by B. L. Dawn
Tatum also resolved not to hate Luke. Obviously, he was confused, and Cade was a dumbass son of a bitch. She should have taken control and just told Luke how she felt about their true mating status early on. She was the dominant one, and she should have been the one to solidify their mating. It didn’t help matters or his confusion.
When he first told her that he had slept with someone else, she had gone through several emotions—pure jealousy, betrayal, and full-on rage. However, she was the one who had been unsure and had kept turning him down.
Also…also…Tatum tilted her head to the side. Something was pulling away from her. Is it from memories leaving my mind again? Just like with my mother’s image.
Her heart raced as she tried to remember something important. Not again. Not again. There was something off about all of this. Her eyes darted around the woods, taking in the night scene with an eerie feeling. Where was she? The trees cast creepy shadows around her, and she felt like someone was lingering in the woods. Walking past a pine tree, she placed her hand on the trunk as dark clouds moved across the half-lit moon.
She was fuzzy on what had happened that evening. Why was she out here? Where was Green Lagoon?
Tatum continued to walk, eyes wide and fully alert. She tried to remember her way back to the village and headed back in that direction, hoping she could find her way. Broken branches crunched under her feet, and she climbed over fallen trees. Several times she smelled mushrooms and wild game. It took all night before she made it through the clearing. Her heart leaped out of her chest when her foot touched the territory line. Tears threatened to consume her. She felt lost, but logically, right now, seeing her brother’s bike, she knew she had found her way. But the feeling of being lost remained.
Something inside her was aching. Was it because she had forgotten something again? Her mind wasn’t right. She was damaged. Maybe she shouldn’t be beta. If this kept happening, she would be nothing. A no one. A faceless, mindless waste.
In the early morning hours, Tatum walked around, taking pictures of the property to show Enoch and the other pack members. On the way to the outhouse, Tatum saw Oliver stepping through the woods.
The click of her camera phone went off as she walked around the painted building.
Oliver ran up to her. “Hey, Tatum. Did you ask Luke?”
Tatum scrunched her eyebrows. “Ask him what?”
Oliver tilted his head and cocked a brow. “Ask him about being true mates with you. Did he explain why he didn’t think you were?”
Tatum’s eyes widened. “Why would I ask him that?”
“Because you love him.”
“Ha! Since when? Are you feeling okay, Oliver? Too much work out in the heat? Huh?” Tatum chuckled.
Oliver shook his head. “Are you being a smartass, or do you really not remember?”
Tatum put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. “If you’re implying that just because I had Luke as a guard once that I fell in love with him, you’ve got me all wrong.”
“Are you feeling well?”
Tatum smiled. “I feel great. I mean, look at what we’ve accomplished here. We are sure to win the alphas over with this place.”
Oliver looked around, as if confused. “I don’t know what’s going on, but something’s not right.”
Tatum patted Oliver on the shoulder. “It’s alright.” Poor thing is confused. “The rest of us will be leaving soon. You and Lilly stay safe, okay?”
Oliver nodded with his head tilted to the side and his brows pinched together.
Tatum chuckled. He was such a cutie. Walking over to her SUV, she took the keys out of the cupholder and leaned back on the door, waiting for the others to show up.
When Tatum heard doors opening in the village, a smile appeared on her face. She waited for everyone to come to the car. They packed the washable materials in the back, along with their belongings. The sun was bright and beautiful, and the smell of wet grass and fresh paint had her heart soaring.
Leo, Sam, Adina, and Dean got into the car. Tatum looked for Luke but didn’t see him anywhere. She wanted to hurry back to Foothill Farms. Running over to Eli, Tatum asked him to find Luke and take him back on the motorcycle so she could get moving.
Eli went to search for Luke as the shifters sat in the car.
“Good morning, everyone.” Waving goodbye to Lilly and Oliver, Tatum slid in the driver’s seat and left Green Lagoon. She turned on the radio and sang along to her favorite tunes. Everyone enjoyed her upbeat attitude.
Once at the farm, pack members flooded them with hugs and questions. Eddie was at the farm again, holding Cora close to his side, and Tatum had no ill will toward them. Enoch and Jenny were still inside, so Tatum introduced Adina to those around.
An hour later, Tatum made her way up the stairs with Adina in tow. Jenny’s door was open. She walked out of the shower wrapped in a towel. Her hair had been cut short, like a guy’s haircut. It looked even more faded, but she was a sight for sore eyes. Tatum ran over and gently hugged her.
“Well, hi there. We’ve been missing your pretty face.” Jenny pinched Tatum’s cheek. “And who is this young beauty?”
Tatum chuckled. “Enoch and Jenny, I would like to introduce you to Adina, daughter of Alpha Merrill Moss of the Tall Elm Pack.”
Enoch stepped forward. “It’s lovely to meet you. I am Alpha Enoch Lennox of the Primal Ridge Pack. You’re most welcome to stay as long as you’d like.” Enoch took her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles.
Jenny smiled at Adina. “Yes, you’re welcome here.”
Adina looked toward their voices but didn’t quite meet their eyes. “I’m most honored. Thank you.”
Jenny leaned into Enoch, and they both had their brows furrowed and sad fake grins on their faces.
Tatum heard something behind her and saw Leo. “Leo, why don’t you take Adina and show her where the bathroom is? She needs to know how to flush the toilet and how to run the water. If she feels up to it, you can show her around more places.”
Leo walked in, hooking his arm in hers, and walked her out. He talked to her along the way, letting her move her hands over the walls and doors.
Tatum turned back around, eyes on the ground. “Adina has poor eyesight. I need to help her get back to normal health. I promised Merrill I would. I’d like to have her eyes checked by a human doctor to see if her vision can improve.”
Enoch crossed his arms and cocked his eyebrow. “Adina is here now, and it would be rude not to take good care of her.”
Tatum nodded. She pulled out her phone. “The village is a sight to see. I have pictures of all the work we’ve accomplished.” Tatum ushered them to sit down on both sides of her. She flipped through the pictures and explained what each area was. Everything sparkled. Enoch and Jenny’s eyes looked at her as if she were a magical being or something. “It’s gorgeous right?”
Enoch rubbed the back of his skull. “It’s more than I ever knew it could be.”
“I want you to see it firsthand, both of you. Oliver and Lilly stayed behind to protect it while we’re away.”
“Full-time guards?”
“I don’t believe so. It’s just temporary.”
“Call for a meeting.”
“Yes, sir.”
Twenty minutes later, the whole pack shuffled in. Eli walked through the door, followed by Luke. His hair was a disheveled mess, and he smelled of the woods. Tatum’s heart started to race at the sight of him. There was a tingling between her legs. She clamped her legs together as a warm red flush traveled up her neck, touching the tips of her ears.
She tried to look away from him and hoped that he couldn’t smell what had just happened to her. Thankfully, she doubted he could. There were so many shifters in this room that maybe he wouldn’t know it was her.
Luke cocked his head to the side and sniffed the air. His eyebrows pinched together, and he stared right into her eyes. Damn, Mr. Gray Eyes does
smell me.
Enoch spoke, “Fellow shifters, as you all know, we’re on a journey, thanks to Tatum, the first female beta of our time. Our journey will be alongside humans. That much is clear. We’ll find our way to greatness, we’ll do it together, and we’ll help other shifters along the way.”
“Our race is dying, weak, and needs our help. We need to be strong, work hard, and be reliable. Most importantly, we need to be able to accept new circumstances.”
“Tatum, along with other pack members, has been making trips to visit other packs, which she now calls the outskirt packs. While there, she has been meeting with the alphas, feeding their packs, helping them grow their own food, and igniting hope. Like a flame, this hope will be contagious and will grow through other packs that want to feel its warmth.”
“The hope she brings is the hope of better times, but with the good comes the bad. There will also be trying times. Things that we can’t predict, some things that we may not be able to stop. Therefore, when we see the possibility of a problem, we’ll try to think of a solution before a problem presents itself. Tatum and I need to meet with all of the alphas, and it would be dangerous if we brought them all to our new territory.”
“Therefore, the last trip that our beta made was to Green Lagoon. She renovated it to use its location as a meeting ground. We plan to meet other alphas to help them on their journey to success. The problem is that we can’t leave Green Lagoon unguarded. Oliver and Lilly are staying there for a few weeks to protect the land. I don’t think they desire to remain there. Many of you want to find yourselves in the human world, and I want you to do that, but if there is anyone who would be willing to take up permanent residency in the old territory, I would like to know.”
Tatum raised her hand like she was in school. Enoch looked at her as if she were acting strange. “Is there something you would like to add?”
“Um…yes. The territory is stunning. The sun powers some lights, but there is no running water or electricity. The outhouse has been stocked and is fresh and new. There are water barrels on each house that collect rainwater. However, there’s no garden, chickens, cows, or ways to charge a cell phone or communicate back with us. I wanted you to know what you’re getting into before you say yes.”
Jenny’s spoke up. “We can build a chicken coop and a milking station. I have extra cows. We can buy a rooster and some chickens for the old territory. Whoever stays there could have a farm.”
Eddie’s hand oddly raised from under Cora, who was sitting on his lap. Enoch and Tatum looked at each other. They held back from laughing.
Enoch acknowledged Eddie. “Yes, Eddie?”
“I can install solar panels to charge a battery throughout the day. I can hook it up to an electric outlet, perhaps, in the biggest house. Phones could charge through the night.”
Tatum loved that he was trying to help, but there was a problem. “I’m afraid there isn’t a good signal out there.”
“I can take care of that too.”
Cora turned to stare at Eddie as if he were Superman. Destiny had brought Eddie into this pack. Tatum was going to need him more than ever.
Enoch turned to Tatum. “What do you think, beta?”
“It’s a generous offer from both Jenny and Eddie. We need more ways to eat there, and we need to be able to communicate with the Green Lagoon territory every day. We might separate across the land, but we’ll remain a pack, and we need to be able to take care of one another. I would accept both gifts.”
“Eddie, we accept your offer with much gratitude. Jenny and I will plan the rest.”
Nodding, Eddie smiled. Cora kissed his cheek.
Enoch continued, “Is there anyone who would like to move back as a protector of the territory? If not, we can take shifts, living there weeks at a time.”
No one responded. “Okay. We’ll go on rotations. Of course, the young will not be in charge of protecting the land until they are of age. Thank you, fellow pack members. We’ll have a schedule soon.”
Enoch looked around his pack. “Fellow pack members, times of change have been upon us, and we have risen to meet those changes head on. We’ve stood strong in every way that we could, side by side, and followed through. But our journey is far from over. We have only stepped forward and accepted our destinies. This journey is just the beginning—the very base of the mountain. I have no doubt we’ll be successful, even though our journey will be tough. We don’t need to settle for what we have or where we are. Other shifters need us to keep moving forward. They need our helping hands. And with this knowledge, we must all know that more change is to come.”
Chapter 31
The heat seemed to radiate from the ground in the July heat. It was hot on her skin and made her want to run through the shaded woods to feel the cool air push through her fur. She was glad to be back at Foothill Farms surrounded by her pack. The walk over to the haybarn was an enjoyable one. Tatum had plans to fix the schedule once again to incorporate rotation at Green Lagoon. She tucked the oversized calendar further into the crook of her arm as she slid her way through the red barn door. When she sat down in the office moments later, she arranged her things on the desk, ready to start the new schedule.
As she rearranged the names, dates, and times, she couldn’t help but recall her little excursion through the woods, right outside the Green Lagoon territory line.
The feeling of being lost last night scared the hell out of her. How had she gotten into those woods last night in the first place? The last thing she had remembered was talking to everyone on the porch about dirty linens, listening to the beginnings of a rain shower, and curling in bed to sleep. The next thing she knew, she had been lost, walking around in unknown woods. Had she taken off in her sleep? That was the only logical explanation, but it had never happened before.
The whole situation left her feeling antsy as hell. She wasn’t afraid of the woods at night or anything like that. Shit, she had been running in the woods at night for as long as she could remember. The most dangerous thing in the woods at night was her. No, it wasn’t a fear of safety that had her bothered. It was the fear that she didn’t have control of whatever the hell had happened to her.
Flashes of something strange kept playing in her mind. There were some strange voices and a white light, but the more she tried to think about it, the more it seemed to vanish. After making that realization, she decided to stop trying, and perhaps it would come to her.
The little office in the haybarn was the perfect place to work out scheduling issues. Tatum tapped her pen on the side of the desk as she double-checked her work. Inhaling long and deep, she smelled something musky and crisp in the air. Luke unlatched the office door, bobbing his head inside to look around. He walked in, looking depressed and tired. Another memory flashed in her mind. It was about Luke and Lilly, and a sense of anger rose in her chest. Were the two shifters fighting with each other?
Tatum shook that thought away and tried to pay attention to the male in front of her. “Well, hello. How are you feeling today?”
Luke took a seat in front of the desk, staring at her with sorrow filled eyes. His skin was pale, and his cheeks looked hollower than they had when she first saw him at Green Lagoon. He had no reason to be hungry now, so why did he appear to be starved?
Luke leaned into the desk, stretching his hands out over her calendar as if to ask her to take them. She cocked an eyebrow at him and leaned away, but a smile formed on her face. “What are you doing?” She laughed a little amused.
Luke retracted his hands. “Why do you smell like you’re not mad at me?”
Tatum’s eyebrows shot up. What in the world was he talking about? Maybe Luke was acting this way because he was supposed to manage the farm while other pack members worked on Green Lagoon’s renovations. He snuck down there anyway, leaving Sam to watch over the farm. She didn’t know Sam well, but it was Luke’s job to take on that responsibility. Maybe Enoch would have been mad at him for leavi
ng, but she was the female beta, not the head alpha. It’s not like she gave him a direct order to stay behind or anything. At least she didn’t think she had.
Tatum pressed her fingers to her temple, rubbing the tingling sensation happening right under the skin. “Listen, Luke. I’m not mad that you came to Green Lagoon. Yes, you were supposed to be protecting the pack here at Foothill Farms so that Jenny could heal. Enoch needed time off to take care of her, but you snuck down there anyway.”
Tatum held both palms up as if to shrug his actions away. “But I’m not mad. Mad is a harsh word. Disappointed? Sure. But mad? Nah.” Tatum smiled. “I’m sure you miss it there. It was your home. And anyway, if anyone has a reason to be mad between the two of us, it should be you mad at me. I’m sorry for your loss, and I’m sorry I was the one who had to do it.”
Luke looked at her with confusion. “I told you already that I’m not mad at you for doing your job.” He planted his elbows on his knees, letting out an exhausted groan. “I know you’re mad about Lilly.”
Tatum crossed her arms under her chest, taking in his strange words. She couldn’t remember what the fight was about between Lilly and Luke. Was it because Oliver was staying with Lilly at Green Lagoon? She wasn’t sure, but it was really none of her business. “Luke, you should really work that out with her. How long have you guys known each other? Arguments come and go, but friendships last forever. You should write her a letter and tell her how you feel. I’m sure that will smooth things over.”
Luke narrowed his eyes. “I don’t want Lilly. I want to be with you.”
Tatum’s eyes widened. “What? Why would you say something like that? Are you trying to make Lilly mad? Getting even with a female by making her jealous does not work. I’ve watched enough movies to know.”