After Axel dismissed the pack meeting and left for the diner, she presumed, though he rarely consulted her on anything he did, so truly he could be anywhere, Leanna returned home. Usually, when she had some spare time, she headed down to the diner. Her shift didn't start 'til early evening, but there was always something to do there, be it sorting the books, ordering supplies or even a little help with customers. She even tried to use being there for work as an excuse to spend a little time with Axel, in the hopes of improving their always slightly precarious relationship. However, following recent events, the last thing Leanna wanted to do was spend time with her mate, especially if that new waitress he'd been flirting with the previous day was working. Besides, she was far too stubborn to go and see him. It would feel too much like she was trying to please him. This morning at the pack meeting she'd allowed her anger towards Albrecht to get the better of her and she'd agreed with Axel with so much vigour that some may have even deemed her behaviour sycophantic. But she wanted Axel to know she was angry at him for what had happened with Cat at the diner yesterday, so going to work wasn't an option.
However, Leanna could not just spend the day sitting around the house wasting time simply to spite him. She set about cleaning the kitchen in an attempt to fill her time. But the inane task was not enough to keep her mind off all the things that were troubling her. Albrecht was back. Was he really going to try and reclaim his position as Alpha? How could she bear to look at him every single day and have all those memories flood back to her? With him gone she was only just able to banish him from her mind, but now he was back, she could hardly manage to avoid seeing him, let alone thinking about him. And Axel. Their relationship had always always given Leanna cause for concern, but over time she had simply come to terms with the truth and tried to make the best of it. But between the new waitress, Cat and Axel's apparent utter lack of concern for flirting with her right in front of Leanna and Albrecht and all the feelings seeing him had dragged to the surface, her issues with Axel were weighing even more heavily on her mind than usual.
Eventually, Leanna hurled the cloth onto the surface, no longer able to continue the menial task. She immediately went to her bedroom and changed into a pair of black leggings and a tight fitting white t-shirt. She pulled on a pair of sneakers, scraped her hair into a high ponytail and left the house, locking the door behind her. She launched in to a jog the moment the key was in her pocket, her feet pounding against the side walk. Leanna had always found running helped take her mind off things, and it still proved to be correct. The moment the wind was whipping past her face, tousling a few loose strands of hair, she felt better. She was not as naive as to say her worries simply evaporated, but at least she could cast her mind elsewhere.
That was, until she reached the bar. She paused at the edge of the road opposite it in preparation to cross the road, when suddenly, she saw Al. Leanna froze. Albrecht was stood beside a car at the curbside. Directly in front of him was a man Leanna didn't recognise, but who obviously wasn't pleased with Al. His stance was aggressive, as though he was squaring up for a fight. Near the pair stood Sara, looking a little more than nervous. Leanna stood and watched their exchange, rooted to the spot. Even when the 'walk' sign showed and everyone else crossed, she didn't move, not wanting to stay, but unable to walk on by. She watched Al respond aggressively to the man before turning to Sara and asking her something. Sarah kept her eyes fixed to the floor in such a reticent way that Leanna wouldn't have known she'd responded, was it not for the slight movement of her lips. Then, in horror, Leanna watched the man stand up over Al in a predatory fashion, and it was then that she realised he was in fact a wolf. In one swift movement, he shoved her former fiancé in a gesture that more resembled a punch.
Oh shit, Leanna realised, people were beginning to stop and stare warily. The unfamiliar wolf growled viciously and his eyes flashed angrily, his features becoming more animalistic by the second. Albrecht recovered himself and responded sharply to his assailant. Then, out of nowhere, he threw a punch at the man's face before kneeing him in the stomach. What an idiot! Leanna thought angrily. He'd been back in town not one full day and he was already fighting with strangers in public places, attracting attention to his hidden identity. Leanna knew she couldn't leave it a moment longer, she had to intervene, as much as she hadn't wanted to go anywhere near Albrecht, his stupidity was about to expose them all. She crossed the street as the other wolf pulled himself back on to his feet. He growled in a way no human could before landing a blow to Albrecht that sent him flying back into the car, leaving a dent in the body of the vehicle and God only knows what damage to Albrecht. Immediately, the car alarm went off, and any remaining person in the area who had still, somehow, been oblivious to the events instantly turned towards the source of the noise. Leanna was nearly at Al's side when the man took a step towards him, but he paused, turning to look at a crowd that had gathered, filming him.
Leanna's hand closed around Albrecht's wrist. He hadn't hit the ground, but his body was pressed against the car. She grabbed him, her grasp surprisingly strong for her small stature, dragging him sharply to his feet.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she shouted at him, her brown eyes flashing with anger towards him. She began to march away from the scene, her hand clasped around his wrist, nails digging into the skin leaving tiny, red crescent moons in his flesh. Suddenly, she stopped, doubling back on herself so she was at the unknown wolf's side.
"And I don't care who the hell you are, but I am the Alpha Female in this town and there will be no public fighting between wolves!" Her voice was low enough not to be heard by the spectators, but her tone still conveyed her biting fury. She then turned to Sara, eyeing her. She didn't say anything to the woman but simply fixed her with a look of disapproval mixed with pity, before turning on her heel and beginning to march away, hand still holding onto Albrecht tightly, like an errant child who was expected to run away at any moment.