Betrayed by My Beta Mate

Chapter 8

8 Pas

Amelia POV

I’m lying in my new bed admiring my ceiling. I’ve been awake for about an hour thinking about everything that happened yesterday. I can’t believe that I slept all the way till this morning. I knew I was tired but fifteen hours is a lot. “Star what do you think about Alpha Lincoln?” “I told you, I think he is hot.” “Be serious Star, I know he is handsome, but what about us trusting him.” “I don’t know Amelia but I feel drawn to him.” “I don’t understand it because we are still mated to that ba**ard Atlas but I trust him completely.” “Maybe its just being around a strong male wolf whose kind after Atlas’s betrayal.” “I know you don’t believe that Amelia.” “You felt something when he touched your hand.” “Star we are still mated to Atlas and that’s not possible to feel anything for another wolf.” “Anything is possible if the goddess says so” she says before she recedes into my mind. I push thoughts of Alpha Lincoln and what Star just said out of my mind and get up to shower. She’s wrong, I need to focus on myself and my pup. I head out of my room toward the kitchen when a knock sounds on the door. I stop in my tracks. After seeing those two wolves yesterday, I’m nervous even though I know how secure this place is.

I walk toward the door slowly and press my eye to the peep hole to look out. I see a smiling Lily. I didn’t expect her this early but she probably has work and I asked her to take me to get my car. I open the door and she is holding a plate full of Danish. “I brought breakfast” she says and walks past me. We head into the kitchen and I make both of us a cup of coffee. I set her cup down in front of her. I grab creamer from the refrigerator before I take a seat and grab a cheese Danish. “Are you alright Amelia” she asks. “I am, yesterday was just a lot to deal with and I needed to get a good night’s sleep.” We eat for a few minutes more and my curiosity gets the best of me. I want to understand Lily better. I can’t believe she left her coven just like I left my pack. “Can I ask you something Lily?” “Of course, you can.”

“Why did you say that you ran away from your coven with John?” I see hurt flash across her face and I feel like an a**hole for even asking. “I’m sorry, you don’t need to tell me if it’s upsetting to you.” Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Lily POV

I had intended to tell Amelia about my past since she confided in me. I just hate thinking about my family. “No, it’s ok, honestly I want you to know.” She stays quiet and I continue. “My parents were the leaders of the coven I grew up in.” “I was just about to turn eighteen when my father called me into his office.” “My father was never really warm to me but he wasn’t cruel.” “I noticed right away that my mother wasn’t there.” “He had never asked to speak to me privately before that day.”

Flashback

“Sit down Lily” my father says. I walk over and take the chair in front of his desk. “You will soon be eighteen and, as you know, we have an alliance with the Black Rose Coven.” I’m not sure what one has to do with the other, but I don’t question him. “The coven is much larger than ours and in order to keep our alliance they have requested you be given to their son as a chosen beloved.” I feel like I didn’t hear him correctly. “You will spend your birthday with your mother and I but the next day you will be taken to the Black Rose Coven.” I feel like I’m about to be sick. He can’t really be serious right now. “You’re giving me away?” “Lily, you’re not a child anymore, sometimes in life we have to make sacrifices for the good of the coven.” “You’re sacrificing me” I can feel the tears starting to stream down my face. “Does mom know that you’re doing this?” “Your mother has no say in this, it’s done.” “I will not be forced into a mating that I don’t agree with.” My father gets up and comes around the desk. He grabs my face in his hand squeezing my cheeks in his fingers. “You have mistaken that you have a choice, young lady.” “If you keep this up you won’t even spend your birthday here.” “Have I made myself clear?” I don’t respond. “Answer me now Lily or I will have the guards take you to the Black Rose Coven tonight.” “It’s clear” I manage to get out before I get up and head for the door. His words stop me with my hand gripping the handle. “Take solace in the fact that you are keeping the entire coven safe, Lily.” I don’t respond to his pathetic words.

I leave my father’s office and head straight to my room. My father will not use me as payment for this coven’s protection. I throw a bag on my bed and start to throw as many clothes as I can into it. A knock sounds on the door and my mother walks in. “Lily” she stops the minute she sees I’m packing. “Lily, what are you doing?” I turn to her and I’m sure my cheeks are still tear-stained. She rushes to me, pulling me into her arms. “Lily tell me what is happening.” I tell her everything my father just said to me. She pulls back and brushes the hair out of my face. “Lily, I will not let that happen.” “Let me speak to him before you do anything rash.”

An hour later, my mother comes back to my room but this time she isn’t alone. My cousin John is with her. She looks more upset than I did earlier and I know how her conversation with my father went. “I will not let him do this to you even if that means you run far from this place.” “Mom, what will happen to you if he finds out you helped me?” She smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “I will be fine,” she says as she picks up my bag after sticking something inside.” “John will be going with you and I want you both to stay safe.” “Once I get you through the coven shield you go as far as you can and find a human city to settle in.” “You will be safe there.” I wrap my mother in a hug for the last time before we head outside.

Flashback Over

“That’s the last time I saw my mother.” Amelia pulls me into a hug. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” I pull back “we all have things we have to have the strength to get through.” “I wanted you to know what happened to me because I know you will get through this too.” “Thank you, Lily.” “I’m so glad I found you.” I smile “everything happens for a reason in our lives we just don’t always know what that reason is.” “Alright, enough of the heavy stuff.” “Are you ready to head to the hotel for your first shift?”

Amelia POV

I’m glad Lily felt like she could trust me with her past. I will never understand how people who are supposed to love and protect you can do such horrible things. When she says about my first shift at the hotel I smile. “I totally forgot about you saying I would start my job after I got my apartment.” “If, you’re not ready, we can wait a few more days” Lily says. “Oh, no, I’m ready.” “Is there a uniform I have to wear?” “No what you have on is fine.” I grab my phone and keys before I follow Lily down to her car. We drive to the hotel and head inside. John is behind the counter and he comes around to greet us both. “Good morning, ladies.” “Good morning” we say in unison. “How are you today, Amelia, after everything that happened yesterday?” “I’m good thank you, for asking.” We talk for a few more minutes before Lily walks me over to the restaurant.

Honestly, I enjoy my first shift. I seat customers and people watch when we aren’t busy. It’s my last half an hour before my shift is over and I’m watching the lobby when I notice the two wolves from the diner walk in. I see John and Lily are behind the counter helping customers. What the hell do I do now? It’s not like I can teleport my a** out of here. I see the moment they catch my scent. I’m in no condition to run or shift. My best bet is to stay put and pray they won’t make a scene in front of humans. Two other men walk in and I realize I know one of them. It’s Neal, the head warrior of the Darkmoon pack. Sh*t there’s four of them now. “Just stay put Amelia”, Star says. I’m standing at the hostess’s station when they walk over to me. “Gentleman, table for four” I say while counting out four menus. Neal speaks first “Luna” he says low. “Don’t you ever call me that again.” “If you are not here to have dinner you can walk yourselves right back out of this hotel.” Neal has a look of shock on his face. Maybe he assumes I will be a good little she-wolf and follow him back to the pack. He is sadly mistaken.

“Amelia, can we please go somewhere to speak away from the humans” he says low. “I think I made myself perfectly clear, the answer is no.” Before I know what’s happening, a warrior I don’t know grabs my arm and starts to squeeze it. “You don’t have a choice, we have orders.” Neal immediately grabs him and makes him release me. At this point, Lily and John are by my side. “Did you really just put your hands on her.” Lily says to the wolf I don’t know. “I’m sorry ma’am, we will be leaving” Neal says. Lily’s

eyes get big when Neal speaks. They turn and walk out of the hotel. Before I can ask Lily what was up with her look of shock, she takes my arm. “He left a mark on you.” “Lily, it’s not a big deal.” “It will be gone in a few minutes.” “I don’t care that ba**ard man handled you.” “I think the word man handle might be a little strong.” I smile “it’s fine let’s just finish our shift before we head home.” “Are you sure you’re alright, Amelia” John asks with a look of concern on his face. “I promise you I’m fine, now get back to work.” They both go back to their desk and I sit at the hostess station.

Neal POV

Once we get outside and out of the sight of humans, I grab Anthony by the throat. “You put your hands on the Luna of our pack.” He grabs at my hands trying to get me to release him. “She isn’t the Luna yet” he manages to croak out. “She is the mate of our Alpha and when I tell him that you grabbed her what do you think he is going to do to you.” “I was just trying to follow the Alpha’s orders.” “You don’t do another thing unless I tell you to.” “Is that clear a**hole.” “Yes, Beta” he says and I drop him to the ground. “Now get your a** up.” “Let’s go to the cottage I rented so I can give an update to the Alpha.” We move farther into the woods before we shift. I made sure the cottage was outside the city but away from the Nightfire pack after Atlas told me about his conversation with the pack’s Alpha. I want to get the Luna back, but I also want to make sure we don’t piss this pack off. The pack is twice as big as ours and I have no desire to have war for no reason.

We reach the cottage and shift back. Once we are inside, I head to my room to link Atlas. “You better have good news for me, Neal.” “We spoke with her Alpha but getting her out of the human city is not going to be easy.” “She refused to come with us to even talk.” “Neal, I don’t want to hear that you can’t handle a pregnant she-wolf.” “Bring her home or you and the men will be very sorry.” He cuts the link and I lay back on my bed. I really wish that Elias was here because his brother isn’t half the Alpha he was. I am loyal to my Alpha and pack. I just pray to the goddess that I’m doing the right thing by following Atlas.