Linda Johnston - Untamed Wolf

“Thanks,” Sara said, and followed Colleen.

By the time they got there, someone had pulled an empty chair up to the table. Eight people were already seated around it. Sara smiled and nodded through the introductions. Interestingly, officers and enlisted personnel were all eating together.

Alpha Force protocol might be stronger around here than that of the regular military. Well, the general had warned her to expect things to be different from what she was used to, and some of it had to be real. If this fraternization made her uncomfortable, she wouldn’t show it. Just being friendly wasn’t prohibited under military regulations.

She placed her tray on the table and sat down.

“Welcome to Ft. Lukman,” said the man seated beside her. According to his insignia, he was a sergeant. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard a welcome, but this soldier’s deep voice resonated with what sounded like irony. She looked at him, planning to maintain her rank and dignity.

“Thank you, Sergeant,” she said brusquely, then looked away after noting what appeared to be sexual interest in his flashing golden eyes.

She must have imagined it. That would be the kind of fraternizing that was definitely forbidden under military regulations.

Although...well, she wasn’t supposed to notice such things, but that sergeant was one handsome guy. He looked fairly young, maybe late twenties like her, but his short, black hair was flecked with silver. His features were sharp, his smile gorgeous and challenging—and she couldn’t help noticing how broad his shoulders appeared beneath his camo shirt.

“Are you a new member of Alpha Force?” asked the sergeant, whose ID tag said his last name was Connell.

“Not exactly,” she said. “I’m General Yarrow’s aide, and I’ll be here as long as he is. He is planning some exercises for Alpha Force while he’s here.”

“Then you’re not—” The female sergeant across the table, whose name tag said Jessop, stopped speaking when Colleen elbowed her in the ribs.

“Has the general told you much about Alpha Force?” asked another man at the other side of the table. Sara nearly rose and saluted as she noticed his brass. He was a major. But the informality around here stopped her. Members of this unit might act all military elsewhere, but while eating dinner in this cafeteria they were all, apparently, just people.

“No, sir,” Sara said. “Not really.” Greg Yarrow had implied that things around here were quite different from the rest of the military without giving any credible explanation. He had even suggested that some of the members of Alpha Force went beyond any military skill she could ever imagine—because they were shapeshifters. Hah! She had worked with him long enough to anticipate and deal with that offbeat sense of humor of his. Despite his straight face, he knew better. He couldn’t actually imagine she was a gullible subordinate who’d buy into that. Even so, he hadn’t told her anything genuinely distinctive about the remote and covert unit. She figured she would learn the real differences here on the job.

She took a bite of her hamburger. Not bad for cafeteria food.

“Interesting,” said the sergeant beside her. “Maybe I should show you around. Teach you what you need to know.”

“Back off, Jason.” That was the major. She squinted slightly to see his name tag.

It read Connell just like the sergeant’s. Jason’s.

Talk about interesting... Were the noncom and officer related?

That would be unusual—not that relatives had joined the military, but that both men would be in the same unit.

Was that somehow part of the reason that Alpha Force was considered different from other special-ops units?

Doubtful, but— Well, it made more sense than imagining that any of these very real-looking people could be shapeshifters, despite the general’s teasing insinuations that they were. But just being related didn’t make these soldiers distinctive, unless, perhaps, their family members had taught one another useful skills from youth that other people might not have. She couldn’t think of a good example, though.

Maybe they really had taught one another how to shapeshift.

Not!

She took a sip of her drink and another bite of hamburger, then glanced back toward the sergeant to see whether he was, in fact, backing off.

The expression in his eyes was now filled with what looked like irony—even as he seemed to assess her from head to toe as she sat there. Oh, yes. He was a real man.

The gaze heated her insides. Made her sexually aware of the guy all over again.

Forget that, she cautioned herself. She was entirely military. Obeyed all orders and loved it.

No way would she allow herself even to notice if this soldier decided to play games with her.

Although, she realized, she already had noticed...and somehow liked it too much.

* * *

The rumors had been correct, Jason thought. Not that Major Drew Connell—no, not just major, but also Doctor Drew Connell, his cousin—told him much of anything around here.

Jason was just a peon. At least, because of his very special background that had led him to Alpha Force, he had been promoted to sergeant quickly and wasn’t just a private.

In any event, Jason took a sip of soda water and continued to watch the gorgeous, hot—and unapproachable—lieutenant who had only arrived at Ft. Lukman that night. She obviously wasn’t armed with the knowledge she needed to fit in here.

Those rumors said she was a very important aide to General Yarrow. So why hadn’t her boss informed her about what she was in for at this base?

“So tell us something about yourself, Lieutenant,” he said, addressing her. She was slender, with short, blond hair, a pale but perfect complexion, and high cheekbones that underscored eyes of an unusual blue-green shade. “Have you worked with General Yarrow long?” Those were nice, neutral, friendly questions, weren’t they?

Jason was still on probation here. Probably would be for the rest of his life unless he figured out a workable way to resign.

On the other hand, he would be leaving behind some stuff he really liked along with the military regimen he despised. Some stuff he’d grown used to and didn’t want to do without.

So he’d made his decision. He was staying—for the time being, at least.

He glanced at his cousin to make sure there was no angry scowl on his face, the result of every misstep Jason made in Drew’s presence.

Fortunately, Drew just regarded the lovely lieutenant expectantly, as if awaiting her answer, too. So were all other Alpha Force members here—those who were like him, and those who weren’t.

That was something damned special about this unit. They all worked together—and those who weren’t like him were actually assigned to help those with the same characteristics as he had.

What would the lovely lieutenant think if she knew that half the members of Alpha Force were shapeshifters?

Oh, yeah, real dogs and other appropriate animals were kept on base as covers for them. Jason had even started helping to train the dogs in his spare time. But the reality was that Jason, and a lot of others, would be changing tonight under the full moon. By choice these days, which was especially cool.

“I’ve been in the army for nearly two years,” the pretty officer was saying.

She was Lieutenant McLinder. Sara, she’d said during introductions. She didn’t look as if she’d be thrilled for a mere sergeant to address her by her first name, even here.

“I’ve been an aide to General Yarrow for about five months,” she continued.

Jason knew that the general had obligations in addition to being the commanding officer of Alpha Force. This lieutenant really could be as ignorant about the unit as she seemed.