This lone wolf needs to protect a geek… but does her heart need that protection more?

Hannah Tyson doesn’t mind her reputation as a “lone wolf” in the shifter protection agency. She finds solitude more predictable than human interactions. The only thing that can take her away from her wooded sanctuary is a really great case, and Nick has just shown up and offered her one. Levi is different from what she expected and he’s making wonder if love could really be for her.

Levi Sandoval has spent his life trying to create a legacy outside of his father’s shadow. But he never knew that creating tech to be used in drones would end up making him a target for vigilantes. Now, he needs a bodyguard who will keep him safe while he completes his next project. Levi wasn’t prepared for his bodyguard to be a gorgeous badass who provides him ample distraction from his work.

Hannah is used to being let down and abandoned, so she’s not sure she should trust her fated mates instinct, especially when her mate is a fragile human geek. But with the help of the agency’s serum, Levi turns into one big, bad alpha tiger, and he wakes up ready for action. Not only does he want to claim his mate, but he wants to take the bad guys head on.

Chapter 1

   Hannah

Hannah kept telling herself to run faster, run harder. She would keep going until she reached the edge of her land and the neighbor’s. Only then would she stop. She knew she couldn’t outrun her problems, but she was going to try. She forced herself forward, feeling the dirt against her paws and the wind rushing through her fur. 

She took deep breaths in, looking at the river that ran across her property. She looked down at herself in wolf form in the reflecting water.

With light brown fur and deep brown eyes, she could be mistaken for any ordinary wolf, and she liked that. It gave her a way to ignore her life’s problems, although today seemed to be exponentially hard.

She knew better than to even glance at the calendar when she woke up this morning. She knew what day it was, and she didn’t need the visual aid to add to her problems. In her heart, she knew it was her mother’s birthday.

A normal person would be overjoyed about the occasion but not Hannah. Instead, it haunted her, forcing her to remember her past that she would rather leave behind. So, she ran.

Her heart was pounding, and her legs burned. The woods were silent, and she hated it. She went out to run to get her mind off the situation, but it did the opposite. She kept thinking back to leaving the pack and losing everything.

She turned around and ran all the way back home. She tried hard to put the day behind her. After all, it’d been years since she’d had any contact with that life. She changed hers, and it was for the best. But she had a challenging time telling her heart to harden up.

Hannah got back to her house, taking in her little slice of heaven away from people. Her cabin sat in the middle of nowhere with about ten acres of land surrounding her home that she used every day. She liked the solitude, and honestly, she preferred it. But today, it seemed like it just wanted to remind her she wouldn’t ever have what she had before.

She froze when her eyes landed on a truck next to her car. She knew that make and model and internally groaned. Her boss, Nick, was paying her a visit. Hannah stood there for a moment. If she waited long enough, would he leave?

No, she knew he wouldn’t. He would just continue to loiter in her house. She reminded herself to move the spare key from the gnome by her door.

Hannah shifted back into her human form and grabbed the clothes she had thrown into her car. She stood behind the door, giving herself a little privacy. Not that it mattered. Nick had seen her naked several times.

She heard the front door open, and Nick walked out. He was a muscular man for his age, with gray hair blending in with his mahogany brown. He had to be around forty years old and a pain in Hannah’s ass. She noticed the mug in his hand.

“Are you kidding me?” she snapped. “That’s my favorite mug.”

Nick gave her a smirk, taking a sip out of it. “I know.”

She scowled. “You’re an ass.”

He chuckled. “Well, if you had been back earlier, you would be using it.”

Hannah rolled her eyes, pulling her bra on. “Why did you break into my house, Nick?”

“You have a spare key.”

She pulled her shirt on, throwing him a glare. “For guests. That I invite in.”

He shrugged, taking another sip of coffee. Hannah pulled her underwear on and then her jeans. She walked around the car, slamming the door shut. “Which you are not.”

“Don’t be so mean,” he said. “I made you coffee.”

Hannah grumbled, walking past him into her cabin. She could smell the coffee and continued straight to the kitchen. Another mug sat on the counter, filled with java exactly as she liked it. At least Nick could make good coffee. She had to give him that.

“I’ve noticed you’re spending a lot of time in your wolf form lately.”

She turned, opening her fridge. “And that’s a problem ... why?”

Nick ignored her question, seating himself across the counter. “When’s the last time you went out with friends? Like, human friends in human form.”

Hannah grabbed her eggs, kicking the door shut. “Why do you ask? You sound more like a counselor than you do my boss. When exactly did that start? Because I didn’t sign up for someone to rag on me.”

Nick glared at her, warning her not to push his buttons. Hannah took a breath, setting her eggs down. She knew Nick was only doing what bosses do ... besides the breaking into her house part ... but Nick wasn’t an ordinary boss, and she wasn’t an ordinary employee. 

She grabbed a pan and a bowl, giving him a look. “Besides, I thought you’d be happy I’m staying in shape.”

Nick crossed his arms. “Hannah, I’m your boss. It’s my job to make sure that you’re physically and mentally stable. I know you’re physically there. You’ve been nothing but a hard worker since we hired you. But your mental stability … It’s sometimes lacking.”

“Are you saying I’m not stable enough to do my job?” She hated how he was terming it.

Nick shook his head, “No. Hannah. I’m asking if you’re still staying in touch with your human side as well as your wolf side.”

Hannah snorted and rolled her eyes. She cracked an egg, grabbing a fork out of her drawer. “I’m fine. You have nothing to worry about. I can do my job, and my mental stability is great. I’ve never been better.”

She could taste the lie and forced her attention on making her breakfast. “I don’t need people skills to be an agent, Nick. We’ve both agreed I do better without them anyway.”

Nick stirred his mug, and they fell silent. Nick was really the only person she was close to, but even then, she kept him at a distance. She had to. After everything, she wasn’t sure who to trust.

“You got a call at the headquarters today.”

She cooked her eggs, waiting for him to continue. She wasn’t someone that jumped in joy at hearing those words. She didn’t have anyone that needed to call there.

“It was your mother.” He watched her for a reaction. Hannah didn’t give him one. “She called saying she’s been trying to reach you.”

Hannah stiffened. She frowned, glancing over her shoulder at Nick. “You didn’t.” She scowled, knowing where the conversation was leading.

“If you’re worried I gave her your phone number. I didn’t. I’m not that stupid, Hannah. But she told me she’s five years sober now. That’s a big accomplishment. Something to be proud of.”

She rolled her eyes, sliding him a plate. “Maybe for you.”

“Hannah, she wants another chance.”

She shook her head. “I don’t care.”

“That’s not true,” he countered.

“No.” She nodded. “It is. I don’t. I’ve set up boundaries for a reason, Nick. I can’t have people like her in my life. She’s a toxic person.”

“Hannah, healthy boundaries are for people that aren’t willing to change and continue to do toxic things. But your mother is not one of those people. We are talking about five years of her turning her life around. That’s not a small task.” He sighed. “I thought you’d want to talk to her.”

Hannah ignored his question. “Was that all that happened at headquarters? Did you drive all that way to tell me that, or do you have an assignment for me?”

Nick sighed, seeing that the conversion about her mother was over. He grabbed a file next to him and slid it toward her. “Yes, I actually do.”

Hannah perked up, eager. Nick pulled open the file and cleared his throat. “The Einstein corporation has a worker that has been abducted and needs us to find him and bring him back safely. They have no idea where he is, just that he disappeared at a bar where they were celebrating their new contract. It’s a tough one since they have no idea where he is or who took him.”

Hannah smiled, loving a challenge. It kept her busy and her mind unable to think about her personal issues. How could she when a life was at stake?

Nick slid her a photo. “His name is Levi Sandoval.”

Hannah took in his picture. She had to admit he was kind of cute for a shrimpy-looking guy. He had dark red hair and bright green eyes. She was sure he had freckles, but the picture wasn’t the best.

Nick took a bite of her eggs before he spat them back onto his plate. She dropped her jaw as he looked up at her. “You’re a shit cook, by the way. These taste like shit.”

She rolled her eyes, flipping the file shut. “And you’re a shit guest, so I think we’re even.”

Nick pushed himself up. “We can grab something to eat on the way. I’ll wait for you outside in my truck.”

Nick grabbed the file before turning and leaving the cabin. Hannah looked at the plates she made, knowing she needed to work on her cooking skills. But she didn’t care to.

She threw everything away and tossed her plates into the sink before she headed into her bedroom and grabbed her always packed ready bag. It had everything she needed for several nights away from the house.

She grabbed her keys and headed outside. She locked the door, taking the spare keys and shoving them under her doormat, not that it wouldn’t be the second place Nick looked since she moved them. She would hide them in a better spot when she got back.

She was headed toward Nick’s truck when she glanced at her mailbox. She noticed she had mail and grabbed it. Standing at the box, she flipped through the envelopes, freezing when her eyes caught on a letter. It had her mother’s return address. Her stomach sank.

“Fuck.” She sighed. “Jesus Christ. Can today get any fucking worse?”

Nick honked the horn, and she flipped him off. She didn’t have time for this today. She stuffed the letter into her bag and turned to Nick’s truck. She would deal with it later. Maybe.

She hopped into the cab, and he glanced at her. “What were you scowling about?”

“Bills,” she lied, shutting her door. “And I have an asshole for a boss.” She gave him a sarcastic grin which made Nick roll his eyes.

Nick ignored her, pulling away from her cabin and her sanctuary.