Undercover Wolf

Chapter 14

What was Quinn doing? How was he doing?

From the car’s driver’s seat in the parking lot, surrounded by trees and the almost hidden walls of a couple of buildings, Kristine heard the howl of a wolf nearby. It had to be Quinn.

No responsive howls, though. Not that she had really expected to hear any, not even from any local coyotes or wild dogs. Even so, she was eager to see Quinn and make sure he was all right. And, as doubtful as it was, to hear if he had found any sign at all of Simon and Grace.

Kristine moved in her seat, peering out through the windshield. The parking lot near the Nature Center and other park visitor sites was illuminated only by the moon, which had begun to slip down below the top of the tree line. That meant she would be in darkness soon.

Of course she had come prepared for that—and more.

She was no fool. For one thing, she had kept fully alert as she sat in the car waiting for Quinn to return.

She kept the doors locked, too. Her cell phone was near her hand. Her Taser was still in her hotel room, this time.

But her military-issue weapon was right beneath her seat.

Sure, she could have let Quinn out of the vehicle, waited for him to shift, then driven off, planning to come back at daybreak for him.

That was what he’d told her to do, in fact, just before the sun went down. She’d be safer. But though his concern had turned her warm and fuzzy inside, she had kept her demeanor neutral. She had thanked him and left his clothes hidden behind a building, where he’d wanted them, but made no promises.

Within the last hour, she had seen the wolf that was him poke his nose into the parking lot every once in a while, in the moonlight, so she knew he was aware she remained there.

Fortunately, although the spring night was cool, the fleece jacket she had brought was heavy enough to keep her warm. She felt comfortable.

She also felt alert. And concerned. What had that howl meant? Should she go see? Surely, Quinn was all right.

Before she could decide what to do, she saw headlights approaching along the road toward the parking lot. Rangers patrolling for security? Tourists arriving to see dawn in Acadia?

The car pulled onto the pavement nearby, and Kristine felt her blood start to freeze. The vehicle was much too familiar.

It was the one that had been driven by those DSPA guys.

So they were out of the hospital? That wasn’t what they’d been told, but she shouldn’t be surprised. Doctors didn’t tend to keep people for long in hospitals. Kelly and Holt might still be in pain, but if they’d insisted on leaving and their physical condition was nonthreatening, they might have been released.

But what were they doing here?

Had they set Quinn and her up—again—by mentioning the area around this nature preserve?

Memories of their assailing her the last time made her consider turning on the engine to flee. But she’d come out of that okay. They hadn’t. Would they really want to try again to harm her?

Of course, this time they’d be prepared.

Well, so was she.

She stuck her phone into her left pocket, then bent down for the gun beneath the seat. That would only be a last resort. Maybe the Taser would have been a better idea, but it hadn’t done much good last time.

She placed the gun inside a tote bag she’d brought to look like a tourist. She picked up her camera, then slung the tote over her shoulder and exited the car.

She saw the men get out of their vehicle, too, and braced herself. Was this going to be friendly...or ugly?

Either way, she’d handle it.

First thing, she again took their photos. If things went south, at least there would be a record of this latest confrontation—as long as she managed to keep the camera safe.

“Hi,” she called. “Didn’t know you two were out of the hospital this fast. This looks a lot like the last situation. You planning on attacking me again?”

“No,” Kelly said. He was wearing dark clothes once more, though, and managed to look menacing with his tall, rangy body and glaring hazel eyes. “To the contrary, are you planning on attacking us? Where’s your buddy Quinn? Is he a wolf out there somewhere?”

Kristine laughed, taking one more picture of them. As she slipped the camera into her tote, she felt the reassuring cold metal of her gun. “That’s a lot of questions. Here are my answers. No, I won’t attack you but I will defend myself again if I have to. Quinn? He’s been looking in this area for any sign of those honeymooners because you told him that they were last seen around here. And that wolf question? Weird. Even if you believe in those silly rumors you mentioned about Alpha Force, the moon’s not full tonight.”

“And I guess you would know if they’re just rumors or a cover story.” That was Holt. Both men had approached Kristine and now stood just a few feet away. She felt uneasy, especially since stocky Holt, also dressed in black once more, seemed to clench and unclench his fists at his side. Was he planning on attacking?

And what about Quinn? Had they come here after him? Had they found—and harmed—him?

No use thinking about that. He was okay. He had to be.

“So would you,” she countered. “Weren’t you briefed on what you were looking for as part of your mission here?”

“Yeah,” Kelly said. “That’s exactly it. We’re looking for proof, one way or another, about the nature of that unit—and if those two members were involved in the killings, whatever shape they happened to be in. Like you, I guess, but our mission’s official. We’ve checked again and had it confirmed that not only are you part of Alpha Force, but you’re acting contrary to orders. You’re not supposed to be in this area. So what are you doing here?”

Who confirmed it? And it wasn’t exactly true, since their commanding officer had unofficially approved their presence—before, at least.

But that was not a question she wanted to answer. “Like we’ve said, we’re vacationing,” she said lightly.

“With Quinn, who claims still to be a P.I. and not a member of Alpha Force,” Kelly scoffed. “And you came as honeymooners because—”

“Do I have to give you a detailed description of why we chose to use a cover—especially that one?” This was old territory.

“Maybe not.” Kelly’s leering gaze traveled up and down her body and Kristine wanted to throw up.

Instead, she pretended nonchalance. “I’d have thought that the two of you would be sleeping in your hotel rooms tonight, since you just got released from the hospital.”

“Yeah, well, first thing, we looked again at the crime scene and saw the local cops were there again. Unofficially, of course, or so they claimed. Didn’t stop to argue with them this time, but we’ll talk to them later. Tonight, we just couldn’t resist checking things out after mentioning this area to you and your supposed hubby, just in case you decided to look for your buddies here tonight,” Kelly said.

“Well, you were right about that, at least. We’re following up on all leads, no matter how remote. Too bad there aren’t werewolves. Maybe they could help us. Only—oh, yeah. Like I said, it’s not a full moon.”

“Right.” Kelly’s tone was scornful. He looked around in the dim light. “So...where’s Quinn?”

“He’s looking around, too. We decided to split up for a while. He and I can stop in at your hotel once he gets back here.”

“Oh, I think we’ll wait.”

That was exactly what Kristine didn’t want. Not that Quinn was likely to enter this area while still in wolf form if he saw she had company—unless she needed physical assistance once again—but still...

“Hey,” called a familiar voice from the shadows near the Nature Center. Quinn emerged onto the pavement—a fully clothed man. “You guys feeling okay now? What are you doing here?”

She hid her grin. He was all right.

And he was in human form.

Quinn approached. In the faint light that remained from the disappearing moon, Kristine met his gaze. It was warm. And concerned.

“These two...gentlemen...were here hunting werewolves,” Kristine said with a laugh. “They figured you were one of them.”

“Interesting thought,” Quinn said. He looked up into the black night sky and turned toward the only area of illumination. “That doesn’t look like a full moon to me. So what legend are you buying into? It must not be the same as I’ve heard. For me to show up as a werewolf, how would I do it?”

Kelly’s thin face appeared almost skeletal in the faint light, and his frown was apparent. “Good question. Did you find any clues about your fellow Alpha Forcers—I mean, honeymooners—out there?”

Now it was Quinn’s turn to frown. “Unsurprisingly, there was no sign of the missing people.” He didn’t address their IDs this time. “Of course I was pretty sure that was just a story to get me out here. But why? You didn’t attack either of us this time.”

“Like you, we’re trying all angles,” Kelly said somewhat cryptically—but Kristine figured they might believe Quinn and she were somehow conspiring with the newlywed Parrans. If that was their rationale, though, it made no sense. Why would Quinn and she meet up with them here, in the area where the DSPA guys might be primed to look for them?

“Look, we could trade information,” Quinn said. “Even work together. If you have any idea of where they really are, I want to know.”

“I’ll bet you do,” Holt countered. “But that’s our official assignment—finding them. Not yours. Why don’t you just go back to Ft. Lukman and start following orders like the good little military types you’re supposed to be?”

“I think it’s time for all of us to head for our hotels and go to bed,” Kristine said. She grabbed Quinn’s hand and started leading him to their car.

While remaining on alert, listening, in case those men decided to jump them from behind.

Quinn must have had the same idea since, despite his keener hearing, he turned without releasing her hand and stared at them. Kristine did the same.

They hadn’t moved toward their vehicle but remained in the middle of the parking lot, watching Quinn and Kristine. Their expressions were similarly suspicious and adversarial.

Kristine wondered what they were thinking.

Whatever it was, she was afraid that their report to their superiors at the DSPA would not bode well for the longevity of Alpha Force.

* * *

“How long were they there?” Quinn demanded. He was in the passenger’s seat of the car while Kristine drove them back to their hotel. He was exhausted. The quick shift back to human form had taken a lot out of him.

“They arrived only a short while before you did,” Kristine said. They were about to pull onto one of the roads outside the park, and she looked over at him. “They said they’d seen some of the local cops back again—guess they figure whoever or whatever killed the tourists will return to the scene of the crime.” She paused. “You look awful. Are you all right?”

He laughed. “Nice thing to say to your husband, dear. Or are we giving up on our cover story with everyone, not just those DSPA freaks?”

“Nope. We’re still honeymooners.” They were under a streetlight now, and her glance toward him was warm. No, hot. The way she pursed her lips and looked at him from beneath partly lowered eyelids...

“Sounds good to me,” he said, smiling.

He was curious enough to consider asking Kristine to drive by the area where the tourists were killed to check up on the local cops and what they were up to, but figured they’d be long gone by then. Instead, he didn’t comment on their destination.

He kept checking in the rearview mirror as she drove to their hotel, but he didn’t see the DSPA guys’ dark van. There were only a few vehicles at all out at this hour. Dawn was just starting to break.

Kristine finally pulled their car into the hotel parking lot. It was nearly full, but no one else appeared to be up and about. “You look beat,” she told him after she’d parked.

“Oh, I’m awake enough.” He unfastened his seat belt and leaned over.

The kiss they shared was hot. Her taste was tantalizing, her lips wide and open for his tongue to enter her mouth.

After a long, sensual interlude, she leaned back. “Let’s go to bed,” she said breathlessly.

“Yeah.”

They hurried through the Victorian building and up the elevator, barely making it to their room and closing the door before Kristine began pulling at his shirt, his jeans, his shorts...and kissing him where it really mattered.

He managed to get them both to the bed, taking her clothes off on the way. “Late nights at Acadia turn you on?” he managed to say.

“Having you turn up as a human when I was damned worried about you...that turns me on,” she said.

He climbed gently on top of her, then touched her. Stroked her hot, firm body all over, starting with those enticing full breasts of hers. Kissing them. Sucking them, even as she moaned—and grasped his cock with her steady, slowly pumping grip.

Then he stroked her down below, confirmed she was ready—more than ready for him.

And that was pretty much all they said for the rest of the night.

* * *

Quinn hated to keep his hands off Kristine for even a minute. But he’d fallen asleep, and when he awoke at the sound of some people talking in the hallway outside he glanced at the clock near the bed. Seven-thirty. A reasonable time to report in to Drew Connell.

He roused Kristine, who immediately sat up. She, too, checked the time. “He’ll want to know what happened last night.”

She placed the call from the satellite phone—after donning a thick hotel robe. “I don’t understand what they’re up to or what their orders really are, sir,” she said to Major Connell. “They left the hospital faster than we believed they would, so maybe they were ordered to. They claim to know what Alpha Force is really about but still act like they don’t believe it. They gave us information about where they’d supposedly last seen Grace and Simon, but now I think it was just a setup so they’d know where to find us last night.”

“Did you see any sign of the Parrans?” Drew demanded. Quinn raised his head as Kristine glanced at him as if wanting him to respond.

“No, not even after prowling around a fairly extensive area in the park near where these guys claimed they’d actually been seen,” Quinn said. “No scents or visuals, although—well, I did try testing them by howling.” He didn’t mention that the DoD guys had mentioned seeing cops again at the crime scene. If the cops had found anything this time, they would have had to report it, and that would have involved notifying the federal agency in charge.

A pause, as if the major was trying to decide if he liked what Quinn had said or intended to chew him out. “And?” he finally said.

“Nothing.”

“That’s too bad—since right now I have to insist that you stand down and obey my orders. Stop your investigation. I haven’t had my official meeting at the Pentagon yet—that was postponed until later today—but I have talked to the general. I still won’t insist that you return here, although I’m sure that’ll come soon from him. He’s defending Alpha Force to the max right now. We’re running out of time and options. But I’ll have his back at the meeting. I’ll call you afterward, and we’ll talk about what’s next.”

If anything. He didn’t say that, but Quinn heard it anyhow.

And didn’t like it.

“For now, though, I don’t want you to do anything but wait. Nothing. No looking around for our missing honeymooners, and definitely no further contact with those Department Special Projects guys. Sightseeing like real tourists is okay, but nothing else. Got it, both of you?”

“Yes, sir,” Kristine said.

“I repeat, that’s an order,” Drew emphasized. “Stand down. You got that, Parran?”

Quinn wanted to argue. To tell the major what he really thought. What he really wanted to do.

But he was the major, and Quinn reported to him.

And there was more. They were both shifters. They hadn’t discussed that part of their situation. Hadn’t needed to.

As his commanding officer, Connell was also the tacit alpha of their pack.

No matter what Quinn thought of that idea. Or anything else about the military. At the moment, he believed his enlistment had been a mistake.

Quinn exchanged glances with Kristine as she hung up. He had a strong hunch that their outing as honeymooners was about to come to a screeching halt. They’d have to return to Ft. Lukman as failures.

Worse, his bro would still be missing with his bride.

Twiddling his thumbs wasn’t in Quinn’s nature.

But using up some time in having hot, memorable sex—

When they hung up from talking to the major, he caressed Kristine once more. Maybe for the last time, if what he feared was true.

They might as well enjoy it while they could.

* * *

It was midmorning before Kristine awoke again. Quinn lay sound asleep at her side. He was mostly under the covers, but she could see his gorgeous, masculine face with its sharp features now enhanced by dark stubble. His broad shoulders, too, peeked from beneath the sheet, and she held herself still to keep from touching him.

He undoubtedly was exhausted after last night—and not just because of his shifting.

They’d made love a few times, not a record but a lot, considering the early morning hour when they’d gotten here. The last had been after their call to Drew Connell.

Quinn was sexy. Damned sexy. She couldn’t get enough of making love with him.

But what would happen when they got back to Ft. Lukman? She prayed that they would somehow have Grace and Simon with them. If not, that would be even harder on Quinn than on her, since Simon was his brother and Grace was only her superior officer and friend. Only? Well, hell, it would be damned difficult for her, too.

In any event, Kristine couldn’t continue being the assistant to a male shifter. That would change no matter what.

And the fact that he was a shifter? She hadn’t anticipated it before joining Alpha Force but she admired shifters. Liked them. Always enjoyed the secrecy and adventure and more while part of this really special military unit, even now.

Actually revered Alpha Force and all it stood for.

She had become a nurse years ago because she had wanted to help people. Make a difference. Maybe even be recognized for it—after a childhood of being abandoned first by her father, then by her mother after she’d remarried. Kristine’s aunt had taken over her guardianship by default, and Kristine had felt even more alone until she’d become a nurse.

Later, she had sought even more—the boundaries and camaraderie of the military.

When Alpha Force had started recruiting without initial explanation of what it was, she had jumped at it—because it had been made clear that the unit approved and recognized ingenuity and team mentality.

She loved it.

But have an ongoing relationship with a shifter—especially one like Quinn?

She had become all military. Had chosen it, felt that it had chosen her. Yes, she was sort of ignoring that here, because of the importance of what they were doing. But Quinn? He would probably never be a career, order-following soldier, at least not willingly.

No, she might as well enjoy his incredible body now, while she could.

Their unofficial mission here would end soon. Immediately, if they listened to Major Connell.

They needed answers fast.

When they returned to Ft. Lukman, no matter what they learned or didn’t learn here, she would be assigned to help a female shifter—assuming Alpha Force continued as a viable covert unit.

Which it had to. No matter what came out of this terrible situation, Alpha Force had to go on.

And if Quinn remained a member, he would be assisted by a male aide.

They would see each other, perhaps even go on the same missions in the future.

But whatever they had personally, what they had shared here?

It would be over.