In the Alpha's Bed (Stealing the Alpha Book 3) by Kate Rudolph Page B
Authors: Kate Rudolph
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Act like it if you ever want responsibility in this pack. You are still a long way from proving yourself."
Mick sputtered, but he couldn't complete a full sentence.
"Let's head back." Luke didn't have time to give the kid a full lecture, not in the middle of the woods, not when he'd just scared off a vampire.
"I can go home myself," said Mick.
Mel huffed out a laugh, "Because that vampire couldn't track your ass down and eat you alive the second we're out of view, right?"
"I can fight one stupid vampire!"
Luke shook his head. Normally, Mick was the levelheaded one among his friends. He'd never had these issues with the kid before. But every teenager acted out at one time or another. "Mel's right," he said. "I don't want you getting captured or killed."
"You're trusting a goddamned thief over a member of your own pack?" Mick scowled and threw the cloth at his neck to the ground. His wound had closed, though the skin looked thin, tender, and brightly red.
Luke growled, the sound emanating from the back of his throat. "She's--"
"Right," Mel finished before Luke could say anything damning. "And you're being dumb." She stood and had the audacity to ruffle Mick's light brown hair. "Now stand your ass up or I'll drag you back."
She turned around and headed back the way she and Luke had come, leaving the men to follow. After about three seconds and one shared, confused glance, they did.
Chapter Eight
Getting Mick home turned out to be a bit of a logistical problem. But Mel ended up driving the ATV with Luke running ahead, leading her into town. About a block from Mick’s house, the teenager motioned for Mel to stop the vehicle. "I can make it the rest of the way myself."
She and Luke shared a look, but they let the kid go. He was more or less safe now. She shimmied back to the passenger seat so that Luke could drive them back home. He knew the way back better than she did.
But Luke wasn't ready to head back just yet. "Are you hungry?" he asked.
Now that he mentioned it, her stomach growled. "Starving."
"Let's grab a bite before we go back." He didn't wait for her to agree. Instead, he took them down the road until they reached the main street in Eagle Creek. He pulled the ATV into the parking lot of the Eagle Creek Bar & Grille and slid off, offering her a hand.
Mel heard the laugh of a woman abruptly cut off as the door to the restaurant closed, leaving Mel and Luke alone in the parking lot. She hesitated. "It's cool if you want to just go in and pick something up." His pack mates would be in there, ones that had no idea that she existed. And they would wonder who she was and why she was with Luke. It would complicate things.
"Why?" A car door opened near them and people got out. Luke looked over and nodded, the man and woman were two other members of his pack. He looked back at her, waiting for an answer.
"Well," trying to say it out loud made it sound weird. "People will see us together."
Luke raised an eyebrow. "Yes, they will."
He didn't seem to get it. "And you'll have questions to answer. About who I am, or whatever." Did he not get it? Or did he not care?
"I'm the alpha." He said it with such authority that sent a shiver ran down her spine. "I only answer the questions that I wish to answer."
Mel persisted, "I don't want to make things difficult for you. Well, more difficult."
Luke laughed, "You've done nothing but make my life difficult." Despite the words, she knew it wasn't a criticism. "Why stop now?"
She balled up her fist and punched him lightly in the arm. "Jerk." She smiled as she spoke and gave up the argument. If he wanted her in there with him, she'd go.
The Eagle Creek Bar & Grille hadn't changed much since Mel, Krista, and Bob sat in it a few weeks before plotting how to steal the Scarlet Emerald from Luke. The only difference now was the clientele. The place was far from packed, and nearly everyone inside was a shapeshifter. Sometimes humans could pick up on the dangerous currents
Mick sputtered, but he couldn't complete a full sentence.
"Let's head back." Luke didn't have time to give the kid a full lecture, not in the middle of the woods, not when he'd just scared off a vampire.
"I can go home myself," said Mick.
Mel huffed out a laugh, "Because that vampire couldn't track your ass down and eat you alive the second we're out of view, right?"
"I can fight one stupid vampire!"
Luke shook his head. Normally, Mick was the levelheaded one among his friends. He'd never had these issues with the kid before. But every teenager acted out at one time or another. "Mel's right," he said. "I don't want you getting captured or killed."
"You're trusting a goddamned thief over a member of your own pack?" Mick scowled and threw the cloth at his neck to the ground. His wound had closed, though the skin looked thin, tender, and brightly red.
Luke growled, the sound emanating from the back of his throat. "She's--"
"Right," Mel finished before Luke could say anything damning. "And you're being dumb." She stood and had the audacity to ruffle Mick's light brown hair. "Now stand your ass up or I'll drag you back."
She turned around and headed back the way she and Luke had come, leaving the men to follow. After about three seconds and one shared, confused glance, they did.
Chapter Eight
Getting Mick home turned out to be a bit of a logistical problem. But Mel ended up driving the ATV with Luke running ahead, leading her into town. About a block from Mick’s house, the teenager motioned for Mel to stop the vehicle. "I can make it the rest of the way myself."
She and Luke shared a look, but they let the kid go. He was more or less safe now. She shimmied back to the passenger seat so that Luke could drive them back home. He knew the way back better than she did.
But Luke wasn't ready to head back just yet. "Are you hungry?" he asked.
Now that he mentioned it, her stomach growled. "Starving."
"Let's grab a bite before we go back." He didn't wait for her to agree. Instead, he took them down the road until they reached the main street in Eagle Creek. He pulled the ATV into the parking lot of the Eagle Creek Bar & Grille and slid off, offering her a hand.
Mel heard the laugh of a woman abruptly cut off as the door to the restaurant closed, leaving Mel and Luke alone in the parking lot. She hesitated. "It's cool if you want to just go in and pick something up." His pack mates would be in there, ones that had no idea that she existed. And they would wonder who she was and why she was with Luke. It would complicate things.
"Why?" A car door opened near them and people got out. Luke looked over and nodded, the man and woman were two other members of his pack. He looked back at her, waiting for an answer.
"Well," trying to say it out loud made it sound weird. "People will see us together."
Luke raised an eyebrow. "Yes, they will."
He didn't seem to get it. "And you'll have questions to answer. About who I am, or whatever." Did he not get it? Or did he not care?
"I'm the alpha." He said it with such authority that sent a shiver ran down her spine. "I only answer the questions that I wish to answer."
Mel persisted, "I don't want to make things difficult for you. Well, more difficult."
Luke laughed, "You've done nothing but make my life difficult." Despite the words, she knew it wasn't a criticism. "Why stop now?"
She balled up her fist and punched him lightly in the arm. "Jerk." She smiled as she spoke and gave up the argument. If he wanted her in there with him, she'd go.
The Eagle Creek Bar & Grille hadn't changed much since Mel, Krista, and Bob sat in it a few weeks before plotting how to steal the Scarlet Emerald from Luke. The only difference now was the clientele. The place was far from packed, and nearly everyone inside was a shapeshifter. Sometimes humans could pick up on the dangerous currents
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