* * *
They all were to return to the assembly room after the exercise was complete.
Sara stopped in General Yarrow’s office on the way to report how things had gone from her perspective before walking to the meeting with him.
She planned to tell him all he needed to know including, with regard to Jason, only that he had successfully shifted in a timely way, had shown himself in wolf form to the USFT members and had then shifted back again. Oh, and yes, the general was sure to hear about that little prank Jason had pulled with the rat on Rynton Tierney—but the captain had asked for it.
Sara smiled briefly at the recollection as she seated herself in a chair facing the general’s desk.
But no sense revealing any of her thoughts and emotions—and definitely not her lust—relating to Jason.
“I think it was successful, sir,” she told Greg Yarrow. “At least the USFT members appeared to accept the idea of shifting, although Captain Tierney made it clear he’d like to watch a shift for verification.”
“What do you think about that?” His wide brow furrowed as he regarded her from behind his desk. He looked tired, and Sara wondered what had gone on during his interaction with General Myars while the joint mission between Alpha Force and USFT members played out.
“I’m aware that’s against the protocol established by Alpha Force—that only unit members are supposed to have access while someone is shifting. I also know there have been some exceptions now and then, like me. And—”
“You’re not an exception.”
“Well, I’m not really a member of Alpha Force.” Yet she felt now as if she had become one. She believed in, had seen, shifting. Wanted to learn more about how Alpha Force would be used in actual military deployments.
Especially the one being considered in conjunction with USFT.
The general smiled. “Sure you are, just as much as I am. You’re my right arm, and though I’m not a shifter or aide, I’m close enough. That gives you standing with the unit, too.”
She couldn’t help grinning back. “Guess so, sir.” She hesitated, then added, “Thanks, Greg.”
“Oh, you’ll pay for it, Sara. In fact, I’d like you to set up a lunch tomorrow for both units together—thirty people or so. In Mary Glen. Everyone’ll be sleeping in tomorrow since it’s so late now, so lunch will be better than breakfast. There’s a restaurant there—I don’t remember the name—but it should be able to accommodate us, even on short notice. Ask one of the local Alpha Force members. They’ll know. In fact, your shifting charge Jason Connell should be a good resource for that.”
“I’ll check with him first, sir.” Sara hoped that the blush she felt creeping up her cheeks wasn’t visible in the daylight of the general’s office. “But just to clarify. We still have no intention of allowing any USFT members to actually watch a shift occur, right?”
“Did any of them doubt the reality of it after your exercise?”
“No one seemed to, especially after the human cognition of the shifted animals was verified.” She described how Jason had stuck the rat up Tierney’s leg.
The general laughed. “I might get chided about that from Myars, so it’s a good thing you told me. But was that the only thing that gave them an indication shifting was real?”
“No, sir. Even though we didn’t let them watch any shifting, they checked to make sure that the cover animals remained in the kennel areas when the shifted wolves appeared.”
That caused the general to frown again. “And someone went with them? No one got down into the lab area?”
“That’s right, sir. And afterward, they watched animals go into closed rooms with their aides, and only people exit from them after shifting.” Sara hesitated. “You don’t really trust those USFT personnel, do you, sir?” She didn’t—not after what had happened to the general and his car. And the scratches on the door down to the lab. A break-in attempt? Not that anyone in USFT had been proven involved. Not yet.
“I trust them to do an excellent job doing what they do best—perfect vision and marksmanship to assist in the joint assignment we’ll have with them if all goes well.” The general was standing now. “But I really don’t understand their attitude toward Alpha Force. Skepticism about shifting? That might have made sense before, but now they’ve seen enough to buy into its reality. And there appears to be ongoing antagonism that I’ve not been able to nail down any answers about. Maybe this latest exercise will help dispel it. I certainly hope so.” He turned and looked down at the computer on his desk, shifting the mouse. “It’s time. We’d better get off to our meeting.”
* * *
Sara couldn’t help it. She scanned the crowd in the assembly room as she entered with the general, looking for Jason.
She had an important question to ask him, she reminded herself. She glanced at her wristwatch. She needed to find out what restaurant the general had been talking about to ensure she could line up a place for the units to have a joint lunch the next day.
Once again, Alpha Force seemed to have taken over the first few rows, with the USFT members planted in the rear. One good thing Sara noted, though, was that there were at least a few conversations in which members of both units participated. Those folks banded together along the side of the assembly room.
In fact, she was able to join one of the groups, since Jason was standing with Vera Swainey, Cal Brown, Colleen Hodell and others. They all appeared to be chatting amicably. Some held bottles of water from a case that had been left near the door.
Maybe the night’s exercises really did turn the page on their attitudes.
Sara wended her way along the crowded aisle, overhearing brief snatches of conversations including jokes from USFT members about renting an old version of The Wolf Man movie, and promises to teach Alpha Force members some tricks of the USFT shooting abilities if they’d teach them how to shapeshift.
Sara had heard that request before occasionally coming from some nonshifting aides of Alpha Force, but she’d also heard it wasn’t possible.
She finally reached Jason’s group but stood on its periphery, listening. Jason was describing some of the most unusual and fun things he claimed to have done while shifted. He looked amazingly good, his dark, silver-flecked hair slightly longer than when she’d first met him, his strong hands waving in punctuation while he talked...and his amazingly sexy body moving in emphasis, too. Sara listened to what he said, interested in his description of howling at an outdoor sign not far from Ft. Lukman that depicted a full moon to advertise some kind of beer, and playing tug-of-war while shifted, with Shadow, using as a toy a car rug he’d taken out of a military vehicle he was fixing.
“You mean sticking a rat up our CO’s leg wasn’t the most fun and unusual thing you’ve done?” Cal asked. The muscular guy stood straight and looked serious, as if he was attempting not to scowl at Jason. But then he broke into a large grin. “Never seen anything like that before.”
“Well, I admit it was creative.” Jason nodded. “But now I’ll have to think of something to top that. Anyone want to volunteer for me to experiment on?”
“Hey, how about us?” demanded Samantha, a smile on her face. “I’ve heard rumors that the secret formula you shifters drink could turn us into shifters, too.”
“Where did you hear that?” Jason demanded.
But Samantha just continued to grin, raising her brows. She had a bottle of water in her hand and she raised it, as if in a toast. “Here’s to giving it a try someday.”
“No,” said Jason with as cold a voice as Sara had ever heard from him. “You won’t. That’s against orders, and whatever you’ve heard is wrong.”
It was time for Sara to break in. “Hey, sorry to interrupt, but I have a question for you, Jason.” As the others looked at her, she said, “Not sure yet if I’m supposed to let everyone know, but we’re all getting together for a group lunch tomorrow. Assuming I get the info I need.”
At the edge of the crowd, Sara explained. “G
eneral Yarrow said you could tell me the name of a restaurant in Mary Glen that can accommodate a group this size on short notice.” She looked into Jason’s golden eyes as she spoke and felt drawn in. She would get lost in them if she allowed herself to.
She looked down, drawing her smartphone from her pocket as both a diversion and a way to find contact information and location of whatever eatery Jason mentioned.
“I’ve only eaten there once, since everyone’s favorite place is the Mary Glen Diner, but try Danny’s Delicious Café,” he said. “They’re open twenty-four hours so you should be able to make the reservation now.”
“Isn’t that a new chain out of Baltimore?”
“Yeah, I think so. They’re expanding.”
The conversation was so mundane that Sara longed to say something to Jason to remind him she’d been there for him earlier, watched him shift, watched his mesmerizing, naked body...
What was she doing? He was acting completely professional while her mind exploded with everything she didn’t dare think, didn’t dare feel, ever again.
“Thank you,” she said formally, moving her finger on her phone screen to locate the restaurant’s listing. “I’ll call them now.” But she couldn’t help asking, as Jason turned to walk toward the front of the room, “I don’t suppose those rumors about the elixir are true, are they?” Not that she wanted to try to become a shifter.
“Of course not. And those rumors have to stop. I’ll make sure Drew’s aware of this nonsense.”
She hesitated. “Will you be joining the group for lunch?”
She’d asked for it. Even so, a shiver went through her as he turned, said, “Oh, you can count on it,” then winked. Again. The usual, carefree Jason back in charge.
Her insides turned momentarily to hot, flowing lava.
She made herself stare back at her phone and quickly exit the room to make the reservation.
Praying that no one else had noticed that damnably sexy wink.
Chapter 16
The meeting was fairly uneventful, but Jason understood why General Yarrow wanted to hold it, even this late at night. It allowed members of both units to suck up to their commanding generals and show how well they’d followed orders earlier and were now the best of friends.
Jason wondered if anyone was dumb enough to believe that. On the other hand, there seemed to be a bit more camaraderie between them now.
He himself was getting along well with some of the USFT members, now that he had managed, in an excusable way, to humiliate their captain.
He remained in the crowded room listening to the generals congratulate themselves and their subordinates, as if all ill will had now evaporated like steam from a hot spring. But he knew the heat between the two groups could rise again at any moment.
He still wasn’t sure why.
He’d glanced often toward the door where Sara had gone to make her phone call. Was she using the lunch reservation for tomorrow as an excuse to stay away indefinitely tonight?
No. There she was. She slipped inside and stood near the door. The meeting was wrapping up, anyway. Both generals had gotten in their thanks and made it clear to their troops that what had been started tonight would be continued. That was an order.
As they were all dismissed, everyone stood and streamed toward the door. Sara moved out of the way.
He only wanted to say good-night. That was what he told himself. She’d have plenty of takers wanting to walk her to the BOQ, and it wouldn’t be right to join them.
But she was apparently waiting for General Yarrow. The two top guys were among the last to leave, and Sara was still standing there when they, and Jason, approached.
“Did that place work out?” Jason asked before the generals reached her.
“Yes, it did. Thanks.” As Yarrow and Myars joined her, Sara told them about the reservations she’d made for lunch tomorrow. Both gave her formal military kudos, and the three left the auditorium.
Jason followed. The generals were wrapped up in conversation as they walked through the building’s lobby and out the door.
Good. That gave Jason the opportunity he wanted to say a friendly good-night to Sara.
“Same to you.” She smiled, then looked beyond the generals where some of the USFT members stood in a group, talking.
“I’d like your help tomorrow morning, before lunch,” Jason heard himself blurt, his voice low.
She turned back, surprise on her lovely face. “Are you shifting in daylight?”
“Oh, no, not that kind of help. Not about cars, either.”
She smiled, and he suspected that would have been her next question.
“No,” he continued, “I’m planning on a training session with Shadow and a couple other cover dogs. You worked well with us before, and I’d like to have you join us. Okay?”
“Sure,” she said. “What time?”
* * *
It probably was a bad idea, Sara thought as she turned her back on Jason and joined the nearby USFT members to walk to the BOQ with them. Had they been waiting for her? Unlikely.
Drat, she thought a minute later. Cal Brown had probably gotten them to hang around for her. At least the way the large guy joined her immediately, as if claiming her company, suggested he’d wanted to talk to her.
Flirt with her?
Fortunately, Colleen joined them when they reached the main sidewalk. She started talking animatedly to Cal and Manning Breman, asking what they now thought of shapeshifting, and didn’t they prefer cougars to wolves?
They all just laughed. Sara hung back a little, letting Colleen handle the requisite camaraderie.
She wondered how far behind them Jason was.
She knew better than to look.
She did, however, hesitate for a moment, pulling her phone from her pocket as if checking something. She surreptitiously glanced behind them—only to see one person not far behind.
Walking alone.
When he stepped beneath one of the lights along the walkway she confirmed what she already knew. It was Jason.
She felt a surge of warmth. Of knowing she was protected without needing protection.
She looked forward to that dog training session tomorrow.
* * *
When Sara finally got to bed that night, she figured she would sleep well. And probably would have if her phone hadn’t rung.
“Sara? Sorry to call so late, but it’s Colleen. Can I ask a favor?”
“Sure,” Sara replied hesitantly. What could she possibly want at this hour?
But five minutes later, Sara had put her uniform back on and hurried down the dimly lit hall. Colleen opened the door to her apartment almost before Sara knocked.
“I really appreciate this,” she said. “But Rainey has an upset stomach—maybe too much excitement today. And even though I just shifted back a short while ago after our exercise—well, I’m just so restless I need to do it again. Since my usual aide can’t help, I hope you don’t mind my bothering you.”
The cat Puka came out to greet Sara but didn’t stay in Colleen’s small living room very long. She disappeared back into the bedroom.
Near the door, Colleen had set one of the backpacks that had become so familiar to Sara since she had begun working with Alpha Force. It probably contained a vial of the all-important elixir, plus a special light.
“I just need for you to come outside with me while I shift. I won’t stay in cougar form long and I can shift back by myself, but I’ve never shifted with the elixir on my own.”
“No problem.” Sara figured it would be similar to watching Jason shift. Interesting, too, but in a very different way.
Sure enough, she found Colleen’s shift fascinating.
Colleen stripped first and hid her clothes behind a rock in the part of the forest within Ft. Lukman where they’d gone. “I’ll be able to find these here myself when I shift back,” Colleen told Sara.
She’d already drunk some elixir. Now Sara shone the special moonlike light
on her and watched as the woman began to writhe and grow tawny hair all over as she shifted into cougar form.
She soon gave a nod of her wild feline head toward Sara, then ran off into the woods.
As they’d discussed, Sara also left the backpack with Colleen’s clothes. Had she really been needed here to help Colleen?
Maybe not, but the feline Alpha Force member apparently felt better having someone assisting with the shift.
And it gave Sara yet another perspective on shapeshifting.
* * *
Tired that night, Jason had fallen asleep in his tiny quarters nearly immediately. It had been late, so he hadn’t even gone to the kennel to bring Shadow back. Of course, he’d be with the dog in the morning.
When he woke, he nearly sprang from bed in anticipation of the day. And it wasn’t only because he’d have Shadow with him.
Hell, yesterday had had some pretty fine moments. Like shifting again in front of Sara.
And sticking a rat up a superior officer’s leg with impunity. What a kick!
Now he would spend more time with Sara in a place that lent itself to having fun.
Maybe even get her sexuality stoked again.
He showered then dressed in yet another camo uniform. He was getting damned tired of looking like everyone else.
Welcome to the military.
On the other hand, Sara didn’t seem to mind what he wore.
Although if he wasn’t mistaken, she much preferred when he didn’t wear anything.
Well, someday he’d go back to fixing cars for civilians and wear what he wanted. But how could he give up the Alpha Force shifting elixir with all its benefits?
Could he do it if it meant more time with Sara?
Yeah, like she’d pay any attention to him if he left the military.
Now it was still early. He met no one else on his quick walk to the cafeteria. There, he grabbed a steak and egg sandwich and coffee to go—after sharing a quick, meaningless, but enjoyable session of sexual innuendo with the female cashier.
He had something to do before going to meet Sara.
He headed first to the base’s main garage. There, he checked the computer to make sure he wasn’t falling behind on work on the rest of the base’s vehicles. He had some oil changes to accomplish within the next couple of days, but the car washes and other trivial matters could wait.
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