Trust no evil

Trust no evil
SHANELLA

I collapsed into my father’s arms before I even reached the door, all the fear and exhaustion spilling out of me in a single, shuddering sob. His claws were gentle against my back, surprisingly, and his scent — pine, smoke, something familiar and steady — wrapped around me like a shield. Brad’s strong hands came next, palms warm, anchoring me in a way that made the world less sharp and cruel for the first time in days.

“I thought I lost you,” Brad murmured into my hair, his voice rough. “God, Shanella. Don’t do that to me again.”

I clung to them both, my knees going weak. “I’m here,” I managed, tasting salt and relief. “I’m here.” The words felt thin and inadequate, but they were true.

When we finally sat down in the common room, with warriors and medics bustling at the edges, Alpha Ethan’s eyes never left mine. He had that look — the one that had hardened whenever I trained too recklessly, the same fatherly glare that had once made me stand straighter and think twice before I ran headlong into danger. Now there was a hard, burning edge beneath it.

“Tell me everything,” he said. The command was soft, but absolute.

I closed my eyes and took a breath, letting my wolf, Gigi, settle close and steady in my mind. Gigi’s presence steadied me, like a compass pointing true north. I began at the beginning because the whole thing still felt like a dream I was rewriting as I spoke.

“I met Gwen at the coffee shop,” I said. Brad’s jaw tightened. “She said she wanted to make peace. She said she wanted help for her pack, and she asked me to come — just to the café, to talk. She sounded sincere. She said she’d been trying to fix things, that she wanted Moon Fang to be strong when I became queen. I should have left then, I know that now.”

Brad’s fingers tightened against my wrist. I looked at him; he nodded, not angry, but present — ready to take in the story so he could act.

“I agreed because I thought maybe she was sincere,” I continued. “We left together. She asked if she could drive. I should have suspected —” My throat closed. “I don’t remember much after that. I woke up tied. I thought — I thought I’d been kidnapped by rogues. I thought someone had grabbed me from the road.”

Alpha Ethan’s face darkened, and anger bubbled under the surface like a storm. “You were taken,” he said simply. “By Terence.”

“He wasn’t the one who took me at first,” I said, remembering the cold sting in my face and the way my limbs had refused me. “I remember sharp pain, then nothing. When I woke, I was in a wooden room. Joseph came with food at first — Joseph, Alpha Terence’s son.” At the name, Brad’s whole body moved; he looked ready to bolt.

Gigi’s voice threaded through my head, fierce and quick. He helped, didn’t he? she asked.

“Yes,” I whispered. “He came back later. He made me promise to run. He said he had been the one to get me away from Terence’s grasp — that he and a woman named Marla had staged a switch. Marla pretended to be me in the dress. Joseph sheltered me long enough for me to slip into a cloak and vanish into the trees. He drove me toward Moon Crest border by an old motor. He got beaten for it. He told me to run. He told me I must never look back.”

Alpha Ethan’s hands clenched so hard the knuckles whitened. “That traitor,” he hissed. Then he caught himself, the leader in him wrestling with the father. “He may have saved you, and for that he will be judged. But first — Shanella — you are safe, and that is what matters.”

Brad’s voice was low and steady, but raw. “I should have been there. I promised you I’d watch your back. I failed.” His wolf, Jerome, thumped impatiently in my mind like a war drum, angry at the notion of failure.

“You did not fail,” I snapped, suddenly fierce. The fire in me flared up despite the tears. “Gigi told me to be careful. I thought I could do it alone. I never wanted anyone to fight my battles for me. But Joseph—” The name stuck in my throat. “Joseph saved me. Don’t kill him before you listen. He wanted to stop Terence from doing this. He said Terence would bring ruin.”

Alpha Ethan’s face tightened. “Then we will bring ruin to Terence,” he said, a promise and a threat both. “Gather the warriors. Brad, I want Mystic Shadow at my flank. This is not only about my daughter; this is about a rogue alpha thinking he can claim the child of an allied pack and not face consequences. Terence will learn that Westoria does not bend.”

Brad’s hand closed over mine, strong and steady. “We’ll tear him apart if we must,” he said. “And a reckoning for Gwen, too. She lied to you. She lied to us.” The corner of his mouth thinned. “She used your trust to sell you like an animal.”

Anger flared in me at the thought of Gwen smiling into my face and plotting ruin. “She pretended to be friendly,” I said, my voice flat. “She said she only wanted a conversation, to broker safety for her pack. She baited me.” I could feel the betrayal like frost under my skin. “If she’s still at Golden Fur, she’ll be punished. If she flees, we will hunt her.”

Alpha Ethan’s decision was faster than I expected, his leadership snapping into gear like a blade. “Brad, take a scouting party. We move before Terence can regroup. We will not let him rally. I will send messengers to King Philip and to the council — if Terence thinks he can act alone, he will see how many wolves he has made enemies of.” His eyes held a terrifying calm, the kind that made warriors nod reflexively.

Brad’s reply was immediate. “I’ll go now. I’ll bring Billy if he’s returned to Golden Fur. We’ll cut off the Rogue’s retreat. I won’t let him touch you again.”

“You must be careful,” I managed, because even now I felt the weight of being the catalyst of war settle over me like a frost. “Terence is vicious. He will not stop. He may try to draw us into a trap.”

Brad’s jaw worked. “Then we’ll make sure the trap is his.”