In the Alpha's Bed (Stealing the Alpha Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

off the planet in seconds.
    Now that Mel had a few minutes to think, she knew what she had to do. "I need to tell Luke about Ava. He's going in blind and this is going to get bad. Fast." She paced the room, sticking her hands in her pockets before pulling them back out and crossing her arms in front of her. Despite the statement, she still felt out to sea, adrift.
    "And what are you going to do when he decides to give Ava ownership of the stone in return for Cassie's life? Because you know she'll promise him that."
    "He wouldn't do that." The denial sprang from Mel's lips before she even consciously thought about it.
    "He won't save his sister?" Krista rolled her eyes.
    "No, he'd do anything to save her." But Mel didn't think Krista was right about how. "But he's too smart to believe Ava, even without knowing about her. She's already hexed Cassie, and she's encroaching on his territory. He'd be a fool to take her at her word."
    "He trusted you and me. And we've already done him wrong." Krista made her point, and shifted in her blankets. "I think we need to consider getting out of here before Ava finds us."
    That had been Mel's first response, but now she wasn't so sure. "At the very least, we need to tell him what a Well can do."
    Krista wasn't convinced. But she was prevented from saying more from the sound of the front door slamming closed and a pathetic roar echoing from a human mouth. "What the hell is that?"
    They left their quarters and discovered four lions in the foyer, embracing each other and sharing greetings. Mel recognized Sinclair, but the rest were strangers.
    "The inner circle," Maya said from behind them. "Brynne," she pointed out a woman, "Jonas," this one was a tall black man, "and Killian," the last was a tall man with blond hair. Mel didn't jump, but she wasn't happy that the lioness had snuck up on her. "Luke has called them to discuss matters." She paused before reluctantly adding, "You both may join them, so long as you stay quiet."
    Maya led them up to the War Room where the rest of the inner circle had congregated. Though a few shot curious glances at Mel and Krista, no one made an effort the introduce themselves. Mel found a corner and leaned against the wall, waiting for Luke to arrive.
    A few minutes later he did. His face was grim but he shot her a nod and a small smile before greeting the meeting's attendants. It took several minutes before everyone settled down enough to get started.
    The lions took their seats in the mishmash of chairs that had been set up, Mel and Krista were left standing behind all of them. No one questioned their presence; no one acknowledged them at all.
    Luke brought everyone to attention with a loud clap of his hands. "We have a problem," he said.
    No one moved, no one breathed. Mel studied the other members of the pack while Luke spoke. One tightened his lips when Luke stated that his sister had been hexed. Another blinked her eyes once, slowly, when she learned that witches were somehow involved in this whole mess.
    Luke laid most of it out, leaving out Inicio Nunca and the exact nature of his relationship with Mel. He went over it all quickly. For all of the danger they were in, it should have taken more than ten minutes to explain.
    Once he finished with the history, he concluded with, "You may be aware that Mel was the woman who stole the Scarlet Emerald." He nodded back at Mel, but none of the other lions turned to see her. "She has my full pardon."
    The declaration wasn’t a surprise, but Mel fought the urge to close her eyes and take a deep breath and relief. It would hurt her mysterious thief image.
    Krista glanced between the two of them for a long moment before rolling her eyes and sighing. Strangely, she shot a glance over to Maya before slowly raising her hand and catching Luke's attention. "May I speak?" She asked.
    Luke nodded.
    "We think you're being targeted by a witch named Ava. The Well she's after will allow her nearly godlike power while she