赤裸裸的滑稽故事

Ashleigh turned and pulled her pack forward. She opened it, removed the journal from within, and offered it to her brother.

“This also belonged to him,” she said, lowering her gaze. “He kept a very detailed account, almost until the end.”

Axel swallowed and took the journal.

“Ashleigh…” he whispered. “Did you find what you needed?”

Ashleigh swallowed and looked toward the ground.

“I did find him…” she said. “But I was too late.”

She took a breath.

“I built his pyre and stood witness,” she continued softly. “The rock… he requested that it be placed for him.”

Axel looked down at the small stone in his hand. He squeezed it and nodded.

“His family has already placed one,” he said. “But I will personally place this stone for him.”

Ashleigh nodded and looked down.

Axel turned toward Alice, who already had her hands out to him. He smiled briefly and placed the journal and stone into her hands. He turned back to his sister.

“Ashleigh,” he called.

She lifted her head and was immediately pulled into his strong embrace.

Ashleigh gasped. Her heart thumped heavily in her chest, and her lungs felt too small for the air she needed.

He held her tight, refusing to let her go.

She wanted to push away, escape the warmth of her brother’s uncompromising affection for her, and return to the cold place inside that she had been huddled down in for so long.

“I’m so glad that you came back,” he whispered.

His voice sounded so relieved. So worried.

Was she back?

Ashleigh took a shaky breath. Slowly she raised her arms, and with hesitation, she hugged him.

She let out a breath that felt as though she had held it for much too long. With it, tears streamed from her eyes, and her chest ached with the sobs that escaped her lips.

Her arms wrapped tighter around Axel, and she clung to him as she had when she was a child, scared of the nightmare she had only just woken from.

Axel clenched his jaw and held his sister close. His heart ached as she was finally showing him the pain she was carrying.

“It’s okay,” he whispered, rubbing her back gently. “I’m here.”

“I’m… so sorry…” she whispered through her tears. “I’m so sorry…”

“Sshhh…” Axel whispered. “You’re okay.”

“Ashleigh…” a gentle voice called behind her in the hallway.

Ashleigh gasped and looked back over her shoulder to see her mother.

Corrine swallowed and took a step toward her children.

“Mom…” Ashleigh whispered.

Axel released his hold on her, and Ashleigh pulled away, wiping her face and seemingly just noticing the dirt that covered her entire body. She clenched her jaws and wrung her hands as she stared at the ground.

Corrine took a breath and looked up at Axel.

“The ceremony will soon begin,” she said. “As Alpha of Winter, you really can’t be late.”

“But—” Axel began to protest.

“He won’t be,” Alice interrupted, grabbing Axel’s arm and looking up at him.

He looked at her with objection, wanting to argue that he should stay with Ashleigh.

“Your mother… and sister,” Alice said, “will join us as soon as they are ready.”

Axel furrowed his brow and clenched his jaw; he didn’t want to leave Ashleigh. But he understood that he needed to be the Alpha, not the brother.

He reached his hand to Ashleigh’s shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze. She looked back at him.

“I will see you soon?” he said. It was a question rather than a statement.

Ashleigh swallowed, but she nodded.

Axel nodded and moved to leave. He stopped and turned back to Ashleigh. He pulled her into another tight hug and kissed her head.

Just as quickly, he pulled away and walked past her down the hall.

Alice closed the door of their room and turned to Ashleigh.

“The dark place inside… is temporary, so keep your visits short,” she said softly. “I look forward to the day you abandon it fully and return to those who still wait for you.”

Ashleigh lowered her eyes, feeling a heavy weight in her chest.

Alice reached out, placing her index finger under Ashleigh’s chin, and lifted her until their eyes met.

“There is no shame or weakness in getting lost in your pain,” she whispered. “Or in holding on to hope when it seems hopeless.”

Ashleigh swallowed.

Alice smiled and pulled her hand away. She turned to Corrine and gave her a nod before she left to follow Axel, who waited just around the corner.

He looked at her with a warm smile.

“You keep claiming you don’t like her…” he said quietly, “but it’s getting harder and harder to believe you.”

Alice rolled her eyes and walked past him.

“I have lived in the dark,” she said, “I don’t have to like someone to hope they can find their way out of it.”

“True,” he said. “But that didn’t seem like just a simple warning. It felt more like encouragement.”

Alice sighed.

“Maybe becoming a mother has softened me.”

Axel caught up to her, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips to place a warm kiss across her knuckles.

“I don’t think so,” he whispered, “you’ve always had this warmth to your nature.”

Alice raised a brow.

“It’s one of the things I love about you,” he continued. “Now, you aren’t working so hard to hide it.”

Alice took a deep breath and turned away, continuing down the hall.

“Maybe I’m starting to realize this life is real,” she said quietly, “and not just another role I’m playing.”

Axel stopped, pulling her back into his arms and looking into her eyes.

“This is real,” he whispered, “I am real, you, our children, our life. All real.”

Alice swallowed with a warmth beginning to grow in her chest.

“The doll is gone,” he continued, tenderly running his thumb over her jaw. “Holden, Roman… the lab… they are gone… forever. All those years you spent trapped inside….”

Axel paused, swallowing and looking into her eyes with warmth and affection.

“That’s all over,” he said. “A horrible nightmare that you’ve now woken up from. This life with me, this is what is real.”

He leaned forward and kissed her with a delicate brush of his lips.

“There are no more roles,” he whispered. “For the rest of our days, you are Alice, just Alice. The love of my life, and whatever else you want to be.”

Alice swallowed, the warmth in her chest spread out over her body.

“Whatever I want to be?” she asked.

Axel nodded.

Alice let out a soft laugh.

“I’ve never really thought about that before,” she said.