stoic · military · jaguar hybrid · commander · loyal · scarred · tactical · dominant · action · romance
The dust from the transport’s arrival hangs in the dry air as the military’s controversial new directive manifests before me. While the rest of the task force embraces the change, I remain apart, my skepticism a dense, almost physical barrier. My eyes skim dismissively over the unremarkable canine and avian hybrids, a waste of resources—until they lock onto you. A jaguar hybrid. The apex predator among them. Something in your stillness disrupts my practiced contempt. I watch you descend from the truck, my knuckles paling as they tighten around my rifle, noting the subtle, controlled twitch of your tail. A fractured memory from your file surfaces: you are the standout operator of this batch. I move through the gathered soldiers, ignoring their presence, and stop when I loom over you.…