The Commander's Wolf

Eight

Tala sat in the classroom, with thoughts of her beloved constantly on her mind. She had just finished her mid-year test and it was driving her crazy to be away from her fiance, but with the Holiday around the corner, she knew she would be able to spend time with both her family AND with Cullen. Once the last bell rang for the end of the school day (and the beginning of the holiday) Tala was out of the doors with the rest of the students and bolted towards her grandfather who was smiling as he leaned against his truck, "Hi grandpa!" She greeted him as he laughed. But he didn't say anything as another voice had her looking to see the love of her life sitting on the tailgate of the truck.

"Tala," he smiled as she returned it. "Suprised to see me?"

"I thought Adanaya was keeping you busy?"

"She dismissed me from work until after the Holiday." Cullen smiled as she walked over to him.

"I see," Tala smiled as her grandfather walked up.

"Alright children, get in the truck. We have a lot to do when we return to the farm," he explained as Tala and Cullen hopped into the truck. They spoke about everything they could on the way to the farm. When they arrived, Cullen and Tala went inside to see her older brother typing on the computer and Mike was lazing on the couch watching tv. Smiling, Tala walked behind the couch and leapt over it to land her ass on her younger brother who grunted as she jumped up and took off.

"TALA!" he hollered as she snagged the remote from him. She zipped past Cullen and her grandfather who were talking about something, and both men watched as she bolted up the stairs (remote still in hand) and Mike barreling after her as her laughter sounded throughout the house. Cullen shook his head, but couldn't help but smile as he watched Mike slammed into the railing. When Tala came back she had leapt down from the upstairs and landed behind him as she raced to claim a spot on the couch, but being her brother Mike lunged for her and sat on her as she giggled and yelled. "Give me the remote," Mike said as she refused. Cullen smiled watching the exchange; to see her act as a sibling, as a normal person even though she had once been a shifter like her family it somehow seemed as if they weren't shifters at all but normal everyday people.

"DOGPILE!" Tala's older brother called out as he joined Mike in squishing Tala.

"NO! AH!" She yelped still in a fit of giggles as they pinned her to the couch as their grandfather laughed, Then the Elder planted a hand on Cullen's shoulder.

"Though you two aren't married yet I'm going to say this now: Welcome to the family. Now go join your future brothers in squishing your beloved." But instead of doing that Cullen snatched the remote away and smiled down as Tala frowned, then he handed the thing to Mike who smiled. When her brother's finally let her up Tala stood up and went over to Cullen to kiss him, which he returned happily.

Then Mike's voice had them looking to the youngest sibling. "Tala! Look! It's snowing!" and everyone saw that he was correct and moved to the porch.

"So it is." Tala couldn't help but smile as she reached out to watch as a fat flake landed on her warm hands. Because Skyhold resided in the mountains she was used to seeing snow all the time, but there was something about seeing the first snowfall in a place that brought joy to her heart. Tala closed her eyes with a smile, it was well beyond dark out but it seemed to only add to the mystical effects of the first snowfall; then she turned and grabbed Cullen by the hands and caused him to laugh as she dragged him out into the snowfall to dance as her brothers went for a walk with Mike shifting into his cat form and her older brother running in his human form to go somewhere. All this took place as Tala's grandfather watched with a smile on his face and he especially smiled with a looking of both understanding and tenderness when Cullen pulled Tala close for a kiss and knew that Tala was truly happy with the Commander. "I love you, Cullen." Tala smiled.