Rise of the Banished She-Wolf Chapter 87

Evelyn

The calculus classroom buzzed with low conversation as students settled into their seats. I slumped forward onto my desk, resting my head on my folded arms. After this morning's encounter with Samuel, I wanted nothing more than to become invisible.

I closed my eyes, feigning sleep to avoid any chance of eye contact. The professor's voice droned on about derivatives and integrals, washing over me like white noise. I knew the material backward and forward anyway—this was just a required course I couldn't test out of.

"Miss Gray," Professor Wilkins' voice suddenly cut through the classroom, "since you appear so confident in your understanding of my lesson that you can nap through it, perhaps you'd like to solve this problem for the class?"

Suppressed laughter rippled across the room. I felt thirty pairs of eyes turn toward me as I slowly lifted my head, blinking away fake drowsiness. The professor stood with arms crossed, eyebrows raised expectantly, pointing to a complex multi-variable calculus problem scrawled across the whiteboard.

I took my time getting up, stretching slightly as I made my way to the front. The equation was a beast—a high-order differential with multiple integration paths. I could feel Samuel's eyes boring into my back as I picked up the marker.

Without hesitation, I began writing, my hand moving with practiced efficiency. The classroom fell silent as I filled the board with four different solution methods, each approach more elegant than the last.

"The second method requires the least computation," I explained, tapping the board with the marker. "While the third approach offers the clearest logical progression, which would be better for real-world applications where you need to explain your reasoning." I turned to face the class, meeting Professor Wilkins' surprised expression with a neutral one of my own.

"That's... correct, Miss Gray. All four ways." He cleared his throat. "Thank you for the thorough demonstration."

I returned to my seat without another word and resumed my previous position, head down on the desk. Behind me, I could hear Lily's excited whisper.

"Evelyn is such a genius! She just solved that impossible problem like it was nothing!"

I ignored the murmurs of impressed classmates. The last thing I needed was more attention.

The moment the bell rang, I grabbed my backpack and bolted from the classroom. The hallways were already filling with students, but I weaved through them with determined speed. If I could just make it to the parking lot before—

"Evelyn! Wait up!" Samuel's voice called from behind me.

I quickened my pace, practically jogging toward the school exit. The crisp autumn air hit my face as I pushed through the double doors, but I didn't slow down.

"We live close to each other, we could walk home together," Samuel called, his footsteps gaining on me.

I stopped abruptly and spun around, my patience finally snapping. "I told you already—stop following me. This is harassment."

Samuel's expression shifted, a flash of something predatory crossing his features before his smile returned. "I'm just being friendly to a classmate."

"Well, I'm not interested in your friendship," I said coldly.

Just then, Devon's car pulled up to the curb. I hurried toward the car, relief washing over me.

As I slid into the passenger seat, I caught a glimpse of Devon's eyes. A dangerous flash of gold flickered in them—his wolf surfacing as he stared down Samuel through the windshield.

"An Eastern European wolf," Devon growled the moment the car door closed. His voice had dropped an octave, becoming low and dangerous. "What the hell is he doing here? And why is he targeting you?"

I stared at Devon, stunned. "What? Samuel is a werewolf? But he's just a new exchange student in my class..."

"Exchange student?" Devon's laugh was cold and humorless.

He then pulled out his phone and hit speed dial.

"Jason, I need everything you can find on an Eastern European wolf named Samuel. I want his complete file on my desk. Now." He hung up without waiting for a response.

Back at my apartment, Devon paced the living room, his movements tightly controlled but radiating tension. I sat on the couch, still processing the revelation about Samuel.

"Samuel is the illegitimate son of an Eastern European pack Alpha," Devon explained, his voice tight. "His father fell ill recently. He should be back there fighting for his position in the succession."

"But instead he's here in Seattle," I said slowly, "apparently focused on me."

"Exactly." Devon stopped pacing to look at me. "And that's what doesn't make sense. He's sacrificing his chance at leadership to be here."

I frowned, thinking back to our interactions. "From the first class, he's been trying to get close to me. He said some weird things..."

Devon's head snapped up, his eyes instantly sharp. "What weird things?"

I hesitated, not wanting to escalate the situation. "Nothing specific, really."

"Tell me." His voice carried the unmistakable command of an Alpha.

I sighed, knowing I couldn't avoid it. "He said... he had a special feeling for me."

Devon's eyes flashed gold again, his hands clenching into fists. "He what?" The words came out as a snarl. "That foreign wolf had the audacity to—" He cut himself off, visibly struggling for control.

"I completely ignored him," I quickly added. "I didn't encourage anything, Devon."

Later that evening, Devon followed me into my bedroom, his mood still dark and possessive. I sat on the edge of my bed, suddenly exhausted by the day's events.

"This makes me feel... threatened," Devon admitted, kneeling in front of me and taking my hands in his. His eyes were intense, burning with emotion. "I want to mark you, Evelyn. Make it clear to everyone—especially that Eastern wolf—that you're mine. Only mine."

My breath caught as Devon leaned in, his mouth moving toward my neck. I felt his breath warm against my skin, the sharp points of his canines extending. My body began to tremble.

"M-my wolf isn't fully unlocked yet," I stammered, fear rising in my chest at the memory of pain from past attempts.

"I can't wait anymore," Devon murmured against my skin. "I need you to be mine completely."

When his teeth grazed my neck, my body seized up in terror. I felt my wolf stir within me, desperately trying to emerge but still trapped behind whatever was blocking it. The conflicting sensations tore through me like fire and ice.

A scream ripped from my throat as Devon's teeth pressed harder. The marking wasn't taking—my wolf was fighting to respond but couldn't break free.

Devon pulled back immediately, his expression horrified as he gathered me into his arms. I curled against him, tears streaming down my face as the phantom pain slowly subsided.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, stroking my hair. "I'm so sorry, Evelyn."

I couldn't speak, could only cling to him as my body trembled with aftershocks. The failure of the marking was yet another reminder of my broken wolf nature, of how incomplete I was. The humiliation burned almost as much as the pain.

Devon held me until my tears stopped and exhaustion pulled me toward sleep. As consciousness faded, I felt him place a gentle kiss on my forehead, his arms still protectively around me.

Through half-closed eyes, I caught a glimpse of his expression—a complex mixture of concern, guilt, and something deeper that I couldn't quite name.