Page 27 of Amaris Rejected (Stone Mountain Shifters #2)

Amaris

I quickly make plans when Alpha Quinn tells me my ailing mother is on her way. Once she arrives, I intend to take over her care and send her nurses away. I’ve already downloaded a copy of her medical records to my personal hologram tablet. I have it in hand now and am studying it. The file isn't lengthy, as she’s in good physical health. It’s only her mental health that’s been in decline.

After reviewing her diagnoses and medication list, I see that it’s an odd mix of mainstream medications and handcrafted herbal blends. It's not unlike what I would prescribe, but it feels excessive, considering wolf shifter biology is so robust. I note that the alchemist for the handmade herbals is Luna Quinn. As I look closer, I’m surprised to find that Luna Quinn has been my mother’s healer since she transferred to the pack. I wasn’t aware that Luna Quinn was a healer.

Within the files, I discover my birth record. The healer who was my mother’s midwife is listed as Garnet Wolfsong, now known as Luna Garnet Quinn. At that time, she was mated to my mother's brother. My fingers brush over the page, and suddenly, my head snaps back. A sharp pain pierces me, and a shiver ripples down my spine. It feels as though I’m being pulled through the fabric of time itself, a thick, viscous matter.

Suddenly, I’m drawn into a childbirth scene— the sound of a female’s screams. Cocooned in warmth and darkness, then pressure and release as I’m pushed from my mother’s womb. Hands grasp me and lift me into the world.

A pup’s wail. Is that me?

The female lies exhausted on a blood-soaked bed. Her breathing is erratic. She softly sobs, finally relieved of her travails.

I’m bundled up in a soft blanket and placed on the female's chest. "Welcome, little one," she coos shakily. "I’m your momma." I blink at her beautiful face, so much like my own. Her long, black hair is sweaty and mussed, and her soft green eyes glaze over with tears. I reach for her, and my tiny hand snags on the amulet at her throat. Someone takes me from her arms as the amulet slips beneath my blankets. "No," she pants. "Please, Garnet, let me hold her for a while longer."

"You’re weak Minette. Lay back and rest." Garnet roughly pushes my mother back onto the bed. Weakly, she obeys. Turning, Garnet tucks me into a bassinet at the foot of the bed and administers two drops from a vial to each of my eyes. The liquid burns, and I shriek.

"Shush now,” she whispers gleefully. “That will help you sleep and disguise your scent while we get rid of you, little complication." She turns back to my mother. "Now, Minette, let’s give you something to help you rest." Raising a syringe to her neck, she injects my mother with a swirling, colorful substance.

Suddenly, the scene shifts. I’m no longer a participant in the scene but an observer, standing at the foot of my mother’s bed, watching the events unfold.

As Minette weakly succumbs to the sedative mixture now in her system, Garnet turns to a very young female in the room. "She’ll sleep for hours, and when she wakes, her mind won't be the same." She laughs. "However, the effects are only temporary, so I’ll need to keep dosing her over time. Now, take that troublesome pup out to your mate, little sister. Tell him to kill it and leave no trace."

"Garnet, please. Do we really have to kill the pup?"

"Do what I say, or you and your mate will be next," Garnet threatens. "I’ll soon be Luna again and hold all the power. Follow my orders and bring back fresh water."

"Yes, Garnet." The young female trembles as she reaches into the bassinet, takes the now limp pup in her arms, and walks away.

Outside, the girl hands the pup to a male shifter. "I know Garnet said to kill her, but please don't hurt her," she pleads. "Just take her far away and save her life." He nods, kisses the female's cheek, and runs into the dead of night.

Shouting erupts from the house behind me, and I turn to face the unfolding chaos. "Where’s my pup?" a young Alpha Quinn roars at Garnet, yanking the bassinet and throwing aside the blankets.

"I don't know, Lange," she said, her face a mask of feigned concern. "She was just here a minute ago. I laid her in the bassinet and turned to care for Minette. She had such a difficult labor. I sent for fresh water to bathe her. There’s Vinia now."

Vinia walks back into the room carrying a bowl of steaming water. "Where's the pup, Vinia?" Alpha Quinn shouts.

Vinia shrinks back, eyeing Garnet. "I went to get water." She trembles as she holds out the bowlto Alpha Quinn.

"Stop yelling at her, Lange. That's not helping. Did you take your supplements today?”

“Garnet! My pup!"

“Lange, I mentioned earlier that you need to take the supplements I left for you today. With Minette’s upcoming childbirth, I provided you with a stronger dose so you can stay calm and in control.”

“Yes, I took them,” he grits out. “But I don’t like them. Can you adjust the formula? They dull my senses. I can’t even scent a simple lie after taking them. Jeni had chocolate all over her face, and when I asked if she’d been eating cookies, she told me she was eating broccoli.”

Garnet giggles and Alpha Quinn looks at her, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He rubs his hand over his face and exhales a deep sigh, momentarily forgetting his worries as he recalls his toddler’s antics.

“The supplements calm you so you can think. That’s what’s most important right now. Remember how you were when I gave birth to Jeni?” she says coyly. “So, stop this raging and call your guards to search." She gestures to Vinia, "Bathe the Luna, Vinia."

My vision narrows, and slipping from the scene into blackness, I hear Luna Quinn's voice echoing from my dream last night. "Jeni can take care of you just like Itook care of your mother."

Dizziness overwhelms me as my vision shifts again. Still an observer, I stand this time on a cliff next to the young warrior who saved me. From the shadows, his face a mask of sorrow, he watches the babe being rescued below. Satisfied that she is safe, he returns to reassure his mate.

As the vision clears, everything suddenly clicks into place. Garnet Wolfsong was a jilted lover who didn't want to relinquish her role as Luna. Alpha Quinn admitted pushing them to be with their true mates, even after Jeni was born.

My heart pounds as I realize that everyone I care about is still in danger because Luna Quinn is the true villain behind it all. She may not have killed my mother, but she removed both of us from my bio father’s life through the schemes she and Jeni enjoy. Those are the same manipulative tactics she taught Jeni.

I need a fast plan to ensure that those I care about are protected. With Mom’s medical file in hand, I knock on Devon's office door. "Come in." He yells through the door.

Inside, I see the same group as before: Alpha Quinn, former Alpha Wright, and Devon. "Devon, I need to speak with you privately." The other men quickly stand and leave. "I know you’ve never trusted me or my visions, but I need your support now. For once, I need you to listen and choose me."

"From now on, Amaris, I promise always to choose you. I didn't realize I wasn't. Forgive me?" I feel the truth of his words. "What's this about?"

"First, I wantyourbestElite Enforcer on Zoe, now!" I demand.

"Amaris, I already have my best team monitoring her," Devon reassures me. "There hasn’t been a moment when she hasn’t been under guard."

"Is that team loyal to you, or are they under the command of Alpha and Luna Quinn?"

"What's this about, Amaris?" His voice is firm and insistent.

"Answer me first! It’s important!" I insist.

"They are only under my command."

"Mind-link your team members and instruct them to keep everyone away from Zoe., especially Alpha and Luna Quinn and their pack members.”

"Amaris—"

"Just do it!” I interrupt. “I’ll explain once I know Zoe is safe."

He gets a distant look in his eyes that tells me he’s mind-linking with someone. He nods and then turns to me. "Done, now explain!"

I sigh with relief as I share my first waking vision with him. He leans back in his chair and steeples his fingers while listening intently. When I finish, he exhales sharply. "If I understand you correctly, you believe that Luna Quinn is not only responsible for your kidnapping as a newborn pup but also for drugging and incapacitating your mother?"

"Yes, and most likely the cause of the trauma to my wolf and the reason she won’t shift. It’s a protection mechanism,” I explain.

“Makes a lot of sense,” he sighs.

“Alpha Quinn said my mother never recovered after my childbirth,” I emphasize. "Garnet was a left-behind lover. She wanted to be Luna and wasn't above killing to achieve that. She intended to have me killed."

"Have your visions ever been wrong?"

"It’s not as simple as that," I retort with a glare. "There are various factors to consider, and the timelines must unfold. That’s why we must carefully protect Zoe while we figure this out. I have a plan."

He leans forward, listening intently. "My mother needs her nurses and guards dismissed immediately. She’ll be under my care from now on, and I want two loyal, elite guards with us. One for me and one for her."

"On it." He turns away momentarily. Looking back at me, he states, "Your mother has arrived. I’ve instructed two of my elite enforcers to escort her to your suite of rooms. Her staff is being dismissed and sent away as we speak. A healer from our clinic will join them until we get there." I immediately stand. "Please, sit, Amaris. We need to finish what we’re doing before leaving this room."

"You're right," I concede. "I am going to conduct a complete medical workup on my mother: blood work, a physical exam, scans, and everything in between. I will adjust her medications and supplements, which Luna Quinn has managed until now."

"Wise. I'll instruct that she be given no more medications until you have seen her."

I nod. “Thanks.”

"Everything must be done quickly and discreetly to avoid alerting Luna Quinn," I assert. "We also need to bring her sister, Vinia, and her mate here for questioning. In the meantime, we trust no one. Loyal guards should monitor Alpha and Luna Quinn at all times. While I don't believe Alpha Quinn is involved, it's better to be cautious."

I spend the next few minutes sharing my visions with Devon, and once I finish, he nods. "Agreed."