by B. L. Dawn
“You know, I do.”
“The only thing I know is that you need to learn your fucking place.” Cade cleaned his front teeth with his tongue while looking over her body, making her skin crawl. “Tell you what. I can help you learn that lesson if you bend over. I’ll show you your place when you’re near a male.”
“What did you just say?”
“You heard my offer. I just need a yes or a no. Come on. I’ll show you all the ways to submit to a male.”
Tatum’s stomach turned. “Stop avoiding the question. Did you do this?”
Cade looked behind her at the steaming silo, chuckling. “Like I said before. I don’t need to answer you.”
Cade turned on his heel and walked away.
Tatum stormed back to the farmhouse pressing hard kernels into the ground.
Walking back inside, Tatum sighed in desperation. She walked down the hall to grab a cup of coffee. Jenny viciously stirred a pot of grits, her hair in tangles on top of her head. Enoch had fallen asleep with his forehead in his hands, elbows on the table.
Tatum poured her coffee and let the silence drive her crazy. After a few sips, she pulled out her phone and clicked away on the screen. She decided to make some purchases that she had considered between heavy eyelids last night.
The price for a new silo was too steep, and she wasn’t sure how to fix that problem, but she could at least try to follow through with the clothes buildings and try to brighten someone else’s day with a gift or two.
“Hey, Jenny. Can I borrow the flatbed truck later? I was going to buy those buildings for the shifters to change their clothes in the woods.”
Jenny nodded while stirring the grits into liquid. “How much are they?”
“Don’t worry about the money. I have some in savings.” Tatum took a few more sips of coffee. “I’ll do whatever I can to help. Just let me know. It’s all going to be okay.”
Jenny nodded. “Thanks.”
Tatum tilted her head to the side. “How did the silo catch fire?”
Jenny shook her head, laying the large wooden spoon down and wiping her hands off on her apron. “Sometimes the dust from the corn catches fire. Silos are known for spontaneous combustion if they’re not maintained.” Jenny sighed, shaking her head back and forth. “For as long as I’ve been farming, I’ve always taken good care of my silos.”
The back door opened and closed down the hallway. A musky crisp smell filled the house as Luke walked in. Holy shit, he smelled good. He was wearing a gray t-shirt, dark blue jeans, and black cowboy boots.
Jenny walked over to the table and sat in front of a sleeping Enoch.
Luke walked over and gave her a sideways hug. “Thanks for the new clothes, Jenny.” His voice was gentle, and his eyes were downcast.
“It’s no problem. If you guys need anything, just let me know. And tell the other shifters to do the same.”
“You’re a good female, Jenny Greer.” Luke went over to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup. Looking at Tatum, his eyes traveled over her body. “How are you holding up?”
A blush spread up Tatum’s neck. “I’m doing good. I was just asking Jenny if I could use her truck to pick up some…um…storage buildings.”
“Need company?”
The sound of his voice sent shivers between her legs. She was going to give him a chance, but she knew this was playing with fire. Luke and Cade were brothers, and Cade was up to no good. She could feel it in her marrow. “Sure. We can leave after Eli’s training.” Tatum smiled weakly over the rim of her cup.
Luke grinned back at her. His gray eyes were boring into hers.
Tatum raised her eyebrows. Luke was doing all kinds of tingly things to her body and it was freaking her out. There was absolutely no control over her body when he was around. She put her coffee cup in the sink and made her way out the back door. Any more of that interaction and she would be making a puddle on the kitchen floor.
While making her way to the woods, Tatum knew that if she didn’t get some stress relief soon, her high voltage was going to spike to an unmanageable level. And that wasn’t a good thing. If she wanted to make a good impression on Luke, she needed to stay in control of her emotions. Yes, keeping a level head was very important.
Running and progressively speeding up, Tatum tore through the woods like fire across burning coal. No one was there to slow her down. She glided over pine needles, jumped over logs, and twisted around trees. Water blocked her path. She skidded to a stop at the edge of a brook. Taking a drink of the cold water, she listened to the peaceful babbles of the water and the chirping of birds.
Shifting into human form, Tatum walked to the middle of the brook. The water rippled around her feet, and mud mushed between her toes. Walking further, she came to a deep section in the water. As she sat with her knees pulled into her chest, the water covered most of her body. Her knees pushed out of the water, and she laid her head down on them. There wasn’t much time before training, but she would stay for a little longer, letting nature’s beauty envelop her.
Tatum couldn’t believe the corn and silo had burned. She also didn’t know what to do about it.
The outskirt packs came to Tatum’s mind. They were living in bad conditions. Worse than the farms. As a decent shifter, she could help them a little bit. Perhaps it would be a suitable gesture to bring food, seeds, and shovels to the outskirt packs. It would be a thank you for talking with her and helping her on her journey.
It would be nice if one day the packs from other states would be able to meet with each other. Shifters who hadn’t found their mates would have a better chance to find one. But who was she to get something like that organized? Put ideas in one hand and shit in the other and see which hand got full first. At least the human saying went something like that.
Deciding to stand up, she lifted herself out of the water. The wind brushed the waterdrops on her skin, bringing a chill to her bones. She walked down the babbling brook. It was time to run back to the farm, get dressed, and train with Eli. They all needed to have his skills in attack and defense even though it would take a long time to become as good as him.
As Tatum drew near to the place where she had entered the brook, she sensed someone watching her. Looking around, she spotted Cade leaning against a big oak tree. Tatum didn’t want to show him any emotions, not nervousness from being naked, nor shame for taking his beta status—nothing. Pushing her chin in the air, she spoke, “Can I help you, Cade?”
Cade spat on the ground beside his feet. “You think you’re some top-notch shit, don’t you?”
Tatum left the water and moved closer to Cade. “No, I don’t think I am. I know I am,” she said in a harsh voice. She didn’t want shit between Cade and herself, but there was something wrong with him. It was too bad that he was related to Luke.
“Listen, bitch. I don’t like you messing around with Enoch’s head. All these changes you keep talking about are going to end up killing our pack.” Cade clenched his teeth.
“Listen, Cade. Don’t ever call me bitch, again…” Tatum thrust her finger in Cade’s chest. “I’m saving this pack, and you can be a part of it or take a back—”
Cade grabbed her finger and bent it backward. Tatum gasped as her finger reached the breaking point. Fury rushed through her. She swung at him. He restrained her arm against his ribcage. She twisted her body and took him for the ride. Using the uneven ground, she pushed herself forward. He lost his balance and stumbled backward. His grip loosened as gravity took him down.
The splash of water that welcomed him was a picture-worthy sight. It was too bad that Tatum didn’t have a camera.
His rusty reddish-brown wolf burst from his clothes, sending sprays of water toward her. Brown eyes were glowing behind a murderous glare. A deep roar escaped his throat. He sprang at her, chomping down on her arm.
She screamed as his weight pulled down on her skin. Her fist rose above her head and crushed down on his muz
zle, sending shocks of pain through her arm. A whimper escaped his wolf. She pried his jaws open and threw him back toward the water.
He rolled away at first, jumped up, and was ready to go again.
Blood was pouring from her arm. And in that split second, she felt her body starting to lose control. Red was clouding her vision, and she began to shake violently. Her growl was reverberating from surrounding mountains, echoing back to her ears.
What should she do? Should she give in and take his life, or should she leave him? Luke flashed in her thoughts. If he was her true mate and they hadn’t made a connection yet, it may never happen if she kills his brother. Was killing Cade worth losing her one chance of happiness. Hell, no. The bastard wasn’t worth it. Cade would live another day, lucky piece of shit.
Tatum shifted and ran. A loud roar rang out behind her. He was chasing her, but he would never be as fast as she was. Her front leg hurt, but it wasn’t going to stop her from getting away from her murderous rage. She pushed into the ground harder with her back paws and dug in with her fronts, pushing and pumping, running so hard her bones slammed into her joints. Dirt was clouding up behind her.
The white farmhouse came into view. Tatum kept running until she burst through the trees and didn’t stop until she was at the farmhouse. Shifting back, Tatum looked behind her while holding her bloody arm. Cade wasn’t there, and she was glad to be rid of him.
Her lungs pumped hard, and her eyes watered. She wasn’t sad. She wasn’t crying. No, she was pissed. Something in her knew Cade had been bad news, but she should have gone to Enoch about it earlier.
Fury poured from her skin, inflaming it a dark red. It was a few moments before she heard shifters yelling at her. Shifters were surrounding her. They must have been yelling for a few moments because they looked frantic and impatient. Eli and James were in her face demanding answers, while other members were gathering around.
Tatum couldn’t register anything except rage, red hot and boiling.
She turned and pushed her brothers out of the way. Making her way through the pack, she moved with ease. Not even climbing the stairs of the house, she cleared them with one leap. Swinging the door open, she stepped inside, letting it slam shut.
Cade was such a sadistic fuck. Damn, he was lucky. If it wasn’t for Luke, he would be crawdad bait. But she just couldn’t do that to Luke. He seemed really kind and interested, not to mention sexy as hell.
Tatum paced around, realizing she was like a caged animal inside the damn house. Not to mention she was getting blood everywhere. She stormed past the kitchen’s entryway, causing Jenny’s head to jerk up. The screen door slammed behind her.
What she wanted to do was run. Run until her mood lightened, but Cade was out there. If she wanted to finish the job, she would have stayed out there and fought him. But Tatum couldn’t do it. She wasn’t cut out to be beta. Betas wouldn’t have thought twice about killing Cade, but Luke kept popping up in her mind, and damn her if she didn’t want to save Luke from the turmoil of losing a family member.
Taking off to walk around the farmhand house, she had planned to head down the road to walk off some of her lingering rage. Enoch appeared in front of her just before she reached the corner of the house.
He looked menacing with his eyes narrowed, lips pulled tight, and arms crossed over his chest. “What happened?”
Tatum pushed her lips together so tightly that her teeth ached from being bent backward from the pressure. It was hard to say the words to him. His old beta attacked her. Luke’s fucking brother attacked her.
“SPEAK!”
Tatum couldn’t stop herself. The direct order was a shot through her body, forcing her to obey. “Cade and I had a little encounter in the woods.” Tatum held out her bleeding arm. Her jugular vein was throbbing along with her temple. Hell, everything was pulsing as her heart pushed blood through her veins at an alarming rate.
“He did this?”
“Yes.”
Enoch looked deadly. “Cade’s gone too far. He’s questioned my choices and dishonored my beta. There are consequences for his actions against you. He will be killed for this.”
Tatum’s heart sank. Did he say killed? If she wanted that fucker dead, he would be. “Is there another way?”
Enoch shook his head. “No, it’s dangerous to let an insubordinate shifter run around free. He knows where the farm is now. And what we’re doing here, what we’re planning to accomplish, it’s a lot of change. I’ve made up my mind.”
“What about Luke? He’s going to be upset. Can’t you just banish him or something?”
There was a rustling in the distance. Enoch turned around. Tatum’s eyes landed on Luke standing a good distance away, with his eyes on the ground.
“Luke, come here,” Enoch ordered.
Luke’s gray eyes rose to meet Enoch’s as he moved forward until he stood in front of him.
Enoch ran his hand around his head, which shook sadly. Though Enoch looked troubled, his voice was steady and strong.
Luke sniffed the air, coming to full attention, and looked around Enoch at Tatum’s arm. His eyes shot to the ground as he straightened himself.
“Tell me if you harbor ill will toward me, my family, this pack, or my beta. Answer truthfully, and that’s an order.”
“No sir. I do not.”
Enoch nodded. “Do you want to stay with this pack or leave with your brother?”
Luke cleared his throat. “Is he being kicked out?”
Enoch moved to the side and grabbed Tatum’s arm, pulling her forward and sticking her injury under Luke’s nose. What was once pouring blood was now slowly seeping blood.
Luke sniffed, instantly causing his eyes to flame in intensity. He growled low and deep, sounding deadly. “He attacked her?”
Enoch nodded. “I’m letting him go instead of killing him. You can thank her for that. But know this, if you side with your brother, then you need to go with him. There is no in-between.”
Luke’s features were furious. “I can’t go back. I don’t want to live like that again.”
Enoch grunted. “I can’t say I blame you. I’m going to find Cade.”
Luke nodded. “I’ll go with you.”
As both males left, Tatum turned around and walked back to the farmhouse. The heat from the sun hit her skin. She was naked. In her anger and frustration, the naked issue wasn’t a priority. But Luke had seen her naked. Did he find her appealing?
Her arm throbbed, reminding her that Luke was most likely too distracted to notice her body. And maybe that was a good thing. After all, she didn’t have a very feminine appearance. It was best not to push the attraction thing. Maybe she seemed more attractive with her clothes on.
Shaking her head, she made her way back into the house. She grabbed a rag from the bathroom and wrapped it around her arm. While applying pressure and letting the rag soak up the blood, Tatum made her way back to Natalie’s room and got dressed.
Leaning against the window, while holding her arm to her chest, she stared out over the beautiful rolling hills. It was a large, beautiful piece of land. Enoch and Luke walked toward the clearing where Cade was standing with his arms crossed.
They began talking, and it became heated. Luke swung his fist and met Cade’s jaw with a crack that even she could hear from inside. Before she knew it, they were a blur of arms hitting and legs kicking. It went on for a few moments, and she was surprised to see Enoch standing back, just watching. Luke slammed Cade into the ground and beat his face over and over with his fists.
Tatum couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her brothers pissed her off a time or two, but she had never wanted to cause that kind of damage to them. Was Luke doing this because Cade hurt her? Or was he pissed to be put in a bad position with the pack? She wasn’t sure.
Enoch pulled Luke off and pointed toward the house. While he was storming back to the house, Tatum hid behind the wall, so he wouldn’t know she had been
watching them.
The screen door opened and closed. There were noises from the bathroom across the hall. Then he knocked on the door. “Who is it?” Tatum knew damn well who it was, but at the moment, she was a little freaked out.
“It’s me. May I please come in?”
Not knowing if this was a bad idea or not, she said, “Yes.”
Luke walked in, shutting the door behind him. Tatum tried to cross her arm around her stomach at the sight of his bloody hands, but a hiss escaped her lips when the rips in her skin made contact with her other arm.
Holding out his hand, Luke waited for her to take it. “May I see your arm?”
Reluctantly, she held out her hand to him. He pulled her over to the bed and sat her there. Kneeling in front of her, he picked up her arm, placing it over her lap. He pulled the blood-soaked rag off her arm. With a damp rag, he cleaned her skin gently. She watched him take his time and felt like something was pulling her face closer to his. Her lips wanted to sample him. He cleaned her arm for a long time. The cleaning ended with him rubbing his thumb up and down her other arm.
His eyes remained on her injury, but she couldn’t remove her eyes from his gorgeous face.
Luke’s other hand slid behind her leg and pushed her knee into his chest as if he were hugging her, but it wasn’t a hug. It sent little pings of warmth in her heart. “I’m sorry if I disrespected you the other day. I shouldn’t have been so pushy. I want you to know that I don’t mind you being beta, and I think you’re doing an excellent job.”
Tatum’s brows rose as her heartbeat sped up. She tried to tell her inner voice not to get too excited. He wasn’t confessing his undying love to her or anything. He was just trying to reassure her that he wasn’t out to get her.
“I’m glad.” Tatum’s hand found its way up to the side of his face, pulling it up so she could see his amazing eyes.
They glistened with sadness, and it broke her heart. “Luke, I’m so sorry about your brother.”
“No, I’m sorry about my brother.” Luke shook his head. “He is a huge asshole, Tatum. Cade has a hard time following the rules. If I miss the fucker, I’ll find him. I’m sure he will make his way back to Green Lagoon.”
