Rise of the Banished She-Wolf Chapter 70

Devon

I paced across my room like a caged animal, each step fueling my mounting frustration. The guards stationed outside were a constant reminder that I was essentially a prisoner. Edward's men had made it abundantly clear—no one enters, no one leaves.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. Jason.

"Did you find anything?" I demanded, not bothering with pleasantries. My patience had worn thin hours ago.

"I'm still looking, sir," Jason replied, his voice tense. "Someone definitely leaked information about the Moonlight Organization. The post appeared on three different underground forums simultaneously."

I felt my eyes flash gold with anger, my Alpha nature pushing against my human form. The wolf inside me wanted out, wanted to hunt down whoever had put Evelyn in danger.

"Find out who did this, Jason. Find them 'now'."

"There's something else," Jason hesitated. "The IP address of the leak... it's coming from somewhere near the island."

I froze. A traitor was here, someone close to the project.

"That's not all," Jason continued. "Dr. Anderson's assistant has gone missing."

"What? Since when?" My voice dropped to a dangerous growl. Too many coincidences for my liking.

"Since this morning. She left for a supply run and never returned. Her phone is off, and her locator chip has been disabled."

I glanced at the door, calculating my odds against the guards. Even with my Alpha strength, the confined space would make it difficult. But staying here while Evelyn could be in danger wasn't an option I was willing to consider.

"I need to get out of here," I muttered, more to myself than to Jason. "Prepare the helicopter. I want it ready for immediate departure."

"But sir, how will you—"

"Just do it," I cut him off. "And keep looking for that leak. I want a name."

I ended the call and stared out the window. Somewhere out there, Evelyn might be in danger. My wolf stirred restlessly inside me, desperate to protect her.

A sharp, piercing alarm suddenly cut through my thoughts. Red warning lights flashed in the hallway outside my room. I moved to the door instantly, my enhanced hearing picking up the chaos of footsteps and shouting.

"What's happening?" I demanded as one of the guards rushed past.

"Lab explosion!" the man yelled over his shoulder.

My heart dropped like a stone.

Without hesitation, I charged at the door, channeling my Alpha strength. The lock shattered under the impact. The remaining guard tried to stop me, but I easily pushed past him, racing toward the laboratory wing.

The hallways were filled with frantic researchers evacuating, some coughing violently. I pushed against the tide of people, my only thought reaching Evelyn. Every second felt like an eternity as my mind conjured increasingly horrific scenarios.

As I approached the laboratory section, a burly security guard blocked my path.

"You can't go in there!" the guard warned, standing his ground. "The lab had a silver powder explosion. It's highly dangerous for any wolf, especially an Alpha like you."

"Get out of my way," I growled, feeling my eyes glow gold.

"Sir, please. We have human rescue teams handling it."

I tried to move past him, but the security guard stood firm. Already, I could feel the burning sensation on my exposed skin as silver particles drifted through the air. Small red welts began forming on my hands, healing almost immediately only to reappear as more silver made contact.

"Who's still in there?" I demanded, my voice strained from both emotion and the silver beginning to affect my throat.

"Dr. Anderson was inside when it happened," the guard replied. "And the specialist—Aurora. But Edward Luna went in to get them out."

My jaw clenched at the mention of Edward. The man who clearly had feelings for Evelyn. I tried once more to push past, but the silver concentration increased the closer I got to the lab, burning my lungs with each breath. The pain was excruciating, but nothing compared to the thought of Evelyn trapped in there.

Just as I was about to force my way through regardless of the consequences, movement at the end of the corridor caught my attention. Edward emerged from the smoke, supporting Dr. Anderson with one arm while Evelyn walked beside them, her arm clearly injured.

"Evelyn!" I called out, rushing toward them despite the burning in my throat.

Evelyn looked up, her silver eyes widening in recognition. For a moment, she seemed confused.

I reached them and immediately pulled her into my arms, my hands gently examining her injured arm where silver powder had burned through her protective suit. The sight of her wound sent a wave of primal fury through me, a guttural growl rumbling in my chest.

Evelyn stared at me, her expression a mixture of surprise and realization. "Devon?" she whispered, so quietly only I could hear it.

Before I could respond, Edward intervened, pulling Evelyn away from me. My wolf bristled at another man touching her, especially pulling her from my arms.

"She needs medical attention," Edward said firmly. "Anderson, take Aurora to the evacuation point. I'll deal with this."

Dr. Anderson nodded wearily and guided Evelyn away. She glanced back at me, her eyes filled with questions, before disappearing around the corner. It took every ounce of self-control not to follow her immediately.

As soon as they were out of sight, Edward's demeanor changed completely. He ripped off his silver-resistant protective suit and lunged at me, slamming me against the wall.

"The leak," Edward said, his eyes narrowing. "The online post about Moonlight's location. It was you, wasn't it?"

"I said it before, and I'll say it again," I growled, my patience wearing thin. "It. Wasn't. Me."

We circled each other, both displaying the supernatural speed and strength of our kind despite our human forms. Part of me welcomed this confrontation—the tension between us had been building from the moment I recognized his feelings for Evelyn.

"You're lying," Edward spat. "No one else would have reason to—"

"You're just angry because of Evelyn," I interrupted, a knowing smile playing on my lips despite the tense situation. "You're in love with her, aren't you?"

Edward froze momentarily, his composure slipping. "That has nothing to do with this."

"Doesn't it?" I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I turned it toward Edward, showing my lock screen—a photo of me and Evelyn watching fireworks at Lily's birthday party, Evelyn's silver eyes reflecting the colorful lights as she smiled.

Edward stared at the image, disbelief written across his face. "I've known her for years. She would never trust someone who hides in the shadows."

"That's not for you to decide," I replied calmly, despite the anger boiling inside me. "And who I am to her? You'll find out soon enough."

The silver smoke from the lab began spreading through the corridor, making it difficult for both of us to breathe. I backed away, my eyes never leaving Edward's.

"Whether she loves me or not," I said, my voice carrying despite the chaos around us, "that's for Evelyn to decide. Not you."

With that, I turned and walked away, leaving Edward standing alone in the silver-tinged hallway.