Guardian Wolf

by Linda O. Johnston

  If the combined determination of the chief medical officer at the hospital and the security force at the air-force base was that they were masters of the situation, fine.

  No matter that they hadn’t actually achieved anything.

  The operation had been a success primarily because there was no situation that needed to be countered. No one had attempted to steal the fluid samples.

  Could it have been because of the extra security that had been so obvious? Maybe the thieves, knowing of the extra precautions and concern, had decided to back off…for now.

  Or maybe it had been because of the nature of the Rocky Mountain spotted fever samples, and the fact that the tick-transmitted disease was less likely to become a terrorist weapon.

  After hurrying down a flight of steps and along another couple of hallways, Grace reached the Infectious Diseases Center. She entered the small office that was hers as long as she was there.

  That was the crux of it. The two senior officers, while patting themselves on the back, also determined that their quasi-combat situation was resolved. They had handled it just fine this time, and could handle it in the future.

  They no longer needed the secretive special-ops unit Alpha Force to watch their backs. Or so they said.

  They had no idea of how their backs had been watched last night, by a hawk overhead and a keen-sensed wolf on the ground, ready to follow terrorists or anyone else who might have attempted to steal the targeted materials.

  Were the thefts over? Grace doubted it. Could the security forces here deal with any attempts, as the colonel and major had professed?

  Maybe. But if they failed, and something else as potentially lethal as the highly dangerous strain of shigellosis samples were taken, it would be a matter of national security way beyond what they could deal with here.

  Colonel Otis had said he had notified Drew Connell about the moving of the hazardous substances last night, as he had before. Now the major needed to know about this latest confrontation as quickly as possible.

  Soon, sitting behind her small desk, Grace punched the button on her cell phone to call Drew. The special, secure satellite phone was in her apartment, so she would have to be discreet in what she said.

  She got Drew’s voice mail. Not surprising. The guy had just become a father. Yes, he’d be interested in hearing this—but it clearly wasn’t the top priority on his agenda for now. She left a message telling him that things could be in flux here and that she needed to talk to him ASAP.

  She checked her watch. She was now officially on duty at the hospital, so she stuffed her phone into her pocket, locked her purse in her desk, and prepared to head for the rooms of the Infectious Diseases Center to start assisting with patients.

  As she opened her door, she nearly walked right into Simon. She gasped as he grabbed her arms to steady her. “You startled me,” she stammered. “What are you doing here?”

  “We need to talk, Grace. I spent all night considering my options about how to start this conversation, and decided that just doing it spontaneously would be best. But not here.” The scowl on the face she had come to know so well sent a current of unease sparking up her spine along with the usual tingling of sexual interest. What was this about?

  Was he finally about to admit who, and what, he was? If so, why now?

  Or was that just wishful thinking on her part?

  “All right.” She kept her tone even despite the continuing pulsation of emotions within her. “I’m not sure how much time I’ll have. I’m on duty. Are you?”

  “Yes, but this can’t wait.” The dark gold of his eyes seemed to radiate a warning. Of what? She must be imagining it. “I stopped at the main desk in the department on my way here. There are no current infectious-disease emergencies, fortunately, and Moe Scoles is in his office. He’ll contact us if that changes. For now, we can check in on patients a little late.” He paused and moved back, finally releasing her. She regretted the sudden loss of contact, knew that her reaction was absurd—especially considering his apparently distressed mood. “Let’s go take a walk.”

  “As long as it’s not outside.” Though it was still morning, the soaring desert heat promised to bake anyone unsheltered within its intensity.

  “We’ll stay in the lobby.”

  Where there were always lots of folks who’d all be thinking about why they were at the hospital that day—to see patients, to work, to talk to a doctor, whatever. None would pay attention to two people off in a corner.

  Grace assumed Simon wanted to avoid the possibility of someone eavesdropping on their conversation. Fine with her. Her intention wasn’t to let the rest of the ordinary world know that there were truly such things as shapeshifters.

  She only wanted Simon to, at last, admit to her he was one.

  Once he did, she would have to come up with a tactful way to ask how he could change outside a full moon. Then, somehow, get him to share whatever breakthrough was allowing him to do it.

  Maybe then she would dare to admit she was one, too, without hinting of the true nature of Alpha Force. Confessing to her abilities might make the entire unit seem suspect, but maybe she could come up with a feasible story about how she blended in without anyone knowing who she really was.

  As they walked along the corridor toward the stairs of the second floor entry, Grace was highly aware of Simon’s tall presence beside her. He began to stride faster, so she accommodated him. Why was he in such a hurry?

  “Here,” he said when they reached the visitors area on that floor, where Tilly had entertained children the couple of times Grace brought her. “This should be quiet enough.”

  The small lounge was unoccupied. Grace glanced up and saw the security cameras, but Simon must have seen them, too. He moved a couple of the upholstered chairs around so their backs would be all that could get photographed. In case the equipment also recorded sound, Grace knew that Simon and she would need to speak softly.

  As they sat, Simon said, “I should have brought us some coffee, or even water. We could go to the cafeteria, but staying there probably wouldn’t be a good idea.”

  Grace translated. She might talk to Simon about things that they wouldn’t want public. Late morning in the cafeteria, before a lunch crowd arrived, would be a bad time for that. People could be there individually on their breaks. Whatever. They could listen in more easily to things that didn’t concern them—but were of critical importance to Grace and to Simon.

  “I’m fine,” Grace assured him. She sat on one of the chairs as he did the same, then waited. This was his show.

  He leaned down toward her so their heads almost touched. Why did something like that seem so sensual to her? Maybe his very presence was enough to start her hormones simmering. But she needed to get them under control. Even if she decided to sleep with him again—which she wouldn’t—this wasn’t the place to even consider it.

  His deep voice was soft and husky. “I saw you last night, Grace.”

  She drew in her breath so fast that she nearly coughed. That wasn’t what she had anticipated.

  It couldn’t mean what she initially assumed…could it?

  “That’s interesting,” she replied noncommittally. “Not surprising since I work here, too, though. Why didn’t you say hi?” She purposely acted dense and cool, tamping down the initial panic that had raced through her.

  “I saw you change, Grace.”

  Her heart slammed as if it had suddenly regenerated into a jackhammer.

  A couple of nurses walked by and glanced toward them, mild curiosity in their gazes as they continued talking about the hot Phoenixarea weather. They smelled of the ubiquitous hospital disinfectant.

  Grace felt as if the world was eavesdropping, but she knew not even those nearby people could hear her conversation with Simon.

  “I—I don’t understand,” she finally responded softly. That was a lie. She knew what he was talking about. But she couldn’t admit anything without letting her mind churn around it and decid
e how to handle this catastrophic situation.

  “Yes, you do. You know exactly what I mean. I was in the parking lot, too, around the storage building. Even though I have nothing to do with security for the biohazards, I’ve been damned concerned about how they’ve been handled. The thefts. Whether the stuff has gotten into the worst hands possible. It’s bad enough being an infectious-diseases specialist when even a small epidemic occurs naturally. But the idea of having to try to save hundreds of lives. Thousands. All because samples that should have been incinerated were, instead, stolen… Well, I at least had to observe. Plus, I know I was a suspect last time, so watching was also a form of self-preservation.”

  Grace latched on to that as her own form of self-preservation. “You’re sure you weren’t there to cover your butt?” she accused, purposely not even glancing toward that firm, sexy part of his body. “You’d have been better off if someone else saw you and could vouch for your noninvolvement if this batch was taken, too.”

  Maybe she could turn the tables on him. Fast. Put him on the defensive instead of her.

  “Could be,” he said, “but it wasn’t taken. Plus, there aren’t many people I’d trust to watch my back, and the primary one—you—were obviously preoccupied.” How could he both attack her and make her feel all gooey inside at the same time? He trusted her? Then why were they having this conversation instead of the one she’d hoped for?

  “You didn’t ask,” she said, as if that would have made all the difference in the world. Maybe it would have.

  “No,” he replied. “I didn’t. I decided to handle things differently, right or wrong. It turned out to be right, in several ways.”

  The angles of his face seemed suddenly sharper as he stared at her, but—was that a hint of compassion she saw in his eyes? Why?

  “Last night I sensed a canine presence, Grace,” he continued, “and not for the first time. When it seemed clear that the extracted fluids had been successfully incinerated, I figured it was time to leave the area. I’d hung out there with the excuse, if anyone asked, of wanting to assure myself that all was handled correctly. Fortunately, no one seemed to be patrolling the farthest areas of the parking lot. No one except…well, an animal that smelled like, and appeared to be, a wolf.”

  She paid attention to what he said. It was far from an admission that he, too, was a shifter, but at least suggested advanced senses.

  “There are feral wolves in this area.” Her acknowledgment wasn’t an admission that she was one of them.

  His smile—why was it so sexy, when what he said was so threatening? It was warm and amused…and unnerving. “I know that as much as you do. I followed this one. It—she—met a human being we both know, Kristine Norwood. I know she’s a friend of yours, a nurse who’s attached to the same military unit. You both arrived here the same time. Anyway…Grace, I saw you shift.”

  What a damned inconvenient time for her cell phone to ring. She grabbed at her pocket. Should she let it go? Answer it?

  What if it was the major returning her call? She couldn’t exactly talk to him now.

  But maybe the distraction was perfect. She had no idea, yet, how to respond to Simon. Other than— “Wait just a minute, Simon, while I take this call. Oh, and by the way, I saw you shifting a few nights ago. I hinted at it, sure—but I was mostly waiting for you to admit it at last.”

  Simon laughed aloud while Grace held her phone as tightly as a lifeline, skirted a few people strolling along, and fled to the far side of the lounge area.

  She’d seen him, too? How ironic was that?

  But why had she pushed him to admit it without disclosing her actual knowledge?

  Because she knew he’d ask if she was a shapeshifter too, and she didn’t want to admit it?

  She hadn’t exactly hinted at it recently. Had something changed since they’d been together years ago? Or had she simply decided not to even bring it up unless he did? Or until she actually saw him change.

  He watched her now. There was something surreptitious in the way she guarded her phone as she spoke into it. Who was on the other end? What was she saying?

  He listened, but of course she knew of his acuity of hearing, just as he knew of hers. He could hear her speaking, but her tone was much too muted for him to make out her words.

  He watched, though. And waited. He glanced at his watch. He really would need to get back to the infectious-diseases area soon and start checking on his patients.

  But for right now, he’d exercise patience instead…and wait a little longer to find out what Grace would say to him next.

  Grace felt as if she was performing a juggling act. Not entertaining kids or others undergoing treatment at the hospital like Tilly did, but verbally, and with her mind.

  “Yes, sir,” she said to Major Drew Connell. As she had suspected, he had returned her call at this inconvenient time. “But despite everything going well last night, with nothing stolen and the samples incinerated right away, we can’t be sure nothing will happen next time.”

  And okay, not everything went well last night. But just as she hadn’t told her commanding officer that she had seen the man who had once been, and was again, her lover shapeshifting, and outside of a full moon at that, she didn’t want to mention that he had seen her as well. She needed to get a better grasp on the possible scenarios that this could generate.

  None of them, to her initially distressed mind, could be good.

  “I agree, Grace.” Drew had already responded to her platitudes and questions about his new baby daughter. Now they were on business—and what needed to happen next. “I liked your idea of taking a proactive approach. Especially since, you said, the powers that be want to oust Alpha Force soon. I’ll have General Yarrow call and fix that, at least for a while. Meantime, I want to talk to you about how best to send in a team of ‘sick’ folks to get this done, but now isn’t a good time.”

  For her either, but she didn’t want to tell him that. “Let’s schedule a conference call soon,” she said. “Sometime when I’m not at the hospital. I’m being cautious, of course.” Like keeping her voice so low that Simon shouldn’t be able to eavesdrop—she hoped. “But with all the security here, I’m not entirely comfortable about speaking freely.”

  “Got it. I’d also like General Yarrow’s participation, if he can make it work. He’ll want some input.”

  “Great. Why don’t you check with him, I’ll check with my fellow Alpha Forcers here, and we’ll coordinate a good time.”

  “Fine. Meantime, Grace… I can tell you’re being cautious, since I can barely hear you. But just be careful. There are still a lot of things that can go wrong.”

  She turned slightly to glance at Simon. He was still there, watching her. “I know, sir,” she said.

  Chapter 13

  Despite his smugness, Simon felt wary as Grace returned to the chair she had vacated in the lounge. She didn’t sit but looked down at him.

  “I’ve got to get to work,” she said, without mentioning her phone call. Not that he was surprised. But he was curious. “I don’t think this conversation is over, though. Why don’t we plan on having dinner together this evening? Not here. Let’s try to come up with someplace where we can talk—without being overheard.”

  “Fine.” He kept his tone casual, but inside he felt a rush of triumph. Why? He wasn’t sure, especially since their next conversation was likely to be tense.

  Like him, she was a medical doctor. Now he knew that wasn’t all she shared with him.

  He’d wondered about nurse Kristine Norwood. He’d checked, and she was a sergeant in the military, in the same unit as Grace, one called Alpha Force.

  Kristine knew what Grace was. Her assistance included helping when Grace shifted.

  How did that work? Did other members of their unit know?

  He’d have to ask Grace, as well as extract information from her about how she was able to shift last night, so far from a full moon. But now wasn’t the time to pursue any of that.<
br />
  He was acutely aware of her presence as they both walked the halls toward the Infectious Diseases Center. She strode so fast that he increased his own pace to high gear, too.

  When they arrived, she looked up at him. There was a chill on her lovely face that made him regret—almost—his revelation to her. “I trust you won’t mention our conversation and your…allegations to anyone. No one would believe you anyway.”

  He couldn’t help a brief, rueful smile. “I’m well aware of that, Grace.” Even though she’d told him she had seen him shift, that was as close to an admission from Grace about her abilities as he’d gotten so far. “Let’s talk sometime this afternoon about where to have dinner.”

  A respite from talking with Simon had both good and bad points, Grace thought as she returned to her office. She’d have time to digest what he’d said, to figure out how to handle things in their next discussions.

  That also meant she would think about little else for now, and probably for a long time—if she let herself.

  But she was a doctor, on staff here not only to work undercover but also to help patients. For the moment, at least, she wouldn’t focus on Simon or what he knew or their impending conversation tonight.

  She checked the computer for updates on patients assigned to her, then got to work, concentrating on their needs, using her usual caring bedside manner with each.

  Between rooms, she let herself think briefly of Simon. Couldn’t help it, since she glimpsed him often.

  He stayed away from her, but at times she wanted to smack the sexy, ironic grin from his face as he nodded in greeting. Instead, she smiled back grimly, as if she considered him out of line.

  It almost felt, at times, as if they were the only ones in the hallways. Not true, of course. Nurses passed briskly by while doing their jobs. Visitors came to see patients whose contagious stages had passed. Orderlies and other doctors and staff…

  And Simon.

  The first time Kristine approached, it was clear that her aide knew something was up. “You okay, Grace?” she asked in a low voice as Grace prepared to enter another patient’s room. Today, she wore an aqua nurse’s uniform. “Every time I’ve seen you today you look—well, almost zombie-like. Going about your business without noticing me or anyone else. What’s up?”