Chapter 20:Unforeseen Dangers

As they sat around the table, Aiden turned to Lena, curiosity evident in his eyes. "So your father is the great wizard?"

Lena nodded solemnly. "Yes, he is. The werewolves abducted him years ago. They wanted his knowledge and power to make themselves stronger. I was just a child when it happened. They took me too, but I managed to escape."

Her voice trembled as she recounted her harrowing tale. Tears began to stream down her face. "I've been hiding ever since, trying to find a way to rescue him."

Sarah reached out, rubbing Lena's back gently. "It's going to be alright. We'll get him back. We need him too."

Lena gave a small, grateful smile. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice filled with emotion. As she finished her story, a sudden noise from outside the cottage made her freeze. Her eyes widened with alarm.

"Someone's outside," she whispered urgently. "Stay on the ground."

she quickly went to a room at the back ot the cottage, returning with a stash of weapons. She handed them out swiftly, her movements precise and practiced.

Before they could fully prepare, the door was kicked open, and a group of men barged into the house. The men transformed into werewolves as soon as they saw them. Shock and tension filled the room as they confronted the intruders.

"Get to the back!" Lena yelled. They all scrambled to their feet, running towards the back of the cottage. Aiden turned to Emily, his face etched with concern.

"You're injured. Stay back here. We can handle this."

Emily shook her head, her eyes fierce with determination. "I'm not staying out of this fight. I'm not letting you do this alone."

There was no time to argue. The werewolves were upon them. The room erupted into chaos as the fight began.

Aiden, Marcus, and Lena fought fiercely, their weapons flashing in the dim light.

Emily, despite her injury, held her ground, slashing at any werewolf that came near her.

The werewolves were huge and relentless.

As the fight dragged on, everyone grew tired, but the werewolves showed no signs of stopping. Suddenly, the werewolves they had killed began to come back to life.

Lena's eyes widened in realization.

"They're protected by a spell from the godfather of werewolves!" she shouted over the chaos. The others stared in shock, but there was no time to process the information. The werewolves had the upper hand, and their situation looked dire.

Lena remembered a counterspell her father had taught her. "I'll be right back!" she yelled, dashing to another room.

Moments later, she returned with a bottle.

She threw it near the werewolves. It shattered on the ground, exploding and causing the werewolves to whimper in pain.

Lena quickly poured a potion on everyone's weapons. "This should work!" she shouted. Marcus and Aiden, rejuvenated by this new hope, slashed at the werewolves. To their relief, the werewolves turned to ashes and disappeared.

The battle wasn't over yet. One werewolf slashed Aiden across the chest, leaving him bleeding. Another bit Marcus's arm, almost severing it. Sarah, trying to protect Emily, was thrown against the wall, landing on shattered glass. Lena leaped to stab a werewolf but was caught and slammed against the window, rendering her unconscious.

Emily, injured and exhausted, was the last one standing. The werewolves, sensing victory, transformed back into their human forms. One picked up a shard of broken glass and stabbed her in the thigh. Emily screamed in pain.

Hearing her cry, Aiden's rage ignited. He stood up, eyes blazing with fury. The werewolves recognized his determination but continued their attack. Fueled by a protective fury, Aiden fought with a ferocity none had seen before. In a matter of minutes, he had killed them all, saving his friends.

The room fell silent, the threat finally eliminated. Aiden, breathing heavily, looked at Emily with a mixture of concern and relief. They had survived, but the battle had taken its toll on all of them.