Rise of the Banished She-Wolf Chapter 20

Evelyn

I followed Kate inside, bracing myself. My father acted as Alpha of the Moonheal pack while my grandfather was abroad. In the years since he's been in charge, the pack has never returned to the glory my grandmother once built.

Jonathan stood in the entrance hall, tall and imposing in his tailored suit. His gaze fell on Kate first, his expression softening with paternal pride.

"Kate, darling," he said warmly, embracing her.

Then his eyes shifted to me, and all warmth vanished. His face hardened into a mask of contempt.

"What is she doing here?" he demanded, not even addressing me directly.

Before Kate could answer, Grandfather's wolf-head cane came down hard on the marble floor with a crack that made us all jump. The porcelain tea set on the side table rattled, and one of the delicate cups crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces.

"She is here because I invited her," Grandfather growled, his voice carrying the unmistakable authority of an elder wolf. "And you will treat her with respect in my house, Jonathan."

The air in the room suddenly felt thick with tension—that distinctive charge that fills a space when dominant wolves clash. The human servants quietly slipped out, sensing the dangerous energy.

"Father, you can't seriously expect—" Jonathan began.

"I expect you to remember who built this family," Grandfather cut him off. "Now, let's have dinner. There are important matters to discuss."

Dinner was a tense affair. Victoria sat beside Jonathan, occasionally shooting venomous glances my way. Kate maintained her perfect daughter facade, asking Father about his business trip with practiced interest.

I ate quietly, feeling like an intruder at my own family table. Only Grandfather's presence kept the hostility from boiling over.

After the main course was cleared, Grandfather tapped his glass with a porcelain spoon. The sound cut through the forced conversation, and everyone fell silent.

"I've made a decision," he announced, his eyes slowly moving around the table before settling on me. "I'm transferring thirty percent of Gray Enterprises' shares to Evelyn."

The silence that followed was absolute. I froze, fork halfway to my mouth, stunned by his announcement.

Jonathan shot to his feet, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "Father, have you lost your mind? Those shares are tied to the Alpha inheritance!"

Victoria's face had gone pale. Kate's mask of pleasantness cracked, revealing naked panic beneath.

Grandfather remained calm, his weathered hands folded on the table. "Look at our company, Jonathan. Look at what you've done with it. Profits down thirty percent in three years. Two failed expansions. We need someone with real talent."

Victoria found her voice. "You would give shares to a wolf with barely any wolf nature left? This is an insult to our bloodline!"

My grip tightened around my fork. I'd known my wolf nature had been suppressed after that night three years ago, but hearing it thrown in my face still stung.

"Father," Jonathan said, his voice shaking with rage, "are you suggesting that she—a virtually wolfless nobody—should inherit your Alpha position? No one in the Pack would accept it!"

Grandfather's eyes flashed dangerously. "It was your actions back then that caused the Alpha King to suppress her wolf nature in the first place! You all stood by while they did it!"

His words hit me like a physical blow. The Alpha King—Devon's father—had ordered my wolf suppressed? I'd always assumed it was just a consequence of the trauma, not a deliberate act.

"Child," Grandfather turned to me, his voice softening, "I know these shares can't make up for what I allowed to happen to you. But they might give you some leverage, some protection in this world that has been so cruel to you."

I took a deep breath, trying to process everything. So my wolf wasn't gone—just suppressed by order of the Alpha King. And now, three years later, I'd felt it stirring during the full moon. Was it possible my wolf was finding its way back to me?

"This is outrageous," Victoria hissed. "Jonathan, you can't allow this!"

I could see the wheels turning in my father's head as he struggled to control his temper. "We'll discuss this later, Father," he said finally, his voice cold. "In private."

After dinner, Grandfather tried to convince me to stay longer, but I needed space to think. The revelation about my wolf being deliberately suppressed had shaken me to my core.

"I should go, Grandfather," I said gently. "Thank you for dinner, and for... everything."

He squeezed my hand. "Be careful, child. They won't take this lying down."

As I walked back down the driveway, my mind was racing. Thirty percent of Gray Enterprises would give me significant power, especially if I aligned with Grandfather's shares. It could change everything.

When I got to the end of the driveway, a familiar black car slowly pulled up and stopped right in front of me. The window rolled down, and there was Devon.

"Mr. Hall?" I asked, genuinely surprised. "You've been waiting here the whole time?"

Devon's expression was unreadable in the dim light, but his voice carried that distinctive Alpha confidence. "I was concerned your family might upset you. I wanted to make sure you got out safely."

I was taken aback by his consideration, unsure how to respond. "You didn't have to do that."

"Get in," he said, opening the passenger door. "You look like you could use a change of scenery."

I hesitated, but something in his steady gaze made me slide into the leather seat. As we pulled away from the Gray estate, I suddenly remembered something.

"Jessica's suspension from school," I said, turning to look at him. "Was that your doing?"

Devon kept his eyes on the road, his profile strong and defined in the passing streetlights. "I merely provided the security footage from the supermarket to the administration. The decision to suspend her was theirs."

"Why would you do that? You don't even know me."

He glanced at me then, something intense flickering in his eyes. "I owe you my life, for one thing. And..." he paused, "I don't like seeing the strong preying on those they perceive as weak."

"I'm not weak, Mr. Hall," I said quietly.

A small smile touched his lips. "That's precisely what makes me want to know you better, Evelyn Gray."

I studied him thoughtfully. Did he know more about me than he was letting on? About my hacking skills? About the shares I'd just been offered?

As I returned to my apartment that night, my mind was spinning with possibilities and dangers. Thirty percent of Gray Enterprises. My suppressed wolf is possibly returning. Devon's mysterious interest in me.

For the first time in three years, I felt like I had options—and that made me both hopeful and terrified.

But beneath it all, a darker truth gnawed at me. I had just learned it was Devon's father who had been suppressing my wolf all this time. Part of me wanted to keep my distance from Devon—to protect myself from getting tangled in his family. Yet another part of me couldn't deny the pull to lean on him, to use this connection to find a way to free my wolf.

The conflict twisted inside me like a storm I couldn't calm.