Page 21 of Alphas Never Hide

Good.Done.Itwas time to sleep.

Except…

I’dplanned to go out and help the others hunt forRobbie.

Ichecked my phone.VanknewIpreferred phone calls to texts, but the bastard always texted anyway.Iunlockedmy phone.Nonew messages.Whywas there no update yet?Hadthey found him?Orhad he evaded them?Thethree out there had decent tracking skills, butIwas better.Ifwe were going to findRobbie,Ineeded to get out there.Ihad a duty to my… uh, neighbors.

Iglanced at my bed.Astempting as it was, sleep wasn’t happening tonight.Iscrawled out a quick note forRyleyto find when he woke and set it on the counter by the sink where he’d left his glasses.

Assoon asIopened the door,Ryleyjolted upright.

“Wherethe fuck do you think you’re going?”

Chapter Seven

RYLEY

Theslippery sleeping bag that’d been covering me slithered to the floor and a gust of cool air from the open door rushed over my bare legs.Ishivered.Thiswas not howIwanted to wake up.HadIeven grabbed more than ten minutes sleep?

Iscowled at the damn wolf standing frozen in the open doorway.

“Well?”Idemanded asIrubbed my eyes.Igroped around for my glasses.WherehadIleft them?Ugh.Ididn’t have the energy for this.

“Goback to sleep,” he said. “You’resafe here.”

“Thedoctor warned me you’d try something like this.”Ipointed toward the bed he’d been making up, but something wasn’t right.Ilooked around.Hadn’tIbeen sleeping in the bed over there?HowhadIended up over here?Hemust have carried me here.Holyfuck a duckle.Imust have been wiped right out ifIhadn’t felt him move me.Ipointed to the bed he’d evicted me from. “Getyour ass to bed.”

“Justgo back to sleep,”Haydensaid, easing the door shut a little, but not enough for it to snick closed.Thebastard was still planning to escape and thought if he didn’t have to touch the latch on the door,Iwouldn’t notice him leaving next time. “I’mright here.See?”

“No,I’vechanged my mind, don’t go to bed,”Isaid. “Youshould shower first.Thenget in bed.”

Hisjaw clenched.Hereally did have a nice jaw line, probably because he was always clenching his teeth.Itwas one of those chiseled onesIassociated with human celebrities.

“Goon,”Isaid, motioning to the bathroom. “Don’tmake me phoneXander.”

Hispale blue eyes narrowed.Thenhe walked into the bathroom without saying a word.Assoon as he was out of sight,Igot up and pulled the door closed all the way.Iturned the lock, so he’d have one more obstacle to deal with before he could get out.Ireturned to the makeshift bed with the sleeping bags and pulled up the one that had dropped to the floor.Hayden’sbed was a lot more comfortable, but it looked likeIwas stuck with this one for the night.

Whatever.Iwas tired enoughIcould sleep in the middle of a whole herd of flute playing fauns.

Ilistened toHaydenfor a few minutes, relaxing only whenIheard him turn the water on.Hopefullya warm shower would make him sleepy like it had me.Italso wouldn’t hurt him to clean up a bit.Heneeded someone to nag his ass if this was how he usually lived.

Hecertainly seemed fixated on getting back out to the woods, though—so fixated that it’d only be a matter of time before he tried to sneak out again.Thanksto the shifter side of myDNA,Iremained alert for threats, even while asleep.Hemight have thought he could wait long enough for me to fall into a deep sleep so he could try his luck again, but that wouldn’t work.Witha smile on my face,Ipulled the sleeping bag up to my ears and settled in for another nap.

Ididn’t know how longIwas out for, butIwas jolted from sleep to findHaydenwith the exterior door open.Again.

“Forfuck’s sake,”Haydenmuttered. “Youwere sleeping.”

Igrinned at him.

“Goback to sleep,” he said.

Helooked better than he had before he’d gone into the bathroom.Hisface was clean of blood, and he’d changed out of his gore-stained shirt.ThisT-shirt fit snugly over his muscular body.Verynice indeed.Andhe’d traded his jeans for a fresh pair with fewer stains and holes.Thecoup de grâce, though?Hesmelled delicious.

Isighed.Yep.I’dbeen right.Hecleaned up nicely.

“I’llbe back in a bit.”

“Nuh-uh.”Ishook my head and shoved off the sleeping bag.Ilooked around for my pants.WherehadIput them?Oh, right.Theywere besideHayden’sbed.