by B. L. Dawn
“Four? Your great-grandfather is the alpha of your so-called pack of four?”
“I think…I’m the alpha.” The words poured out of her mouth before she had time to think about what she was saying. She wished she could suck the words back in and swallow them, but it was too late.
The alpha roared with laughter as her expression turned grim. He stopped laughing. “You’re serious?” He shook his head. “I’ve never heard of, nor have I read of, a female being alpha.” He sniffed the air around Tatum. “You believe what you’re saying is true.” He chuckled. “So, alpha female with the pack of four, why do you want to join my pack?”
Still looking at the ground, Tatum wasn’t sure what to say. She had already told him she wanted to be in his pack. But the truth was, she wanted to know if his village was in disrepair. Would he be willing to work alongside humans? Would he even work with a female?
Tatum spoke, “We’ve been searching for a larger pack. My great-grandfather is old. I would love for him to have a pack that can honor him with a passing ritual.”
“Half-truths,” he growled.
“My youngest brother needs to learn what it means to be a shifter.”
“Getting closer.”
My gosh, what did he want from her? Her soul? “I would like to find a shifter mate. I want to run free and share myself completely, physically, and mentally with someone.”
The alpha chuckled and shook his head as if she were an entertaining child. “I like that response, but you’re leaving something out.”
Tatum remained silent until the alpha got impatient with her.
“Those are all things I can give to you and your family, but why should I? I have many shifters to watch over. Times are tough everywhere. What do you have to offer us?”
Finally, this is what I want to discuss. “I would like to offer you my counsel. I can help your pack.”
“Alphas do not…oh, excuse me…alpha males do not take counsel from females.”
“That’s too bad, because I know how to make money.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Prove it.”
It was true that shifters, in general, didn’t make human money, but she knew how. Also, she knew that it would have been the male’s job to support the family in the shifter world, but then again, she wasn’t like normal females. As far back as she could recall, which was only seven years ago, she had always been different. Still looking at the ground, Tatum pushed her hand into her pocket, grabbed the wad of hundreds, and showed it to the alpha.
“You brought me stolen money!” he roared. He smacked the money out of her hand.
In shock, her eyes jumped up to meet his as the money fell between them. That little piece of yellow paper she’d pocketed earlier was now floating above their heads, gently descending to the ground. Tears of outrage stung her blue and brown eyes. The alpha reached out, capturing the paper between his fingers. He stared at its contents, more interested in the paper than in the money scattered all over the ground. His eyes returned to hers, but this time his eyes were wide, his brows raised like he too was in shock.
The setting sun lowered on the warm pine trees as little Enoch ran through the secluded village. He passed the rows of small ragged white houses that made up his village.
His makeshift newspaper kite danced in the air as he held up his oversized jeans. Gran’s Gold Hands craft magazine was where he always got his best ideas.
Other shifters enjoyed the spectacle for a short time before moving on to finish their chores.
As he ran down the road, Enoch unwound the little string to make the kite lift even higher.
That was a mistake.
The wind ripped the kite from his grasping hands, sending it sailing toward a dark, crumbling dwelling. Enoch stared in horror as the kite glided over to Old Gareth’s porch, landing behind a tall banister. Why me? He looked around to see if another shifter would retrieve his newly made toy, but he saw no one. Of course, when he needed someone, no one was ever around.
Everyone in the village feared Old Gareth, and Enoch was no different. The creepy, unnatural stories told about Gareth by the villagers had Enoch wanting to bolt down the street. What would the villagers think if they saw the alpha’s son running scared? It would not be his proudest moment. Did Gareth speak with the deceased and curse those who crossed him?
The young pup tiptoed toward the powder-blue porch with as much stealth as he could muster. Flakes of paint littered the ground as the wind redecorated the front of the old shifter’s home.
Enoch reached out his small hand, barely making contact with the string. He managed to wrap it around his pointer finger.
His lungs refused to take in air at the sound of a creaking rocking chair. He looked up. Rocking lazily right in front of him was Old Gareth, staring at him with narrowed eyes. His long white hair blew back, revealing all the wrinkles he’d accumulated over time. His all-knowing gray eyes burrowed into the young pup’s soul.
It would be enough to scare the hell out of any normal pup, but Enoch was the alpha’s son. Trying to control the wobbling of his legs, he straightened despite his fear.
“Good afternoon,” Enoch squeaked, his voice an octave higher than usual.
“That’s a mighty fine kite you’ve got there.”
“I made it myself by using old stuff.”
Nodding, Gareth stroked his long white beard. “Yes, old stuff can be given a new purpose. It’s almost magical, isn’t it?”
“Yes, sir.”
The old man crooked his finger, beckoning Enoch closer. Not wanting to appear frightened, Enoch shuffled forward even though he was consumed by the urge to pee.
“I have something to tell you, young pup.”
Enoch’s eyes widened, but his ears perked up.
“Making old things new is an important quality when everything is forlorn. Sometimes leaders need a helping hand to inspire change.” Gareth paused then nodded. “Help doesn’t always come from who we expect, and change is difficult in the best of times and worse in the hardest of times.”
“Do you think our pack is downhearted?”
Leaning forward in his rocking chair, Gareth held up the kite with a shrug. “Things go in unexpected directions, but there is always a reason.”
He handed the kite to Enoch, and Gareth’s features relaxed as he sat back, staring off somewhere beyond the village. The creaking from the old rocking chair started again.
Mesmerized, Enoch could barely move. The feeling that something monumental had just happened between them was palpable.
Hearing his mother call him in the distance broke his trance. Holding his hand in the air, he waved goodbye to the old shifter.
He backed off the porch and stumbled home. A warm smile and loving arms greeted him.
“Where were you? I didn’t see you in the village.” His mother glanced down the road.
Enoch looked over his shoulder. “Gareth’s house.”
Tilting her head, his mother sighed. “You and your friends do not have permission to go into his house just because he passed away. Your father is the one who will take care of his things.”
Enoch stepped back, pulling his kite to his chest. What did she just say?
“Get ready for supper.” She ruffled his hair. Enoch stared down the road, knowing he had just spoken to Gareth, but if what his mother said was true, he had just spoken to the dead.
Before he went inside, he poured the water from a pitcher into the water bowl and washed his hands. The house was illuminated by flickering lights as his father and mother discussed Gareth’s passing ritual arrangements. His father jotted down notes of things to say as he joked with his mother.
“Time has a way of playing games with the mind,” his father said.
Enoch caught the end of his statement and worried that over time the message Gareth gave him would disappear from his thoughts.
Looking around, he collected a small piece of yellow
paper and a pencil, and he wrote the message down.
Leaders Need Helping Hands to Inspire Change.
He slid the piece of paper’s edge into the frame of his dresser mirror.
Tatum seethed as her hands made fists by her sides.
The alpha looked down at the yellow paper and held it up to Tatum. She snatched it from his hands.
His brow furrowed. He spoke with a softer tone. “You may counsel me. No one can know. I’ll close your mind off from the rest of the pack. There’s one house available. I’ll join your family to my pack at the next full moon.” The alpha sounded apologetic with every word. “I understand you have a vehicle?”
Tatum narrowed her stinging eyes, her breathing heavy, her chest pumping up and down. “I reject your invitation,” she growled.
They stared at each other.
Heat tore through Tatum’s feet and rose to the tips of her ears. How dare the alpha disrespect her in that way. Smacking her hand. Calling her a thief. Screw him. Making an about-face, she stomped away.
The alpha gathered the money from the ground and chased after her. He caught up to her, grabbing her arm.
“Don’t put one more finger on me!” Tatum snarled, yanking her arm out of his grasp.
“I shouldn’t have touched you.”
“No, you shouldn’t have, and I’d advise you to never touch me again.”
The alpha shook his head in disgust at himself, running his fingers around the back of his head. “Forgive me. I don’t usually act like that,” he begged in a low, deep voice. “I treated you cruelly. It was wrong, but I need your help. My pack needs your help.”
Tatum shook her head as tears threatened to betray her demeanor. The alpha shuffled in front of her. She took a step back. What was she getting into? An abusive relationship or something? Would he treat her like this again? Would he beg for forgiveness? But this wasn’t about her; this was about Grandpa and Eli. She could do this…she could say, “I forgive you.” And if he ever disrespected her again, she wouldn’t stay a second time. “I’m not here to let everyone know that I’m advising you. You can keep that a secret if you want. But if you ever disrespect me again, I’ll take what I know, my brothers, and my money to someone that’s less of an asshole.”
He smiled at her as he handed her the money. “I’ve never met a female like you before.”
“I don’t want to hear it. Don’t ever say that again. Just give me a few minutes to calm down, and I’ll try to be civil to you.”
Enoch nodded with his eyebrows scrunched together. “Well, thank you. It won’t happen again. I don’t hurt females.”
“You could’ve fooled me.” Tatum stared at him for a long moment crossing her arms below her chest. Her breath regulated as the minutes ticked by. Once her mind was clear, she scolded herself for losing her temper. She needed to control her emotions, which were always fluctuating from high voltage to sweet nurturer. And for shit’s sake, she had just backtalked the alpha. What was wrong with her? Taking in another long breath, she calmed down further. If she wanted to convince the alpha that she wasn’t a total freak, then she needed to start treating him with more respect. Tatum took in a long breath. “I need to go back home to make arrangements.”
The alpha’s eyes went to the ground, and he nodded. “At noon, in one week, I’ll meet you at the yellow gate.” The alpha turned around and walked to the path.
Tatum stood there knowing that this was going to change her whole life.
The alpha turned around. “Come, let us tell your brothers.”
Tatum nodded and stepped forward. “I didn’t catch your name.”
The alpha turned around to face her. “My name is Enoch.”
Chapter 8
Enoch stared out of his dirty living room window, watching the wind busy itself as it picked up dust from one side of the road and moved it to the other. Shifters started making their way out of the clearing that surrounded their white tattered houses, most likely just returning from a hunt. The pack knew they were getting new members at noon today. It was the most exciting thing that had happened, other than births and deaths, in the last fourteen years.
Rubbing a thin piece of yellow paper between his fingers, Enoch recalled the message he’d received so long ago from Gareth. He’d forgotten about it until Tatum’s yellow piece of paper floated down in front of him. It was as if Gareth himself was yelling beyond his grave. Enoch hoped he was making the right decision. What he was about to do was, undoubtedly, unheard of in all the shifter packs. Should he take counsel from a female to help lead a pack? Other shifters may not be happy with a female in such a high position.
Enoch had been looking out for his pack’s best interests, protecting them from other shifters and the outside world. It was an honor and a curse. There was no joy of his own in this place. He had left the one joy he had ever known twenty years ago.
He could still remember the soft laughs they had shared when he had snuck out to see her, the romps in the grass, her long wavy hair in his face. His true mating instincts had pulled him right to her. She had been his intended mate, and he would never be fully happy again. Why did she have to disappear?
Taking over as alpha for his father was the right thing to do. He had trained his whole life to prepare for it. However, he was failing this pack. Food was low, and the funds were non-existent. When had it all gone downhill?
He’d reached out to other packs years ago for some advice, but they were all worse off than him. If this female shifter could help them, he would take the next step. His eyes turned up to the sky, calculated the sun’s position, and determined it was noon.
Enoch undressed and walked outside. His gray wolf emerged. He walked, one paw in front of the other, down the dirt road. One by one, his pack started shifting as well.
Stay here, he ordered them with his mind.
Running past the ramshackle houses and around the bend, Enoch approached the yellow gate, stopping in front of it. He shifted back into human form.
Engines rumbled in the distance, and a huge blue vehicle drove closer, followed by a black one. The loud revving of a motorcycle followed.
Standing in the middle of the road, he directed them to the village. The SUV’s horn honked. A jolt ran up his spine as he jumped. With narrowed eyes, he turned around, staring at the new female.
Tatum stuck her head out of the driver-side window. “Get in.”
Enoch stared at her like she was growing two horns out of her head.
“Come on.” She beckoned him to join her.
He rolled his eyes and slid into the passenger seat, which let out a high-pitched squeaking sound.
Tatum turned her red face to Enoch. Not knowing what to say and stifling a laugh, she decided to break the awkward silence. “So just point the way, and I’ll drive.”
Enoch nodded up ahead. “Go straight. Park beside my house. Your house is to the left.”
Tatum nodded and drove forward. “So what’s your pack’s name?”
“Green Lagoon Pack.”
As they entered the town, naked shifters lined the road, standing on their tiptoes. The shifters were trying to get a better look at the vehicle or Tatum and her family. Tatum wasn’t sure which one, probably both.
She pulled up beside the two-story house at the end of the road. When she stopped, Enoch opened his door and squeaked off the leather seat. Red lines were on his butt cheeks. Tatum let out a laugh while unbuckling her seatbelt until he glared at her from outside the window. She took a big gulp of air and shut her mouth.
Enoch waited for all of them to get out of the cars. “I’ll introduce you. What are your names?”
Tatum told him their names and followed Enoch to the front of his house. Pack members were gathering around the front porch, waiting for him to introduce the new pack members. Standing dressed in front of naked shifters was an awkward feeling. Tatum didn’t know if she should get undressed or ask them to put some clothes on.
Enoch pointed to Grandpa first. “This is Rick, Tatum, James, and Eli Roloff. Introduce yourselves throughout the day. First unit patrols until dusk. Everyone else, go home and get dressed.”
Tatum spotted the male who had held her arm a week ago. Damn, he had a gorgeous five o’clock shadow and dark brown hair. He grinned, nodding in her direction before turning around, showing his tight ass with dents the size of fists on the sides. His skin was tan everywhere, unlike her; she had bikini lines. He walked away with a group of shifters, a few males and two females. Could one of those females belong to him?
Enoch walked onto his porch. “Wait here.”
Tatum nodded.
In minutes, he was back, fully dressed. “This way.”
He walked over to a small shabby white house with a thin stone chimney. Twisting the doorknob, he opened the door and stepped inside. The four of them followed. The living area had an old couch, a love seat, and a table with four chairs around it. There was a little hallway with a door on the left and on the right. Inside the rooms were old wooden-framed beds with queen-sized mattresses. Both rooms had a long dresser and a mirror on the wall.
“This is kind of you. Thank you.” Right away, Tatum became embarrassed. She needed to ask Enoch an important question, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask. Surely, she could remember how she went to the bathroom growing up. Straining her mind to remember, all she could recall was her bloody father. Shaking her head, she tried to escape the memory.
Enoch headed for the door. “Unpack your things. Come get me when you’re finished.”
“Of course. Thank you again.”
Enoch walked out, leaving the door open behind him.
Tatum told her brothers to bring in only what was necessary, and she let them have the beds. The couch was her usual spot—no need to change things now.
“This is going to work out. I just know it.” Eli sounded more like he was pleading than stating a fact.
“It will. I’m not worried about a thing, except where to poop. Do we poop in wolf form?”
Her brothers’ eyebrows shot to the top of their heads before they erupted in laughter.
