赤裸裸的滑稽故事

“It’s okay,” she said softly.

Clara looked at her and then back at the door as she recognized Landon stepping in and looking around before he turned and offered his hand to someone behind him.

When she saw Fiona, Clara smiled from ear to ear.

“Luna Fiona!” she called out with joy.

Behind her, the wolves huddled together, turned and looked, letting out gentle cries of relief when they saw her.

The soldier who had received the beating earlier fell to his knees as his body gave out. Clara quickly helped him to move back and lay down with the others.

“Is everyone here all right?” Fiona asked, stepping over the bookcase.

“We have some injuries,” Clara said. “But mostly, yes, we are all right. And very happy to see the two of you.”

“Is Beta Galen with you?” Henry asked.

Fiona shook her head.

“No,” she said. “I came straight here when I realized there was something very wrong. I have not had a chance to reach out to him.”

Landon closed the door, pushing the bookcase back against it.

Fiona went straight to Nessa.

“I assume you are working on getting us complete system control?” she asked.

Nessa nodded.

“Sure am,” she smiled. “Almost there. I am keeping the locks on the armories and the automated weapons. Don’t think anyone needs that access right now.”

“Good plan,” Fiona replied. “Once you can get me access to the monitoring systems, I think we can start to section off areas of the city with barriers.”

“Why would we do that?” Clara asked. “That will just lock people up in smaller sections. The ones that aren’t crazy will get trapped with those that are.”

“I understand the concern,” Fiona said. “But from what Landon and I observed, those that have gone over the edge, so to speak, are few. They are just moving around and making trouble wherever they go.”

“If we can separate them from each other,” Landon sighed, “it will be easier to contain them without resorting to harming them.”

Clara furrowed her brows.

“Why do you sound so disappointed by that?” she asked.

Nessa let out a chuckle.

“He’s pouting,” she said.

“Why?” Clara asked.

“Because one, in Broken Crag, it is considered one of the greatest sins a wolf can commit to turn against your pack,” Nessa replied. “And two…”

She smiled and looked between Fiona and Landon.

“I’m guessing he got told off for roughhousing on his way here...”

Clara looked at Fiona, who looked away, and then at Landon.

Landon looked back at Nessa with a look of irritation.

“OH!” Clara said with a smile as she realized what Nessa was implying.

“Shouldn’t you focus on your task?” Landon asked.

“I’m really good at multitasking,” Nessa smiled.

Landon let out a soft growl, but all he received from Nessa was a giggle.

A moment later, there were a few beeps, and the monitors that Sam had been stationed at suddenly turned on.

“There we go,” Nessa said. “You should have full monitoring access now. I’ll keep working on the other systems.”

“Thank you, Nessa,” Fiona said before looking at all the displayed images.

She could see they were spread out all over the city, but their assumption was correct. There were only a handful of instigators. No more than about fifty wolves. They moved quickly, causing disturbances and making messes as they went.

“They’re trying to make themselves appear like a larger group,” Clara said as she watched their behavior across the screens. “They are being loud and obnoxious. Making their presence known and forcing those that want to keep the peace to hide and duck their heads.”

Fiona nodded.

“Yes,” she said. She pointed to one screen in particular. “Here, soldiers are guarding this building. There must be people inside.”

“Here, too,” Clara said, pointing to another screen.

“Here, as well,” Landon said.

“Yes,” Fiona nodded. “The soldiers are keeping our people safe. They aren’t going after the troublemakers, and the troublemakers aren’t coming close enough to risk getting into combat.”

“Then what’s the point?” Clara asked. “There’s no way to take control of Summer without a fight. So, why start any trouble if that isn’t their goal?”

“They aren’t peaceful,” Sam said. “They are willing to hurt anyone in their way, and they tried to gain access to the armory.”

“That’s true,” Clara said.

“Look at them,” Landon said, pointing to the screen.

The image he was looking at showed a group of five people. They appeared to be shouting, hitting walls and garbage cans with the heavy pipes they carried. But every few feet, one or two of them would stop. They would grab their head as though they were in pain, or their shoulders would fall, and their whole body would shake like they were crying.

“They look drunk,” he said.

Fiona shook her head.

“No,” she said. “They look desperate. To stop the pain, the madness, the uncertainty. They’re suffering, and they don’t know how else to stop it.”

“I don’t understand,” Clara sighed. “I know people have been struggling for a long time, and there have been a lot of disagreements… but why now? Why is this happening now?”

Fiona took a deep breath and lowered her head.

“Because Summer is unique among all the other packs for one reason,” she said. “Our Alpha has always been a direct descendant of the first.”

She leaned on the chair in front of her.

“Other packs have often believed that Summer has very little spirituality because of our love of science, technology, advancement… but that’s not true,” she paused. “The fact that we had a direct line to the first Alpha chosen by the Goddess is something that many wolves of Summer have clung to.”

Fiona closed her eyes.

“Cain and Caleb had to deal with how they were idolized because of their blood. They were worshipped to a degree,” she continued. “But it was never out of control because there was no reason for it to get out of control.”

“But now there is?” Clara said.

Fiona nodded.

“Caleb was the last of that first line, and he is gone,” she said. “These wolves were already scared of what that meant. They needed something, or someone, to cling to… someone they believed could right the wrong in their belief system. Someone they believed the Goddess had sent to them.”

Clara closed her eyes, understanding what Fiona meant. She had heard the arguments about leadership, about who others believed should be in charge. But for Clara, it was never a real consideration. She knew who was right for the job and who had no interest in it.

“Ashleigh…” she whispered.

Fiona nodded.

“When Caleb disappeared, they saw her as the only one that could bring him back,” she said. “They have held tight to that belief all this time, but now, after three years without the calming influence of an Alpha… they’re desperate.”

“It’s ridiculous,” Sam sighed. “Ashleigh left as soon as she could. She doesn’t care about Summer. She never has.”

“That’s not true,” Clara said, looking back at Sam. “I understand why you think that, but it’s not true. She cares, she really does… but just because she’s powerful and a kick-ass warrior… doesn’t mean she can’t break like any of us. She cares about Summer, but for her, Summer is Caleb… and her heart is still broken.”

“All of our hearts are broken,” Fiona said softly. “But we still have to move forward.”

Clara swallowed.

“So, that’s why they’re losing their minds? Because Ashleigh hasn’t come back to lead?” she asked. “But she’s refused to do that for at least two years. Why was today the breaking point?”

Fiona sighed.

“Because,” she said, “they discovered that Galen intends to be Alpha at the full moon. And that he has called Ashleigh here today to get her support. Likely, they felt it was the last chance to right the wrong.”

Clara’s eyes widened.

“Galen will be Alpha?” Sam asked, his voice perking up.

“Has he agreed?” Henry asked, a note of excitement in his tone.

Clara noticed that the others in the room had lifted their heads. They looked at Fiona with hope in their eyes. She furrowed her brows as she thought of others who would have reacted similarly. The soldiers that guarded the people on the screen, Stacey, and the other teachers at the school.

She turned to Nessa, who looked at her with a gentle and knowing smile.

Nessa had hinted at the common thread among those who didn’t seem to be losing themselves as quickly as the rest of Summer. The shared belief among those people and Clara was simple.

They all already knew, and accepted, who should be leading Summer.