Page 23 of Amaris Rejected (Stone Mountain Shifters #2)

***Trigger warning – Bloody Fight***

Amaris

After Jeni's attack in the clinic, I drag myself to my room and pass out. Thank the goddess, I brought Trish with me; I was wrung out.

I wake up in the middle of the night. The moon is absent, leaving no light to filter through the darkness. Stretching my muscles before getting out of bed, I shift to the right. I'm stiff and sore, and the nearly-healed wounds on my chest pull uncomfortably. Sitting up, I dangle my feet off the side of the bed.

"Well, well, well. Sleeping beauty is finally awake." A menacing female voice comes from the shadows.

I spring to my feet. "What the—who's there?" I make out a faint silhouette and a glimmer of steel in the darkness.

"Who do you think it is?" came the sickeningly sweet voice, drawing closer, and chills ran up my spine at the familiarity of it. I shift toward the door as Jeni's face emerges from the blackness.

"You don't think I’d work this hard and this long only to give up now, do you? You can’t get rid of me that easily. Devon is mine!" She shrieks as she lunges, aiming a bloody knife at my chest. I dodge right and call on Lyra for help, but I can't feel her. Did Jeni lace her claws with wolfsbane when she sliced me open?

I look around for anything that I can use to defend myself, but there’s nothing. She throws her head back and laughs maniacally. "There are no weapons here, Amaris. No protection. No wolf." Her smile stretches uncannily wide.

"I love to play games. Did Devon ever tell you how much I love to play games? Well, he probably doesn't know. I play him so well. UNTIL YOU CAME ALONG!" she shouts. "It's okay, though. Devon and I will enjoy our games for many years to come. When you are dead."

"Didn’t Devon tell you?" I choke out. "I officially rejected him. I don't want him, you can have him." My chest rises and falls rapidly, trying to catch my breath. "He’s all yours."

"I know he’s all mine, silly wolf. I don’t need you to give him to me," she states blithely. "However, we must cut all ties, and that mate bond has to go." Her voice rises in a playful tone as she emphasizes the word cut. "With you gone, Rue will finally accept me. Devon already has, you know."

"You don't have to get rid of me," I implore. "It’s obvious he cares for you, not me. He always defends you. He left me for you.”

"He did, didn't he?" She seems almost placated. "But Rue stands in the way, and the easiest solution is to take you out of the equation.”

"No! No, you don't," I plead. "We can work this out. There’s no reason for me to die. Many wolves live long, happy lives with chosen mates."

Losing interest in what I have to say, she waves her hand and sings, "Let’s play a game. Do you know why my blade is already stained?" She holds the blade up, blood dripping from it, and chuckles.

A chilling wave of horror washes over me, and I retch as I feel myself shatter. She's already killed someone. "Zoe!" I scream, lunging for the door. A blinding pain shoots through me as the blade impales my back, and I crumple to the floor.

Taking advantage of my weakened state, she leaps on top of me. We tumble, and the blade is shoved sideways, mercifully pulling out of my shredded muscle. The pain hits me like a semi, leaving me momentarily incapacitated. I’m not dying like this. With a burst of adrenaline, I drive my foot into her nose. Her head whips back, throwing her off me. I grab the knife and attempt to get up; the knife gripped firmly in my hand.

Leaping on top of me and pinning me to the floor, she grabs my wrists. Goddess, she’s strong. As we struggle, she seizes my fingers, pulling them back to force me to release the weapon. But she doesn't stop there. Once the knife falls from my limp hand, she continues pushing past my normal reach, and my fingers begin to snap, one after another. One slips free unbroken, but the nail is ripped off in the process.

"Oh goddess!" I wail in pain, realizing I may not make it out of this alive.

"I told you I love games, Amaris." She gloats, continuing her tortuous assault. The scent of copper blooms in the air as blood pours from my wounds, my fingers mangled. "But don't worry, Zoe is okay," she seethes.

She holds me down securely on the floor, slicing the blade diagonally across my face, barely missing my left eye. "And when you are gone, I’ll be a good mother to her," she promises, turning on the fake doe-eyed look before bursting into laughter.

Another female taunts from the shadows. "Just like your mother. Always getting in the way." Luna Quinn steps forward. "Jeni can take care of you, just like I took care of your mother. That blade tasted her blood, and yours should’ve been on it already. You weren’t supposed to survive the night of your birth. We’ll remedy that now." Her laughter joins her daughter’s.

All I hear is that laughter as Jeni plunges the knife into my heart.