Page 36 of Amaris Rejected

"Is that team loyal to you, or are they under the command of Alpha and Luna Quinn?"

"What's this about, Amaris?" His voice is firm and insistent.

"Answer me first! It’s important!" I insist.

"They are only under my command."

"Mind-link your team members and instruct them to keep everyone away from Zoe., especially Alpha and Luna Quinn and their pack members.”

"Amaris—"

"Just do it!” I interrupt. “I’ll explain once I know Zoe is safe."

He gets a distant look in his eyes that tells me he’s mind-linking with someone. He nods and then turns to me. "Done, now explain!"

I sigh with relief as I share my first waking vision with him. He leans back in his chair and steeples his fingers while listening intently. When I finish, he exhales sharply. "If I understand you correctly, you believe that Luna Quinn is not only responsible for your kidnapping as a newborn pup but also for drugging and incapacitating your mother?"

"Yes, and most likely the cause of the trauma to my wolf and the reason she won’t shift. It’s a protection mechanism,” I explain.

“Makes a lot of sense,” he sighs.

“Alpha Quinn said my mother never recovered after my childbirth,” I emphasize. "Garnet was a left-behind lover. She wanted to be Luna and wasn't above killing to achieve that. She intended to have me killed."

"Have your visions ever been wrong?"

"It’s not as simple as that," I retort with a glare. "There are various factors to consider, and the timelines must unfold. That’s why we must carefully protect Zoe while we figure this out. I have a plan."

He leans forward, listening intently. "My mother needs her nurses and guards dismissed immediately. She’ll be under my care from now on, and I want two loyal, elite guards with us. One for me and one for her."

"On it." He turns away momentarily. Looking back at me, he states, "Your mother has arrived. I’ve instructed two of my elite enforcers to escort her to your suite of rooms. Her staff is being dismissed and sent away as we speak. A healer from our clinic will join them until we get there." I immediately stand. "Please, sit, Amaris. We need to finish what we’re doing before leaving this room."

"You're right," I concede. "I am going to conduct a complete medical workup on my mother: blood work, a physical exam, scans, and everything in between. I will adjust her medications and supplements, which Luna Quinn has managed until now."

"Wise. I'll instruct that she be given no more medications until you have seen her."

I nod. “Thanks.”

"Everything must be done quickly and discreetly to avoid alerting Luna Quinn," I assert. "We also need to bring her sister, Vinia, and her mate here for questioning. In the meantime, we trust no one. Loyal guards should monitor Alpha and Luna Quinn at all times. While I don't believe Alpha Quinn is involved, it's better to be cautious."

I spend the next few minutes sharing my visions with Devon, and once I finish, he nods. "Agreed."

Chapter 27 - Coming Home

Amaris

The first time seeing my mother in person is surreal. It feels like looking at my future. She is smaller than I, no more than five feet tall, with long black hair streaked with silver. Her moss-green eyes meet mine, filled with confusion.

Sitting on the sofa in my suite, just the two of us, I take her hands in mine. "Do you know who I am?"

She nods. "Family,” she whispers, her voice rough as if unused to speaking. “Blood knows its own." Her eyes mist over with tears. She takes a deep breath, closes them, and shakes her head as if trying to fight through fog.

Raised voices echo outside my door. "Wait here," I softly say to my mother as I open the door and step into the hallway, shutting the door behind me. "What's going on out here?"

Luna Quinn, arguing with our guards, turns and snaps at me. "What’s Minette doing here?” she hisses. “She’s very ill and has missed two doses of her medications." She waves a bag in my face. "She must take these.”

"Thank you, Luna Quinn," I take the medications to analyze them.

"What’s going on? Why were Minette’s nurses sent away?” she asks. “I insist that you allow me to see her! I have cared for her for years. She needs me."

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