by Zoey Harper
Tegan's eyebrows shot up. "That worried you?"
Colton nodded. "I mean, what if some idiot tried something, and I wasn't there to smash his face in? I want you always to be safe."
Tegan kissed Colton. It was a short and sweet kiss that communicated a lot. Colton chuckled.
"What's so funny?"
"I can't help but think about how much talking I've been doing, and how little you have. It's almost like we traded places."
Tegan smiled. "I like hearing you talk. Sometimes my heart is so full that I'm scared I'll ramble for an hour about how happy I am."
"Same here. God, if the guys could see me now, I'd never live this down."
"I can't wait to meet them."
Colton's muscles froze. He remembered that he lived and worked in a building full of men. They were bear shifters, not wolves, but they were loud and rough. How would Tegan handle that?
"You still didn't tell me why you like living in a messy room."
Colton nodded, grateful for the diversion. He needed to come up with a solid plan so that he and Tegan would have a place to themselves. He wouldn't let her live in anxiety twenty-four/seven.
"I was raised by a single mom. My dad didn't chip in at all, the cheap fuck. He said he only looked after clan members, and that I wasn't a part."
Tegan tutted. "He doesn't sound like a nice man."
Colton scoffed. "He's the worst. Where do you think Ramsey gets it from? Anyway, so Mom had to work to give me everything. That's why she didn't have much time for cleaning. Messy rooms remind me of my childhood; those were happy times. That's why I like them."
"Then I'll be sure to let things go."
Colton dipped his head in acknowledgment. "Please do, unless you hate it. In which case, feel free to clean up whenever you feel like."
"I love you," Tegan said, her hazel eyes glowing.
Colton's heart stuttered. This was only the third time she'd told him that. Every time she did, he felt ten feet tall.
"I love you, too," he said.
Colton's phone vibrated on the bedside table, interrupting the intimate moment. Tegan gracefully slid off his lap. Colton patted her butt playfully before reaching for the phone.
When Kylo's name flashed across the screen, he got up and answered it. "What do you have for me?"
"Really, Colton? That's all you have to say to me? No hello? No 'I missed you, honey?'"
Colton waved a hand dismissively, even though Kylo couldn't see him. "I have a mate. I only say those things to her."
Kylo whistled. "Well, congratulations!"
"Excuse me?"
"You've always been a little too serious, darling," he purred. "You had short relationships, and barely any tail, especially over the last six months."
Colton's face paled. "How do you know that?"
"It's my job to know everything about everyone," Kylo singsonged. "Anyway, I've got good news for you. I found Flynn."
A surge of adrenaline rushed through Colton. While the past few days had been great, his bear was itching for some action.
"Where is he?"
"In a mansion, outside of Baxwell." Kylo tutted. "He's acting recklessly with his newfound wealth."
"And you're a hundred percent sure about this intel."
Colton pulled the phone away from his ear as a roar filled it.
Sometimes, he forgot just how powerful Kylo was. He was a fucking dragon for crying out loud. He could eat Colton in a single bite should he choose to do so.
Colton pressed the phone back to his ear. "Sorry. I, uh, just want to jump on this right away. No sense in me running in there if you want to do some last-minute verifying."
"Well, it's always good. Don't test me." Kylo exhaled. "I hate being mad at people, especially you. Even though you always brush aside my feelings."
Colton laughed uneasily. He first met Kylo after the dragon shifter came to visit his father with some sensitive news that couldn't be communicated over the phone. Kylo took an immediate interest in Colton.
At first, Colton thought it was a game. Some men liked the chase, and Kylo was all male. He was as tall as Colton and stupidly ripped. Had Colton been insensitive by telling Kylo he had a mate so nonchalantly?
Who cares? It's not like there was ever a chance you'd get together. If he didn't know that, that's on him.
It didn't matter what Colton told himself. The guilt was starting to eat him up. After what Emma did to him, he understood just how much worse emotional hurt could be compared to physical pain. He cleared his throat.
"You've always known I'm straight." Colton turned to find Tegan seated on her side of the bed. Her eyes were averted, but her body language stated that she was listening.
"I'm sorry if I led you on. I didn't mean to. You're a great guy and all. If I were gay, I'd probably—"
Kylo burst out laughing. "Gotcha! It took years, but I finally got you to admit you'd totally date me."
"Son of a bitch!" Colton growled and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was getting too soft. He walked right into that one.
"Oh, don't feel bad. I'm quite the mastermind. I play the long game and always get what I want."
"Well, I hope your games are over." Colton folded his arms. "Did you find anything out about Patrick?"
Kylo's voice was sober when he answered. "No. Which tells me he's one of the biggest sleeping dangers I've encountered. His name doesn't show up on any shifter census, and no clan claimed ownership of him since before he came to Bolsend. I'm going to dig deeper. Maybe get in touch with some of my father's contacts. Patrick Hargrove's got a huge secret, and I can't wait to uncover it."
Colton exhaled. He'd been hoping that Kylo would find evidence of a deal gone wrong so that he could leverage that to get Patrick off his back. It seemed what Patrick was hiding was momentous.
Perhaps big enough to get rid of Patrick entirely.
"Let me know the moment you have it." Colton turned to face Tegan. He wanted nothing more than to take her home to Bolsend free of Patrick Hargrove.
While he knew that she could survive right alongside him, he wanted a better life for her. One where her mate didn't have to take off in the middle of the night under a madman's demand.
"I will. In the meantime, have fun with your mate. You deserve to be happy. The Gray Shade Clan was never going to give you that, but maybe she can."
Kylo ended the call and left Colton's stomach full of butterflies with his words. Tegan was his hope. His future.
Wanting to get the Red Claw Rising out from under Patrick's thumb had always been about pride. Now, it was a personal desire, and he wouldn't rest until he made it happen.
"Who was that? And why did he think you two had a thing?"
Colton chuckled. "That was Kylo. He's a tracker, of people, and the kind of information that could destroy people. He's also a dragon shifter."
Tegan drew a sharp breath. "In a word, he's one of the most dangerous shifters alive. How do you know him?"
"He did some work for my father."
Tegan cocked her head. "And you kept in touch?"
"Not really. I just remembered how to get in touch with him is all. Anyway, he found Flynn. The eagle shifter's just outside of Baxwell."
"That's a little too close." Tegan folded her arms. "Why would he escape to somewhere so close? What if it's a trap?"
"Then a great sniper will have my back, and she'll shoot him down when he tries to shift."
Tegan ducked her head. "What if she misses?"
"She won't." Colton moved across the room and knelt before her. "And if she does, then we'll go again. I trust her with my life, and I know she'd get it eventually."
Tegan smiled. "You've never even seen me shoot."
"True." Colton shrugged. "But Elvis trained you and vouched for you. That's saying a lot. Besides, I believe in you, Tegan. And I'll continue to do so until you start believing in yourself."
Tegan threw herself into Colton's arms, and he held her while he rubbed he
r back. She was a curious mix of confidence and insecurity. He vowed to love her until she saw what he saw.
Tegan Massey was a sexy, brilliant, inquisitive woman, who would succeed in whatever she put her mind to. Colton was just glad he got to go along for the ride. She was going to do something great. That much he knew.
"Come on," Colton said, pulling away. "We've got to stop by Elvis’ to get your gear."
Tegan's eyes lit up. "I can't wait to see him."
"Ugh, that makes one of us. Elvis probably hates me for forcing him to give me your contact. When he finds out we're together, he's going to hit the roof."
Tegan grinned. "Probably. He can get pretty protective of me, but he also believes in me and lets me make my own choices. Elvis will eventually be happy for us."
Tegan pecked Colton's lips, then got up and skipped across the room. "Do you think we could have lunch at his place? Martha, his cook, makes the best pecan pie you've ever had."
Colton rose to his feet and grinned. Tegan liked Elvis. That meant he needed to make things right with the older bear shifter. Colton would not take away anything that brought Tegan joy or made her feel valued.
He sighed. So much was changing so fast. He wondered what his life would look like in a couple of months.
It doesn't matter. As long as Tegan's with me, happy, and fulfilled, I can deal with anything.
"I think pecan pie would make a great dessert. Let's stop by the shop and get a few ingredients. Mom always said it was rude to show up empty-handed and with a list of demands."
Tegan laughed, and Colton joined her. Then his phone vibrated. He pulled it out, and his heart stopped.
There on the screen was an image of him and Tegan sitting side by side at a restaurant, sharing a slice of cake. Underneath the picture was a text from Patrick Hargrove:
You have forty-eight hours to bring Flynn and my stash back to me. Fail, and I'll come for your little angel.
Sweat broke out over Colton's back, and his nostrils flared as he fought to control the volcano of rage bubbling up inside him. His heartbeat thrashed in his ears, and his jaw hurt from how hard he was clenching it.
"That son of a bitch," Colton mumbled. It appeared Patrick had the money to send one of his men all the way to Stonewick to follow Colton around, but not enough to hire a tracker. Then he had the nerve to threaten Colton's mate.
"Everything okay?" Tegan asked as she placed her suitcase on the bed, ready to start packing.
Colton smiled. "More than okay."
I'm going to make it that way. No one threatens my mate so openly and lives to talk about it.
12
"Morning," Tegan managed to get out before a yawn took over. She propped her head on an elbow while in bed and watched Colton flit about the room picking his clothes up.
He briefly turned to smile at her. "Morning."
Tegan quickly sat up. By now, Colton would usually have been all over her, and she'd practically have to peel him off as he smothered her with kisses. Something was off.
"Did you sleep well?" Tegan asked.
"Mm-hmm."
Colton placed his pile of clothes on the edge of the bed and started to fold them. If ever she'd been in doubt, it was clear to Tegan now. Colton was mad or hurt about something, and he didn't want to share.
After getting a call from Kylo the day before, Tegan and Colton had gone to get her gear from Elvis’ place.
What was meant to be a quick lunch had extended to an entire day trip. When they returned, Colton insisted he'd throw his clothes into his suitcase the next day.
This morning, he was folding them, not giving Tegan much eye contact.
"Is everything okay?" Tegan asked. She tried to keep her voice level, but it still ticked up at the end. She mentally rolled her eyes.
So much for being tactful.
Colton carefully placed his clothes on the bed and looked up at Tegan. He never did anything with care. Except when he touched her, of course.
His eyes were an extremely icy blue. "I'm fine. Are you okay?"
"Yep," Tegan squeaked before she ran to the bathroom. She needed a moment to break this down. In private if possible. The tension in the bedroom was too much.
The day before, she'd pulled Elvis aside as soon as she got to his place and asked him to play nice with Colton. The bear shifter had harrumphed and said he'd do whatever he needed to. Thankfully, nothing terrible had happened.
There'd been a few tense moments where both men battled for dominance, like when it came to deciding which of them would sit next to Tegan. After a few seconds, Colton had allowed Elvis to sit beside Tegan, mentioning that this was his home.
Tegan smiled at him from across the table. That smile quickly fell when Colton ran a socked foot up her leg. She kicked it away, and they'd settled into a pleasant afternoon.
Sometime after lunch, Tegan had needed to use the bathroom. When she'd returned, everything was just fine. Had something been said during that time?
Elvis had only been in her life for a few months, but he'd already become a type of father figure to Tegan. The fact that he was in love with her mother only expedited their relationship. Had Elvis said something to make Colton feel like he wasn't good enough for her?
Just ask him, a voice whispered in her mind.
Now Tegan shook her head and gripped the edge of the sink. She stared at herself in the mirror. The same hazel eyes looked back at her, but there was a light behind them. Colton had put it there.
She took a deep breath, then steeled herself. She wouldn't cower as the old Tegan would. But she also understood that nagging only served to create tension.
Tegan quickly brushed her teeth and slapped water onto her face. Once she felt refreshed, she pulled her shoulders back and smiled.
Tegan pointed at herself in the mirror. "You have a mate. That's a lifelong bond. Don't get hung up on one bad morning."
Tegan let herself out of the bathroom and placed a hand on Colton's shoulder. Turning him around, she tiptoed and gave him a passionate kiss. Colton's response was muted, but he still moaned and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Whenever you're ready to tell me about what's upset you, I'll be here, ready to listen."
Tegan pulled away and walked to the wardrobe where she pulled out her outfit for the day. "So, what's the plan? Are we having breakfast at a restaurant or on the road?"
The feeling of two massive arms wrapping around her middle caused Tegan to squeal and jump. Then Colton's scent hit her, and she relaxed into his embrace. He nuzzled her neck.
"Thanks for giving me space."
Tegan twisted around and kissed him. "Always."
Thirty minutes later, Tegan sat in the passenger seat of Colton's truck, handing him the last sandwich. They'd opted to buy a few of the store-bought ones, so they could get to Baxwell while the sun was still out.
"That's yours," Colton said, his eyes darting to meet her before refocusing on the road.
"I'm full."
"Liar. You're a shifter, too. If I'm not even halfway full, there's no way you're full. Have it."
Tegan grinned. "You're too good at picking my lies out."
Colton took her hand and kissed it. "It's because I love you and because your breath always hitches slightly when you lie."
Tegan's eyes widened, and she took a bite of her sandwich and pondered Colton's words. She'd never noticed that about herself. Then again, she hadn't exactly been in the position to self-reflect over the last twenty years.
Life in the Bluewolf Pack was all about survival, especially for the women. Not only did they have to work as hard as everyone else did, but they had to watch out for Bluewolf males with anger and lust issues.
"I never noticed that. It probably has something to do with my dad. He had this way of asking a question that made you feel like your answer had life and death repercussions." Tegan scoffed. "I guess lying to him literally stole the breath from me."
Colton chuckled then slapped a hand over
his mouth. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make fun of that."
Tegan smiled. "It's okay. It is pretty funny now that I think about it. At least that part."
"You're brave; you know that? I won't stop telling you that."
Tegan's heart filled, and she muttered a thank you before she looked out of the window. She and Colton had only known each other for a little over a week now, but she felt like she'd known him longer.
There was the fact that he was usually so damn open with her. Telling her what he thought and felt. She was learning to open up, too.
Tegan blushed as she remembered what had happened the night before. Colton had said he was tired of having Tegan run off to the bathroom to get dressed every time. It had been hard, but Tegan had shown him the scars on her back.
After a string of expletives that any rapper would have been proud to put together, Colton had told Tegan that the scars on her back were symbols of her strength.
Tegan had ducked her head and said they were ugly. Colton then decided it was time they shared exactly what it was they found so damn attractive about each other.
By the time that he’d finished breaking down his list, Tegan was primed and ready to go. She was still sore, but she didn't care.
Colton and Tegan fucked hard and fast. There was no love behind any of it. As she climaxed, something took over Tegan, and she bit Colton's neck
I guess he brings out the monster in me.
Tegan chuckled, and Colton placed a hand on her thigh. "Thinking of something good?"
"Uh-huh." Tegan lifted his hand and kissed it.
"Good. I only want you to have good thoughts."
"With you I do."
Tegan meant it. She hadn't had any nightmares since she'd been with Colton. She knew they'd come up at some point, but she also knew that Colton would be there to comfort her. He was just that kind of guy, as soft as he was hard.
A few hours later, they pulled into a motel just outside of Baxwell. After throwing their bags in their room and having a hearty lunch at a rib joint, they got into Colton's truck.