2

Leah paced the bedroom floor, trying not to worry too much. She had faith in Kai, but the situation was dangerous. What if he didn't come back at all?

But just as she was about to succumb to her fear, she heard a sound outside. It was a low growl, followed by a whimpering noise. She rushed to the window and peeked out, her heart racing.

Outside, she saw Kai in his wolf form, curled up next to a smaller wolf. It was a female, with a patch of white fur on her chest. Leah felt a jolt of recognition. The female wolf was Sasha, Kai's girlfriend.

Leah watched in silence as Kai nuzzled Sasha's muzzle and licked her face, trying to comfort her. Sasha trembled and whined softly, her eyes filled with pain.

Leah couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at the sight. She cared for Kai deeply, and the thought of him having someone else in his life hurt her. But she knew that this wasn't about her; it was about helping Kai and his pack.

After a few moments, Kai's attention turned to Leah, and he hurried over to the bedroom window. He transformed back into his human form, his muscles bulging and his skin covered in sweat. He looked exhausted but relieved.

"Leah, it's okay. They're gone," he said, leaning against the windowsill.

Leah felt a surge of relief flood through her body. "What happened? Where's Sasha?"

Kai's expression turned somber. "Sasha's pack was attacked by hunters. They killed most of them, including her parents. Sasha barely escaped with her life. She came to me for help."

Leah felt a surge of compassion for Sasha. She had been through so much, and now she was alone in the world. But she also couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy again. Sasha was in Kai's life for a reason, and Leah didn't know if she could compete with that.

"We have to help her, Kai," she said, her voice low.

Kai nodded. "I know. But we can't let the Council find out. They'll take Sasha away and probably kill her too."

Leah felt a surge of anger at the thought. The Council was so heartless, so cold. They saw werewolves as nothing more than animals, something to be controlled and punished.

But she also knew that Kai was right. They had to be careful. One wrong move, and they could all be dead.

The rest of the night passed in a blur of activity. Kai tended to Sasha's wounds, while Leah made food and cleaned up. They talked softly, trying not to make too much noise in case the Council came back.

As the sun began to rise, Leah felt a surge of exhaustion wash over her. She had been running on adrenaline for hours, and now her body was starting to give out. She stumbled to her bedroom, collapsing on her bed without even bothering to change out of her clothes.

Kai followed her, his expression unreadable. "Leah, you should rest. I'll take care of Sasha."

Leah shook her head, her eyes barely open. "No, Kai. I want to help. I want to be a part of this."

Kai hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Okay, but you need to take care of yourself too. We can't afford to lose you."

Leah nodded, feeling a renewed sense of determination. She couldn't let Sasha suffer alone, and she couldn't let the Council win.

Over the next few days, Leah and Kai worked tirelessly to help Sasha heal. They hunted for food, tended to her injuries, and provided her with a safe place to stay. Sasha was grateful for their help, and she and Leah quickly became good friends.

As time went on, Leah found herself growing closer to Kai as well. Despite the danger they were in, there was a spark between them that couldn't be ignored. They shared long talks by the fire, stole moments of laughter and joy amidst the chaos.

But their happiness was short-lived. One night, as they were finishing up dinner, they heard a knock at the door. Leah's heart sank as she saw two Council members standing outside, their eyes cold and calculating.

"We've received reports of a rogue werewolf in the area," one of them said, his voice dripping with disdain. "We're here to investigate."

Leah could feel her heart pounding in her chest. They had been so careful, yet somehow they had been found out.

Kai stood protectively in front of her, his eyes blazing with anger. "You have no right to barge in here like this. We haven't done anything wrong."

The Council member smirked. "We never said you did anything wrong. But we still need to check things out. And you," he said, pointing to Sasha, "need to come with us."

Sasha hesitated, looking frightened. But before anyone could react, there was a loud crash from outside, followed by a snarl. Kai quickly pushed Leah and Sasha behind him, his body tense and ready to fight.

Outside, they could see a massive werewolf running towards them. Leah could hardly believe her eyes when she saw that it was Sasha's mate, who she had thought had died in the attack on her pack.

Sasha rushed towards him, crying out his name. The other werewolf quickly transformed back into his human form, revealing himself to be much younger than they had anticipated.

The Council members quickly ran away, not wanting to deal with the situation. Leah, Kai, Sasha, and Sasha's mate were left alone, still recovering from the shock of the sudden turn of events.

As they sat around the fire that night, Sasha's mate explained what had happened to him. He had narrowly escaped the attack on their pack, but had been badly injured. He had been on the run ever since, until he stumbled upon Sasha's scent.

Sasha was overjoyed to have her mate back, but the others couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.

Leah spoke up, voicing their concerns. "How did the Council find us? And why did they want to take Sasha away?"

Sasha's mate looked hesitant, but eventually spoke up. "I may have left a trail. I couldn't control my instincts when I found Sasha."

Kai's expression darkened. "You put all of us in danger by coming here and leading the Council to us. What were you thinking?"

Sasha's mate looked ashamed. "I just wanted to be with Sasha again."

Leah could see the pain and turmoil on everyone's faces. They were all struggling to figure out what the right thing to do was.

Suddenly, they heard another sound outside. This time it was a low growl, much closer than before.

Kai reached for his weapon, his eyes scanning the darkness. "Everyone stay calm. We don't know what's out there."

Sasha's mate nodded, his body tense as he prepared for a fight.

Leah felt a wave of fear wash over her, but she tried to stay composed. She didn't want to let her friends down.

Suddenly, a massive figure burst through the trees. Leah gasped as she saw that it was another werewolf, even larger than Sasha's mate.

The new werewolf snarled, baring his teeth. "I've come for Sasha," he growled.

Sasha's mate stepped forward, his body bristling. "She belongs with me," he said firmly.

Kai stepped in between them, his voice calm but firm. "We're not going to let you take her. She's under our protection."

The new werewolf laughed, his eyes glinting dangerously. "You think a bunch of humans can protect her? You're all fools."

Leah felt her heart pounding in her chest. They were hopelessly outmatched, and she didn't know how they were going to get out of this situation alive.

Suddenly, there was another noise from the woods. This time, it was a human voice.

"Stop!" the voice yelled. "Everyone just stop!"

Leah couldn't believe her ears. Was there another human out here in the middle of nowhere?