Canadian Wolf - Linda Johnston O.

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      “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.

      With all that in her favor, he’d no doubt that she’d be one hot partner in the bedroom.

      But that was one scenario he’d never see realized.

      He walked over to the large coffeemaker, glad he had something entirely neutral to accomplish.

      Something that allowed him to keep his back toward the rest of his cohorts—so no one would be able to notice the bulge at the front of his jeans.

       Chapter 6

      Selena was glad to keep busy, even though it was a challenge for all the CAs and her to stay out of each other’s ways while whipping up their breakfast together.

      Finally they had the meal prepared, and all of them found seats around the sizable dining table. She didn’t plan it, but Selena found herself sitting beside Owen near the doorway to the kitchen. Not a bad place to be. In fact, the two of them were more or less in charge, so why not join forces for what needed to be said here?

      Not surprisingly, Owen said he had a lot to tell them, including information he’d just learned yesterday that they needed to know. But he directed them to start eating first.

      Selena wanted to hear Owen speak a lot more than she wanted to eat.

      Nevertheless, Owen handed her a bowl so she could scoop out her own helping of eggs. “These look great,” he said.

      “They are great,” said Craig, who sat across from them. He had already dished himself a substantial helping and had his fork up to his mouth.

      Sal and Andrea were on one side of Craig, and Tim had a seat next to him. Rainey was beside Selena. It was almost as though the two groups were opponents—except that Owen sat close enough to her to appear to be on her side.

      That wouldn’t be entirely accurate, though. They weren’t enemies, of course, but the differences between them seemed as weighty as the matters they needed to work on together.

      Then there was the proverbial elephant in the room, at least as far as Selena was concerned: her totally inappropriate sexual attraction to the man.

      Selena ate rapidly, watching the others across the table and listening to their friendly hazing of one another. Even Rainey became the subject of their amusing gibes. How could she stand to be in a whole room full of animals? they’d teased her. Even their commanding officer, Owen, was an animal. A human one. Selena knew he didn’t need to shift to become a feral creature.

      To Owen’s credit, he jested along with them, talking about how he would use his own wild nature to mow down any of those here who dared to disobey him.

      But after a few minutes of the revelry, Owen fortunately ended it.

      “Okay, everyone,” Owen called out. “Let me have your attention.” He had finished his eggs and toast quickly and now just held a coffee cup in his large right hand. Despite the prior levity, his deep voice now resonated with authority and seriousness, and although it wasn’t extremely loud, he did, in fact, appear to capture everyone’s attention.

      Selena put her fork on her plate though she wasn’t through eating. But she wanted to concentrate on what he said.

      “I’m going to start at the beginning,” Owen said. “I’ll give a quick recap of why those of you who are now part of the Canada Alpha team have been recruited, both to refresh your recollections and to make certain our Alpha Force visitors know enough. Then I’ll tell you why what you’re about to embark on is crucial to our national security. How you can help save lives.”

      Selena had been informed of the basics before, but hearing them from Owen, with his point of view and earnest tone, drove home the importance that she’d been told surrounded her mission here.

      Yes, the recruits were shapeshifters. How they had been found and recruited into the RCMP was only hinted at, but their ultimate objective was a matter of Canadian national security as Selena knew.

      “We’re all very pleased to have found each of you and look forward to your justifying the trust we’ve placed in you.” Owen’s gaze moved slowly from Sal to Andrea to Craig to Tim. In exchange, they each peered solemnly toward him and nodded.

      He then looked toward Rainey and, finally, at Selena. Those eyes of his were gleaming and blue and grave. They didn’t turn her on at that moment, but they definitely made her take notice. Made her want to fulfill whatever they commanded.

      Which, right now, was apparently just to listen.

      “I believe you were told what we need to accomplish, how we got the attention of the US military and why we were let in on the highly secret existence of your Alpha Force, but just in case, here’s the story.”

      Owen took a sip of coffee, then reached toward the carafe that sat on the table not far away.

      “I’ve got it.” Selena reached for it and then poured coffee into the nearly empty cup that Owen held out. She warmed her own, and Rainey’s, too, before passing the carafe so the CAs could take more as well.

      “Thanks,” Owen said. Then he finally dived into the crux of what they all needed to hear. He described the horrific serial crimes taking place in Canada. Family members of some of Canada’s most successful business magnates, or even the magnates themselves, had been kidnapped to extort tremendous amounts of money. “There were four prior abductions that we’re aware of, and you’ll recognize the surnames of the victims—or at least those of you who are Canadian will.”

      Selena hadn’t heard of three of them, but the fourth, Marc Wagnere, was well-known in the States as being the originator of an internet

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