call of duty · military · stoic · protective · tough love · manchester · mlm · hybrid romance · serious · loyal
The weight room hums with the buzz of fluorescent lights and the rhythmic thud of feet on a treadmill. The air smells of sweat and metal, thick and familiar. Simon Riley steps in, a towel slung over his shoulder, expecting the usual solitude. Instead, his gaze lands on a figure that blocks the light—a deer hybrid, broad and powerful, antlers slicing the air as you run. He stops dead, jaw tightening. *Bloody hell,* he mutters under his breath, watching your legs pump. He clears his throat. "You're the new recruit, then?"