赤裸裸的滑稽故事

Two weeks had passed since Winter had said goodbye to their former alpha.

Corrine and Axel had agreed to officially declare war on Autumn. However, a series of attacks on lesser packs and the Winter scouts had kept them from sending the declaration.

All scouting parties sent outside Winter were called back after three teams were attacked. Two were lost, and the third described a similar situation to what Saul had reported when Wyatt was taken.

Summer was receiving their share of reported attacks, but the focus was still heavily directed toward Winter.

Caleb had sent reinforcements to their allies in the lesser packs. At the same time, Axel focused on the attacks near and around his territory.

While they suspected the one in charge was Autumn, there was no evidence to support it. The scouts that Summer had sent near Autumn claimed that there had been no one in or out the entire two weeks.

The same went for Spring, whose borders had been sealed since the announcement of their alliance with Autumn.

The scattered reports also claimed that the attacking wolves seemed unorganized and possibly feral.

This led to the possibility of the attacks being carried out by rogues. Which then led to Axel\'s current problem.

“I know what I am doing, Axel!” Alice growled.

“I didn\'t say that you didn\'t, only that we need to consider other options!” Axel growled back.

“This is the best option!” she shouted back with frustration.

Corrine sighed. They had been arguing for the past fifteen minutes, and neither would give in anytime soon. But the fact was, one of them was actually correct. As much as she didn\'t want to get between a pair of mates, this was more important than their feelings.

“Just let me handle this!” Axel growled at Alice.

“Alpha, perhaps we should consider–” Saul began to speak.

“I said we need to consider other options!” Axel interrupted.

“Axel,” Corrine called to him.

Axel turned to his mother, holding back the irritation he was clearly feeling.

“Darling, I understand your concerns, but what Alice proposes is our best option.”

“We don\'t know that,” he replied, shaking his head.

“Yes, we do,” Alice said. Crossing her arms.

Axel growled.

“Axel, we need information,” Corrine said.

Axel clenched his jaw.

“Mateas,” Axel said. “He and Penelope, their team could do it.”

“Mateas is not ready for the field yet, and Penelope is temporarily with another team,” Saul replied.

“I am the best choice, Axel. Just admit it,” Alice said with a heavy sigh.

Axel looked away.

“Alice has the experience that none of us do. She knows routes and bypasses that haven\'t been mapped or become known to others. And she can move around easily on her own. So it is much safer for her than sending a team outside,” Saul offered.

“Safer?” Axel scoffed. “How will she handle it when they spot her? With no backup and Goddess knows how far away from the nearest ally!”

Alice narrowed her eyes, and Axel turned to look at her.

“I just mean–” he started to speak.

“I will handle it like I always have!” Alice shouted angrily. “This is what I do, Axel. I gather information, and I survive.”

Axel lowered his gaze from her.

Alice shook her head and pushed past him to leave the room.

“Alice!” Axel shouted after her. He turned his frustration on the table knocking over the maps and papers stacked on it.

“Saul,” Corrine said gently, “Can you give us the room?”

“Of course, Luna,” Saul gave a respectful salute before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Axel stood gripping the side of the table.

“Axel,” Corrine called.

“Please,” he said softly. “Don\'t.”

Corrine smiled.

“I\'m sorry, my boy, but I cannot hold my tongue to spare your feelings this time.”

Axel sighed and turned to face his mother.

“I know,” he said.

Corrine touched his cheek.

“Just because she isn\'t blessed with the gifts the rest of us have, does not mean she is not a formidable woman.”

“I know.”

“If you know, why do you insist on making an enemy of her?” Corrine asked.

“I\'m not trying to,” Axel growled.

“Well, you succeeded without effort.”

Axel sighed.

“I just don\'t want to lose her,” he said, leaning back against the table.

“I know,” Corrine smiled. “We all know.”

“I don\'t want to send her out alone,” he said. “Not just because it\'s potentially a dangerous mission, but because out there… Holden, Roman… what if they find her?”

“Your fear is understandable,” Corrine said, leaning against the table beside him. “But, darling, it is your fear, not hers.”

“What? She is the first to tell anyone that those two are dangerous to us all.”

“I\'m sure that she shares your general concern, yes. But I am saying, Axel, that your fear is losing her again. Whether from injury or disappearance. But that is not what she fears.”

“What are you talking about?” Axel sighed.

“She fears being useless.”

“What? That\'s ridiculous. She\'s not useless at all!”

“I know, but that child\'s life was built around what she could do and how she could be used. It is all she knows,” Corrine said. “Now, you want to pamper and shelter her. But she isn’t built for that.”

Axel sighed.

“You gave her the task of finding the traitor, and then you took it away and gave it to Saul.”

“Yes, because he is more familiar with Winter.”

“I understand, and it was the right decision. But then she offered to take care of the Blue Reef children.”

“Yes, but it was better for them to be placed within family homes, where they could be with other children and go to school.”

“And I agree, again, it was the right choice.”

“What are you trying to tell me?” Axel asked.

“When you made those decisions, did you know how she felt?” Corrine asked. “Did you know that she wouldn\'t like it?”

“Yes, and we talked about it. She understood when I explained my reasons. It might not have been what she wanted, but it was best.”

“Correct,” Corrine smiled. “Because the right decision rarely has anything to do with what we want or how we feel.”

Axel narrowed his eyes and then sighed, looking away from Corrine. He pushed off of the table.

“I know what you\'re doing, but that\'s not–” Axel began to argue.

“What if it were Mateas, Penelope, or Galen? What if they came to you with the exact same plan and the skillset you know she has? Would your answer change?”

Axel took a deep breath and sighed.

***

“Twice a day– No! Three times a day!” Axel demanded.

Alice laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to kiss her.

“Three times a day,” she whispered against his lips.

Axel pulled her tightly against him. Pressing his forehead to hers, he took a deep breath, inhaling her scent.

“Two weeks,” he whispered. “No matter what, you come back in two weeks.”

“Ok.”

“I mean it,” he said thoughtfully.

Alice pulled back so she could look up at him.

“I will call you three times a day,” she smiled. “And I will be here in two weeks, no matter what. I promise.”

“You better,” he whispered, tilting his head toward her for another kiss.

“Alice!” a small voice called, drawing her attention away from Axel\'s kiss.

“Stefan!” Alice smiled brightly.

The boy came running down the road, and Alice pulled away from Axel to kneel down and hug him.

“I heard you\'ve got a mission to spy on the rogues!” Stefan said. “I wanted to go with you.”

Alice gave him a gentle smile.

“I know,” he said. “You move faster on your own.”

Alice chuckled and nodded. She reached her hand to his cheek.

“Train hard,” she said, “and when you are older, maybe we can share a mission together.”

“I will,” Stefan replied with an enthusiastic nod.

The sound of a horn told her it was time.

“I gotta go. You be good.”

She stood up and waved to the boy before turning and looking at Axel.

Axel reached a hand out to her, she took it, and they walked together to the car. He kissed her forehead and then her lips.

“Two weeks,” he said.

“Three calls a day,” she said.

They touched their heads together gently.

“I love you, Alice.”

“I love you, Sweet Boy.”

Alice pulled away and got into the car, shutting the door quickly to hide the hesitation she felt at leaving him.

As the car pulled away, she closed her eyes, seeing him in her mind watching her go.

‘I can\'t be your Luna,\' she thought. ‘But I can be of use to you. I promise.\'