because I can’t head home quite yet. You going to be okay there? You can hang out in the office and do some homework or watch a movie or something. Do you have your laptop we got you?”

“Yeah, it’s packed,” I tell him as I struggle to get up, wincing a bit at the soreness between my legs.

Ivan falls to his knees and crawls between mine, pressing a kiss to my mound. “I was probably a little rougher than I should have been. We’ll make sure you get a hot shower before bed tonight. Forgive me?”

I palm his face and press a kiss to his mouth when he puckers his lips, making me smile. “Not like I can actually be upset with you. You know how wonderful you are.”

“That’s true,” he says as he stands and starts collecting the clothes I discarded. “Did you get all your stuff packed up? There’s not a whole lot of room at our place in the closet; but I suppose we can make it work.”

“I got everything I think I’ll want, but if there isn’t room, I can get rid of some of my older stuff. I just want to get out of here.”

“Go on and head downstairs, I just want to take care of something real quick.”

I'm halfway down the staircase when I start hearing loud crashing noises and breaking glass, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. They last for a few minutes and then Trevor appears at the top of the stairs, breathing hard, knuckles red and puffy.

“What did you just do?”

He wipes a little bit of blood off his hand and smirks. “Just leaving daddy dearest a gift. He hurt something of ours, so I hurt something of his.”

What I really want to do is run upstairs and look at the damage, but the look on his face tells me that would be a bad idea. Besides, what's my father going to do, kick me out?

Ivan walks down to me on the stairs, chucking me lightly under the chin. “Don't worry hotness, it'll only knock off a few thousand in potential profit when he does sell it. I wouldn’t expect to get a birthday card from them, though.”

And as easy as that, he pulls me, stunned, out of my childhood home and into his car, and I don't even have it in me to look back in the mirror after we get all my stuff in his trunk.

This part of my life is over now, there's no going back.