赤裸裸的滑稽故事

Myka was one of the first to leave the room. He watched the others as they exited.

Caleb was clearly more agitated than anyone else. Still, Myka got the feeling it had little to do with the discussions.

While annoyed at the lack of progress, Sofia and Jonas still seemed almost unaffected.

The others that represented the nomads were uncomfortable, unsure of what to ask and what to agree to. They were arguing amongst themselves as they left the room.

The next one to leave was Corrine. She watched as the other representatives continued to bicker as they walked away. Pausing her own steps, she glanced at Myka with a slightly raised brow and a soft smile before continuing on her way.

Myka sighed and leaned his head back against the wall.

“Tell me you didn't piss her off…” came a whisper from beside him.

Myka jumped off the wall

Alice let out an amused laugh.

“How long have you been here?” he asked, straightening his shirt.

“A minute,” she said. “I was waiting for the meeting to end.”

“It's not over. We are just on a break,” Myka said.

“Why is it taking so long?” Alice asked. “The nomads and the packs both want help, so why is this a difficult arrangement?”

“It's more complicated than that,” Myka sighed.

Alice looked at Myka. She could see he was bothered by something. She glanced back at Corrine's fading form and then at the man before her.

“Did you really piss her off?” Alice asked with concern.

“That sounds a bit more dramatic than the reality.”

“So, what is the reality then?”

“She doesn't like me.”

“Why?”

Myka shrugged.

“What did you do, Myka?” Alice growled softly.

“Nothing,” Myka replied innocently.

He was glad she didn't seem to know that he had kissed Peter. They had had a long talk about not rushing him into anything. Myka was supposed to start with an apology and an explanation. But he just couldn't help himself at the time.

“The winter wolves just don't seem particularly fond of me,” he said.

“More than one?” Alice asked, arms crossed over her chest.

“There was a doctor, not Peter, though his opinion of me remains unchanged.”

“Who was the other doctor?”

“I didn't catch her name. She seemed pretty friendly with Peter, protective too.”

“Dark hair, brown eyes, feisty?” Alice asked.

Myka nodded.

Alice gave an irritated laugh.

“Good job, you managed to infuriate your mate, his best friend, and his Luna all in the same day. And as a bonus, they are also my mother-in-law and sort of sister-in-law.”

“I thought you weren't married?”

“Technicality,” Alice sighed. “Doesn't change the fact that you have made a lot of bad choices in the twenty-four hours you have been here.”

Myka looked away.

Alice took a deep breath and swallowed down her annoyance. She relaxed her body and leaned against the wall.

“Myka, what is going on? When we talked about you coming here, you told me that you could handle seeing Peter, that you would talk to him about what happened between you. But that it would not affect the alliance.”

“It hasn't,” he growled.

“Really?” Alice asked. “Then what is the problem? Why aren't these discussions as easy as it was when I came to you?”

“It's complicated.”

“Uncomplicate it,” Alice said.

Myka closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. He was getting tired of this conversation, tired of regretting his mistakes and feeling them loom over him.

“Myka, you are the one that helped me convince the others to give this a shot, so why does it seem like you are now the one standing in the way?”

He clenched his jaw. She was so determined to make him change his ways, to make him fall in line.

“Your mate is the Alpha of Winter,” Myka said softly. “You didn't mention that before.”

Alice furrowed her brow.

“Was that something I needed to mention?” she asked.

“I thought it was strange when you showed up with this idea of an alliance between the nomads and two of the great packs, but when I saw how you two looked at each other, it made sense.”

“What made sense, Myka?” Alice asked, crossing her arms over her chest once more.

Myka stood up straight, standing a head taller than her. He looked down at her with a stern look in his eye.

“Your bond, it's just a different kind of programming,” he whispered. “Guess you're still just a doll doing what your Alpha orders you to.”

Alice took a deep breath through her nose. Calming her nerves and swallowing down the doubt that tried to crawl its way back up her throat.

Before she could calm herself enough to speak, she was surprised by someone else joining the conversation.

The black tip of the blade caressed the soft flesh of Myka's throat. He drew a slow breath, feeling the sharp pain of a small tear forming.

“Oi, Alice here is a good friend of mine. And I don't much appreciate the way I hear you talking about her.”

When the pain had registered in Myka's brain, he thought it would be Alpha Axel at the end of it. But to his surprise, it was Alpha Sofia.

“Sofia, it's all right,” Alice said.

“You sure?” Sofia asked, keeping her eyes on Myka. “There are five other representatives. They won't miss a spare.”

Alice chuckled.

“Let him go. He's just upset.”

“Fine,” Sofia shrugged and pulled her knife back, sheathing it on her belt. “As long as you're good.”

“I am,” Alice smiled.

“I'll get back in there. I have some things to discuss with Beta Saul,” Sofia smiled at Alice. She gave Myka a nasty look before returning to the meeting room.

Myka wiped the tiny drop of blood from his throat.

“That was rude,” he said.

“Not really,” Alice said. “The last time she used that knife, she rammed it up into the jaw of the previous alpha of Burning Ember without a word. So pretty tame response, really.”

Myka furrowed his brow.

“Myka, you don't know these people, but I do. They are good, every one of them,” she said. “I know why you're having a hard time with this, but you need to trust me. These people are not what you fear they are.”

Myka looked away from her.

“We have been friends a very long time. In one way or another,” Alice continued. “This is important, and you owe me.

He clenched his jaw.

“But I don't want to force you,” she said. “So please, try to listen, really listen. Axel, Caleb, Sofia, Jonas… they are nothing like Gorn was. You can trust them.”

Myka took a deep breath.

“It's not that easy.”

“I know,” Alice smiled. “So why don't you do a little research of your own.”

He furrowed his brows and looked at her with confusion.

Alice smiled.

“Go ask Peter for his opinion. You'll at least know if he is lying.”

Myka chewed his lower lip nervously. He thought about the hospital and how Peter had pushed him away and rejected him again.

“Hey!” Alice shouted.

Myka looked up.

“Don't kiss him again!” she growled, slapping his arm.

Of course, she knew.

***

“What was all that?” his warm voice whispered against her ear as his arms wrapped around her waist.

Alice leaned back into Axel's chest, embracing his warm and sweet scent.

“Just trying to knock some sense into him,” she sighed.

Axel leaned forward and kissed her throat.

“But you just sent him away as the meeting is about to start again,” he whispered against her skin.

Alice closed her eyes and turned her head, exposing more of her throat for him to taste.

“I didn't bring Myka to participate in the alliance decisions,” she said. “Having an even number of representatives from the nomads would be a bad plan. They might be locked in a tie if they can't reach a consensus.”

Axel bit her gently.

“Then why?” he asked.

Alice took in a shaky breath.

“Because…” she whispered. “They need each other.”

“Who?” he asked, tightening his arms around her as he nibbled on her ear.

“Myka and Peter,” she whispered. “They need each other, just like we did….”

Axel reached his hand up to her chin and turned her face toward him. He kissed her. It was rough but gentle.

When they pulled away for air, she turned her body to him. Looking up at him with a soft growl, she held to his shoulders and jumped up into his arms.

Axel caught her and held her close.

“Are you sure the meeting is about to start?” she asked playfully, biting his lower lip.

Axel growled and kissed her hard.

When he pulled away from her lips, she proceeded to trail kisses along his jaw, still clinging to him.

Axel pulled out his phone as he began to carry her away from the meeting rooms.

“Let's break for lunch,” he said when the other party answered the phone. “I'm starving.”

Axel hung up the phone and hurriedly took her to the nearest empty room with a lock.