Times of Change: Book 1

by B. L. Dawn

  After getting home late last night, he hadn’t been able to wait until morning to be inside her. He had made love with her, which had kept her awake until sunrise. That’s why he was letting her sleep a little longer than they had planned. But right now, it was about time for the moving process.

  “Wake up, my love.” Enoch breathed the words. He placed kisses behind her ear and nibbled on her neck. Jenny stretched out, throwing her arms above her head and pushing her toes out as far as they would go. He chuckled at how cute she was when she woke up. “Time to start moving.” Enoch jumped out of bed.

  After getting dressed, he reached around, grabbed Jenny’s clothes, and sat on the floor in front of her. He stood her up, helped her get her pants on, and then set her back down, pulling her shirt over her head. He lifted her leg, kissed the pad of her foot and rolled her sock on, followed by her shoe. He moved to the next foot and did the same. Her hair was a mess on top of her head. The grin that came over her face mirrored the joy in his heart.

  Jenny bent over and kissed him on the top of the head. She stood and tried to help Enoch to his feet, but he had to do most of the work.

  When they made it outside, the pack members were ready to go, with clothes and a few other items in their hands. Enoch and Jenny were heading to the farm with the first load of people. They were going to show the shifters around the farm and show where each member would be sleeping.

  He walked over and stood in front of the beta brothers. “Cade, are we good?”

  Cade’s tongue cleaned one tooth with a click. “Yeah, we’re good.” He didn’t sound like they were good, and his smell was that of anger or burnt paper, but Enoch understood that it was hard on him to lose his beta position, and to a female no less. He hoped Cade would forgive him for the insult but honestly believed that he was doing Destiny’s will and planned to explain that to Cade later, one on one.

  Enoch nodded with narrowed eyes, looking over at Luke and Cade. “You two stay here. Keep everyone safe. See you back at the farm.”

  Luke set down his clothes on the porch steps. “Yes, sir.”

  Cade nodded and rolled his eyes while tossing his clothes on the ground in front of the porch.

  James and Tatum moved all of their extra things to the cargo storage in the back of their SUVs. Thank Destiny the shifters packed light. First, James took Enoch, Jenny, Natalie, and Grandpa to the farm. Tatum took a mated couple named Rose and Owen, who appeared to be in their late thirties, along with two of their daughters. Eli was going to give the oldest daughter a ride on his bike.

  The first trip went well. Tatum, James, and Eli dropped everyone off, turned around, and headed back to the old territory. As Tatum pulled to a stop, Dean, Leo, and a female slid into the back seat of her SUV, holding their clothes on their laps. Tatum said a quick hello as they slid in. Dean introduced their mother, Patricia; they called her Pat for short. Tatum smiled at the sweet-looking strawberry-blonde female.

  Tatum looked out the window. Eli pulled up on his bike to a female who looked a little older than him. She looked to be around twenty years old. She was pretty, with light-brown eyes, thick lashes, high cheekbones, and dark-brown hair. But the one thing that made her a beauty was her big, luscious lips. Hell, if Tatum had lips like hers, males wouldn’t care if she looked like a skyscraper.

  Tatum later found out that the female’s name was Cora because her brother Oliver rode shotgun on this trip. He was a massive guy, but his face was the male version of his sister’s, plus facial hair that was a little more than a five o’clock shadow. And for Destiny’s sake, Oliver could talk. Especially about all of the pack members. Tatum figured it was because he was nervous, or maybe he was trying to make her more comfortable. Either way, he was full of information.

  “See the female getting in the other car? The one with the short light-blonde hair?”

  “Yeah, I see her.”

  “That’s Lilly. She’s sixty years old.”

  “Wow, she looks amazing. I mean, seriously. She looks like she’s thirty-one or something.” Tatum gawked at her.

  “We can live past two hundred years old. Most shifters look like they’re in their thirties. Well, until they reach a hundred and fifty. Every ten years after, we age and start to look older.”

  “I didn’t know that we stayed young looking until we were that old. I thought we just aged slowly over time. I mean, Grandpa has been two hundred years old for as long as I can remember.” Tatum rolled her eyes knowing the obvious truth to what she had just said. “How old is Enoch?”

  “He’s fifty-five.”

  “Wow, you’re right. Enoch looks like he’s in his thirties. Sheesh. I guess that’s good news for me.”

  Oliver chuckled.

  Turning her gaze to the shifter she really wanted to know about, Tatum asked. “Who are those two guys over there on the porch.” Tatum already knew their names were Cade and Luke, but she really wanted to learn more about Luke. He had worn-out clothes, but you could have put him in a potato sack, and he would have still made her insides quake. Cade, on the other hand, looked deadly serious, maybe even angry.

  Luke made eye contact with her as a surge of energy ran down her spine, and tingles erupted between her legs, causing her to clamp them together. He looked over the tree line again. Holy shit, he was an eye full. Fighting back the urge to fan herself from all the heat traveling through her body, she waited on Oliver to give her the details.

  “Those guys are second council…I mean third council, males to the alpha. They’re brothers, and they are both in their forties. The moody one is Cade. The other one is Luke, and let me tell you about Luke. He is the most skilled tracker any of us have ever seen.”

  The shifters in the back all mumbled in agreement. That was very interesting news.

  It figured Luke was a beta according to how her life always worked out, which was not in her favor. She just unwillingly took his position, and she couldn’t think of a bigger insult. This was just fucking perfect.

  Moving her eyes back to Cade, Tatum wondered if Cade always looked so annoyed or if it had something to do with her taking over his beta position.

  Oliver went on telling her about the pack members until they made their way to Foothill Farms.

  “You’re good, Oliver. This information will help me get more acquainted with everyone.”

  “I hope so…I want this to work. Enoch’s right, this pack was heading nowhere. I know I’m young, but I’ve never seen another shifter other than the ones in this pack. How am I supposed to find my true mate if I’m stuck in one spot for the rest of my life? Today is a new beginning for me. I’m excited.”

  Dean wiggled his eyebrows. “I’m excited for females too!”

  Leo nodded, which made Dean chuckle. Pat elbowed Dean in the ribs.

  Tatum’s heart fluttered with thoughts of belonging to this group of shifters. There were so many things she was sure the shifters had never seen nor heard of. It would be a great experience to introduce them to the world they had been missing out on. Plus, they wouldn’t be hungry anymore. They could find jobs and have a sense of pride. That was an excellent goal to keep in mind. She wanted to help them find themselves even though she would be sacrificing her want and need for a male in her life.

  She pulled into the farmhouse behind James. She could smell the food cooking inside, which set her stomach into spasms. They had one more trip to make, and then they could call it quits. As their passengers got out of the SUV, Tatum stretched her legs and talked with her brothers. “James, we need to stop for gas, maybe a coffee, and a snack.”

  James gave her a thumbs up.

  Tatum jogged over to Eli while he was flirting with Cora. “Hey, Eli, you can stay here. If my calculations are correct, we need to make one more trip, but if you take your bike out again, make sure to put gas in it.” Tatum handed Eli twenty dollars.

  “Sure thing.” Eli shoved the money inside his pocket and headed inside with Cora.<
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  Tatum went back to the SUV and waited for James to give her the go-ahead. Once at the gas station, they filled up, grabbed more than enough snacks and drinks to share with the shifters who were riding back with them, and pulled out, heading for the old territory.

  Pulling into Green Lagoon, Tatum was relieved that this was the last trip. Ben, Sue, Lincoln, and Sissy got into James’s car. He handed out waters along with snacks. Jim, Cade, and Luke stood outside her SUV, looking around the territory one last time.

  Cade’s brows pushed together, making deep lines on his forehead. Tatum made eye contact with Luke again, and he smiled devilishly. Jim opened the door, and all the males slid in, sitting in the back. She offered them snacks with water. Jim and Luke took the snack bags and fiddled with them to get them open. Cade took a bottle of water and drank it down in one gulp while giving her a nasty look. He crushed the bottle and tossed it to the floor.

  What the hell? He had a serious attitude. She understood that this was all new and scary, but damn he was rude. If she had been in his shoes, she admittedly would be pissed off at whoever had taken her position. It was like a slap in the face, but what was done was done. At least Mr. Gray Eyes didn’t seem to be that pissed at her.

  After driving all day, Tatum and James pulled into the farmhouse. She was exhausted, and James looked no better. Tatum let the males out, and they walked into the farmhouse. Walking around her car, she planned to retrieve the crushed water bottle that had been aggravating her this whole trip, but it wasn’t there. She walked into the kitchen with the last of the pack and saw the bottle in Luke’s hands. They ate in silence. Jenny and Enoch walked downstairs and came into the kitchen.

  Jenny leaned against the counter. “Are you guys finished eating? If so, leave everything out. I’ll clean it up. We slept for a little bit, so, I have enough energy to do the dishes.”

  Jenny didn’t look like she had been sleeping, but Tatum figured she should keep her mouth shut about it. Enoch showed everyone to their rooms. Tatum was happy that Natalie’s room was right down the hall. Natalie was already asleep on the left side of the bed when Tatum climbed in. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out, falling into a strange dream.

  Tatum was laughing with her brothers. A hand patted her back, and another. Tatum pushed out her knuckles and fist-bumped Dean as he gave her an approving nod. The more she looked around, the more other pack members’ faces appeared. Each shifter was laughing, talking, listening, and simply being who they were meant to be. They were a strong, happy family. This was the same dynamic that she had pushed out of her mind as she settled into the reality that she didn’t need it in her life. It all came flooding back. She had found solace and acceptance in her life with her blooded family only. But now, sitting among all of the shifters, it was clear that she had been sorely mistaken. This was the missing piece from her life. This is what every shifter needed. To belong to the group, be a part of the whole, love, and help one another grow into something better.

  The group moved away and started shifting, getting ready for the pack run. It was dark out, and the stars were nowhere in sight.

  Tatum shifted and followed the group, making sure not to pass them.

  Something glinted to her left. She stopped to see what it was. Padding closer, she came upon a coal mine. The old nails held up a few rotten boards. More rotten boards lay on the damp ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a glistening light flicker. It was coming from inside the abandoned mine. She climbed through the broken boards, looking through the darkness, trying to find someone or something. Her steps were light and quiet.

  A bat screeched from somewhere up above, followed by a few more. Tatum walked further inside as a clatter of metal hit the ground. An old knife. Bats flew in her direction, screeching and hissing. Stinging slashes tore through her head and through her hair as a multitude of bats rammed into her face. She pulled at a bat that had embedded its sharp hooks into her cheeks. A scream ripped out of her mouth as she pleaded for the tearing to end. Hysteria started to overtake her as she screamed, “Get off me! Get off me! Get off me!”

  Her body moved violently on its own. “Tatum, wake up! Hey, wake up!”

  Tatum’s eyes flashed open while her body still thrashed around on the floor. She crawled backward until her body bumped the bedside table. Realizing where she was, she took in the purple covers, the hardwood floors, and Jenny and Natalie, who were hovering over her. Enoch and Grandpa stared at her from the doorway, eyes wide and faces pale.

  Tatum put her face in her hands and wiped off something wet. She checked her hands to make sure it wasn’t blood. Tatum looked up again.

  Natalie’s eyes were bright green. “Are you okay?”

  That was a good question. Am I okay? There was no blood, but her heart was trying to pound itself out of her ribcage. She took in air, holding back the overwhelming urge to cry. What was actually wrong with her? She wasn’t afraid of bats, or mines, or even dark places. No, there was an anxious feeling rolling around inside her spirit. What was she worried about? Not being attacked by a bat, that was for sure. It was more than that. A warning of some kind.

  Jenny stepped forward cautiously. “Tatum, honey. Are you awake?”

  “Um.” Tatum looked around again as eyes gazed at her disheveled state. “Yeah…I’m sorry. I don’t usually do that. I woke everyone up.” Tatum sat up, bringing a hand to the ground to try to lift herself. Her arms were like that of a newborn colt. She turned and tried to push herself up using the side table, but she was weak and wasn’t sure why. It had been a long day, but that didn’t account for how she was feeling.

  “Someone, please, go get a glass of water.” Jenny walked over, placing her shoulder under Tatum’s arm, and pulled her up. “Take it easy. Everything’s going to be alright.” Jenny’s voice was so motherly, soft, and soothing with a slight twang. Tatum longed to be taken care of and not to be the one always taking care of others.

  “We’ve had a stressful day.” Jenny helped Tatum sit on the side of the bed. Someone handed Jenny a glass of water. “Here, honey. Don’t drink too fast.” Jenny held the glass to Tatum’s lips and lifted it for her to get a drink.

  A pang of sadness crept up on Tatum before she could stop it. Pulling away from the glass, she lay back, trying to push the emotions aside while so many eyes were on her.

  Jenny placed the glass on the table beside the bed. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No.” Tatum’s voiced was hoarse.

  Jenny nodded. “Okay. You and Natalie go back to sleep.”

  Tatum wasn’t sure if Natalie’s eyes were full of worry or pity. Natalie moved around the bed, and she pushed herself under the covers. Tatum lay back as Jenny put the covers over her, tucking her in.

  Jenny lowered her voice. “I’ll keep watch over you. Go to sleep.”

  Tatum closed her eyes, not knowing what to say or do other than what Jenny had told her. Jenny shooed Grandpa and Enoch away. The light clicked off as Jenny sat on the edge of the bed, resting her hand on Tatum’s leg.

  Tatum fell asleep. This time as she slept, she floated away into nothingness.

  Chapter 17

  The next day, Tatum woke up and found Jenny sleeping beside her. She couldn’t remember anyone taking care of her the way Jenny had last night. Sure, it was nice to have support when you needed it, but it wasn’t normal for her. Not to cheapen the moment, but it was as if she had been a child. It was the opposite of everything she was or had grown accustomed to. Not knowing if that was okay or if she didn’t want it to happen again, she decided that it was too late to change. Even if Enoch and her Grandpa had seen her flailing around like a fish on the floor and screaming like an asylum patient, there was nothing she could do about it now. She would forever be grateful, of course. It was a kindness, and she recognized it for what it was.

  Tatum slid out of bed and took a shower. She picked up breakfast on the way outside and looked around for the o
thers. In the distance, she could see Natalie talking to the pack members by the garden. Natalie’s hands were moving in different directions over the many rows of soil. Jogging over, Tatum stood at the rear of the group, beside Enoch, who gave her a nod.

  Enoch’s arms crossed as he listened intently to his daughter explain things about the garden. When they all moved up a little bit, he glanced her way again. “How are you?”

  “Good…really good.” Tatum took a bite of food, sighed, and looked over at Enoch. “It was just a bad dream. I’ve never had dreams affect me like that. I’m sorry for waking you guys up.”

  “Don’t apologize.” Enoch paused for a minute. “Is Jenny sleeping?”

  “Yeah. I feel awful. I wish Jenny got more sleep.”

  “Jenny is a giving person. Take what she offers you, and consider it a gift.” Enoch followed the pack to the next stop on the learning tour.

  Tatum tilted her head and took another bite of food. Enoch came across like a father. She figured it was due to his authority over her. Being an alpha, a protector and the director of so many lives was a very serious job. Tatum had never made the connection between alpha and father until now. Maybe that’s why she also considered Jenny a mother figure. Jenny was the alpha’s mate and had fulfilled her role in helping take care of the pack. This is what Tatum had been missing, this larger-than-life family made up of more than just blood. Yes; this pack would be her comfort, her support, her family, and her home.

  For the rest of the morning, Natalie explained various things about the gardening portion of the farm. She made them practice remembering the vast locations of different vegetables.

  “Okay, everyone! Let’s go have lunch. Later, I’ll introduce you guys to the animals.” Natalie rubbed her hands together and ushered everyone to follow her back to the farmhouse.