Chapter 44
Yellow eyes stared back at me, making my eyes fly open. I jump slightly in my seat and look around. Only a few people were on the bus now. My eyes scanned around to see if anyone new had come on, but I couldn’t tell. I leaned back in my seat, keeping my eyes on the window at the passing forest. My mind raced with everything that had happened back where my mother had brought me. There were so many questions going on in my head that it was causing a headache. “Tala,” I said. “Are you there?” There was silence, but after a short time, I hear her sigh. “Yes” she said. “I’m here.” “Can you tell me what the hell’s going on?” I asked. “I feel like I’m losing my mind.” Tala said nothing for a moment. “Close your eyes,” she murmured, which made me frown. “What?” I asked. “Why?” “Just do it,” she murmured. I do as I am told and there, staring back at me, are the green eyes from before. Fear grips me as I look at them. “Don’t be afraid,” Tala’s voice echos around my head. “It’s only me.” My eyes widen. “What… Who…” I said, but I can’t even form a question. Tala blinks as her eyes soften. “I know it is a lot to take in,” she said. “And there are loads of questions to you want answered but I need you to not freak out.” I stare at her, trying to bring in my emotions. After a few seconds, Tala sighs and begins. “What do you know about werewolves?” she blurts out, making my eyes widen at the question. “Myths,” I muttered, making her giggle at my response. “Not exactly,” she said. “What do you think you saw when you are back there?” Staring at her, my mind raced, but a man turning into a wolf came back to mind, making my mouth go dry instantly. “He turned in wolf,” I whispered. “A man and—” Carson. He also turned into a wolf. My mind raced over the fact that werewolves were real, but when I looked at Tala something clicks deep with in. “Is everyone where I was staying, all wolves?” I asked. “Mum, Carson, Josh.” Tala stared at me. “Yeah,” she whispered, making my head hurt. Mum was a wolf. Why wouldn’t she tell me? I know we haven’t spoken tidy for years, but she could have told me when I was a child. My eyes went to Tala. “Why wouldn’t see tell me?” I asked. “And what are you to me?” 1 Tala sighed as she spoke again. “She was going to,” she said. “But with everything that has happened between you and her, and also that old man, she hasn’t had a chance. Then you moved into the pack house with—” “Pack house,” I muttered. “So it wasn’t a hotel.” Tala giggled. “No,”she said. “You were living in the pack house. It is open to all pack members.” “That might explain the weird looks I was getting when I walking around,” I muttered. “Yeah,” she said. There was something in her voice that told that there was more to it than that, but I don’t think my head could cope with much more. “As for me,” she said. I kept my eyes on her, but her eyes moved back slightly until a wolf’s head appeared. My eyes grew as I took in the silver beauty. “Tala,” I whispered, as she gave me a nod. “This is me,” she said. “I’m your wolf.” I felt my stomach churn with excitement, but something was niggling at me. “How are you here?” I asked. “When do we get our wolves? What—” “Hold up,” Tala said with a laugh. “Too many questions. Let me start at the beginning.” I stared at her and gave her a nod. “Well, most wolves receive their wolves at around twelve,” she said. “But as for you, I was told to hold back for a few years.” I frowned. “Held back?” I asked. “By whom?” “The Moon Goddess,” she said. “What’s a Moon Goddess?” I asked, making her move her head to the side. “Her real name is Serene, but to all who know here,” she said. “Serene is the Moon Goddess, the mother of werewolves.” 1 My eyes widened as Tala continued. “I was to turn up on your twelve birthday,” Tala said. “But the Moon Goddess told me to stay back. I couldn’t define her, so I stay back in the dark parts of your mind until the day of your accident.” 1 I felt my stomach drop at the mere mention of the accident. It was the worst day of my life. I lost my father that day. Sadness swept in, as an image appeared in my head, but Tala continued again. “I turned up when you were knocked out cold by the accident,” she said. “It was no accident.” My eyes move to hers and frowned. “What do you mean, it was no accident?” I asked. “Well, another car hit you,” she said. “But when the car stopped, a man got out of the car and walked towards our car. I watched as he killed your father and he would have killed you, but I stopped it.” What? Someone killed my father. “Those yellow eyes you see,” she blurted out. “It was the one who killed your—” “Why would I be dreaming about the man who did that?” I shouted. “I—” “You must have woken up slightly when I was up front with you,” Tala said. “I didn’t realize that you saw it until it was too late.” I said nothing. Everything was messed up. How the hell could this be all real? I remember reading about werewolves in stories that Lucy and I read online and somewhere even far-fetched. “No one captures the true meaning of what our kind are like,” Tala blurts, making me frown. “Can you read my mind or something?” I asked. “I was just thinking—” “Yes,” she said, as she looked at me. “We may have two minds, but I can hear your thoughts. They echo around your head all the time.” I said nothing. Tala stares at me and sighs. “Leah, the pack we were with,” she said. “They won’t hurt us. But the wolves that attacked us would.” “What do you mean?” I asked. “Aren’t all wolves the same?” Tala shook her head. “No,” she said. “The ones who attacked the pack are called rogues. They are more dangerous than anything. They are unpredictable and more vicious.” A shiver rippled through me as I recalled what I saw back at the pack. Those wolves were on a mission, but what the hell were they looking for? “I don’t know,” Tala said, pulling me from my thoughts. “But they were hellbent on capturing you.” My stomach dropped. “You think they were after me?” I asked. “Why?” Tala stared. “I don’t know,” she said. “They all believe that you’re human.” “How is that?” I asked. “Well, there was one thing the Moon Goddess gave me and that was a gift,” she said, sounding proud. “The gift was to mask what we are. I hid our scent of wolf from everyone, including your mum.” I said nothing. “What I said moments ago,” she said. “The Moon Goddess is the mother of wolves, but she held me back. I could watch from a distance and see what you were getting up to. We will need to talk about your sense in men, but I am proud of the human you are.” “Thanks, I guess,” I muttered, trying to let it all sink in what she said. “Leah,” she said, as I looked back at her eyes. They were so bright. “Our stop is coming up soon and we need to get to your old house. I don’t know if anyone has followed us. We need to get there fast and stay hidden.” I gave her a nod, but something nags at me as I look at her. “So, when do we turn into you?” I asked, making Tala look at me oddly. “You turn into me?” she asks, but realization hits and she laughs. “Shift,” she said. “You will shift. Now that I have made myself known to you, you will shift sooner.” I felt nervous suddenly as more questions fill my mind but I didn’t want to ask her as it was already too much information overload for me to take all in one hit. “I will let you know when it will happen,” Tala said, making me look at her. Her eyes soften. “We get through it together. I will talk you through it.” I said nothing. “Rest,” she said. “We have another hour to go before we have to get off the bus.” My mind raced. There was no way I could sleep now. There was too much going on in my head and knowing the truth about a lot of things there were more questions that were playing on my mind. Who would want to kill my father and me?