My Pet Sold Me novel · Chapter 23 of 24

Chapter 23: Her Own Name

Lara's POV

The Concord's office in Estacada was a plain room above a feed store, with a ceiling fan and one metal desk.

The clerk sat behind it in his gray suit.

On the desk lay the renewal form, the same cream paper I had signed seven times, with a blank line and a pen beside it.

Tobin stood across from me with his hands at his sides.

He was thinner, and there was sawdust in the creases of his jacket, and the split in his lip was almost healed.

It was his birthday.

He was twenty-five.

Dane stood in the open doorway behind us and did not come in.

"Keeper," said the clerk. "You came to renew."

"I came to decide."

"The form is the same as always."

"Then I'll read it first," I said. "Out loud. For once."

I picked up the page and read it to the room.

It said that I, Lara Aldrin, pledged my life and liberty for one more year as surety for the beast Tobin Kauffman.

It said that I would answer for anything he did.

It said that I would not be released until he was.

I had signed it seven times without reading it, because I had known what it said.

I had not known how it sounded.

Tobin's face had gone white and set.

"Seven years," he said.

"Seven."

"I never once asked what you paid."

"I never wanted you to."

"I know. That's why I'm asking now."

I put the form down.

"There's something I need to hear first," I said. "What do you want, Tobin?"

He did not answer right away.

"I want you to stop carrying it," he said.

"That's not an answer."

"It's the first half. The second half is that I want to carry it myself."

I waited.

"I don't want to be freed so I can run off and be the clan's sire," he said. "I don't want to be handed to the wolves, either.

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