赤裸裸的滑稽故事

Wyatt was already waiting in his office when Ashleigh arrived. She locked the door behind her and sat down on the sofa while he finished the paperwork he had been looking at.

Ashleigh debated the best way to approach the conversation.

Wyatt sat in his chair in front of her and took the need out of her hands.

“Here,” he said, offering her something.

She reached out and took it.

It was a pocket watch.

“Is this…?” she started to ask, noticing his nod before she could even finish.

Ashleigh pressed the button at the top to open the watch. The case popped, and she could see the watch face. On the other side, she saw Fiona. Her smile was bright as she wrapped her arms around a young Caleb.

Standing behind Fiona and Caleb was a tall man. He had broad shoulders and wore a pressed suit, his auburn hair and grey eyes matched Caleb almost perfectly. In fact, it appeared as though Caleb had inherited nearly all of Cain’s features.

Ashleigh smiled, running her thumb over the picture. She wished she could see more of Caleb’s past.

“Why do you have this?” Ashleigh asked. “Didn’t you give this back to Caleb as proof?”

“No,” Wyatt answered.

“But…” Ashleigh tried to speak but felt flustered by his answer. “I don’t understand. Didn’t you say it was a gift, that Caleb knew Cain would have it with him and–”

“That is what I told Tomas,” Wyatt interrupted. “But that’s not the truth.”_.

Ashleigh closed the watch and set it down on the coffee table.

“Then what is?” she asked.

“Caleb didn’t give Cain that watch,” he said.

Wyatt reached into his pocket and pulled out another pocket watch. He set it down beside Cain’s watch. They were almost identical.

Ashleigh furrowed her brows.

“Open it,” Wyatt said.

Ashleigh did as he asked. But in this second watch, she found a different image, one of her family, when she was no more than ten years old.

“Press the locking mechanism once again,” Wyatt instructed.

Ashleigh looked at him questioningly but did as she was told. She was surprised when the clock’s face popped. She found that she could pull it forward like a door. Behind it was an empty space, a small compartment.

“I don’t know if Caleb ever even saw Cain’s watch,” Wyatt said. “Cain bought them when we were in our early twenties.”

Ashleigh looked up at her father. He wore a nostalgic smile.

“On his tour among the humans, he found a shop that sold items like this. Amateur magician and spy equipment.”

He laughed.

“Before either of us became Alpha, we used to pass messages to each other at the boring events we were required to attend with these,” Wyatt sighed. “But once we took on our proper roles, the fun and games were left behind.”

Ashleigh saw it in his eyes again, that weariness.

“When Cain was dying….” Wyatt began, taking a moment to calm his emotions. “When he asked me to keep it safe, I knew he meant whatever was inside that watch.”

“What was inside?” Ashleigh asked, looking down at the other watch.

Wyatt reached down and picked up Cain’s watch. Ashleigh watched as he pressed the button twice and pulled back the clock face. Finally, he turned the watch to her.

Inside were two items. The first was a small black disc no bigger than a thumb pad that Ashleigh thought looked familiar. Beside it was a memory card.

“Have you seen what’s on the memory card?” Ashleigh asked.

“No,” Wyatt said, shaking his head. “I have tried different readers, but none of them have worked so far. If it were anyone else, I would assume it was empty. But not Cain.”

Wyatt pulled the memory card out of the watch and turned it in his fingers.

“If Cain placed this in the watch, he wanted to keep whatever is on this secure and in his hands,” he said. “If I had to guess, I would say it has to do with the fae.”

Ashleigh nodded.

“I would guess that too, based on his last request.”

The fae had been their ancient enemy, but no werewolf had blown up their burial mounds before as far as she had ever heard.

“I didn’t get a chance to look at them, but the notes that fell from his bag were about the fae,” Wyatt said. “It looked like he was researching their magic.”

Ashleigh remembered the words Wyatt had told them Cain had said.

‘It’s the blood… the magic… it’s the blood..’

And then another memory came to mind. The night she had overheard Wyatt talking to Axel about the fae blood.

“Wait,” she said, “when you told Axel that fae blood can activate their magic, is that what you meant?”

Wyatt looked at her, confused at first, and then his expression changed to recognition.

“Oh, that’s right…” he said. “That habit of listening in you have… yes, I told him about Cain. That’s why I told you it was an Alpha’s secret. I was afraid you would run off and tell your friends.”

Ashleigh swallowed.

“I didn’t tell any of my friends…” she sighed. “But I did tell someone.”

Wyatt’s eyes widened.

“Who?” he asked.

“Granger.”

Wyatt took a deep breath.

“I don’t think the information would be of any use to him personally. We can only hope he doesn’t come across anyone that would find it useful.”

“I’m sorry,” Ashleigh said.

“You had no idea,” Wyatt replied, taking her hand and squeezing it. “There is no use in regrets.”

Ashleigh smiled. She looked back down at the memory card.

“I would guess that only the equipment in Summer can access the files on it,” Ashleigh sighed.

“I thought the same,” Wyatt sighed. “But I couldn’t share it with Caleb without exposing the truth of Cain’s death.”

Ashleigh nodded, trying to think of another way to gain access to the information on the memory card.

“Ashleigh,” Wyatt called.

“Yes?”

“Regarding Cain’s death, I am willing to accept punishment,” he said.

“Dad…” Ashleigh began to argue.

Wyatt raised his hand to stop her.

“In order to continue this investigation into the why and the how of it all, you will need Caleb’s help. If you tell him some of the truth, you might be able to keep Bell out of it,” he offered. “If I say that Cain and I argued, that it led to an altercation–”

“No!” Ashleigh shouted. “We will not turn you into the villain of this story!”

Wyatt looked at Ashleigh, and there it was again. The weariness.

“Dad,” Ashleigh spoke gently, reaching a hand to his cheek. “I will find a way to get the information from this memory card and learn what really happened to Alpha Cain. But I will do it without sacrificing you or Bell in the process.”

He smiled at her and nodded.

“I am still afraid of how you will do this without raising suspicion,” Wyatt said. “I cannot allow you to investigate the sight of the mound or help you directly. But if there is anything I can do, please tell me.”

He placed the memory card back into the watch alongside the other item and closed it up.

“I have worn this around my neck since the day Cain died. I have kept it safe and planned to give it to Axel to do the same when my time was done. But now I am giving it to you,” Wyatt smiled. “I know you will do what is right for everyone.”

Ashleigh took the watch. She looked at it and hoped Wyatt meant what he said.

“Dad,” she said. “There is something else I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Go ahead,” he nodded.

“Actually, it’s two things,” she corrected. “The first is about Bell, and the second is about you.”

Wyatt sighed.

“Why do I feel that I will enjoy neither of these conversations.”

Ashleigh laughed.

“Well, I guess you could call it a test.”

“Of what?” he asked.

“Whether or not you are right,” she answered, holding up the watch. “Whether I can really do what is right for everyone.”