“Yeah, well, imagine my surprise getting a call in the middle of the night from my best investigator explaining the problem.”
“I don’t know what name she’s using, but she isn’t booked at any of the local hotels under Elizabeth Hanson,” Dylan announced while walking into the living room, looking down at the open phone book he carried in his hands. He glanced up, meeting Colton’s gaze.
“You won’t find her if she doesn’t want to be found.” Colton moved farther into the living room and waited until Rhys returned with his jeans up and zipped before continuing.
Dylan flicked the book closed and tossed it onto the coffee table. It landed with a loud thud. “Why the hell didn’t you return our calls? You could have put the poor bastard out of his misery hours ago.”
“I’ve been debating on my course of action.” Colton gestured for them to have a seat.
Max plopped down in the recliner with his legs hanging over the side while Dylan relaxed on the couch. Rhys, the poor bastard, sat down on the oak coffee table, and the wood moaned from his weight.
Colton stepped to the fireplace and took a deep breath, figuring a way to tell them about Elizabeth without breaking her trust. “There are some things you need to understand about my investigator before I allow her to stay under this roof.” He held Rhys’ glare. “She wasn’t born a shifter.”
“Someone changed her?” Rhys rose from his spot, his eyes swirled dark gray; the muscles of his arms bunched, holding back the bear clinging beneath the surface.
“Yes,” Colton confirmed. “Against her will, no less, but”—Colton held up his hands to stave off their questions—“make no mistake, he wasn’t her mate, and she killed the assholes who hurt her. I was just the one who found her and helped her pick up the pieces of her life.”
“Assholes? As in more than one!” Rhys took a step toward him before stopping.
“There are things you don’t understand about her.”
“That explains why she ran,” Max said more to himself than anyone else. “She’s scared.”
“I’d never hurt my mate,” Rhys growled, turning a deadly glare on his brother. “There’s no reason to be afraid of me.”
Colton paced the length of the living room. “Scared isn’t quite a word I would use to describe Elizabeth.” He glanced back at Rhys. “She’s headstrong, bright, and competent just to name a few of her good qualities.” He paused before continuing. “She’s also got anger issues, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but she’s not overly fond of shifters.”
Rhys remained quiet. His brows dipped in confusion.
“She only trusts me because I earned it, and I’m afraid you’re going to have to do the same.”
“Exactly what has she been through?” Rhys prodded.
That was the only question that Colton wouldn’t answer. “That’s not my story to tell,” Colton acknowledged apologetically. “I just came here to explain that she’s just not used to being a shifter, much less our customs. The idea of a mate, and what it represents, is a foreign concept to her. So the minute you act like a caveman, she’ll have you on your ass, unconscious in ten seconds flat, before she disappears out the door.”
Colton stopped pacing. “She is…that good, that strong, and that cunning. I should know; I trained her. I expect all of you to show her some respect. She’s here to do a damn job.” He glanced at Rhys. “She won’t care that you found your mate, especially if it derails her from the mission. So as hard as it’s going to be, if you have any hope of mating with her, you’re going to have to allow her some space and let her do her damn job.”
“Fuck.” Rhys stood and walked around the back of the couch. “You’re asking me to be okay with putting my mate in harm’s way.”
“I’m not asking you. I’m giving you a piece of advice. If you even want a chance with her, you won’t try and change her. She lives for the job. Throwing bad guys behind bars, especially if they’re shifters, is the only way she’s learned to cope and survive with what happened to her.”
“What did happen?” Max asked.
Colton shook his head. “Sorry. I can’t tell you, but let’s just say it’s ten times worse than you or I could ever imagine and leave it at that.” He locked his gaze with the Rhys. “Don’t fuck this up. She needs you as much as you need her, although she’d never admit it.” He patted Rhys on the back and walked toward the door. “Good luck and keep me posted.”
