Rise of the Banished She-Wolf Chapter 146

Evelyn

The airport buzzed with activity as I stood by the VIP exit, scanning the crowd for any sign of Aileen. Aiden leaned against the wall beside me, lazily scrolling through his phone.

"Their flight landed ten minutes ago," I said, checking the arrival board for the fifth time. "They should be coming through any minute."

"Relax, Eve. It's not like she's going to get lost in the airport," Aiden replied without looking up from his phone.

I was about to respond when I spotted Lucas standing near the exit, clutching a bouquet of vibrant wildflowers. He looked uncharacteristically nervous, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

"Well, this is interesting," I murmured, nudging Aiden. "Looks like Lucas came to greet Aileen too."

Before Aiden could respond, a squeal of excitement cut through the airport noise. Aileen burst through the exit doors, her face lighting up when she spotted Lucas. She practically sprinted across the floor and launched herself into his arms, nearly knocking him backwards.

"Lucas! You came!" She beamed, accepting the flowers and burying her face in them. "They're beautiful!"

I smiled at their reunion, but my attention was quickly diverted to the tall figure emerging behind Aileen. My heart skipped a beat as I recognized the familiar face.

"Shawn?" I gasped, unable to hide my surprise.

Shawn Green, Aileen's older brother and my old friend, walked toward us with his signature easy smile. It had been nearly a year since I'd last seen him, but he looked the same - tall, with tousled dark hair and bright green eyes that crinkled at the corners when he smiled.

"Surprise!" Aileen called out, still clutching her flowers. "Is this not the best surprise ever like I promised?"

I nodded, momentarily speechless. Without thinking, I rushed forward and threw my arms around Shawn. He hugged me tightly, lifting me slightly off the ground.

"It's good to see you, Eve," he said, setting me back down. "It's been way too long."

"What are you doing here?" I asked, still stunned. "I thought you were in New York finishing your residency?"

Shawn rolled his eyes dramatically. "Well, this one," he gestured to Aileen, "decided she absolutely had to come to Seattle after everything that happened. Our parents weren't too keen on the idea, considering she was just in the hospital. But she insisted, and they finally caved—on the condition that I play bodyguard."

Lucas stepped forward, his posture straightening as he extended his hand to Shawn. "Lucas Harrison," he introduced himself with formal politeness. "Friend of the Hall family."

Shawn shook his hand, sizing Lucas up. "Shawn Green. Aileen's told me about you."

"All good things, I hope," Lucas replied with a careful smile.

Shawn's expression remained neutral. "Thank you for looking after my sister." His tone was polite but carried an unmistakable edge. "But I'm here now, so she'll be fine."

I could feel the tension building between them. Lucas maintained his smile, though it didn't reach his eyes anymore.

"Actually," Shawn continued, reaching into his bag, "I brought something to express my thanks properly." He pulled out a small wooden box with intricate carvings. "It's a special herbal formula our family makes. Good for stamina and clarity of mind."

Lucas accepted the gift with a nod. "You'll have to join us for dinner tonight. I'd like to introduce you to some people."

"Let's get moving," Aiden suggested, checking his watch. "Traffic's going to be awful if we wait much longer."

An hour later, we pulled up in front of Lydia's restaurant.

Shawn ran his fingers along the stonework of the entrance, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Interesting construction," he commented. "The reinforced corners, the silver inlays disguised as decorative trim... defensive architecture."

I exchanged a quick glance with Aiden. Shawn was more observant than I remembered.

"Come on," I said, taking Shawn's hand naturally and pulling him toward the entrance. "I'll show you around Sterling Mansion before dinner."

Lucas's eyebrows shot up at our casual contact, and I realized how it must look. Shawn and I had always been comfortable with each other, a product of years of friendship that predated my time with Aileen.

Inside the mansion, I gave them a quick tour. Shawn asked intelligent questions about the architecture and history of the place, while Aileen marveled at the antique furniture and artwork.

---

Devon

I sat in the conference room in New York, surrounded by the leaders of the East Coast werewolf packs. The meeting was critical, but I couldn't focus. My mind kept drifting back to Seattle, to Evelyn.

I checked my phone discreetly under the table for the third time. No response to any of my messages. It wasn't like her to be silent for so long, especially knowing I was concerned about her safety with The Crimson still at large.

"Mr. Hall?" Alpha Morrison's voice cut through my thoughts. "Your input on the proposed hunting territory expansion?"

I straightened in my chair, quickly gathering my thoughts. "The proposal is reasonable, provided there's a mutual defense agreement included. The Crimson's activities have expanded to my territory—we need to present a united front."

The meeting dragged on for another hour before we finally reached an agreement. The moment the other Alphas filed out, I was on the phone.

"Jason," I barked when my Beta answered. "Where is Evelyn? Why isn't she answering her phone?"

"She went to the airport to pick up Aileen," Jason reported. "The signal there is terrible. But sir, there's something else. She wasn't alone."

My grip tightened on the phone. "What do you mean?"

"There was a man with her. Tall, dark hair. I don't recognize him from any of our packs."

"Find out who he is," I demanded, my wolf stirring with unease. "I want a name, background, everything."

Twenty minutes later, Jason called back. "His name is Shawn Green. Aileen's older brother."

I frowned. "Evelyn never mentioned him to me."

After the call ended, I found myself searching for Shawn Green online. His Instagram was mostly professional—medical conferences, hiking trips—but then my finger froze over a recent post: a photo of Shawn with his arm around a woman at what looked like an airport. Even from the side profile, I recognized Evelyn immediately. The caption read simply: "Long time no see."

A growl rumbled in my chest. My wolf was pacing restlessly inside me, territorial instincts flaring. Without hesitation, I called my pilot.

"Get the jet ready. I'm heading back to Seattle tonight."

---

It was past midnight when my car pulled up to Sterling Mansion. The house was mostly dark except for lights in the library and what appeared to be Lydia's quarters. As soon as I stepped out of the car, my enhanced senses detected it—an unfamiliar wolf scent mingled with the familiar scents of the mansion's residents.

I moved silently through the house, following the strongest trail of the foreign scent. It led me to the library, where I heard low voices—one distinctly Evelyn's, the other male and unfamiliar.

I pushed the door open without knocking. The scene before me made my blood boil: Evelyn sitting at the desk with Shawn standing behind her, arms reaching around her as he guided her hands through mixing herbs in a small mortar. Their heads were close together, her laughter soft as he whispered something in her ear.

"Eve." My voice was deceptively quiet, but I felt my eyes flash gold—the unmistakable mark of an Alpha wolf's anger.