Each Alpha Force team was directed into a different storage area. In each case, the Alpha Force members consisted of a shifter and an aide.
Which meant Sara would become Jason’s aide.
Drew approached her before he went off with Jonas. “Are you okay with this? You’ve never acted as one of our aides before.”
“But she did see our pack that first night,” Jason reminded him. He looked oh so smug when he glanced toward her, but was the picture of military propriety when he faced his cousin.
“Yeah, and I gather she’s also seen you shifting since then.”
“Yes, sir.” Sara nodded, not looking toward Jason. “It’s fine. I can handle it, sir.”
Poor choice of words, she realized immediately, and felt herself flush. What she could and would handle right now was the light, and Jason’s clothing.
But she would be seeing a lot more than that which she might desire to handle...again.
Drew didn’t need to know that. Fortunately, he either didn’t catch her slip or didn’t interpret it as she did. “Fine. If you’re all right with it, that’ll help a lot, since our members have already paired up. You understand that it’s fairly simple. Jason drinks the elixir and removes his clothing, you shine the light that resembles the light of a full moon on him and he changes. You take charge of his clothes and return them to him when he changes back again. Because this is a limited exercise, he won’t drink a lot of elixir and will shift back in a short period of time. Okay?”
“Yes, sir,” Sara said. And it was okay.
She would make sure of it.
And keep her damned, easily ignitable lust under control.
* * *
Jason had to hand it to Sara. She did everything just right.
Which was too bad. He saw her staring only momentarily at his private parts when he stripped after taking the elixir in the small room to which they’d been directed.
“Are you ready, Sergeant?” she demanded while he stood there in all his naked glory.
Just knowing she was there, this woman with whom he had so recently made memorable and magnificent love, made his cock stand up even larger and harder than usual.
Damn, he wished he wasn’t about to shift so he could take Sara into his arms once more.
But that wasn’t to be.
“I’m ready, Lieutenant.” He drew out the last word as if he made fun of it. He watched as she pulled out the light and turned it on.
Before she aimed it at him, he couldn’t resist. He flexed himself down below, and had the pleasure of seeing her eyes widen, her lips part, her body tense—but only for a moment....
That was when his shifting started and all things within him began to change.
* * *
Jason accompanied his pack members as they all stalked into the lobby of the storage building—all shifters within Alpha Force who were on duty on base. That included the sole feline member, Colleen, now a cougar.
The rest, including Jason, were all in wolf form. The other feline members of Alpha Force and its sole avian member were not present.
Together the pack walked, one by one, out the door, their human assistants following.
Outside, in darkness illuminated only by dim lights attached to the building, waited the members of the other unit now at the base, the ones who had perfect aim with sophisticated weaponry.
Did any wish they had their guns on them now to aim at the wild animals who faced them, waiting for their reactions?
Some came forward, including their current officer in charge since their general was observing from a distance with General Yarrow while this exercise took place.
Captain Rynton Tierney drew closest, even put his hand out to touch the canine at the lead, the most alpha wolf present, Drew Connell.
Jason tensed, ready to spring to his cousin’s defense if needed.
But Tierney just shook his head as he stroked the wolf like a dog. “This is amazing.” Then he looked beyond the pack and the cougar toward the human aides who had followed them out. “If it’s real. I’ve seen the dogs here at Ft. Lukman who look a lot like these animals.”
“They’re cover dogs. And have you seen the cover cat? I have.”
That was Sara’s voice from behind him. She was speaking up for Alpha Force, this woman who hadn’t wanted to accept the reality of its existence.
Jason’s human consciousness was highly enhanced by the special elixir Drew had developed. He knew what he was hearing.
And if he could have, he would have turned to thank, and congratulate, Sara McLinder. Maybe even kiss her in appreciation.
But he would have to wait for that.
For now, he waited to follow Drew’s lead.
* * *
Sara wasn’t surprised that Rynton Tierney didn’t simply accept her answer: that these shifted Alpha Force members were exactly what they seemed and that cover dogs that resembled the wolves remained in the kennel area. Colleen’s domestic cat that looked like a small cougar remained in her quarters.
As a result of his skepticism, Rynton sent a couple of USFT members to the building housing the kennels. The shifted Alpha Force members could start their planned demonstration, anyway, while that part of the cover story was confirmed.
Sara knew what else was in that building, downstairs and hidden away. The USFT troops didn’t need to visit there. As a result, she requested that Noel Chuma, Simon Parran’s aide today, accompany them. He’d be able to ensure they saw what they were after without heading below ground level to the highly classified and critical lab area.
With Noel gone, Sara would keep careful watch over the shifted wolf that was Simon as well as her own current charge, Jason.
Jason. In wolf form, he was sleek and gorgeous and alert, staying by her side, at least for now. Sexy? No, not this way...but somehow the idea of his having two such different personas didn’t turn her libido off, not even now.
All Alpha Force and USFT members went outside together and stood in the pale glow cast from lights at the top of the building. USFT Lieutenant Cal Brown, on the four-member joint team that included Colleen, seemed particularly interested in the sleek feline, talking a lot to the cougar as if she were human—which she was. He goaded her, urging her to find prey within the darkened woods and go in for the kill as her real feline counterparts would do in the wild.
Unsurprisingly, the cougar growled and roared. But to her credit, she didn’t attack the man who taunted her.
Sara marveled at the situation. She’d have heard something from General Yarrow if there’d even been any similar kinds of exercises between Alpha Force and other military units. She had heard of only one—and although she’d not been informed of all the details, she’d gathered that the humans had interacted with canines they hadn’t been informed were shapeshifters.
Previously, she hadn’t believed they were, either.
Soon it was time for the demonstration that had been planned in advance by the Alpha Force members. First the nonshifters gave a couple of easy commands—things that perhaps even real wolves could be taught, but only with time and patience. The idea was to prove that these creatures understood language and could react to it appropriately—better than a true wolf would do, even after training.
“Use your left paw and scratch at the bark of the nearest oak tree,” Jonas Truro instructed his charge, Drew Connell in wolf form. The rest of the shifted creatures were to sit and wait, which they did.
Of course Drew did as commanded. Sara had been told that all shifting members of Alpha Force had the consciousness of their human form while changed, thanks to the elixir that Drew had blended and continued to upgrade.
Next she told Simon Parran to find the tote bag she had brought along and take the bag of rawhide dog chews out of it. She’d left it behind a bush near the storage building, and he found it with no trouble.
She offered one to each of the wolf shifters. Most, but not all, accepted the treats. Each looked at her as if in thanks. This
wasn’t, of course, anthropomorphism. These animals truly were human some of the time.
But they were wild creatures in more than looks, too. After all the other, easier exercises had been performed, Rynton said, “I want to give an order, too.” He didn’t ask if it was okay. Instead, he approached Jason.
Which made Sara stiffen. Would he perform well? She didn’t want her primary charge for this night to be the one who somehow ruined the fragile détente between the two units.
On the other hand, with his contrary, sometimes anti-military attitude and offbeat sense of humor, he might decide to act like...well, a real wolf.
“Go catch some prey. I don’t care what it is. A rodent, a bird—but act like what you look like. Got it?”
Sara watched the face of the wolf that was Jason. She tried to read the expression but couldn’t.
Then he raced off into the forest.
The entire crowd stood watching. At least a few of them stood. Some Alpha Force shifters sat on their haunches as they followed Jason with their eyes.
Would he come back?
Their attention was interrupted by the return of the guys who’d been sent to check on the cover animals. Noel Chuma was with them.
They approached Rynton Tierney, who stood with Vera Swainey and Manning Breman.
“Yep, there were a bunch of dogs in those kennels, Captain,” said one of the USFT privates. “Want to see the pictures we took?”
He did, looking at the illuminated photos on the digital camera proffered by the soldier. He passed them around, too.
He then looked at Sara. “So those cover dogs do exist, along with the...shifters we’ve got here.”
“You still don’t believe?” she challenged him.
Maybe they’d have to allow at least this man, or perhaps General Myars, to watch a shift no matter how much violation of privacy that caused.
As long as they didn’t take pictures....
That was when a wolf leaped out of the forest, into the sparse light near where they all remained, waiting.
He approached Captain Tierney. There was something in his mouth—and Sara shuddered. It looked like a rat.
She expected him to place the dead creature on the ground in front of the captain’s feet.
Instead, the wolf that was Jason got up close and personal with Rynton Tierney, his filled muzzle just over the guy’s shoe. He stuck his nose between Rynton’s shoe and his pants leg.
And let go of the still-living rat.
It scampered up Rynton’s leg inside his camo trousers. That was obvious by the bulge that moved upward.
Rynton shouted, “Get it off me! Get it off!”
As some of his underlings raced to get to him to help, Sara watched the wolf sit down. Raise his muzzle in the air. A howl that sounded full of pleasure soon filled the air. And when it stopped, Sara would have sworn that the wolf was smiling.
Chapter 15
It wasn’t long after Jason’s return with the rat that everyone—the humans, at least—agreed it was time for the Alpha Force shifters to change back.
“You’re still not going to let us watch, even after that nasty joke?” Rynton’s voice was harsh. He hadn’t stopped scowling since his minions captured and dealt with the rodent he’d demanded be brought back as proof of cognition by a shifted wolf.
After all that, he still didn’t believe?
“Alpha Force’s position is that no one outside the unit can be permitted to watch a shift, Captain,” reminded Jonas Truro.
Sara had an idea, though, that should satisfy even the most skeptical USFT member. “We each assisted our charges in separate rooms before. I don’t believe they have alternate entrances or exits, so you could stand in the hallway and watch them enter in animal form and come out as humans.”
“That’s better than nothing,” Rynton grumped.
As a result, they all trooped back into the storage building. Sara noted that the cougar that was Colleen Hodell was followed by Cal Brown, who appeared much too interested in her. Fortunately, her aide Rainey stuck with them.
In a short while, they were all in separate, closed rooms once more. The walls appeared to be thick, and were fairly soundproof.
The shifters often made noises during the process that the USFT personnel didn’t need to hear.
The empty elixir vials and lights had already been gathered up by some Alpha Force nonshifters and taken back to the underground lab. The storage rooms, therefore, contained only the usual shelves and boxes, plus backpacks holding the shifters’ clothing.
Sara entered the room where they’d been before with only the slightest trepidation. She steeled herself to see the shift. And Jason. Naked.
She would act totally professional.
She shut the door behind Jason the wolf. “Are you ready?”
She still wasn’t exactly certain what precipitated the shift back to human form. It had to do with the amount of elixir that was drunk, but apparently, the shifter also had some choice.
Jason’s response was first to look at her. Then he started turning in a circle, like a dog outside tamping down imaginary grass to prepare the perfect place for its eliminations. But in moments he stopped and lay down.
That was when the shift began. His limbs began to elongate. His fur receded into his body, which grew. His muzzle lifted into the air as he moaned softly, then started to disappear and morph into his facial features.
The rest of his body began to change, too. His external canine organs became human. Sexual organs. Sexy as Sara remembered.
She closed her eyes. He should have privacy.
And she needed to regain control over her libido.
“Sara.” It had only been a minute or two that she’d looked away, with her eyes closed. The word wasn’t enunciated quite right, but the voice was arguably human.
She turned and looked.
There was Jason. In all his naked glory.
She quickly moved her gaze from his genital area to his face, then hurried across the room to her backpack. Damn! She should have had his clothes ready.
Or had she subconsciously awaited this moment, prolonging her ability to look at his firm, toned—hot—nude body once more?
“I’ll have your things to you in just a minute,” she called.
She extracted his camo uniform and underwear, then turned toward him.
He was standing there, all human. His broad shoulders were hunched a bit and he slumped, his head forward, as he seemed to catch his breath.
But oh, what a view.
She didn’t even try to stop herself from looking. At least he wasn’t meeting her gaze.
But if—when—he did? They couldn’t take the time to make love again. Not now. No matter how much she suddenly ached to do so.
People were outside, perhaps counting the minutes until they emerged. Other Alpha Force members might already have completed their shifts and left their rooms.
Frustration or not, she strode forward, holding out his clothes. For a moment, his golden eyes met hers. He smiled...but it disappeared into a serious, formal gaze.
Still undressed, he took his proffered clothing and stepped back. “Permission to get dressed, ma’am?” he asked, not sounding at all teasing. He even saluted.
“Of course, soldier.” She saluted back. Then she added softly, “Jason, I liked the way you acted out there with Captain Tierney. And I like even better...well, the way you look now.”
He merely blinked, said, “Thank you, ma’am,” and turned around.
Hurt, Sara watched from behind as Jason started donning his clothes.
* * *
It was one of the hardest things Jason had ever done: turning his back on an obviously sexually aroused Sara McLinder. Pretending he didn’t care. That, this time, he was the one who observed military protocol.
But he’d had to do it. No way could they satisfy their lust right now. And yes, he felt lust just by looking into Sara’s interested and provoking expression.
&nb
sp; Just that look had caused his erection to harden even more, but he tucked it into his pants.
He wanted Sara. Again. More. Often.
But that was foolish. She had apparently accepted, at least on some level, that he was a shifter. Yet the reality was that they had no future together. Getting up close and really personal more than they already had today could only lead to further frustration, and maybe even heartache.
He needed to try to find another noncommissioned officer who might accept who and what he was. Maybe even a private. Someone who was already a shifter? Unlikely in the military unless she was already in Alpha Force, but who knew?
So far, the only women he’d had relationships with had been near home. Nonmilitary, of course. Nothing serious, just companionship and sex. None had been shifters, so some of the fun had been in keeping his true status from them.
He hadn’t regretted leaving any of them behind when he’d had to join Alpha Force.
He’d finished donning his clothes. Now he turned around.
Sara must have been watching him. She suddenly swung away and seemed to examine some of the shelves along the wall of this storeroom.
“Thanks, Sara,” he said softly. His body moving almost involuntarily, he approached her. Touched her arm.
She pivoted, and suddenly she was in his embrace. He moved so his mouth was hard upon hers. Her arms went around his neck, pulling him down, closer, as her lips opened for him, her tongue speared out to play with his, and her soft, supple, altogether sexy body pressed close against him. Really close...down below.
He groaned, rubbing harder against her. Aching to remove those clothes again.
He was suddenly startled by a knocking on the door. “Hey, cuz, you shifted back yet?” yelled Drew.
Sara pulled away, her expression horrified. “We have to get out of here,” she said. “I didn’t... I mean, we shouldn’t...”
“You’re absolutely right, Lieutenant,” Jason made himself say as coolly as possible. “Time to put all of this behind us.”
Untamed Wolf Page 17