Rise of the Banished She-Wolf (Evelyn) novel Chapter 13

**Where Falling Leaves Whisper Stories Written In Silence by Ryn Jace Reed**

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“You seem a bit under the weather,” Devon remarked suddenly, rising from his chair with a sense of urgency. “Let me fetch you some water to help cool you down.”

Before I could voice any objections, he slipped away into the small, dimly lit bathroom adjoining my hospital room. The sound of the faucet running filled the silence, and I took a deep breath, attempting to steady the frantic thumping of my heart. What was happening? Why was the Alpha of the Bloodfang Pack taking it upon himself to care for me?

Moments later, Devon emerged, a small basin of water cradled in his hands. As he approached, I felt a tension coil within me, my body tensing instinctively. He placed the basin on the bedside table, then dipped a washcloth into the cool water, wringing out the excess with practiced ease.

“This should help,” he said, his voice softer than I had ever heard it, almost tender.

As he reached toward my face with the cool cloth, I flinched, a reflex born from too many past hurts.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Evelyn,” he reassured me, pausing mid-motion, his eyes searching mine for understanding.

“I know,” I replied, though doubt lingered in the corners of my mind. “It’s just… reflex.”

Devon nodded, a flicker of understanding passing through his striking blue eyes. He gently pressed the cool cloth against my forehead, and I felt the soothing sensation wash over me, both calming and overwhelming. His Alpha scent—pine and wilderness—was even more potent up close, wrapping around me like a warm blanket, simultaneously making me feel secure and on edge.

“The silver caused a high fever,” he explained, his movements careful as he wiped my face. “Your body is fighting hard against it.”

I closed my eyes, surrendering to the moment of care he was offering. When was the last time someone had tended to me like this? Three years? Maybe longer?

“Why are you doing this?” I whispered, my voice barely audible, my eyes still shut tight.

Devon hesitated, and when I finally opened my eyes, I found him gazing at me with an intensity that made my breath hitch.

“Does there need to be a reason?” he finally asked, returning the cloth to the basin with a soft splash.

After he finished cooling my face, he returned to his chair, but the silence that hung between us felt heavy and awkward. He pulled out his phone, occasionally glancing up to check on me, while I searched desperately for something—anything—to break this strange tension. Yet my mind remained stubbornly blank, foggy from the medication they had given me for the silver poisoning.

I fought against the drowsiness that threatened to pull me under, unwilling to succumb to sleep with Devon watching over me like a sentinel.

“You should rest,” he suggested gently, noticing my struggle to keep my eyes open. “Silver damage drains a lot of energy.”

“I’m fine,” I mumbled, though my eyelids felt like lead weights, growing heavier by the second.

“Sleep, Evelyn. I’ll be right here.”

That was precisely what terrified me—the vulnerability of sleeping in the presence of an Alpha. But as the medication coursed through my veins and my body begged for rest, I felt my eyes flutter closed against my will, and darkness enveloped me like a shroud.

In my dream, I found myself surrounded by wolves. Their eyes glimmered with accusation, their growls creating a cacophony of condemnation. Among them, I recognized familiar faces—Kate and Victoria loomed large, their human features somehow visible even in their wolf forms.

“Failure.”

“White freak.”

“Out of control.”

Their words hissed around me like poisonous gas, suffocating and sharp. I tried to run, but my legs felt rooted to the ground, heavy and unresponsive.

In the distance, a powerful black wolf stood, its piercing gaze fixed on me with cold detachment. Devon. He made no move to help as the pack closed in, their teeth bared, tearing at my flesh, driving me away.

“You don’t belong,” Kate’s voice snarled, dripping with disdain. “No one wants the white monster.”

I jolted awake with a gasp, my heart racing against my ribs like a trapped bird. Pain shot through my left arm from the sudden movement, but I pushed through the discomfort, blinking rapidly to orient myself.

The hospital room. The silver poisoning.

And there was Devon, still sitting in the chair beside my bed, watching me with that same intense gaze from my nightmare.

“Bad dream?” he asked quietly, his voice low and soothing.

I stared at him, completely baffled. “What are you talking about?”

“It’s okay,” he continued, his voice dropping to what he probably thought was a seductive tone. “I get it. You and Jessica fighting over me—it happens all the time. Women can’t help being attracted to me.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This idiot genuinely thought I was interested in him? That Jessica and I were battling over him?

“The first time I saw you,” Brian went on, his confidence unwavering, “I knew there was something special between us. You don’t have to be jealous of Jessica—”

“Are you serious right now?” I interrupted, my anger flaring. “You think Jessica and I were fighting over you?”

Brian mistook my anger for passion, misreading the situation entirely. “I understand you’re upset. Jessica hurt you because she’s jealous. Don’t worry, I’m thinking of breaking up with her anyway.”

That was it. I grabbed the bouquet of flowers with my good hand, a sharp pain shooting up my arm from the sudden movement, but I ignored it.

“Get out!” I shouted, hurling the flowers at him with all my might.

Brian stumbled back, shock written across his face. “Hey, calm down—”

Now I was fired up. I was done with this ridiculous conversation.

As he retreated toward the door, his expression shifted from surprise to indignation. “Fine. You’re clearly emotionally unstable right now. I’ll talk to you another time.”

As he left, I heard him mumble something about women being unable to handle his charm, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.

A few minutes later, the door opened again. Assuming it was Brian returning to annoy me further, I grabbed my pillow, ready to hurl it at him.

The pillow hit Devon square in the chest as he stood in the doorway, a breakfast bag in his hands. He raised an eyebrow, looking from the pillow at his feet to me, then to the scattered flowers on the floor.

“Sorry, I—” I stammered, mortified. “I thought you were someone else.”

Devon’s lips twitched slightly as he surveyed the scene, amusement dancing in his eyes. “I see I missed something interesting.”