Page 22 of Amaris Rejected

I just arrived at Devon's pack house, and Sheila’s already called me with the news. Devon’s back and has brought his estranged mate and a surprise: his pup! How did Amaris pull that one off?

Although I've been giving Devon charmed tea for years, Rue remains incredibly strong and seemingly unaffected. Since first spiking his drink and claiming we’d been intimate afterward, I’ve experimented with different combinations and blends, but he now seems immune. I’m careful not to overdose him, not wanting to risk putting him in a coma. I need more time without Amaris interfering. I’m confident Rue will eventually succumb; the dosage must be correct.

I must insert myself into their relationship again to buy more time to subdue Rue. She’ll reject him this time because her pride won’t allow her to take many more hits, especially since he’s already left her once for me.Let’s be honest, he must have feelings for me.He’s already shown it; he just needs to admit it to himself.

I’ve interfered before and ruined things, so now I just have to stay the course and prevent the bond from forming.

I’ll keep trying to perfect the teas I make for Devon. I need to find the right balance to weaken Rue enough to accept me while Devon is still under my spell. It’s a delicate balance that’s taken too long, and I can’t afford the extra strain from Amaris or a pup stealing his attention. I just need to play my cards right.

Sheila is in the pack house watching TV. She lives on the second floor because she’s single and hasn't found her mate or chosen one yet. "Hey Sheila, where’s Devon?"

She juts her chin toward the ceiling. "In his office, I think," she replies.

"Okay, thanks.Operation Destroy Amarisis about to commence," I hiss.

"Don't you meanOperation Destroy Amaris,Round II?” she laughs. "Round I took place about three years ago."

"Whatever!"

I sprint up the stairs, taking two at a time. I don't have a moment to lose; I can't let her gain a foothold.

As I approach Devon's office, I notice that the door is slightly ajar, and I see him reaching over to take Amaris's hand. I push the door open forcefully, causing it to slam against the wall with a loud bang.

"Devon, you're back!" I exclaim, looking at Amaris and pretending as if I don't know her. "Who is this she-wolf?"

I smugly watch him jerk his hand away from hers, looking guilty. He turns to me and lifts his hands in a placating gesture. "Jeni, what are you doing here?"

I feel incredibly powerful knowing how Devon reacts to my machinations. Having mastered the skill of crying on cue, I widen my eyes to trigger the tears and blink slowly, letting them cascade down my cheeks. Mom taught me that trick years ago, and Devon always falls for it. If I didn’t love him so much, it would be nauseating.

"I came to welcome you home. Sorry if I interrupted something," I whimper.

"Aw, Jeni, honey, don't cry," Devon groans. When he looks away, I can't help but smirk at Amaris. The amateur. She's way over her head and doesn’t stand a chance.

He reaches for me, but an angry growl erupts from his chest as Rue tries to attack me. Devon jumps back to protect me from harm. Rue might disapprove, but the human, my Devon, loves me.

"I-I... you really shouldn’t be here." He steps into the foyer, and I follow, marking the first goal achieved in my plan to tear their bond apart. "Jeni, remember when I told you I found my mate again, my wife? That’s her. That’s Amaris. I brought her here to try to fix what I broke. I love her, and I want to be with her."

Oh, for crying out loud.I roll my eyes internally, but on the outside, I perform the tear trick again. "Okay." I choke as tears stream down my face.

"Jeni," Devon declares, "you know I love you dearly. You are my best friend and will always be, no matter what. What we have can’t be replaced."

I keep crying as he looks at me with desperation. He must have mind-linked his mother because Luna Wright arrives to comfort me. "Oh, little Jeni pie, don't cry." She wraps her arm around my shoulders and leads me downstairs to the great room.

As soon as Sheila spots us entering the room, she rushes over and pulls me away from Luna Wright. Once we’re alone on the couch, I roll my eyes. "That female drives me up the wall."

"Which one?" Sheila asks drily.

"Both of them," I fume. "I need to get rid of Amaris."

"Or increase the potion dosage to put Rue to sleep so you can get closer to Devon," Sheila suggests. “He’s a big, strong wolf; he can handle it."

"Yeah, Devon was really eager to hug me just now, but Rue came after me again." I tap my chin. "Hmmm, what should I do?"

"At the clinic where I work with the healers, I can ask about something that makes wolves sleep, pretending I’m just trying to learn," Sheila offers.

"Sheila, you are my best friend," I chuckle. "Oh, by the way, I’m going to stay with you for a while, okay? I can't get in between them if I’m not here."

"Of course you can," Sheila replies.

---