Page 57 of Amaris Rejected

“I will never make those mistakes again,” he promises. “My family is my priority. I lost them once, never again.”

“Amaris, forgive your father,” she urges. “Family is vital. Even though he let you and your mother down, he was enchanted and manipulated just as Devon was, and he deserves a second chance, too.”

“I’ll try my best to forgive him.”

“Go in peace, my wolves, and be happy.”

The moon retreats into the sky, and the vision recedes. I achingly watch my Zeke slip back into the ether.

Epilogue – In the Future

Amaris

After everything that happened that terrible day that Jeni was killed and in the years prior because of her schemes, I felt empty, listless, and drained.Tired. I was just tired. Sitting beside Devon’s sickbed as he healed, watching his mother fawn over him, I realized I had a problem.I’m grateful that Devon stepped in and saved my life, and I'm thankful he’s alive.But I didn’t want to deal with any of it anymore.Honestly,I was done with it about the same time Devon was initially done with me—the day after our wedding.

That moment ignited my deepest resentment.Does that make me a bad person?I’ve lost so much and fought so hard to build a life for Zoe and me. Just when I start to see success, when I can finally hold my head above water, on my own, Devon reenters my life.But he left me for her. How do I move past this? How do I overcome this enormous mountain of resentment?

Let’s be honest here: if Devon had never reappeared in my life, Jeni would never have been in a position to try to harm me like she did before by deceiving him into leaving me. She’d probably still be alive, and Devon wouldn’t have been so severely injured that he lost his memory. And, they’d probably be mated by now, with us all living our best lives.Right?

I know, I know. Zoe deserved a father, and Devon was always a good one. And, he was a great mate, all of maybe 12 hours before he did a runner and ghosted me–us. And, since we met back up, he has repeatedly chosen Jeni over me.Did I want scraps now that Jeni is out of the picture?

I felt deeply conflicted during that time.

Something didn’t feel right in my psyche. My mental balance was off, andwho could blame me?But now I had Devon, begging for forgiveness, not even remembering what he had done. I was trapped.

All the conflicting and intense emotions I experienced after Jeni died were eventually diagnosed as PTSD. Those were dark days as I battled the mental illness that accompanied the disorder.

After the bonding ceremony, I fought to reclaim myself for the sake of my family and pups. It was a challenge to dispel the black cloud that loomed over me as I tried to forgive and love once more. But I succeeded.

I connected with my dad, as the goddess advised, and learned that he loved my mother deeply. He told me that certain people in your life can capture your entire heart and never let it go, and she was that person for him. However, he believed Garnet when she told him Mom was sick, so he dedicated his life to caring for her, even though he needed a Luna. As a result, he divorced Mom and married Garnet, which ultimately alienated Mom. She was aware of everything the entire time, but couldn’t communicate.

Mom still hasn’t reconciled with Dad, and I'm not sure if she ever will. However, she’s been dating a lot. Currently, she’s seeing a younger Alpha male from another pack.You go, Mom!Dad, on the other hand, isn't dating anyone. He says he’ll wait as long as he needs for Mom.

He's a great granddad to our pups. After Zeke and Zoe, twin Alpha males Zander and Zarael sneaked in on us. In every ultrasound, one of them always hid from us, but they are two pups who couldn’t be more different from each other. Zander, like his father, is a warrior and protector, while Zarael takes after me in both coloring and his healing touch.

Next came our twin Alpha females, Zena and Zayla—tiny terrors who drove their older siblings crazy. Then, the youngest pups joined us—triplets Zephyr, Zina, and Zion (male, female, male)—all Alphas who quickly wrapped everyone around their little fingers.

Devon

I never regained my memories beyond our wedding night. However, I’ve been told most of what happened between then and when I woke up in the hospital.Am I a coward for feeling happy about that?The only memories I have of our first time together are just of Amaris and me. I don’t even remember Dad mind-linking me or Jeni waiting outside the bridal suite like a stalker; all of that was relayed to me by Amaris. My last memory is falling asleep beside the love of my life.

I look over in bed and see Amaris sleeping, curled up beside me. It’s taken a long time to bring us to this point—sleeping peacefully, that is. Nightmares plagued us both for months after I killed Jeni. Mine were mostly jagged fragments or flashes; though distorted, I could make out what I had done to Jeni. I have no regrets; my family is safe now. Rue said he remembers everything about that night and the reasons behind it, but he won’t share those details with me. I wonder if he’s withholding them to spare me from having to relive it.

But for now, as I watch Amaris breathe softly, I reach and pull her snug against me, and find peace in knowing that, no matter what the past, we’re building something unbreakable—our future, together.