赤裸裸的滑稽故事

“Whatever happened to Ashleigh,” Alice said. “Caleb is on his way to her side; he will let us know as soon as he can.”

Bell nodded.

“Sorry, Peter,” she said. “Please… tell us about Myka.”

Peter took a deep breath and a drink of his water before he began.

“Five years ago, as part of my training, I traveled between a lot of the lesser packs,” he began. “It was a way to learn treatments and remedies that Winter wasn’t already familiar with. While also increasing my chances of being accepted into Winter when I turned eighteen and could officially petition to join.”

Peter had been living within the Winter territories for just over two years at that time. He still remembered the day that Luna Corrine had given him the opportunity. A chance to prove to her, and everyone else, that she hadn’t made a mistake when she brought him home.

Bell knew that Peter had not been born in Winter, but she thought that his parents had been the ones to petition for acceptance. He had never really shared much about his past, and she had assumed that they died when he was young, but to know that he had to petition, meant that, just like her, his parents did not come with him to Winter. So where were they?

“I was on my way back to Winter; my tour was finally over. When everything changed,” Peter continued, pausing with a soft smile as he seemed to remember the moment. “I smelled peppermint and honey in the air. It was not a combination I ever expected to enjoy, but it touched on something deep inside me.”

Alice smiled and nodded as she thought of the sweet boy in her heart.

On the other hand, Bell didn’t smile, but she understood. There was a time, briefly, when the scent of her mate had been sweet, like a delicious, juicy bite of ripened fruit. But over time, that scent had grown sickly and spoilt.

“The scent pulled me into the forest, through the trees to a stream. There he was, this glorious blue-haired young man, more beautiful than anyone I had ever seen.”

Peter paused, thinking of Myka crouching by the stream’s edge, washing his hands. His dark, narrow eyes turned back at Peter; in that darkness, Peter saw a home.

When their eyes locked, his heart pounded wildly in his chest, and the air left his lungs. Myka stood up tall, and Peter licked his lips.

They moved toward each other and circled each other slowly, cautiously. After a while, they introduced themselves. Myka was sixteen, almost two years younger than Peter, who was only two months shy of his eighteenth birthday.

“The pull to each other…. It was unexpected, indescribable,” Peter continued. “I delayed my return. I spent the next three weeks practically living off the affection and the sweet words that Myka whispered to me as we enjoyed each other. My mind was full of him and only him.

“I forgot about Winter, about my desire to become a doctor. About Luna Corrine and all that she had done for me. All that mattered was Myka. Being with Myka, staying with him. He was all that I needed, all that I wanted. I planned to spend the rest of my life traveling the world by his side, wherever he wanted to go.”

Peter paused, clenching his jaw as he wiped away a stray tear that rolled down his cheek.

“But Myka had other dreams, and there wasn’t room for me in them,” he said quickly and abruptly. “So, when he said that being with me wasn’t part of his journey, I rejected him and remembered what was actually important. I came home, became a doctor, became an official Winter wolf, and moved on with my life.”

Bell reached out and grabbed Peter’s hand, gently squeezing it.

“I’m so sorry, Peter,” she whispered. “No wonder you were so upset at the hospital.”

Peter sighed and gave her a soft smile.

“I’m good,” he whispered.

“What an ass,” Bell continued with irritation. “I can’t believe he kissed you like that after what happened between you. He has no shame.”

“Peter,” Alice called. “What happened yesterday?”

Peter swallowed but didn’t look up at her.

“Luna Corrine came and spoke with me,” he began. “She knew I was having some… complicated feelings about Myka being here.”

“Complicated feelings?” Alice asked.

Peter closed his eyes.

“As you know, there is a strong sexual component to the pull of the bond,” Peter sighed. “His sudden arrival left me… frustrated.”

Bell successfully managed to suppress her laughter.

“Luna Corrine suggested that since it was clear that Myka did not want to commit to me, and I no longer wish to commit to him, perhaps a needs-based relationship could be established during his stay here in Winter.”

Peter looked to the floor as he finished his sentence.

“Hold up,” Bell said with a raised brow. “Are you saying that Corrine told you to make Myka your friend with benefits?”

Peter cleared his throat.

“I’m not sure you would call us friends… we barely know each other,” he said quietly.

“So… what? Sex buddies?” Bell asked with a laugh.

“I don’t know that that is exactly what she meant….” Peter replied.

“And?” Alice asked. “Did you approach Myka with this idea of a purely physical relationship?”

Peter swallowed; the neutrality in her tone spoke volumes. She wasn’t calm. She was angry and trying to hold back.

“Uhm…” he began nervously. “He.. uh, he… came to my office yesterday. After Luna Corrine left.”

Peter continued staring at the floor as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

“I…didn’t exactly talk to him about it.”

“What does that mean?” Bell asked.

Peter took a deep breath.

“When he came to the door, I just kind of grabbed him and kissed him.”

“Oh…” Bell replied with surprise. “Well, I mean, he did kiss you first, so….”

“I also pulled off his shirt and used it to bind his hands so only I could touch him….”

“Oh, well, that’s… wait, what?” Bell asked with surprise.

“And began to tease his body… even after he asked me to stop.”

“Oh, Peter…” Bell said in quiet disbelief.

“Yea,” Peter sighed. “He, uhm… he was upset. He said I was trying to use him and treated him like he didn’t matter.”

“I mean, you weren’t in the right, but you weren’t really doing that exactly… right?” Bell said, trying to comfort him.

“You made him less than a person,” Alice said quietly.

Both Bell and Peter looked up at her. The anger in her eyes was blatant.

“You treated him like a toy for you to play with however you wanted.”