赤裸裸的滑稽故事

Ashleigh woke in a hospital bed.

She was groggy and weak, but her mind did not ease her into wakefulness. Instead, it threw forward the memory of Caleb standing before her, fighting a rogue wolf.

‘I need to find him,’ she thought, ‘I need to understand.’

She sat up and was immediately stopped.

“Where do you think you are going?” Fiona’s stern voice said as she pushed back on Ashleigh’s shoulders, guiding her back down to the bed.

“Fiona?” Ashleigh asked, surprised to see her sitting at her bedside.

“What?” she asked. “Am I not allowed to visit you when you are in the hospital?”

Ashleigh looked around, trying to find some indicator of time.

“The attack was two nights ago,” Fiona said. “You have been in an out of consciousness and fighting a fever.”

Ashleigh sighed.

“I spoke with Corrine. She told me this was a side effect of pushing your berserker rage too hard,” Fiona continued. “Of course, you also got an infection from one of your wounds, but that is clearing up fine.”

“What happened to everyone else?” Ashleigh asked.

Fiona smiled.

“The guests from the party all made it back. There were a few injuries. They were attacked along the way, but the team that was with them could keep them safe. The children and Miss Stacey made it back without issue.”

“Clara?” Ashleigh asked.

“She is quite well; her leg is fine. She is back at work and talkative as ever.”

Ashleigh let out a sigh of relief._.

“The rogues that came down through the north were easily taken out by my men and me,” Fiona continued. “You, of course, handled the ones that escaped the trees. The patrols along the north and east had already been reinforced. So many rogues were killed off before they made it too far into our territory.”

“That’s good,” Ashleigh said.

“Yes,” Fiona said. “But there was a party on the western border as well.”

“I remember fireworks to the west.”

“Yes,” Fiona nodded. “They were larger than the others, at least one hundred wolves.”

Ashleigh’s eyes widened.

“My wolves and I did what we could. The western patrol also helped. But at least half of the forces made it past us and ran towards the center.”

Ashleigh sat up.

“But they ran into trouble,” Fiona said with a smile. “You.”

“What?”

“Corrine said you likely wouldn’t remember what happened if you lost control of your rage,” Fiona said.

Ashleigh nodded.

“The rage can be all-consuming. If I ease into it and use it, I am unstoppable, but I remain in control. But when it overwhelms me….”

Ashleigh looked away. A heavy weight sat in her stomach as she remembered all the blood and carnage surrounding her.

“I can understand why you struggle with this,” Fiona said, then reached out and took one of Ashleigh’s hands. “But those wolves were there to kill us all. If not for you, they would have run straight to those children.”

Ashleigh nodded.

“Between you and Galen, the wolves that broke through were mostly killed off. Though some made their escape when the retreat was sounded. But from what we saw, the invasion force was over two hundred, and the ones that got away were less than fifty.”

“Galen helped drive them away?” Ashleigh asked, looking up carefully. “What about Caleb?”

Fiona smiled again.

“He was injured, but he was safe,” Fiona smiled. “Galen was with him when the first explosion went off. They found shelter; unfortunately, Caleb was struck in his side by debris. He was injured. So, Galen led the wolves away from him.”

The memory of the pain in her side, Caleb’s empty bloodstained wheelchair, and him fighting the rogue wolf.

“He’s ok….” Ashleigh whispered.

“Yes,” Fiona replied. “He was safe. There was no reason for me to worry about him the way I did or get everyone else so riled up either.”

Ashleigh looked at Fiona.

“Ashleigh,” Fiona said softly. “I need to thank you for ensuring that we did what was right for Summer.”

“I…”

“Let me finish,” Fiona smiled. “When you love someone and lose them, it makes everyone else in your life that much more precious.”

Fiona took a moment.

“Losing Cain was more than I could bear, and I pulled away from everything,” she continued. “From Summer, from Caleb, Galen. Everything. It took time, but eventually, I remembered the ones that remained, and I turned my attention to them. Watching Caleb mourn his mate reminded me of how much losing Cain took from me.”

Ashleigh swallowed down the pain she felt at these words.

“I don’t condone your actions. But I understand there was a reason you felt you had to do it,” Fiona said. “You still have a long way to find your place in this pack. But, after this, you have certainly earned the chance to prove it.”

Ashleigh looked up at Fiona with hope.

“I look forward to seeing what you can do.”

Fiona gave her a smirk before she got up and left the room.

Half an hour later, Ashleigh was being released from her stay in the hospital. Her fever was gone, and she was antsy to leave. The doctor made sure she understood that she needed to return immediately if there were any problems. But in the end, Ashleigh just nodded and hurried out the door.

She knocked insistently on Caleb’s door. Finally, Galen answered.

“I need to see him,” she said.

Galen stepped out of the way; Ashleigh walked in.

Caleb sat in his wheelchair. His shirt was off, and he unwrapped his healing wound. He looked up just as she stepped past Galen.

“Ashleigh…” he whispered. His eyes lit up at seeing her awake and out of the hospital.

He wanted to rush to her and hold her in his arms.

“We are changing the dressing on his wound,” Galen said.

Ashleigh nodded.

“I’ll wait.”

She took a seat on his sofa as Galen returned to Caleb’s side and continued to change the dressing.

Caleb noticed the hesitance.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, observing her.

“We can talk when you’re done,” she replied, giving him a gentle smile.

Once Galen finished changing the bandage, Caleb put on his shirt and looked at Ashleigh.

“Are you alright?” Ashleigh asked Galen. “Did you have any injuries from the attack?”

“Nothing major,” Galen smiled. “Just some bumps, bruises, and a few bandages.”

“Good,” she said. “Bell would never forgive you if you got hurt or killed before your wedding.”

Galen laughed and nodded in agreement.

“I have a few things to check on. I’ll leave him to you,” Galen said, leaving Ashleigh and Caleb alone together.

Ashleigh couldn’t look at him yet.

“What’s wrong?” Caleb asked. Feeling nervous about her actions.

“Show me,” she said quietly.

“What?” he asked. Moving his chair closer to her.

Ashleigh lifted her head and held his gaze. He saw sadness, anger, and fear.

“Ashleigh, what–” he started to ask.

“Show me!” she shouted.

“I don’t know what you want me to show you!” he called back.

“Stand up,” she said.

Caleb drew back. He licked his lips nervously and took a deep breath.

“Ashleigh, I can’t–”

“I saw you,” she interrupted. “I saw you fighting one of the rogues and then shift into your wolf.”

Caleb closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen.

“Ashleigh, I’m….”

“Stand up,” she repeated her demand.

Caleb sighed. There was nothing else he could do.

He unstrapped himself and lifted his legs off the footrests and onto the floor.

Caleb looked up at her once more, seeing the tears that welled in her eyes as she watched him move. Then, finally, he pushed himself up off the chair to stand before her at his full height.

Ashleigh gasped.

A wave of relief flowed over her.

‘It wasn’t a dream… he can walk…’ she thought.

She let out a sob and then jumped to her feet and threw herself at him. Wrapping her arms tightly around him as the tears fell from her eyes.

Caleb caught her and barely could contain his emotions as he held her tight.

After a few moments of sobbing and simply holding each other, Ashleigh pulled back, and Caleb let her go. He looked down into her eyes and smiled.

Ashleigh took a deep breath; she was thankful he was ok.

But he had been ok the whole time, hadn’t he?

She clenched her jaw and drew back her fist. Before she even recognized her own actions, her fist was crashing against his jaw with all the power she could wield.