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Protector Wolf
Linda O. Johnston
What Happens Under a Full Moon…When naturalist Maya Everton travels to Washington State, she is nearly attacked by a pack of wolves – until another wolf arrives to drive them off. Later, she sees Lieutenant Ryan Blaiddinger shifting and realises he is her mysterious protector. Ryan is a member of the elite unit of shapeshifters known as Alpha Force, whose mission is at cross-purposes with hers…But as news of attacks spreads in the small community, the scientist and soldier unite to protect area wolves from locals who will stop at nothing to decimate the perceived threat. And close together in the moonlit woods, Maya and Ryan may not be able to resist their own natural instincts…
What Happens Under a Full Moon...
When naturalist Maya Everton travels to Washington State, she is nearly attacked by a pack of wolves—until another wolf arrives to drive them off. Later, she discovers Lieutenant Ryan Blaiddinger shifting and realizes he is her mysterious protector. Ryan is a member of the elite unit of shapeshifters known as Alpha Force, whose mission is at cross-purposes with hers...
But as news of the attacks spreads in the small community, the scientist and soldier unite to protect area wolves from locals who will stop at nothing to decimate the perceived threat. And close together in the moonlit woods, they may not be able to resist their own natural instincts...
“So when are you going to explain everything to me?”
Ryan said nothing for a long minute, although he did take her arm to help balance her. A real gentleman.
A wolf in man’s clothing—casual, ordinary-looking clothing, right down to his own athletic shoes.
A wolf…
“There’s not much to explain,” he said. “You saw me. I’m a shapeshifter who changes into a wolf sometimes.”
“Then it was real, not some kind of hypnosis or mind control?” Although even if it had been, she’d have no idea why he’d have done it to her.
“No, it was real.”
She slipped a little on some leaves beneath her feet, possibly because of the distraction and unease his words caused within her. He caught her, and she was very aware of his touch.
A human’s touch.
But still…
LINDA O. JOHNSTON loves to write. While honing her writing skills, she worked in advertising and public relations, then became a lawyer…and enjoyed writing contracts. Linda’s first published fiction appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and won a Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for Best First Mystery Short Story of the Year. Linda now spends most of her time creating memorable tales of paranormal romance, romantic suspense and mystery. Visit her on the web at www.lindaojohnston.com (http://www.lindaojohnston.com).
Protector Wolf
Linda O. Johnston
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Protector Wolf is dedicated to wolves of all kinds, as well as people who love and protect wildlife. And like my other Alpha Force Nocturnes, Protector Wolf is also dedicated to shapeshifters and the readers who love them.
Plus, despite this being repetitious, again my special thanks to my wonderful agent, Paige Wheeler of Creative Media Agency, and to my delightful Harlequin editor, Allison Lyons. They’re so great in helping to keep the stories of Alpha Force an ongoing miniseries. Protector Wolf is number eight!
And, as always, thanks to my amazing husband, Fred, whom I acknowledge in each of my books because he inspires me. My hero!
Contents
Cover (#u550aa391-c9da-5b76-9ed8-0bf23c6220e4)
Back Cover Text (#u8268520d-e145-5bfc-b7e2-aa3e1107fc9e)
Introduction (#ud645d9ba-bc3c-57f6-a3e5-5234f6cc9d98)
About the Author (#ue3c87937-b3b9-56da-8c75-64b8bf46ba84)
Title Page (#u0fe3b688-e4fa-5526-b000-c9300eb344bf)
Dedication (#u593e9f56-0d52-5618-85a9-6e6d71f841a0)
Chapter 1 (#u88f32bcb-23f6-5aba-9097-906409d68031)
Chapter 2 (#ua9c02fea-2600-529c-a553-e11e981cb570)
Chapter 3 (#u1772efed-aba6-5372-aa46-d32af3b1f0c4)
Chapter 4 (#u7372b505-a54e-5746-a5ff-7e2a20277a72)
Chapter 5 (#u220c8273-b6c5-58d5-8b88-6b06438c4c0d)
Chapter 6 (#u5280a7b4-062a-555d-9866-22b3bbe30ee6)
Chapter 7 (#uaf87df81-3024-547e-8510-27680e65d97d)
Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 21 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 22 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 23 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 24 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 25 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 26 (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 1 (#ue3d16736-dda2-590d-85ee-109b922a7ca1)
Lieutenant Ryan Blaiddinger strode quickly down the sidewalk.
Beside him were his dog, Rocky, and his aide, Staff Sergeant Piers Janus. The two soldiers were dressed in civilian clothing—nice slacks and button-down shirts. They were here in Fritts Corner, Washington, undercover.
According to the map on Piers’s phone, the park they sought was only a block away. Ryan scoped out the whole street—fairly narrow, considering it was the quaint town’s main avenue. Some of the buildings appeared to have been constructed more than a century ago, with spires, decorative windows and wide porches that led into restaurants and other retail establishments.
“We’re almost there,” Piers said, staring at the phone in his hand. Piers was short and a bit stocky, and despite his being in his early twenties his blondish hair had begun to thin. But he was a damned good helper—in many respects.
Piers held Rocky’s leash, and the dog bounded along with him.
The dog with thick brown-and-black fur who resembled a wolf.
A wolf who looked a lot like Ryan...when he was in shifted form.
The air was brisk but dry on this Thursday afternoon in September. Cars drove by in both directions, with no hint of any traffic jam in this small town. People passed by as well, and a few headed in the same direction they did.
Interesting that on the day of their arrival a public meeting was scheduled about the very topic they’d come to check out.
But maybe it wasn’t too surprising. After all, though there had been sightings of wild wolves for years in various areas of Washington State, even identification of some small packs, the latest new sightings had been right around here, in this area southeast of Tacoma.
And when Ryan, sounding as offhand as he could, mentioned wolf sightings to their hotel’s receptionist a short while ago when they checked in, she had immediately perked up and told him that a naturalist had just come to town and was going to talk on that very topic in less than an hour.
That was really interesting since wolves previously hadn’t been spotted around here much for a long time, the receptionist had acknowledged. Lots of people in town were fascinated by the situation...though some weren’t too happy about it.
There. The open-air park, mostly green, rolling lawn with a few trees, was finally off to their right. A large crowd stood on the grass facing a raised podium that appeared old and worn, perhaps even constructed around the same time as the rest of the town.
On it stood a tall and slender woman. A screen behind her contained a photo of a wolf, projected there by some modern equipment that clearly wasn’t as antique as the town.
“The pictures I’ve shown you are from other areas in Washington,” she was saying into a microphone so her deep, energetic voice projected around the area. “It’s so exciting that wild wolves have been returning to this state. Of course WHaM has been keeping up with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s postings online, as well as US Fish and Wildlife, which has jurisdiction for their protection around here. We’re thrilled—and tracking them, too, taking a census including the official estimate of nineteen packs in the state. Plus, we encourage the media to let the public know. Any media people here?” A few hands were raised. “Great!”
WHaM. That was Wildlife Habitat Monitoring, Ryan knew. He needed to talk to this woman after her presentation, and using his cover of being with the US Fish and Wildlife Service—not the state’s—should make it easy for him to find out everything WHaM knew about the latest wolf sightings.
Of course their agenda was far different from his. Wolf sightings to them would be just that—evidence of the continuing but slow return of wild wolves to increasing locations in this state, fewer here than in the eastern part. And some had already been destroyed after attacking livestock, though not in this area.
Ryan was here on his first lead assignment representing Alpha Force. Rocky and Piers had come along as his backups. He was the only commissioned officer present—and the only member here of that covert military unit of shapeshifters who was actually a shifter himself.
For the moment, he eased his way through the large group of onlookers, men, women and children of all ages, knowing that Piers would follow with Rocky. Rocky might garner some attention since he looked so much like a wolf, but that was because he was Ryan’s cover dog. He had been chosen because of his resemblance to Ryan in shifted form. That way, in case anyone noticed him while shifted, they’d be told it was Ryan’s dog they’d seen. Him as a shapeshifter? What a laugh.
Or so went the cover story he’d been provided by Alpha Force.
He finally reached the front of the crowd after excusing himself and smiling and looking apologetic to lots of people along the way.
What did they all think of the slow influx of wolves around here?
Were any of them shapeshifters, too?
Ryan would find that out while he was here. Quickly. It was a major part of his assignment.
And if there were other shifters? Well, he’d determine, once he’d found and spoken with them, exactly what that might mean with respect to their lives here...and, potentially, to Alpha Force.
Right now, though, he moved over to give Piers and Rocky room to stand beside him. The woman was still talking, speaking with such excitement that it appeared contagious. Lots of folks in his area were cheering and clapping.
Which meant he’d better take time to listen.
“Wolves are such wonderful creatures,” she was saying—and that warmed his insides immediately. This close he could see how attractive she was, with a curvaceous body and a face pretty enough to put her onstage for something other than a wildlife proponent rally. “They’re smart, loyal to their packs, loving to their families and more. They’re—” She had been scanning the crowd with her gaze as she spoke, sometimes waving her slender arm beneath its black WHaM T-shirt up toward the screen behind her, where the pictures of wolves had now turned into a rotation. But now she stopped.
She was looking down toward Ryan, which gave him immediate pause—until he realized she was instead staring at Rocky.
“Is that a wolf among us?” she asked, this time looking right into Ryan’s eyes, or so it appeared from this distance.
He smiled and called out, “No, he’s my pet, a shepherd-husky mix for the most part, I think. But I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some wolf ancestry in there, too.”
“Me, neither,” she said. But cocking her head so her long, pale brown hair slipped to the side, she held the microphone back up to her mouth. “Okay, folks, you’ll need to see that adorable dog before you leave here this afternoon, especially if you’ve never seen a wolf before. But one thing I should mention is that wolves are wild animals and should stay that way.” She paused, and again stared right into Ryan’s face so intensely he felt as if she was almost touching him. Maybe slapping him. But she looked away again before she said, “Everyone, never, ever, try to turn a wild animal into a pet...especially wolves.”
* * *
Maya Everton wanted to jump right off that stage and confront that guy. No, what she really wanted was to meet that wolf-dog face-to-face, hug it, feel its soft fur.
And then let it loose, as wolves should be. Only she realized that, even if that canine had once been wild, as a pup or older, it could probably not survive in the wild now.
Maybe she could talk to his owner later, find out the dog’s background, so she could hopefully feel content that she was wrong, that this truly was a canine with dog genes that had never actually been a wild wolf.
“Okay,” she was saying despite her thoughts twisting in so many ways. “Has anyone here seen any of the wolves that have visited this area?”
A woman way toward the back of the generous crowd waved her hand. Maya was thrilled that so many people had shown up to see her, to hear her talk about WHaM and its excellent work keeping track of wild animal sightings—wolves and more. But the latest influx of wolves was a big deal here. Newsworthy, and they needed to be protected. WHaM maintained a comprehensive file on all the wolves sighted recently in this state—more in the eastern areas than here, though that might be changing. Her organization had been in close touch often with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and had a good relationship with them.
Like other wildlife, wolves weren’t appreciated in all areas of the state, especially those where some had apparently attacked local farm animals. But around here, they had a fresh start.
She called for the woman to come up to the microphone and describe her experience. While Maya waited for that lady to make her way through the crowd, she looked again toward that wolf-dog. Gorgeous.
His owner wasn’t bad-looking, either—as long as Maya could regard him without anger. Well, for now she’d give him the benefit of the doubt.
The woman soon joined Maya onstage. She introduced herself as Ivy. Ivy appeared in her fifties, with a lined face and a huge smile. “I live near here,” she said, “but a distance out of town. It was so amazing. I heard some howling in the dead of night and looked outside, only to see a couple of wolves jump over my fence, run through the yard and then out again. It was light enough under the full moon that it didn’t matter that I’d forgotten to turn on my porch lamps.”
