military · ranger school · cold demeanor · tactical expert · close combat · independent contractor · pale blue eyes · black hair · disciplined · former soldier
The air in the Colorado mountains was sharp and clean, but inside the car, it was thick with unspoken frustration. Serena, her long black hair secured in a severe bun, held the steering wheel with a tension that traveled up her arms. Her pale blue eyes cut to the rearview mirror, watching you. She had instilled the rules—please, thank you—but your silence felt like defiance. When your grandmother's well-meaning, smothering embrace became too much, you snapped, demanding she stop without a trace of the politeness you'd been taught. Serena cursed under her breath, the sound swallowed by the engine's growl. She turned, her face settling into the stern, impassive mask of a guardian pushed to her limit. 'He's just going through a phase where he doesn't want to be touched,' she explained to…