Chapter 114: My Perfect Trap

Gwen Stallone

I grinned the moment I saw Shanella’s car pull up outside the coffee shop. Finally. She came. I waved my hand casually, as if we were just two friends meeting for an afternoon chat. Inside, though, my wolf purred with excitement. This was my moment — the start of something I had been planning since the night Billy told me he would never choose me.

Shanella walked toward me, hesitant as always, her hair a little messy like she hadn’t slept well. Good. Maybe she was nervous. Maybe she should be.

“Hey, Shanella,” I said sweetly, standing to shake her hand. “Thanks for coming.”

She gave me a small smile and nodded. “It’s fine. I didn’t have anything else to do this morning.”

“Good. Sit, sit.” I motioned to the chair across from me, then flagged down the waiter. “What do you want to drink?”

“Just coffee,” she said softly, almost shy.

I kept my smile as warm as I could manage. “Two coffees,” I told the waiter. “And two slices of blueberry cake.”

Shanella thanked him politely, then looked back at me, her eyes curious but cautious. I could almost feel her wolf sniffing the air, testing if this was a trap. I made sure to look calm, even let out a small sigh.

When the coffee came, we both took a sip in silence. I could see the question in her eyes, so I leaned forward, clasped my hands together, and let my face fall into a carefully crafted expression of sadness.

“I wanted to talk because… because Billy and I got back together,” I said quietly.

Shanella blinked, surprised, but she didn’t say anything. She just nodded, waiting for me to continue.

“But before we could even celebrate,” I continued, letting my voice crack slightly, “Terence attacked the Golden Fur Pack. It was awful, Shanella. We barely made it out alive. My parents are scared. The warriors are still injured. Billy is furious but… I’m terrified he’ll get himself killed.”

Her hand tightened around her coffee cup, and she looked at me with wide eyes. “Terence attacked?”

“Yes,” I said quickly, then reached across the table and held her hand. “Please, Shanella. You’re going to be queen soon, right? It’s your duty to check on every pack that will soon be under your rule. We need you to see what happened. Maybe if you come, you can make sure Terence won’t dare attack us again.”

She hesitated. I could tell she wasn’t sure if this was her problem. Good thing I knew how to push her buttons. “If you don’t come, Terence might think Golden Fur Pack is weak,” I whispered urgently. “He could come back with even more rogues next time.”

Shanella swallowed hard and finally nodded. “Alright. I’ll come. But I need to let Brad know first—”

I squeezed her hand tighter, cutting her off with a pleading look. “No! If Brad comes, Terence might see it as a threat and attack again. Please, Shanella. Just you and me. This is… this is between women.”

She bit her lip, thinking. Finally, she nodded again. “Fine. But we go now.”

Inside, my wolf howled in triumph. Outwardly, I smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Shanella. You don’t know what this means to me.”

We left the coffee shop together, and I made sure to walk just a little ahead of her, my grin hidden from view.

At the car, she opened the driver’s door, but I quickly said, “Wait — can I drive? I know the fastest way to the Golden Fur Pack, and I don’t want us to get lost.”

She frowned but shrugged. “Sure, I guess.”

Perfect. I slid into the driver’s seat, buckled up, and started the engine.

“You know,” I said casually as we drove, “I always admired you, Shanella. You’re brave. Not many she-wolves would dare to stand up to someone like Terence. No wonder Brad chose you.”

She smiled faintly. “Thanks, Gwen. I just… I just want to do what’s right.”

I nodded, keeping my eyes on the road, but inside I wanted to laugh. So naïve. So trusting. She had no idea where I was really taking her.

We drove for a while, the road getting narrower as we passed through the forest. Shanella glanced around, clearly noticing we were not on the main road anymore.

“Are you sure this is the way?” she asked, her voice uncertain.

“Absolutely,” I said smoothly, forcing my voice to stay light. “There was a landslide on the usual road. This is the only safe route left. Trust me.”

She nodded slowly, but I saw her fingers grip the seatbelt tighter.

Good. Let her worry a little. By the time she realized where we were going, it would be too late.

After a few more minutes, I saw the shadowed path that led deeper into the forest — the one that would take us straight to Alpha Terence’s hideout. My heart pounded with anticipation, and my wolf’s grin mirrored my own.

This was it.

I took the turn, and Shanella frowned again. “This doesn’t look like the road to Golden Fur—”

“It’s a shortcut,” I said quickly, interrupting her. “Relax. We’ll be there soon.”

She stayed quiet after that, though I could feel her suspicion growing. I kept my eyes on the road, pretending to focus, while inside I was screaming with victory.

Every mile we drove brought her closer to Terence. Every second was one step closer to making sure Billy would be mine again.

Billy might hate me now, but once Shanella was gone, he wouldn’t have anyone else to run to.

I pulled the car to a stop when we reached the secluded forest, my heart racing with anticipation. Slowly, I reached into my bag and pulled out the small spray bottle Lucas had given me.

Shanella frowned, her instincts finally kicking in. “Where are we? This isn’t the Golden Fur Pack, Gwen—”

I didn’t answer. Instead, I leaned closer and sprayed the liquid directly into her face. Her eyes widened in shock, then quickly glazed over as her body went limp and she fell unconscious.