Rise of the Banished She-Wolf Chapter 67

Evelyn

A sharp knock on my hotel room door interrupted my post-match analysis. The Venom Strike team member standing there looked desperate, his eyes bloodshot and wild.

"You have to come to the hospital," he blurted out. "Fiona's got no vitals. The doctors don't know what's wrong."

I closed my laptop, studying his face. The silver lines beneath his skin pulsed faintly. "Why come to me?"

"Jackson said you mentioned something about these marks killing us." His voice cracked. "Please. We don't know what else to do."

I grabbed my medical bag. "I'll come, but I'm only bringing Taylor. The rest of my team stays here."

As we headed out, Taylor fell in step beside me. "Are you sure about this? Could be a trap."

"Maybe," I admitted. "But I can smell the silver poison on him. It's not fake."

The ride to the hospital was tense. I could sense the faint silver particles emanating from the Venom Strike member, growing stronger as we approached the hospital. The scent hit me fully when we entered Fiona's room – a metallic, unnatural odor that made my skin crawl.

Jackson stood at Fiona's bedside, his tall frame rigid with tension. When he spotted me, his eyes flashed with anger. "What took you so long?" he snarled.

"I came as a courtesy," I replied coolly. "I could have ignored your teammate entirely."

Jackson stepped closer, looming over me. "You know what's happening, don't you? You knew at the restaurant."

I didn't back down. "It's witchcraft. The silver bugs under your skin – they're parasites created through black magic. When you make deals with witches, there's always a price. The silver they use is deadly to our kind."

"Bullshit," Jackson spat. "You're making this up."

Taylor stepped forward. "She's telling the truth. I had them too. She saved my life."

I moved to Fiona's bedside, examining her half-transformed state. She was caught between human and wolf, her body trapped in a grotesque limbo. "The silver's blocking her ability to complete the transformation. She's dying."

Jackson's face contorted with rage and fear. "You did this to her!"

"No," I said firmly. "Morgan Vich did this. The witch who gave you those marks."

His eyes widened slightly before narrowing again. "Fix her," he demanded.

I crossed my arms. "I could. But why should I?"

"What do you want? Money?" His voice was desperate now.

"I want something more valuable." I kept my voice steady. "Venom Strike's loyalty. Sworn by wolf's oath."

The room went silent. A wolf's oath was binding, unbreakable. Jackson would be pledging his entire team to me.

"You can't be serious," he growled.

"Completely. Give me your pledge token as surety, and I'll save your team."

Jackson hesitated, then reached for his neck, pulling off a silver pendant with a snake design. He thrust it at me. "Done. Now save her."

I took the pendant and got to work. With practiced movements, I extracted the silver parasite from Fiona's spine, the metallic creature writhing between my forceps. I applied a herbal mixture to neutralize the remaining silver particles, working methodically on each team member.

One by one, they regained consciousness, except for Fiona. She remained suspended between forms.

"Why isn't she changing back?" Jackson demanded.

"The silver infiltrated her transformation genes," I explained. "She needs time to recover. I've stopped the progression, but her body must heal itself."

Our conversation was interrupted by a tournament official who entered with a grim expression. "We've received threats against Peace Keepers. They're demanding you withdraw from the tournament."

"No," I replied immediately. "We haven't done anything wrong. I expect the organizers to maintain fair play."

After some back and forth, the official agreed to postpone the remaining matches. The announcement sent the gaming community into a frenzy online.

Back at the hotel, I checked my phone to find three missed calls from Devon. I called him back immediately.

"I saw the tournament's been postponed," he said when he answered. "What's your plan now?"

"Team building," I replied, keeping my voice casual. "We need this time to refine our coordination. I'm planning some closed training sessions."

After hanging up, I immediately contacted the Moonlight organization. "Prepare for the third test phase. I'll be there tonight."

Taylor approached me as I was packing. "I'm coming with you."

"No," I said firmly. "If you leave now, what happens to the others? They need you here. Besides, you need time to recover."

He looked disappointed but nodded. "Be careful."

Later that night, Aiden escorted me to a waiting boat headed for Nova Research Island. Edward Luna, the head of the Moonlight Organization, was waiting at the dock, his tall figure illuminated by moonlight. He embraced me warmly when I arrived.

"Aurora," he said, using my code name. "It's been too long."

Aiden stepped forward for an embrace too, but Edward grimaced. "Not you. I know where you've been."

Edward led me inside, asking if I was hungry. While I showered, he prepared a simple dinner. As we ate, he gently braided my wet hair, his movements practiced and familiar.

"You're like her father," Aiden teased, earning a glare from Edward.

"Where's Taylor?" Edward asked. "I expected him to join us."

"He's recovering from witch magic," I explained. "Needs rest."

Edward scowled. "That boy and his competitions. Always putting himself at risk."

"Back to business," I interjected. "What's the situation?"

Edward's expression grew serious. "There's a potential security risk in Anderson's team. A new member named Dylan joined recently. No background information, but Anderson insisted on bringing him in."

After dinner, I handed Jackson's snake pendant to Edward. "Keep this. It might be useful later."

Edward's expression shifted slightly, resignation mixed with fondness. "Aurora, the Jackson family is dangerous to deal with."

I nodded. "That's why I'm giving it to you."

I smiled brightly, and Edward couldn't help but smile back, shaking his head at my stubbornness.

Before bed, I sent Devon a quick message: "Goodnight." Despite the dangers ahead, I felt strangely at peace. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, but tonight, I had allies who understood my mission.