Infiltrator
(Alpha Squad #3)
By Lorelei Moone
Publication Date: May 19, 2017
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Shifters
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Shifters
For love or for honor? Sometimes being fated to each other
just isn’t enough.
For the past six months, wolf shifter Thomas Blackwood has
been serving two masters. He believes in Alpha Squad's
mission to help the newly outed shifter population integrate
into human society, and has done his best to contribute to its
success. At the same time, he’s been reporting on the
squad’s activities to his alpha back home. But everything
changes when the squad is sent in to investigate a string of
crimes with a pack of renegade wolves right at the center of
the case. Suddenly Thomas must choose: follow his
alpha’s orders and kill the investigation before it even
starts, or remain true to Alpha Squad’s calling and uncover
the truth; whether it implicates members of his own species
or not.
And that’s not even the worst part: the woman he’s been
admiring from afar since joining the squad already doesn’t
give him the time of day. What would Private Callahan think
of him if she knew he was a traitor?
Private Jill Callahan has been doing her utmost to ignore the
one Alpha Squad member who could turn her world upside-
down: Thomas Blackwood. From the moment the handsome
wolf shifter arrived on base, her emotions have been trying to
get the better of her. So in the interest of maintaining her
professionalism, she has been avoiding him completely.
When Blackwood starts acting suspiciously, and nobody
seems to notice it but her, Jill no longer has that luxury. She
feels compelled to investigate what’s really going on and if
it ends in heartbreak, then so be it.
Jill and Thomas’s loyalties are tested when they realize
Jill and Thomas’s loyalties are tested when they realize
why they haven’t been able to shake their attraction to each
other. They’re meant for each other, but sometimes things
just aren’t so simple. The mission - and the squad - must
come first.
Join Alpha Squad in this steamy paranormal romance you
Join Alpha Squad in this steamy paranormal romance you
won’t want to put down. If you like Alpha City by Bryce
Evans or Bear Patrol by Scarlett Grove, then you will love the
Alpha Squad Series by Lorelei Moone!
Wow just wow. I am hooked on this series. It is extremely
well-written. And it was such a delight to read. Not just a
romance, but a suspense story with a paranormal twist.
This book is about Thomas the wolf and Jill. Thomas is torn
between two leaders. He is torn between his alpha and the
leader of Alpha squad. He knows what his Alpha has asked
for him goes against everything the squad is supposed to be
doing. But as he is pulled closer to Jill he is unsure what it is
he feels for her and not sure what she feels for him. But
when it comes down to it all he has to choose. Leave alpha
squad and his mate and follow his Alphas order. Or give it all
up for his squad and Jill. Let’s hope he makes the right choice.
Now before I ruin this for you I will leave off here. I hope you
enjoy this book as much as I did. If you do like this book,
please consider leaving a review. The Authors really like it
when you do; they value your opinions too
Prologue
*Six Months Ago*
"Thomas," Eric Blackwood, alpha of
the Wolf settlement in Rannoch, Scotland, spoke in a low but determined voice.
"Yes, Alpha." Thomas Blackwood
averted his gaze, as was customary when the pack leader addressed an underling.
"As you know, since the emergence of
the New Alliance and the exposure of our kind to the world, we’ve been trailing
behind the rest of shifterkind in our efforts to come to terms with the new
reality. Now that the human government is starting some kind of law enforcement
program with the New Alliance, we cannot afford to remain complacent any
longer. We must act!"
Thomas blinked a few times. Where was this
conversation headed? "I agree, Sir."
"What would you say if I asked you to
join this new initiative? To be our eyes and ears within this… what is it
called again?"
"Alpha Squad, Sir."
Alpha Blackwood scoffed. "That's right.
Alpha Squad. I’ve managed to pull a few strings and get you inserted into their
training program. The rest is up to you. Failure is not an option; our pack
relies on you."
Thomas took a deep breath and nodded
solemnly. He would not let down his alpha, or the rest of the pack. It was a
great honor to be chosen for a mission such as this, and he would never forgive
himself if he messed it up.
Plus, this would be the first time he'd
actually move out of Rannoch. It was a chance unlike any other to see what the
rest of the world was like, and he was keen to learn everything he could.
"A lot rests on your shoulders, but I
wouldn't have chosen you for the job unless I thought you could hack it,"
the alpha said. "It's a delicate matter, and you'll understand that I
prefer to keep things in the family for now…"
Thomas nodded again. Ever since Alpha
Blackwood had sent his very own daughter to Edinburgh to work with the Alliance
about a year ago, there weren't any other Blackwoods in the pack to take on a
job like this. Thomas, being the alpha's nephew, was a logical choice. More so
since Thomas's very own parents had passed away a few years back and the alpha
and his wife had taken a special interest in his education and upbringing. He
owed his aunt and uncle a lot, and now the time had come for him to repay them.
"Thank you, Sir. I will do my
best."
The alpha rested his hand on Thomas's
shoulder.
Even though his hair was starting to grey
around his temples, Alpha Blackwood was an impressive looking man. His large,
strong hand weighed heavy on Thomas's shoulder, even though the younger wolf
was no weakling himself
"No problem," Thomas said firmly,
even though the prospect of having to deceive fellow trainees and the squad's
leadership was a worrying one. He wasn't a liar by nature.
But if his alpha commanded it, he had to
obey. That was how wolf society worked.
"Good. Training begins on Monday. Pack
up your things and someone will take you to the train station later today. All
the arrangements have been made."
Thomas swallowed hard. Later today?
He'd been around when Heidi, his cousin,
left for Edinburgh last year. He'd heard the rumors of how the whole thing went
down and even watched as she got into one of the pack's Jeeps, never to be seen
again. She hadn't had any more notice than this, so how could he expect
anything different for himself? He wasn't even the alpha's direct offspring.
So he didn't argue, and did what he was
told.
Packing did not take long. Even so, he
didn't have much time for goodbyes.
He didn't permit himself to think or analyze
the situation too much. These were his orders, and he would follow them to the
best of his abilities.
Only when he found himself alone on the
train later in the day did he take a short breather.
How strange, leaving Rannoch. Heidi had
never come back home and although rumors were plentiful, Thomas had no real
idea why her departure had been permanent.
Was it by choice? Had something happened to
her out here?
The world outside of Rannoch was a big
place. Perhaps she'd been ill-equipped to deal with it all and gotten herself
into trouble. They were cousins, and not too far apart in age, but they'd never
been close. Still, he couldn't help but wonder what might’ve happened to her.
And what would become of him? Would he be
successful? Would he be able to keep his true orders under wraps and fool his
fellow recruits?
What would happen if he was found out?
His train came to a halt in a quiet station
and he observed a tearful reunion outside on the platform. A young couple,
overjoyed to see each other again.
This mission into the great unknown might
make him cross paths with his own mate. He certainly hoped so.
She
had to be out there somewhere; he just hadn't met her yet…
Chapter
One
These past few months, Private Jill Callahan
had been the happiest she'd ever been in her professional life, as well as the
most troubled.
Alpha Squad was a tough assignment, no
doubt. And although the squad had gotten off to a difficult start, with each
passing mission, they seemed to work just a little bit better together.
This was a career changer for her.
A chance to be part of something completely
new and meaningful.
Jill wouldn't give it up for the world.
And yet, every night when she went to bed,
sleep eluded her.
Every morning before it was time to get up,
she found that she was already awake and staring at the ceiling in the dark.
She saw herself as the quiet backbone of the
squad. Making travel arrangements, answering phone calls, setting up meetings,
and completing necessary paperwork. She wasn't actively involved in the
missions; she didn't investigate crimes or chase down troublemakers, usually.
But without her, things wouldn't run nearly as smoothly.
She wasn't as important as Major Janine
Williams, who ran the squad, but her work was imperative to the smooth running
of everyday affairs. If she let things slip, everyone would feel the effects.
So why couldn't she just relax and allow
herself some proper rest once her daily duties were over?
In one word: Blackwood.
The only wolf on the squad, recruit
Blackwood had turned her world upside down. She had no idea why; the two had
barely had a proper conversation in all the time they'd spent together both
on-base and in the field. She liked to think that she wasn't so shallow that
she'd lust after the man simply because he was hot.
Though he was.
Objectively speaking, all the recruits were
fine specimens of the opposite sex, though Jill did not like to think of them
that way. But at times like these, with hours to go before dawn, these were the
thoughts that occupied her mind.
Throughout her career in the military, she
had been surrounded by fit men. But only one had only ever affected her so
deeply.
Blackwood.
She didn't even know the man, not really.
She knew he was a wolf shifter, and that he was from a town in Scotland which
she'd never heard of before. She also knew about his stellar performance during
boot camp, of course; she'd typed up his reports, after all.
How could she feel so connected to a complete
stranger?
A complete stranger with perfect washboard
abs and a boyish smile that could melt even the coldest of hearts.
Either way, Jill wasn't in the habit of
mixing work and pleasure. Her irrational attraction to Thomas Blackwood had
made her avoid him completely. In the military, it would’ve been against the
rules to fraternize within the same squad. Although Alpha Squad played by its
own rules which had not been so strictly defined yet, just the thought of
starting a relationship with Blackwood went against Jill's own code of conduct.
She couldn't imagine doing such a thing.
What Major Williams had going on with Eric
King was her own business.
Their affair had begun sometime during boot
camp itself. Jill did her best not to judge, but she certainly wouldn't have
started anything if she was in the major's position.
Way too much scrutiny.
And Eric King's appointment as
second-in-command could easily be interpreted as favoritism by those in the
know. Luckily, nobody else on the team seemed any the wiser.
Still, none of these idle thoughts helped
her figure out a way to resolve her own problem. How was she going to keep
ignoring Thomas Blackwood when he was so annoyingly present every day they
worked together?
From boot camp, which saw them all living on
base together, and even heading out into the wilderness for training exercises.
To their first mission in Sevenoaks, during which they all occupied the same
quaint little country inn.
There had been a couple more such missions.
Now that shifters were fully integrating into human society, there was always
some incident or some investigation that could benefit from the expertise
offered by Alpha Squad.
Their political ally and self-appointed
superior, Secretary of Shifter Affairs Oliver Teese, had sent the squad into
various towns all over the country. They weren't always welcome—at least not at
first—but they’d managed to create a reputation for themselves as a task force
that did the job with minimum fuss and drama, and maximum results.
So why was it so hard for Jill to focus on
the job, and the job alone? How long would she have to suffer in silence until
her fixation on Blackwood would pass and she could get on with her life again?
The shrill sound of her alarm interrupted
her deep thoughts and spurred her into action.
She tried to shake off the fatigue that
lingered in her tired limbs and force herself into a more productive state of
mind
While suffering in silence every time
Blackwood came near.
She shook off any lingering thoughts about
him and got up, ready to start her daily routine
Prologue
*Six Months Ago*
"Thomas," Eric Blackwood, alpha of
the Wolf settlement in Rannoch, Scotland, spoke in a low but determined voice.
"Yes, Alpha." Thomas Blackwood
averted his gaze, as was customary when the pack leader addressed an underling.
"As you know, since the emergence of
the New Alliance and the exposure of our kind to the world, we’ve been trailing
behind the rest of shifterkind in our efforts to come to terms with the new
reality. Now that the human government is starting some kind of law enforcement
program with the New Alliance, we cannot afford to remain complacent any
longer. We must act!"
Thomas blinked a few times. Where was this
conversation headed? "I agree, Sir."
"What would you say if I asked you to
join this new initiative? To be our eyes and ears within this… what is it
called again?"
"Alpha Squad, Sir."
Alpha Blackwood scoffed. "That's right.
Alpha Squad. I’ve managed to pull a few strings and get you inserted into their
training program. The rest is up to you. Failure is not an option; our pack
relies on you."
Thomas took a deep breath and nodded
solemnly. He would not let down his alpha, or the rest of the pack. It was a
great honor to be chosen for a mission such as this, and he would never forgive
himself if he messed it up.
Plus, this would be the first time he'd
actually move out of Rannoch. It was a chance unlike any other to see what the
rest of the world was like, and he was keen to learn everything he could.
"A lot rests on your shoulders, but I
wouldn't have chosen you for the job unless I thought you could hack it,"
the alpha said. "It's a delicate matter, and you'll understand that I
prefer to keep things in the family for now…"
Thomas nodded again. Ever since Alpha
Blackwood had sent his very own daughter to Edinburgh to work with the Alliance
about a year ago, there weren't any other Blackwoods in the pack to take on a
job like this. Thomas, being the alpha's nephew, was a logical choice. More so
since Thomas's very own parents had passed away a few years back and the alpha
and his wife had taken a special interest in his education and upbringing. He
owed his aunt and uncle a lot, and now the time had come for him to repay them.
"Thank you, Sir. I will do my
best."
The alpha rested his hand on Thomas's
shoulder.
Even though his hair was starting to grey
around his temples, Alpha Blackwood was an impressive looking man. His large,
strong hand weighed heavy on Thomas's shoulder, even though the younger wolf
was no weakling himself
The
physical training should not challenge you too much. Focus your energy on
making the others trust you. They must never suspect that you report to
me."
"No problem," Thomas said firmly,
even though the prospect of having to deceive fellow trainees and the squad's
leadership was a worrying one. He wasn't a liar by nature.
But if his alpha commanded it, he had to
obey. That was how wolf society worked.
"Good. Training begins on Monday. Pack
up your things and someone will take you to the train station later today. All
the arrangements have been made."
Thomas swallowed hard. Later today?
He'd been around when Heidi, his cousin,
left for Edinburgh last year. He'd heard the rumors of how the whole thing went
down and even watched as she got into one of the pack's Jeeps, never to be seen
again. She hadn't had any more notice than this, so how could he expect
anything different for himself? He wasn't even the alpha's direct offspring.
So he didn't argue, and did what he was
told.
Packing did not take long. Even so, he
didn't have much time for goodbyes.
He didn't permit himself to think or analyze
the situation too much. These were his orders, and he would follow them to the
best of his abilities.
Only when he found himself alone on the
train later in the day did he take a short breather.
How strange, leaving Rannoch. Heidi had
never come back home and although rumors were plentiful, Thomas had no real
idea why her departure had been permanent.
Was it by choice? Had something happened to
her out here?
The world outside of Rannoch was a big
place. Perhaps she'd been ill-equipped to deal with it all and gotten herself
into trouble. They were cousins, and not too far apart in age, but they'd never
been close. Still, he couldn't help but wonder what might’ve happened to her.
And what would become of him? Would he be
successful? Would he be able to keep his true orders under wraps and fool his
fellow recruits?
What would happen if he was found out?
His train came to a halt in a quiet station
and he observed a tearful reunion outside on the platform. A young couple,
overjoyed to see each other again.
Perhaps
the outside world wasn't all bad. He'd stood by and watched as some of his peers
had paired up around him within Rannoch itself. But he'd never felt any
attraction or pull toward any of the she-wolves in his age group.
This mission into the great unknown might
make him cross paths with his own mate. He certainly hoped so.
She
had to be out there somewhere; he just hadn't met her yet…
Chapter
One
These past few months, Private Jill Callahan
had been the happiest she'd ever been in her professional life, as well as the
most troubled.
Alpha Squad was a tough assignment, no
doubt. And although the squad had gotten off to a difficult start, with each
passing mission, they seemed to work just a little bit better together.
This was a career changer for her.
A chance to be part of something completely
new and meaningful.
Jill wouldn't give it up for the world.
And yet, every night when she went to bed,
sleep eluded her.
Every morning before it was time to get up,
she found that she was already awake and staring at the ceiling in the dark.
She saw herself as the quiet backbone of the
squad. Making travel arrangements, answering phone calls, setting up meetings,
and completing necessary paperwork. She wasn't actively involved in the
missions; she didn't investigate crimes or chase down troublemakers, usually.
But without her, things wouldn't run nearly as smoothly.
She wasn't as important as Major Janine
Williams, who ran the squad, but her work was imperative to the smooth running
of everyday affairs. If she let things slip, everyone would feel the effects.
So why couldn't she just relax and allow
herself some proper rest once her daily duties were over?
In one word: Blackwood.
The only wolf on the squad, recruit
Blackwood had turned her world upside down. She had no idea why; the two had
barely had a proper conversation in all the time they'd spent together both
on-base and in the field. She liked to think that she wasn't so shallow that
she'd lust after the man simply because he was hot.
Though he was.
Objectively speaking, all the recruits were
fine specimens of the opposite sex, though Jill did not like to think of them
that way. But at times like these, with hours to go before dawn, these were the
thoughts that occupied her mind.
Throughout her career in the military, she
had been surrounded by fit men. But only one had only ever affected her so
deeply.
Blackwood.
She didn't even know the man, not really.
She knew he was a wolf shifter, and that he was from a town in Scotland which
she'd never heard of before. She also knew about his stellar performance during
boot camp, of course; she'd typed up his reports, after all.
But
despite sneaking the occasional peek at his dossier, she did not know who he
really was.
How could she feel so connected to a complete
stranger?
A complete stranger with perfect washboard
abs and a boyish smile that could melt even the coldest of hearts.
Either way, Jill wasn't in the habit of
mixing work and pleasure. Her irrational attraction to Thomas Blackwood had
made her avoid him completely. In the military, it would’ve been against the
rules to fraternize within the same squad. Although Alpha Squad played by its
own rules which had not been so strictly defined yet, just the thought of
starting a relationship with Blackwood went against Jill's own code of conduct.
She couldn't imagine doing such a thing.
What Major Williams had going on with Eric
King was her own business.
Their affair had begun sometime during boot
camp itself. Jill did her best not to judge, but she certainly wouldn't have
started anything if she was in the major's position.
Way too much scrutiny.
And Eric King's appointment as
second-in-command could easily be interpreted as favoritism by those in the
know. Luckily, nobody else on the team seemed any the wiser.
Still, none of these idle thoughts helped
her figure out a way to resolve her own problem. How was she going to keep
ignoring Thomas Blackwood when he was so annoyingly present every day they
worked together?
From boot camp, which saw them all living on
base together, and even heading out into the wilderness for training exercises.
To their first mission in Sevenoaks, during which they all occupied the same
quaint little country inn.
There had been a couple more such missions.
Now that shifters were fully integrating into human society, there was always
some incident or some investigation that could benefit from the expertise
offered by Alpha Squad.
Their political ally and self-appointed
superior, Secretary of Shifter Affairs Oliver Teese, had sent the squad into
various towns all over the country. They weren't always welcome—at least not at
first—but they’d managed to create a reputation for themselves as a task force
that did the job with minimum fuss and drama, and maximum results.
So why was it so hard for Jill to focus on
the job, and the job alone? How long would she have to suffer in silence until
her fixation on Blackwood would pass and she could get on with her life again?
The shrill sound of her alarm interrupted
her deep thoughts and spurred her into action.
She tried to shake off the fatigue that
lingered in her tired limbs and force herself into a more productive state of
mind
It
was another day, and she would bring her all to the job.
While suffering in silence every time
Blackwood came near.
She shook off any lingering thoughts about
him and got up, ready to start her daily routine
·٠•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ●•٠· LORELEI MOONE ·٠•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ●•٠·
Lorelei Moone is an up-and-coming author of paranormal
romance based in London. A lover of all things sweet, and
caffeinated, when she’s not writing about sexy bear shifters
and their strong-willed curvaceous love interests, Lorelei can
be found baking cookies or cakes for her family.
Website • Facebook • Twitter •
Bookbub • Amaz
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