赤裸裸的滑稽故事

“I should have gone back with you,” Galen sighed regretfully.

“It wouldn’t have made a difference,” Caleb replied on the other end of the call. “If she wouldn’t let me into the fight, do you think she would have let you?”

Galen walked slowly between the trees. He leaned against the closest one with a soft smile on his face. Caleb was right. Fiona was protective, even more so of Galen than Caleb. When he was younger, he had been offended, thinking that she considered him weak. Later, he understood. She just didn’t want to lose him.

“It just feels wrong,” Galen said sadly, “to be so far away when something like this has happened.”

The number of casualties had been shocking. When Ashleigh had shared the report, Galen had stumbled and almost fallen. While others may have thought that the number was an acceptable loss compared to the size of their pack, even one was too many for Galen.

“I understand,” Caleb said, “but you honor us all by fulfilling your duty.”

“Yes, my Alpha,” Galen said quietly.

“The memorial will be tonight. Do you wish to participate?”

“I don’t need to give a speech; I will leave the fancy words to you. But, if possible, I would like to attend,” Galen replied.

“As you said, I will need to share some fancy words, so I won’t be able to host you. But I am sure our mother would be happy to have you with her,” Caleb offered.

“Thank you,” Galen said.

“Of course. I will let her know to call you ten minutes before the memorial,” Caleb said.

“Sounds good,” Galen answered. Then, straightening up from against the tree, he began once more to walk through the trees.

“How are things on your end?” Caleb asked, “Any news on the wolfsbane?”

“Nothing yet, though I am on my way to see Bell now. I will ask her about it today.”

“You’ll ask her about it?” Caleb asked, surprised.

Galen smiled._.

“I don’t believe Winter was responsible for the false report. I think that she believes I already know about the wolfsbane. So, it would be more suspicious if I hint around,” he answered.

After a silent moment, Caleb grunted.

“Do what you think is best.”

“Yes, my Alpha,” Galen replied.

“I will leave at first light. There won’t be any need for me to stop, so I should arrive in Winter by tomorrow night. Early morning after at the latest. I expect a full report right away.”

Galen rolled his eyes and laughed to himself.

“Yes, my Alpha.”

“And Galen?” Caleb said.

“Yes?” Galen replied.

“Don’t use all your time flirting with her and forget to gather my intel. Ok?”

Caleb’s tone was severe, but Galen knew far too well that on the other side of the call, this bastard was smiling.

“Of course, my Alpha,” Galen growled.

He heard a faint laugh just before the familiar buzz signaling the disconnect of the neural link.

‘Jerk,’ Galen laughed to himself.

He continued walking through the trees. Bell had told him to meet her outside Alpha Wyatt’s home. Unfortunately, he was running late due to his call with Caleb, but only by a few minutes.

Galen could see the house through the trees. He found himself smiling as he anticipated seeing her again. Then, just as he thought about it, the back door flung open, and someone tumbled out. They fell hard to the ground.

He stopped and watched for a moment, unsure if he should approach. He was still a reasonable distance away, and he didn’t know who it was or how kindly they would take to receiving aid from the Summer wolf.

She threw up.

‘Was it from the pain of the fall?’ he wondered to himself.

That was when he finally saw her face, his heart stopped for a second, and the air caught in his lungs. It was Bell, and she was crying.

“Bel–“ he started to move, to run toward her, but his voice was overshadowed by another.

Galen stopped in his tracks, only making it a few steps before seeing him. The man from the party, the dark blonde that Bell had laughed so freely with. He ran to her and put his arms around her.

Galen reached out to the nearest tree gripping it so tightly the bark splintered under his fingers. He watched as Bell looked up at him, as she traced her fingers along his face. Finally, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close to her.

They held each other, and Galen suddenly felt the cold around him, as though he had just realized he was standing in the snow for the first time. His heart ached.

They were laughing now from tears to laughter in the span of moments. Galen thought back to the day in the hospital when they had spoken of her mother. He wasn’t able to comfort her, to offer her laughter… but this man could.

“He isn’t a man to her…” he said to himself comfortingly. Remembering how she had laughed when he suggested they might be dating. She had said he was just Ashleigh’s brother.

His jaw clenched; his fingers dug deeper into the tree. His heart ached, and a growl rose deep in his belly.

They held each other. Their arms wrapped around each other like they were the only two people in all of existence.

He wanted to go to her, to rip that boy’s arms off for touching her.

Galen used every ounce of will he had to look away. Finally, he moved behind the tree and laid back against it, hitting his head two or three times to try and bring himself back into focus.

‘I have no right, no claim. She can do what she likes, with whom she likes,’ he thought to himself. He couldn’t help but glance back. She was still in the boy’s arms. ‘I thought she liked me.’

Galen felt a deep ache in his heart. He wanted to leave, to be away from this painful scene. But something was holding him back. Not just his desire to see them pull away from each other. He needed an answer to a critical question.

‘Why was she crying?’

***

Axel felt Bell pulling away. He loosened his hold and looked down at her. She smiled up at him for a moment before pulling further away.

“Feeling better?” he asked.

“Yes,” she smiled.

“If you need more time…” he said, trailing off.

“I’m good,” she chuckled. “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” he smiled back.

Bell got off the ground first, offering her hand out to him, which he happily accepted. When they stood facing each other, Axel got a serious look on his face.

“So,” he began, “what happened?”

Bell looked away.

“Bell,” Axel said, reaching a hand to her chin and pulling her attention back, “talk to me.”

She looked up into his green eyes, and she felt his sincerity through them. His warmth, his tenderness. It made her feel comfortable.

“I just got upset,” she answered, looking away.

“I know, I want to know why,” Axel said, telling her he wasn’t letting this go. He was his mother’s son.

Bell sighed. There was no way to get out of this conversation. All she could do was tell him the truth, or at least, some of it.

Around the corner of the house, where neither Bell nor Axel could see, even if they were paying attention, Galen had snuck over.

He felt guilty for eavesdropping on their conversation, but he couldn’t let go of the question. He needed to know that she was ok.

“Ok,” Bell sighed, drawing the attention of both men, “it’s not a big deal. You already know I have nightmares.”

‘How does he know she has nightmares?’ Galen thought to himself in a slight panic, imagining them together in her room at night.

“Last night was really rough, I kept seeing things over and over, and I just kind of got lost in it.”

“Try again,” Axel said, “at least try to make it more convincing this time.”

“Ughh,” Bell grumbled, “why does it matter? I’m fine now. I got upset. Everyone gets upset sometimes.”

“Yea, they do,” Axel stated. “But I didn’t find everyone puking from it or crying. I’ve never seen you cry before, ever.”

Bell looked away again. She crossed her arms over her chest.

Galen peered around the corner. He could barely see her face from this angle, but he could see the pain she tried to hide.

‘Please, Bell,’ he begged in his mind.

“Bell, I know something really got to you. I just want to help,” Axel said, reaching his hand out to her shoulder.

She thought about it for a moment, then finally, she let out a loud sigh.

“Fine,” she said. “I came to see your mom, and just before we finished up, Granger arrived.”

Bell paused, turning away from Axel. Thinking of how she could word it, how she could give him what he wanted, without telling him everything.

Galen saw her. He saw the nerves, the fear, the thinking. Whatever she said next would be a half-truth at best.

“Then what happened?” Axel asked.

“Your mom had to leave, and Granger and I were left alone,” she began, “and you know how I am. I have a nasty mouth.”

Galen didn’t like the way she said it. It made him angry. Bell was one to poke fun at herself, to make jokes about her bad habits. But these words, they weren’t hers.

‘Did that bastard say that to you?’ he wondered.

“Anyway, we disagreed about something, and I took it too far,” she sighed, “so he got upset, and he said some things that were mean.”

“You and Granger say mean things to each other all the time, so what about this time got you so upset?” Axel questioned.

Bell looked away once more. A look of fear crossed her eyes and then went away, but Galen saw it.

“Honestly, it just brought up some bad memories from my past. Ones I haven’t thought about in a long time, and it was too much.”

“What kinds of memories, Bell?” Axel pushed, concern written on his face.

Galen couldn’t help but notice the way Axel’s hand had clenched into a fist. It was clear that this man knew her past, and something in it had worried him.

“Axel, please,” Bell said, turning to him with a pleading look. “It’s just stuff with my parents, like the nightmares. I don’t want to think about it anymore, ok?”

Axel sighed and nodded.

“Ok,” he said, putting his arm around her shoulder. “How about I give you exclusive access to my Nutter Butter stash?”

“Hmm… tempting,” Bell replied, then looked up at him with a mischievous grin, “but how about the Butterfingers instead?”

“Wait…” Axel said, stopping in his tracks, “you know about the Butterfingers too?”

Bell laughed as she ran into the house, Axel following close behind.

Galen was left alone, wondering.

‘I saw the way your parents make you feel. You showed it to me,’ he thought back to the time at the hospital when they spoke of her mom. The sadness, the pain.

‘So why when you talked about Granger, did you seem so afraid?’ he asked himself, a wave of dark anger beginning to settle over him.

‘Guess I need to ask him myself.’