TALA

by Laura Ryles

  “I guess it is pretty amazing when you say it like that, but I still feel like it mostly just happened to me, not because of me. I would like to pick your brain about something though.”

  “Oh, all right. What about?”

  “Well, I’ve only met one other wolf besides you that knew anything about the mate bond at all. I have some questions about it, and I just figured if anybody might have an answer to any of them, it would be you.”

  “I’m not sure how much help I’ll be really, dear, but I’ll give it a try and answer what I can. I’m no expert though. It’s so rare, I doubt there is anyone who is.” Liam gave her a sweet paternal smile and patted her shoulder. “Come, let’s sit down on that fallen tree over there.” They walked over to where a giant cypress tree had fallen and left its great trunk. It served perfectly as a bench for the two of them to sit on. Tala sat down and waited until Liam looked comfortable enough to begin.

  “Well, firstly, at the wedding ceremony yesterday, Ander and I both felt our connection increase. It was like one minute you were all there, then the next, everyone else was gone and it was just Ander and I and then the next minute, there weren’t even two of us anymore. It was like we devoured each other to become one person, or thing.”

  “That is odd. What’s the question though?”

  “I was wondering if that was what it was like for all wolves when they marry or if that was the bond?”

  “My guess is that it was the bond. There are wolves that are truly in love with one another but what you describe seems to go beyond that. It wasn’t just a feeling; you make it sound like you could feel this happening physically. Also, with Ander having shared the experience, that makes it seem much more likely that it was the bond. Even if a wolf was so in love that they felt that way on their wedding day, it’s highly unlikely that their wedding partner would be having the exact same experience.”

  “Yeah, that makes sense,” Tala nodded. “My next question is, this morning when I woke up, I had a sensational amount of energy. I couldn’t stay in the bed, I had to get up. I wanted to go running but instead I just went and got coffee.” Tala laughed. “It occurred to me that maybe getting married might have made me excited and energetic, but Ander also seems to feel more powerful.” Tala blushed after her last remark.

  “I see. The true Mate Bond is a strange thing. It’s not just about procreating with a wolf that your instincts say will build your bloodline, though that’s why most wolves think it happens. It’s also about the power that the two wolves already possess. You’re already a very powerful wolf, Tala. Ander matches your energy. Your specific energy. I don’t know the scientific idea behind it, or if it should even be scientific, perhaps the better word for it would be magical, even though that sounds so unreal. From what little information I’ve read on the subject, the best way for me to explain it is that you were already an extraordinary wolf. Ander was already an extraordinary wolf. When the two of you encountered one another, the extraordinary in you reached out to the extraordinary in him and latched on, and vice versa. Whatever it is that is inside of you both, it is growing and will continue to grow as long as you’re together. From what I’ve heard, it can mean anything from an over the top attachment to your mate to actual magical powers in some very distinct cases. As for the energy that you spoke of, my best advice would be to use it to your advantage.”

  “What? What do you mean?” Tala asked, still trying to process everything Liam had just told her.

  “I mean, you should use the energy while you’ve got it. Get up and go for a run. Apparently, that’s what your body wanted you to do this morning. Transform, take off through the forest in the mornings on all fours. It’s liberating. Take up boxing. Just don’t try to reign yourself in. That’s not good for a wolf’s mind.”

  “Oh. Well, I’ve only transformed twice, I’m not sure how to do it without being scared into it.”

  “I’ll tell you what,” Liam reached out and put his hand on Tala’s knee, “why don’t we practice together? I’ll meet you in the morning, and we’ll come out here and practice transforming and changing back. I could teach you boxing as well if you’ve still got enough energy left after we run.” Liam laughed.

  “Really? You wouldn’t mind? I’d love to be able to transform at will.”

  “It just takes practice. That’s how we all learned to do it. Practice.”

  “Boxing isn’t a bad idea either. I mean, I know I’m a wolf and everything, but what if I need to fight in my human form because there’s a human around or something?”

  “I agree, a young woman should know how to defend herself if need be,” Liam nodded at her. “So, it’s settled then. I’ll meet you at six a.m. outside of the great hall.”

  “Sounds great. Thanks, Liam.”

  “Anytime, Alpha.” Liam winked. Tala got up and headed back towards the lake, Liam walked back over to the tree he had climbed down from.

  “You’re not coming with me back to the hall?” Tala asked.

  “No, I still have more hunting to do,” Liam answered as he grabbed the lowest branch and started climbing.

  “Oh, is that what you were doing up there?” Tala jested as she began to walk off on her own. She stopped suddenly when she heard someone speaking to her.

  “Tala, can you hear me?” Ander’s voice echoed inside her head.

  “Yes,” Tala thought back as hard as she could. Ander’s laugh bounced around in her head.

  “Tala, you don’t have to try so hard. All you have to do is think once the connection is made and I can hear it.”

  “How do you know I’m trying hard?” she asked Ander.

  “I can feel you, remember? Anyway, Colt and I are on our way back. Where are you? We are done for the day. I’d like to spend some time with my beautiful wife, if that’s alright.”

  “I just got done talking with Liam. I’m heading back to the hall now. Meet you there?”

  “Okay. See you in a minute. Love you.”

  “I love you.”

  Tala realized she was standing still in the middle of the woods. She walked quickly back to where she had left Liam climbing the tree. When she reached the bottom of his tree she looked up.

  “Hey Liam, one more thing,” Tala called up at him.

  “Yes?” Liam said looking over the side of the huge branch he had perched himself on.

  “How about telepathy in human form. Ever heard of that before?”

  “Only one other time. I’ll let you guess when.”

  “With the other Mate Bonded wolves from the red wolf pack?”

  “You got it.” Liam answered.

  “Okay, thanks, Liam. See you in the morning.”

  “See you then, kiddo.”

  Tala decided to jog back instead of walk, just to let some of that pent-up energy out. She started slow but sped up when she realized how pleasurable the exercise felt to her muscles. The more she exerted herself, the better her entire body seemed to feel. She felt the wind on her face, and every crunch of the soil under her shoes echoed in her ears. She was in tune with the world around her, alert and powerful. Tala couldn’t tell if her mind was reaching out to the natural elements around her or if the earth was reaching out to her, but everything seemed to be in sync and she forgot that she was half-human. When she did, she noticed that the pull between herself and Ander grew so strong that she could feel exactly how far away he was, and her feet knew instinctively which way to run to get to him. She continued jogging back around the lake and all the way back to the center of the Tundra community at the great hall. When she arrived in front of the mountain wall that was the entrance to their great hall, she could feel that Ander was already inside, so she entered through the ancient wooden door and kept following a trail that only she could see and feel. Even though the trail she was following toward Ander was only in her mind, it was laid out before her almost as clearly as if she were following a map to him. She passed the entrance to the great hall and kept right on walking until she cam
e to the Alpha quarter’s in the rear of the mountain stronghold. When she approached the door, she could feel Ander on the other side. She turned the knob and there he was sitting on the sofa.

  “You aren’t going to believe this,” she said, awestruck with wonder as she closed the door behind her. Ander was on his feet and by her side in less than a heartbeat.

  “What is it? Are you okay? Your eyes are glowing green,” Ander said. Tala walked over to a decorative mirror that was hanging on the wall. The green rings around her irises were glowing green just like they had the first time she had shifted into her wolf form. Dragging her eyes away from the mirror, she turned back toward Ander.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve just been jogging,” Tala laughed, “but that’s not the amazing part. When I started running, like really running, it was like I let go of my human side and my wolf instincts took over. You know how I could feel you when I travelled north with the Timbers, I could feel you before we even got here?”

  “Of course, I remember.” Ander reached his hand up and stroked Tala’s hair.

  “Well, it was like that, but it was so much clearer today, I think I could have found you anywhere. It was almost like my feet were on railroad tracks that were headed to you no matter where you were. It was so much stronger than before.”

  “I guess that’s a good thing.” Ander smiled.

  “It’s an amazing feeling to say the least.” Tala wrapped her arms around Ander’s waist, and he returned the gesture by wrapping his arms around her shoulders and kissing her on the head.

  “So, what are you doing back here in our rooms, don’t you have some overseeing to do? Aren’t there things that I should be doing as an Alpha too?” Tala questioned.

  “I’ve spoken with some of our pack members. They’ve all agreed.” Ander let a triumphant grin escape his lips. “One night is not enough of a honeymoon. They’ve given us the rest of the day off.” He reached one arm around Tala’s back and placed the other gently behind her knees and lifted her into his arms. He walked across their living room and straight through to their bedroom, locking the door behind them.

  Chapter 5

  Tala was alone in the woods. There were trees all around her, and the ground was covered in a solid sheet of white. There were no recognizable landmarks. She had no idea where she was. Ahead of her, glimmering in the distance, was a source of light. Running towards it, she noticed her feet as they crunched into the snow, her huge paws giving evidence that she was in wolf form. Her breath steamed out of her nostrils as she pushed herself harder to reach the source of the light. When she finally broke through the trees, she found herself standing by a lake, the Tundras’ lake. The light was coming from the lake’s surface. Approaching the shoreline cautiously, she peered over into the waters to try and find the source of the glow. The only thing she saw there was her reflection. As she studied her face in the still water, the thought came to her that she was thirsty from all of that running. She stepped closer and as her paw touched the water’s edge, a bright beam of light shot from her paw out into the water. Jerking her paw back, she looked over into the water again. This time she could tell that the source of the light was her. Her fur was illuminated with a golden brown aura and it was her reflection in the water that was giving off the glow. She stretched her leg out to touch the water again and was just about to, when…

  Tala jerked awake in the bed next to Ander.

  “Are you alright?” Ander asked. He pushed a couple of sweaty hairs away from her face. Tala sat up in bed and wrapped herself up in the sheet.

  “I think so. Just a dream.” She wiped the rest of the sweat from her forehead and pulled her knees into her chest.

  “I wasn’t sure if I should wake you or not. At first you seemed a little scared but then you seemed okay, and then you started sweating. I wasn’t sure if it would be better to wake you or let you sleep through it. What were you dreaming?” he asked.

  “Oh, you know. Same old wolf dreams. This one was different though. I can usually find some sort of relevance in them. This one was just a sci-fi dream though, I think. It was like I was radioactive or something. I was glowing.”

  “Really?” Ander looked at her inquisitively.

  “Yeah, weird, right?”

  “I suppose, but it’s just a dream, Tala. Don’t let it freak you out. Everyone has them.

  “I guess. Mine are usually a tad bit prophetic though. I hope this doesn’t mean I’m about to turn into little miss sunshine for real.” Ander laughed at her. “It’s not funny. I had dreams about arctic wolves, before you came to kidnap me. I dreamed about defeating Orin and winning back my pack before it happened, now I’m dreaming that I’m glowing like a freaking star, standing beside your lake!” Ander sat up beside her and pulled her to him.

  “I’m sure that it’s nerve racking to see things like this and to wonder what they mean. I wish I could give you the answers, Little Wolf, but all I can do is assure you that even if you start to glow like a neon sign, I will always love you.”

  “Ander!” Tala jerked away from him and swatted at him but smiled a half smile at his attempt to cheer her. Snuggling back into him, she then looked around at the clock on her bedside table. It was 5:30 a.m. “I’m sorry I woke you,” she said.

  “I’m not. I love waking up next to you, no matter how it happens.” Ander smiled at her. “Didn’t you say you were meeting Liam this morning at six anyway?”

  “Oh, that’s right, I better get dressed. What are you going to do today?”

  “I’m going to help fell some of the timber for the new cabins, and then I’m going to help map out the best locations for new wells and new cabins. Then I get to figure out how to get electricity from one side of the lake to the other.”

  “Do you need me to help? I am the Alpha. Isn’t some of that my responsibility?” Tala asked, feeling guilty for not doing more.

  “No, I think you should spend the day with Liam. I think that learning to control your wolf side is important. It’s better if you learn that first, in case you need it if raiders attack or something.”

  “Raiders?” Tala questioned.

  “Oh, yeah, nothing to worry about. They’re usually just lone wolves that pack together, usually no more than three or four, but every once in a while they get brave enough to try the Tundras because we’re such a small pack. They never make much headway, but just the same, I want to know that my wife can defend herself if they should happen to show up. Besides, I don’t want to assume too much, but since you left me in charge when you were searching for your own pack, I have sort of become your unofficial Beta, so I consider it my duty to do these things for you.” Tala smiled at him as she climbed out of bed to get dressed.

  “Well, consider it official, you’re definitely my Beta.” Tala smiled and winked at Ander. Ander put his face into her pillow and groaned. Then he lay on his stomach sideways across the bed and looked up at her.

  “You can’t look at me like that and wink at me like that, and then just hop out of bed,” he whined, “now the only thing I want to do is snatch you right back in here with me.”

  “Nope, no sir, we have things to do today,” Tala said as she pulled her clothes on. “You have cabins to build, I have to turn into a wolf. We don’t have time to play in our room anymore. People are counting on us.” Tala kissed him on his forehead, grabbed the drawstring bag that had her extra clothes and headed out the door.

  Liam was already waiting outside when she exited the mountain. He was stretching his legs and bending his back.

  “You better stretch too, Tala. I’m quite the runner. I might look old and frail, but I’d give you young pups a run for your money any day.”

  Tala laughed.

  “I wholeheartedly believe that, Liam.” She reached down and touched her toes and did a few more stretches before Liam waved his hand to say he was ready.

  “Let’s go, Alpha. Show me what you’re made of.” Liam went barrelling toward the forest. Tala ran after him as f
ast as she could. Once he entered the safety of the trees he slowed down and waited for Tala to catch up. “Okay, let’s see you transform.”

  “I’m not sure how, what do I do?” Tala asked.

  “What do you do to turn back into a human, when you’re in wolf form?”

  “Usually, I just think about what it feels like to be me.”

  “Well, try it the other way around. Think about what it feels like when you’re a wolf. Think about the strength of your paws, and the growl that’s always just under your breath, caught in your chest. Think about what you look like as a wolf, remember what it’s like to be in her fur instead of your skin.” Tala thought about it, as hard as she could. Nothing happened. “That’s all right. Let’s just run for today then. It takes practice.”

  They ran together every morning for the next two weeks, and finally, on day fourteen, Tala shifted into her wolf form when she tried.

  “Haha. I knew you could do it. You’re absolutely beautiful,” Liam said, as he walked closer to the giant wolf that was standing before him. He reached up and patted her shoulder. “I told you,... practice.” Liam smiled at her. “Now, let’s really run.” Liam backed up and transformed himself into a soft gray wolf, with one dark patch on his chest. The two of them took off at top speed. Tala could feel energy flowing through her, around her, into her, and out of her. She could feel the energy coming from Liam as he ran beside her.

  “Liam, can you feel the energy?” Tala asked in her mind.

  “No, I just feel the run.” Liam answered. He barked excitedly and sped up. This time Tala could keep up. She ran beside him for miles before deciding to push herself.

  “On your left,” she thought as she passed him and surged into the lead.