Times of Change: Book 1

by B. L. Dawn

  When her body relaxed, he changed her position, lying over her body. He kissed down her neck, breathing her in while moving his erection to her opening.

  “You are so beautiful, my mate.” Enoch slid into her, letting out a loud cry of pleasure.

  He moved in her, keeping up a steady rhythm like the wind through the trees on a spring day, smooth, urgent, and long-lasting. He gazed at Jenny’s face. She wrapped her legs around him, breathing heavily and meeting his every thrust.

  His eyes burned amber and cast lights of yearning from his passion. They physically told Jenny about his need for her. Jenny’s hand cupped his face, and her thumb grazed over his cheek, below his eyes. She smiled as her body pushed her head forward and back gently, while he joined them as one over and over, building the energy that flowed between them.

  Enoch’s hand found its way down the side of her stomach, across her curved hip, and over her leg. Silky. Smooth. Thin. His.

  The tightening of his sack came faster than he wanted. He tried to hold it back, but the excitement in his mate’s eyes was too much to leave unsatisfied. His head whipped back, releasing his passion into her. Toes curled in, and legs became tight as relief moved over shuddering muscles. It was the pinnacle of the change happening in his life. Lowering his gaze to hers, he held back tears that stung his eyes. The face that gave his life meaning and new purpose was in front of him.

  Continuing to move under him, she silently asked him to make love to her again. Wanting to stay like this forever, Enoch’s cock thickened at her request. “I’ve not been with anyone since the first time my eyes met yours twenty-two years ago,” Enoch said.

  Enoch leaned down and kissed her slowly. Taking in how she moved and caressed his tongue, he tried to remember everything about her. Pulling away, they smiled at each other.

  Jenny’s voice was a whisper, “I have never been with anyone, since you met me.”

  Enoch closed his eyes as energy surged through his body, and happiness overtook his whole being, lifting the gloom and dread that had stained his soul for far too long.

  He slid a hand under Jenny and moved her over top of him.

  He wanted to give her control over her pleasure. Enoch laid his hands on her hips, wanting his hands to be full of her essence. Her body rode him slowly, moving up and down, caressing and tugging him. She leaned back, straightening her spine as her breast pendulated. Her movements entranced him. Jenny’s skin was flushed pink and turned damp with glistening beads that danced in the sun’s rays, which peeked from the closed curtains. Jenny’s breathing became heavy, and she moved with more need.

  The couch inched itself across the floor as her need turned furious. She wasn’t moving up and down. No, she was moving back and forth, causing Enoch’s erection to push against the front of her inner wall and move backward inside her, teasing every inch of his cock. Her silky swollen clit rubbed against his tight stomach.

  “Jenny, you feel so good!” he said through clenched teeth.

  Tightening every muscle, he tried not to come again. He squeezed Jenny’s hips and shot up, sucking her breast into his mouth. Pulling away, he said, “Please come for me again.” Enoch needed to wait for her, and he wanted her to come while he was inside her.

  Her breathing became loud, turning into moans of pleasure. Jenny screamed out as she tightened around Enoch. He pushed and pulled on her hips, rocking her, forcing her to ride the orgasm. Enoch slowly fell back, watching her face strain. Her hair stuck to her forehead from her damp skin. Then full relief overtook her features.

  Jenny’s head plunged forward. Her red hair floated around his face tickling his nose and cheeks. He smiled, relishing the long threads that made dreams into reality.

  “I’ve dreamt about your hair falling around my face for all these years.” Enoch kissed her forehead, held onto her hips, pushing his pelvis into the air until she was squatting above him. With his knees up, he steadied himself on his heels and upper back. He pumped inside her again. She shook as she squeezed his arms for balance.

  Faster, he jerked her down on his erection, feeling her draining down him. With one last thrust, he found another release. Over and over, the electric waves flowed through his body.

  They both came crashing back down on the couch.

  Wrapping his arms around Jenny’s back, he pulled her down to his chest. He inhaled her scent and never wanted to let go.

  Feeling her heartbeat through her breast and his member pulsing inside her, he wished they could be even closer. But that was physically impossible. He surrendered the idea and held her tight. “I love you, my mate.”

  “I love you, Enoch.” She sighed as her breathing slowed. Her heart rate lowered. Passionate movements that had echoed in the room slowed into a sleepy state. Jenny had fallen asleep on top of his chest. But Enoch didn’t mind having her body cover his.

  Worried she would get cold, he tugged a small blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped it around her. He was still inside her, united as one, and he decided to stay that way.

  He laid his head back, tangled his fingers in her hair, and let himself fall into the most peaceful sleep of his life. He had his Jenny, his love, his mate, the mother of his child. And yes, after all these years, he was complete.

  Chapter 14

  Tatum sat with James and Natalie in the kitchen with the aroma of coffee filling the air. They exchanged different life events and discussed how being a shifter could sometimes be tricky in the human world. Glowing eyes, growling, and sniffing around were just a few things they watched out for while integrated.

  Natalie smiled over the rim of her coffee cup when Enoch and Jenny entered the kitchen. “Well, hello, Mother and Father. I hope you slept well.”

  Jenny looked over at her daughter with narrowed eyes. “We slept fine.”

  Natalie giggled. “I bet you did,” she said under her breath.

  “That’s enough, young lady.” Jenny moved over to grab a cup of coffee.

  Enoch looked down at Natalie, grinning.

  “Enoch, do you want a drink? We’ve got orange juice, water, and coffee,” Jenny said.

  “Orange juice.”

  Jenny got him a glass.

  Enoch drank it in three gulps. His gaze hovered over all of them. “Prepare yourselves for today. Shifters are deep rooted in traditions and ideas. I’ll be asking a lot from them today.”

  Tatum nodded, knowing things could go wrong. She had thought that the shifters’ transition into the human world would be slow, but things were moving quickly. New ideas were bound to make shifters…people…whatever, uncomfortable. But it was in their best interest.

  Tatum stood up and began to pace the length of the yellow wall adorned with images of tin roosters. What exactly would happen today? And how could she help to ease the blow?

  Enoch sighed. “Let me worry about the pack’s response. For the ones who are ready, we push them further. For the ones who aren’t ready, we let them go.”

  “I wanted to add something of my own, if that’s okay?” Natalie asked.

  Enoch nodded, looking more than happy to hear from his daughter. “Of course.”

  “Well, yesterday, Tatum and James were talking about how shifters are comfortable being naked…and…well…most humans aren’t. I mean, I’m not.” Natalie glanced at James. His eyes were glowing a bright violet blue. “Umm…not that I couldn’t get used to it, but we have humans on this farm sometimes. During Halloween, we have hayrides around the farm. We let school kids come here for field trips. There are horse lessons. How will the other shifters feel about covering themselves in public?”

  “Excellent question.” Enoch turned to Jenny. “We’ll work on it.”

  Jenny nodded. “We have all summer to square things away. I’ll cancel horse lessons until the fall. Everything happens in the fall on this farm.”

  Tatum stopped pacing. “I have an idea. What if we put little buildings in the woods, full of clothes? The
shifters can change into clothes before shifting and put their clothes on before returning.”

  “Great idea.” Jenny glanced from Tatum to Natalie. “Also, Natalie, will you share your room with Tatum?”

  Enoch cocked his head to the side and crossed his arms. Jenny smiled up at him, showing all her teeth in a cat-eating grin.

  Natalie looked over at Tatum, who stood frozen to the spot. Natalie smiled, shrugged her shoulders, and said, “Sure.”

  Tatum began pacing again. They needed a better plan before heading over to the territory. They wouldn’t win hearts by just ordering the shifters around. “We should bring food. Everyone is in a better mood when their bellies are full. At least that’s what Alma always says. But it shouldn’t be Mexican food. Maybe something hearty. We can all help cook, but we should say it was all Jenny’s doing. After they eat her food, they’ll beg to follow her around for more.”

  Enoch’s head rolled back as he roared with laughter. “This is true…so true. Shifters tend to follow their stomachs.”

  “Let’s fix them deer stew.” Jenny got up and pulled out huge black pots with glass lids. She pointed to Natalie. “You guys go collect potatoes and carrots. We’ll need those cleaned and sliced. This stew will be a meal they’ll never forget.”

  Everyone broke from their relaxed positions and started working. Three hours later, everything was in the cargo storage of Tatum’s SUV.

  James sat in the front of the SUV while the others sat in the back seats. James wished he could have sat with Natalie but didn’t want to appear too needy. He also didn’t want to piss off her mother and new father. No way.

  All day yesterday, he had found reasons to graze her as he walked by or held on to her hand as they moved from place to place around the farm. The whole day, blood had roared through his body. His hearing must have stopped working yesterday as well, for all the times he asked “what” or “huh.” Tatum and Natalie discussed Enoch’s pack and the farm. But James only had sexual cravings and thoughts about Natalie. He wanted to feel the skin-on-skin contact, and to see angled body parts, and to feel needy claw marks across his shoulders.

  He laid his head back on the seat of the SUV, daydreaming about pleasuring her. The images soon changed and moved on to males from the club that might have thought the same thing, or worse yet, did the same thing. What male in his right mind wouldn’t be attracted to Natalie? She was the most intoxicating female on the planet. Nothing compared to her. She could blow her nose in a tissue right now, and he’d blow his top.

  If she found work in a hospital, it might be how he kept her away from the other shifters. How long would it take him to make something of himself? Natalie deserved everything her heart desired. Of course, James would give Enoch a tithe, but he would save the rest of the money. Maybe tonight he would invite Natalie for a run. James could spend some time with her in the growing moonlight and ask her to wait for him. Not wanting to mate with her until they could have each other endlessly, he would wait. As far as he was concerned, she wasn’t like other females he had screwed during college. No, she was different. She was worth the wait, and he prayed she would agree. If not, he would have to beg.

  As the SUV approached the village, the tension in the air was so thick that Tatum could have choked on it. “Don’t forget everyone…we lead with the food. Lead with the food.” The shifters all came out of their homes. Thankfully, they had clothes on this time. Pulling the SUV up beside Enoch’s house, Tatum turned off the engine and rushed to the back of the car to open up the cargo storage area full of thick stew. She lugged one big pot over to the porch.

  Eli ran over to help. He looked starved. Guess hunting didn’t go so well for him while they were gone—poor guy. Eli grabbed the other pot as Natalie took care of the bowls and spoons. Growling stomachs abounded as everyone gathered around. Their hunger was a good thing. She clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking. Her nerves were definitely on edge.

  Enoch climbed his porch steps and turned. “Fellow pack members, I have come to you during a time of change. Our pack has become depressed, starved, and weak. As your alpha, I have struggled with these problems and failed to find a solution. Long ago, I received a message from Gareth after he passed away. He told me of a day when I would need help making changes so that shifters could have better lives. I believe that Tatum is the shifter he was talking about. From this day forward, Tatum will be my beta.”

  Tatum’s mouth dropped open, and she looked at him like he had lost his mind. Damn him. What was his problem? Was she not as clear as a cloudless day that she didn’t want to be beta? Everyone already looked at her like she was a freak of nature. This was going to make things a hundred times worse. Tatum stood straighter, trying to put a false front on for the pack, but inside she was drowning Enoch in the Green Lagoon instead of playfully pulling him in.

  She stood there, trying not to appear surprised. After all, her place as a female was not to embarrass the alpha in front of his pack. Even though she was fighting tooth and nail not to do it, maybe she could use this to her advantage and help these shifters as much as she could, but this really sucked.

  Tatum didn’t want this. She wanted to explore her more feminine side, and by entering a pack, she had hoped that it would be possible. Enoch would be head over her and her brothers, and perhaps she would have had the chance to make some friends, mate with a few males, find a true mate. But now! Now she saw her chances of that happening going up in smoke.

  The shifters from this pack were going to hate her for changing their world and breaking their traditions. Was she to blame? Yes, okay, she was, but if Enoch would have kept it a secret, she could have led him into this new world without her being on the forefront.

  Enoch was ridiculous, making her beta on top of everything else. Was it sweet that he had confidence in her? Yes, really fucking sweet, but dammit, this put her in a dominant position again. Right when she thought Enoch would be the head of the males in her life, here she was, thrust in a position she didn’t ask for.

  Tatum’s face grew hot as her aggravation grew. Looking up, she heard shifters talking with each other, but Enoch continued as he moved over to Jenny and Natalie.

  “This is my true mate, Jenny Greer, and our daughter Natalie Greer. I met Jenny long ago and was too cowardly to follow my instincts and my love for her. But Destiny has helped me find her, and I am so grateful. She is human, and she is wonderful.”

  Enoch didn’t stop until everything they had discussed back at the farm was out in the open. Tension rose among the pack. Her blood was already boiling, and a huge part of her hoped one of them would start something. On the other hand, if she got into a fight right now, she would lose any hope of finding a male. Dammit.

  The whole crowd broke out in worried conversations. There were debates, shaking heads, hurried looks, and males comforting females. Young females were holding on to their mothers. The most agitated voices were coming from a group in the back of the crowd. Their words were becoming louder than all the others combined, building on each other’s dislike for Enoch’s new concepts. They stood in a circle, voices of protest turning into heated rage while other male members tried to calm them.

  Enoch growled, shutting down the disputes and indecision in an instant. “This is not up for discussion. I have made my decision. If you have a problem with the new arrangements, you can leave.”

  A female’s long dark hair flung around, her eyes flaming brown at Enoch. She threw her arms up in disgust. “Maybe we don’t want to leave. Maybe we need a new alpha.”

  Here we go, Tatum thought. There’s going to be an uprising.

  A tall, slender male moved forward. “This is bullshit! You told us for years not to interact with humans, and now you’re mated to one. What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  A stockier male stepped forward, pushing Gray Eyes out of the way. “Screw you, Enoch. No stray bitch is going to rule over me.”

  Heat flamed
in Tatum’s face. She hated to be called a bitch.

  Enoch’s eyes brightened ten shades. Gray fur erupted from his body as his clothes burst at the seams. A few males, including Mr. Gray Eyes, distanced themselves from the others.

  Enoch ran toward them and collided with a huge beige wolf. Fur floated in the air around brawling legs and sharp claws.

  The female agitator tugged her clothes off, throwing them to the ground, sending Tatum into a roar as Tatum’s body shifted, leaving behind strings of fabric. She stood in front of the dark-haired female and dared her to make the next move.

  At seeing the female blocked, a tall male shifted and ran toward Enoch. Tatum didn’t lose her footing. She towered over the female, making sure she didn’t join in but catching a glance of the fight.

  There was a yelp, a loud snarl, a slashing through the air as claw met bone, and a crack that echoed through the mountains surrounding the woods.

  Quickened wolf footfalls became distant sounds as the dark-headed female’s inner eyebrows gave way to worry. Tatum blew out a breath at her to prove the point that she shouldn’t have opened her damn mouth against Enoch.

  Enoch prowled around Tatum toward the female, growling.

  A male with long dark-brown hair and angry dark-brown eyes walked up beside the female. He snorted out a huge gust of air as he stared at Enoch.

  Enoch shifted and walked between the two. He glared at the female. “Go with your mate, and don’t come back.”

  The female’s eyes watered before she shifted and darted away. The brown-haired angry male’s chest heaved up and down like a counterweight on a West Virginia locomotive.

  Enoch turned his glowing eyes to the male with brown hair. “Cade, fall back.”

  Cade’s arms shook, his skin red and brows furrowed, but he backpedaled to stand near Mr. Gray Eyes. Cade mumbled something to him.

  Disgust crossed Mr. Gray Eye’s features. “Don’t be an asshole, Cade.”

  “Fuck you, Luke.” Cade pushed Luke, mumbling under his breath as he walked away, “Fucking human lover.” He stormed off, leaving the village.