赤裸裸的滑稽故事

Ashleigh’s eyes widened with understanding as Alice’s voice called out from the past. Now she realized her mistake.

“I think maybe we all need to calm down a bit, yea?” Maeve said, carefully beginning to move to separate them if needed.

“Maeve,” Ashleigh said, keeping her eyes on Alice, “we’re fine. Stay where you are.”

“No offense, but Alice doesn’t seem all that fine,” Maeve replied softly.

Alice did not respond, no quip, no smile. Which only unsettled Maeve even more.

“That’s because Alice is misunderstanding the situation,” Ashleigh said.

“Am I?” Alice replied flatly. “Please, enlighten me.”

Ashleigh took a slow breath and moved toward Alice.

“I know what you are worried about,” she said softly, “this is not that, I promise.”

Alice gave a gentle scoff.

“Should I just take your word for it?” Alice asked.

“You said you would trust me, didn’t you?” Ashleigh asked. “Give me the benefit of the doubt here, okay?”

Alice clenched her jaw.

“I already have,” Alice said. “When I didn’t question you about the meeting a week ago. When I didn’t come here that day and when I waited patiently to hear anything from you at all.”

Ashleigh swallowed as Alice stepped even closer. They were only inches apart now. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, but she could hear Alice’s heart beating in a calm and steady rhythm. The steadiness unsettled Ashleigh.

“But two days ago, to my genuine surprise, Maeve suggested rescheduling our meeting,” Alice’s eyes flared angrily. “I don’t like surprises, Ashleigh.”

It was at this moment that Ashleigh realized something very unexpected. The anger in Alice’s eyes and words was layered with disappointment.

She considered all that Alice had said. One year ago, they had made an agreement. More specifically, Alice had agreed to Ashleigh’s request and, in doing so, had decided to trust in Ashleigh.

[ 1 YEAR AGO ]

“No.”

“No?” Ashleigh questioned with surprise. “What do you mean no?”

Alice tilted her head and smiled as she leaned back into the oversized chair behind the desk.

“You made a request, and I answered that request,” she replied.

“But you answered with a no,” Ashleigh said.

“Yes,” Alice nodded.

“Why not yes?” Ashleigh asked.

“Because the answer is no,” Alice smiled.

Ashleigh closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it back out slowly through her nose. It was always like this with Alice. Back and forth, never agreeing on anything. She had known the chances were low that Alice would agree to her request, but it didn’t make it any less bothersome.

“Why?” Ashleigh asked.

“You already know why,” Alice sighed. She stood up from the desk and began to move away. “Now, I need to get back to the children, or Axel will use my absence as an excuse never to stop playing or get back to work.”

Alice was almost at the door when Ashleigh called out.

“Alice, wait!” Ashleigh shouted. “I brought her with me. At least… at least meet her.”

Alice stopped and let out a sigh.

“Then you can decide for yourself,” Ashleigh said. “Wouldn’t that meet your requirements?”

When Ashleigh decided to bring Maeve to Winter to learn from Alice, she knew it was a long shot.

Alice had begun training wolves of all packs in information gathering and self-defense two years earlier. But she had specific rules and requirements for any wolf that would train under her. The most important rule was that she picked every one of them herself.

If a pack were interested in having a wolf trained, the Alpha would send a request. Alice would research the pack in her own way and then decide who would make the best candidates. At this point, she would meet with the candidates to test and interview them before deciding.

Once Alice had picked her wolf, the Alpha could approve or reject the decision, but a rejection meant that she would train no wolf from the pack.

Alice took a deep breath before turning back to face Ashleigh. She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Do you understand why I select my wolves the way I do?” Alice asked.

“To find the ones that have the most natural talent for the job you are training them to do,” Ashleigh replied.

Alice smiled.

“Is that why you think this girl… Maeve, was it?” Alice asked.

Ashleigh nodded.

“Is that why you think I should teach her? Because she has a natural talent for the job?” Alice asked.

“I think that she has potential, yes,” Ashleigh replied. “I think if she wanted, she could learn almost anything she put her mind to.”

“Hmm,” Alice nodded, observing Ashleigh. “But you specifically came here to ask me to train her. So, you must think that she has something to offer this job in particular, right?”

Ashleigh nodded her head. She was confident that Maeve could excel at anything she wanted.

“And what is the job that I train these wolves for?” Alice asked.

Ashleigh furrowed her brows and stared back at Alice.

Alice continued to smile. She tilted her head.

“I’m so curious about your answer, Ashleigh,” she said with a gentle chuckle. “Truly, I am on pins and needles with anticipation.”

Ashleigh wasn’t sure what Alice’s goal was or what she expected her to say, but it was clear that she was trying to trick her.

She took a deep breath, she wanted to give Maeve this chance, but she wasn’t in the mood for Alice’s games.

“I get it. You aren’t interested,” Ashleigh sighed. Getting up from her chair, she smoothed out her shirt. “I won’t take up any more of your time.”

“Is it that difficult a question?” Alice asked. “You came to me asking that I train your friend in this job, but you can’t tell me what that job is?”

“Of course, I know the job, Alice. I am the one that pushed for you to come out of retirement in the first place.” Ashleigh sighed, walking past Alice toward the door. “I’m just not interested in playing games with you right now.”

“Aren’t you the one playing, Ashleigh?” Alice asked.

“What does that mean?” Ashleigh asked, turning back to face Alice.

“It means that you came here asking a favor, yet you won't answer a simple question for me,” Alice replied. “What is it that I train each of these wolves to do?”

Ashleigh stared at Alice for a long time. She was sure there was some trick to the question, some way to make Ashleigh seem like an idiot. But she couldn’t figure out what it was.

Finally, Ashleigh took a deep breath.

“Spying,” Ashleigh replied. “You teach them to do what you did for Spring. To learn secrets that can be used against people or packs seen as a threat.”

“And that is what you believe Maeve has a natural talent for?” Alice asked. “Sneaking around, gaining trust, and using it against people?”

Ashleigh waited to reply. Was that what she thought? When she said it out loud, having a natural talent for spying didn’t sound like much of a compliment.

“I didn’t mean…” Ashleigh began, “It’s not that she is untrustworthy… she is a good person. Sweet, quiet… I just meant that she is capable of more...”

“Ashleigh, let me ask you again,” Alice called to her, a serious expression on her face. “Do you understand why I select my wolves the way I do?”