Rise of the Banished She-Wolf (Evelyn) novel Chapter 165

Chapter 165

Devon

The sterile smell of the hospital corridor burned my nostrils as I sat on that damn hard plastic chair, my head buried in my hands. I heard hurried footsteps approaching and looked up to see Olivia and Emma rushing toward me, their faces etched with worry.

“What happened?” Olivia demanded, her eyes darting between me and the closed doors of the operating room. “The nurse said Evelyn was hurt… that you-” She couldn’t finish the sentence.

I swallowed hard, unable to meet my sister’s accusing gaze. My shirt was stained with Evelyn’s blood, my hands still trembling slightly. I couldn’t answer. The weight of guilt crushed my chest, making it nearly impossible to breathe. How could I tell them that I’d lost control, that my anger might have caused her condition to worsen?

Emma stepped forward, her normally gentle face now stern with concern. “Devon, tell us what happened. We need to know.”

Still, I remained silent, my eyes fixed on those goddamn operating room doors. Cold sweat beaded on my forehead as the memory of Evelyn’s blood–stained lips haunted me. I had lost control, had let my anger take over when she needed my understanding most. And now she was fighting for her life because I couldn’t keep my emotions in check.

“She’s been in there for almost two hours,” I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper. “They won’t tell me anything.”

Olivia sighed and sat beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder. “She’s strong, Devon. She’ll pull through.”

Time crawled by agonizingly slow. I couldn’t sit still, pacing the corridor, stopping to stare at the closed doors, then resuming my pacing. Every minute felt like an hour, every hour an eternity. My wolf raged inside me, demanding to break down the doors and find my mate, but the human part of me knew I had to wait, had to trust the doctors.

Finally, after four excruciating hours, the doors opened, and Felix emerged, looking exhausted but relieved. I rushed forward, my heart in

my throat.

“She’s stable now,” Felix announced, removing his surgical mask. “The internal bleeding was more severe than we initially thought, but w

managed to stop it.”

“When can she be moved to a room?” I demanded, barely recognizing my own rough voice. “I need to see her.”

Felix held up a hand. “She needs to remain in the ICU for observation. Her condition is stable but still critical. She can’t handle any

emotional stress right now. His eyes narrowed as he looked directly at me. “And I’m warning you–don’t go near her until you’ve got you

emotions under control.”

My jaw tightened. “I need to see her. Even if it’s just at the door.”

“Felix is right,” Olivia interjected, stepping between us. “Evelyn is safe now. That’s what matters. You need to calm down first.”

Chapter 165

I turned away, pulling a cigarette from my pocket as I walked toward the exit. My hands were still shaking as I lit it, inhaling deeply to steady myself. I had almost lost her. The thought hollowed me out inside, leaving nothing but fear and regret.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to find Alden standing there, his face grim.

“She’s going to be okay,” Aiden said quietly. “But we need to focus on finding the person who really hurt her. Vera White is still out there.”

My eyes darkened. Any progress on tracking her?”

“Edward said that she escaped despite her injuries,” Aiden replied. “But she can’t have gone far. She’ll need medical supplies for her

wounds.

I nodded, my Alpha instincts taking over. “Search every hospital and clinic in the city. Check pharmacies for anyone buying wound care supplies. I want every available man on this.”

Hours passed as I maintained my vigil outside the ICU. Through the glass panel, I could see Evelyn lying motionless, an oxygen mask covering her face. She looked so small, so fragile. My heart constricted painfully at the sight. The familiar scent that was uniquely hers–a blend of wildflowers and morning dew–was masked by antiseptic and medication. I couldn’t smell her, and that terrified me more than I

wanted to admit.

“Devon,” Olivia approached me again, her voice gentle. “You need to rest. Let me drive you back to the territory. You can come back in the

morning.”

I shook my head without taking my eyes off Evelyn. “I’m not leaving her.”

Olivia and Emma exchanged concerned glances but eventually left, knowing it was futile to argue with me when I’d made up my mind.

As night fell, I remained by the ICU door, watching Evelyn’s chest rise and fall with each breath. Then, shortly after midnight, I noticed a change–her fingers twitched, and her eyelids fluttered open.

“Nurse!” I called out, pressing my palms against the glass. “She’s waking up!”

The nurse on duty hurried in, checking Evelyn’s vitals before rushing back out to call Felix and the medical team. I seized the

opportunity.

“I need to go in there,” I told the nurse, my voice leaving no room for argument. “Now,”

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