Hideaway Strath A Test Of Faith.

For reference, "Summer" is Leigh's daughter. Not to be confused with Summer the writer.

...What?

Leigh's heart sank as Donovan spoke, and it only crumbled as he continued.

A sacrafice. This poor, innocent soul was going to be a sacrafice. And it was for nothing. It wasn't worth a single thing besides the alpha's pride and desires. And Leigh didn't give a shit about those things. She didn't give a fuck about her leader's wants or needs.

The woman wished that the young girl hadn't spoke. She wished, as terrible as it was, that Donovan had attacked sooner. The pleas were too much for her to bear.

She, the girl, was crying out for her mother. Trembling with fear. Helpless, unable to escape. And it was all too familiar.

Aya was someone's daughter. She was someone's sister. She had a family and Leigh knew they'd miss her terribly. This wasn't a nobody, it was a somebody. A very valuable, special, and from what the she-wolf could tell, an incredibly loving wolf.

And yet her family couldn't hear her cries.

The dark-furred female was shaking as well, her terror nearly matching the girl who had now been shot down by two of the Saints.

Had... Had Summer called out for Leigh, just like that? Had Leigh been too distracted by hunting to hear her own daughter? Was the fucking rabbit worth not being there to protect her family? Where was Aya's family now? Who would tell them?

There were no words. She stood there, in complete shock, unable to process her surroundings. She wanted to help the wolf, badly. She wanted to rip Donovan's pelt from his back and drag him off of the poor girl. And there was no time to have conflicting feelings towards Nyra. Nyra had been nothing but kind but Leigh didn't care.

And Leigh's relationship with Donovan? What had now become of that?

Leigh, and Donovan?

They weren't friends anymore.

She wasn't his darling anymore.

...Right...?

What was this? What was Leigh experiencing? The woman felt dizzy, head spinning and eyes watering. There was no screaming, no throwing a fit. It was disturbingly quiet. Disturbingly silent and unnoticed. On the outside the she-wolf seemed normal, a bit shaken perhaps. But on the inside, well...

Leigh was having what another universe would call: a panic attack. A silent, panic attack. A complete shutdown. A type of attack that unfortunately, was usually ignored.

The usually calm woman no longer had control over a once calm breath. Heart pounding and ears flattened against her head. She was exposed now, she couldn't protect herself now. The sounds of cries and teeth tearing into flesh was overwhelmingly explosive, invading Leigh's ears without an invitation. Her sight was covered both with tears and the shining light. Everything looked like an overexposed photograph.

And finally, she let it all out.

Her screams were haunting.

High-pitched and strained, her jaw parted as an unreognizeable cry flew out.

"Leave her alone! DON'T FUCKING TOUCH HER!"