Betrayed: Bluff Lake, #1

Now was the time for him to act. Amelia was overthinking, and she had pulled away from him after that night. She was becoming distant in the days that followed. David was getting to the point he didn't want to leave her alone in the apartment or allow her to go out alone. That was not going to happen. She was his property. How he used her was up to him. What she did was also up to him. Watching her reaction as they drove through the gates. An electric fence surrounded the property, guards roaming the grounds. Her wide-eyed expression reminded him of an animal at the zoo. Which she was, she was his animal to perform when he said. Taking her to his mansion, Leonard meeting them as they walked through the door. Welcome to your new home, baby.

Table of Contents

Betrayed

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

About the Author

To my family and dearest friends (you all know who you are). Without your support, encouragement, understanding during the crazy times and love, I could not have gotten Betrayed from inside my head to written words to share with everyone.

Chapter 1

Amelia was thankful it was Friday. Finally, the weekend was here. It felt like it had been a more extended week than the average of five days. The project that she was assigned had taken longer than expected. At least, she knew when Monday came around. Her desk was clear of projects.  Shutting off her laptop, grabbing her purse, standing for the first time in what seemed like hours. Her steps were light as she left her office, catching the first elevator. She felt the warm breeze caress her face as she stepped outside for the first time since she arrived that morning. Mia had skipped lunch to finish the project.

Smiling to herself as she slipped off her jacket, tossing it in the back seat of her car, her heels soon followed, a pair of flats moved onto her feet. She was about as comfortable as she was going to get until she made it back home. Run errands tonight then she could stay home all weekend.  Curl up with a good book, hair in a ponytail, wearing her favorite sweats to her that sounded like the perfect weekend. Those were her plans for this weekend and every other one.

Coworkers had invited her out for drinks. Once again, she had refused. She didn't like bars. With her heightened sense, all of the different scents and sounds. The mixing of the perfumes, colognes, sweat, alcohol was too much for her.  The music was always too loud. People yelling to talk to one another hurt her ears. The bumping of others into you, waiting to use the bathroom, maybe being able to find a seat at a table, why bother.  Alcohol weakened her resolve if she drank too much, the control she kept over her wolf.  Her wolf wanted a run. Mia refused to let her out. 

Her wolf and she were at odds, not at first, they weren't. At first, Amelia had loved her wolf. They were one. Until that one fateful night, the night of her twenty-first birthday. She had met her intended mate. A mating arranged by her Alpha, blessed by her mother and father. That night was the first time she had attacked another. Her wolf refused to accept him. His blood had coated the white fur of her wolf as her teeth wrapped around his neck. Closing her jaw as her teeth sliced through his flesh, the bones breaking under the onslaught of pressure. It had been her father that had pulled her off of the male, blood dripping from her muzzle.

Mia remembered growling and snarling at her parents, the Alpha, while she shifted back, the blood still covering her. However, it was too late. The would-be mate was dead at the hands of her wolf. He wasn't her mate, and her wolf wanted nothing to do with him. Hated him at first sight, scent, all that he was, she cursed her Alpha, parents. The human side of her didn't understand. It was what her parents wanted for her. He was who her parents wanted for her.  Her mother and father had been happy that she was going to be mated. For the first time in years, her mother had smiled. The mating was an order from her Alpha. Mia was raised to always listen to her Alpha. He had her best intentions at heart. He would never do anything that would hurt her.

Her parents had disowned her that night. Her Alpha had made it known that she was no longer a part of the pack. Those that she had thought were friends, turned their back on her. A few threw rocks, sticks at her. The life that she had always known was gone.  Mia went back to college. Living in the dorm had been what saved her. She had someplace to call home till she graduated. Her father had sent her money, once. The rest of her education was paid for by herself, working two jobs sometimes three along with scholarships that she earned.  She never looked back, never seeing her family again. 

Now four years later, her wolf was a part of her but not as strong as she used to be. Kept hidden, only allowed out when it was necessary. Amelia kept her buried deep inside of her, locked away. She only allowed her out at night when no one was around on rare occasions.  Mia didn't trust her wolf. At times, swearing she could still taste the blood of that male. Since that night, she hated her wolf. Her other side didn't listen, went with her instincts.  Most of the time she forgot that she was a shifter. That side of her was no longer a part of her. That night had forever changed her. Mia went from being a vibrant, fun loving, female she-wolf to a quiet, reclusive female.

She was stopping at her favorite bakery. Mia needed chocolate. For her plans for the weekend, cookies, brownies, coffee, a good book, and relaxing. Those plans she had been looking forward to all week. Purchasing a pound of shortbread chocolate dipped cookies, three different slices of brownies and stepping next door to grab a quick iced coffee before she headed back to her car. Letting her eyes drift closed at the first sip of the heavenly dark roasted brew, softly moaning to herself when she ran into a hard body. Amelia took a step back to balance herself as her eyes sprang open, looking up at the man that was now wearing her coffee. Unsure whether to be upset over the spilled coffee or the fact she was utterly embarrassed.

She was stammering out her apologies, offering to pay for his dry cleaning. Shocked when he smiled at her and told her it was not a problem as long as she went out to dinner with him. Mia was sure she had this bewildered look on her face. Being asked out by a handsome man never happened to her. Men did not ask her out like this.  Not that she could ever remember. He was tall, dark brown hair, brown eyes, broad shoulders, and when he smiled, was as though all was right in the world. For the first time in her life, she felt the fluttering of butterflies in her stomach over a man.

Mia was unsure of herself. The constant demeaning remarks from her mother were always with her. Same thing over and over, she needed to lose weight, even though she was not overweight. Sure, she had curves but never starved herself or her wolf. Her long blonde hair was either too wavy, too light in color, should be shorter, according to her mother.  She gently took his offered hand, her errands long forgotten as she followed him back into the coffee shop. Learning that his name was David as they waited in line, each ordering coffee. Mia replaced the one that she had spilled, offering to pay for both of them, David refusing her offer. When was the last time a male had bought her a coffee, anything? There had never been a time, and this was a first. She saw him as a gentleman. He had held open the door for her and now this.

They took a table off in the corner of the room. Quietly talking as David and Mia enjoyed their coffee. Mia found out that he owned his own company. An import business, he didn't say much more than that. David imported items for his long list of clients. He mentioned that he did plenty of traveling for business, in fact, just returning that day from overseas. She was finding the tales of his travels interesting. Her kind didn't move around much, or that was what she had heard growing up. The warnings from her parents of the dangers from humans, there were those that hunted people like her. If her true nature were ever found out, she would end up in a cage. She enjoyed the sound of his voice, listening to him talk about himself. The few questions he asked about herself, she answered. Simple questions was she single, live alone, and what was her phone number.

Amelia had enjoyed a couple of hours as they had sat and talked. Time had grown late as she checked her watch. After much internal debating with herself, the decision was simple, run her errands. She made her apologies to him for having to run off, saying her goodbye to David, hoping that he would get in touch with her. Mia worried that this chance meeting had been a fluke. Self doubts creeping into her mind. She steered clear of dating, even if she was lonely.

Once again hearing in her head the distant growl from her wolf in her head. Shutting her down, once again. Mia wanted to date, have a life that was more than work. Her wolf didn't like anyone. There was that fear of what had happened before happening again. Putting all of the past out of her mind, concentrating on the here and now, possibly the future.  She liked him. As in really liked him, envisioning things that she had never thought was possible before meeting him. Could have a future with David.

She was smiling to herself as she pulled