赤裸裸的滑稽故事

Bell stayed away for a week. She wanted to give Ashleigh time but also needed time to process her own feelings and assumptions.

She and Galen were planning to leave for Winter in the morning. She didn’t expect Ashleigh to change her mind and come with them. Honestly, she understood why it wouldn’t be a great idea. But she still wanted to clear the air with Ashleigh before she left or at least apologize for trying to push her.

Bell knocked at the door. She waited with no response. It wasn’t unusual. Ashleigh rarely acknowledged a knock.

“Ash, I’m coming in,” she said, reaching down to the handle.

“If you are looking for Luna Ashleigh, she isn’t here,” came a voice behind her.

Bell turned to see one of the nurses on Ashleigh’s care team.

“What do you mean?” Bell asked.

“She checked out three days ago,” the nurse replied. “She had her final laser appointment and requested a final review. As soon as she was cleared, she left.”

Bell’s heart was in her throat, pounding loudly.

“Where did she go? Who approved this?!” Bell shouted.

“I did,” another voice called.

Bell spun around to see Fiona standing a few feet down the hall. She had a gentle expression on her face.

“Where is she?” Bell asked.

Fiona moved toward Bell. She gave the nurse a gentle nod, sending her away.

“Gone,” she said.

“Gone where?”

“I don’t know,” Fiona replied. “She didn’t give me many details of her plans.”

Bell was scared and angry. She wanted to shout, scream, and send out a search party.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” she said. “Ashleigh is lost and confused! She needs our help!”

“And that is what I gave her,” Fiona replied.

Bell furrowed her brows.

“What?”

Fiona took a breath; she reached out and gently touched Bell’s shoulder.

“Ashleigh reached out to me,” she said softly.

Bell’s eyes widened.

“She did?”

Fiona nodded.

“She asked me to come, and I did,” Fiona said. “She asked for my help, and I gave it.”

“What does that mean?” Bell asked.

Fiona pursed her lips. She seemed to think of how to answer.

“You are right. Ashleigh is lost and confused. But being here, and around all of us, isn’t helping her,” Fiona said. “She’s not ready for that.”

Bell looked away. Ashleigh had told her as much, But Bell was worried. She wanted to help, and she wanted to be there for her.

“Ashleigh called me here to tell me she needed time,” Fiona continued. “There is something she needs to do. She didn’t tell me what, only that it would not endanger anyone else and that she was leaving with or without my blessing.”

“She shouldn’t be alone!” Bell shouted. “She needs someone to—”

“Watch her?” Fiona asked. “Babysit her?”

Bell sighed.

“Keep her safe…” Bell replied. “From herself.”

Fiona smiled and nodded.

“Ashleigh won’t hurt herself,” she said, “she’s catching her breath.”

Bell furrowed her brows.

“She has been drowning in the moment that she lost Caleb for the past four months,” Fiona said. “Every single day, every night. All she has been able to see is him being dragged away from her, unable to do anything about it.”

Fiona closed her eyes and took a breath.

“But the trip to Moonguard…” she sighed. “She scared herself, and it forced her to see past that nightmare. To the even bleaker world that exists without him in it.”

Bell swallowed, listening to Fiona’s words and imagining how hard the past four months must have been for Ashleigh.

Fiona gave Bell’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. She tilted her head and smiled at her warmly.

“It’s a good thing,” she whispered. “The only way for anyone to come back up from the bottom is to reach it first.”

Fiona took a deep breath.

“Ashleigh is a strong woman. But she is in pain and needs to be allowed to experience it,” she sighed. “She’s also very young. Lashing out is a natural response and one that she has recognized. Ashleigh is doing what is best for her and those she cares about. If you really want to help her, give her your trust again.”

Bell took a breath and looked away.

“When will she come back?” Bell asked. “What if something happens to her? How would we even know?”

Fiona smiled.

“Well, that, at least, I did take care of,” she said. “I agreed to help her on the condition that I hear from her with at least a message every three days. If I do not, I can have Nessa track her through the phone she took.”

Bell nodded and sighed.

“I’m just worried,” she said.

Fiona nodded, putting her arm around Bell’s shoulder.

“I know, I am too,” Fiona replied. “But I must believe in her. Because that’s what Caleb would want me to do.”

***

Another two months passed.

In Winter, Axel and Alice welcomed their twins. Two beautiful, healthy boys that they named in honor of two great men. Wyatt and Jonas.

Myka continued to teach his troop, but plans for any practical experience outside of Winter were put on hold. Peter also took it upon himself to train Myka’s troop in varying degrees of first aid. Stefan was the quickest and most enthusiastic learner, followed closely by Sadie.

After coming out of their mourning period, the wolves of Broken Crag found their new Alpha. No contest was held, no trial, and no argument was raised.

Alpha Landon was the only possible option. He was practically a son to Jonas and a natural leader to the Crag wolves. Never hesitating in his service to his pack or the wolves as a whole.

Burning Ember had finally made it back to their territory. Though their home was nothing more than ruins after the damage done by the army of fae and hybrid monsters that Penelope and Mateas had died to keep from destroying the pack, one forge remained in working order. It was enough. Lighting a single fire was all they would need to rebuild and start anew.

In Summer, Galen continued working closely with Luna Fiona to handle the pack's day-to-day operations. He also worked closely with Axel on building the foundations of a true alliance between the packs.

It had been almost six months since the end of the war.

The territories of the wolves had changed dramatically. The packs were no longer divided. The ancient enemy had returned and remained. New and known fae continued to appear all over the territories but through communication and cooperation, they were quickly pushed back from the lands occupied by the different packs.

But the unclaimed lands or those whose pack had been exterminated during the war were a different story. Here the fae laid claim, and for the time being, the wolves had decided to let them be.

Moonguard was one of these territories.

When the Summer and Winter search parties had been called home, warnings had been sent out to every pack. Descriptions of the creatures and the damage they could do. After receiving these warnings, no wolf dared approach the mountains of Moonguard.

Except for one.