The air in the hallway froze. Her breathing became ragged. You''re lying." I shrugged my shoulder.


    "Maybe I am, maybe I''m not." I tilted my head. "But does it matter? You are going to think about my words over and over until you find out the truth. Am I telling the truth, Shannon? Does the truth actually matter to you?" I smiled. "Actually, that is the question I want to know. If I was telling the truth and said Brandon chose me to be his mate...would it matter to you? Or would you still mindlessly chase after him ande up with reasons that he should leave me and choose you?"


    Shannon snarled. "Brandon is mine."


    I sighed. "I think we both know that isn''t true in the slightest." My mom opened the door wider than she should have. But she just smiled.


    "I put all of your stuff away in your closet." I nodded. As she slipped past me and headed down the stairs. "I''m going to get started on dinner." Then she was gone.


    I groaned as Shannon was still there, ring at me. "I''m over this Shan. What do you want me to say?"


    "Say that Brandon is mine." She stomped her foot like a child.


    I just shook my head. "I don''t know how else to say this to you, so I am just going to say it." I grabbed her arms, and I shook her. "Listen to me when I say this." She red back at me, so I took hat as her yes. "Brandon was rejected by his mate. He doesn''t want to wait for his second chance mate. If he has one, he wants a mate of his own choice." I saw her eyes brighten, and I internally smirked. "And the thing you need to take from that...is that even now, when he has his choice of mates. When he is the most open for anyone that might fit the bill, he is looking for in a mate. He had never, not once, ever thought of you." I watched as the light that was just in her eyes slowly faded.


    "Shut up."


    I shook her. "You have never been an option. Not to him, and not to Derek. Derek called you someone they used, like a tool, to be tossed away until you were needed again."


    She fought my grip, but I held on, holding her in ce. "Shannon, he was rejected almost three years ago. Do you understand that?" She froze, and I watched the realization creep into her eyes. I nodded. "The first year we were in school he was rejected in the caff. That means all of these years, all of this time, he pushed you away. He could have chosen you as his mate, as I am sure he whispered to you when you were in high school, but his didn''t."


    Shannon''s eyes filled with tears. "It''s all your fault." She ripped from my grip. "You did this."


    ")


    I sighed. There was really no way she was going to listen to me. "me me if you must, but it changes nothing. You were never going to be his luna. And I''m not saying I will be either. Just that he asked." I turned to head back into my bedroom.


    "Stay away from him." She snarled and grabbed my arm.


    "I would caution you." I turned to look at my arm in her ws. "You are allowing your emotions to make stupid decisions for you, ones you can''t back up.” I shook off her arm. "I''ll let it go this time. But if you touch me again. I will kill you."


    She nched. And Morgan chose that moment to walk up the stairs. He looked between me and Shannon before he sighed and walked over. "What is going on here?"


    Shannon looked at her dad and burst into tears. "Amy said she was going to kill me."


    I rolled my eyes and settled against the door frame, crossing my arms. He turned


    to face me. "Amy, is that true?"


    I think my brain short-circuited for the first time since living here. "What?"


    Morgan leveled me with a look. "Is what Shan is saying the truth or did something else happen?" He was giving me a chance to exin. That was new.


    "I told her I would kill her, but it was after she grabbed me and told me to stay away from Brandon. Which I can''t since Vince just gave me a job with the tech department." I looked down at my arm and her w marks were still faintly there. "I honestly don''t give a fuck how she feels about Brandon. I am just doing my job."


    Shannon screamed. "You just said Brandon asked you to be his luna." Morgan turned to me and I just shrugged.


    "He asked. I haven''t said yes. But Shannon doesn''t care about that. Shannon only cares that she is the one that ends up with him."


    "You lied again!" Morgan screamed as he whirled on her.


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