Page 51 of Amaris Rejected

The enforcer's eyes widen, yet a slight grin curls at the corners of his mouth. "Hello, miss," he replies, coughing. "How can we help you this evening?"

"I need a couple of strapping males to assist me with something. Can you invite your friend over?" I husk, giving him a wink.

The enforcer gestures toward his teammate standing in front of my car. "Come here, Enson. This lovely lady needs our help." He leans back down, resting his arms on the door frame.

As Enson approaches the window with a smile, I motion with a slight wiggle of my finger, urging him to come closer. When they both lean in, I open my other palm and blow the Mesmerdust into their faces. The fine powder hits them, instantly dulling their eyes and sending them into a state of captivation. For a short time, they’ll be compelled to obey me.

I giggle softly, trailing my finger along Enson’s jaw. "I’ll be heading into the compound for a while. You’ll let me come and go freely without a word and erase all footage showing I was here. You won’t even remember I was around. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes, ma'am," They respond flatly in unison and step back to open the gate. Without another word, I drive forward. I have a house to find and a little mate to erase. The euphoria I feel is delicious, and I can't stop smiling at how easy this is.

Devon

In the distance, I see Jeni's vehicle pulling through the compound entrance. Within minutes, I approach the same entrance at full speed. Slamming on the brakes, I wave frantically at the enforcer. "You need to let me in now!" I shout. "That female who just went through the gate is a prison escapee, and she plans to harm my mate, who is a resident here."

"Sir, what are you talking about?" The enforcer looks at me, puzzled, eyeing my disheveled state. "No one entered before you. I need to see your ID, please."

I search my back pocket for my billfold, only to find it missing. It must have fallen out during tonight's struggles. "I don't have my ID, but I can’t waste time getting inside now!” I bellow. “My mate’s in danger."

The second enforcer approaches, his finger to his ear. "Rhodes!" he shouts. "Stephens has been trying to reach us and is sending out a unit. He insists we let in a wanted fugitive, Jeni Quinn. Facial recognition picked it up. What the heck is he talking about?"

"She's probably entranced you into following her commands. What’s that on the front of your uniforms?" They look down to see a silvery powder residue.

"I can't wait any longer; my mate needs me now!" My grip tightens on the wheel. Adrenaline surges through me as I slam the accelerator, crashing through the gate while the enforcers scramble to get out of the way. "I'm coming, Amaris! Jeni, prepare for retribution!"

Amaris

It’s been an exhausting day at work for me. Between Mom's physical therapy, taking care of Zoe, attending to clinic patients, and making hospital rounds, I’ve reached my limit. Zoe and Mom are both asleep in their bedrooms. I curl up on the couch to catch up on the local news before I take a bath.

The blonde bombshell news anchor appears on the screen, holding a microphone, with a dramatic banner flashing across: "Breaking News.”

Good evening, Stone Mountain. I’m Shelly Fox, your local news reporter for KSMN, Stone Mountain Network," she announces with excitement, her eyes shining brightly. “Behind me, you can see the chaos unfolding at our headquarters building, one of many city structures bombed earlier this morning.”

The scene around her is one of utter devastation. The city skyline looms in the distance, with plumes of smoke rising from a handful of buildings across the landscape, their structures are shattered by explosions, while the streets are littered with debris and rubble.

“According to officials,” she continues, “this morning’s coordinated attack also involved a daring prison break. Authorities believe the bombings were a planned distraction, designed to draw emergency resources away and help the fugitives escape."

“The mastermind behind the strike and subsequent prison break? None other than the infamous Remington Reems II."

A headshot of Remington Reems appears in the upper right corner of the screen. Shelly goes on, “Mr. Reems is suspected of leading a dangerous crime syndicate with influence extending well beyond the Kingdom. He’s wanted for multiple heinous crimes, including murder, human trafficking, and drug distribution. He’s also listed on the Supernatural BureauofInvestigation’s (SBI) Most Wanted List."

She pauses before continuing, “Authorities remain tight-lipped, but video footage has surfaced showing Reems and his accomplices storming the high-security headquarters and breaching the basement prison block, where they released the detainees.”

The shot cuts to grainy video footage showing several males with backpacks surging into the cell block. Then, Devon appears on screen, charging at the thugs in defense.

“The intense footage shows Alpha Devon Wright of the Still Waters Pack fighting off a group of attackers,” Shelly’s voice cuts in over the video. “During the struggle, Alpha Wright was overpowered when one of the assailants injected him with an unknown drug, knocking him unconscious.”

I gasp in terror as I watch.

“It’s suspected that the motive behind this was to free the prisoners in that block: Jeni Quinn, Tracy Vincent, Sheila Morris, and Marissa Hunt, all accused of recent mate bond tampering,” Shelly notes.

“But the drama doesn’t end there, folks! Jeni Quinn, who stands accused of tampering with the mate bonds of Alpha Devon Wright and his Luna, is seen in that same footage claiming that Alpha Devon is her boyfriend. And then, wait for it—there’s more! Shockingly, Jeni Quinn kidnapped the unconscious Alpha Wright, under the guise of their romantic relationship!”

The reporter pauses again briefly, allowing us to hear audio of Jeni declaring that Devon is her boyfriend, followed by Remington ordering his gang to take him.

“Enforcers are scrambling tonight to locate both the fugitives and the victim,” Shelly concludes. “Stay tuned, viewers, because the drama is far from over. We’ll continue our coverage and interrupt your programming as developments unfold. I’m Shelly Fox, your local news reporter for KSMN. Have a good night.”

The screen shows Shelly dropping her microphone out of sight before turning to stare at the smoking skyline.

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