In the Alpha's Bed (Stealing the Alpha Book 3) by Kate Rudolph Read Free Book Online Page A

need a curious teenager with a penchant for trouble messing up their plans.
    Well, they didn’t need another teenager like that.
    "I'm sure Luke will talk to you if you have questions." That sounded right. Luke was incredibly reasonable, though she doubted that he would tell this kid everything that was about to go down. But given the way his face paled when she suggested it, Mel realized that there were some things about pack politics that she may never understand.
    "Please don't tell him I was here!" Mick begged.
    Mel had no reason to be charitable. She knew that Mick had been the one guarding her the night that she escaped. He had been the one that Cassie drugged before begging Mel to help her jump start her ability to shift. Mick must have been feeling the heat from his failure to guard Mel or protect Cassie. Maybe that was a good reason to avoid the alpha for now.
    "If you don't want him to know you're here, then don't be here." She flicked her fingers back and forth, shooing him.
    Mick didn't stay for any further conversation. He ran back into the woods, disappearing from sight long before his steps disappeared from sound.
    Mel leaned against a tree for a few minutes before deciding to head back to the house. The kid had spoiled her mood.
     

     
    Mel found a book to distract herself once she went back to the house. Krista and Bob were still holed up with Cassie, and she had seen neither Luke nor Maya for hours. The house was strangely silent. Surely there were half a dozen people or more walking around, but in her room she was as cloistered as a monk. She got wrapped up in the story as she sat curled up on the bed.
    When Luke opened the door to her room and popped his head in she nearly screamed. It was instinct to shove the book under the covers so that he could not see the title. Ava hadn't let her read at all, and Tina thought that it was more important to finish school work than to enjoy trashy novels.
    "Huh," was all Luke said as she floundered. He made no effort to take her book away from her. As he stood in the doorway, haloed by light, he could have been an angel. A dark, sexy angel. Or maybe a devil who knew his angles.
    "What?" Mel asked, knowing there was no way to look cool after that. She tried to pretend that he hadn't startled her, her pose deceptively relaxed.
    Luke seemed to struggle to find words. But he didn't leave her hanging for too long. "I guess I didn't picture you reading."
    It was a little insulting, that statement. Mel had traveled the world, she spoke two languages, and could fake her way through another three. "Did you think that I would be picking a padlock for fun or something?" She meant it as a joke.
    "Well, when you say it like that, it sounds offensive." He didn't have the grace to sound apologetic.
    Mel let out a little laugh. "They're like Rubik's Cubes," she said.
    "What?" Luke didn't follow.
    "Simple locks," she explained. "They're like Rubik's Cubes. Once you know the trick, none of them are difficult to crack." She held up her hands in front of her and twisted them, miming solving the puzzle. "It can be comforting, but not very engaging."
    But Luke was still caught on the cubes. "There's a trick to Rubik's Cubes? I spent all summer when I was fourteen trying to solve one."
    She didn't ask if he had been successful; the frustration lacing his words was answer enough. "Yeah, there's a trick."
    "Much as I would love for you to teach me," and this time she thought he was being sincere, "We've got to get going. It's dark out."
    Mel stood up from the bed and left the book under the covers. Krista wouldn't look at it if she didn't see it. "I'm ready."
    He waited for her for a moment to slip on her shoes, and then they were off. Mel thought they would go directly into the woods, but Luke lead her to the garage. He passed up all of the cars and chose a two-seater ATV. There were two separate ATVs, one sat two people side by side, the other sat them one in front of the other.
    Luke