Alaskan Wolf (17 page)

About Patrick, she said little—only that she had been helped by a local dog musher whom she had hired a couple of times to take her to visit the glaciers and their wild inhabitants.

Both Emil and Jeremy also gave few interviews, and their responses tended to be circumspect—that they had gone to Alaska strictly to research glaciers
and wildlife, and had been totally unaware of who the ostensible piano player at the local bar actually was.

Then there was Carrie Thaxton. She kept screaming about her alleged experiences and what she claimed to have seen, like werewolves, of all things. Her interviewers tended to gently poke fun at her, although stories about her appeared in more than one tabloid newspaper and website, and on Flynn Shulster's show. But she hedged when it came to discussing her relationship with Austin DeLisio, and the reason he had come to Alaska. She had criminal assault charges pending, and her husband and she had separated.

Mariah thought about all of this often—and with special intensity today, as she drove from the hotel where she had booked a room, on Maryland's Eastern Shore, toward the town of Mary Glen.

She had talked Harold into letting her research an article for
Alaskan Nature Magazine
that would compare and contrast the winter wildlife around the Chesapeake Bay with that found in the state she now called home. A bit contrived? Probably, but at least it gave her a reason to be here.

There it was—the small town of Mary Glen. It happened to be the closest town to Ft. Lukman, where Alpha Force was headquartered.

It was also where Dr. Melanie Harding-Connell
maintained her veterinary practice. Mariah had learned from Patrick that Melanie was married to his commanding officer, Major Drew Connell.

And she had inferred that Drew, like Patrick, was one of Alpha Force's shapeshifters.

Mariah had called Melanie and requested a few minutes of her time to interview her as an expert on animals in the area for her article. And if she happened to work in a few questions about what it was like to be married to a werewolf—well, that might be a little awkward without identifying how she knew about Alpha Force. And she had promised General Yarrow to be circumspect about who she talked to and what she said.

Mariah drove her rental car down the main street, Mary Glen Road, until she reached Choptank Lane. She turned and passed the antique shops Melanie had described. The veterinary clinic was one of the two buildings on the second block.

Mariah introduced herself to the receptionist and said she had a meeting scheduled with Dr. Harding-Connell. She was soon shown into the vet's small, well-organized office—and gasped as Melanie held out her hand to greet her. Dr. Melanie Harding-Connell was an attractive woman with deep brown hair and brilliant blue eyes. She wore a white lab jacket—and was clearly pregnant.

“How did you—I mean, under the circumstances,
having a baby… Oh, hell, I'd better stop blabbering.”

Melanie laughed as she waved Mariah to a seat facing her desk. “I've heard a lot about you from Patrick,” she said. “The guy's definitely smitten with you.”

“I—well, I guess I'm smitten with him, too,” Mariah admitted. “In a way, that's why I'm here. But…er, I promised General Yarrow to keep my mouth shut about what I know about Alpha Force, but I suspect you know it even better than I do.”

Melanie laughed again. “You could say that. And in case you're wondering, this baby is planned. Many of the…more unusual members of Alpha Force pair up with regular people.” She came around her desk and sat down on a chair beside Mariah. “Before you decide what to do about Patrick,” she said in a low voice, “you need to know that the shapeshifting gene is dominant. I love the idea, but other people might run away screaming.” She looked deeply into Mariah's eyes, then smiled. “I suspect you're not one of those.”

“I suspect I'm not, too. But this is still a lot to think about.” She glanced down at Melanie's protruding belly.

“And marvel at.” Melanie took Mariah's hand and put it on her stomach over her lab jacket. Mariah immediately felt movement and gasped in delight.

“That's wonderful.”

“Yes,” Melanie said, “it is. And I hope to see more of you around here, Mariah. Oh, and if you have any questions about local wildlife, just ask—although you'll forgive me if I keep my answers centered around creatures not associated with Ft. Lukman.”

“Absolutely.”

A short while later, after Mariah had asked her questions and recorded the interview with Dr. Melanie Harding-Connell, she thanked the vet profusely. “And you like living in the Mary Glen area?”

“I love it here. But of course I chose to move here even before I met Drew. I suspect a writer like you can elect to live anywhere, so hopefully that won't be a factor in your decision.”

Assuming she even had a decision to make, Mariah thought a little while later after saying goodbye to the vet.

Heck, she could press the issue if she wanted. And she thought she knew what the answer would be. There was something special between Patrick and her. Something she had felt the very first time she had seen him…as a person. Something that had continued when she had glimpsed him in wolf form, as well.

She used her global positioning system, as well as the directions Melanie had given her, to drive along the remote roads through the woods toward
Ft. Lukman. She hadn't told Patrick she was coming, but had confirmed in their most recent communications that he was in town.

Her cell phone rang. It was Patrick. She used her hands-free gadget to answer. “Hi, Patrick,” she said.

“Okay, Mariah,” he began, “this is kind of out of the blue, but I can't stand how things are between us now.”

Her heart sank. Had she come all this way to have him dump her without even knowing she was nearby?

“So here's how it is. I'm working on getting a permanent assignment to one of the Alaskan military bases—maybe Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks. I'll probably need to do a lot of traveling, but at least we'll be closer together. And maybe you could move to Fairbanks from Juneau. But I really want to give this a try, and hope you'll at least consider it.”

Mariah saw the gate that led into Ft. Lukman. “Well…” She drew the word out, letting him worry for a short while. “On the other hand, I rather like the area around Mary Glen. And if you'll tell the sentry on duty at your front gate to let me come in, I'll tell you in person just how much—”

“You're here? Hell, yes, I'll tell him. Wait in the parking area just inside the gate.”

The guard let Mariah in, and she did as Patrick said.

In less than five minutes he came running up the road that apparently led to the rest of the military base. He was dressed in camouflage fatigues and looked more like a soldier than she had ever seen him—and sexier than ever.

Or maybe that was because of their separation.

In moments, she was in his arms. His kisses were hot and welcoming and definitely suggestive.

“You're here,” he said when he finally pulled back just enough to speak. His light brown eyes were soft and loving, and Mariah felt she could get lost in them. Forever.

“Yes, I'm here, wolfman,” she whispered. “And I'm here to stay.”