赤裸裸的滑稽故事

Two months had passed since the end of the war, and most had returned to their daily lives. There were changes, of course, but the wolves had moved on everywhere that Ashleigh looked.

Families reunited, building homes. Treaties between the packs were being reviewed and adjusted. All around her, people smiled. They laughed. They lived.

Alice was due in just under two months, and the people of Winter were already discussing a celebration to welcome the children of the Alpha.

Fiona sent her daily reports about Summer. The repairs, the changes. Alpha Sofia and her wolves remained in Summer. The destruction of Burning Ember\'s home had been severe. Still, they were expected to be able to return within another month.

Nessa and Clara remained in Broken Crag. It surprised Ashleigh to learn that the mourning period was three full months. During that time, the Crag was almost entirely locked down as the pack allowed themselves to embrace the pain and suffering in their hearts.

Jonas was a great man and a beloved Alpha. The wolves of Broken Crag mourned him with passion and reverence.

The mourning process of the Crag wolves was a primal experience.

Sorrow, anger, despair. Everything was set free from within. Some would drop to their knees and wail for days on end. Others would break themselves repeatedly against the stone as they tried to release their anger. Still, others would sit silently and stare at nothing for hours until they finally cried, slept, or screamed.

The Crag wolves allowed the pain to consume them. To lose themselves in the flames of their anger and despair until they were, each and every one of them, nothing more than the last echo of the proud and strong people he had made them to be.

Only then could they begin anew.

They would slowly rise from the ashes of their pain and weakness. They would drag themselves out of their despair on their bellies until they were strong enough to crawl on their hands and knees. Then, they would stand again when the anger and misery fell away and turned to gratefulness and remembrance.

And finally, when they could lift their heads and face each other with a smile, knowing they had come through it all together. They would walk.

The wolves of Broken Crag would heal.

The wolves of Burning Ember would return home.

Summer and Winter were building alliances and celebrating their blessings.

There were still minor scuffles around the territories with rogues and fae creatures. But the war was well and truly over, and the packs were looking toward their futures.

Meanwhile, Ashleigh alone kept the search for Caleb going.

It had been almost two weeks since Axel had agreed to send the scout to Moonguard. She had been checking daily for the past week, but no report had come through. No message. Nothing. Axel asked for her patience, reminding her that the scout had already left the area and it would take them time to return.

But his words only served to anger her more. The scout had only left the area to deliver his message to the other packs. If not for that, they would have already sent a report, and Ashleigh could already be on her way to find Caleb.

Now she stood in his office. Once again, he told her he had not received word from the scout, but she didn\'t stay to argue this time. Alice\'s arrival a moment ago had seen to that.

It wasn\'t that they were fighting or that she had any particular hatred toward the other woman. But Ashleigh and Alice had been avoiding each other since the day that they had spoken in the hospital.

Neither had apologized, and neither wanted an apology. Instead, there was an unspoken acceptance, a sort of recognition and understanding.

When their eyes met after Alice entered the office, a silent conversation passed between them.

\'You are angry, filled with pain, and you want everyone else around you to feel it too,\' Alice\'s eyes told Ashleigh.

\'You deserve your happiness and your family with Axel, but it hurts me to see it right now,\' Ashleigh\'s eyes replied.

\'I won\'t suffer for you.\'

\'I can\'t be happy for you.\'

They both looked away from each other. Ashleigh told her brother she would return the next day, and then she left the office.

As the door closed behind her, Ashleigh took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her entire body felt heavy and worn. She knew that she was tired, but this was something more. Why did her chest feel so heavy right now?

"Excuse me," a soft voice called before her.

Ashleigh swallowed and stood up straight with another deep breath. She cleared her mind of useless concerns and looked at the person before her. It was a young woman, not much older than Ashleigh, but she didn\'t recognize her.

"What?" Ashleigh asked.

"Sorry, is this Alpha Axel\'s office?" the woman asked, looking past Ashleigh at the door behind her.

"It is," Ashleigh sighed.

Ashleigh saw the smile spread over the woman\'s lips. The woman straightened up and moved toward the door.

"But he is in with his mate right now," Ashleigh said. The woman paused before her hand reached the door. "Is there something that I can help you with?"

The woman looked at Ashleigh. There was a question in her eyes, a concern.

Ashleigh smiled.

"Are you, by chance, one of the southern wolves?" Ashleigh asked.

The woman nodded.

"I see. Then you likely have no idea who I am," Ashleigh laughed as the young woman shook her head.

As large as the territories of Winter were, it was easy for the southern and northern wolves not to recognize each other. Even in the last year, when Axel had made more effort to bring all of Winter together, Ashleigh had already gone to Summer. There was no reason for this woman to know who she was at a glance.

"I\'m his sister, Ashleigh," she said.

The young woman suddenly got a look of relief and recognition.

"Oh, yes!" she smiled. "I remember seeing your picture before."

"So," Ashleigh said, "is there something I can help you with while my brother is busy?"

"Yes, thank you," the woman replied. She pulled an envelope from the canvas bag she wore across her body and held it out to Ashleigh. "I was just delivering the scouting reports we received this afternoon."