Rise of the Banished She-Wolf (Evelyn) novel Chapter 197

Chapter 197

Evelyn

The tension in the garden was suffocating. Alex’s gaze darted between Devon and me,

spine.

his lips curled in a sardonic smile that sent unease crawling up my

I could feel the weight of unspoken grudges hanging heavily in the air, thickening the silence like a storm about to break.

I reminded myself silently that what we need to do now is divert his attention, so they won’t notice Edward’s approach.

“Never thought Devon’s protective instincts would be so strong,” Alex said, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. “Quite the change from the cold, calculating Alpha I’ve known all these years.”

I could read years of accumulated jealousy and resentment in his eyes–a simmering anger barely contained beneath the surface. The air between them crackled with unspoken history.

“But when I came to you for help during my darkest hour, Alex continued, his voice hardening, “you never once extended your hand. Not once, Devon.”

I glanced at Devon, confusion evident in my expression. His jaw was clenched tight, muscles twitching beneath his skin. Whatever Alex was referring to had clearly struck a nerve.

Jack leaned forward, breaking the tense silence. “You conveniently leave out what you were planning to do. Building werewolf facilities on human territory? That was reckless and you know it.”

As their argument unfolded, I pieced together fragments of a complex competitive relationship. My mind flashed to the Redwood family files I’d accessed weeks ago–records of failed business ventures, rejected pack alliance proposals, and territorial disputes. Suddenly, it clicked: Alex had lived his entire life in Devon’s shadow.

The realization hit me with uncomfortable familiarity. That suffocating feeling of constant comparison, the unspoken expectations, the quiet resentment–it mirrored my own experiences living under Kate’s shadow for years. That breathless sensation of never being enough.

Alex’s grip on his glass tightened, his knuckles turning white as his emotions boiled over. “You had the power to help me become a true Alpha,” he spat, voice rising. “But you chose to stand by and watch me fail!”

Warning bells clanged in my head as dangerous energy radiated from him. The werewolf inside me tensed, sensing the volatile situation.

“You didn’t deserve it,” I interjected coolly, meeting his gaze directly.

Alex’s head snapped toward me, contempt flashing in his eyes. “An outsider,” he sneered. “What right do you have to meddle in werewolf family affairs?”

I didn’t flinch. ‘Devon is my mate. His affairs are my affairs.”

The tension in the air thickened instantly. I felt Devon’s protective aura surge around me like an invisible shield, his dominance palpable in the confined

space.

Before Alex could retort, Emilia–who had been quietly seething under Lucas’s watchful eye–seized her moment.

“Mate?” Her laughter cut through the air, sharp and venomous. “What makes you think Devon would truly accept someone with your… history?”

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Chapter 197

Her voice dripped with jealousy and hatred. I felt Devon’s body instantly stiffen beside me.

I maintained my composure outwardly, though inwardly I sighed. Here she was, ready to tear open my old wounds again.

Strangely, I felt almost immune to her attack. After being called “the cursed white wolf and other far more vicious things, her words seemed trivial by

comparison.

Emilia’s eyes gleamed with malicious satisfaction. “Three years ago, the Luna family imprisoned you on that private island.”

Her voice slithered like a poisonous snake. “They forced you the exiled, the ones who lost their wolves–to fight each other for survival!*

Her words hit me like a physical blow. The world around me collapsed in an instant.

Memories I’d deliberately locked away came flooding back like a broken dam–endless experiments, excruciating pain that tore screams from my throat, and crushing loneliness in the darkness.

My hands began to tremble uncontrollably. My silver–gray eyes blurred with tears.

S

“Edward… did this?” My voice was barely audible, broken and small.

I couldn’t process such betrayal. Edward had taught me hacking skills, given me a chance to survive in the human world after my exile.

How could he? How could he possibly be responsible?

Emilia watched my reaction with satisfaction, twisting the knife deeper. “And now you’re working for him. How pathetic.”

A person bent on revenge, yet you never knew who your true enemy was.”

My legs weakened as my stomach churned violently. Something twisted inside my gut, writhing like a wounded animal.

My breathing became rapid and painful, each inhalation like swallowing glass shards.

A massive weight pressed down on my chest, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

My wolf howled in agony inside me, every cell in my body screaming to escape this place.

Those buried memory fragments became horrifyingly clear: the cold examination table, blinding white lights, endless injections…

“No… it can’t be…” My voice trembled as tears slid unchecked down

my

cheeks.

I gripped the table’s edge so tightly my knuckles turned white. Voices around me became muffled, distant–all except Emilia’s cruel laughter echoing in my

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