Linda Johnston - Canadian Wolf

Selena leaned back on both pillows that were resting against the plain black headboard. “Well, we’re here,” she said.

“Yep, and I gather that we’re really supposed to start our assignment tomorrow.” Rainey paused. “Are you ready to show these Canadian folks what real Alpha Force shapeshifters are all about?”

“That’s what we’re here for.” Now it was Selena’s turn to smile. “We’ll teach them what being a US shifter—and an aide—is all about.”

“And a cover dog, too.” Rainey slipped her backside from the bed so she could kneel to pat Lupe, who lay on the floor nearby.

“Exactly.” Selena didn’t want to kick out her aide, but she did want to try to get some sleep. “So...” she began.

At the same time, Rainey asked, “So did you have fun tonight?”

It was all Selena could do to hide her startled reaction. Surely nothing on her face, in her demeanor, revealed that she’d shared a kiss with the man who was in charge of the Canadian group that Alpha Force was here to help.

No. Rainey must just be making conversation. Wasn’t she?

Nevertheless, Selena made herself respond as if Owen was just some ordinary guy whom she didn’t find attractive at all—maybe married and twice her age. Or at least that was what she attempted.

“Sure,” she said nonchalantly. “I had a drink with Owen at one of the other bars in town before we found you guys. He wanted to know more about what Alpha Force was about, but I doubt he got it from our limited conversation there in public. He, of course, knows that shapeshifters exist and that I’m one of them, but I still have the impression he finds them—us—weird.” She wasn’t about to reveal to Rainey how Owen had formed his opinion of shapeshifters. “I hope he gets over that enough to work well with his own CAs.” That was the truth, at least. “He got a phone call that apparently suggested they’ll be needed sooner than anticipated, and he’d better be ready for it.”

“Well,” Rainey said, “we’ll see how he is at breakfast tomorrow. The rest of them, too. I had the impression that they’re way different from our Alpha Force members, even though they’re shifters. They were fun to be with, sure, but they struck me as being kind of wild kids. Good kids, though. Tim even let me use his rental car overnight. I just hope that giving them more control of their ability to shift will help tame them down.”

“Guess we’ll have to make sure of it,” Selena said. But she was glad she wouldn’t be the only shifter there as things progressed. She wouldn’t be the most senior, either.

And surely having other Alpha Force members here, like Captain Patrick Worley and Lieutenant Marshall Vincenzo, as well as their aide, Captain Jonas Truro, would also make it easier for her to remember who she was and why she really was here.

And to remember to stay far away from Owen Dewirter except to teach him what she could as an Alpha Force member.

To ignore any attraction she felt for him and, definitely, to make sure she never touched him again, let alone kissed him.

When Rainey left a short while later, and after Selena gave Lupe a good-night hug and settled herself back into bed, she couldn’t help rehashing those intentions and told herself she needed to focus on her assignment.

She just hoped she could.

In the meantime, she lay in bed conscious of the quiet here in the Canadian countryside, except for occasional hoots from local owls.

She mulled over all that had happened over the past couple of days, including Owen’s tale of his family and shapeshifters.

She was concerned about what would happen tomorrow, and if Alpha Force—no, if she —would be able to do all that was expected to help the CAs start their team and deal with the kidnappings that Owen had mentioned.

Not to mention her concern about her absurd attraction to Owen Dewirter that she needed to find a way to turn off. Permanently.

* * *

Owen saw Selena almost as soon as he reached the CAs compound early the next morning.

She was outside again, with her dog, in the crisp early air. He knew that had to be a frequent ritual. Dogs had needs that had to be fulfilled often, especially last thing at night and first thing in the morning, no matter what the weather, no matter what the temperature.

No matter what the dog’s responsibilities, such as acting as a cover for her owner.

Under the brightening morning sky, it was easier for Owen to remain less concerned about Selena’s safety in daylight. Besides, he wasn’t alone. All four of the CAs who needed to be trained and sent into the field were exiting the vehicles behind him.

They weren’t trained at all, let alone as his special team—yet—but he figured they’d do something if he needed help.

He waved to Selena as he hurried up the front steps of the house. It was dumb, but he felt glad to see her wave back.

“Hey, sir, er, Owen,” Andrea called from behind him. “What are we going to do today?” She, like the rest of them, had dressed in casual clothes—jeans and a sweatshirt.

Before coming here, the CAs had been given a brief amount of preliminary training as Canadian police officers and instructed in some of the formalities. Owen had nevertheless told them that, although he was in charge, informality was fine here.

When he had visited them at their hotel last night, he had briefly described to them part of what they’d be up to today, but it wouldn’t hurt to repeat it, drum it into their heads, so they would be ready once the rest of the Alpha Force team arrived to teach them their methods of shapeshifting.

“First thing, I’m going to brief you about our assignment and the update I received last night that I didn’t mention to you before. Then the rest of the day will depend on when the other Alpha Force members arrive.”

“Got it.” She was surrounded by the other CAs on the porch, their gazes all trained on him. Each watched him with concentration, a couple of them nodding.

They all looked interested and eager.

But that didn’t mean they’d be able to do the job—especially with all the tweaks that needed to be added to normal, rational, predictable RCMP constable duties. Not that they were the usual RCMP constables.

Turning his back on them, he hurried into the house. Maybe he was just being naive, but he believed that Selena would be the ideal trainer—and not just because she was a shapeshifter. They’d studied her background, and since she’d been a teacher before joining Alpha Force, she should be able to take these young shifters and instruct them on exactly what was needed to fulfill the RCMP’s needs here.

That was why she was here—not to create impossible sex fantasies in Owen’s mind each time he saw her.

And at night when he tried to sleep...like last night.

He shook off the thought. Heading into the kitchen with the gang behind him, Owen began asking questions before giving orders for breakfast preparation. “Who’s good about cooking eggs? Sal? Great. There are some in the fridge along with butter, and the frying pan is in the drawer beneath the stove. Who’s our go-to toast guy?” Tim Franzer raised his hand, which left Craig Neverts, Andrea and him. Owen decided to brew the coffee, so he told Craig and Andrea where the items were to set the large dining area table.

“Now, let’s get to work,” Owen said.

“Need any help?” Selena, along with Rainey and Lupe the dog, had just come through the kitchen door.

“I think we’re good,” Owen said. But he watched as Selena immediately approached Sal and started helping to cook the eggs.

Was there anything that woman couldn’t do? She was a US soldier, a teacher, a cook...and a shapeshifter.

And sexier than any other woman Owen had met.