Loyal Wolf (16 page)

“What do you mean?”

She pointed toward the backpack that now lay on the floor near the cabin's couple of chairs, near where Ralf had left it before. “I'd brought that along on my venture, just in case you'd need to shift to get out of there. I wasn't sure how, but I figured it didn't hurt to be prepared. I saw you shift before, and even if I have to stay in here while Ralf walks the canine who looks like Click, I can assist Ralf in doing his part to help you change—pour your elixir, maybe, or get the light ready, or—”

“You've really bought into the reality that I'm a shifter.” Jock's grin was huge now.

“I don't actually need assistance,” Ralf added, “but I'd be glad to show you what I'm up to, step by step, so you'll be ready if you ever have to do it on your own someday.”

“Great! How soon should we get started?”

“How about now?” Jock answered, and his flashing hazel eyes caught hers.

He knew what she was thinking...and he started to remove his clothes.

* * *

He made it look good.

Jock didn't bother to glance toward his aide. Ralf would know exactly what he was doing.

Teasing, tempting the hot woman who was staring at him. Not that they could do anything about sexual urges now, and he knew better than to give in to them later.

But he might as well have fun for the few minutes it took for him to shift.

True to her word, Kathlene stood beside Ralf. She held the vial that had stored the elixir, which Jock had already drunk. She knelt beside Ralf as he aimed the light toward Jock.

And watched closely, very closely, with eyes that shouted appreciation and more, as Jock finally removed the rest of his clothes.

He didn't have much time, though, to continue the silent seduction of the woman who watched him strip. The pulling began inside him, outside him along his skin, and the discomfort turned into more.

He was changing. Fast.

* * *

Kathlene watched...everything. As much as she appreciated seeing Jock's hard, bared body—and how his erection grew and pulsed as if aware of how intensely she watched it and the rest of him—she also found herself amazed and intrigued as that wonderful male body changed and contorted, shrinking in many places, growing in others, sprouting the same kind of fur that covered Click.

Click. The dog had been banished to the other room for this process. Had he seen it before? Interacted with the man who looked, when all was through, so much like the dog?

No matter. The process seemed to take forever, yet no time at all.

And in just a few minutes, it was complete.

After another short time frame, Ralf glanced at Kathlene. “It's time for our walk. Click will stay here with you. Everything okay?”

Kathlene admired how the man who had undoubtedly watched this process countless times could act so nonchalant. She looked into Ralf's dark, inquisitive eyes and said, “I'm fine. I'll be here. Go ahead.”

Ralf slipped a collar around Jock's neck and attached a leash. “Okay, my friend,” he said. “Let's go.”

Chapter 16

T
he area around the cabins was busier this night than Jock had seen before. He did not know the identity of any of those who darted between cars and into other buildings
.

That did not matter
.

As Ralf and he walked around the area, Jock continued to use his enhanced wolfen senses, his sense of smell, his hearing, to determine if anyone here had also been at the old ranch this day.

He detected no one from there
.

He continued to stay at Ralf's side, sniffing the ground, occasionally lifting his leg, doing as he would if he truly were Click or another domesticated canine
.

Ralf, above him, whispered now and then, asking if there was anywhere Jock wanted to go, to examine more closely
.

Each time, Jock shook himself as a dog would do, signifying that the answer was no
.

They remained this way for quite a while, although Jock, in this form, was not certain how much time had passed even with his enhanced human abilities thanks to the elixir
.

Eventually, Ralf said, “We've been around the whole place twice. Is there anything else we need to do?”

Once more, Jock shook himself. Then he pulled forward a bit on the leash that he forced himself not to resent
.

He much preferred freedom while in shifted form. Freedom to roam. To be as wolfen as he desired
.

But in this situation, he had to conform
.

In a few more minutes, they had returned to the cabin. The cabin that still contained Kathlene...for now
.

Since he had sensed no others around who could harm them, it was time for her to go home
.

She would be glad
.

And so would he
.

* * *

They were back, on the wooden platform outside the door.

The real Click's skittering around on the bathroom floor where he'd been temporarily confined confirmed that, and so did his soft woofs.

It had taken all the self-control Kathlene possessed not to follow the man and apparent dog, not even to pull back the curtains and peek out to watch what she could, knowing they might not be in her line of sight at all.

They walked into the cabin, Ralf still holding the leash attached to the collar around Jock's neck.

“Did you see anyone?” she asked Ralf as he bent to remove the collar from around the gorgeous, wild-looking wolf.

“No, and Jock didn't sense anyone, either.”

“Is that what he told you?” She couldn't help the smart-alecky question. Or was it? Despite earlier conversations in his presence, for all she knew this werewolf did actually know how to talk to his aide in English.

“He communicated it, yes.” The smile on Ralf's dark-toned face appeared smug, as if he was proud of his ability to understand his shifted charge.

That charge, sitting on the floor beside Ralf, cocked his head and gave a muted bark—one that Kathlene interpreted to mean that he might choose to honor her with direct communication, too, if she earned it.

Okay, this was weird. Definitely. And yet knowing someone who shifted—and not only knowing him, but being part of his team, at least for now—was a whole lot more fun, a whole lot more intriguing, than she could ever have imagined while reading books or seeing movies or TV shows that featured shapeshifters. Fictional shapeshifters, at least in those media.

But never, ever, had she considered the fact any part of that could be real.

Till now.

“Are you going to shift back now? I mean—” She'd started aiming the question at Jock as if he would be responding directly, but she gave a short laugh and looked back at Ralf. “Will he be shifting back now?”

But Jock did in fact provide the first response. His pointed ears moved farther forward and his head nodded. He gave a short “woof” in emphasis.

“That means yes,” Ralf said unnecessarily. “When Alpha Force shifters take that elixir so they don't have to rely on a full moon, they'll shift back on their own in a few hours. But like I've said, we can help them by aiming that same light on them, which quickens the process. I don't know how it works. I only know it does.” He had been looking at Kathlene but now turned and looked down at Jock. “You ready to change back?”

Again his ears moved, along with a nod and muted bark.

“Good.” Ralf looked around. He apparently spied his backpack in a corner along the wall, where Kathlene had seen him put it after returning the elixir container and light once Jock had shifted. Ralf approached it and pulled out the light.

“Let's go,” Ralf said.

Kathlene braced herself. The amazing immediate transformation she had seen before was about to happen again.

And this time, when it was complete, Jock the man would be there.

Once again in the nude.

And also this time, neither of them, Ralf nor Jock, had told her to leave or even to look away.

She watched, feeling sorry for the tawny-silver wolf as he began writhing and moving and changing in the light, his fur receding, his body elongating...and then, very soon, it was Jock lying there on the floor, unclothed and buff and enticingly gorgeous.

You're a professional,
she reminded herself—even if it was law enforcement and nothing related to what she was watching. She pasted a vaguely interested expression on her face and stood near the wall, behind Jock's head so he wouldn't see her.

Not that he'd be surprised she was still there.

“You okay, bro?” Ralf soon asked his charge.

“Yeah,” Jock said somewhat breathily. Kathlene had anticipated his panting like that. That shift looked terribly uncomfortable, probably painful. “Yeah,” he repeated and sat up—shielding the most intriguing parts of his body from Kathlene, but not before she had gotten a really good glimpse of them again. Now her best view was of his back, including his butt resting on the floor. His firm, amazingly great-looking butt...

Jock looked around as if he wanted to confirm her presence.

“Hi,” she said when his eyes landed on her. He'd swiveled a bit on the floor—and Ralf had grabbed Jock's clothes and dumped them on his lap, hiding a lot from view.

“Hi,” he said. His expression was taunting, and it became even more challenging as he stood without putting on a stitch of his clothing first. Then, without rushing, he donned the outfit Ralf had tossed to him.

If he was trying to turn her on, he was succeeding, but Kathlene was not about to give him any indication of it. Keeping her tone cool and professional, she said, “Since you didn't see or hear anyone who shouldn't be here, there's no reason I can't head back to my place now.”

“That's fine,” Jock said. His acknowledgment should make her feel good, feel free—and yet she experienced a pang of sorrow. He obviously didn't care that they'd be parting for the night now that he'd done his duty and ensured her safe departure.

“Tomorrow is Friday, my day off,” she continued, “so I won't be at the department. We should be able to get together early and also plan what happens next. My idea? We'll meet someplace private first, maybe my home. I want to hear everything you both saw and heard at that place.”

“Yeah, you'll find it interesting,” Ralf said. “I think we just reached the tip of the iceberg, but anarchists? I'd say so. They definitely appear to be looking at things their own way.”

“And did you achieve what you wanted to—cozying up to them, showing them that you have attitudes in common?”

“We did,” Jock acknowledged. He was fully dressed now but no longer wearing the jacket that had made him appear like a hunter. He'd donned only the white T-shirt and jeans. “And I think you were right, by the way, about the ones in that darkened car. We can tell you all about what we learned tomorrow, after we've all gotten some sleep. Your place is fine.”

“After that,” Kathlene said, “we should go out in public again since you're still supposedly my buddy, Jock, maybe for breakfast. But after we do whatever planning we decide on, let's have a very public argument so you can stomp back to the ranch and vent about your former friend and her nasty, official-government-loving approach to the world.”

Jock laughed. “Good idea. In fact, that was also what I was going to suggest.”

As they'd spoken, Ralf had gone to the bathroom door and let Click loose at last. Kathlene supposed that worked well now since there were no further canines around to confuse anyone who might be watching them.

Although, after the patrol by the man and wolf a while ago, it appeared unlikely that they were under observation by the anarchists—and therefore probably by no one.

Click jumped around, leaping first on Ralf and then on Jock, his two humans...at the moment. Then he came over to sniff Kathlene again, and she patted his head.

“Great,” she told Jock. “I'll be up early, so let's talk first thing. Plan on being at my place at...let's say seven o'clock?”

“Okay,” Jock said. As Kathlene headed for the door, he added, “Oh, and by the way. Don't be surprised if you see a vehicle following you on your way home.”

“You don't need to do that.” Kathlene let exasperation pour from her tone, even though she realized she felt a bit of relief. And more. Was she really starting to accept this man's too-protective ways? No. That couldn't happen.

“Maybe not,” Jock said calmly. “But like I said, don't be surprised.”

* * *

He didn't have to tell her he'd be right behind her, Jock thought as he followed Kathlene in his car while she headed back to her place. But she was a cautious person. She might be...displeased if she just happened to see someone following her, even in a car she recognized.

But one way or another, he did have to follow her.

He hardly trusted anyone.

Fellow Alpha Forcers, yes. And Kathlene? Yes, partly because she had brought Alpha Force in to investigate a situation that could be highly dangerous to a lot of people if it was as she, and now he, believed.

Those guys at the ranch? The
sportsmen?
He trusted none of them. At all. And the fact that he had checked around in shifted form and found no indication that any of them was near his cabin was a good thing, but it didn't mean Kathlene was safe.

Now that Ralf and he were potential members of their group, they might even think it'd guarantee the newcomers' joining up if the gang did something to neutralize Jock's
friend,
who was now giving him a hard time.

But the ride was seamless. As alert as Jock was, he saw no indication that anyone else on the road had any interest in Kathlene—or him, for that matter.

This late, there was little traffic so it didn't take them much time to reach her home.

And of course Jock wasn't about to let Kathlene enter that house without an escort...just in case.

He parked on the street after watching her pull down her driveway and into her garage. She waved at him, as if she figured he would be on his way.

Eventually, he would. But first he had to make sure she got into her house okay.

He didn't see her go in. She shut her garage door, and presumably that was the way she entered.

Was she okay? He went to the front door and waited for a minute or so, listening with his enhanced hearing. Scenting the air to ensure that there were no odors of intruders wafting through her home.

Even so, he had to make certain. He canvassed her neighborhood as he stood there. No cars creeping down the street, with or without their headlights on. No neighbors apparently peering out their windows at him, and that could be either a good thing or bad. No one was watching out for Kathlene or anyone else.

And no people out in the yards or street, even, at this hour, walking their dogs.

Safe? Maybe. Probably. But even so... He reached up to ring the doorbell.

And was startled as the outside light came on and the door opened.

Kathlene stood there, one hand holding the door and the other on her slender, sexy hip.

“What are you waiting for?” she asked. “Everything's fine in here, but come on in and see for yourself.”

* * *

She'd have known he was following her even if he hadn't warned her.

She always watched her surroundings, but she was especially on alert tonight after her little jaunt once that car with no lights had headed down the road.

He should have known that.

But she also realized that this guy's protectiveness never quit.

She told him now that she would wait in the kitchen while he looked through her place and assured himself all was well. As he left her there, she opened her refrigerator door and brought out a couple of bottles of beer. He didn't have to come here, and she might as well reward him.

What she wanted to reward him—and herself—with wasn't beer, of course. But inviting him to make love to her—again—was beyond the realm of rationality. Been there, done that, and despite how enjoyable it had been, it had to be a one-time event. This was not a man—or whatever—that she dared to get any further involved with.

No matter how attracted she felt toward him.

While waiting, she opened her beer and took a swig, needing the kick to slow down her thoughts—and desires. But she knew better than to think that would work.

He was only gone for a few minutes, but she heard his footsteps here and there on her hardwood floors, including upstairs where her bedroom was.

When he returned, he just stood there at the kitchen door. Looking at her with those intense, erotically enticing hazel eyes.

“Everything okay?” she asked, forcing herself to stay cool.

“More or less.”

“Do you want to stay for a few minutes? Have a beer?”

“Yes,” he said, “and no. Here's what I want.”