Rise of the Banished She-Wolf Chapter 37

Evelyn

I jolted awake to the piercing sound of my alarm, my heart racing as consciousness flooded back. Devon's kiss from last night lingered in my mind, the sensation of his lips against mine still fresh and overwhelming. I touched my fingers to my lips, remembering his intoxicating scent of pine and that powerful Alpha aura that had surrounded me in the elevator.

"Get it together, Evelyn," I muttered, shaking my head to clear my thoughts. "Now is definitely not the time for this."

I forced myself out of bed and padded to the bathroom. My silver-gray eyes stared back at me from the mirror, looking unusually bright this morning. Taking a deep breath, I splashed cold water on my face, trying to cool the heat that rose to my cheeks whenever I thought about Devon.

After a quick shower, I checked my calendar and felt a jolt of adrenaline. Today was the second upgrade test for Dr. Anderson's project.

I opened my laptop and reviewed the programming I'd completed last night. There were a few minor errors that needed to be fixed—nothing major, but enough to cause potential issues if left uncorrected. As I worked, my fingers unconsciously traced the silver scar on my arm, the raised tissue a constant reminder of what I was and what I had to hide.

Once the program looked clean, I moved to my closet and pulled open the hidden panel at the back. Inside sat the high-end equipment I'd carefully assembled in preparation for this second test. No one, not even Mrs. Whitmore, knew about this stash. I carefully removed five laptops and arranged them in a semicircle on my living room table, creating the temporary workstation I'd need for what was coming.

After setting up the last computer, I called Mrs. Whitmore.

"You don't need to come clean the apartment today, Mrs. Whitmore. In fact, you can take the next few days off."

"Are you sure, Miss Gray? Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine. I just need some... rest."

After hanging up, I mumbled to myself, "This time I can't let anyone know what I'm doing. Especially not Devon..."

My fingers flew across the keyboards as I initiated the Aurora system test. But as I dug deeper into the data, I noticed an anomaly in one of the key processing modules. Frowning, I attempted to diagnose the issue remotely, but the security protocols I'd built were too robust to allow for complete remote access.

"Damn it," I muttered. "I'll have to go to the research facility myself."

I quickly packed the essential equipment into my backpack, hesitating as I picked up my phone. Should I call Devon? My thumb hovered over his contact for several seconds before I shoved the phone into my pocket without making the call. I couldn't risk him discovering this part of my life.

After setting my apartment's security system, I headed to the research facility where Aiden was waiting at the entrance.

"Aurora," he greeted me with a nod. "The security systems are ready as you requested."

He led me into a specially shielded laboratory designed to mask any trace of my scent or presence.

"Make sure no one knows I'm here," I instructed. "Security has to be airtight."

"Of course," Aiden replied. "As always. Not even Dr. Anderson knows your real identity."

"Thank you for being so careful," I said, setting up my equipment. "The data security is critical for this project."

Dr. Anderson arrived shortly after, his face lighting up when he saw me.

"Our mysterious genius finally graces us with her presence," he said cheerfully.

We immediately dove into examining the error nodes in the DNA modification program. Dr. Anderson watched in amazement as I navigated through complex code structures with ease.

"Your approach is fascinating," he commented. "It's like you think with both human logic and wolf intuition simultaneously."

I smiled faintly but didn't respond.

"You know," Dr. Anderson continued, "I'd love to offer you a permanent position here. The head researcher position is yours if you want it."

"I appreciate the offer," I replied, "but I prefer not being tied to any lab or family. This arrangement works best for me."

Dr. Anderson studied me curiously. "How do you maintain such clear thinking under pressure?"

I just shrugged and turned back to the code. If only he knew the pain I endured after my banishment.

---

Devon

I stared intently at the computer screen in the Hall Enterprises laboratory, analyzing the data streams from the test. The IT department's werewolf engineers stood nearby, watching in awe as the program executed flawlessly.

"Aurora's programming is incredible," one of them remarked. "I've never seen code this elegant."

I nodded, noticing how the program could predict the impact of silver substances on different wolf bloodlines with remarkable precision. "This goes beyond ordinary programming skills," I said thoughtfully.

The chief engineer leaned closer to the screen. "This code is scary good at predicting biological stuff. It doesn't feel like just number-crunching—it's more like... like it has a gut feeling or something," he commented.

Very few wolves possessed the technical skills to build something this advanced, and those who did usually worked for major pack corporations, not as faceless hackers in the shadows. So who was this guy really?

Jason interrupted my thoughts, reminding me of the family dinner. With reluctance, I left the lab, my mind still puzzling over Aurora's identity.

At the Hall mansion, my family was already gathered around the dining table when I arrived.

My father, Richard Hall, was talking about Lily's college life.

"I met a really pretty girl at school. She's super smart too!" Lily said.

Richard looked up with interest. "You should invite her over for dinner sometime, Lily."

"I will! We're in the same class and she helped me with this really complicated assignment," Lily continued, her eyes bright with excitement.

Olivia leaned toward me and whispered, "You seem distracted, Devon. Thinking about Evelyn, perhaps?"

I didn't respond, but my wolf stirred at the mention of Evelyn's name. The memory of our kiss last night was still fresh in my mind, the taste of her lips, the way her silver eyes had widened in surprise before darkening with desire.

My father cleared his throat, drawing my attention back to the table. "Speaking of relationships, Devon, I think it's time we discussed your future. The Redwood would be beneficial for both packs. Emilia is a suitable match, and this union would finally allow me to step down as Alpha King."

"I'm not interested in an arranged marriage, Father," I replied firmly.

His face darkened with anger, his Alpha aura expanding in the room. "You're over thirty now. If I hadn't held this position for so long, someone else would have claimed it by now. You must solidify your claim through the Redwood pack!"

The tension in the room was palpable. I stood up abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor. "I'll make my own decisions about my future," I stated before walking out.

In my car, I pulled out my phone and dialed Evelyn's number, suddenly needing to hear her voice. But the call went straight to voicemail.

I tried again with the same result, a sense of unease settling in my chest. Where could she be? Why wasn't she answering?