TALA

by Laura Ryles

  “Yes, yes, that’s my father. Clay Woods was my father. Did you know him?” Tala asked. She could feel the hope building in her chest. Did this girl know where her pack was? Could she help her find them?

  “I didn’t exactly know him myself, but my father knew him pretty well.” Tala could hear the distaste in the girl’s voice. “I was just a baby when he gave up being Alpha and ran off, leaving my pack to fend for itself. To be with a human,” the girl turned and looked at Drew, “is what I was told. Guess the rumors were true. Didn’t know he had a kid though. How old are you?”

  “Just turned eighteen.”

  “You shifted yet?”

  “Only once.”

  “So, half breeds can shift.” With that, the bartender walked off to get the cokes.

  “Wait,” Tala called after her, but her voice fell on deaf ears. She looked over at Drew who was sitting beside her with his mouth hanging open. When he noticed her looking at him, he sat up a little straighter and closed his mouth.

  “Jeez, Drew, you’re almost drooling. Could you hold it together, please? We’re here to find my pack and that girl obviously knows them. Otherwise, how would she know who my father was, or about shifting? Plus, did you see her sniff at me? I think she could smell me. Drew, what if this is it? What if I’ve found them?” She asked excitedly. Drew opened his mouth to respond but before he could get any words out, the bartender came back over with their drinks.

  “Okay. Two cokes,” the girl said as she put the drinks down in front of them. “I guess I should introduce myself. Tala, my name is Lark, Lark Green. I’m a member of the Timber pack. I hope you don't mind but I called my dad while I was in the back and told him that a girl claiming to be Clay Woods’ daughter was sitting at the bar. He told me to ask you if you would come home with me tonight and meet him?” Tala couldn’t believe it. This was it. She had found them. She was going to meet her pack.

  “I... I guess that would be all right. Can my friend come too?” Tala asked. Lark looked over at Drew, who was looking at her like a puppy dog looks at a bone. The look on his face made her smirk a little.

  “Is there something wrong with him?” Lark grinned.

  “No, there’s nothing wrong with him. He thinks you’re hot.” Drew stopped smiling immediately, made a gulping sound, and sat up very stiffly.

  “Oh, is that what it is? Hate to break it to you, little fella, but you’re not my type. I don’t do humans, no matter how cute they are.” Lark winked at Drew, and then looked back at Tala. “Yeah, I guess he can come home and meet my Pops too. I don’t get off till eight though, that’s when night shift takes over.” Lark walked away to go check on her only other customer. Drew was looking at Tala like he could spit bullets at her.

  “I can’t believe you told her that,” he said under his breath.

  “What? You said you thought she was hot!” Tala laughed quietly.

  “Yeah, to you, not to her!” Drew rolled his eyes and looked over his shoulder to see where Lark had gone.

  “Oh, relax. I don’t think she cares. She thinks you're cute too, but I don’t think it matters. Did you hear how she was talking about my dad ‘running off to be with some human’? Ander said that being with humans is against the rules in this pack, so I don’t think you’ve got much of a shot. No matter how much you like each other.” Drew sat back to pout and Tala patted him on his shoulder.

  Tala and Drew decided to hang around the bar until eight. She and Drew played darts, which Drew won. When he’d won, Tala watched him make eye contact with Lark so she would get the full effect of his many manly skills. Then, he and Tala took turns picking music on the old jukebox, which had nothing from the last two decades, and they also enjoyed a late lunch, on the house. When eight o’clock finally did roll around, Lark walked over to where they were sitting.

  “Okay, you guys ready to go?”

  “Absolutely,” Tala replied as she and Drew stood up. They followed Lark out the front of the bar where she hopped into the old beat-up truck that was parked next to Drew’s car. Lark rolled her window down, “Just follow me, it’s only a few miles up the road.”

  “Okay, we’ll be right behind you,” said Tala. She and Drew climbed into his car. They pulled onto the road right behind Lark and followed her back up to the fork in the road. Instead of going back down the road they had come in on this afternoon, Lark turned onto the opposite side of the fork and drove into the trees that looked even more ominous in the moonlight.

  Drew looked over at her with concern.

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Tala said, even though she wasn’t feeling too good about being led out into unfamiliar woods by a stranger at night either. They drove behind Lark for about five miles before she turned off onto the driveway of a small house that sat very near to the road. Lark parked her truck right in front of the front porch and Drew pulled up beside her.

  “So, what are you going to do if you have to shift while we’re in there?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, if you have to shift and your clothes rip off, what are you going to do when you turn back into a human.”

  “Oh yeah, good point. I don’t know.”

  “I have one of those drawstring sports bags that you can use. Put a change of clothes in it and wear it when we go in.”

  “That’s a good idea. Good thinking.” Tala reached in the back and got the bag prepped by stashing a pair of leggings and a t-shirt in it. “Got it,” she said as she turned back around in the front seat.

  Chapter 2

  As they got out of their vehicles, Tala noticed Lark peering over her truck bed at the pair of them, “Come on in, guys.” Tala and Drew followed her up the steps and into the small house. Inside, there was an elderly looking gentleman with a beard, sitting in a recliner. He was what Tala imagined a lumberjack would look like, if she had ever seen one. He stood up as they approached. He must have been at least six feet tall, maybe a little taller, which was impressive since most people are known to shrink a little with age, and he must have been in his sixties.

  “Pops,” Lark said, “This is Tala Woods, Clay’s daughter.” The old man reached out to shake Tala’s hand and she took it. “And this is her friend, Drew.” The old man shook Drew’s hand just the same. “Guys, this is my dad. I call him Pops, but you guys can call him Oakley.”

  “It’s nice to meet you both,” Oakley said. When he spoke, Tala got the feeling that he was someone who would have a lot of experience and wisdom behind his words. “So you are a shifter like us, correct?” He asked looking at Tala.

  “Yes, sir. That’s correct,” Tala replied.

  “And you, Drew, I can’t smell wolf on you, but do you possess any other callings?”

  “No, he’s just a human,” Lark said a little too hastily for Tala’s liking.

  “He’s not just a human,” Tala chimed in, “He’s the best human I’ve ever met. He’s been my best friend since I was a toddler, he’s loyal to a fault, and up until today, he has been the only pack I’ve ever had.” Oakley smiled at Tala’s outburst. Lark seemed a little taken aback by her reaction.

  “Sometimes the packs we get to choose are better than the ones we’re given.” He smiled and put his hand on Drew’s shoulder. “Come, let’s have some supper.” Lark couldn’t look at Tala or Drew. She looked down at her feet as they made their way to the tiny dining room. There almost wasn’t enough room for the four of them to fit around the table. It was obvious to Tala that Lark and Oakley lived here alone, just the two of them. She wondered where Lark’s mom was and was about to ask when Oakley spoke first.

  “So, tell me what your life has been like, growing up outside of the pack.”

  “Well, I grew up in a small town in middle Georgia, called Roberta, where they have a grand total of two stoplights. My Mom and Dad raised me together until last year when he passed away. Since then it’s been just me and my mom. Dad never told me that I was a shifter and so I had no idea until about five months ago
when I was kidnapped and almost forced to marry the Alpha of the Tundra pack. Well, I guess I should say the old Alpha since technically, I’m the Alpha of the Tundra pack now.” Oakley choked a little on his tea.

  “I’m sorry. Pardon me, but did you say that you’re the Alpha of the Tundra pack?”

  “Yes, that’s right,” Tala continued, “The old Alpha, Dag, was trying to marry me because apparently my father had promised his firstborn daughter to him a long time ago. But Dag just wanted to marry me so that he could kill me and take over the Timber pack, your pack, by my birth right, but I challenged him and won, so now I’m the Alpha.”

  “Uh-huh. Well, that’s interesting. I remember the day that your father made that promise. I don’t think he ever truly intended to have any pups of his own, let alone have to hand them over to the likes of Dag. I suppose that doesn’t matter now though, does it?” He chuckled. “The Alpha of the Tundra pack, you say? And how old did you say you were?”

  “She’s eighteen,” Drew said excitedly, with a mouth full of stew. “She’s eighteen and if you think that’s cool, just ask her who her mate is.”

  “Mate?” Oakley arched his eyebrow.

  “Yeah,” Tala replied sheepishly. “I’m also mated to Dag’s son, Ander.”

  “You mean he’s your boyfriend.”

  “No, I mean mated, by something called a Mate Bond. That whole... feel him even when I can’t see him, can’t stand to be apart, stronger together, can hear each other’s thoughts even in human form, mate bond. Well, at least that’s what I was told it was.”

  “And who told you this?” Oakley questioned.

  “A man named Mr. Forburg. He told me that he had only known of it happening one other time, and that was in his own pack. He said that he could tell by my smell that I was mated to Ander, and then when I shifted, I could feel the pull, exactly like he had explained it would be.”

  “Ah, I see. And where is Mr. Ander now?” Oakley asked.

  “He has gone to Canada to lead the Tundras while I’m here, looking for my own pack.”

  “Well, I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but you really shouldn’t get your hopes up about a warm welcome from the Timber pack.”

  “Why not?”

  “Well, it’s complicated.”

  “No, it’s really not,” Lark chimed in, “Your dad abandoned us. He left the pack, to be with your mom, a human. I’m sorry, I’m sure she’s a wonderful person, but rules are rules, and he broke them. Then, before he died, he decided to sell us out again!” Lark sat back in her chair unashamed of her fiery outburst.

  “I don’t understand. What do you mean, ‘sold you out again’?” Tala asked.

  “Right, like you don’t know,” Lark replied.

  “Seriously? I don’t know anything. Don’t you get it? My dad never told me anything about you or the pack or that I was a shifter. Everything I’ve learned, I’ve had to figure out on my own, and usually the hard way. Did you not hear any of the story I just told you guys?” Tala fired back at Lark.

  “Well,” Oakley interjected, “if that’s the case, it's better to educate than accuse. Right, Lark?” He gave Lark a ‘that’s enough’ look from across the table.

  “Whatever,” Lark said, and sat back onto her chair. Drew looked as confused as Tala felt.

  “Can someone please explain to me what exactly my dad is supposed to have done?” Tala leaned into the table so that she wouldn’t miss anything. Pushing her stew back, she decided she was done eating; she was much more interested in what her father might have done than in finishing her dinner.

  “Last year, we found out that the pack's land was being sold to a real estate development company. Everything we had, as a pack, was in his name, as Alpha. Some of us were lucky enough to own our own houses off of the pack land, but a lot of us weren’t so lucky. Many of them were forced to leave their homes or are being forced to pay a great deal in rent to remain in them. That land had been our pack's territory for generations. Some of us don’t mind living among humans, but many prefer a life living off the land in the wilderness, away from curious eyes. We had about ten-thousand acres where members of our pack could live together, as a pack, away from humans. Now they’ve been forced to move and take up residence among the humans in neighboring counties. It certainly hasn’t been easy. Orin has had his hands full these last few months, dealing with fights and domestic disputes. Mostly between wolves and humans. Without anywhere to run, a wolf can get hostile.”

  When Oakley finished, Tala just stared at him. She had so many questions but the only one she could fully form in her mind was, “Who is Orin?”

  “Ah, Orin is our Alpha,” Oakley said as he looked down at his stew.

  “Alpha? I thought I was supposed to be Alpha because of my dad. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t my intention to just come take over a pack I’d never met before, but I thought that was the way it worked. My dad was the Alpha, so now I’m the Alpha since I’m his only child.”

  “Generally, yes, that is how it works, but when your father died, we weren’t aware that he had any children, so the Alpha goes to whoever was next in line. The beta. That would be Orin. He was your father’s second in command, and he had been running things since your father left anyway. He even went to see your dad, to try to convince your father not to sell our land before it was too late. He wasn’t successful in that though, obviously. So, when your father died, it was only natural that Orin be named Alpha. When Orin told us that Clay had passed away, the pack named him Alpha right then and there.”

  Oakley looked around the table at each of the young people sitting there before turning his gaze back on Tala. “In fact, I think it might be prudent for us to take you to see Orin before we speak any further. He is the Alpha after all, and I don’t think he would look kindly on it if he thought we were hiding something from him. Shall we go meet him?”

  Chapter 3

  Tala looked out the window and then over at a clock hanging on the wall, “It’s almost midnight,” she commented.

  “Yes, I know,” said Oakley. “Wolves don’t mind the dark so much. You’ll see. Come on, let’s go.” Oakley got up from the table and headed for the door. Tala, Drew, and Lark all followed. “You two can either follow us or ride in the back of the truck,” Oakley said as he hopped into the passenger seat of the beat-up Ford. Tala wasn’t sure what to do. She looked at Drew to see whether he might have a preference, and he was shaking his head emphatically about riding in the truck bed.

  Tala smiled and whispered, “Come on, it'll be fun!”

  Drew made a skeptical face and whimpered, “Ugh, fine.”

  They hopped into the back of the pickup and the quartet headed back down the dirt road toward the fork.. To Tala’s surprise, they ended up back at the bar, though now it seemed to be quite lively. There were several cars parked out front, so many in fact, that some of the parking had overflowed to the sides of the little building. There were even a couple of cop cars parked on the far side of the small dive. When Lark turned the truck off, they could hear the noise from inside and it sounded like they were about to walk into a huge party. Lark and Oakley exited the cab, Drew and Tala jumped over the side of the truck bed and they all headed inside.

  When she walked through the door, Tala was amazed by the number of people that could fit inside. There were couples dancing, several young people standing around the bar, and loads of old-timers sitting around the tables. There were even a couple of kids running in and out of the crowd. That’s probably not legal, Tala thought. Lark headed off towards the group of young people at the bar while Tala and Drew moved further through the crowd, following Oakley to a table in the back where two police officers sat. One was laughing and talking; the other watched as they approached the table.

  “Oakley!” The talkative officer stood up and took Oakley’s hand in a firm shake. “Long time since we’ve seen you here. How the hell are ya, old man?” He let go of Oakley’s hand and pulled up a chair for the older
man to have a seat at their table. The other officer with dark black hair and hooded eyes stayed seated and didn’t offer much of a welcome.

  “Kale, it’s good to see you too. It has been a while. I don’t get out much anymore. Have everything I want or need at the house. Got that new Netflix video game. Spend most of my time on there.” Then Oakley looked towards the silent officer at the back. “Orin, it’s good to see you as well.” The quiet man nodded in response. “Listen, I have a couple of people I’d like you to meet.” Oakley cleared his throat and pointed toward Tala. “Kale, Orin, this is Tala, Tala Woods. Clay Woods’ daughter. She showed up here today, and Lark brought her out to the house. I wanted to be sure she was who she said she was before we brought the matter to you. She’s been looking for the pack.” Kale’s eyes grew wide. He looked over at Tala. Then back at Orin who was still sitting motionless on the other side of the table. Tala smiled and made a small wave at the two men. Oakley took a moment's pause and then pointed towards Drew. “This is her dear friend, Drew.” Drew swallowed loudly. At this point, the dark, quiet one sat up off the back of his chair and sniffed the air.

  “This one is human,” Orin spoke for the first time. The disgust in his voice was thinly veiled. “You know we don’t like to have humans here on wolf night, old man.” Orin scowled at Oakley.

  “Yes, Alpha, I know that it's frowned upon, but it is not forbidden, and I felt that the girl might be more comfortable with her friend in tow,” Oakley said persuasively.

  “Very well. So, your father was Clay Woods?” Orin said as he stood up and walked around the table. He walked past Drew, basically pretending he wasn’t even there, and looked Tala up and down.

  “Yes,” Tala said. Her voice came out smaller than she’d intended it to, “Clay was my father.” She looked down at her feet. She didn’t know why, but she felt a little ashamed admitting that he was her dad to this tall, dark, stranger.