The Alpha and the Mistake novel Chapter 22

Ryder had put in another movie, but I was falling asleep about halfway through. I woke when I'd rolled on my bad shoulder and hissed with the stinging pain. "You okay?" Ryder asked. "Want me to get a pillow or something to support your shoulder."

"No, I'm fine. I should probably go back to my room and go to bed." As me being half asleep wasn't proof enough, I yawned loudly.

Ryder grinned but held me to him when I tried to get up. "We could just lay here for a while. I like this, and the couch is big enough."

"But I'm falling asleep."

He shrugged. "Yeah, me too, but I don't want you to leave."

I started to laugh, despite the fact I kind of didn't want to leave either. "Werewolves are so weird."

Ryder grinned again. "So is that a yes? Will you stay with me? It doesn't have to be here, we could go to your room or mine."

That sounded a little too... "Uh..."

"I'm talking about going to sleep, nothing more. Only doing it together."

"Sure, I bet that's what you say to all the girls," I told him, sitting up.

Ryder actually snorted. "They wish."

I glanced over my shoulder at him and narrowed my eyes. "Oh really?"

"Yep, but this offer is for one girl only - you."

It was stupid, but it was flattering. I returned Ryder's smile. "Okay." Why not? YOLO, and all that right?

"Okay? Really?"

"Yeah, but let's go. I'm tired, and my head is starting to hurt."

Ryder practically jumped off the couch to take my hand and helped me up. He laced his fingers with mine as we walked down the hall.

My nerves grew as we walked into his room. What was I thinking? I was going to sleep in Ryder's bed while he's sleeping too...at the same time? Ryder sat on the bed, taking off only his shoes before pulling back the covers and lying down. I blew out a breath as I did the same. Only I was on the very edge of the bed.

Ryder snaked an arm around my waist and pulled me to him until my back was against his chest. "Just sleeping, that's all," he said, sounding tired. "Do you want me to leave the lamp on or are you good with the dark?"

"Seriously, what am I, six?"

He grinned. "Hey, don't be hating. There is a lot of people afraid of the dark and are older than six."

"Sounds like you're talking from personal experience to me?"

"Maybe."

I looked at him over my shoulder. "Really?"

"You're not going to make fun of me are you?"

"No, of course not."

Ryder hesitated. "I was afraid of the dark until I was fourteen. It's true." I gave him a dubious look. "Why would I dare make up something like that? My rep would be ruined if it got out. I hadn't shifted yet, so my night vision sucked. I always had this paranoid fear of someone being in my room without me knowing. Dean knew about it and would always psych me out before we had to go to bed."

I smiled despite my best attempts not too. I couldn't help it.

"You said you wouldn't laugh."

"I'm not."

"You're smiling, that's like silent laughter."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing, and when Beth didn't answer him at first, I was sure she was going to rat me out. "No, I haven't seen her," she said finally. "If you do. Tell her she's late. I'm so not doing this by myself since it was totally her fault in the first place."

"You're not covering up for her are you?"

Beth made a condescending laugh. "Why would I do that?"

"Alright enough of this silliness," Rose demanded. "You get out unless you're going to help," she demanded to Ryder I assume. After a moment she said, "He's gone. You can get up now."

"What did you do to him? Beth asked as we washed our hands.

"He woke me up and had the gall to go back to sleep even before I left the room. So I gave him a cold water bath."

Beth scowled but the way the corner of her mouth twitched, I think it was only so she wouldn't laugh. "You doused the future alpha with cold water?"

"Yep. He screamed like a fangirl with her crush."

"You know some packs would consider that an act of disrespect which is punished harshly."

"Well, then those packs need to get their sticks out of their asses. He totally deserved it, and I'd totally do it again. I bet you would've done the same thing in my place."

She glared at me, but I didn't think it was as cold as before. Suddenly, I wondered if Beth had any bruises to hide as I did. I know Mike tried to avoid hitting her but did their father? He hit their mother and Mike. Somehow I couldn't see him sparing Beth.

"Enough gossip! Time for work," Rose demanded, making both Beth and I jump. "We have almost forty hungry wolves waking up soon, and they're going to want to eat."

"Yes, ma'am," Beth and I said almost at the exact time. She gave me an odd look, and I made an exaggerated shudder.

"Creepy," I told her.

"Yeah, no kidding."