Deceived by the Shifter

by Juniper Hart

  Deceived by the Shifter

  Text Copyright © 2017 by Juniper Hart

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First printing, 2017

  Publisher

  Secret Woods Books

  secretwoodsbooks@gmail.com

  www.SecretWoodsBooks.com

  Deceived by the Shifter

  Birch Mountain Alphas

  By: Juniper Hart

  Table of Contents

  Deceived by the Shifter

  Bonus Content

  Birch Mountain Alphas Origin

  Royal Dragons – Books One & Two

  Deceived by the Shifter

  Prologue

  The sobbing reached a fever pitch, and Hollie suppressed a cringe as she stared at Amberlyn’s bloated face.

  “Amber, you have to stop crying,” she insisted, squeezing her best friend’s shoulders. “It’s not that bad!”

  “It is! It’s worse than bad!” the pretty blonde bawled. “Am I ugly? Is that why he did this?”

  Hollie felt her incisors throbbing dangerously, but she stuffed down her mounting anger and shook her head. Her friend was stunningly beautiful, but she was always fishing for compliments. Since her latest break-up, Hollie had taken the bait and doled out every compliment that came to mind, but her patience was wearing thin.

  “This is not on you,” she told Amberlyn for what felt like the twentieth time. “Gio is an ass. You have always known that. You even told me that you thought he was going to cheat on you when you got together, remember?”

  Amberlyn’s teary blue eyes narrowed, and she glared at Hollie with hostility. “Are you saying this is my fault? Some friend you are!” she whined indignantly.

  Hollie tried not to roll her eyes, and instead focus on the fact that her friend was trying to deal with the emotions that came with ending a relationship. Although it seemed like Hollie was comforting Amberlyn every few months from a new break-up. A leopard never changes its spots, she thought, chewing on the insides of her cheeks. That goes for Amberlyn, too.

  “I’m saying that you have to wipe your tears away and forget about his cheating ass. Be glad you dodged a silver bullet with him and move on with your life.”

  “It’s easy for you to say, Hollie. You’ve never been cheated on. You don’t know how it feels!”

  Again, Hollie checked her temper, knowing that Amberlyn was lashing out through her pain. She’s upset. She’s earned the right to be a pain in the ass…for a little while anyway.

  But Hollie also knew that Amberlyn was prone to self-indulgence. She hoped that her friend would not beat a dead horse back to life and dead again with her flair for the melodramatic.

  “Amber, by sitting here holed up in your apartment for a week, crying, you’re letting him screw you again. Do you think he’s moping around right now?” Hollie asked, trying a different tactic. “I guarantee you that he’s out being the same pompous jerk he’s always been. Why should you be sitting around wasting away while he’s out doing all the things you should be doing?”

  Amberlyn didn’t respond, but she sniffled, and Hollie noted with relief that her barrage of tears seemed to slow significantly.

  I’m getting through to her!

  “It must be nice to break someone’s heart and just move on with your life,” Amberlyn moaned finally. “I can’t even get up to shower.”

  All this for a stupid jackass. Hollie was out of patience. As she looked around the apartment, she noticed it was in shambles—empty ice cream cartons strewn about and clothes everywhere. Half a pint of vodka was laying on its side on the glass coffee table, and she winced.

  “When was the last time you ate anything but ice cream?” Hollie asked.

  “I’m not hungry,” Amberlyn moaned. “How can I eat?”

  “Get up and get dressed,” the brunette ordered. “I’m taking you to Fiorio’s for lunch.”

  “Fiorio’s?” Amberlyn cried. “That was where Gio took us on our first date!”

  Oh. My. God. I am going to kill her, Hollie thought, clenching her teeth.

  “Fine. We’ll go anywhere you want. Just get up from the couch. You’re not going to let that prick ruin your life. You haven’t shown up for work in a week, Amberlyn. You’re going to get fired.”

  “I don’t care!” she squealed. “I don’t care about anything!”

  Of course she doesn’t care. She’ll always have her daddy to run back to when she loses yet another job. Hollie realized that it was time to pull out the big guns. No amount of coaxing would snap her friend out of the funk that Gio had cast over her life.

  “All right,” Hollie sighed, rising. “I was hoping you’d be more rational, but I guess you’re not ready for it yet.”

  Amberlyn looked up, cocking her head to the side. “Ready for what?” she demanded, but Hollie shook her dark layers.

  “No, it’s obviously too soon. You need more time,” she said. “I’ll text you later to see how you’re doing.”

  She turned to leave, hoping her reverse psychology would work. To her immense relief, Amberlyn called out to her.

  “Wait! What is it? What am I not ready for?”

  Ensuring that she maintained a stoic expression, Hollie turned to study her face gravely. “I planned a trip for us, but I guess I’m going to have to go alone, given your mental state.”

  Amberlyn’s cobalt eyes brightened slightly. “A trip? Where?” she demanded. “Like a road trip?”

  Hollie shook her head. “No,” she replied slowly. “Better than a road trip.”

  Excitement colored Amberlyn’s face then, dispelling the despair that had overrun her features for days. “You mean…?”

  Hollie nodded seriously. “Yes,” she replied. “I mean Vegas.”

  Finally, Amberlyn leapt from her seemingly permanent spot on the green microfiber sofa, howling with joy. “Seriously?” she screeched, throwing her arms around Hollie. “You planned a Vegas trip for us?”

  “Well, obviously you can’t go,” Hollie said, shaking her head sadly. “I mean—”

  “I can go! I can go!” Amberlyn shrieked. “I’m jumping in the shower right now! We’ll go for lunch, and you can tell me all the details! Don’t go anywhere!”

  Before Hollie could reply, the blonde tripped over her own feet, disappearing down hall toward the bathroom.

  Hollie sank back onto the sofa, her dark eyes rolling skyward. The things I do for friendship, she thought, groaning inwardly. She neither had the finances nor the desire to go to Las Vegas, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

  She couldn’t very well sit back and watch Amberlyn sink into a pit of desolation after all. Even though she does this to herself once every three months like clockwork, Hollie grunted silently.

  Exhaling, she pulled her smart phone from her purse on the table and connected to Amberlyn’s Wi-Fi. It looked like she had a vacation to plan.

  It won’t be so bad, she told herself, scouring online for various deals. I could probably use a vacation too.

  Yet, it was hard to be optimistic when her life was also spiraling out of control.

  Your problems are for another time, she told herself, pushing her own woes out of her mind. Right now, you need to focus on keeping Amberlyn from plunging headlong into the abyss.

  She heard the shower sta
rt in the bathroom, and she exhaled slowly. Vegas will be good. Maybe you’ll win something. Who knows? Maybe you will actually be able to unwind a bit yourself. After all, whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, right?

  Chapter One

  “God, I love this place!” Amberlyn screeched as they hauled their luggage through the airport. “Look! Slot machines in the flipping airport, Hol! In the airport!”

  “Yes,” Hollie agreed, trying to sound impressed. “Very classy.”

  Amberlyn did not seem to notice the sarcasm in Hollie’s voice, her dark blue eyes wide with amazement.

  Hollie had never understood her friend’s fascination with the city of fornication. She would much rather have taken the money spent on their Circus Circus accommodations and gone to Jamaica or the Dominican Republic.

  Actually, I would have rather stayed home and dealt with the mess waiting for me there, Hollie thought grimly.

  “Why are you scowling?” Amberlyn demanded. “You’ve barely said five words since we left home.”

  Hollie was instantly contrite and forced a smile onto her olive face. “You’re right,” she apologized. “My mind isn’t on Vegas. I’ll try to focus.”

  The last thing that Hollie wanted was to have their trip be an exercise in futility, and she knew if she didn’t cater to Amberlyn’s self-importance, they were going to fight. The purpose was to lift Amberlyn’s spirits and forget about home for four days.

  I must keep my temper in check, no matter how much of a brat she’s being, the brunette vowed.

  “Let’s grab a cab,” Hollie suggested, gesturing toward the exit.

  “Wait!” Amberlyn stopped and pointed in the direction of the slot machines. “Let me play a few bucks. I have a good feeling about these games.”

  Hollie kept the smile plastered on her face, but her stomach sank. It’s already starting, she thought, gnawing on the insides of her cheeks.

  “Sounds good!” she agreed. “Let’s do that.”

  Gambling, bright lights, and loud noises were not Hollie’s cup of tea, but she reminded herself that she was not in Nevada for her own benefit.

  Grin and bear it, Hollie. It’s what you do best anyway—shutting your mouth and doing what you’re told. She watched as Amberlyn rushed to put a dollar in an obnoxiously large unit and pulled the lever.

  “Come on, baby! Mama needs a new pair of shoes so I can wear them by Gio’s work and show off my legs!” she cried, and Hollie rolled her eyes at the mention of her ex-boyfriend.

  I guess we still have some work to do, she thought, but she couldn’t help but smile as she took in Amberlyn’s expression of glee. I may not understand it, but at least she’s off the couch.

  “Aw!” Amberlyn groaned, placing another dollar into the slot. “Come closer, Hollie. I need a lucky charm.”

  Hollie snorted. “Then I would suggest you keep me at bay,” she laughed, but she joined Amberlyn and watched as the shorter woman continued her tedious quest of losing money.

  Hollie took the opportunity to look around Vegas’ McCarran International Airport. It had the usual bustle and flow of any other major airport in the United States—people from all walks of life dressed in various styles of clothes, speaking a dozen different languages as they zipped from one place to the next.

  It was a colorful display, and Hollie found herself relaxing in spite of herself, enjoying the people watching experience.

  “Jackpot!” Amberlyn screamed and a terrible whooping filled the air as a siren erupted.

  Hollie jumped and stared in disbelief as the machine dinged incessantly, and Amberlyn leapt from her stool, embracing her friend.

  “We won, Hol! We won!”

  “You won,” Hollie corrected her, laughing as she returned her happy hug.

  “I wasn’t getting anywhere before you stood beside me,” Amberlyn reminded her. She looked around for an attendant who hurried over, grinning.

  “Congratulations!” the woman said, scooping out the winnings for her as she checked the balance. “You’ve won three thousand, six hundred and four dollars!”

  Hollie choked and stared at Amberlyn in disbelief. “You just doubled what we spent on the trip!” she declared, her eyes popping as the attendant led them away. “We can go home now!”

  She was only half joking, but Amberlyn turned to her seriously. “We can upgrade our hotel!” she said, excitement in her cheeks. “Maybe stay at the Bellagio—”

  “Or,” Hollie interrupted. “We can count our blessings and enjoy our free trip.”

  Amberlyn laughed heartily. “Are you kidding? If we’ve already won this much, imagine how much more we have coming, Hol! This is going right to the blackjack table when we get to the hotel!”

  With that, she scurried off toward the cashier’s counter, leaving Hollie to stare after her dumbfounded.

  This is going to be the longest four days ever. Please, grant me the serenity not to kill her. Hollie knew she was going to need a lot of serenity. With each minute that passed, Hollie found her regret mounting. What was I thinking bringing her here? She turned into a psychotic monster the last time we were here, too.

  Hollie reminded herself that the last time, Amberlyn had stupidly booked their vacation on the weekend of a full moon.

  Needless to say, the combination of alcohol and shifting did not fare well for either of them, and the result had been nearly catastrophic for both women. Didn’t I swear then that I would never step foot back in Vegas? I really shouldn’t have acted impulsively and thought about the ramifications of this trip.

  She was surprised that their pictures weren’t up in the airport, banned from entering the city altogether.

  Hollie loved Amberlyn like a sister, and she needed to be a good friend. She shoved the memory out of her mind and tried to stay positive.

  ***

  “How do I look?”

  Hollie glanced up, and her eyes popped out slightly.

  “You can’t wear that, Amber!” she gasped, taking in the shockingly skimpy outfit.

  Amberlyn had a beautiful, slender body that accentuated her classic prettiness, but the outfit she chose was about two sizes too small. Dressed in a halter top and short shorts, she was reminiscent of an elastic squeezed balloon.

  The shirt was much too tight, the shorts far too short, and to add insult to injury, her make up looked like it had been done by a clown smoking meth.

  “What? You’re wearing the same thing!” Amberlyn snapped, and Hollie had to look at herself to see if she had forgotten what she wore.

  “Um, no I’m not,” she sighed. “I’m wearing a pair of jeans.”

  “Yeah but the shirt is almost the same as mine!”

  Hollie stifled a full groan. She did not want to get into an argument with her best friend over semantics. Is she serious right now? The only similarity is the color.

  “You’re right,” she agreed, not wanting to argue. “Where do you want to go for dinner?”

  Hollie purposely avoided looking at Amberlyn’s garishly painted face, worried that her expression would betray her true feelings. It was difficult to keep the grimace off her face even without making eye contact. She loathed to think about how she would make it through dinner sitting across from her best friend.

  “I was thinking Le Cirque,” Amberlyn said grinning.

  Hollie laughed, thinking she was joking.

  “Why is that funny?” Amberlyn demanded, her brow furrowed.

  Hollie swallowed her chuckles, remembering her thought about the clown she had just had moments earlier.

  “I was thinking we could spend a little less money than that,” Hollie answered quickly. “Let’s go for a walk on the strip and see if anything catches our eye.”

  Amberlyn pouted. “But we have money!” she protested.

  “I thought you wanted to put that money on the tables,” Hollie countered, wanting to appease her friend.

  When did Amberlyn become a two-year-old? This is ridiculous. Maybe coming to Vegas was a bad
idea. I have too much on my mind, and I’m just losing my patience. She needs my support right now. I need to stay calm.

  “I guess,” Amberlyn pouted.

  “Come on,” Hollie urged. “I’m starving. Let’s go.”

  They grabbed their respective purses and headed toward the door.

  “There’s a stratospheric pool here,” Hollie commented as they left their simple but tasteful room.

  “I’m not here to go swimming,” Amberlyn laughed. “I’ve got better ways to entertain myself.”

  Hollie could not stifle the sigh that escaped her lips.

  Amberlyn stopped and stared at Hollie. “What? What now?” she demanded angrily.

  Hollie looked at her in surprise. “What? Nothing!” she replied. “What do you mean?”

  “You’ve been sulking since we got here, fighting with me about everything!”

  “No, I haven’t!” Hollie protested. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

  “Yes, you have, and honestly, you’re beginning to piss me off. This trip was your idea, Hollie. If you didn’t want to come, then why did you book it?”

  Hollie bit on her lower lip and hung her head. “Sorry,” she murmured, determined to keep herself from exploding. “I’ve been distracted. Some stuff is happening at work, and I was hoping that this trip would help me forget about that.”

  Amberlyn’s eyes widened. “What stuff?” she demanded. “Why didn’t you tell me about that before?”

  Hollie shook her head. “It’s nothing,” she muttered, keeping her russet-colored eyes trained on the carpet. “Anyway, I’m trying not to let it drag me down. but I’m not really succeeding.”

  Impulsively, Amberlyn gave her a hug. “I’m sorry, Hol. I know I’ve been a handful the past few weeks since Gio and I broke up. You’ve been a really good friend, and I love you. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

  “I love you, too,” Hollie replied earnestly. They had been friends since grade school, and despite Amberlyn’s sudden petulance, Hollie knew she would do anything for her long-time ally.