TALA

by Laura Ryles

  “You’re too fast for me, Alpha,” Liam admitted as he slowed. Tala slowed as well and turned to face Liam.

  “It feels so good to be a wolf. Why do any of you ever want to change back?”

  “Some things you need to be a wolf for, some things you don’t. Personally, I’ve always liked my wolf half, that’s why I’ve always lived the way I have.” Liam laid down on the ground and crossed his front paws. Tala followed his lead. As she lay there and her mind quieted from the wild run, she began hearing voices, farther away than Liam’s but still very distinctly voices of other pack members.

  “Wow, can you hear them too?” Tala asked Liam from one mind to another.

  “The pack members? If I make a connection with one of them, sure, I can hear them. That’s the pack think. Alphas though, they hear all of the pack, all of the time, in wolf form. I imagine it’s pretty loud inside your head.” Liam said, as though he was glad it wasn’t him.

  “They are there, I can hear them. I can even feel connections from the Timber pack in America. I can feel a lot of energy around me. Can you do that?”

  “What energy, Alpha?” Liam asked, lifting his head up from his front paws to look into her eyes.

  “It’s like nature’s energy, I guess. I can feel small animals and bugs around us in the forest. I can feel the trees growing. I can feel your energy and the energy from the other pack members, even though they are further away. It’s like it’s all connected and it’s all flowing right through me. Then, Ander. I can feel him moving back and forth with the saw. He’s cutting a tree down. I can feel the sweat running down his back, and I can feel him wiping the sweat from his brow now. It’s almost like I’m looking through his eyes. I can see Colt standing beside him. Now Ander has stopped, I can tell he feels me too. He’s looking around for me. He’s walking away from the construction site, and running into the woods. He shifted, he’s a wolf now, he’s running, his paws are pounding the ground. He’s smelling for me on the wind. He’s coming.”

  “He’s coming here?”

  “Yes, he’s on his way.”

  “He could feel you calling him?”

  “Is that what I was doing?”

  “I think so, you’re the Alpha, he knows when you want him.”

  “Oh,” Tala said. She was sure that if she had been in her human form, she would have been blushing bright red.

  “I guess that’s enough training for now. I think you’ve made some real progress today. Tala, I don’t think you’ve even begun to tap into the power you’re carrying around. You and Ander together are going to be a force to be reckoned with. This energy that you say you can feel. You talk about it like you think it’s using you as a conduit, but I think it’s the other way around. I think you are the one moving it. Imagine if you learned to use it at your will. I heard a legend once. I say legend because at the time, that’s what I believed it was, that there was once a wolf pair who could control things in the natural world around them. She could shake the trees, she could crack the earth, she could bend other wolves to her will with just a thought, and her mate was faster and stronger than any other wolf ever known. Tala, I’ve never really believed it, but some of the things you describe go beyond being an Alpha. It’s more than that, I know it. I say all of this to tell you that that’s where the legends end. I have no idea what happened to them, and there are no other stories about them. That makes me think something must have happened to them. Until we know what that was, I’d like you to be careful who you share any information about your powers with.”

  Just then a great white wolf appeared through the trees next to them.

  “Ander,” Tala thought, as she walked over to stand beside her mate.

  “Little Wolf,” Ander thought back as he came to her and nuzzled her neck with his nose. Tala turned back to Liam.

  “I’ll be careful, Liam, I promise.” Tala nodded her head towards him.

  “I’ll be off then, Alpha, Ander.” Liam nodded back at the two of them and then took off at a steady pace through the woods.

  “What was that about?” Ander thought as he nipped at Tala’s ear playfully.

  “I’ll tell you later,” she thought as she bumped his head with hers.

  “Well, you got me out here all to yourself, Little Wolf, what are you going to do now?”

  “I’m going to race you back.” Tala’s laughter echoed inside both of their heads as she took off back toward the Tundra community.

  Chapter 6

  Tala and Ander ended up back where she and Liam had first started their jog this morning, Tala picked up her drawstring bag and headed to the nearest tree that was big enough to hide her when she shifted back into human form. Once she was dressed, she rounded the tree, and came face to face with Ander who was still stark naked.

  “I’m going to need you to bring me some clothes, dear,” he said, smiling ear to ear. “I shredded mine when I transformed because you beckoned me to come to you.” Tala closed her eyes and covered them with her hand.

  “Okay, wait right here.” She tried to walk forward but ran right into him. Her cheeks burned. “I’ll, I’ll be, I’ll be right back,” she said as she finally made it around him and headed for their chambers to get him a fresh set of clothes. When she walked into their bedroom, Tala grabbed a pair of pants and shirt to take back to Ander, and then she grabbed her phone to check her messages on the way. She had a missed call from Drew. She walked back out to the woods and gave Ander his clothes. Once he had changed into his human self and gotten dressed, Ander came back into view.

  “Did you say that Drew called?” Ander asked.

  “Well, technically, I didn’t say it, but yeah,” Tala smiled at the idea that she hadn’t mentioned the phone at all out loud, but Ander still knew that was what was on her mind.

  “I know you didn’t say it, but I still heard it.” Ander laughed. “Are you going to call him back?”

  “Yes, I think I’ll go to our room, it’s a little more private there.”

  “Okay, I’m going to get something to eat from the kitchens. I’ll come find you in a bit.” They both walked into the great hall and then headed in separate directions after a short kiss. Tala walked down the long corridor until she reached their living quarters. She walked in, closed the door and threw herself onto the couch. She took out her phone and typed Drew’s number into the old bubbled buttons of her flip phone.

  “Yo, Tala,” Drew’s voice answered on the other end.

  “Drew, my man!” Tala laughed.

  “How are you?” Drew asked. “I miss you, dude!”

  “Oh my gosh, I miss you too. We’re all okay up here. How are things going down there, with the Timbers? I can’t believe you guys have been gone for two whole weeks already.”

  “I know, it’s crazy. A lot of the houses already have offers. Who knew so many people wanted to live in Montana?” Drew chuckled.

  “That’s great! How long do you think it will be before everyone is ready?”

  “Well, that’s actually why I was calling, they are mostly ready but we’re not exactly sure what the best way to move forward would be. There’s a lot of stuff that needs to be moved. We don’t have enough trucks or trailers to haul it all in one go. What should we do? Do you want us to bring what we can and come back for the rest? How do we decide what stuff should get left behind on the first go? I have no idea. Lark said it wasn’t a big deal, and I shouldn’t even mention it, but I thought I would just let you know in case you had any ideas we hadn’t thought of.”

  “Hmm,” Tala said, as she racked her brain for some sort of solution. Just then Ander walked in with a huge sandwich.

  “Tell him, we’ll send some extra hands, trucks, and trailers tomorrow,” Ander said as he took a very large bite of his sandwich. Tala looked at Ander.

  “Hold on, Drew.” She took the phone down from her ear. “How did you know that’s what he needed?” Tala looked at Ander with squinted eyes and a smile.

  “I can hear your thoug
hts, and when you’re worried about something, I think they come in louder and clearer because I can feel it too. Now tell him we’ll send people to help.”

  “Are you sure? Don’t we need them to keep working on getting the houses built? Who’s going to do that if we send the men down to help?”

  “We have a lot of the walls and roofs done, but now we’re waiting for the electricity and plumbing to be installed. It might make it easier to have the extra hands when they all return. The Tundras can make room for them until their houses are finished. Between the great hall and our few empty cabins, and families that are willing to put them up for a few nights, I think we’ll be fine.”

  “Okay,” Tala said as she put the phone back up to her ear. “Hey Drew, you still there?”

  “Yeah, I’m here.”

  “Okay, so Ander says we can send some men down to help get things packed and loaded and we can send extra trucks and trailers too.”

  “Really? That’s awesome. I can’t wait to tell Lark. She doesn’t like for me to know it, but I could tell she was stressing a little.”

  “Well, tell her I said, ‘problem solved’.” Tala laughed.

  “So, what have you guys been up to since we left?” Drew asked.

  “Well, Ander has been working on the new cabins, and I’ve been working with Liam in the mornings to try and shift on my own. I finally did it this morning for the first time. It was incredible, Drew! I have never felt freer. Not only that but I could feel everything around me, and guess what?”

  “What?” Drew asked, truly intrigued.

  “I can hear all of the other pack members when I’m a wolf. Like I could even feel the wolves in America. It was crazy. And I called Ander to me by accident.”

  “Huh?”

  “Like, I sort of zoned in on his energy and I could feel him and see what was going on around him and then all of a sudden, he came to find me. It was so crazy. I didn’t even think his name, or anything, he just came.” Tala smiled at Ander as he came and sat down on the couch beside her.

  “That’s wicked!” Drew replied. “Well, I guess being Alpha has its perks, huh?”

  “Liam says that he thinks it goes beyond being Alpha. He believes my bond with Ander has a lot more to do with it than we think.” Tala put her feet across Ander’s lap, and he wrapped his hand around one of her legs and smiled at her.

  “That’s so awesome. Well, listen, Tala, Lark is yelling for me to come here, so I guess I better let you go. I’ll tell her that we can expect help tomorrow, right?”

  “Yep. How long do you think it will be before you guys all head back?”

  “Maybe a week or so, maybe a little longer.”

  “Great. I can’t wait to see all of you guys. I miss you!”

  “Miss you too!

  “Okay, Bye”

  “Bye.”

  When Tala hung up the phone, she crawled across the couch to sit next to Ander on the other end.

  “That sandwich looks good,” she said smiling at Ander.

  “You want a bite?” Ander asked, returning her playful stare.

  “Mm-hmm,” Tala nodded her head and Ander handed her his sandwich. She took a couple of bites and handed it back to him. Then she stood up and backed away from the couch with a smile on her face. Ander shoved the rest of the sandwich in his mouth.

  “Where are you going, Little Wolf?” Ander smiled and got to his feet too. Tala took off toward the bedroom and Ander ran after her shutting the door behind them.

  Thirty minutes later, when there was a knock on the door, Ander got up to answer it.

  “Colt, what are you doing here?” Ander said as his brother walked past him into the living room.

  “Not much. They told me to come let you guys know that dinner was ready. So that’s what I’m doing.” Colt walked over to the sofa and sat down. “What are you guys doing?”

  “Uh, nothing much here either,” Tala answered quickly as she walked into the living room. “I guess we should go eat then, huh?”

  “Yeah, I guess,” Colt said as he stood back up and headed for the door. Ander winked at Tala as she walked out the door behind Colt, and then he followed after them both.

  Walking into the great hall, Tala could see that most of the pack was already there. A hush fell over the hall as they entered. They walked over to their table which was set up along the front of the great hall. Once they were seated at their table the chatter picked back up. Tonight’s meal was deer steak and vegetables. It smelled so good, Tala thought as she sat down in front of her plate.

  “Where do you guys get the vegetables?” Tala leaned over to ask Ander.

  “We actually have a couple of gardens that we grow on the other side of the mountain, and then in the off-season we bring in supplies about once a month. Several of us go to town and bring back truckloads.”

  “The humans don’t think that’s a little weird?” Tala asked.

  “Well, lots of people live off the grid, and the population is sort of sparse anyway. I don’t think it’s that uncommon for people who live out in the wilderness by themselves to make supply runs.”

  “Yeah, but don’t they ever wonder why you need so much?”

  “They’ve never asked, but I’m sure they have their own theories. They probably think we’re a cult, or maybe a communal group of hippies or something. I don’t think they really care either way. They get paid, and we get our stuff. They leave us alone.”

  “If you all live here and your jobs are to keep the community up and running, then how do you pay for stuff like supplies?”

  “We don’t need much that we don’t already have here, but a lot of our money came from gold that was mined out of this mountain or others like it. And nowadays we supplement that with money from internet businesses. Some of us write, some of us make furniture, some women sell homemade clothing or quilts. Then some of us do still drive into town to work because that’s what they prefer to do. For the most part though, none of us have to go far from home to pursue our dreams. We stay right here and live fulfilled lives together as a pack.”

  “Wow,” Tala said, as she looked out over the pack members who were eating merrily and enjoying one another’s company. “That’s amazing.”

  “It is pretty impressive,” Ander answered, as he too observed the members of his pack. Tala noticed the pride in his voice, and in his eyes when he spoke.

  “When will you tell them about the Timbers needing their help. Do you think they will be put out at all?” Tala asked with a worried look on her face.

  “Of course not, we stick together. They know that no one here will ever shy away from helping a member of the pack, and now, we are all one. One Alpha, One Pack, Little Wolf. You make us all brothers.” Ander winked at her and then stood up. He raised a hand to get everyone's attention. “Brothers.” Ander projected his voice across the great hall. “ Our Alpha received a call from the Timber pack today. She is asking for volunteers to go down and assist the Timbers in loading and driving back their belongings. We also need volunteers who are willing to loan their trucks or trailers to help, please let us know if you can do that. We would like to send our people down tomorrow for the next week or so to help get our new friends back up here as quickly as possible. If you are willing to go, or willing to loan a truck or trailer, please stand.” Almost every able-bodied man in the great hall stood up. “Once the Timbers have returned, we will need to have volunteers to take in a few of them until all of the new cabins are finished. Most of them can make do in the great hall or the few cabins of ours that are standing empty but some with small children may need to house with some of our families. If you’re willing to put up some of our new pack members, please stand.” Almost everyone else in the great hall stood up. “It’s settled then. We will discuss the arrangements after dinner.” Ander sat back down. Tala leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek.

  “You’re pretty impressive too, you know?” Tala smiled at Ander.

  “Am I?” Ander shook hi
s head a little. And touched Tala’s cheek. “I promise I wasn’t until I met you.” Tala kissed his hand that was placed beside her lips.

  After dinner was over, it was decided that they were all going to meet outside the great hall in the morning. Those who were loaning trucks would park them outside with the keys under the visors, and those who were making the journey would drive the trucks and trailers down to help. Once things were pretty well settled, Ander took Tala’s hand. They left the great hall and retired to their rooms for the evening.

  Chapter 7

  The next morning, things went off without a hitch. Tala had made up her mind that since she had to stay and wait for the volunteers to leave, she would take the day off from training with Liam. Instead, she and Ander had decided they would go for a supply run since the pack would be short-handed. Once the last of the pickup trucks had pulled out, Tala walked over to where Ander was standing.

  “So, when do you want to go into town?” she asked.

  “We can leave whenever you’re ready.”

  “I’m ready,” Tala replied.

  “Well, let’s go then.” Ander smiled at her and put his arm around her shoulders.

  When they arrived in town, their first stop was the hardware store, where Ander put in an order for the supplies needed to finish the electrical and plumbing in the new cabins. The man behind the counter said it would be ready in about a week.

  “That’s perfect,” Ander replied. After that, Ander took her to the bookstore, just to show her where it was and let her have a look around. The next stop was an ice cream shoppe around the corner. As they were about to walk in, Tala noticed a familiar figure across the street, about to hop into a cab.

  “Look, Ander, isn’t that Cindy?” Tala asked.

  “Hey, Cindy,” Tala called. The woman across the street looked around at the sound of her name, and Tala would have sworn that Cindy looked right at her, but she hopped into the car anyway and it pulled away.