The woods at the edges of Ft. Lukman, Maryland, were not as dense as those in California’s San Bernardino Mountains.

Gwynn was delighted to recognize this while stalking along the forest floor. The leaves were moist against her paws. It had rained here yesterday.

She was aware of the weather. She was aware that the full moon had been two nights earlier. This night’s moon had slivers shaved off its appearance.

Not that she would ever have thought of any of that before while in cougar form.

Now, though, she had shifted at a time of her choosing—with help.

After drinking the special elixir of Alpha Force and having an artificial light resembling moonlight shined on her naked body.

By Brett Sorrellson.

He had told her the truth. There was an Alpha Force, a covert military unit whose members included shapeshifters. Most were men, most shifted into werewolves, but she had met Lieutenant Nella Reyes, the woman who shifted into a lynx, whom the major had mentioned on the phone. Plus, there was a shifting hawk.

She felt free, despite knowing that military restrictions and orders would be imposed on her if she chose to enlist in the military and join this secret group.

She knew what her decision would be.

There. She had been told that her shift would be short for this, her test, her first time. The twisting and pulling of her limbs, her insides, her skin, had begun.

Knowing she would soon be back in human form, she bounded back toward the clearing where her shift this time had started.

Toward the place where Brett waited for her.

He was there, as she’d known he would be.

She was naked now as she shifted back from cougar form. He had her clothes waiting for her, and he draped a long shirt over her immediately and fastened a couple of buttons in the front.

She reveled in the feel of his strong hands as he touched her. His eyes were glazed with heat and desire, but he did nothing out of line, nothing suggestive of sex as he asked, “How did it go?”

“Fantastic!” She couldn’t keep her excitement from bubbling over into her response. “Everything you said it would be.”

She was aware even more now of how she had gotten here—thanks to Brett and his fascination with her shape-shifting from the moment he had discovered it.

She had fled in fear, when what she should have done was given him a chance.

He, instead, had given her a chance, changed his entire life because of what he had seen that fateful night.

Now he was about to change her life, too.

“Thank you so much, Brett.” She didn’t even try to hide the hoarseness in her voice, the result of emotion—and more—as she pressed her body, still barely dressed, against his.

She felt how much he, too, was attracted to her. Wanted her.

“If I join Alpha Force,” she said, her tone still raspy as she wrapped her arms around him and drew even closer still, “is it possible for two members to fraternize?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he responded in an irregular whisper of his own. “Especially when one has saved the other from great bodily harm.”

“No problem,” she said, “when the one in danger has such a great body.”

He laughed. “I was amazed yet again that night, Gwynn. And I’d no idea that seeing you get so ferocious yet protective would make me want you all the more…later.”

Her turn to laugh. “Well, then,” she said, “why don’t we adjourn to your quarters for the rest of tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll start signing whatever I need to, to become a member of Alpha Force. Especially if that means we’ll get to spend more time together afterward. Does that work for you?”

“Oh, yeah,” he said emphatically, “that works.” He lowered his lips to hers.