Rise of the Banished She-Wolf Chapter 129

Evelyn

Sitting by the window, my thoughts kept returning to those hidden cameras. The old mansion harbored far more secrets than I'd imagined.

What exactly happened here? What was the connection between Isabel's legacy and my wolf? These questions kept circling in my head as I stared at the garden outside.

"Evelyn, dear! There you are."

Lydia's warm voice pulled me from my thoughts. I turned to see her standing at the doorway, her kind face lit up with a smile. Behind her was an elderly woman with silver hair pulled into an elegant bun, dressed in a vintage floral dress that spoke of old money.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," Lydia continued, walking into the room. "I want you to meet someone. This is my dear friend, Scarlett Harrison. Scarlett, this is Evelyn Gray, Isabel's granddaughter."

"The one you've been telling me about?" Scarlett's eyes brightened with interest as she extended a hand toward me. "The one who inherited Isabel's healing talents?"

"She certainly did," Lydia nodded proudly. "Learned everything from Isabel herself, and has quite the gift for diagnosis. Even better than some pack doctors, if you ask me."

I rose to shake her hand, noticing immediately how cold and slightly trembling it felt. My medical instincts kicked in, observing her slightly labored breathing and the subtle pallor beneath her carefully applied makeup.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Harrison," I said.

"Oh, please call me Scarlett," she replied with a slight wheeze in her voice. "Lydia has told me so much about you."

Lydia's face suddenly turned concerned. "Actually, Evelyn, I was hoping you might take a look at Scarlett. I don't like her color today, and she's been having trouble with her breathing."

"I told her it's nothing," Scarlett waved dismissively. "Just old age catching up with me."

"Nonsense," Lydia insisted. "Would you mind, Evelyn? I know it's imposing, but—"

"Not at all," I reassured her. "Why don't we sit down, and I can take a look?"

We moved to the comfortable sitting area, where I gestured for Scarlett to take the armchair. I knelt beside her, taking her wrist gently between my fingers to check her pulse. It was rapid and somewhat irregular. I noticed the slight swelling in her ankles and the faint bluish tint to her fingernails.

"How long have you been experiencing shortness of breath?" I asked, keeping my tone conversational.

"Oh, a few weeks now," Scarlett admitted. "My doctor says it's my heart, prescribed me all sorts of medications."

I continued my examination, asking questions about her diet, sleep patterns, and activity level. When I gently pressed on her ankles, my fingers left slight indentations—edema, a sign of poor circulation.

"Well," I finally said, sitting back on my heels, "you have some elevated blood pressure and circulation issues. There's also some bone density loss, but that's fairly normal for someone your age."

"See?" Scarlett looked triumphantly at Lydia. "Just getting old."

"The pack doctor made it sound much more serious," Lydia frowned. "He prescribed so many medications."

"May I see them?" I asked.

Scarlett nodded, and Lydia retrieved a small bag full of prescription bottles from Scarlett's purse. I examined each one carefully, my frown deepening as I went through them.

"This is... excessive," I said carefully. "Some of these medications are actually counteracting each other." I looked up at Scarlett. "Have you been feeling worse since starting these?"

"Much worse," she admitted. "Dizzy, no appetite. I thought it was just part of the treatment."

"It's not," I said firmly. "You need some mild blood pressure management and perhaps a calcium supplement for the bone density, but not all of this."

"Can you help her?" Lydia asked anxiously.

I nodded. "I'll prepare some herbal tea blends that will help with circulation without the harsh side effects. And a special bone broth that will help strengthen your bones naturally."

"Oh, thank goodness," Scarlett exhaled with relief. "I haven't been able to eat properly for weeks because of those pills."

"Don't worry," I reassured her, patting her hand. "We'll have you feeling better soon."

Lydia's eyes welled with tears. "Thank you, Evelyn. Whatever medications you prescribe, I'll make sure she takes them properly."

"Let's take a walk in the garden," I suggested. "Some fresh air would do you good, Scarlett."

The three of us made our way outside into the sunlit garden. Scarlett seemed stronger already, just knowing there was a simpler solution to her health issues. Lydia kept close to her friend, occasionally shooting grateful glances my way.

I scattered some seeds for the pigeons that frequented the garden, watching them flock around me.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket, and I excused myself to answer it, walking a few paces away from Lydia and Scarlett.

"Evelyn, it's Edward," came the urgent voice. "We have a problem. Taylor's been infected with some kind of virus. His symptoms are worsening rapidly."

My heart sank. "What's going on? Send me the blood work," I replied, keeping my voice low.

Within seconds, my phone pinged with an incoming email. I opened the attachment and studied the results, my stomach knotting as I recognized the patterns.

"It's similar to what infected him before," I said quietly. "The same signature as those silver bugs that woman planted on him."

"We need you again, Evelyn." Edward sighed.

"I'll head to the hospital right away and develop an antiviral drug as soon as possible. Let me check something first." I ended the call and hurried back into the mansion, searching for Aileen.

I found her in her room, working on her laptop. She looked up as I entered, her face immediately registering my concern.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I need to find someone," I said, pulling out my phone to show her a blurry image of the woman who had infected Taylor before. "Can you run facial recognition and find out where she was last seen?"

Aileen nodded, fingers flying over her keyboard. "I've been monitoring for her since the last incident," she said. "Her name is Vera White, Canadian passport. She entered the country three days ago."

I felt the blood drain from my face. "White? Could that be an alias?"

"There's no way to know for certain."

Aileen reached for her phone. "I should call Lucas."

"How did you know Lucas?" I asked.

"When I moved in, Devon sent him to check the security," Aileen explained. "He told me he works with the police and I could ask him for help if I needed it."

Aileen made the call, explaining the situation to Lucas. After hanging up, she assured me, "He'll handle it. He has connections at the airport and border control."

Hours passed, and evening descended over Sterling Mansion. Aileen finally came to me with new information.

"Lucas found something," she said, her voice tense. "Vera White has connections to an organization called 'The Crimson.' Have you heard of them?"

I shook my head. "No, but maybe Edward has." I dialed his number immediately.

"The Crimson?" Edward repeated, his voice suddenly guarded. "They're extremely secretive. Used to be a small group with minimal exposure, but they've grown significantly in the last three years. They're based in Eastern Europe."

"Why would they be interested in our pack?" I asked, feeling a chill run down my spine.

"That's what worries me," Edward replied. "They shouldn't be. Something bigger is happening, Evelyn."

As I hung up, I stared out at the darkening garden, thinking about all these connections—Sterling Mansion, The Crimson, Vera White, and the mysterious cameras watching our every move.

My mission was becoming more complex by the day. It wasn't just about finding my wolf anymore; something much larger was at stake. I just had to figure out what it was before it was too late.