Rise of the Banished She-Wolf Chapter 113

Evelyn

The morning sunlight streamed through Devon's bedroom window, but it did little to brighten my mood. I'd barely slept, my mind racing with the kisses from Devon.

A knock at my door interrupted my thoughts. Lily poked her head in, her usual cheerful expression replaced with concern.

"Hey, you're awake," she said, walking in with a steaming mug of tea. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty much back to normal," I replied, lifting my arm and rolling my shoulder. "What's wrong? You look worried."

Lily sat on the edge of my bed, fidgeting with her sleeve. "There's something you should know. Last night, after Lydia moved into the old house—"

"What happened?" I urged.

"Kate... she went there and caused a scene."

My stomach dropped. "What kind of scene?"

"She was furious, screaming about how Lydia had no right to be there. She said the same thing your father did—that Lydia didn't belong in a Gray family property."

I clenched my fists, anger surging through me. I had thought the old house belonged to Lydia, that she had bought it with her savings. I'd encouraged her to move in as soon as the renovations were complete, never imagining it would trigger such a reaction from Kate.

"Is Lydia okay?" I asked.

"Shaken, but fine. Marcus stepped in before things got physical."

My phone rang, interrupting our conversation. An unfamiliar number flashed on the screen.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Gray? This is Alexander Ward, your father's attorney. Jonathan Gray has requested to see you."

I nearly dropped the phone. "You're sure it's me he wants to see? What does he want?"

"He didn't specify. He only insisted that you come to the detention center as soon as possible."

After ending the call, I sat in stunned silence for a moment. Why would my father want to see me now? After everything he'd done?

"I need to go to the detention center," I told Lily as I gingerly slid out of bed. "My father wants to see me."

"Is that a good idea?" Lily asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

"Probably not, but I need to know what he wants." I winced as I pulled a fresh shirt over my injured shoulder. "Can you call Olivia and ask if she'll come with me? I don't want to do this alone."

"Of course." Lily paused at the door. "Should I tell Devon?"

I thought about Devon, how protective he'd become, how angry he'd be if he knew I was going to see my father. "No," I said firmly. "Don't tell him. He has enough to worry about."

---

The detention center smelled of antiseptic and despair. I followed the guard down a long corridor, my footsteps echoing against the concrete floor. Olivia walked beside me, her presence a silent comfort.

My father sat at a metal table in the visitation room, his hands cuffed in front of him. I barely recognized him. His head had been shaved, stubble covering his once-clean cheeks. His face looked gaunt, his eyes hollow.

When he saw me, his expression twisted with a mixture of surprise and rage. "You," he spat. "How are you still alive?"

I sat across from him, studying the man who had once been my father. "Thanks to you, I'm doing just fine," I replied coldly. "Is that all you wanted? To see if your plan to get rid of me had failed?"

His face contorted with rage. "I'll tell everyone what you did. Working for Viper, killing all those people. Once I'm done, not even Hall's pack will want you. Every wolf in our community will despise you."

I leaned forward, my voice steady despite the fury building inside me. "Go ahead. Then everyone will know you sold your own daughter to Viper. What kind of father trades his child for power?" I saw him flinch and pressed on. "And while you're at it, why don't you tell them who you really are? The son of William's mistress, not Isabel's child. You were only brought back after Patrick died, weren't you?"

Jonathan's eyes flashed with an unnatural light, the wolf inside him struggling to break free. He lunged forward, the chains of his handcuffs rattling against the table. A guard rushed in, injecting him with a sedative that would prevent him from shifting.

I remained calm, watching as the drug took effect. "It was you, wasn't it?" I said quietly. "All these years, you were the one who killed Patrick."

The sedative loosened his tongue, his defenses crumbling. "That land should have been mine!" he snarled, his words slurring slightly. "Why should he have everything handed to him at birth while I had to hide in the shadows?"

I stared directly into his eyes, my hands trembling with rage. "Why? Because Patrick was Isabel's son, while your mother was nothing but the other woman!" My voice rose to a shout, echoing off the concrete walls.

Olivia's hand on my arm steadied me. "Evelyn, that's enough. Let's go."

I allowed her to lead me away, my body numb with shock and rage. As we walked back to the car, memories I'd tried to suppress for years flooded back—my father's cold eyes as he locked me in my room, his harsh words as he belittled me. I remembered my eighteenth birthday, how excited I'd been to wear the dress my grandmother had left for me, only to wake up later with no memory, no wolf, and a one-way ticket to Viper's hellish training camp.

In the car, I stared out the window, the world blurring around me. Voices echoed in my head—cruel words from my past. "White wolf. She's a monster!" "Only the strongest survive here." "Please, help me. I want to go home."

"Evelyn?" Olivia's voice seemed to come from far away. "Evelyn, are you alright? You're so pale."

"I need some air," I whispered, my silver eyes unfocused. "I feel dizzy."

The car pulled over, and I stumbled out, gripping the door frame for support. I closed my eyes, but the memories wouldn't stop. The truth I'd uncovered today only added to the weight I'd carried for years. My father—my own father—had been willing to destroy me for power.

The irony wasn't lost on me. I'd spent my whole life running from monsters, only to discover the biggest one had been in my own home all along.