𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒 ⸻ 𝖻𝗅𝖺𝖼𝗄𝗐𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗋

→ chapter five.

Goddamn it, it isn't her! Paul's bellow through the Pack mind was full of rage and curt-tailed with concern, but Jake didn't seem to hear the yelling. In fact, he sped up and pushed himself to run faster.

Leah snarled and dug her paws into the ground, fighting to find purchase. She was one of the fastest wolves, but even with her speed, she was terrified she wouldn't reach Jake in time. Yet again, Bella was ruining the only decent thing in her life. How could he place the Pack in such jeopardy? For some lackluster white girl who'd barely glanced in his direction since her vampire lover returned?

Realizing Jake was too focused to hear any of their Pack brothers, Leah called for Sam, a wordless cry for help, full of anger and panic and fear. He was the only one who could stop Jake.

The Alpha timbre of Sam's command halted Jake, and the entire Pack breathed a sigh of relief.

Sensing an opportunity, the leech struck, and pain flooded the Pack mind, enraging each of them. Embry yelped but remained standing, bracing his feet even as pain bloomed in his broken jaw. He brushed it aside and snarled, the sound carrying on the wind.

The leech laughed, the sound like nails on a chalkboard, and darted forward, intending to strike once more. Embry backed away, growling as his jaw re-set. Beneath the bleach-like scent of leech was the faint tang of blood, amplified by a heightened nose. It made the entire Pack dizzy and antsy.

Leah ran. She ran like hell. Her lungs burned, her muscles ached, but she kept pushing and pushing, urging herself to go faster. To reach Embry, to rip into the granite skin, feel the satisfying crunch and grind as she ripped into the monster. When she stepped into the clearing, she launched herself into the air with a powerful jump.

The leech turned and the roundhouse kick she landed sent Leah flying backwards, knocking the breath out of her lungs, and her back exploded with pain when she connected with a tree. Pine needles rained down as she wheezed and scrabbled to her feet. Snarls and rumbles vibrated through her chest, pushed out through her teeth as she faced the bloodsucking freak of nature.

Red eyes watched her, calculating her next move, focusing on both wolves.

"Fetch," the bloodsucker cackled, darting forward, and Embry darted out of the way, avoiding her lightning-quick blows.

Keep her distracted, Sam instructed Embry and, with the bloodsucker focused on him, it was too easy for Leah to dart in. Her plan was to close her jaws around the vamp's head and rip it off. It seemed easy enough, a quick kill.

It was easy—too easy.

Something knocked Leah to the side and threw her down hard into the dirt, knocking the breath from her lungs. She inhaled and swallowed down dust, choking on it. Her head cracked on a tree root, and pain splintered behind her eyes like the points of a throwing star, slicing through the nerves.

She attempted to wriggle away, struggling, but the new leech had pinned her and grinned at her with venom-coated teeth. She knew from experience their bite was excruciating, slowing their rapid healing, and it took months to fully recover from their venom. His blood red eyes found hers, and, like always, a shudder coalesced down her back. The Cullens' gold irises had always rankled and unsettled both her and the wolf but the red color even more so.

She fought like hell and Phased back into human form. With sudden new deduction of her body, the leech was taken aback and lost his grip. As soon as she was free, she Phased back to her wolf skin and bit down on her hand. The taste of granite flooded her mouth, but she wrenched her head backwards and ripped his hand from his wrist.