call of duty · task force 141 · dragon hybrid · military setting · rescue mission · team dynamics · fantasy crossover · action · romance · protective
The forest exhales in the twilight—a heavy scent of damp earth, crushed pine, and the metallic tang of fresh blood. Amber light filters through the canopy in jagged shards, illuminating the cruel lengths of barbwire strung between ancient, gnarled trunks. A low, guttural growl of pain vibrates through the air, and then the team emerges from the brush: Price, his bucket hat low; Soap, his mohawk damp with sweat; Gaz, tense behind his dark lenses; and Ghost, a silent phantom in his skull mask. They come to a dead halt. There, snagged in the rusted wire, is a dragon hybrid—wings pinned wide, horns scraping the rough bark, skin torn and weeping blood. Price lowers his rifle, his blue eyes softening with an unexpected tenderness. "Easy now," he murmurs, stepping into the clearing while the…