Tatum and Henry

I join my family at the table, sitting next to Tatum, opposite dad. Tatum reaches over and grabs my hand, and I lace my fingers with hers.

“Come on everybody, help yourselves,” mum says. I watch as Tatum talks to Rhiannon and makes her up a plate of food before serving herself. Rhiannon continues to sit on dad’s lap as she feeds herself, telling him all about Applejack who lives on an apple farm and eats apples.

“Apple Jack?” I ask Tatum. She laughs.

“My little pony. Rhiannon’s obsessed,” Tatum explains, or at least tries to.

“My little what?” I ask, making Tatum laugh more.

“Anna’s obsessed with horses,” Jed offers, which Tatum agrees to.

“Are you talking about me?” Rhiannon asks, looking up.

“We were just telling your dad how much you like horses,” Tatum smiles.

“When I’s grows up me and Zoe gonna ride horses,” Rhiannon tells me proudly. Mum chuckles.

“Really?” I ask, smiling.

“Yup. Aunty Vas and Uncle Aidge are goings to take me and Zoe to lessons,” Rhiannon then says.

“When you’re older,” Tatum adds.

“Yup, when I’s older,” she says, going back to eating her sausage.

“Tatum, what are your plans?” mum asks.

“What do you mean?” she asks.

“Well, have you thought about coming back to Silver Forest?” mum asks her.

“Mum!” Leora cries out, looking from her to me.

“I’m in the middle of university and Jed has school, I don’t know what my plans are,” Tatum says, looking over at me. I squeeze her hand hoping to let her know that it’s okay. I want her back, but she’s settled where she is, it’s a conversation for another time, not now.

Mum looks a bit sad, and I can’t help but feel for her.

“Mum, it’s not like you haven’t had contact with Tatum and the kids,” Leora then states.

“I’m not a kid, I’s a big girl,” Rhiannon says, eating her food.

“A big girl who needs a nap after lunch,” Tatum smiles.

“Granda, do I’s has to have a nap?” Rhiannon asks, looking up at dad and fluttering her eyelashes at him. Dad just smiles.

“Your mother’s the boss,” dad replies, making Rhiannon pout.

After lunch Tatum put’s Rhiannon to sleep in Leora’s room as I wait outside in the hallway. She closes the door and swears when she sees me waiting for her.

“Can we talk?” I ask, looking at her.

“Sure,” she gulps, showing her nerves. I know she’s nervous and I am too. I want her back and I want to be with her, and I’ll do anything to do that. I remember when I asked her to move in with me, all those years ago. I remember thinking I’d move away from the pack if she decided to go to university in a different state, and have dad take over my role until I’d come back. And fuck, I’d still do that.

I grab her hand and lead her into my old bedroom. I rarely stay here, and my parents use it mainly as a guest room now. In fact, the last long period I stayed here was when I was getting the blocking spell out of my body. It took a couple of weeks as my body and soul healed.

“Tatum,” I sigh, wondering how I’m going to start, “I know you’ve been told, but I was under the influence of a spell, a very strong spell. The person who did this to me was working with Alpha Andre Aubert,” I say, looking at her.

“I was told about the spell, but not the details. Was it Alpha Bridie?” she asks. I nod.

“Alpha Bridie has been infatuated with me since I was fifteen. When I turned eighteen, she asked me to join her pack and be her mate, but I refused,” I begin.

“She’s older than you. I mean, she was Gary’s mate and she’s Jed’s mother,” Tatum says. I look at her. I know she is Jed’s mother, at least, I found out after the spell was out of my system and I was well again.

“I know, but that didn’t stop her. She told us in her interrogation that she wanted a strong mate, and had set her eyes on me,” I look down at Tatum’s fingers as I play with them. Tatum snorts.

“It’s funny how the world works,” she states. I look at her.

“Yes, it is,” I agree. Jed is my family. I would never give him up.

“Tatum, I’m sorry, it wasn’t my choice to work with her in the investigations, when she found out I was working on it, she requested to assist. We found out later that it was her that set the traps,” I admit. Tatum grabs my hand and pulls it onto my lap.

“It wasn’t your fault. This wasn’t your fault, you know that, right?” she asks.

“But I lost you, I lost my family,” I say, tears going down my face. Tatum leans towards me.

“You haven’t lost me. I’m here,” she says, holding me. I wrap my arms around her.

We sit there, holding each other.

“I’m sorry I left, Henry. I needed to look after our family,” she eventually says, pulling away from me.

“You did the right thing,” I reply, looking into her beautiful agate-coloured eyes.

“What do we do now?” I ask her.

“Well, I still have two years of university, and… we have family and friends in Sefton,” Tatum begins.

“Do you still want me?” I ask.

“Of course! I love you Henry, but like I said, we’ve built a life in Sefton. I can’t just leave…” she says.

“Then we’ll make it work,” I tell her, pulling her closer to me and kissing her temple, “I love you Tatum, you, Jed and Rhiannon are my world,” I continue.

“I love you too, bambi,” she says, smiling at me.

//\\//\\//\\

After Rhiannon woke up from her sleep Tatum left with her and Jed. She was meant to be leaving Silver Forest tomorrow but I convinced her to spend an extra day here so I could take her out somewhere.

I hooked the spare helmet to the back of my bike before hopping on myself and kicking the stand up and riding out of the driveway towards Thea’s, where Tatum was staying. Thea lived closer to the pack house in one of the cottages we built for the Solstice Ball we hosted four years ago.

As I ride, my thoughts turn to Tatum and how beautiful she is. We didn’t have that much time together before I lost her, and I wanted to get to know her again.

I ride up to Thea’s and park on the driveway, kicking the stand down and getting off. Walking up the footpath to the front door I knock and wait. Thea has put a lot of herself into the house, the footpath is hedged with flowers that bloom in pinks, reds and whites, and the windows have flower-boxers with hanging flowers floating down from them.

“Who is it?” a little female voice asks when I knock on the door.

“It’s Hen- dad,” I say, catching myself. I hear her jump for the handle in an attempt to open the door but then I hear Jed’s heartbeat as he walks closer to the entrance and opens the door for her.

“Uncle Jed, I was going to do that!” Rhiannon pouts.

“Yeah, right shorty,” Jed smiles, looking down at her. I watch this exchange and see the love between them.

“Come in,” Jed says, smiling at me. I walk in and he wraps his arms round my waist.

“Hi Henry,” he says. I can feel his smile through my shirt.

“Hi little man,” I reply, remembering his nickname from when he was little.

“Not so little anymore,” Tatum smiles, walking round the corner. I smile when I see her. She is wearing blue jeans and big oversize black jumper which sits askew exposing one shoulder. Her light brown hair is pulled back behind her.

“You look beautiful,” I smile as she comes up to me.

“Thanks. Ready?” she smiles back at me, her eyes shining.

“Can I come too?” Rhiannon asks, looking up at us.

“Uh,” I say, lifting up my spare helmet to give to Tatum.

“Next time, okay baby?” Tatum says. Rhiannon pouts, which makes her look very cute. Jed laughs and picks her up.

“Come on,” Jed says, “let’s say goodbye to them. They won’t be gone long.”

Jed and Rhiannon watch as we leave Thea’s, Rhiannon waving us goodbye. It’s a twenty-minute drive to town, and from there, another forty minutes to where I planned on taking her. Tatum arms wrap around my waist as we ride, and I love the warmth and tingles that radiate from her hold around my back. I miss this.

“Seriously?” Tatum smiles after I park outside the small diner she used to work at.

“You like it?” I ask. I thought it was fitting to take her here considering this was where I first met her.

“Yes!” she squeals, jumping up and wrapping her arms round my neck. I smile as she grabs my hand and leads me inside.

The bell above the door tingles as we walk in, and I scan the dining area. I’ve been visiting the diner frequently after Tatum left. It’s the one thing that’s kept me sane after all our time apart. The diner is fairly busy and there are not many tables left free.

Tatum leads us to an empty booth, and I slide in opposite her.

“Well well well, look who the cat dragged in,” a very pregnant Amy greets as she walks up to our table.

“Amy!” Tatum squeals, coming out of the booth and giving her a big hug.

“I missed you! What have you been up to?” Amy asks, laughing.

“Not as much as you it seems! How far along are you?” Tatum asks.

“Six months. How about you? How’s your little one?”

“She’s three now, a cutie but sassy as hell,” Tatum laughs. I watch on as Tatum and Amy continue to catch up, and I smile at how happy Tatum is.

“What can I get for you today? Henry, the usual?” Amy asks me. I nod. Tatum orders Dutch crepes with icing sugar and lemon and a mocha. Amy smiles and puts our order in before going out the back. There’s some happy squealing and Lucinda and Sam, the owners of the café come out and greet us.

Tatum again gets off her seat and hugs them both, apologising when both Lucinda and Sam tell her off for leaving so suddenly. They know our story and although Tatum apologises Lucinda still scolds her for not keeping in touch.

“Thank you for that,” Tatum smiles as we walk out of the diner towards my bike.

“Do you really have to go?” I say, pulling her into me and nuzzling into her neck for comfort. I already know the answer but ask hoping something different will come out of her mouth. Tatum pulls my face up to hers and kisses me gently on my lips.

“I have to do this Henry. At least for the next couple of years,” she says. I nod.

“Come on, let’s go,” I reply, hopping back on my bike. I wait for her to lean into my back and wrap her arms around my waist before I kick the stand up and drive home towards the pack.