Chapter 1.

The drive from Seattle to La Push wasn't necessarily a boring drive. I drove by small towns and beautiful scenery along the way, but once I took the one-ten exit off one-oh-one, the surroundings looked the same. It was easy to drift off in thought and let your subconscious take over the wheel when everything looked similar and it didn't seem like I was getting anywhere in particular. The forest of Olympic National Park surrounding the highway was stunning with its lush green covering.

Growing up in the Olympic Peninsula I was used to the scenery and learned to appreciate it. I grew up in the Neah Bay on the reservation of the Makah Tribe. Both of my parents were Makah. After my father died in a fishing accident two years ago, my mother, Anna, moved to La Push to live near her only sister Elizabeth Call. I have one cousin, Embry. Besides a second cousin, whom I've never met, we're the last of our immediate family.

Being part of the Makah Nation I grew up around fishing, wildlife and the natural beauty of the peninsula. It influenced me to go to Seattle University and get a degree in environmental studies. I wasn't so much interested in the planning, law, and political science part of the studies. I was interested in the forestry, geography, and conservation part of it. I was very interested in the internship offer I received from the Student Conversation Society for Wolves and Whales that would start up during the summer. I still had about a week before I needed to make a decision. How could I pass up the offer? My name is Tala, which means "wolf." I believed it was fate! Tala Bass, Conservationist. It sounded good.

I had only visited La Push twice before this trip. Nnce to help my mother move from the Makah rez after my father died. I was on Spring Break from school during the move and offered up ey services to my mother. I canceled my trip to Mexico with my boyfriend, Matt, and friends from school, to help my mom move. Matt wasn't too happy about it, but it was my mom. She needed help. What could I do? Matt decided to go on the Mexico trip without me. He never offered to help move my mother. We went that whole week without calling each other, both angry with each other's decision. This is what our relationship was like most of the time. We often did things that upset or hurt one another.

Matt couldn't accompany me on this trip either. He already started his internship which would take him through the summer with the possibility of a full time job with a major law firm in Seattle. He always tried to get me to focus more on the environmental law part of my degree so that I would also get a high-paying job and we could both settle down in Seattle and live happily every after. Yuck. "Yuck" to the "environmental law" part. Not the "settling down" part. The settling down part sounded wonderful. Although I saw myself as an independent woman, I certainly wanted someone to take care of me and share my life with. I'm not exactly sure it was something I wanted to do with Matt. I knew, without a doubt, that I didn't want to work in a prestigious office in downtown Seattle. Our relationship wasn't perfect. But what relationship was? Matt wasn't the type of person who thought about me with every decision. He wasn't protective. He wasn't there for me every time I needed him. I rarely had his undivided attention. Just about all the guys I've known have been like that though. But he was nice and we had some good times together.

All these thoughts were rolling around my mind while I was driving that stretch of road on U.S. Highway 110. I only had a couple more minutes until I arrived to my mom's house and I was eager to see her. Out of the corner of my eye, in my peripheral view, I thought I saw a flash of sandy-brown mixed in with the green forest coverings. I slowed down a little to make sure I was prepared for an animal to cross my path. It often happens on this section of road and I didn't have my cell phone battery charged. If I hit an animal, I may have to wait awhile until someone stopped to assist me. It was just before dusk on a Sunday afternoon and I hadn't seen a car in miles.

As I slowed down I saw the sandy-brown flash again. It was slowing down too, but I still couldn't make out the shape. All I noticed was the size. It was huge and furry. I wasn't frightened, I was fascinated. Every once in awhile the glare from the setting sun between the trees would blind my vision. I was trying to keep my eyes on the road, but there was an odd pull that kept me looking toward the thick trees. The combination of the glare from the sun and the attraction to the animal made me lose my concentration on the road. I looked up and saw that my car was headed towards a moss covered tree that had fallen along side the road. I quickly tugged the steering wheel, compensating a little too much. The next thing I remember seeing was the mossy bark of an upright tree.

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I could feel the warm moisture trickling down my temple towards my chin. The sound of my heart beat was pounding in my ears. I could hear the hiss of the crumpled engine as steam and fluid escaped it. I was falling in and out of consciousness struggling to keep my eyes open. Each time I managed to pry them open, I saw something that should have startled me. I noticed a silent, large sandy-brown, hairy mass pass along the passenger side of the car. I saw a huge muzzle peek in the shattered driver's side window and it let out a soft whimper. The snout took up most of the window of my small car. And then I heard a very loud howl that probably could have shattered the remaining windows in my car. I jerked a little from the noise, but I wasn't scared. Instead, I had an overwhelming feeling of comfort and protection. I finally surrendered to the drowsiness.