just hoped she could.
In the meantime, she lay in bed conscious of the quiet here in the Canadian countryside, except for occasional hoots from local owls.
She mulled over all that had happened over the past couple of days, including Owen’s tale of his family and shapeshifters.
She was concerned about what would happen tomorrow, and if Alpha Force—no, if she—would be able to do all that was expected to help the CAs start their team and deal with the kidnappings that Owen had mentioned.
Not to mention her concern about her absurd attraction to Owen Dewirter that she needed to find a way to turn off. Permanently.
* * *
Owen saw Selena almost as soon as he reached the CAs compound early the next morning.
She was outside again, with her dog, in the crisp early air. He knew that had to be a frequent ritual. Dogs had needs that had to be fulfilled often, especially last thing at night and first thing in the morning, no matter what the weather, no matter what the temperature.
No matter what the dog’s responsibilities, such as acting as a cover for her owner.
Under the brightening morning sky, it was easier for Owen to remain less concerned about Selena’s safety in daylight. Besides, he wasn’t alone. All four of the CAs who needed to be trained and sent into the field were exiting the vehicles behind him.
They weren’t trained at all, let alone as his special team—yet—but he figured they’d do something if he needed help.
He waved to Selena as he hurried up the front steps of the house. It was dumb, but he felt glad to see her wave back.
“Hey, sir, er, Owen,” Andrea called from behind him. “What are we going to do today?” She, like the rest of them, had dressed in casual clothes—jeans and a sweatshirt.
Before coming here, the CAs had been given a brief amount of preliminary training as Canadian police officers and instructed in some of the formalities. Owen had nevertheless told them that, although he was in charge, informality was fine here.
When he had visited them at their hotel last night, he had briefly described to them part of what they’d be up to today, but it wouldn’t hurt to repeat it, drum it into their heads, so they would be ready once the rest of the Alpha Force team arrived to teach them their methods of shapeshifting.
“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.
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
