by B. L. Dawn
They sat silently for the rest of the drive.
When they parked, Eli signed. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I know you’re doing the best you can, but I’m not doing well in the human world. I don’t belong here. I’m losing myself. I don’t want to lose my family, but I want to belong to a pack. I feel caged in the human world. Sister, I’m sorry, but I’m going to leave you. I have to go back.
Tatum’s brows furrowed, the lump in her throat returning. She had known something was bothering him, and now that he had told her what it was, it was her job to make it right. If he needed a pack, she would help him find one.
“I’ll go anywhere with you. I don’t want to lose you.” She grabbed his hand and squeezed. “I wish you would’ve told me sooner. When James comes back on Saturday, we’ll discuss this. Maybe he can lead us to another pack.”
Eli slapped his forehead and signed, You need to lead us, wake up, and see it. We have always followed you.
Tatum let out an exasperated breath. “You’re a big dreamer, little brother. I only do what I need to. I’m not your leader. I’m your sister.”
Eli shook his head and left for class.
The next day, Eli and Tatum headed to Alma’s house to pick her up for some shopping. Tatum had met Alma when she first moved to West Virginia. They had both worked at the Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant down the street, and they had both felt like they didn’t quite fit in. Back then, Alma couldn’t speak good English, but that was okay because Tatum couldn’t speak Spanish. After a few years, they both became pretty good at speaking each other’s languages.
Tatum had gone with Alma to adult classes, which had helped her learn the basics of human life. She had earned her GED and had taken cooking classes, driving lessons, and home finance classes. There had been a lot to learn, and luckily for her, Alma had needed to learn those same skills.
Alma was now a twenty-five-year-old beauty with a bubbly personality. She was short and carried a little weight, but her big brown eyes, long eyelashes, and long black hair set her apart from most West Virginia females.
Alma walked out of her house, practically skipping down her steps. She wore a short white dress that had embroidered flowers across the top and sleeves that pushed off her copper shoulders.
Alma was beaming as she opened the door. Sometimes Tatum found it hard to talk when Alma was this excited. She spoke too fast, and it was hard to get a word in.
“Hi, friends. I’m ready to get this show on the road. I’m excited for James. I can’t believe he is already graduating.” Alma shut the door and put on her seatbelt without missing a beat. “He is so smart. I knew from the moment I met him that he was one smart cookie. Not that you guys aren’t smart, because believe me, I know smart people, and the people in this car are absolute geniuses. I mean, so stinking smart. Have you thought about what you’re going to buy, Tatum?”
Tatum kept her eyes on the road and knew today was one of those days she wouldn’t be able to get a word in edgewise. “Well, I was thinking—”
“I was thinking too. You should totally wear a summer dress. Oh, it would be so attractive on you. Truly, it would be. What color do you want to get?”
“I like—”
“Oh, you know what color you would look so good in? Lavender. You can get some brown leather sandals.” Alma inhaled excitedly. “We need to make sure that the sandals have short heels. Maybe even flats, because let me tell you, you don’t need heels in your wardrobe. I don’t want to look any shorter when we’re together. I can tell you that.” Alma was spitting out the words faster than she could take a breath.
Tatum saw Eli in the rearview mirror, looking at Alma. He had a huge grin on his face. Alma was definitely like family. Alma didn’t know they were shifters, but she knew Tatum better than anyone else. Tatum pulled into the nearest dress outlet store and found a parking spot at the entrance.
“Oh, we found a good spot. I hate it when you have to park in the back of the parking lot. It’s like, HELLO. After I’ve walked all day in the store, once I’m ready to leave, my feet don’t want to walk another mile to my car.” Alma kept speaking as they all got out of the SUV.
Eli signed toward Tatum, All day? Did she say all day?
Tatum chuckled and signed back, She’s just excited. We’re coming here late, so there’s no “all day” involved.
Alma stood in front of them with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot. “Well, come on, slowpokes. I want to get our shopping on.” Alma hooked both of her arms through Eli’s and Tatum’s arms. They walked while listening to Alma talk the whole way. The shopping was excellent, but the headache wasn’t. Alma couldn’t contain her excitement.
They found everything they needed for graduation between breaths: a new outfit for the males, a lavender dress for Tatum, and a present for James. Tatum had to admit the dress was perfect on her. It was a full-length, sleeveless dress that clung to her breast and fell loosely around her legs. When she moved from side to side, it swayed around her body.
Tatum paid for the purchases, and as always, Alma wanted ice cream. They made their way over to the Dairy Bar. Alma ordered a chocolate scoop of ice cream and licked it happily. Tatum ordered two frozen treats: strawberry for Eli and sherbet for herself. They stood in a circle, trying not to drip ice cream into their bags.
Alma licked her ice cream and squealed, “Mmm, it’s so good.”
She had a real sweet spot for the stuff. That’s probably the reason she carried a little weight. Not that it took away from her appearance. On the contrary, Tatum believed it added to her personality and beauty. Her high-pitched moaning caught the attention of a robust male who was walking by. He mooed at Alma, which caused her to stopped eating her ice cream. Her face turned red from embarrassment. Tatum immediately stopped eating, and her eyes narrowed as she turned around. She wanted to punch that asshole right in the face. Eli pulled on her arm and shook his head.
He signed, Don’t let him have power over you. He smirked, knowing he just repeated Tatum’s own words back to her.
Turning his attention to Alma, he took her arms in his hands. Eli looked at her with all seriousness.
He signed while Tatum translated. “Eli’s saying, you’re beautiful, inside and out. Ignore that guy. He’s a jerk. He just wanted to see your face after seeing your fine ass.”
Alma busted out laughing and slapped Eli on the arm. “You know how to make a girl feel good about herself. You’re such a charmer, Eli Roloff. That’s what you are.”
Eli poked her ice cream cone, mouthing the word “eat.”
Alma giggled while finishing her ice cream. They dropped Alma off at her house and headed back to the apartment. All in all, Tatum enjoyed the shopping trip and was glad that her brother had decided to come.
The only thing left to do now was to go to James’s graduation and convince him to lead them to a new pack and end her life as she knew it. Yeah, no sweat!
Chapter 2
Morgantown was a bustling city built on numerous rolling hills. Red brick buildings were the primary preference for the city’s construction. Tatum was reminded of a rollercoaster ride as they moved up and down, and around winding roads. The air was thick with baked pastries and coffee in the early morning hours. People walked up and down the streets even though the sun had barely broken over the mountain tops.
Tatum found the busy café James had told them to come to. They drank coffee and ate pastries as they waited for James to meet with them. Her eyes stayed on the door. James crossed the street, walking with a slight hobble. The injury was from their escape at Blackwater. He was dressed like a casual businessman. As the door of the café opened, Tatum leaped out of her chair, and ran for James, nearly knocking him down.
“Oh, James, I’ve missed you.”
“Missed you too, Sis!” He wrapped his arms around her, giving her a good squeeze. When she wouldn’t let go, he playfully tugged on her hair.
Easing back, she look
ed down, tears falling from her face. James had the same light-brown colored hair and violet-blue eyes that Eli had, but he was much taller, with a slender build.
Eli came over with a quick bro hug, and heavy back pats that sounded more like Eli was trying to dislodge food from James’s throat than show affection. James walked over to Grandpa, who was trying to stand up from his chair, patted him on the back, and gave him a sideways hug.
As Tatum looked at James, she couldn’t believe how grown up he was. She sighed. “How did you grow up so fast? Also, where did you get these clothes? You look like a million bucks.”
James did a model-worthy half twist with his arms stretched out to the sides. “You like it? Most of my clothes look like this now. I’ve been working on the side with Professor Newman. He wants to help me find a job with a friend of his who lives in New York. It’s an excellent opportunity, and the pay is substantial.”
Tatum glanced at Eli while fidgeting with her fingers. “You look wonderful. It sounds like a great chance to get what you’ve always wanted.”
James narrowed his eyes and pointed between Eli and Tatum. “Don’t think I didn’t see that little exchange just now. I know I’ve been gone for a while. I told Professor Newman that I wanted to be with my family first, and I’d have to think about it. He told me I could take as long as I needed. But he suggested staying in contact with him, which I intend to do.” James was pulling no punches in stating his truth on the matter.
Tatum nodded with a sad smile. “Good. We want to talk to you when we get home, but it can wait.” Tatum patted James’s arm. “Oh my gosh! You better stop lifting weights, or you won’t fit into this shirt anymore.”
James chuckled at her comment and sat at the table. Tatum looked around at the male shifters in her life. She couldn’t help but relax in this atmosphere, even though the café was foreign to her.
They were her family—the Roloff Pack. She grinned as they ate, talked, and drank coffee. Hours later, they decided it was time for a run.
Walking across the street, James walked over to the familiar SUV stationed in front of the nearest parking meter. They all jumped in with smiles on their faces, brimming with anticipation. How long had it been since they had been on a family run? A long time.
James drove away from the city until they were passing mountains full of trees. “I have the perfect place to run.” He pulled off the road at a small abandoned town. Driving the SUV in front of a boarded-up tire shop, he put it in park. It didn’t look awe-inspiring. They made their way out of the car, waiting on James to let them in on the joke.
“I know what you’re thinking, but this place is amazing. We have to walk behind this building and through the woods before we shift. Then we can run. There are tons of mountains out there. I have never seen one person. But even if a human sees us, they’ll think we’re coyotes.”
“Coyotes? We look nothing like coyotes.” Tatum scrunched up her nose and stepped over a rock.
James shrugged his shoulders and cocked an eyebrow. “Humans see what they want to see. If it doesn’t make sense to them, they make up something that does make sense.”
Eli helped Grandpa walk as James continued to explain the area. After walking deep into the woods, James took off his shirt. He placed it in a black bag. It was customary for shifters to walk around naked, but after seven years of acting like humans, undressing made Tatum uncomfortable. The humans were beginning to rub off on her. They quietly undressed, putting everything into the bag. With excitement bubbling to the surface, they were grinning ear to ear.
Grandpa was the first to shift. His coat had a tannish color that had faded through the years. As soon as he shifted, they all followed his lead. Their coats were mostly the same color: a caramel brown. Each of them had a different white pattern on their chest. Tatum had a white rhombus shape on her chest, and from what her brothers had told her, she kept her brown and blue eyes. James had a small white off-center circle on his chest, while Eli had a white teardrop shape under his throat.
They all pranced around, pushing each other with their snouts while nipping and tugging hair before taking off in a playful run. James was a lot faster than she had remembered, even with his injury. Tatum figured he had been building up his strength and endurance in that leg while at college. After all, he had this huge wooded area to run.
They ran up one side of the mountain, just to fly back down the other side. They all ran fast, letting the wind blow over them.
After running for a short time, Tatum heard Eli speaking. She glanced over at him as they ran. It was impossible.
“This is the best.” Eli was saying inside his head.
“Eli!” Tatum pushed her thoughts out to him. They all stopped and stared at each other.
“This can’t be happening, can it?” Grandpa looked from Tatum to Eli.
James’s eyes darted around, looking through the trees. “How is this happening?”
Tatum had the impression that James was looking for the alpha from Texas. Tatum shook her head. “The alpha who attack Blackwater isn’t here. We’re a pack.”
“How?” James snorted, still staring behind trees.
Tatum patted around, pacing in front of them. “I’m not sure, but earlier in the café, I had a funny thought.”
Eli kept his eyes on her pacing form. “What kind of thought?”
“I thought that it was nice to have us all back together again, that being together was like being home. I called us The Roloff Pack.” Tatum kept her eyes on each of her family members as she walked back and forth on all fours, trying to reel in her thoughts.
Eli sat down on his haunches. “I didn’t know a female could call a pack together, but I’m not surprised that you can.”
Tatum tilted her head to the side. “Eli, it was just a thought. I didn’t do this.”
James walked over and shoved Tatum with his forehead. “It was you, Sister. None of us were thinking anything like that. I didn’t know a female could call a pack together either, but like Eli said, if any female can do it, it would be you.”
Tatum rolled her eyes, huffing out a breath. They were always giving her shit.
“How are you talking?” Grandpa asked.
“I guess my wolf decided it isn’t going to keep quiet anymore. I feel a connection that I didn’t have before.” He jumped up and down, whooping and hollering inside everyone’s heads.
James chuckled. “Will you start talking again in human form?”
“I don’t know. Something feels different. Like I have connected on some level with my wolf.” Eli shifted back into human form. He reached up to his throat. A grunt came out as he tried to open up his vocal cords, and a weird noise emerged. He kept trying to form new sounds, and it was working. But nothing came out that they could understand. Eli closed his eyes and breathed heavily. His chest rose up and down in a fast burst.
“Hi.” It was the deep sound of a male’s voice, no longer a child’s.
The rest of them shifted back into human form. Everyone stood staring at each other in total amazement.
“Hi. Hi. Hi.” He kept saying it over and over, sounding manic.
Tatum’s hand flew to her mouth. Her eyes stung.
James walked over, grabbing his little brother by the nape of the neck and pulling him into a hug. “Hello, little brother. I’ve missed the sound of your voice.”
Tatum stumbled over, wrapping her arms around her two brothers and squeezing them as hard as she could. Soon, Grandpa was cocooning them in his warm embrace.
They broke away.
Eli leaped around, hooting and hollering for all to hear. Tatum laughed until her cheeks were sore.
Grandpa clapped his hands together. “You did it, pup. You did it.”
“I can speak! I can speak!”
Tatum couldn’t believe this was happening. Was it because she had called them together as a pack? Or was it because he knew she would find them a pack? Regardless, th
is opportunity to run with her family was overdue. She didn’t want to miss any more time with their wolf connection. “Let’s shift and run some more.”
Grandpa looked worried at first but shifted when they did. “I’m going to head back and rest a bit.”
James nodded. “Okay, be careful. We can hear you now, so if you need anything, let us know.”
“I will.” Grandpa turned and trotted away. For a second, his thoughts said something along the lines of “keep your mind clear,” but she didn’t know what he meant or if he was talking to them or himself. He hummed a tune all the way back to the clothes bag.
Tatum and her brothers ran fast and far for miles and miles while Grandpa trilled in their ears. The mountains’ inclines strained her muscles in a good way and reminded her of her wolf’s true potential. Flutters erupted in her stomach as they ran down steep hills that dipped and rose again. They came to the edge of a cliff, where they stopped and looked at the river below, catching their breaths. A small boat with a couple of humans in it floated down the river, oblivious to them.
Grandpa’s humming stopped, and he shifted into human form. There was a disconnection when he shifted. It was hard to describe the feeling of one wolf being absent from the pack.
“Grandpa is getting weaker.” Tatum let out her thoughts.
James nodded. “I could sense that too.”
Tatum sat down, staring out over that beautiful wilderness that she had long forgotten and missed. “Why do you think that Grandpa won’t talk to us about the past?”
Eli sat beside her. “It’s probably too hard on him. First, he lost his son and daughter in some freak accident, and now he lost his grandson in a brutal attack.”
“You’re probably right. It just feels like he is keeping something from us,” Tatum said.
James walked up beside her and nudged her shoulder. “It’s just how he is. He has never been big on talking. At least not that I can remember.”
Tatum shook her head. “You know I can’t remember that. But I do know that it’s hard to have a conversation with someone who always has their nose stuck in a book.”