Page 29 of Amaris Rejected (Stone Mountain Shifters #2)

Amaris

"Mom?" Goddess, it feels strange to say mom. "I have everything packed and ready to go. I just need to talk to Devon before we leave."She continues staring out the vast floor-to-ceiling windows at the vista beyond."Luna Wright, are you sure you’re okay staying with Mom and Zoe for a little longer?"

"Take all the time you need, Amaris. We will be just fine," she waves me off.

I leave the suite and take a few short steps to Devon's office. The door opens immediately as I knock, and Devon's beta steps out. "Lu-Amaris," he nods as he walks away.

I glance inside to see Devon sitting at his desk. He doesn't look well. "Are you taking the medication I prescribed for you?"

He takes the bottle from his top drawer and shakes it unhappily. "Yes. I wish things were different, so I didn't need these."

"It gets better over time. Just think of them as a supplement to your diet," I shrug. "They keep you healthy. Besides, there’ll come a time when you no longer need them, like when you find another mate. Maybe you'll be ready again when Jeni gets out of prison."

He runs a hand down his face and blows out a deep breath. "Nope," he says, popping the "p” and ignoring the jab.

"Anyway, I want to go over a few things before I leave," I continue quickly.

“Okay,” Devon nods.

"I know you spent most of this morning with Zoe. I hope you had a good time."

"We had a great time. I wish you would’ve joined us, Amaris," he says, his eyes pleading.

"Devon," I shake my head. "We've had this conversation. I don't know why you think things have changed. It’s clear I’m not your choice when the only reason Jeni isn’t coming out on top is that she finally showed her hand and ended up in prison."

"I don't know why you feel this way." His hand grips the desk so tightly that a piece breaks off. "She’s never been anything more than my best friend, or at least that’s what I thought."

"And there's the problem, Jeni, Jeni, Jeni,” I mock. “My best friend!”

“Devon, your head and your heart are connected so deeply with Jeni, there’s no room for me. And, I love myself too much to ever be an afterthought to you. I won’t knowingly put myself in that position again.”

“Until you acknowledge that you sided with her over me and figure out why your bond with her is so strong that it keeps you from prioritizing your true mate, we have nothing to discuss."

“I didn’t…” he shakes his head and slumps back in his chair, confusion written all over his face.

"Anyway, I didn't come here to dwell on my trivial wounds,” I say dismissively. "I came to talk to you because we finally made a small connection. I feel like, for once, you actually had my back."

He flinches at my truth. My wounds mean nothing to him; in my opinion, it’s always been about Jeni and her feelings.

“And I’d like for you to remove the Alpha Gag Order so I can speak freely about Jeni when I need to, without popping a vein in my forehead from the effort.”

A look of horror crosses his handsome face. “What are you talking about?"

Now it’s my turn to be confused. “The one you issued, ordering me not to talk negatively about Jeni,” I say, pinning him with a deadly stare.

“I didn’t realize that came out as an order,” he exclaims, a flicker of remorse crossing his stupidly handsome face.

“I revoke all Alpha Orders I’ve placed you under, Amaris,” he breathes quietly. “I’m sorry.”

A tension I’ve become accustomed to seeps out of my body through my fingertips, and I finally relax as the pressure from the Alpha Order eases. I sigh and pop my neck. “Oh, that feels so much better.”

Devon runs his fingers through his hair in clear frustration. He has no one to blame for his actions but himself. Once again, he chose the “pick me” girl. Now, he must face the consequences of his choices.

“On a different subject,” I continue. "I want to share the results of the tests and scans I performed on Mom. Her blood toxicology report shows that she tested high for wolfsbane, along with traces of silver. That seems to be the go-to for mate bond tampering, since wolves have a high tolerance for most substances and a strong immune system. It’s hard to make a shifter sick."

“All Mom's scans, except for the blood report, came back clean. Surprisingly, her brain chemistry appears healthy and intact, even after being subjected to these toxins for over two decades. I remain hopeful that she can make a near full recovery."

“I also analyzed Mom’s meds, which Luna Quinn handed to me personally. As I suspected, most of them are either sedatives or have side effects that can make a shifter’s mind vulnerable,” I continue. “In addition to Rowan or Mountain Ash, which bind a wolf’s ability to shift, a few other synthetic blends appeared in the medication analysis and Mom’s bloodwork, that I’m unfamiliar with. I need to study them closely to identify what they are."

"Once you finish the analysis, please forward the results to me," Devon requests. "For your information, Luna Quinn remains under house arrest despite Alpha Quinn's protests. I’m close to placing him under confinement as well, as he’s becoming belligerent and nearly feral. Of course, we haven’t revealed any of Luna Quinn’s crimes to him yet, since we’re still in the investigative stages, but if he continues, he may end up in a cell with her and his daughter."

"Meanwhile, Luna Quinn's sister and her mate are currently being held in the security office for questioning. Given the seriousness of the crimes, I’ll keep you updated on what we find out. Not opposed to torture to gather information, but I’m hopeful that it won't come to that."

"Devon, I want to be present during the questioning. They were ordered to kill me, but despite that, they saved me, even under threat. That means something to me. I owe them my life."

"I understand. Let's head to the security offices then." He opens the door, letting me go first. We walk together in comfortable silence to the basement of the pack house, where the security offices are located. He enters his code and leads me through a large waiting area. After entering his code again, we pass through another door at the back. I take in the spacious, yet mostly bare room. There’s a table in the center, surrounded by chairs. A terrified female and a belligerent male are handcuffed to chairs beside each other. The silver handcuffs are wrapped in leather to prevent damage to the prisoners' wrists. A couple of males in tactical gear sit across from them, and everyone's attention shifts to us as we enter.

"Alpha," one of the males greets with a nod.

"Enforcer Hill, this is Amaris Wright, the daughter of Minette Quinn,” Devon introduces as the female snaps her head toward me, studying me more closely.

"Tevin Hill, Lead Enforcer. Nice to meet you, Amaris," he says, nodding. "This is my second, Jasper Fillion," he adds.

"Amaris," Jasper says, reaching out his hand and nodding.

"Tevin, Jasper. Pleasure to meet you." I turn to the couple in handcuffs, my former kidnappers, my saviors. "You must be Vinia and Ronnie Hollis."

Vinia pinches her mouth together tightly.

"We really haven't gotten anywhere," Enforcer Hill admits. "They haven't said a word since we picked them up."

"May I?" I gesture toward the couple.

“Sure,” Devon nods.

"Vinia, you must be terrified. I know what you and your mate did. I have the gift of visions. The goddess allowed me to see the crimes committed against me and my mother at my birth. You were forced under duress to take me, a defenseless infant, and kill me, leaving no trace. But because of your mercy, I’m alive and grateful." My eyes fill with tears of appreciation. "If you hadn't saved me, she would’ve found someone else to do it, and I wouldn’t be here today."

Vinia and Ronnie look at each other.

"Luna Quinn is currently under house arrest,” I continue. “I want to make sure that she pays for what she put my mother through and for the lost years I didn't have parents to love and raise me. But we can't prosecute her without your help."

Vinia looks at me. "I'll tell you anything you need to know if you’ll let Ronnie go!"

"No!" Ronnie yells. "It was me. Please spare Vinia!"

"Vinia, Ronnie, I think we’ve all been victims here. Please give us the information we need to put Luna Quinn away forever, and I promise you, on my life, I’ll do everything in my power to keep both of you free." I glance at Devon for confirmation.

"You have that promise from me as well," Devon agrees, his face looks like granite. She and her daughter have been deceitful, causing immense pain to many. They will pay. Enforcer Hill, Enforcer Fillion, we'll leave you to collect their statements. You can release them to a room when you're done. They’ll be my guests. Let me know when you have the information needed to obtain warrants and make arrests, and we'll proceed from there.

"Will do, Alpha."

Devon and I make our way back to his office. It’s been a long day, and it's not over yet. Once seated, we resume our discussion. "Have you signed the divorce agreement, Devon?"

"Not yet. Given everything that's happened, I haven’t had the chance to meet with an attorney. We also haven’t had the opportunity to discuss visitation or Zoe's support. I do have a proposal for you, though."

"Not another stalling tactic, Devon," I moan, rolling my eyes.

"Maybe, but just listen," he pleads. "I’m stepping back from my Alpha duties for a while. Dad’s going to take over. He’s more than capable. I want to visit the Sunlight Shimmer Pack for a bit so I can help co-parent Zoe. I’ll watch her while you work and support you as you try to get your mom well. I’ve already made inquiries and bought a house within walking distance of your clinic."

I start to protest, but he waves me off. "Please, hear me out. It’s fully furnished and has five bedrooms, each with an ensuite. One bedroom is on the ground floor with a handicapped-accessible bath. This will make it easier for your mom while she recovers, and you won't have to worry about steps like you do in your apartment."

"It has a large backyard," he continues without pause. "A two-car garage with a separate apartment above it, where I can stay, out of your way. The deed is held in a trust in Zoe's name, a gift from me and my family for her."

He pauses to catch his breath. "I'm not asking for any concessions, just to be a part of Zoe's life. When she feels comfortable with me, and you are secure, she can visit me here at home. I’ll resume my Alpha duties then. I have a few things to wrap up here, so it’ll be a few weeks before I arrive. Will that work for you?”

I’m not an unreasonable person, so I consider it. "And the divorce?"

"I'll sign once an attorney looks it over and we’ve outlined joint custody and visitation."

Joint custody!That sends a chill down my spine. I’ve taken care of her alone for two years. I didn't ask him to come into my life and turn it upside down. Granted, it has brought me my mom. I’m fair, but sharing custody doesn't sit well with me. Goddess, guide me.

"Okay," I say. “But I’m not sure about custody; it will be an ongoing adjustment."

"Okay?" He looks overjoyed, as if he didn't expect me to agree.

"Yes," I agree. I have a nagging, uncomfortable feeling tugs at me, but I shake it off for now. Zoe comes first, and that feels like the right thing to do.Right?

Lyra makes a circle in my head and curls up. "Feels right to me," she sighs. But I’m only more confused.