赤裸裸的滑稽故事

The only other thing he knew about her was that she had once been a nomad like himself. He heard that she had come to Winter when her mother was sick, and in the end, her parents chose to stay.

After also finding her mate in the Alpha of Winter, all hope was lost for her.

Myka looked at her with pity as her journey had ended when she was still so young.

“Hello,” he replied with a gentle bow of his head.

“May I?” Corrine asked, indicating the spot on the bench beside him.

Myka moved over a little, ensuring her enough room. Corrine smiled and sat down.

They were quiet for a time. Then Corrine took a deep breath of the cold air.

“Have you been to Winter before?” she asked.

“No,” Myka replied. “Most of my journey has taken me to other places.”

Corrine smiled.

“Ah yes, the journey.”

Myka gave her a gentle look. Corrine saw it, and she chuckled.

“I’ve seen that look before,” she commented in a gentle tone. “Do you pity me?”

Myka took a breath.

“I wouldn’t say pity,” he lied. “I just find it…unfortunate that your journey ended so soon.”

Corrine laughed.

“Oh, child…” she said dismissively. “Tell me something. You are not a nomad by birth, are you?”

Myka furrowed his brows. He looked at her curiously and then nodded.

“No, I was born in a pack.”

Corrine nodded to herself.

“Those that join the journey have a very different view from those born into it,” she smiled. “What is your journey about, Myka?”

“Freedom, exploration. Seeing the world, experiencing all of its splendor,” Myka replied dreamily, smiling as he looked up at the stars.

Corrine nodded.

“And have you seen the world?”

“Not all of it,” he admitted.

“No, of course not,” Corrine laughed. “But you have seen all of our werewolf territories, right?”

Myka paused. He gave her an unsure smile.

“Not all of it, no.”

“And how long have you been on the journey, Myka?” Corrine asked.

“Ten years,” he said.

“Ten years, that’s quite a long time,” she said. “Long enough to have traveled these territories twice at least. Yet from my understanding, you haven’t gone much further than the greater territories. Why is that, I wonder?”

Myka swallowed.

“Have you been asking about me, Luna Corrine?”

“Of course, I have, darling,” she smiled. “I have to know the people with whom I or my family plan to be involved. In recent times, we’ve had far too many surprising characters appear in our lives.”

“Not all bad, I assume.”

“No,” Corrine smiled, “but enough.”

Myka kept his expression unchanged, but his heart began to race as he saw a hint of her wolf staring back at him.

“What is it that you seek, Myka? What is the destination of your journey?”

“That’s… rather personal for our first conversation, don’t you think, Luna Corrine?” Myka grinned, then leaned closer to her. “Perhaps we should get to know each other better first.”

Corrine smiled and looked away.

“Little boy,” she sighed. “You wouldn’t know what to do with me.”

Myka found himself laughing appreciatively.

“Besides,” Corrine continued. “I’m not the one you wish to know.”

Myka swallowed and looked away as Peter’s smile worked its way into his mind again.

“Word travels fast in Winter, it seems,” he whispered. “Should I be honored that the Luna is interested in gossiping about me?”

“I don’t care at all about you. I care about Peter,” she replied with a soft growl. “He is a member of my pack. But even more than that, a great friend to my children and me.”

“I see,” Myka replied, keeping his eyes focused on the ground. “The Peter I knew was quiet and lonely. But this Peter seems to have many friends.”

“That happens when you stay long enough,” Corrine smiled. “You build a community of your own.”

Myka let out a gentle scoff.

“My mother was like you,” Corrine said. “For a long time, she believed that the journey was only possible if you kept moving. Kept searching. It wasn’t until she was forced to slow down, to stop. To stay. She finally understood that many kinds of journeys are available in this life.”

Myka took a deep breath.

“Committing yourself to a people, a place, a person, these aren’t bad things. Building a life is just a different kind of journey. A brand new and less lonely destination.”

Myka chuckled softly.

“Do you think that by trying to convince me to stay in Winter and using Peter to do so, I will commit the others to this alliance?”

“Myka, I am not trying to convince you to stay. I never even suggested it. I am suggesting that Peter is on a journey of his own. You don’t have to understand it or join him. But perhaps, if you open yourself to it, you can find a way for your journeys to intersect.”

Corrine gave him another smile before standing from the bench. She moved to leave the courtyard but turned back.

“Oh, and Myka?” she called.

“Yes?” he replied.

“Every Alpha in that room represents a pack of hundreds of wolves that are committed to fighting this war. Committed to risking their lives for everyone represented. Each of them speaks with one voice for their people,” she said.

Myka turned to face her, listening carefully.

“You are here as only one representative of the nomads. There are five others,” she said. “Even still, you all represent independent voices shouting at each other. Joined together, not by community or trust. But by the circumstance of seeking help defeating an enemy that none of you can fight alone.”

“What is your point?” Myka asked.

Corrine gave him a gentle smile.

“My point, Myka, is that, just like Peter, we don’t need to convince you to commit to us. You need to convince us to be willing to accept you.”