Owen stood motionless beside Selena, watching as Patrick listened with his stethoscope to Sal’s chest, looked down his throat with a light—causing Sal to gag again—and conducted some more tests.
In a few minutes, Patrick asked Sal, “How are you feeling now?”
“Don’t know,” he said in a lethargic voice.
“I hope you’re well enough to take a ride,” Patrick said. “We can get you better help in a little while.”
“’Kay,” Sal managed to reply, then shut his eyes again.
“Can you help me get him to my car?” Patrick asked Owen.
Owen nodded and approached them immediately.
“What can I do to help?” Selena asked.
“Go in front of us and open doors,” Patrick said. “And while we’re getting him into the car, tell Jonas what we’re up to and that I’d like him to come along.”
“Of course,” Selena said.
Sal was like a deadweight, Owen thought as, together with Patrick, they nearly dragged him back through the house and out the front door.
As they got him into the car, Jonas joined them, as did Selena. She had a couple of vials in her hand. “Jonas said this was the one Sal drank from,” she said, raising one of them. “If the clinic you go to has any way of analyzing contents, I think you should check it out. There’s a slightly different color to what’s left in the bottom of this one, and a different scent, too, that I can’t identify. Maybe you can have someone compare its contents to the little bit left in this one.” She lifted the other vial she held.
“You think—” Patrick began, then glanced into the car toward Sal. He took the vials from her. “I’ll have these checked. Thanks, Selena.”
Then Jonas and he got into the car, too, and drove off down the driveway.
* * *
Selena watched the car head down the hill. Then she closed her eyes for a moment, her arms limp at her sides.
Had someone tainted the elixir? If so, was it only one bottle?
Only? One was too many, especially if it harmed a shifter.
And it had apparently harmed Sal.
Or maybe not. Maybe there was nothing wrong with the tonic he had taken. Maybe he simply had some kind of allergy to the elixir taken in normal dosage.
She didn’t know. None of them did...yet.
Hopefully Patrick would be able to find out.
“Are you okay?” Owen, beside her, took her arm gently at the elbow. She was suddenly very aware of his presence, his strength, his touch.
She wanted to lean on him, take some kind of support from him.
And yet...if the elixir was tainted, who had done it? Most likely not a shifter.
There weren’t many nonshifters here. Two—their aides—were members of Alpha Force.
And then there was Owen.
No. She couldn’t—didn’t—suspect him of anything. He, more than anyone, was the person who truly wanted a good result here.
She mentally shook herself as she looked at him. “I’m fine,” she finally replied to his question, knowing it wasn’t true but saying it with enough conviction that she might even convince herself. Or not.
“You don’t sound like you are.” He paused. “Do you want to stay outside for a while and try to see what’s going on?”
“Yes.” This time she was actually serious. She wasn’t sure if they’d have an opportunity to check out the two shifted wolves or the falcon. But at least that gave Selena a purpose for the moment.
“Do you know where they are?” Owen regarded her with a half smile, as if he was challenging her to use her wolfen senses. Maybe she was just reading that into it, but just in case she smiled back.
She closed her eyes for an instant, listening, inhaling, attempting to discern anything with her enhanced senses that would pinpoint the location of either Tim or Craig.
There! She heard a distant bark of excitement, somewhere within the surrounding woods but up higher in the hills and off to her left. “That way,” she said. “Want to go look for them?”
“Definitely.”
Fortunately, it was early enough in the afternoon that daylight wouldn’t start waning for another hour or longer. Selena led Owen toward a narrow path that rose along the mountainside. The aroma from the surrounding fir trees, and the needles on the ground, sweetened the air around them.
Aroma. Selena hadn’t thought about it before, but now she recalled all too clearly the smells she had sensed the other evening. Smells that suggested the possibility of other people up here around the enclave.
But even if someone had come up here, surely they couldn’t be the source of any tainting of the elixir. No one in this area knew the nature of the group staying or meeting here. Even if they did, they’d have no idea about the elixir or where it was or how to modify it.
Surely the two outside women, Sal’s sister and Craig’s girlfriend, didn’t know enough to do this, either—and they, of all people, wouldn’t want to harm the shifters even if they’d been told too much.
The idea bothered Selena a lot, though. She would mull it over in her own mind, perhaps revealing her concern to Patrick depending on what, if anything, was found about the possibly tainted vial of the elixir he had taken with him.
Their trek, though largely uphill, wasn’t a problem for Selena. As far as she could tell, Owen’s endurance was fine, too. No wonder. He seemed in really good condition. Plus, she knew how muscular he was...all over.
The recollection made her tingle below the waist, despite where she was and what she was doing here. It also made her wonder if she could manage somehow to experience that pleasure yet again. If so, it would have to be soon, since, whatever happened, this combined group would break up within the next few days and possibly never get together again.
She hoped that Sal was okay, no matter what had caused his bad reaction to the elixir.
And that the CAs were completely successful in their assignment.
“You still okay, Selena?” Owen’s voice was strong despite the slight shortness of breath it evinced.
“I’m fine. And you?”
“Doing well. So where are those wolves?”
“They should be—” She didn’t finish. Her sense of smell informed her even before her sight and hearing that the two shifted wolves were nearby, in front of them on the path.
In just a few moments they were confronted by two wolf shapes bounding down the path toward them.
She sensed Owen stiffening beside her and was glad that, for this assignment, he didn’t seem to be carrying a firearm, although she figured that might be standard procedure for RCMP members. Then again, the Canadian police were far different from the US police forces. Surely, though, they needed ways of protecting themselves.
Both wolves stopped right in front of them. They were the same canines who had left the local compound—Tim, who appeared part Akita, and Craig, with what looked like a hint of malamute in him.
“Hi, guys,” Selena said softly. “Just so you know, Patrick and Jonas have taken Sal to some urgent-care facility in Roadwich—your hometown, I understand, Tim.”
The wolf bent his head in an apparent nod.
“Patrick examined him first and seemed to think he should be okay, but thought that he needed better facilities under the circumstances to be sure.”
A whine issued from one of them—Craig, Selena ascertained. “Anyway, you two go ahead with your maneuvers. I know you’re supposed to be surveilling an area as if it was your upcoming target, where you’ll be heading soon if all goes well tonight. We’ll have to see if Sal is well enough to go with you, but we all hope so.”
“That’s for certain,” Owen added. “Anything you two need?” His tone sounded somewhat tentative, as if he wasn’t quite certain how to handle a conversation with shapeshifters.
Selena smiled. “I gather they’re fine,” she told Owen, “but it’s good that you asked. Right, guys?”
This time both wolfen heads bowed in nods.
&n
bsp; A sound like “cack” sounded overhead, and Selena looked up. A falcon was circling them.
She waved. “Looks like the three of you CAs have things under control. I think we can head back to the compound and wait for you, but have fun with the rest of your maneuvers.”
Both wolves turned and loped back in the direction from which they’d come.
Selena turned toward Owen. “Are you ready to go back?”
“I am,” he said, but instead of turning back he gently grabbed both of her arms. His blue eyes seemed to bore into hers. “I can’t tell you how amazed I am this time, Selena. With each new good experience with shifters... Well, it’s nothing I ever thought could be real.”
“Fortunately, that’s true of most humans,” she said. “Otherwise my species might be in danger of extinction.”
“Not if I could help it,” he said. And then his mouth came down on hers.
The kiss was brief but, oh, so intense. Selena threw herself into it, tasting him, thrusting her tongue into his open mouth and taunting his with it.
His body was once again hard against hers. Very hard, in the most vital of locations, which made her gasp and give herself even more to the kiss...and into his arms.
She didn’t want to pull away, and yet this wasn’t an ideal place for kissing...or anything else.
She pulled away after planting one final kiss on his hot mouth.
“I don’t suppose you’d want me to come back to your hotel again tonight...to discuss shifter logistics that might work for the CAs’ assignment, would you?” Her voice was soft and uneven. Who did she think she was kidding? Hold a discussion? No way.
And yet the distraction after what had happened with Sal might be exactly what she needed.
So would hot, powerful sex with Owen one final time.
“Sure,” he said in a deep, raspy tone. “I think that’s one hell of a fine idea.”
Chapter 16
As it turned out, though, Selena did not go back to Owen’s hotel, nor did he. Instead she tackled the development of ideas to assist the CAs, and that required her immediate focus. She wanted to be too busy to think hard about what had been and what could be.
It was better that way.
She now sat on the living room sofa in the meeting house, with Lupe lying on the floor beside her. Owen faced her on one of the upholstered chairs. No one had talked much, but her mind was preoccupied with worry about Sal and his recovery, plus the shifted CAs. At least it kept her mind from drifting to other things.
Outside in the hills, the plan was that Marshall— who was substituting now for Jonas—and Rainey were to remain at a clearing in the woods. If the CAs had any difficulties, they would go there for help. Once their practice mission ended, likely several hours from now, they would go to that area for any assistance they needed changing back again.
“How much do you actually know about the location the shifted CAs are supposed to observe when they’re sent on their actual recon mission?” Selena asked Owen, attempting to treat him like just another coworker instead of a gorgeous, sexy man she’d made fantastic love with...and wanted to again.
“Not a lot.” His black brows dipped pensively over his distantly focused blue eyes. “We’ve gone over the known topography of the area as much as possible with some of the nearest local Mounties, without revealing why we needed the information.”
“And?”
“I described as much as I knew to my CAs before they shifted earlier so they could work on the situation to the greatest extent possible today.”
“That’s what I figured,” Selena acknowledged.
With their minds entirely human, despite the shifted configurations of their bodies, the CAs were to head to a target area. Once there, they were to circle that location, to act as if it was occupied by the enemy, without knowing the terrain or how that occupation was accomplished—whether in aboveground facilities or underground or a combination of both.
Since the true nature of their kidnappers’ compound was unknown, they needed to act as if any situation was possible so they could report back and discuss how they would act in any scenario.
“The thing is, though,” Selena said, scrolling through her smartphone, “I want to do some research now, as best I can. Then, when they report on how things went for them today, maybe what I find can help them when they’re actually out there performing their mission.”
“I just told you I’ve already conducted research, even talked to people who know the area.” Owen scowled at her, probably thinking she had insulted him for not doing his job adequately.
That definitely had not been her intention.
“Of course,” she said, “and I’ve no doubt you did a good job with it. But the one thing you couldn’t have factored in, at least not completely, is how someone who is in falcon or wolf form would view the area.”
“That’s what Andrea, Craig and Tim are supposed to describe when they return. And, of course, Sal was going to as well.” He had sat back on the chair, trying to pretend as if he was relaxed, but Selena read something different in his eyes.
Maybe that was a good thing. It certainly kept them apart, both mentally and physically.
“Yes, and I’m sure the three working there today will do a good job rehearsing it,” she said. “But remember this is their first outing after using the elixir and on their own. I’m not with them, of course, but having done similar kinds of operations after the same kind of shift, I might have a different perspective that could help them when they’re out there for real later.”
This time, Owen did seem to genuinely relax, at least a bit. “Care to explain?”
“Not yet. But I will.”
Selena knew the area in question was near the border of British Columbia and the Yukon. Satellite sensors and drones had picked up more activity than usual around there lately—particularly after attempts to locate the kidnapped executives and others had begun. Owen had also reported that there had been trouble with the electronics in the area.
Was it certain they’d been taken there? Not at all. But the location had to be ruled out...or a determination made that it should be the focus of the next rescue maneuvers.
That was what Selena had started looking for, via the internet on her smartphone. She might be duplicating the efforts of Owen or others in the RCMP, but it wouldn’t hurt. Even using her fingers to enlarge the aerial views she found, though, didn’t provide her with enough information to feel she was doing the best job possible.
She was determined to pursue it. Learning about the target area wasn’t her job. Instructing the CAs about their shifts was. But now she had time to fill, and she also realized she might bring a different perspective to the research than the others, as both a teacher and a shifter.
“My laptop is in the other house,” she told Owen. “I want to use it for a while to look further into that area. Not that you haven’t done a good job, but I think the more information retrieved in various ways, the better for the mission. Okay?”
She intended to do it with or without his approval, but for the sake of maintaining some amity between them she at least asked. If he said no, she’d find another way, perhaps without letting him know.
“Good idea,” he said.
“Fine.” She rose, and so did Lupe. “We can talk again later. Let me know when the CAs return, and most particularly if Patrick and Jonas return with Sal, okay?”
“Of course.”
Snapping Lupe’s leash on, Selena headed for the door. Owen didn’t follow. She felt somewhat bereft even while telling herself that her leaving now, while they were otherwise alone together, was the best thing for both of them.
Plus, she actually did want to conduct the research she’d described. She exited the meeting house, walked Lupe for a few minutes, then headed toward the residence where she was staying.
She unlocked the door and went inside. For the past few days, the house had been occupied by a number of her Alpha Force teammates. At the mome
nt, being in this building by herself felt unnatural, but she shrugged it off.
Her concern over what had happened to Sal probably overrode her common sense. Everything here was fine, she told herself.
She headed down the hall to her room, Lupe at her heels. She got her laptop out of her suitcase and set it down on her bed, where she sat and booted it up. Fortunately, possibly in anticipation of staying in touch with the outside world as the CAs operations were going on, they had Wi-Fi available, so Selena could start her online search.
From what she gathered, looking at the border areas between British Columbia and the Yukon, a lot of the territory consisted of stark mountain ranges, with sharp peaks that were often covered by snow and ice. But some locations appeared more temperate, and she assumed they were the ones considered most likely for the kidnappers to be using.
Did Owen have a better idea which areas were key? Most likely, considering the kind of research he had been doing.
Selena hadn’t looked up the areas before, at least not past double-checking whether there were wolves and falcons in that area of British Columbia. Fortunately, there were, so the CAs should be able to act undercover, no matter what.
Still, for them to actually be of assistance if the kidnappers had taken their victim to the suspected area, Selena hoped that the vast expanse had been somewhat narrowed down and further researched. She needed that information from Owen.
Or maybe she didn’t. Maybe she had just decided to do this research to get away from him, at least temporarily.
For when she was with him, what she wanted was to really be with him. Flesh against flesh.
Lupe suddenly stood and gave a deep woof.
“What is it, girl?” Selena stood, too, leaving her computer on the bed.
When she turned, Owen was there. “Sorry if I startled you,” he said, “but I thought we should work together on this. I can tell you what I’ve come up with for where the shifted CAs should go once they learn what to do. And maybe you can advise me what to tell them even now to enhance their skills in using their new abilities.”
Canadian Wolf (Paranormal Nocturne Romance) Page 14
