赤裸裸的滑稽故事

They sat quietly for a long time. Then, finally, Ashleigh let go of the breath she had been holding and tried to calm her racing thoughts.

She didn't know where to begin. There was a lot of information to give and stories to share. But she also had questions of her own.

"What happened?" she asked. "After you let go? I can guess at some of it, but I would like to know what really happened."

Caleb smiled and nodded. He moved back off his knees, sitting on the floor with his back against the chair he had been sitting in. He reached up and grabbed a piece of toast.

He took small bites as he recounted to her all that Leshy had helped him remember from his time inside the ley line.

He told her about Solana, Lian, and Lily and their sacrifice to keep him alive. Finally, he told her that the Dark Queen was truly gone.

"Wow…" Ashleigh whispered as she leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. "I didn't expect that Solana and Lian would get involved… or that Lily would get the chance to say goodbye to Solana."

Caleb nodded.

"I was glad for them," he said.

Ashleigh took a deep breath.

"It was a heavy regret that Lily carried," she said. "Even without knowing all the details or what their relationship had really been like, I could feel it. The pain she felt from losing her."

"I hope they are given another chance in the next life," Caleb smiled. Then, after thinking momentarily, he added, "though, I suppose their bonds to Geri and Caelter might prevent that…."

"Assuming they are born wolves," Ashleigh replied, then took a deep breath. "Though, even if they are..."

Caleb furrowed his brows and looked up at her with concern.

"Even if they are… what?" he asked.

Ashleigh sat back in her chair.

"Lily warned us that after the bubble fell and after her mother was truly gone, there would be changes for the werewolves, and she was right."

Caleb sat up, focusing his attention on her.

"She predicted that the Lunas would lose their abilities," Ashleigh began, "Before the war, I never got a chance to explore what my capabilities from Solana would have been. And I already knew that the Valkyrie was gone when Lily chose to be the bridge between Summer and Winter. But I can say without a doubt. I. have no other abilities to speak of."

Ashleigh took a slow breath.

"Beyond that, on a more general scale, healing has… slowed among the wolves," she smiled softly, reaching her hand up to the scar on her chin. "We still heal. It's just much slower. And as you can see, scarring has become far more common."

Caleb swallowed, thinking of the scar on her stomach. It was not a simple wound. There was a story behind it.

"What about the mate bond?" Caleb asked, shifting the subject slightly. Reaching his hand up to her knee. "I still feel our connection as strong as ever."

Ashleigh smiled, placing her hand on top of his.

"From what I've heard, mates found before the war still hold the same connection and pose the same danger to each other. But I didn't know until I felt you in the water."

Ashleigh swallowed, licking her lips.

"But, others, those who have found each other in the past few years... like Maeve and Liam, it is different for them than it was for us," she said. "With us… it was undeniable, almost painful. Trying to fight the bond was excruciating. And accepting it… was everything."

Caleb squeezed her knee. She lifted her eyes to his. They both smiled.

"Ours especially," she whispered, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb. "Lily said it was special because of our blood, because of the fae in us."

"No," Caleb said, shaking his head. He got to his knees and moved before her. Looking up into her eyes. "That may be a part of it, but our bond is special because of us. Because of how much we love each other, Ashleigh."

Ashleigh swallowed; a soft smile spread over her lips.

"I know," she said. "I have no doubts about us or what we share," she whispered. "Not anymore."

Caleb was surprised but delighted by her words. He leaned forward, catching her in a tender kiss. Ashleigh momentarily accepted his kiss and gently pushed him back with a smile.

"Stop distracting me," she said.

"No promises," Caleb grinned.

Ashleigh rolled her eyes and shook her head. She took a cleansing breath to clear her mind and focus on the conversation she was trying to have with him.

"What I was saying," she continued. "Is that now, they feel the connection, the pull… but they can ignore it."

Caleb furrowed his brow.

"Ignore it?" he asked, thinking back to the moment he had felt his connection with Ashleigh ignite at the Blood Moon.

His entire body had felt charged with electricity. The physical distance from her made him ache with need. It had taken every ounce of self-control not to run wild through the halls to find her that night, and when he did… well, his wolves had been forced to help him maintain his control through running and combat drills. The months they had spent apart while Ashleigh struggled with Granger and the truth about her lost twin had been torture. He had no idea how anyone could simply ignore the mate bond.

"I told you," she said, interrupting his thoughts, "it's different now. If one doesn't want the bond, they can reject the other, and it's done. They might feel sick for a few days, but that's it. And those that are bonded, if they lose their mate, they feel the loss, but it doesn't take the physical toll that it used to."

Caleb didn't understand. The mate bond was sacred. It was the one person in the world who was meant to be a part of you, your other half. But now, it seemed no more than a strong attraction.

"It was meant to ensure that none of us felt alone," Ashleigh whispered.

Caleb looked up with a questioning glance. Ashleigh smiled.

"I can feel your confusion and disappointment at the change in the bond," she said. "I get it… because we were fortunate."

Caleb's expression softened.

"The bond was never meant to keep us locked to another person if we didn't want to be. That's why we have always been able to reject our mate, but always with consequences and only with their permission," she sighed. "A lot of other wolves were not like us. They were like Bell and Irina or even Granger."

Caleb furrowed his brow, and Ashleigh reached up and stroked his cheek.

"They were all locked into a bond with someone cruel, insane, or not meant for them," she said. "If Bell and Irina could have rejected their mate. If Granger had not felt the pull so strongly. Their lives could have ended up much differently."

Caleb took a deep breath; he nodded in understanding. There had been many stories of mates who didn't get along or treated each other poorly. Even those that felt their bond but never really cared for the other. She was right. They had been very lucky. Maybe it was a good thing that the bond had been dulled.

"Slowed healing and a dulled mate bond. Those are big changes," Caleb sighed. He looked up at her. "Are those the biggest changes?"

Ashleigh chewed her bottom lip.

"Not exactly," she mumbled.

Caleb swallowed.

"What is it?" he asked, feeling her hesitation. His heart began to pump a little harder in his chest. "Is it… did we lose someone?"

Ashleigh closed her eyes.

Caleb felt his heart sink.

"Who?" he asked in a whisper.

She took a deep breath and lifted her gaze.

"Let me tell you the whole story," she said. "Everything that happened after the portal closed."

Caleb swallowed, anxiety creeping over his body.

"Okay," he whispered with a heavy nod. "Tell me everything."