Page 21 of Amaris Rejected

I turn to leave his office, but he stops me.

"Amaris, please wait. I’m truly sorry for losing my temper,” he says, shaking his head and sighing remorsefully as he takes a deep breath. 'You deserve to know what caused me to leave the meet-and-greet that morning."

"You think?!" I huff, sinking back into the chair beside Devon. I don’t feel very accommodating right now and couldn’t care less if I’m being rude.

At this point, he recounts what happened that fateful morning three years ago when he ran out of our room and ghosted me.

When he takes a moment to catch his breath, I say, "So let me get this straight.Beforeyou came to the meet-and-greet, your dad tried to force you to mate and marry Jeni?"

He nods.

"And that you might have crossed a line and become physical with Jeni before we met, but you’re not completely sure?"

He nods again, a bit hesitant. "So, I apparently had an allergic reaction to a tea blend?”

“Is that a question?”

“I’m just not sure what happened,” he explains. “One minute, I’m drinking a cup of tea that Jeni made for me, and the next, I wake up to find her claiming that we’d been intimate.”

“And you’re the one who’s lost it?” Lyra sneers in my head. “He’s the delusional one if he can’t see what she’s doing.”

"Your dad mind-linked you while you were still with me and told you that Jeni was pregnant with your pup?”

“Probably all made up by that deceitful she-wolf,”Lyra concludes, but I can’t voice anything because of the Alpha order.

"And all of this happened the morning after we got married and mated. So, instead of discussing it with me, you just turned your back on me for Jeni and left?"

He groans, rubs his face, and nods."I suppose."

I give him an indignant stare. "You suppose? Don't! Just... don't!" I snarl.

“And, finally, you find her waiting outside our room door like s—some sick s—stalker!Disgusting!" I continue breathlessly, my voice shaking and hoarse from the strain.

"When she did that—her crying a—act on you, the same one—she—she just—just pulled a few minutes ago!” I strain to force out the words. “But at that moment, three years ago, you chose her over yoursoulmate!Your wife!" I shout. "You decided to leave me and go what? Marry Jeni? We were already married! We’re still married! What was the plan?"

"I don't know where my head was. Dad had been yelling at me all night! I was in shock and just panicked," he exclaims loudly. “By the time everything settled down, it was too late. I couldn’t find you.”

"I don't know what good, if any, you telling me all this will do," I snap. "It changes nothing. What do you want from me? A free pass? If Rue hadn't intervened, my goddess, Devon, you'd be married to her right now, and I would be your ex-mate.What is the difference now?Do you want me to ask Rue if he will permit you to marry her?" I snarl. "Rue, my darling, please let Devon have the relationship he so desperately wants with Jeni, so he’ll leave mealone!" I sincerely plead.

I begin hitting Devon with all my might, punctuating each word with a punch. "I. Am. So. Done! This. Cost. Me.My. Son!"I wail as my claws trigger, and I slice his shoulder. By now, I’m hysterical, truly losing it. Sobs wrack my body as I continue swiping at Devon.

Devon pulls me into his chest and spins me around to face him. Wrapping his arms tightly around me, he stops me from causing more damage. My hands are bloodied and bruised, throbbing with pain, but it pales in comparison to the ache in my heart. We sink to the floor, both sobbing uncontrollably as his shoulder continues to bleed heavily.

"I don't even know how to recover from all this, Devon," I whisper hoarsely, the words barely audible as if speaking to myself. "There’s no way back. No way."

He releases me and slides away, covering his face with his hands. "Trust is gone, Devon. You didn'tjustmake a mistake; you made achoice. You keep choosing her over me."

With all the fight drained from me, I curl up on my side and rock back and forth, my words soft and strained as I repeat, "Trust is lost. Trust is lost."

He must have mind-linked with someone as the door flies open again. This time, it’s the beta and a couple of she-wolves. One starts assessing his shoulder wound while the other helps me to my feet.

"Come along," she soothes. "I'll help you to your room. We'll bandage your hands."

Her gentle tone calms me as she leads me to my room, but I can’t respond. I feel empty, too drained to speak, too defeated to even look up. I just follow her silently.

Chapter 17 - Collusion

Jeni-Present Day

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