Page 37 of Amaris Rejected

"I’ll be taking care of my mother now. Yourassistanceis no longer needed."

“Your mother?” she whispers, her face draining of color as she realizes the implications of what I’ve just said. “Minette has no children.”

“Yes, she does,” I sneer. “As her daughter, I would know. But you’re already aware of that, since, according to the medical records, you were the midwife at my birth.”

Panicked, she attempts to push past me into the room. The guards restrain her and hold her back.

"I insist that you let me see Minette now! I have cared for her for years. She—uh, needs me."

"What she needs is for you to leave," I bite out viciously.

"I will not leave. Minette is my patient. No one else will care for her. I’ll stay right here until you allow me in," Luna Quinn insists.

"Get Devon here immediately," I command the guards. As soon as the words leave my mouth, one of the guards takes the mind-link stance, and Devon emerges from his office.

"What's the trouble here?

"Luna Quinn insists on resuming my mother’s medical care and refuses to leave."

"Is this true, Luna Quinn?"

She nods. "I’ve cared for Minette for years and don't plan to stop now. She shouldn't even be out of the nursing facility."

"She’s no longer your patient. Her daughter will take care of her now."

"No!" She lunges toward the door. "Her daughter died at birth!"

“I didn’t die,” I clarify. “I vanished. But you know that, too. You were there.”

Devon addresses the guards. "Get two more enforcers up here. I’m placing Luna Quinn under house arrest. She doesn't go anywhere but her rooms. Understood?"

"Yes, Alpha," they reply in unison. Two more guards approach, and Luna Quinn is unceremoniously escorted to her quarters.

"Thank you." I dip my chin to him in respect. He deserves it, at last. I turn and head back inside to my mother. She’s still sitting on the sofa, gazing at the view through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"Mom?"

She looks at me with pain-filled eyes. "My Sage?"

“Yes,” I smile. "Do you trust me?"

She nods.

"I don't know how much you understand yet, but I think you’ve been drugged and manipulated by Garnet Quinn for years."

Her mind is already clearing, and she lowers her head. "I should’ve known better than to trust her. But Lange said we should." Tears fall from her eyes into her lap. "My whole life has been wasted."

I take her dainty hands in mine. "We have the rest of our lives together, mom. You have a grandpup!" She beams. "She’s three, and you can meet her soon. But first, I want to take you to the clinic to do a complete work up on you. If that's okay."

“Yes, please. Help me get better.”

The examination and scans take just under an hour. The blood and urine samples are almost ready, and I don't want to leave them unattended.

"Are you hungry?" I ask, and she nods. Addressing our guards, she asks, “Can one of you have Devon meet us here?”

It isn't long before Devon arrives at the clinic. "How are things progressing?"

"Good. Mom is still reticent and not saying much." I point to her, and she stares intently at the wall. "I've completed her exam and testing. She's physically fine. Her blood work and urine samples are being analyzed as we speak.” I gesture to a couple of humming machines. “I recognize most of her medications, which are mainly sedatives or ones with side effects that make her vulnerable and easier to control. Some of the handcrafted blends I don’t immediately recognize, so they’re also being analyzed."

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