Page 31 of Amaris Rejected (Stone Mountain Shifters #2)
Devon
I sit at my desk reading Jeni’s journal, which we found while searching Sheila’s room. I turn to the pages where the Meet-and-Greet begins.
Dear Diary,
Today we arrived at the singles Meet-and-Greet. I’ve never hated Luna Wright more than I do now, this was her idea, and she wants Devon to have the chance to meet his “true mate”. I wish she would mind her own business. When I become Devon's Luna, I'll send her to the facility where Mom keeps her other victims. Since I turned 18 and realized I wasn't his mate, Mom and I have worked hard to get him to bond with me, just as she did with my dad. She's taught me everything I know about controlling a male. We've been using a tea and spell combination for years, and at first, we thought it might work on both Rue and Devon, just as it works on my dad. But we didn't inherit much of the witch gene from Grandma Nelda, so I've never been able to perfect it.
Love, Jeni
The following entry is just as dark and turns my stomach when I think of the danger Jeni posed to Amaris and Zoe—something I was too blind to see.
Dear Diary,
I followed Devon around all day to ensure he stayed away from other females. I didn’t want him to find his mate. But, of course, he meets her. I only step away for one minute to use the bathroom. When I return, I see them sitting by the fire, mooning over each other. It makes me sick. She can't have him.
Love, Jeni
With every entry Jeni makes, the lies continue to unravel. Not only will this serve as solid evidence for the mate bond tampering charges, but it’s also slowly curing me of any loyalty or trust I ever had for Jeni. She and Luna Garnet Quinn are the most manipulative and underhanded females I’ve ever had the displeasure of knowing.
Dear Diary,
Sheila came up with a great idea. I’m going to lie to my dad and tell him I’m pregnant with Devon's pup. Sheila said I could hurry up and marry him, then get myself pregnant for real. I’m so excited! I know this will work.
Oh, and as Sheila and I walked across the field at the Meet-and-Greet, I met my mate. Hahaha, he’s pathetic. When I rejected him, he fell to the ground crying. His name is Beck Kason. I’m going to be Jeni Wright, not Jeni Kason.
Love, Jeni
It keeps getting worse. The blinders are off, and I can see things for what they truly are now. As I read, the weekend unfolds from Jeni’s perspective, which is not so innocent.
Dear Diary,
My plan worked! Since I followed Devon and his mate last night, I knew where they were staying, so I rushed to their door and waited while Alpha Wright mind-linked Devon during his "honeymoon.” This morning, after hearing about my “pregnancy,” Devon bolted out of their room so quickly that it was hilarious. I was waiting just outside and put on the doe-eyed, crying act I’ve perfected. It works every time. That female never stood a chance with me in the picture.
Love, Jeni
I grip the book with both hands, ready to tear it to shreds; Rue is salivating. He wants to destroy Jeni so badly. I stop myself just short of ruining it. I know it needs to be preserved as evidence. I flip to the present-day entries.
I’m horrified by the name that jumps out when I turn a few pages—"Zoe.”
Dear Diary,
If Amaris or Zoe get in my way, I am not above getting rid of them. After all, my mother told me she killed her true mate with poison so she could be with my dad. She always says true love trumps true mate.
Love, Jeni
Goddess! What could have happened to my Zoe if Amaris hadn't been so vigilant? She is the light of my life right now.
I read on:
Dear Diary,
I got Amaris's cell number from Devon’s phone. I'm going to send her some photos I secretly took the night I drugged him and made it seem like we’d been intimate. It's nothing inappropriate, but I do have pics from when he passed out.It looks as though we’re both nude, and I turned his head to kiss him. You can’t tell he wasn’t kissing me back. I'll send those to Amaris and see how long she sticks around. Hahaha!
Love, Jeni
I reach into my desk drawer and take out the phone we confiscated from Jeni. It still has a slight charge. I’m disgusted by what I see when I turn it on and open her photos—so many of her kissing, hugging, and curling up on top of me. I didn't pose for anything like these photos. It's then I realize that I didn't actually have sex with Jeni. She drugged me, and if we did have any sexual contact, it was non-consensual.
I flip to her messages and find where she recently sent some of the photos to Amaris. No wonder Amaris wouldn’t give me the time of day. Why had she never mentioned these to me?
“ She thinks they’re real,” Rue interjects. “She’s not going to fight for an unfaithful mate.”
I sigh, knowing the truth is, I’ve been drugged, and magic and manipulation have been used on me. I need to talk to Amaris about these photos and what really happened. I’ll send her a copy of these diary entries to help shed light on it all. Of course, she’s always had Jeni’s number, so she won’t be surprised at the lengths Jeni went to in order to create her own narrative.
Slamming the journal shut, I toss it in the drawer. "Evidence,” I say to myself so that I won’t destroy it. I can't read anymore, or I'll be sick. But it will be used as evidence to put them away for good."
My Beta Dale raps on the door as he opens it. "Hey, are you ready for this conference call?"
I tap the file on my desk, "Yeah. Are Hill I want passion and desire that fan the flames of my devotion for my mate—that tender, soul-sustaining, living, breathing love.
“Sex isn’t love, and lust isn’t either," I point out. “It’s an impulsive, selfish, physical act that is meaningless unless you use it to enhance your love and relationship with your partner.
“And while I’ve stayed physically faithful to my mate, my wolf side is more devoted, always loyal, resisting the foolish choices my human nature considers honorable.
“In other words, I made a terrible choice to leave my partner after our wedding night because Jeni Quinn tricked me into believing we had been intimate beforehand and then feigned a pregnancy with a child that didn't exist, all to drive a wedge between Amaris and me. And she almost succeeded, for a moment." The room fills with astonished murmurs.
At this point, I’m mentally exhausted and want to crawl under a rock in shame, but I need to tell my truth, so I continue.
“In my misplaced honor, I felt an obligation to Jeni and my unborn pup she supposedly carried, so I ch--chose Jeni.” I choked on the words, feeling bile rise in my throat. I had chosen Jeni over her, that’s what Amaris had said.
“Fortunately, Rue fought me every step of the way and never allowed me to marry Jeni, even threatening to kill her if I went near her.”
“Thank you, Rue,” I gratefully acknowledged, relieved that he had saved me from making one of the biggest mistakes of my life, second only to leaving my mate.
“I later found out I had left my mate pregnant with twins, and the stress of the pregnancy coupled with developing her career and the responsibilities of being a single mother, prevented my son from thriving in her womb. He died soon after birth.”
The room becomes eerily silent during my diatribe, but Enforcer Hill breaks the long, awkward pause by steering the conversation back on track.
"Enforcer Orson, I want to add something," Enforcer Hill from the Still Waters Pack speaks up.
Enforcer Orson inclines his head, "Please proceed."
Enforcer Hill continues, "Unfortunately, the situation with the Quinns goes beyond that. Have you noticed that Alpha Quinn is missing? Luna Quinn has been charged and arrested for tampering with mate bonds, as well as for using magic and drugs while committing crimes, including kidnapping, murder, attempted murder, and unlawful imprisonment. Like the other cases, this one is pending the outcome of the investigation so additional charges may follow, and others could be involved. This spans over 20 years, though some incidents are also recent."
At this point, the room erupts, shock evident on everyone's faces. Enforcer Orson takes command of the room. "Please! Please! Quiet so we can continue.”
“What’s the story behind Luna Quinn’s arrest?” Alpha Jon asks in disbelief.
“There are accusations that she murdered her true mate after drugging Alpha Quinn’s true mate, Minette, claiming she was mentally incapable of being Luna. She’s kept Minette drugged and in a facility since the birth of her daughter, Amaris Richland.”
“Isn’t that your true mate, Alpha Devon?” Alpha Jon gasps, his stunned expression mirrored by everyone else in the room. “She’s Alpha Quinn’s daughter?”
“Let me be clear,” I say, raising my hands to quiet everyone. “Yes, Amaris is Alpha Quinn’s daughter. She was kidnapped at birth by Luna Garnet Quinn, who was the midwife at the time. To make a long story short, Luna Garnet had ordered her sister’s mate to kill the infant, but instead, he secretly left her to be found by old Alpha Black’s pack, where she was raised as an orphan.
“Amaris and her mother have been reunited. Since Amaris is a healer, she is working to restore her mother’s health and is hopeful that Minette will fully recover. That’s it in a nutshell,” I explain.
“Thanks, Alpha Devon,” replies Enforcer Orson. “Let's continue.”
"Okay," Enforcer Hill says. "After a preliminary search of Jeni Quinn's room at Still Waters Pack, we found a tea mixture that’s been sent off for testing. Enforcer Orson, we can compare notes on that later."
Enforcer Hill continues, “Luna Quinn will be transported to Stone Mountain within the next couple of days. I can also confirm that the other two criminals taken to Stone Mountain with Ms. Vincent were Jeni Quinn, daughter of Alpha and Luna Garnet Quinn, and Jeni’s best friend, Sheila Morris. Both are charged with tampering with the mate bond between Alpha Devon and his mate, Amaris. Testing shows that in her tampering, Jeni used magic, wolfsbane, and possibly silver."
"I might have some information to share about that," Alpha Reems appears reluctant to admit. "I recognize that grimoire. If you check the front page, you’ll find it belonged to my grandmother, Nelda Baird Reems. Garnet Quinn and Tracy Vincent are my cousins. A flurry of whispers erupts. "Our grandfather, Alpha Remington Reems, married Nelda Baird, a witch. Among their children are my father, Cedric Reems, Garnet's father, Niro Reems, and Tracy's mother, Narcissa Reems, who married Ramos Vincent. There is a family connection between them. I wasn’t aware of their criminal activities or the pending charges against them. I’m innocent in their schemes. Their grandmother would be ashamed. I know I am."
The following two hours are spent discussing all the information and evidence. Enforcer Orson compiles a record on Tracy Vincent, documenting the connection to Garnet and Jeni Quinn, while Enforcer Hill focuses on the Quinns, emphasizing their ties to Tracy Vincent.
As the call ends, I mentally shake myself, vibrating with anger. The faster this is wrapped up, the quicker I can talk to Amaris. The gloves are off. No more holding back or being the patient, trampled-on good guy. Yes, manipulation was used against me, and mistakes were made. It's time to listen to Rue and reclaim my family.