Rise of the Banished She-Wolf (Evelyn) novel Chapter 153

Chapter 153

Evelyn

Gregory’s face contorted with rage as he took a menacing step toward me. “How dare you talk to me like that!”

I stood my ground, ignoring the throbbing pain where one of his goons had managed to land a lucky hit. “This property is legally mine now, Gregory.”

*Legal documents mean nothing in our world,” he spat, gesturing for his remaining bodyguards to spread out. “I’m going to teach you what happens to

women who don’t know their place in pack hierarchy.”

Just as he lunged forward, the front door burst open with a thunderous crash. Three police officers stormed in, guns drawn and flashlights sweeping the

darkened restaurant.

“Police! Everyone freeze!‘ The lead officer’s voice boomed through the space.

Gregory froze mid–step, shock replacing the rage on his face. His bodyguards immediately raised their hands, their earlier bravado evaporating.

“What is the meaning of this?” Gregory demanded, attempting to regain his composure. “This is a private matter.”

The lead officer, a stern–faced woman with her hair pulled back into a tight bun, approached with measured steps. “Mr. Gregory Sterling? We received reports of breaking and entering, vandalism, and assault at this address.”

“This property belongs to my family,” Gregory argued, his voice strained with fury. “I’m simply reclaiming what’s mine.”

The officer pulled out a tablet and swiped through several screens. “According to county records, this property legally belongs to Ms. Evelyn Gray. You are trespassing and destroying private property.”

“That’s impossible!” Gregory’s face flushed a deep red. “Those documents are falsified!”

“Sir, please turn around and place your hands behind your back,” the officer instructed, pulling out handcuffs. “You’re being detained for questioning regarding property damage and assault.”

As the officers cuffed Gregory and read him his rights, I stood there in stunned silence. I hadn’t called the police–who had?

“This isn’t over!” Gregory shouted as they led him toward the door.

“Add threatening behavior to the charges,” the female officer said dryly to her colleague.

After the police left with Gregory and his men, Ryan helped me to a chair that had survived the destruction. “Are you alright, Evelyn? That cut on your arm

needs attention.”

I glanced down at the small gash on my forearm, saying, “I’m fine. Just confused about who called the police.”

The answer arrived fifteen minutes later in the form of Devon’s black SUV pulling up to the curb outside. He burst through the door, his expression frantic as he scanned the room until his eyes locked on mine.

“Evelyn!” He crossed the space in several long strides, dropping to one knee beside my chair. His hands hovered over me, checking for injuries. “Are you hurt? I smell blood.”

10

&

III

18:30 Thu, Dec 25 M R

Chapter 153

I shook my head, strangely touched by his concern. I’m okay. The police arrived just in time. It was… convenient timing

Devon’s jaw tightened as he reached out to brush a strand of hair from my face. ‘It wasn’t convenience. I had people watching the place.”

Ryan stepped forward. “Thank you, Alpha Hall. Your foresight saved us from what could have been a much worse confrontation.”

Devon nodded but kept his eyes fixed on me. “I promised to give you space to find your wolf, but I never promised to leave you unprotected.”

I wanted to be annoyed at his overprotectiveness, but after facing Gregory’s threats, I couldn’t summon the energy. “Thank you,” I said simply.

Devon’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “I need everything you have on Gregory Sterling,” he said to Jason, who had entered silently behind him. “Bloodline, pack affiliations, his exact relation to the Sterling family. I want to know why he thinks he has a claim to this property.”

I’ll have it for you by morning,” Jason replied with a nod.

I stood up, brushing dust from my clothes. “You should get back to your duties, Devon. I can handle things from here.”

His eyes darkened. “Evelyn-”

“I mean it,” I insisted. “You can’t keep rushing across town every time something happens. I appreciate your help, but I need to stand on my own.”

Devon looked like he wanted to argue, but after a moment, he gave a reluctant nod. “I’m doubling the security detail around the perimeter. They’ll stay out of sight, but they’ll be watching.”

After Devon left, I made my way back to the mansion with Ryan. The adrenaline from the confrontation was wearing off, leaving me exhausted.

“Did Lydia see any of this?” I asked as we entered the main house.

Ryan shook his head. “She was busy in the back garden. I don’t think she noticed the commotion.” Ryan shook his head. “Mrs. Harrison, an old friend of Lydia’s, was here this morning. They’ve been spending a lot of time together since we moved in, and she often helps out around the house.”

‘I should go say hello,” I decided, pushing aside my fatigue.

Before I could head toward the garden, Aiden approached with a troubled expression.

“Evelyn, we need to talk,” he said in a low voice. “Can we speak privately?”

I followed him to a small sitting room where Aileen waited, her laptop open.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

Aiden handed me his tablet, displaying several photographs. “I was checking the signal strength throughout the mansion like you asked, to make sure we could get a stable connection for our work.”

I scrolled through the images, my stomach dropping. The photos showed dozens of tiny cameras hidden throughout the mansion–behind picture frames, inside light fixtures, even within the antique clock on the mantelpiece.

“They’re well–concealed,” Aiden explained. “Special coating makes them almost undetectable. If I hadn’t been scanning for wireless signals, I would have missed them entirely.”

“How many?” I asked, my voice tight.

10

111

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify