by B. L. Dawn
Tatum sniffled and nuzzled into his shoulder. “Will you go with me to visit the packs?”
“I would like to.” Luke tilted his face and kissed her head. “You know what? If you’re not careful, Tatum, you’re going to end up being my closest friend.”
Tatum chuckled as she tossed a stone into the brook. “That would be okay with me. I bet you didn’t know I have a female human friend; her name’s Alma. I hope you can meet her one day.”
“I’d like that,” Luke said.
“Good. We’ll plan to go sometime. But you can’t tell her about shifters. She doesn’t know I’m a shifter, but she knows all my thoughts and my personality. You’ll like her. She’s from a place called Mexico. Alma talks a lot, and she talks fast with a funny accent. It’s because they speak a different language in Mexico.”
“What does it sound like?”
“Um, it sounds like…Me allegro de haberte conocido.”
“What did you say?”
Tatum lifted both their heads up. Staring into his eyes, she said, “I’m glad I met you.”
Luke kissed her on the lips again. “I need to stop doing that.” Luke stared into her eyes. “I’m glad I met you too.”
Tatum leaned over and hugged him. “We should head back.” She didn’t want to let go. It was like a betrayal to break their contact. She wanted to hold him forever. His rough hands drifted up the soft skin on her back to embrace her and hold her to him. Exhaling, she tried to let go of the energy to break the connection. It was painful, but she did it.
They both stood up, but before Tatum shifted, Luke grabbed both of her arms and faced her toward him. He stepped back, looking up and down her body, and his chest pumped hard. He had an erection, and Tatum was so wet; she worried her juices would start traveling down her legs.
“If you ever change your mind, you come to me.”
“Shit, this is going to kill both of us, isn’t it?” Tatum rang her fingers together. “I want you so bad. I know you can smell me, but I want to keep you as a friend forever. Not a lover for a little while.”
“Fuck. It probably will, but I’m going to be a good male from here on out. I’ll do it for you. I just wanted you to know that my body yearns for you.”
“Noted,” Tatum said with disappointment.
Tatum shifted and ran back to the farm, feeling like a big pile of leftover turds. She climbed into the shed and shifted back to her human form. When would she find him? Her true mate. Destiny, if you’re listening, I’m ready to be loved. After dressing, she went inside the farmhouse. James was sitting at the kitchen table, looking upset.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
James rubbed a spot on his chest with his palm. “I know this sounds stupid, but Natalie left this morning for her job interview. I know they’ll give her the job. And I’m happy for her, but I miss her so much. It makes my chest hurt.”
“She’s your true mate.” Tatum didn’t say it as a question. It was a fact. James had acted like this from the moment his eyes landed on Natalie.
“You’re right. She is my true mate. Hey, listen, I’m going to Morgantown to visit with Professor Newman. He’s called his friend from New York, and we’re all meeting together for an interview tomorrow morning. I already told Eli, and he’s pretty bummed about it. First Cora, and now I’m leaving.” James rubbed the spot on his chest again.
“You and Natalie both have plenty of time to make a life together. Find yourselves first. The rest will fall into place. Luke told me that Destiny matches us with our mates. If it’s true, and I believe it is, Destiny knew both of you would want to work. And Destiny knew you guys were strong enough to handle it. Even if you have to separate for a while, you’ll still have phones, or you can write her handwritten love letters. Spend time building a relationship instead of just feeling the true mating chemistry.” Tatum smiled at her brother and found her hand stroking his hair as a mother would. “You guys will be fine. Luke also said that once a shifter finds their true mate, they don’t find anyone else attractive, and that’s good news for you, my brother.”
James chuckled and looked up at his siter. He stood up, wrapping her in a hug. “Thank you for everything.” He smiled, and left the house.
Tatum spent some of the day talking to different pack members and learning about them. Later, she found Eli and explained mating maturity to him, which was a fun task she never wanted to do again.
While making her rounds, Tatum was able to talk to Jenny and Enoch about traveling to other packs and handing out peace offerings of seeds and food. She would pay for all the gifts. There was still quite a bit of money in her savings. Enoch loved her idea, but then again, he always liked her ideas. He had full faith in her, which was nice.
Tatum called Eddie, wishing him all the best. Then she answered more questions about mating; she figured she was becoming a professional on this topic.
During dinner, Tatum talked to Oliver and Eli about traveling with her to the outskirt packs. She wanted to leave in the morning. They both agreed to come with her. After dinner, Jenny collected seeds for Tatum’s trip. Tatum, Luke, Eli, and Oliver drove to the One-Stop Superstore to stock up on all kinds of gifts for the outskirt packs. They loaded up the SUV and headed back to the farm.
While informing the males about how to pack for the trip, Tatum didn’t leave out her favorite item: toilet paper. Leaves were not Charmin soft, and she wasn’t going to poop in wolf form; if the males wanted to, then more power to them.
When they reached the farm, Tatum went to Natalie’s room and packed her backpack. Jenny knocked on the door frame.
“Knock, knock.” Jenny poked her head through the doorway. “There are some packages for you out on the porch. The whole pack is out there like it’s Christmas morning or something.”
“I forgot I placed an order. Thanks, Jenny. Tell everyone I’ll be out there in a minute.”
Tatum finished packing, then walked through the house and outside. Two long boxes were sitting on the porch. Both said “fragile” on the side. Tatum looked around. “These two boxes are for Mason and Oliver.” She smiled when their eyes widened. “Well, go ahead and open them. But be careful, like the boxes say.”
Mason and Oliver went to the boxes, and both decided on one to open. They worked on the tape. Tatum was surprised no one offered a little knife or a pair of scissors, but it was fun seeing them struggle to get the boxes open. Mason was the first to pull the lid open on his box. A bunch of peanuts popped over the edge, sending giggles out among the pack.
Mason waited on Oliver. “Come on, male.”
“I’m hurrying. I’m hurrying,” Oliver growled.
Oliver opened the top of his box. Both males reached their hands in and pulled out large black guitar cases. They both moved away from their cardboard boxes with their mouths hanging open.
Tatum smiled from ear to ear. “Open it.”
Oliver and Mason sat down with their legs crossed and unlatched the black cases.
“You got us guitars?” Mason let his trembling fingers glide over the wood.
“Yeah. Oliver told me you used to play. Could you teach Oliver to play? It comes with guitar lesson guides and DVDs.”
Oliver stood up. “Tatum, this is the best thing anyone has ever done for me.” He walked over and practically knocked Tatum backward off the porch in a big hug. Laughing, Tatum hugged him back. He wiped under his eyes before turning around to face the pack. “It sure is a nice-looking guitar.”
“Go strum some strings a couple of times and see if you like it.”
Oliver made his way back to the guitar and picked it up like it was the most fragile thing he had ever held.
Mason stood up, walked over to Tatum, and pushed out his hand. He shook her hand hard. “Thank you, young lady.” Mason’s voice cracked a little, but he recovered quickly. “I will treasure this, and it would be my honor to help Oliver learn how to play.”
“It’s no problem.
I’m glad you like the gift.”
Oliver was sitting with his legs crossed again; he strummed his fingers along the cords. Mason walked over, sat in front of Oliver, and showed him how to tighten and loosen the strings. He hummed the pitches that the strings were supposed to match. After they finished tuning their guitars, Oliver strummed the strings again.
The sound was rich, making chill bumps play chase across Tatum’s arms. The pack sat around listening to Mason instruct Oliver on a set of cords. They practiced the notes over and over again until Oliver was good at it. Mason told him to play them on a loop and not stop until he told him. Oliver strummed the cords over and over while Mason played his guitar. The sounds were enthralling. The notes blended and parted, moving around each other—images formed in Tatum’s mind.
She was sitting on a set of old wooden stairs, wearing a light-blue dress. Her toes wiggled as the wind blew, moving her brown hair to the side. Grandpa was beside her, his feet on the ground, standing beside the stairs. In his arms, there was a baby wrapped in a light-blue blanket. Grandpa swayed from side to side, and a little pup ran circles in the yard around a happy couple. The couple was arm in arm dancing together.
Soft tones of music played off in the distance. The couple smiled at each other as they swayed. The wind pushed the female’s skirt around the male’s legs, joining them together. They laughed as they leaned back from one another. This was not just a random scene. No, this was her mother and father. She had forgotten this beautiful memory from her past.
Tatum was in awe, realizing she could now place her parents’ happy faces that she had forgotten long ago. Her mother had long, caramel-brown hair, baby-blue eyes, and a skinny nose, and she was tall and slender. Her father was taller than her mother, with a golden tan, a broad chest, and muscular arms. He held her mother like she was a precious flower. His eyes were brown. His hair was a sandy blonde. When he smiled, his white teeth showed, and he had an internal glow.
As the images faded and the music slowed down, Tatum found herself standing back on the farmhouse porch, surrounded by her pack. The wind cooled the tears on her cheeks. She remembered a piece of her past. It was before her father crawled across the kitchen floor. It was a time before she lived in the human world. She missed her parents, missed being a child, missed being taken care of, but that time in her life had passed.
When the music stopped, Oliver looked over at her.
“That was beautiful.” Giving him a soft smile, she headed for Natalie’s room. Would she be able to hold on to this memory? Even now, it was starting to fade. She tried to repeat their features out loud so her ears might register them and connect with her brain. And though the beautiful scene was starting to fade away, she could remember the details she had been speaking into the air.
Chapter 24
The next morning, Tatum woke up and headed for the bathroom. There was a lot to do today, and she was ready to put her mind into something other than being rejected as a true mate by Luke. On top of that, she was trying to forget about how strange she was. Her appearance was different than that of the other females, as was her behavior in most cases, her eyes, her dominance over the fucking males, and her ever-present memory loss.
She had half a mind to yell at her great-grandfather until he told her everything she wanted to know about her parents and the life they had before this. But she didn’t want to upset him. He had been through a lot too. Her bad mood was getting to her, and there was no need to take it out on him.
Looking around the bathroom doorframe, Tatum saw Jenny. She was looking through the laundry hamper.
“Are you looking for something?”
Jenny jumped in the air. “Oh, good heavens. You scared me. Yes, I’m missing my apron from the kitchen. I must have laid it down, but I can’t find it. I’d lose my head if it wasn’t attached to my neck.”
“If I find it, I’ll bring it to you.”
“Thanks. Did Natalie get to tell you last night she got the job at the hospital?”
“Oh, really? That’s great news! Good for her.”
Jenny nodded, a smile on her lips stretching as far as they could go. “Natalie will be working in the maternity ward. She said that once she got paid, she would help replace the silo.”
Tatum gave her a big smile and a pat on the back. “That’s awesome. I know she’ll do great. I wish there was more I could do about the silo.”
“It’s not your fault, and sometimes there is nothing anyone can do when tragedy strikes. We just need to count our blessings.”
Tatum nodded, leaving Jenny to head down the hallway in a rush to use a different bathroom.
Thank Destiny she made it to the bathroom before having an accident. That would be all she needed to add onto this week’s list of disappointments. Tatum gathered her backpack and headed toward the SUV. Grabbing breakfast on the way up to the northern part of West Virginia was Tatum’s plan. She was long overdue for some McDonalds. Placing her bag in the SUV, she looked over the farm and remembered that she hadn’t cleaned the haybarn. The only things she had to put away were the pushpins and the chairs. Finding the pushpins in the wooden wall, she moved them back to the bulletin board. The folding chairs were next, but the one thing she didn’t see was the wooden chair with the long wooden back. Tatum walked to the rear of the barn, looking for the chair outside the back doors. Nothing was there. She latched the rear doors shut.
Maybe someone had borrowed it and moved it to a different location. Tatum shrugged the thought off and headed back to the car. Oliver, Luke, and Eli were waiting for her. They had already put their things in the cargo storage space in the back. Waving, Tatum jogged over to them.
One hour later, they were full of sausage biscuits and coffee. Tatum’s phone rang. It was James.
“Hey, Sis. Is Eli with you?”
“Yeah, we’re going to the outskirt packs. We’re trying to bring them food and seeds.”
“Can you put me on speakerphone?”
“Sure.” Tatum put her phone on speaker and held it up.
“I wanted to tell both of you the news. I received a job with an investment team called Gorich Investments. I have to move to New York, and I know this will be tough on you guys. Hell, it’s going to be tough on me, but I want to pursue this career. I’m hoping to climb my way to the top and find out what kind of damage I can do. I’ve already talked to Natalie. We’re going to take things slow. How long will you guys be gone?”
Tatum shrugged. “A couple of days.”
“I’ll be packed and headed to New York before you guys get back. I know this is happening fast, and I’m sorry. I love you both. I’ll make time to visit. I promise.”
Tatum nodded, even though James couldn’t see her. “I know you’ll do great.”
Eli leaned toward the phone. “Knock ’em dead, brother.”
“Thank you, both. It means a lot that you’re supporting me.” James’s voice cracked.
“Always,” Tatum and Eli said.
They said their goodbyes, and Tatum hung up the phone. She spent the rest of the time telling Luke and Oliver about the other packs and what to expect. The first pack they were going to was the first one that James, Eli, and she had visited. Tatum told them about Merrill Moss.
They traveled for a time and came upon the familiar rutted out dirt road. Tatum found the area where they had parked the SUV the last time they had been here. No one appeared to be guarding the place. But if they were, Tatum didn’t care if the pack had a heads up on her arrival.
Tatum’s crew walked a straight path to Merrill’s village, carrying all the supplies. When they arrived in the clearing, Tatum walked with her head held high. The males followed her lead. Tatum continued to move to the two-story house at the end of the road and was waiting on Merrill. Without disappointing her, Merrill came out of his house while the screen door slammed behind him. Looking up, she smiled, kept walking, and called out, “We come bearing gifts for you.”
Merrill came off his porch and headed her way. When he was a foot away from her, he stopped. “Why did you come back? Would no pack have you?” Merrill kept his voice low but pleasant. The question wasn’t disrespectful, just curious.
“No, sir. I found a pack, and our pack is prosperous. Our name is Primal Ridge Pack. I wanted to return to say thank you for your hospitality during our earlier visit.”
Merrill looked at her, then at the males behind her. He tilted his head and drew in his eyebrows. Turning, he nodded for them to follow. A few steps later, they were all standing in his kitchen.
“I appreciate your kind words and accept your gifts. What did you bring me?”
Oliver, Luke, and Eli set the gifts on the kitchen table, and what didn’t fit went beside the table on the floor. Tatum pointed to the items in the bags and around the table. “We brought you canned foods, a can opener, a skillet, a hoe, a shovel, and some seeds.”
Merrill continued to have a suspicious tone, “And you want nothing in return?”
“I would like your friendship and a peaceful alliance between your pack and mine.”
Merrill’s eyebrows pinched together. “It’s wise not to send an alpha into the middle of a pack to reach an alliance, but I have never heard of a female making such requests.”
Tatum stiffened. She had just wanted to bring the outskirt packs food, not establish her male role in Enoch’s pack. Why did it always come down to this? Feeling the tension grow around the room and having the males from her pack standing behind her, Tatum knew she had to tell him what position Enoch had put her in. “I’m beta of my pack.”
“I can feel strength pouring out of you, Tatum Roloff. You are odd to me. Different than other females. There’s a powerful dominance in you. You must feel it. Even these males follow behind you and let you lead them.” Merrill waited for her to respond.
Tatum looked back, meeting Luke’s eyes. He smiled and gave her a nod. Could it be possible that he was proud of her?
She turned back around and looked at Merrill. “I suppose I am different. I don’t know whether it’s because of my birth or life teaching me hard lessons, but you’re correct. I’m not like other females.” Even though she hated it, she accepted it at this moment and said it out loud in front of Luke, in front of Oliver, in front of Eli.
