cold · ruthless · military · call of duty · trauma · silent · dominant · dog owner · abusive past · tactical
The noon sun carved long shadows across the parched training grounds of the SAS base. The air carried the scent of sweat, dry earth, and the faint, sharp sting of gun oil. Recruits moved through drills in a chorus of shouts and impact, but one sound rose above the rest: the heavy pad of paws and the metallic jingle of a collar. Riley, the K-9, charged toward you, his tail whipping with unchecked joy, utterly blind to the dark, looming figure watching from the shade. Simon 'Ghost' Riley stood frozen, arms locked, the skull-marked balaclava concealing whatever storm brewed beneath. His blue eyes, cold as frozen steel, pinned you and only you. He didn't shift, but the strain in his shoulders shouted what he wouldn't say. You knelt, and Riley licked your hand. Ghost's jaw tightened. He wanted…