A SEAL Wolf Christmas

redone because he’d be glad to help her out.

Finn glanced over his shoulder at him, a wry grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. Paul swore under his breath.

“Could we all look like the jungle cats?” Mom sounded hopeful that if they blended into the jungle more, they might get out of this alive.

Grinning, the boy nodded vigorously.

Before the party got under way, four of the SEALs were face-painting the humans, making them blend into the woods as much as possible, while Anna and Finn continued to provide security. Once that was done, the men made sure the family had enough to drink and eat. Then Bjornolf crouched, letting Elsie grab on to his field pack. He held on to her scrawny legs to keep her in place.

Vulnerable, he thought. Both he and Elsie were at a disadvantage, should they be attacked en route to the location where they would be transported out of the country. He felt his stomach tighten with disquiet. He liked being the ghost of a backup. No one knowing he was there. The bad guys died, never getting close to the team. No one to say thanks. No getting emotionally involved.

Except for the last mission he’d had with them, and he hadn’t believed he’d ever get that involved with the team again. That would have suited him fine.

To physically transport a human child out of a potentially volatile situation was also something foreign to him. He was the lone wolf, the hidden security, which fit his personality perfectly.

Paul carrying the boy and Bjornolf the girl, they walked in the center of the group. Mom and the dad led the way, while the dad’s brother hiked behind Bjornolf. Hunter was out in front, Allan bringing up the rear, while Anna and Finn flanked them in the jungle, providing cover to the left and right. Bjornolf couldn’t see them, but he kept thinking that was where he should be.

Elsie whispered, “Did you tell Santa what you want for Christmas?”

Anna instantly popped in his mind. He smiled to himself.

“Have to make up my list,” he whispered.

“I wanna iPad and a phone and a…” Elsie began listing all the colors, brands, and kinds of toys she wanted for Christmas while Bjornolf nodded absently, all the while attempting to listen for trouble.

He smiled to himself. He had to admit the idea of Anna sitting pretty under his Christmas tree sure appealed.

The going was slow, not because of the difficulty with the heat and humidity or the terrain, but because the two brothers and the mom were struggling to keep up. They huffed and puffed as he felt Elsie’s tension-filled legs loosen their grip on him. She’d fallen asleep.

Worrying that she might slip off, he paused. The uncle pulled the sleeping child off Bjornolf’s back and offered to carry her, despite his obvious lack of strength. He looked about done in with his shoulders stooped, sweat pouring off his face, and his eyes heavily lidded.

Bjornolf declined Jeff’s help and continued to carry Elsie in his arms. She was a dirty-faced little angel, her nearly black hair tangled and sweat plastering her bangs to her forehead. He felt a strange pang in the pit of his stomach.

Probably hunger. He hadn’t eaten in hours, he reminded himself.

He caught sight of Anna watching him. He couldn’t tell from her camouflaged expression what she thought. He shouldn’t have cared, but he was curious—as wolves were known to be. Was she amused by what he’d been roped into doing? Or maybe she felt a little sorry for him.

They had traveled for a couple of miles—although the thick jungle made it seem much farther—when he heard a startled male cry come from Anna’s direction. Everyone immediately crouched down. Heart pounding, Bjornolf knew to stay where he was and protect the child at all costs, but he damn well wanted to ensure Anna was okay.

She finally made a bird call, letting them know she was all right and to continue to move the family.

Still caught up in the anxiety that had seized him, he moved with the others, keeping alert, every muscle tense, ready to spring into action in the event of new danger.

Trouble didn’t take long to manifest itself.

The rat-ta-tat-tat of a spurt of gunfire off to his right meant Finn had his hands full. Then Bjornolf heard rustling to the left where Anna was watching their flank. Suddenly, Hunter was fighting a man in front of the group in hand-to-hand combat. Everyone came to an abrupt halt and crouched. Bjornolf handed the child off to the uncle, while Paul left the boy with his father. Bjornolf’s and Paul’s gazes met. Bjornolf motioned with his head toward Anna, indicating he was looking after her. Paul raised his brows a little.

Allan stayed with Hunter to safeguard the family while Paul joined Finn.

Bjornolf stealthily made his way to where he had last heard movement in Anna’s direction. He couldn’t find her. His heartbeat was racing when he heard her soft curse nearby. Even making that much of a sound seemed to be an effort for her.

Hell. He dove through the jungle in her direction.

Chapter 2

Furious that she was currently incapacitated and needed help, Anna Johnson heard a man crashing through the jungle like a tapir on steroids.

Damn, that’s all she needed—another terrorist coming for her after the last one she’d eliminated had collapsed on top of her, crushing her. The brute had to weigh over two hundred pounds and with fallen tree trunks on either side of her, she didn’t have any wiggle room to free herself.

She stayed very still, barely breathing, her heart pounding. With all the jungle noise around her—the bugs, the birds, the frogs, the sound of a river flowing nearby—none of the terrorists would hear her even if she struggled to free herself. If she could move at all. Hopefully, the dead body would hide her, and the approaching man would move along, looking for another target.

“Anna,” Bjornolf whispered some distance from her. She couldn’t see him, but she’d know his voice anywhere, gruff, worried. But he couldn’t see her, either.

Exasperated, she closed her eyes and cursed to herself. Of all the men who could have come to rescue her, she didn’t want Bjornolf to see her like this.

Swallowing her pride, she whispered, “Here.” Her voice came out muffled and barely audible. The dead bastard crushing her made it difficult to draw in a deep breath to say much more.

She thought she heard Bjornolf move closer, but it couldn’t be him. Whoever it was came from a different direction.

The person’s boot pulled away from the suction of mud on the jungle floor nearby, one step at a time. Then the boots moved onto drier land, with more of a crunching sound, slowly growing closer. She barely breathed.

A shadow suddenly blocked out the scant trickle of light through the canopy. A dirty-faced man with cold gray eyes peered down at her. Instantly, a chill swept up her spine. Not Bjornolf.

“You killed Juan,” the grungy man said with a thick Spanish accent. He aimed his pistol, and a gunshot rang out.

Her heart stuttered, and she expected to feel the bullet’s impact. Only she wasn’t shot.

The man fell face forward right on top of the other already resting heavily on her. The new dead man felt like he weighed nearly two hundred pounds himself.

“Anna, you okay?” Bjornolf asked, pulling the top dead body off her, then rolling him to the ground on the other side of the fallen tree.

She was filled with overwhelming relief when he moved all the additional pounds off her.

God, it was good to see Bjornolf, lips thinned with worry, high angled cheekbones giving him a rough, rugged look. In his camo gear, he was formidable, his clothes hugging his tall frame and his broad shoulders blocking her view of the canopy above. He was one sexy, virile wolf. His amber eyes were tinged with sage green, his burnt sienna brown hair cut short as if he was still in the Navy. No matter how much she needed to focus on