Rise of the Banished She-Wolf (Evelyn) novel Chapter 109

Chapter 109

Evelyn

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The sun spilled through the windows of my lecture hall, but I barely noticed its warmth. My mind was still trapped in last night’s failure – the searing pain when Devon had attempted to mark me as his mate. My wolf, still weak and not fully awakened, had rejected the bond.

“Miss Gray, are you listening?” Professor Wilson’s voice cut through my thoughts.

I blinked, focusing on his expectant face. “Sorry, what was that?”

He sighed, the kind of exasperated sound reserved for brilliant students who weren’t paying attention. “The programming competition. We

need our best coders, and the computer club nominated you.”

“I’m not interested,” I said flatly, gathering my books. The last thing I needed was another commitment, especially one as pointless as a

college programming competition.

“It’s not optional, Miss Gray. The department has already submitted your name,” he said, handing me a folder. “Practice starts today at

four in the computer lab.”

I took the folder without opening it, tucking it into my bag. “Fine. I’ll be there.”

Walking out of the lecture hall, I felt hollow. Even this coding, the one thing I could always lose myself in – felt like a burden now.

The computer lab was already filled with students when I arrived. Most were hunched over their keyboards, testing code for the competition. I scanned the room, my mood darkening further when I spotted a familiar face.

Samuel sat at one of the terminals, his golden hair falling over his forehead as he typed. He looked up as if sensing my presence, a smile

spreading across his face.

“Evelyn,” he called out, loud enough to draw attention. “I saved you a seat.”

I felt my lips thin into a hard line. Samuel seemed to be everywhere these days, his attention focused on me with an intensity that made

my skin crawl.

‘I’ll sit somewhere else,” I muttered, moving toward an empty station in the corner.

He rose from his chair, blocking my path. “We’re supposed to be working in pairs. Professor Wilson assigned us together.”

“Bullshit,” I said, loud enough for others to hear.

Samuel’s eyes gleamed with something I couldn’t identify. “Ask Kate if you don’t believe me. She’s organizing the teams.”

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Chapter 109

I glanced across the room where Kate was distributing assignment sheets. Her smirk told me everything I needed to know. Of course she would pair me with the student who clearly made me uncomfortable.

“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth, sitting at the terminal beside him. “But touch my keyboard, and you’ll pull back a stump.”

Samuel laughed softly. “It’s an honor to work with someone of your…talents, Evelyn.”

The way he emphasized “talents” sent an uncomfortable chill down my spine.

After thirty minutes of half–hearted typing, I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. The code was elementary, barely challenging enough to keep me awake. Between my emotional exhaustion and the mundane assignment, staying conscious was becoming my greatest challenge.

“Sleeping on the job, Evelyn?” Kate’s voice dripped with false sweetness as she approached our station. “Some of us are actually trying to win this competition.”

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