She pulled her shirt on, throwing him a glare. “For guests. ThatIinvitein.”
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.”