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

leaving Mel alone on the roof, she sat on the ridge, facing east and looking towards the rapidly brightening horizon.
    Mel hadn't planned to talk to Krista about this again. The last time had gone so disastrously that she had purposely not thought about it. Until she told Luke the whole story, a part of her had believed that Krista would eventually just get over it. But saying what she'd done out loud, actually remembering that night, brought it to the forefront and made her aware of just how wrong she had been.
    "I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me," and once Mel began, the words just poured out. "And I'm sorry for taking off afterward. I was wrong. Completely, totally wrong, and I should have punched out Chance and come after you myself. Barring that, I should have--"
    "I don't care about what you should have done." Krista cut her off. "I care about what you did."
    It brought Mel up short, but she nodded. "You're right. And if we survive this shit, I hope that you can forgive me one day." She doubted that it would ever happen. She didn't know if she could forgive Krista if their situations were reversed.
    "And if I can't?"
    Mel shrugged. "I guess that's that, then."
    Krista took a deep breath, "I'm not actually pissed about you not coming back that night."
    "What?" Mel had left her to die and Krista didn't hold it against her? That made no sense.
    "I deactivated the charm. Bob found us a way out and I knew you couldn't make it in time." She hadn't been looking at Mel, but now she turned to face her. "When you didn't show up at the rendezvous a week later I thought something had happened."
    At the time, Mel had convinced herself that Krista and Bob were dead and she couldn't face going to the meet and having it confirmed. Instead, she'd taken a job in Poland and stayed out of the country for months.
    "I thought you were dead!" Krista's eyes blazed with an inner fire. "And when I found out you weren't, I wanted to kill you."
    "I'm--" Mel cut herself off before apologizing again. She knew that Krista didn't want to hear it.
    "You did something that my mom would do." Krista leveled the accusation with no malice, but Mel felt the knife all the same.
    "What can I say? She taught me everything I know." Everything that Ava hadn't taught her.
    "If you ever pull a stunt like that again, you're dead to me."
    It wasn't forgiveness, but it was a bigger step then Mel expected. She didn't answer Krista; Krista wouldn't want one. But they sat on the roof for a long time in silence, watching the sunrise. Once the light of day stretched around them, Krista crawled back down the roof. Mel followed soon after.
    It was time to face the alpha.
     

     
    Luke tried not to be disappointed that Mel wasn't with him when he woke up. Her scent was still wrapped around him, a warm touch that reached all the way to his heart, and the sheets were still warm. She hadn't been gone for long.
    He didn't hear her in the bathroom, so he thought she must have gone downstairs to get breakfast. Or perhaps she had some sort of thief ritual that she couldn't do in front of him.
    If she wasn't there to ring in the morning with him, he saw no reason to stay in bed. He threw the covers off and crossed the room to his bathroom, where he started the water for a shower. He took of his underwear and stepped under the hot stream. Luke let out a hiss as he adjusted to the change in temperature. It was almost painful for a few seconds until the water soaked into his skin and he could feel his muscles relax.
    Over the sound of the water hitting the gray tile, he heard the door open and a person step in. He turned around. The shower was enclosed by a glass door, rather than a curtain, and he saw Mel step in. She gave him the once over, her eyes flicking down quickly before looking back up at his face.
    Luke smiled and stepped a little out of the spray's range so that water wasn't running into his eyes. "Good morning."
    Mel smiled back. "Right back at you."
    She