by Jane Jamison
“What’s going to happen to him, Dad?” Doug Harmon wasn’t really what she wanted to talk about, but getting to the other thing was proving to be harder. How would she tell them about the two wolves? Would they even believe her? Doug had professed to seeing two wolves as they’d waited for the police to arrive, but she’d kept her mouth shut.
Even as they’d dragged him away, he’d yelled at her to confirm his story. She’d turned away from him and gone to Adam, who had come to a short while after her father had shown up. Marc and Hank had run to the cabin to find them as soon as they’d heard and had helped Adam to his feet while her father took care of her, pushing the men away. She could still see their worried faces as her father put her into his truck and drove her to the emergency room. She’d longed to see how Adam was doing, wanted to spend time with Marc and Hank as well, but she’d spent most of the night getting checked out not once but three times by the doctors her father had insisted look her over.
Adam had refused to have a doctor examine him, and, after the men had waited in the lobby for word of her condition, her father had finally demanded that they leave. They did so, but only after her father had promised that they’d meet today.
“Mr. Harmon is spending time in a psychiatric hospital. He’s still telling everyone that two wolves broke into the cabin and attacked him.”
Tatum knew it was now or never if she was going to tell them the truth. Having any kind of a lasting relationship with them meant she couldn’t hold anything back. “I didn’t mention this before because, well, because…” She darted her gaze from her father to the others. “I saw them, too.”
She’d expected almost any reaction except the one she got. Marc, Adam, and Hank looked at her, their expressions suddenly difficult to read. Her father’s reaction, however, unnerved her even more when he dropped his gaze and studied the carpet.
“Did you guys hear me? I said I saw the two wolves. Just like Doug Harmon said.”
Her father cleared his throat. “Tell her.”
At once, the tension that had already wrapped around her thickened, threatening to strangle her. The Shelton brothers darted glances between themselves and her father. What was wrong with them? “Tell me what?”
Her father gripped the arms of his recliner and then, after giving her a wan smile, hardened his look at the men. “You don’t have to keep it a secret any longer. I already know. I suspected as much after the trail ride, so I’ve been watching. I’ve lived in these parts all my life and I’ve seen a lot of things. Don’t you think I’d know one when I see one?”
“One what, Dad? None of what you’re saying is making sense.” Just when she thought the worst was over, another problem came up. “Will one of you tell me what’s going on?”
“I kind of suspected you knew, sir, but I didn’t know for sure. Not that you gave us any hint. It was more in how you looked at us.”
“Yeah. Marc’s right. You always gave us this look like you were afraid one of us might lose it.” Hank’s grin faded when her father didn’t return the gesture.
Marc narrowed his eyes at her father. “I’m not sure how you feel about it.”
Her father leaned forward, his intense stare making a knot in her stomach. “It doesn’t matter how I feel. Just tell her.”
Marc nodded at his brothers then faced her. “You and Doug Harmon weren’t seeing things. Two wolves did come into the cabin.”
“What? How? And how would you know? You weren’t even there until it was over.” Her breathing quickened and her heart picked up its pace.
“We know because Hank and I are the wolves you saw. Werewolves to be more exact.”
She laughed, more from a reflex defense action than from humor. But there was nothing about it that was funny. “Werewolves. You’re telling me that you and Hank are werewolves?”
“And me, too.” Adam raised his hand then lowered it when she glared at him.
“If this is some kind of a joke, I don’t appreciate it one bit. I’m serious. Two wolves broke into the cabin, and one of them attacked Doug, putting him into the corner.” She met Marc’s eyes and felt a recognition she’d missed before. “And the other wolf—”
“The other wolf walked over to you, and you patted him on the muzzle.”
“Oh, my God.” Was he really telling her that he was the wolf?
“I gave you a smile. Or at least a smile as much as I could in my wolf form.” Marc smiled at her and tilted his head at her just like the wolf had done. Suddenly, his eyes changed, filling with a glowing amber color.
Could she believe what she’d seen? What she was seeing? She looked to her father. “And you’re telling me that you believe what they’re saying? That werewolves are real?”
“Yes, honey. That’s what I’m saying.”
“I don’t believe this.” She shook her head. “If this is true, why haven’t you ever told me? How could you let me grow up here and not tell me?” Yet would she have believed him until she’d seen it with her own eyes?
“I didn’t want you to be afraid. As far as I know, werewolves tend to stick with their own kind.” Her father dragged a hand through his hair. “But there’s something else you need to know.”
“Something else? Isn’t this enough?” Before she’d met the men of her dreams, she’d never have gotten angry with her father. But how could he have hidden so much from her? “What? Tell me everything.”
“Honey, there’s a reason why your mother is…well, the way she is. I should’ve told you long before now, but I wanted to protect you. I thought maybe, once you grew up, she’d see what a wonderful person you are and get closer to you. Then it would’ve been easier for you to hear.”
Her anger dissipated as her father seemed to age before her eyes. His eyes grew dull and he slumped forward as though a great weight had been thrust on his back. She went to him, kneeling at his feet. “Dad, whatever it is, you can tell me. I have a right to know.”
He took her hands in his. “Yes, you do. But know this. I couldn’t have asked for a better daughter. I love you with all my heart.”
Adam cleared his throat. “Should we leave and give you some privacy?”
“No. Stay. This concerns you boys as well.” He swallowed then cupped her cheek. “I don’t know how to say this, so I’ll just spit it out. Honey, you’re adopted.”
She recoiled, not from the man but from his revelation. “I’m not your daughter?”
“You’re my daughter just as if your mother had given birth to you. But no, you’re not my biological daughter.”
She searched the face she’d always thought had given her the color of her eyes. “Then who are my real parents? Do you know?”
He nodded. “Yes, I do. I hired an investigator when you were still a baby. Your mother had to know who your parents were, although her reason for wanting to know was awful.”
“Let me guess. She wanted to make sure I came from good stock.”
His wan smile was answer enough, but he confirmed it anyway. “You know her well.”
“And did you find out who they were? Are they still alive?” Her breath hitched in her throat. What were her birth parents like? Did they know about her life? Or had they given her up and put her out of their minds?
“The investigator found your mother, but we never located your father. You see, he left her right after he found out that she was pregnant. But I did find out about him, and that’s what really matters. Your birth mom knew the truth about him, too, and that’s why she gave you away.”
He took both her hands again and squeezed them tightly. “The day you came into my life was the best day of my life. But, honey, I never told your mom what I’d found out. I knew she’d never accept you if I did. Still, she resented how close we became and she grew jealous of you.”
“She was jealous of me?”
“I think she sensed that there was something special between us and that I was keeping a secret from her. I doted on you, trying to make your world perfect, trying t
o protect you. In my efforts to do so, I unknowingly left her out.”
“What are you talking about? What truth? Tell me, Dad. I’ve got to know.”
He gritted his teeth. “I’ve never said one bad thing about your mother, but I’ll say it now. I wanted her to love you the way I did, but she was too damn selfish to let anyone have my attention besides her. In the end, she simply couldn’t settle for being less than number one. Frankly, I’m glad she left.”
She blinked at the vehemence in his tone. “Wow, Dad. Don’t hold back.”
He chuckled, then grew solemn. “I’m sorry, honey, but that’s the way I feel. It’s time you knew everything.” He glanced at the men then took her hands in his. “Your birth mother was a fine woman who fell in love with the wrong man. A man who was a werewolf.”
Chapter Nine
Tatum stood but felt her legs give out. Her father grabbed her as well as Marc, who came up behind her to help him bring her to the couch. Adam took her hand while Marc sat back down and took her other hand.
She gazed up at her father’s worried face. How could she be a werewolf? She would’ve known, wouldn’t she? “I’m a werewolf?”
“You’re half-werewolf, honey.”
“It makes perfect sense.” Adam leaned closer, his body tense as excitement took him over. “No wonder we gravitated to you so fast. And you to us. It happens with human females, too, but with you, there was no doubt.”
She stared at him, but his words wouldn’t sink in. Her mind whirled with questions in a storm of confusion.
“You sensed it, didn’t you, baby?” Marc’s dark eyes latched onto hers. “You felt our connection the minute you saw us, didn’t you?”
She couldn’t find the right words and, instead, nodded. She had sensed their connection. But what did that have to do with her being part werewolf?
Oh, my God. I’m part werewolf. Yet even thinking it didn’t help to wrap her mind around it.
So much had changed in such a short time. She’d found three men she loved and had now found out that she was adopted. Her mother’s harsh treatment of her became clearer than ever before. Memories of her mother pushing her away whenever her father was around came back to her. At least that part of what her father had told made sense.
She was part werewolf.
“Honey, are you all right? Can you forgive me for keeping this from you?”
She could forgive her father anything. Even this. “I wish you’d told me sooner, but I understand. But why now?”
Her father drew his body straight and tall. “I’ve seen the way these men look at you, and I’ve seen how you look at them. I’m your father, but I know what happens between a woman and the man, or the men in this case, that she loves.”
She waited for the flash of heat that had always come with a blush, but it never came. “So you know about us?”
How could I be so clueless about so many things? First, I wasn’t aware that I’m part animal. Then I didn’t realize that my father knew about my relationship with the men.
“I do. And I can see that they love you just as much.” Her father scanned his gaze over Marc, then Adam, and finally to Hank, who had joined them to sit on the arm of the couch. “Now that you know everything, I’m going to leave you four alone to talk. If you need me, I’ll be working in the barn. But, honey, remember that I’ll support you in whatever you decide to do.”
He waited a moment then turned on his heel. He was almost out of the living room when she called to him. “Dad?”
He pivoted to face her. “Yes, honey?”
“I love you.” If she knew nothing else, she knew that.
His eyes sparkled with the moisture suddenly springing into them. “I love you, too, Tater.”
She couldn’t think, couldn’t put all the pieces of her life, of her real life together until she saw what she needed to see. Until then, she wasn’t sure she could believe anything that she’d heard.
She rose and stalked to the farthest side of the room. “I have to know this is real. I want you to prove it. If you’re really werewolves”—she scanned her gaze over the three men she knew she loved—“then prove it. Change now. Right here. Right now.”
“Are you sure?” Even though he’d asked the question, Marc stood and started unbuttoning his shirt. Adam and Hank did the same, each tugging their T-shirts off.
Tatum’s mouth went dry as she took in their hard chests and wide shoulders. As men they were everything she could have ever wanted. But as werewolves? How could she accept living with three men who were animals?
She hurried over to the exit of the living room and closed the doors. If they really changed, then she might be putting herself in danger. At least that’s what the rational side of her mind said. But her heart knew better. And if they didn’t change? Either way, she didn’t want anyone walking in on them.
She heard the cracking sounds before she turned around. Holding her breath, she made sure the doors were securely shut then pivoted to see whatever might await her. Her breath hitched in her throat.
Is that Marc? A beautiful black and gray wolf, easily twice the size of a regular wolf, worked his head back and forth then shook his body.
The wolf next to him—Adam?—was just as large and just as dark, yet the ends of his fur were lighter, as though streaked with a golden touch. He hadn’t changed fully, the fur rapidly spreading over his hind end and along the tail that suddenly shot out. In the next moment, he was shaking his body as Marc had done.
Hank was still human, but his body soon blurred as his limbs broke with loud snapping noises then bent into different angles. She caught his smile right before he dropped to his hands and feet, paws soon taking their place. His dark fur flowed over his body until, at last, he’d completely transformed into a wolf.
“Oh, my God.”
The three wolves turned to look at her. Fear speared its way up her spine and into her neck, stiffening it. She spun around, grabbed the doorknob, and was about to turn it when she heard a whimper. Slowly, she turned back to them.
Lined up in a row, the largest one, Marc, padded toward her. Her chest rose and fell with her heavy breathing. Should she run? Should she shout, hoping to scare them away? Did they know who she was in their wolf forms?
Instead, she looked into his eyes and knew. His eyes glowed with amber and were shaped differently than his human eyes, but she could still see deep within them. He was still Marc, still the man she’d fallen in love with, still one of the three incredible men who wanted to love her for the rest of her life.
Keeping her gaze to his, she lowered her body until she sat on the floor and leaned against the door. “Marc?”
She hadn’t needed confirmation, but he gave it to her. Stepping closer until his muzzle was an inch from her face, he paused then flicked out his tongue to scrape over her cheek. Startled, she held her breath then let it out in a snicker.
“You really do like to lick me, don’t you?”
She would’ve sworn he smiled. The wolves that were Adam and Hank trotted to her side and pushed their heads against her, rubbing their bodies on hers. She laughed and pulled them close, stroking them and hugging them.
Her men were werewolves. She knew that without a doubt, but that fact no longer mattered. Whatever form they took, they were her men, and she loved them more than she would’ve believed possible.
Marc ducked out of her hold and trotted back to the middle of the room. He growled, and his brothers whirled around and joined him. With one last wag of his tail, Marc started changing, with Adam and Hank following his lead.
Their bodies blurred, and the terrible cracking sounds came again. Faces changed, back legs grew longer, and their front legs transformed, ridding them of claws to give them fingers and hands again. Their tails disappeared in a blur of images. She blinked to try and clear her vision, although she knew there was nothing wrong with her eyesight. In a matter of minutes, Marc, Adam, and Hank stood in front of her. They stretched, showing off their to
ned bodies.
“We have to shake to get rid of the lingering effects of shifting.”
She nodded, understanding but not really knowing how it must feel. What would it be like to change into a wolf? She could imagine running under a full moon, feeling the wind in her fur, hearing and seeing the world around her in an entirely new way. Would it make her feel different while in her human body? She started to shove the ideas away until it hit her.
They’d started dressing, pulling on their shirts over their six-pack abs and jerking their jeans on to cover their firm, round butts. Her body reacted to theirs, heating up, ready for them to slide their hands over her and to lick every inch of her. But she had to know the answer before she could think about making love.
“My father said I’m part werewolf.”
“Yeah?” Adam sat on the recliner and tugged on his boots.
“And you’re wondering if you can change, aren’t you?” Hank grinned at her. “Would you want to if you knew you could?”
Hank and Marc took a seat then made room for her between them. She fell between them, letting their scents close in around her and surround her with a sense of safety.
“I don’t know. I think so. But if I’m half-werewolf, why haven’t I already shifted?” The word with its new meaning felt strange for her to say.
“Most werewolves are made, not born, like us.” Marc glanced at his brothers, a sad expression flickering across his features. “I was attacked the day after my nineteenth birthday. I tried to hide it from them, tried to leave, but once the first transformation came, they found out.”
“He didn’t want to change us, but we’ve always been close so we wanted to become what he was. Besides, as werewolves, we get to live longer, we’re stronger, and our senses are enhanced.” Adam shook his head as Marc started to interrupt him. “Frankly, I’m glad we’re werewolves.”
“Yeah. Marc made us. That’s why we let him think he’s our leader.” Hank grinned at his older brother.
Marc’s relief was palpable. “But I’ve also known a few werewolves who were born to it. They changed automatically when they hit puberty.”
