赤裸裸的滑稽故事

“What did you say to her?” Ashleigh asked as he passed by her.

Galen looked back at Sienna.

“I assured her that her sister won’t be punished,” he said.

Ashleigh furrowed her brows.

“Punished?” she asked. “For what?”

Galen looked back at Ashleigh.

“Not here,” he said quietly. “We should check the perimeter anyway.”

Galen and Ashleigh left the room, making their way through the dark, quiet building. They checked windows and doors, ensuring they were all still locked and intact.

A room toward the back of the building had an access door. Once they had double-checked that it was secure, Ashleigh was tired of waiting.

“So?” Ashleigh asked. “Are you going to tell me now?”

Galen took a deep breath and turned around to face Ashleigh.

“Sienna’s sister, Darla, is currently in the hospital,” he said. “She has been placed on a heavy dose of sedative and is monitored around the clock.”

“What happened to her?” Ashleigh asked with genuine concern.

Galen shook his head.

“She’s not being monitored for a medical issue,” he said. “She attacked another wolf.”

Ashleigh’s eyes widened. She thought of the sister, of the woman who had helped her win the game. She was capable. That was clear by her ability to hold Fiona back even for a moment. But still, the idea that she would attack someone seemed ridiculous.

“Did someone see it happen?” Ashleigh asked. “She doesn’t seem like someone that would do that.”

“She isn’t,” Galen replied.

Ashleigh furrowed her brows. She was confused by his response.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Darla is three years older but has always been close with Sienna. They lost their parents when they were teenagers, and Darla took care of Sienna after that.

“She met her mate about three years before you first came to Summer, and Sienna remained with the two of them as though she were their full-grown daughter.”

Ashleigh saw a gentle smile on Galen’s face. She wondered if he was good friends with Darla’s mate.

“He died the night Granger attacked.”

Ashleigh swallowed. She remembered the chaos and confusion of that night. How she had lost control of herself when she thought Caleb was in danger.

“Sienna stayed by her side through the pain and the healing of that loss. They mourned together, feeling as though they now truly only had each other.”

Ashleigh felt a tight grip on her heart at hearing the sad tale.

“Why are you telling me all of this?” Ashleigh asked.

“Because I want you to understand how confusing and difficult this whole situation is,” he said softly, “And how completely lost some of these wolves have become.”

Galen let out a heavy sigh.

“The person that Darla attacked was Sienna.”

Ashleigh’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“A week ago,” he continued. “Darla stabbed Sienna with a knife. Thankfully, she missed anything vital, and Sienna was able to fight her off and escape. But she was trapped in her bathroom for two hours while Darla pounded, stabbed, and screamed at Sienna through the door.”

Ashleigh had no words.

“While she waited, Sienna cleaned and bandaged herself, and then she made a plan to subdue Darla, and she did. She took her to the hospital and told the staff what happened.”

Ashleigh furrowed her brows and shook her head.

“I don’t understand…” she said. “Why did Darla attack her sister?”

Galen took a deep breath.

“Sienna knew that Darla was struggling, just like all the others. She was lost, confused, and desperate to hold on to the past. According to her, Darla had been quickly losing herself for months. But, when Sienna heard the rumor that you were coming to Summer, she… expressed her opinion to Darla.”

“Not the most favorable, I’m guessing,” Ashleigh sighed.

“No,” Galen replied honestly, “Sienna knew that Darla wouldn’t agree or like it, but she never expected that Darla could ever hurt her.”

Ashleigh narrowed her eyes at Galen.

“You’re saying that Darla attacked Sienna because of me?” she scoffed.

“It sounds ridiculous to you,” he replied. “But it’s true.”

“It sounds ridiculous because it is ridiculous, Galen,” Ashleigh stated. “I don’t even know her. She helped me in the game, but I’ve never even spoken to her outside of that.”

“No, it's not a personal connection or problem,” he said. “Sienna tried to tell you already, whether you took up the role or not, you were Luna of Summer, and that meant something to the whole pack.”

Ashleigh gritted her teeth angrily.

“You don’t know what it’s been like for the past two years, Ashleigh,” Galen continued. “The infighting, the debates and arguments, the insane rumors about me, Fiona, you… Summer isn’t the pack you knew. Or the one that Caleb left behind.”

Ashleigh felt a weight in her stomach and an unease in her chest. Still, she tried to push it down.

“How bad could it be?” she said. “Infighting, arguments? We’re wolves. There will always be pack struggles. And rumors? Seriously? What does it matter what people say?”

Galen clenched his jaw in frustration.

“They think Fiona and I chased you out,” he said. “That we’ve kept you away in order to keep our hold on Summer. Some even believe she threatened you somehow and refused to let you come to the vigil.”

“But I was there.”

“But they didn’t see you,” Galen replied. “And it didn’t matter what we said. The rumors just kept getting worse from there. Now, entire sections of the pack refuse to interact with each other, and families have turned on each other, all based on who they think should be in charge.”

“You mean between you and Fiona?” Ashleigh scoffed.

“Yes,” he said. “And you.”