Page 34 of Amaris Rejected

The drive is uneventful, except when the two prisoners attempt to talk. "Devon mentioned Alpha Commander Beck Kason. Isn't that the name of the guy you rejected at the meet-and-greet? The one who was supposed to be your mate?" Sheila asks Jeni. I catch Jeni's shocked expression in the rear-view mirror. "You met him at the meet & greet three years ago and rejected him, remember?"

“That was him?” Jeni clarifies, stunned.

"Quiet," I scold them, and the chatter stops.

Around noon, we arrive at Little Silver Creek Pack. We step out of the vehicles and are greeted by Alpha Jenson and Enforcer Orson. After they welcome us, they invite everyone in for lunch. As we enter the pack house, two of the four female enforcers escort our prisoners to the restroom.

Afterward, we all gather in the dining hall. Once again, the meal is laid out on a buffet bar. With our high metabolisms, wolves are accustomed to consuming large meals, so I fill my plate and take a seat. We take turns keeping watch over the prisoners so that everyone can eat.

I dig into my food while Alpha Jenson barely touches his. When I glance at him in confusion, he shares the sordid tale of his runaway Luna. As I listen, I realize he’s in the same boat as Alpha Devon; he didn't prioritize his mate and betrayed her. What's wrong with these idiots?

"Alpha Jenson," I begin after he finishes, "I hope that if you're fortunate enough to win your Luna back, you treat her as she deserves and not like an afterthought. I don't have my Luna yet, but when I find her, I hope I’m wise enough to put her before everyone and everything else.

“This might sound disrespectful to the pack, but my Luna will always come first," I assert. "That’s why ensuring that if you have a good mate, you honor and treat her well is crucial. She should come before all."

"Well, our Elder Frank might be losing his other half as well," he reveals. "Rumor has it that his mate, Elder Tina, kicked him out of their home." His voice drops. "She was upset that our Luna was left out of important meetings, which caused her to flee. Elder Frank pushed for haste instead of discretion, and that decision led to my Luna’s leaving.” He coughs guiltily as the putrid scent of deceit fills the air. “So, Elder Tina was ultimately justified. She probably felt disrespected by everyone herself."

I raise my eyebrows. Alpha Jenson and his elder appear to be just two more hopeless cases when valuing their mates.

After our meal, the enforcers take the prisoners back to the SUVs and wait for us there. Alpha Jenson, Enforcer Orson, and I head down to the basement to collect the prisoner, Tracy Vincent. She’s been charged with mate bond tampering for interfering with Alpha and Luna Black’s mating bond.

Their basement prison block is modern and nearly identical to the Still Waters Pack’s prison cells. Enforcer Orson unlocks the cell door and out steps a heavily pregnant female. While Alpha Jenson had shared the unsavory story, it’s still shocking to see an expectant she-wolf incarcerated.

I meet her gaze, and an electric pulse reverberates through my body. Her eyes widen, and a smile spreads across her beautiful face as my wolf, Raze, steps into the foreground. "Mate," he growls. We’re so captivated by her that we reach out to touch her face.

It suddenly dawns on us that this female isn’t honorable. Her actions have marked her as untrustworthy in our eyes. She’s broken the law and interfered with a mate bond. She isn't someone we can place above our pack or before everyone and everything else. We can't accept her as our mate, no matter how much it pains us both. We agree. My eyes burn as I blink and turn away.

Tears spring to her eyes and run down her cheeks as she realizes the extent of what she has done, and how her criminal actions have doomed our relationship to failure. "I-I'm sorry," she stutters.

Everyone is staring at us in shock. I take a deep breath. "What's your full name?"

"Tracy Marie Vincent," she whispers.

"Tracy," I hesitate. "When are you due?"

"Any day now," she replies, turning pale.

"I will stay at Stone Mountain until you have delivered your pup," I caution. "At that point, I will reject you. I can’t in good conscience turn you away before the delivery and risk harm to your pup."

She nods as the tears continue to flow.

"Let's get loaded up." I trot up the stairs and out to the waiting SUVs. "Put Ms. Vincent in the second vehicle, and let's roll." She is quickly placed in the second SUV, and we’re on our way again.

This time, we are headed south to Stone Mountain Kingdom. If what I’ve heard from the prisoners is true, the Alpha Commander and I share something in common: our fated mates are criminals who didn't want us but desired someone else enough to attempt to destroy their mate bond.

My heart and mind are in shambles; two self-centered women have devastated four heartbroken Alphas.

Chapter 26 – A Waking Vision

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.

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