the moment, Jock knew he had to make his position clear with Kathlene. Not give her all the facts. But even though she had been the one to trigger Alpha Force’s involvement by taking her concerns to the right government contacts, now she had to stay back and let him do what was necessary—and only with Ralf’s help, not hers.
He thought more about Ralf and what he should do. What he should say.
And how their commanding officer, Major Drew Connell—the man who had approved Jock’s enlistment into the military and into Alpha Force, the man who had first created the very special elixir that gave Alpha Force’s shifting members such an edge over other shapeshifters, other people—would handle this.
Discretion is the key, he reminded himself.
He let himself respond to Kathlene’s challenge at last.
“I appreciate your offer to help out,” he lied, but he did manage to keep his tone calm and level. “The thing is, you may not know it, but Alpha Force’s position is that, once we accept a mission, we work alone, without outside help.” Another lie, but it made sense, especially now.
“That may work sometimes,” Kathlene said, her tone as flat as his, “but not here. Not now. I need to stay involved because I am involved.”
“But you could get hurt!” Damn. He hadn’t meant to blast that out that way. It was what was on his mind, though.
Always. Especially in a situation like this.
“I won’t,” she countered, her voice raised as much as his. He wanted to grab her and shake some sense into her. But he couldn’t. Not with her driving.
Besides, he found Deputy Kathlene Baylor so attractive, so sexy, that touching her again for any reason would be a huge mistake. All he would want to do, despite all his common sense, would be to get her under the covers.
And then what would happen to the mission she had gotten him into?
His attraction to her was a huge part of the problem, though. He couldn’t help comparing this lovely, determined woman with Jill, his high school sweetheart.
Jill, a shapeshifter like him.
Jill, who had gone into law enforcement like Kathlene.
And who had been killed during her first year on the job, not while shifted but while in human form on a dangerous assignment.
Would Jill have survived if she’d been a man? If she had been in wolf form? Unlikely, of course, and he knew that even wondering about it allowed him no closure, especially after all this time.
But one thing Jock was sure of. He didn’t like it at all when women he felt attracted to got into perilous circumstances. If he happened to be there, he’d save them.
There was no way of his being certain he could be with them at the crucial time, though. He knew what a dinosaur he might be—yet, thanks to what had happened to Jill, he couldn’t help thinking it was a lot more foolish of women, even trained ones, to put themselves into hazardous situations than it was for men.
Because they were not physically as strong, they were more likely to get killed.
“Jock?” Her challenging tone shrieked irritation. She was waiting for his further response.
He still said nothing. He wasn’t about to explain his beliefs to her—or his rationale for them.
“Jock, tell you what. I appreciate your protective attitude.” She sounded anything but appreciative, yet she continued. “But I’ll prove to you that I can take care of myself. I’m a skilled law-enforcement officer. I’ve been trained in everything from accuracy in shooting guns of nearly all types to hand-to-hand combat. I’m challenging you, Jock. We’ll start when we get back to the cabin. If I can pin you to the floor in a hand-to-hand fight, then you’ll let me be there when you do your surveillance and more.”
* * *
Silly? Foolish? Absurd to the max? All of the above. But the challenge had been impulsive, a way to show him who she was and what she really was made of.
And now? Well, she had no choice. She could do it. She would do it.
Notwithstanding her inability to fully read Jock’s expression when he looked at her so incredulously.
There seemed to be an angry set to his brow.
A heated look in his blue eyes that suggested her words had turned him on.
Since it was now early evening, she went through a fast-food drive-in lane and they all got their meals, which they ate in the car. Fine with her. She was on a mission of sorts and didn’t want any further interruptions just now.
Next, she did as she had planned from the moment they had set out on this drive. She made a left turn at one of the traffic lights, then drove them onto the narrowing lane they had come from before.
This time, though, she went beyond where the cabin motel lay, heading down the road even farther.
There was a sparse number of homes along it, some tiny, others large, mostly in good condition, but a few were run-down cottages that had been there forever. All were set in the midst of large stands of trees, some with branches carved back to avoid blocking the road and others somewhat in the way.
Eventually, she reached the turnoff she had been looking for, a very narrow, nondescript driveway. No one could tell from this better-traveled drag what lay beyond.
She knew. She had visited it, several times. And had seen the huge chain-link fence that had been built in the middle of nowhere.
Farther down the drive, the guard at the gate had not let her through, claiming that it was private property and everything was fine there. No need for law enforcement’s interference...er, help.
“That’s the way to the enclave in question.” She slowed and pointed in that direction.
“All the way out here?” Ralf leaned forward so his head was between the front seats. “Guess that could make someone suspicious in itself.”
Was he questioning her thought processes? Kathlene would have expected that more from Jock—although she really didn’t know Ralf any better than she knew her supposed friend from the past.
“But it looks innocent enough,” Jock observed.
Okay. No surprise. He was questioning her, too.
“From here, yes,” she acknowledged. “Farther along...well, I’m sure you’ll see for yourselves soon.” With me along, she thought, but didn’t voice it just then.
Now, though, it was time to go back.
She found the turnoff she was looking for a mile down the road, then maneuvered her SUV to return in the direction from which they’d come.
Once again, they drove along the narrow road with conifers looming overhead—lodgepole pines, junipers, cedars, firs. Every once in a while the blue sky showed through, but the roadway was mostly shaded.
Kathlene knew it would be unpleasant to
