赤裸裸的滑稽故事

“It seems the hunt is truly over,” Alice smiled, leaning back into the branch she sat on. “Though I’m not sure what exactly they were hunting, whatever it was sure seemed to light a fire under the young alpha.”

“And what does that mean, exactly?” Holden asked, his tone strangely serious.

“Nothing that I know of yet,” she replied, wondering if she had said the wrong thing. “I only meant that he seemed frantic about whatever their prey was.”

“Hmm,” was Holden’s only response.

Alice adjusted her position on the branch so she could see the house better. It had been at least twenty minutes since she had watched Ashleigh and the other wolf go inside. She wondered if there was any point in hanging around.

Her mission was to discover what Winter had learned about the fae attack; how difficult they had been to defeat, where it came from, was there any sign of returning anywhere else?

But she was forced into the trees when the hunt had been called.

Once she saw Alpha Wyatt leave his office, she could have snuck in and gotten the information she needed. But her curiosity had led her to stick around and watch, waiting to find out the reason for the hunt.

She had seen the young alpha desperately shifting and then sprinting through the trees. While the other wolves searched in grids and patterns, he had been all over the place. It made her want to follow him and see his goal.

Alice was quite disappointed when he eventually returned without so much as a deer. But as she watched him shift back into human form, without any clothes, she noted, he had run immediately to this house.

Not long after, Ashleigh had arrived.

And again, Alice’s curiosity had been piqued.

“Alice…” Holden called her from her thoughts.

Alice could tell from his tone that he had called her name more than once.

“Y…yes?” she answered.

“I think you should come home now,” he said. “Let’s have some tea.”

Alice swallowed.

“I’ll be home soon,” she smiled as she spoke._.

When she was sure the line had disconnected, she let out a shuddered breath.

“Axel!”

Alice heard a shout in the distance.

She looked toward the house and saw the young alpha leaving.

“He seems upset…” she whispered to herself with a smile. “I wonder if he would play with me….”

She giggled and then remembered Holden’s words.

‘Let’s have some tea.’

Alice felt a chill down her spine.

She looked back once more as Axel stomped through the snow, then she disappeared into the night.

***

Axel was angry and upset. He was worried.

He wanted to believe Ashleigh could do it all, but he didn’t see how that was possible.

Wyatt and Axel had been protecting Bell for almost six years. He couldn’t just stand by when she was in danger.

He shook his head and walked away from the house.

Suddenly he felt something strange, a feeling like he was being watched. He turned and looked out into the trees. He didn’t see anything or anyone, but he felt sure that someone had been there.

Axel spent the rest of the night searching the forest, to no avail.

***

Ashleigh asked to drop the conversation for the rest of the night. Wyatt agreed to make time for her the next day to continue the discussion.

“Well then,” Corrine said, standing from her place on the couch.

She approached Ashleigh and Wyatt. First, she smiled at Ashleigh, touching her cheek gently.

“I’m proud of you,” she mouthed.

Ashleigh smiled.

Corrine returned the smile before turning her attention to Wyatt. He avoided her eyes.

Ashleigh knew her parents hadn’t been as close lately. Since the fae attack, things seemed to have been strained between them.

“Wyatt,” Corrine said with a soft smile, “would you take a walk in the moonlight with me?”

Wyatt lifted his head to face her. His eyes lit up as he smiled and nodded.

Ashleigh couldn’t help but notice the weariness in both of her parents. This secret had been a weight on both for far too long.

Wyatt offered his arm; Corrine took it, and they walked out the door together. Leaving Ashleigh and Bell alone again.

“So,” Ashleigh said, turning back to her friend.

Bell smiled, but Ashleigh could see the hesitation, the fear.

‘She thinks I’m going to ask about her past,’ Ashleigh thought. ‘I want to know; I want to help… but it has to be her choice.’

“Are we thinking scary movies or romcoms?” Ashleigh asked with a wide grin.

Bell was surprised but laughed in response.

“We having a sleepover?” she asked.

“Of course!” Ashleigh scoffed.

Bell gave Ashleigh an appreciative smile.

“I’m going to go grab a couple of movie options!” Ashleigh called out as she ran toward the stairs.

“I’ll get the popcorn!” Bell laughed as she jumped up from the couch and ran into the kitchen.

She glanced back out to see if Ashleigh was still on the stairs. When she saw that she wasn’t, Bell hurried over to her bag. Then, pulling out her phone, she went back into the kitchen.

He answered on the second ring.

“A call so soon after we just spoke? Careful,” Galen said with a smile. “I might get the feeling you like me.”

“I’m just checking in,” Bell laughed. “I wanted to thank you and tell you that I won’t be leaving.”

“That’s great,” he said. “But there is nothing to thank me for. I just reminded you of what you already knew.”

“Still,” Bell said, “I almost did something tonight that I wouldn’t be able to take back.”

“A bad thing?” he asked.

“A dangerous thing,” she replied honestly. Rubbing her arm as she felt a chill thinking of the feeling at the border.

“Don’t do dangerous things when I’m not close enough to help you.”

She wanted to make a joke and lighten the mood. But his voice was so sincere she couldn’t.

“Galen,”

“Yea?” he answered.

“I miss you,” she smiled.

***

When Ashleigh reached her room, she shut the door behind her and pulled out her phone.

He answered almost before the first ring finished.

“Ashleigh?”

Though his voice was filled with concern, just hearing him warmed her.

“Hi, Caleb,” she smiled.

He let out a breath. Ashleigh could feel how worried he was, had been.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“Thank you,” she said.

“For what?” he asked.

“I know you could feel some of what I felt tonight. Thank you for waiting for my call,” she answered.

He was quiet for a moment.

“Actually,” he said, “I wanted to call right away.”

She smiled.

“But the emotions were confusing, the anger, the sorrow… it didn’t feel like you were in danger. Still, the only reason I didn’t call is that you called Galen first.”

Ashleigh felt a twinge of his jealousy. She smiled.

“It was clear you were capable of making phone calls on your own,” he stated, clearing his throat.

Ashleigh covered her mouth to suppress the laugh. Caleb let out a soft growl on the other side of the call, confirming that he had heard her laugh.

“Well, did Galen tell you why I called?” she asked.

Caleb was quiet.

“He did,” she laughed. “So you already know I didn’t call him for me but for Bell.”

Caleb sighed.

“It still took a long time for my call to come through…” he whined.

Ashleigh didn’t bother to cover the giggle she let out.

“I miss you,” she said after the laugh had passed. “So much.”

“I miss you too,” he replied warmly.

Ashleigh leaned back against the door; she took a deep breath in through her nose. She didn’t like the idea of keeping anything from him. How could she explain why she had been so upset without lying?

Caleb let out a chuckle.

“What?” Ashleigh asked.

Caleb sighed.

“I told you before,” he said. “Because of our roles in our packs, there will be things we can’t tell each other.”

“I’m sorry,” Ashleigh sighed. “I don’t like keeping secrets from you.”

“It’s ok,” Caleb said.

He opened the sliding door back into his room. Setting down the glass he had been drinking from on the table beside the door as he stepped inside.

Caleb sighed as he looked down at the empty wheelchair beside his bed.

“I understand, Ash. More than you know.”