Rise of the Banished She-Wolf Chapter 65

Evelyn

"I'm Evelyn," I replied calmly. "Part of Team Peace Keepers."

Fiona's eyes widened slightly. "The last-minute replacement? Seriously?" She let out a derisive laugh. "Do yourself a favor and bow out now. We're going to demolish you out there." She stepped closer, lowering her voice with mock concern. "Tell you what—I'll even sweeten the deal. Five hundred cash if you walk away right now. No questions asked."

I tilted my head with an innocent smile. "Five hundred? That's cute." I paused, matching her tone. "Counter-offer: I'll pay you five hundred thousand to get lost right now. Deal?"

Fiona's face flushed with anger. "You think you're funny? You have no idea who you're dealing with."

"Actually," I replied, maintaining my calm, "I think I do. The silver markings on your neck tell me everything I need to know."

Fiona's hand instinctively went to her collar, pulling it higher. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "What did you say?"

Before I could respond, the rest of her team approached our table. A tall, lanky guy with similar silver markings sneered down at us. "Problem here, Fi?"

"Nothing I can't handle, Jackson," she replied, not taking her eyes off me. "Just this bitch thinking she can talk to me like that."

I sensed something off about them - their movements were too coordinated, almost mechanical, and their skin had an unnatural pallor. Most concerning was the faint silver gleam in their eyes, just like Taylor's had been before I extracted the parasites.

Fiona suddenly lunged at me, her movements erratic. I reacted instinctively, grabbing her arm and executing a perfect shoulder throw that sent her crashing into an empty table. When my skin contacted hers, I was shocked by how ice-cold she felt - like touching a corpse.

Chaos erupted as Aiden leapt to his feet, confronting the approaching team members. Tables overturned and dishes shattered as the restaurant patrons scrambled for the exits.

As Fiona staggered to her feet, I caught a clearer glimpse of the silver markings on her neck. They weren't just trails - they were moving, pulsing beneath her skin like living things. The same markings were visible on all her teammates, more extensive than Taylor's had been.

The fight was brief but intense. Aiden proved surprisingly capable, taking down two of the larger guys while I kept Fiona and another team member at bay. But it all ended when police sirens wailed outside the restaurant, blue and red lights flashing through the windows.

---

The police station was cold and smelled of stale coffee and desperation. I sat on a hard plastic chair, waiting as the officers processed the incident reports. Aiden sat beside me, a bruise forming on his cheek.

"Evelyn!" Taylor's voice called out. I looked up to see him rushing toward us, concern etched on his face. "I heard what happened. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I assured him. "How did you find us?"

"Aileen tracked your phone," he explained, glancing nervously at the police officers. "What happened?"

Before I could answer, the station door swung open, and Jackson, the Venom Strike team captain, strode in with Fiona and the others. His eyes locked on Taylor, and a sneer twisted his features.

"Well, if it isn't the traitor," he spat. "Hanging out with the enemy now, Green?"

Taylor stepped between us. "Back off, Snake. This isn't the place."

I observed Jackson carefully, noting the silver markings on his neck were more pronounced than the others. They seemed to writhe and pulse with each beat of his heart. When he turned his head, I caught a glimpse of what looked like a small silver worm wriggling just beneath the skin.

"You're all being controlled," I said quietly, my words meant only for Jackson. "Those parasites are going to kill you if you don't get help."

Jackson's eyes widened fractionally, a flicker of awareness breaking through the control. For a moment, fear replaced the arrogance in his expression.

"You have three days," I continued. "If you want to live, come find me. Otherwise, you'll end up dead when she's done with you."

Fiona started to retort, but her words died in her throat as she clutched at her neck, the silver markings pulsing violently. Whatever - or whoever - was controlling her didn't want her speaking freely.

An hour later, after statements were taken and warnings issued, we were released without charges. The restaurant owner had declined to press charges after Aiden offered to pay for the damages.

---

Back at the hotel, my phone rang. Devon's name flashed on the screen.

"Evelyn." His voice was tight with concern. "I heard you were taken to the police station. What happened?"

I sighed, flopping onto my hotel bed. "Just a minor altercation with some competitors. Nothing serious."

"Nothing serious?" His voice dropped lower, intensifying. "You've been in Vancouver less than a day and you're already getting into fights and being arrested?"

"They didn't arrest me," I clarified. "Just brought me in for questioning. And hey, they threw the first punch."

The silence stretched between us. When Devon finally responded, his voice was steady but fierce. "Just promise me you'll be careful, Evelyn. That's all I ask. I need to know you're okay."

His words hit something deep in my chest. "I'm okay, Devon. I know how to take care of myself."

"I believe you," he said quietly. "Doesn't mean I don't lose sleep over it."

After we hung up, I stared at the ceiling, thinking about Fiona and the silver parasites. They were different from what I'd seen in Taylor - more advanced, more deeply embedded. I needed to understand what we were facing.

The next morning, I called a team meeting in my room. "From now on," I announced, "I'm taking charge of our strategy for the competition. Taylor, you'll need to take this herbal mixture three times a day." I handed him a small bottle. "It will help neutralize any remaining silver in your system."

"Tomorrow we're up against Venom Strike, so we can't get sloppy," I continued, looking at each team member in turn. "No one leaves the hotel alone, and no visitors in your rooms tonight. We stick together, stick to the plan, and win this thing."

I didn't tell them the real reason for these precautions - that somewhere in Vancouver, someone was using silver parasites to control werewolves, and that we were now directly in her crosshairs. That would have to wait until we understood exactly what we were dealing with.