Canadian Wolf

Owen Dewirter observed Selena from across the table—for the moment, at least—as she stood.

Maybe he’d been way out of line with his suggestion. It had been impulsive. But it had also been born out of irritation and a need to end their impasse.

Owen hadn’t wanted to strip here—although the idea of seeing Selena Jennay nude definitely stiffened a certain part of his body. But he also knew Anthony Creay well enough to be certain that his superior officer didn’t like to be denied anything he believed he was entitled to.

This way, Anthony wound up making the decision—a good thing, and probably the only way to make the superior officer stand down. And now what Lieutenant Selena Jennay had proposed had become acceptable. She would shift without a male audience.

She would shift, though. He didn’t actually doubt that she was a shapeshifter.

Although he believed—no, knew—they existed, he had major concerns about shapeshifters.

But this one was also a gorgeous, sexy woman—even dressed in the sexless camouflage uniform of US soldiers.

She was slender, moderately tall, with full lips and high cheekbones. Her light brown hair seemed most unusual, with highlights that shimmered in even the low artificial lights in this conference room. Her amber eyes flashed with emotion as she spoke—like now, as she conversed softly with the other woman, glancing occasionally toward the two men.

Owen rose, too, as did Anthony. “Do you know of any suitable room?” his superior asked in a low voice.

“Why not in here?” Owen asked. “We can leave.” As he spoke, he scanned the small chamber, furnished only with the table and chairs. They were two stories up, so their visitors couldn’t slip Selena out and a dog in—especially since the window overlooked the parking lot and the station’s inside guard post. Whoever was on duty would no doubt see any shenanigans.

“I suppose that would work,” Anthony said, also looking around.

As they spoke, Lieutenant Jennay speared them both with a sharp gaze that gave no quarter. Owen had no doubt that if her demeanor was typical of the US military’s Alpha Force, that explained how the covert group accomplished its sometimes impossible missions.

He looked forward to this assignment.

He’d been one of the very few members of his division within the RCMP’s general policing services who hadn’t immediately scoffed when Anthony asked in his interview whether he believed in shapeshifters. Owen knew they were real.

He just didn’t happen to like them. Experience had taught him to mistrust them.

And yet, it was in his country’s best interests for a group of shifters from the States to help the RCMP to form its own covert unit, similar to Alpha Force, but a police unit instead of a military one.

Owen was all about helping his country. He would head the team. The fact that he’d previously worked with canines at the RCMP’s police-dog service training center wouldn’t hurt, either.

“So what do you think?” Selena eventually asked, her hands on her hips and confrontation in her expression.

“We’ll lock you right in here,” Owen said with no inflection, as if he had no interest in continuing the confrontation. “This is as good as any place. Maybe not the most comfortable location to get naked, but you won’t be aware of it for long anyway.”

“Not true,” Selena snapped back. She clearly hadn’t lost her attitude. “You may believe in shapeshifters, but you don’t know anything about Alpha Force and our elixir if you think we lose awareness. For your information, the elixir developed by members of Alpha Force allows us to shift without a full moon and to keep our human awareness when the moon isn’t full, and neither is the case with other shifters.”

“Sounds like a useful concoction.” Owen had understood there was something that made Alpha Force members different from other shapeshifters, but hadn’t known what it was.

She seemed to relax a little after that. “But that’s okay for now. You’ll learn more as we help to train your RCMP shapeshifters.” She drew out those words as if to rub the concept back in his face.

He realized that he was smiling—wryly perhaps, but genuinely. She wasn’t only lovely. She amused him.

Even though she was a shapeshifter. Or so she said.

She was right. He knew little about Alpha Force, its elixir or anything else related to the unit. But if she could genuinely shapeshift now, when the next full moon wasn’t due for a couple of weeks, it would tell him a lot.

“There aren’t any security cameras in here, are there?” Selena asked. He watched as she scanned the walls.

“No,” said Anthony Creay. “This room is usually used for secure and private meetings.”

“Okay, then we’re on.” Selena looked around a little more as if she didn’t trust what he said, but there were no places that Owen saw, either, where equipment could be hidden.

“Fine,” he said. “Now, what would you like us to do?”

It was her turn to grin. “If you’d like, you can go ahead and get naked anyway.” She let her eyes scan Owen’s body up and down, and he felt himself start to respond. Not a good idea. Not here, and not ever.

But since they were going to be working together, should he call her bluff after all? He gave it a second’s thought before he knew the answer. No sense in angering his commanding officer. “Nope,” he said. “I think this is your cue, not mine.”

She shrugged one shoulder, as if she had no interest in whether he kept his clothes on or not. Too bad, he thought. But it was better that way.

“So what would you like us to do?” he asked her.

“Leave.” She began walking around the table, holding out the leash attached to her dog’s collar. “Just watch out for Lupe. She’s a great dog—but like me, she’s got quite a bite if you rile her.”

He assumed she was still just teasing. Even so, he gingerly grabbed hold of the leash’s looped handle. It was his responsibility, not his superior officer’s. The furry wolf-dog looked up at him with eyes that did indeed appear a similar amber shade to Selena’s. Her cover dog. The way she would appear while shifted, she’d indicated.

A fine representative of the wolf species, albeit with some traces of other canine stock, like, perhaps, Siberian husky.

“I bite, too, Lupe,” he said, although the way he petted her furry head belied his words—justifiably. He liked dogs. A lot.

It was their shapeshifting counterparts that he didn’t trust.

Was Selena different? He’d see, as time went on.

“Well, don’t bite my dog,” Selena said.

She turned around, waving her hand. “Right now is a good time for you gentlemen to leave.” She glanced over her shoulder. “After you lock the door you can stand in the hall to make sure we don’t slip out and play the games that you apparently expect. Rainey will knock for you to open the door when my shift is complete.”

“Fine.” Owen waited until Anthony had cleared the doorway, then followed.

He turned back for an instant, just long enough to notice that Selena was already preparing for what would occur after he locked the door. Her head was bent as she started unbuttoning her shirt.

Too bad he really couldn’t stay and watch. Maybe some other time.

The other woman, Rainey, had crossed the room and picked up the large backpack she’d carried inside before. She studied its insides, and before Owen left, he saw her extract some kind of bottle. Was that the elixir Selena had mentioned?

He figured he would find out, if not today, then in the days to come, when he was with the Alpha Force members who had promised to help instruct the new RCMP members he had assisted in recruiting.

Those new members were also shapeshifters—or so they’d claimed—and had their claims confirmed by reputable friends and family, including others within the RCMP. He hadn’t yet had a chance to watch them shift, either, since they did so only under a full moon—so far.

“Hey, haven’t you left yet?” That was Rainey, who’d looked toward the door after handing the bottle to Selena.

Selena had stopped moving and was also watching him suspiciously.

“On my way.” He gave a small yank on Lupe’s leash. The dog obeyed and preceded him out the door.