AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You need to stop ordering me around.” He raises up in his seat to yank the beer out of my hand, and he downs that one too.
Ryan’s not going to be a happy camper tomorrow, but he’s probably one of those guys who needs to learn things the hard way.
“You know what? Go ahead.” The final mug of Cutthroat scrapes across the table as I push it toward Ryan.
“Finally, you’re lish—liss—listening to reason.”
“Right. That’s it. Let’s see how you feel about this when you’re trying to walk home.”
Ryan turns to the table directly behind him and says, “I love thish girl. We’re gonna get mard—mange—married.” The young guys give him amused smiles, and Ryan turns back around and begins to play with the table’s jelly packets. “Little building blocks.” He closes one eye to focus on stacking the rectangular packages. “I really like this diner.”
When his tower crashes, the containers clatter on the table, and I sigh, wondering how I’m going to get him home. Then I catch the waitress’s eye and ask for the check.
My drunk werewolf is about to learn a lesson about control, and maybe next time, he’ll be the one to listen to reason.
Chapter Six
Ryan groans from the couch, and I glance over to see he’s got a green tint to his skin.
“You’ve got a whopper of a hangover,” I tell him as I portion out coffee grounds. Ryan slept on my couch last night, where I managed to get him to lie down after he performed a stumbling version of a dance he’d seen in a movie about male strippers. “It’s obvious werewolves don’t drink for a reason.”
“Your voice hurts my head.” He tugs the blanket over his head and moans. “This is your fault.”
The fridge light spills out as I tug the door open. “I tried to warn you, but you said I was being a control freak.” I pour Ryan a glass of water from a chilled pitcher and open a cabinet in search of headache medicine. “And when I tried to keep you from drinking too many, you wouldn’t listen.”
He whimpers. “I have a vague recollection of that. You can send me home now if you’d like.”
“The thought has crossed my mind. But I bet that’s against the rules this early in the process. For now, we’re stuck with each other. However, I think I can help you—if you promise to remember to back off from ordering me around.”
“Fine. But could you stop talking so loud?”
The couch sinks under my bottom when I sit down next to him. “I’ll have you feeling better in less than an hour.” He pulls the covers down to look at me, and I frown, taking in his bloodshot eyes and pale skin. “Take this.” I hand him the pills and glass of water. “How’s your stomach?”
Ryan gulps down the medication. “It’s not happy.”
“You need food. I’ll make breakfast.” I slide my hand along the side of his face, and the stubble of his day-old beard is rough beneath my light touch. “Close your eyes for a few minutes while you wait for the headache to subside.”
“That feels good.” Ryan leans into my palm. “Stay here and keep doing it.”
I offer him a smile. “You need some protein to feel better, and I need to cook it.”
Before he can protest, I get up and begin the process of making bacon and eggs, the metal skillet clattering on the stove.
When the aroma of sizzling pork fills the air, Ryan sits up. “That smells amazing.”
“I thought this might appeal to your carnivore side. You just may recover with the power of bacon.”
I plate his meal and walk over to him. Even though he’s a cocky werewolf, I can empathize with his pain, and I find I like taking care of him. I do seem to want him to stick around for a while.
“How’s your head now?”
“It’s not as bad.” Ryan grabs a strip of bacon off the pile I made on his plate and shoves it into his mouth. As he chews, he sighs. After he swallows, he says, “Thanks for taking care of me.”
“You’re welcome. Now, be a good boy and eat everything on your plate.” When he scowls, I add, “Human girls are pushy when we know we’re right. Trust me. Like you should have last night.”
Ryan narrows his eyes, but another mouthful of bacon seems to convince him to let it go. As he devours his meal, color returns to his face, and when he’s done, he sighs. “I feel much better now. Who knew bacon was such a magic elixir?”
“It kind of is.” I perch on the edge of the couch next to him. “You really do need to listen to me about things you don’t know yet.”
