CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND NINE – CALMING THE STORM

The next few days passed in a blur of tense negotiations and sleepless nights. Anna shuttled between the mansion and secret meeting locations, trying to calm the more radical elements of the Rogue Werewolf Alliance while also reassuring Erik's increasingly agitated Betas. It all came to a head on a crisp autumn evening. Anna was in the mansion's great hall, discussing security measures with Vara, when a commotion erupted outside. They rushed to the window to see a group of rogue werewolves approaching the mansion, led by a fierce-looking woman Anna recognized as one of the more radical members. "Vara, get Erik," Anna said urgently. "I'm going out there." Before Vara could protest, Anna was out the door, her heart pounding as she approached the group of rogues. Erik's Betas were already forming a defensive line, growls rumbling in their chests. "Stop!" Anna called out, positioning herself between the two groups. "What's going on here?" The rogue leader, a woman named Lydia, stepped