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 search-engine site that competed easily with Google and others. She’d heard something about the senior guy’s illness, but as far as she’d known, that was all that had gotten into the news—not anything about an abduction.
“Of course, this is all confidential information,” Owen continued, “and you’re not to discuss it with anyone except among yourselves. And now there’s another victim.”
Before he continued, Selena heard a noise outside. Lupe did, too, since the large, furry dog stood up and barked.
Selena couldn’t help glancing at the other three wolf shifters in the room. They appeared both alert and confused, looking from one to the other. She suspected they’d heard the outside sounds as well.
Was there some jeopardy here? No, she knew who had just driven up the driveway to the headquarters.
“Let’s pause for a moment, okay?” she asked Owen, whose hearing probably hadn’t been tweaked. “And I think you ought to get someone to brew some more coffee.”
“Why?” He looked concerned and not exactly happy.
Before Selena could explain her assumption the doorbell rang.
Lupe barked once more even as Selena hurried from the dining room and down the hall to the front door. She had just grasped the knob when she felt a hand on her shoulder and Owen pulled her away.
“What the hell are you doing?” Owen demanded. “We don’t know who’s out there. It could be dangerous.”
Selena hesitated. She could be wrong. She moved away from Owen’s grasp and again approached the door. This time she looked through the peephole viewer.
Sure enough, she saw whom she’d expected to see.
Staying out of Owen’s reach, she pulled the door open, then grinned at the men who stood there—her fellow Alpha Force members assigned to this mission. No cover dogs, though. Lupe was the only one on this mission.
“About time you gentlemen got here,” she told them with a smile, although they had appeared earlier than expected.
“Easy for you to say,” retorted Patrick Worley. “Wait until we tell you all we went through to arrive early.”
“Hold that thought,” Selena said, “and come inside. We’re in the middle of a report on why we’re here—and something that just occurred.” She was a little annoyed that the last time she’d spoken with Patrick, he’d indicated there was no way they could arrive this early.
Was this an attempt to make a good impression on the CAs, by demonstrating that the importance of this mission to Alpha Force made them pull out all the stops to get here fast?
Maybe. But Selena doubted it would have that effect on Owen.
It certainly didn’t on her.
Nevertheless, she was glad to see them.
“Sergeant Major Owen Dewirter of the RCMP,” Selena said, assuming all the formality expected of a US soldier on duty, “I’d like you to meet Alpha Force members Captain Patrick Worley, Lieutenant Marshall Vincenzo and Captain Jonas Truro.”
As the group shook hands, Selena smiled, feeling all kinds of relief circulating inside her.
Formality be damned. These were people with a job to do—herself included.
A job for which they all needed a briefing.
“Hey, everyone,” she said. “C’mon back inside so we can talk.”
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