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Chapter 3

Good. They were gone.

Ryan continued to stand near Maya, with Piers and Rocky at his sides—and all those nice people behind her who’d spoken up in support of her.

Bartender Buck Lesterman had joined them, too. Interesting.

This group seemed to be filled with wildlife advocates who appreciated what Maya said and stood for, which was a good thing in Ryan’s estimation.

But were any of them shifters? All of them?

There’d been hints of an influx here thanks to the wolf sightings, and Alpha Force members had heard those rumors.

If some or all of these folks were shifters, then Maya had helped Ryan start to meet his goal. He owed her for that.

But for right now...

He regarded the group across from them, then strode forward, hand outstretched, purposely avoiding the guy who’d spoken with Maya and offered her a snack, apparently flirting with her. For some reason, that irritated Ryan, even if the guy turned out to be a wildlife advocate.

“Hi,” he said to the first of them. “I’m Ryan Blaiddinger, with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Thanks to all of you for your support of conservation of the latest arrival of wolves around here.” He felt Maya stir behind him and figured she wasn’t thrilled that he’d taken over the position she probably intended to fulfill.

“Good to meet you, Ryan,” said a petite woman with long and fluffy light brown hair streaked with deeper color. Hair that resembled a wolf’s?

Ryan knew he was reaching a bit in an attempt to convince himself things were as he hoped.

But he might not be wrong...

“I’m Kathie Sharan,” the woman continued. “This is my husband, Burt. We just recently moved here and bought the Corner Grocery Store down the street. We used to live in Montana, and there are wolves there, too. We’ve no problem with some showing up in this neighborhood. It’s kind of cool, in fact.”

Could that actually be why they’d moved here?

“Hi, Ryan.” Burt, tall and thin with deep brown hair and a hint of a beard, edged next to his wife and held out his hand. His grip was firm as he shook Ryan’s. “I hope you’ll come visit our store while you’re in town. You, too, Maya.” He turned toward where she stood and held out his hand to her, as well.

A couple of other people near them also issued greetings that Ryan returned. Maya, too, and also Piers when Ryan introduced him as another employee of the federal fish and wildlife organization. And all of them made a fuss over a clearly pleased Rocky.

Even bartender Buck did so, as did the guy who’d been flirting with Maya—Trev Garlona. He’d introduced himself, as well.

So at least some of these wolf advocates had recently moved here and purchased businesses, intending to stay.

Of course Ryan could be completely wrong. They might have had different agendas when they decided to settle in Fritts Corner, nothing at all to do with wolves—or shifting.

But he had a feeling he would get to know some or all of them a lot better.

Maybe starting tonight.

For now, though, he needed to prepare, perhaps even to rest. He soon said goodbye to the gang of wolf supporters who’d joined them, and they all headed back to their seats—after Buck promised to refresh their drinks. The place remained busy, and the sound of conversations picked up once more. Other bartenders had remained active, so Ryan also inhaled the scent of different kinds of alcohol.

All seemed well again.

Even so, he asked Maya, who had also turned to go, “Where are you off to now?”

The people who’d given her a hard time were no longer in the bar. They surely wouldn’t be waiting outside to give her a hard time—would they?

He’d rather be there for her, though, just in case.

“I’m heading back to my hotel,” she said. “I may even take a nap. It’s stressful to give a talk, and to act happy and energetic and all...anyway, I’m glad how things have turned out so far and really appreciate your support.”

“You’re very welcome,” he said, knowing his face mirrored her large smile. “How about if we walk with you?”

“Which hotel are you staying at?” Piers asked. He was now at Ryan’s side and had taken Rocky’s leash.

“The Washington Inn,” she said, unsurprisingly naming the largest one in town.

“So are we,” Piers said.

“Great,” Ryan said. “Let’s get on our way.”

* * *

Maya saw Trev waving goodbye as she prepared to leave, and she briefly aimed a wave back at him. But her mind was on something else altogether.

Ryan, Rocky and Piers were all staying in the same hotel as she was.

How close was Ryan’s room to hers? That question kept intruding into Maya’s mind as they walked out.

No matter. They could be next door to each other and still be worlds apart.

They had to be. Sure, he was a great-looking guy. A nice guy who clearly wanted to walk with her to protect her in case those nasty folks who’d confronted her were still around. He didn’t have to say so for her to know that.

But other than their love of wildlife, they most likely had nothing in common. Even if they did—well, she’d been involved with a guy not long ago who’d professed to love wild animals but acted like a jerk when it came to maintaining a relationship with a human being. He’d even publicly slammed WHaM.

She didn’t need anything like that—especially since she’d soon go home to Denver and figured a guy with the US government would return to the DC area, far from her.

“I don’t see your buddies out here,” Ryan said. “Guess they decided not to harass you again.”

“I sure hope so,” she said. “Maybe they can start picking on each other instead.” She admired the few buildings they passed. “This is such a cute town. Where do you live? Is it anything like this?”

“We live near Washington, DC, not Washington State,” Ryan responded. Near it? Not in it? That made Maya wonder where, but before she could ask he got in his own question. “And you? Where are you from? Colorado? Isn’t that where WHaM is headquartered?”

She acknowledged that it was, and they talked a bit more about her organization as they continued down the block, with Piers behind them.

Rocky trotted between Ryan and her, and she got a truly warm and fuzzy feeling about this short walk and the males near her, including the dog. In a minute they had reached her car and said goodbye.

And because she didn’t have far to drive, she arrived at the Washington Inn about the same time as the two men and the dog did. Or maybe, driving slowly, she had unconsciously planned it that way.

The inn, like so many other buildings in town, was quaint, with multipaned windows and circular turrets. The concrete exterior looked substantial, though, and Maya figured it was either a much newer structure than it appeared, or it had been remodeled recently.

She parked in the lot beside it and walked quickly to the front—just as the others arrived, too. She joined them.

“Hi again,” she said, waiting while Ryan stopped at the grassy area near the front with Rocky. “So where are your rooms?” she asked Ryan casually, as Piers preceded them inside.

“First floor, toward the back. It’s a good spot to take Rocky into the yard if he needs to go. How about you?”

“Third floor,” she said, “around there.” She pointed toward the right, glad that the windows there indicated multiple rooms so she didn’t exactly tell him which was hers.

They proceeded up the walkway to the steps and, crossing the porch, entered the quaint-looking lobby. There were only a few people there, mostly in line at the reception desk. Piers stood nearby reading a newspaper. He joined them.

Ryan lifted his arm with the loop of the dog leash over it and Piers slipped it off him. “You can put him in my room,” he told Piers. “I’ll be right there.” He then said to Maya, “I’ll walk you to your room, just in case.”

In case her new enemies were around, she assumed. She hadn’t seen any sign of them on the road and didn’t really need Ryan accompanying her—she hoped—and yet she didn’t object.

They soon were in her room, which was as charming as the rest of the inn. He even went inside, glancing around, walking past the bed with a fluffy, lace-trimmed coverlet.

She had a momentary urge to ask him to stay. Just to talk a little longer, of course. About wolves and other wildlife.

Not about a wild life. The guy was one delicious-looking man and had started to get her internal juices flowing when they were together. But he was mostly just a nice guy with similar interests to hers. And he’d given no indication he thought of her in any sexual or other way—a good thing.

That meant she didn’t have to worry about any interest on her part that could lead to disaster, as her recent relationship had.

Even so, she found herself asking, “So do you have any plans for this evening?”

She couldn’t quite read the odd look that quickly passed over his face, replaced by a smile that almost appeared pleased. “Sleeping,” he said. “I intend to order in pizza later for Piers and me. I brought food for Rocky. I’m already a bit tired and may do some hiking tomorrow, so I’ll go to bed early.” He looked her over. “No offense intended, but you appear a little sleepy, too. Maybe you should do the same thing.”

That had been what she was considering...unless they worked out a dinner date, which would undoubtedly be a bad idea.

She noticed that he didn’t suggest that she join them for pizza, either.

“I just might do that,” she said. As he walked to the door of her room she added, “Have a good evening. And thanks again for all your help.”

* * *

Rocky was well trained, but even so he wasn’t staying alone in Ryan’s room that night.

No, right now Piers drove all three of them, in the sedan they had rented at the Sea-Tac International Airport, along the remote, twisty roads outside Fritts Corner, beyond the park and beneath the forest’s overhanging trees to a clearing they had previously scouted out.

Near an area where wolves had been spotted over the past months.

The ride was bumpy, and Ryan was conscious of every jolt. It was getting close to twilight now.

It was nearly time.

And since this was the night of a full moon, Ryan would be shifting.

But thanks to that wonderful elixir that had been formulated and modified over time by Major Drew Connell, the founder of Alpha Force, and other members, Ryan would not only have some limited choice as to when the shifting started and a lot of choice about when he shifted back, but he would additionally retain his human cognition.

Unlike the other shifters he anticipated meeting on this night.

“Here we are,” Piers said, stopping the car. Rocky, in the backseat, let out a small woof, as if he understood where they were and what was about to happen.

This wasn’t his first time, after all, to be around when Ryan shifted—and it wouldn’t be his last.

Piers parked, and Ryan immediately exited the car. There was hardly any light in the sky, and the clearing was vast enough that Ryan knew the full moon would soon appear.

There were plenty of times in his past when that would have caused him to shift into a feral wolf as soon as darkness fell. But now—

Now, he couldn’t have been more delighted that Alpha Force had found and recruited him into its amazing military unit. He was starting to give back, including by being here. And he loved it.

If he was correct about the nature of at least some of the people here, he might even be able to give back more to his cherished organization by recruiting others who, in turn, could add to its very special mission.

He’d already done some of that while being trained and working directly with other shifters located by senior Alpha Force officers.

Piers pulled the large backpack out of the trunk and approached across the hard dirt of the clearing to the area several feet from the car where Ryan had stopped. Ryan began to remove his clothing, even as Piers extracted the cooler in the backpack and from it one of the vials of elixir that they had brought. He also pulled out the light that, turned on, resembled the light of the full moon, although, since it would not be necessary tonight, he returned it to the backpack.

“You doing okay?” Ryan’s efficient assistant now stood there with the vial in one of his large hands, assessing his superior officer.

“I’m fine, Piers. And how are you?” Ryan kept his tone light, even though he knew exactly what he was about to go through.

The elixir helped shifters in so many ways—but nothing could totally eliminate the discomfort of a shift from human to animal form—and back again.

“Okay, buddy. The moon’s a-rising. Let’s get this thing started, okay?” The stocky young guy grinned as if he couldn’t wait for his superior officer’s shift to start. And maybe he couldn’t.

Ryan was now nude. He felt the pulsing sensations inside him that presaged a natural shift.

It was definitely time for the elixir.

“Bring it on,” he told Piers, reaching out for the vial.

* * *

His initial shift was over. He was standing again, this time on four canine legs, the discomfort behind him.

Just in time, he thought—since he heard a howl in the distance. Followed by another, and some barks. They all sounded far away, but he would have heard them even without his enhanced hearing.

Shifters? Most likely. Natural wolves might howl and bark like that, of course. But why would they do so tonight? And not just one or two now, but several of them.

Ryan could tell—thanks to that enhanced hearing—not only the direction from which the sounds came, but he had a sense of distance, too.

The others were likely in the hillsides here, beneath the trees, farther from town, perhaps farther along the road where Piers had driven them only a short while earlier.

Rocky remained in the car. Piers had returned to it to sleep, to wait for Ryan’s return early in the morning, when he would naturally shift back on this night of the full moon.

He also had some choice about when to change back, even under the full moon. But if he did not choose when, it would occur once the sun started to rise.

Another set of excited howls. They caused more excitement in Ryan, as well.

Time for him to run through these woods, let his wolfen side loose. Revel in his very special gift, his talent, the other, only partly human feature of his life.

His shifting ability.

He felt his mouth move as he allowed himself to express his emotion in what would have been a smile had he not been shifted.

He aimed one glance toward the car where his companions now sat and waited for him.

And then he ran into the woods.

* * *

Maya hadn’t been sleeping deeply, though she had been in bed for a while, reading at first, then nodding off.

But her mind had been tossing around all that had happened to her that day.

Her talk. The confrontations with those wild animal–haters.

The support she had received from Ryan, backed up by some of the other people in this small town near which wolves had begun to appear again.

And—

Hey. What was that? Was she imagining things because she was thinking about the local sightings of wolves?

Maybe, but she thought she’d heard not only some canine barking but also a howl. Yes! She had. It was followed by another.

And now there were even more of them, somewhere way in the distance. But close enough to be heard here, right in the downtown area of Fritts Corner.

She froze. If she heard them, so did those wolf-haters. She wasn’t in any kind of law enforcement. She had no weapons.

But might the US Fish and Wildlife Service be able to help?

She hadn’t gotten Ryan’s phone number, not even his room number, but she felt stressed enough to use the hotel’s phone to try to call his room even now, in the middle of the night. She did reach a hotel operator—after waiting several minutes. And then, when she was connected to his room, no one answered.

She tried the same with his friend Piers, but again no answer.

He’d said he was going to bed early—but maybe the sounds had awakened him, and now she couldn’t join up with him to check things out.

Heck. Maybe there was nothing she could do. Maybe the wolves wouldn’t really be in danger.

But if nothing else, she could bring her camera—just in case.

She’d already risen from her bed.

Now, she threw her clothes on, grabbed her purse and camera, and rushed out the door.

Protector Wolf

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