Rise of the Banished She-Wolf (Evelyn) novel Chapter 21

**Where Falling Leaves Whisper Stories Written In Silence by Ryn Jace Reed**
**Chapter 21: Rise of the Banished She-Wolf**

Evelyn

As I stepped through the threshold, following Kate into the grand foyer, a wave of apprehension washed over me. My father, Jonathan, had taken the mantle of Alpha for the Moonheal pack while my grandfather was away. Yet, during his reign, I couldn’t help but notice how the pack had languished, failing to reclaim the former glory my grandmother had painstakingly built.

Standing in the entrance hall was Jonathan, a figure both commanding and formidable in his impeccably tailored suit. His gaze first settled on Kate, and I watched as his stern demeanor softened, revealing a flicker of paternal pride.

“Kate, darling,” he greeted her with warmth, enveloping her in a hug that seemed to radiate affection.

But then, as if a switch had been flipped, his eyes turned to me, and the warmth evaporated like mist in the morning sun. His expression morphed into one of disdain, a cold mask that sent a shiver down my spine.

“What is she doing here?” he spat, his tone dismissive, as if I were an unwelcome intruder in my own home.

Before Kate could muster a reply, a sharp crack echoed through the room as Grandfather’s wolf-head cane struck the marble floor with authority. The sound startled us all, and the delicate porcelain tea set on the side table rattled violently, one of the fragile cups teetering before it shattered into a myriad of pieces.

“She is here because I invited her,” Grandfather growled, his voice resonating with the undeniable weight of an elder wolf’s authority. “And you will treat her with respect in my house, Jonathan.”

In that moment, the atmosphere thickened with palpable tension, a charged silence enveloping us as dominant wolves clashed in unspoken conflict. I noticed the human servants discreetly retreating, sensing the brewing storm.

“Father, you can’t seriously expect—” Jonathan began, his tone incredulous.

“I expect you to remember who built this family,” Grandfather interjected sharply. “Now, let us have dinner. There are important matters to discuss.”

The dinner that followed was fraught with an undercurrent of hostility. Victoria, seated beside Jonathan, shot glances at me that were laced with venom, while Kate maintained her practiced façade of the perfect daughter, engaging my father in conversation about his recent business trip with an air of feigned interest.

I sat quietly, feeling like an unwelcome guest at my own family table, the weight of Grandfather’s presence the only thing preventing the simmering animosity from erupting.

Once the main course was cleared away, Grandfather tapped his glass with a porcelain spoon, the sound slicing through the strained conversation like a knife. Silence fell over the table, everyone’s attention snapping to him.

“I’ve made a decision,” he announced, his gaze sweeping across the table before settling on me. “I am transferring thirty percent of Gray Enterprises’ shares to Evelyn.”

The ensuing silence was deafening. I froze, my fork suspended in mid-air, utterly stunned by his declaration.

In an instant, Jonathan shot up from his seat, the chair screeching against the floor in protest. “Father, have you lost your mind? Those shares are tied to the Alpha inheritance!”

Victoria’s complexion drained of color, while Kate’s mask of calm shattered, revealing the raw panic that lurked beneath.

Grandfather remained unfazed, his weathered hands resting calmly on the table. “Look at our company, Jonathan. Examine what you have done with it. Profits have plummeted thirty percent in the last three years. Two failed expansions. We need someone with genuine talent.”

Victoria found her voice, her tone laced with indignation. “You would give shares to a wolf who has barely any wolf nature left? This is an affront to our bloodline!”

My grip tightened around my fork, the sting of her words cutting deep. I had known that my wolf nature had been suppressed after that fateful night three years ago, but hearing it so openly thrown in my face was a fresh wound.

“Father,” Jonathan’s voice trembled with barely contained fury, “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 sparked with a dangerous fire. “It was your actions back then that led to the Alpha King suppressing her wolf nature in the first place! You all stood by while they did it!”

His words struck me like a physical blow, the revelation hitting hard. The Alpha King—Devon’s father—had ordered my wolf suppressed? I had always believed it was merely a consequence of the trauma I endured, not a calculated decision.

I hesitated, but something in his unwavering gaze compelled me to slide into the soft leather seat. As we pulled away from the Gray estate, a thought struck me.

“Jessica’s suspension from school,” I said, turning to face him. “Was that your doing?”

Devon kept his eyes focused on the road, his profile sharp and defined against the flickering streetlights. “I simply provided the security footage from the supermarket to the administration. The decision to suspend her was theirs.”

“Why would you do that? You hardly know me.”

He glanced at me, a flicker of intensity dancing in his eyes. “I owe you my life, for one thing. And…” he paused, choosing his words carefully, “I don’t like seeing the strong prey on those they perceive as weak.”

“I’m not weak, Mr. Hall,” I replied quietly, a hint of defiance in my tone.

A small smile graced his lips, a fleeting moment of warmth. “That’s precisely what makes me want to know you better, Evelyn Gray.”

I studied him, curiosity piquing within me. Did he know more about my life than he was letting on? Did he understand my hacking skills? Did he know about the shares I had just been offered?

As I returned to my apartment that night, my mind was a whirlwind of possibilities and dangers. Thirty percent of Gray Enterprises. My suppressed wolf potentially awakening. Devon’s enigmatic interest in me.

For the first time in three years, I felt a flicker of hope—options lay before me, but they also filled me with trepidation.

Yet beneath it all, a darker truth gnawed at my insides. I had just discovered that it was Devon’s father who had been suppressing my wolf all along. Part of me longed to keep my distance from Devon—to shield myself from becoming ensnared in his family’s web. Yet another part of me felt an undeniable pull to lean on him, to use our connection to find a way to liberate my wolf.

The conflict twisted within me like a tempest I couldn’t quell.