I stood in the MCV, scanning the orders Catalina handed me after Kira and I got back. The weight of the mission hit me hard: we had to be rolling by tomorrow afternoon, no exceptions. Equipment was already streaming in, getting loaded onto our trailers, and the shipment Kira and I hauled in was being transferred onto one of our flat decks. Those black, unmarked crates gave off an ominous vibe, practically screaming classified. Whatever was inside, it was our job to protect it, no matter the cost. The orders were frustratingly vague—just keep the cargo safe and don’t ask questions.

Letting out a heavy sigh, I looked up as a short, stocky man around my height limped into the MCV, using a crutch for support. His F.S. Army uniform bore the Army Ranger scroll and Special Forces patch, and it hit me—he was one of the dragons, the injured one from our first battle. I eyed him carefully, recalling the hell he’d gone through.

“Colonel, I’m here to help issue your TA-50 gear, uniforms, and all the other Army essentials,” he said in a deep Southern drawl.

“Ironfist, good to see you again. How’re you holding up?” I asked.

“Good to see you too, ma’am. Let’s just say my stunt was a bit too rash,” he replied with a hint of self-deprecation.

“Maybe, but what you did was brave as hell,” I said, pride swelling in my chest.

“Yeah, well, doubt I’ll ever fly again,” he grumbled.

What do you say to someone who might never do what they love again? I could only imagine how gut-wrenching that was. An idea sparked—maybe, once he healed enough, I could have Director Staroko commission him a skyboard. Trying to encourage him, I stood up and met him at the door.

“You’ll fly again one day, Ironfist,” I said, trying to inject some optimism into my tone.

He just huffed and led me to the shipping container where our gear was stashed. Once we reached the container, he pointed out two tough boxes marked with my name and rank. Pulling the packing slip off the boxes, he instructed me to open the first one.

Inside, I found all my uniforms—boots, physical training gear, my class A uniform, towels, running shoes, rank insignias, and more. Everything was there except the unit patches. I shot him a questioning look, and he handed me five 102nd Airborne Division patches before holding up his checklist. It took us about ten minutes to inventory everything in that first box.

When I opened the second box, I found all my combat and field equipment. Unlike standard units, our gear was streamlined—body armor, helmets, IOTVs, CBRN gear, and the basics, but no tents, sleeping mats, or other camping gear. Just the essentials that could fit into our rigs’ limited living space. It felt like our gear was downsized to match our mobile lifestyle, with everything designed to fit snugly in our trucks.

After we finished inventorying, Ironfist pulled me aside. His expression was unreadable, but I could sense something was up.

“The Fleet has something for you. They wanted to wait until everyone got their gear issued,” he said, leaving me confused.

“Um... okay,” I replied, not sure what to expect.

He led me to an area near the shipping container where the entire fleet was waiting, arranged in a U-shaped formation. I glanced around, still puzzled as they parted to let me through. As I stepped into the center, the sound of one of the rigs roaring to life grabbed my attention. Turning toward the noise, I watched as my truck rolled out from behind the shop.

As the truck approached, I caught sight of Mac behind the wheel, a huge grin plastered across her face as she maneuvered my rig in front of the formation. My jaw practically hit the ground when I saw the transformation. The once-massive bulldozer blade had been redesigned, reinforced to look sleeker, and painted to match the rest of the truck. The battle damage from our first trip had been replaced with silver streaks, artistically highlighting where the scars had been. Perched on the hood was a new silver dragon ornament, wings spread as if ready to take flight. And sitting atop the sleeper? A remote gun turret, quietly swiveling, ready for action.

But what really caught my eye was the new unit crest emblazoned on the door panels. The SkyTeam diamond served as the backdrop, with a dragon chasing its tail in the center. Our pack name, “Dragon Fleet,” was italicized in a blocky font, slashing through both the diamond and the dragon. Beneath the diamond, in a graceful arch, was our unit designation: 781st Transportation Pack. And, as the final touch, my rank and name were painted in silver on the bottom of the driver’s door, the Alpha insignia proudly leading the way. It was... perfect.

I stood there, completely gobsmacked, taking in the viciously beautiful sight of my truck. Everyone around me was grinning, clearly pleased with themselves. Mac hopped out, her grin even wider, and pulled me into a hug.

“What do you think of the upgrades?” she asked, clearly excited.

“Mac, I’m at a complete loss for words. This looks amazing!” I said, barely able to contain my excitement.

“Good, because I’ve been working day and night with an army of techs to get these trucks ready,” she replied, her voice betraying just how tired she really was.

“No joke, you look like you could use a solid week of sleep,” I said, noticing the exhaustion etched on her face.

“We had to push all ten trucks through the shop and get every modification done before our next mission. Yours was the last one to get completed,” she explained, stifling a yawn.

“Why don’t you get some rest while we handle loading the trucks?” I suggested.

“Alright, I’ll take you up on that,” she said, yawning again as she climbed back into my truck and drove it over to the FRS. She didn’t hook it up, but she lined it up perfectly so I could hitch it quickly. Turning back to the rest of the fleet, I gave them a grateful smile.

“I know you’re all tired, but we need to get these rigs loaded. We have to be out of here by noon tomorrow. If we can load and secure everything tonight, you’ll get the rest of the night off,” I said.

“We’ll get it done,” Sasha replied with a determined look.

I nodded as she led the others away to start the work. As I turned to head back toward the MCV, Azura stepped up beside me, looking hesitant.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, sensing she had something on her mind.

“Uh, yeah… I just wanted to ask you a question,” she replied, clearly nervous.

“What’s up?” I queried, curious about what was bothering her.

“How do I talk to a guy I really like?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, shyness overtaking her.

I froze, staring at her in shock. Of all the things she could have asked, this was not what I expected. Seeing my stunned expression, she started to panic.

“Sorry, Lyra, I shouldn’t have asked,” she said quickly, turning to leave.

“Hold on, Azura, don’t go. You just caught me completely off guard,” I said, stopping her in her tracks.

She looked down at the ground, nervously wringing her fingers together.

“What made you decide to ask me for dating advice?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“You’re the alpha. Alphas always give the right answer,” she replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

I snorted and couldn’t help but chuckle. She looked up at me, confusion written all over her face.

“Azura, just because I’m an alpha doesn’t mean I’m always right. That kind of thinking is what’s gotten the wolves into the mess they’re in now. But I’ll do my best to give you some good advice,” I said, offering her an encouraging smile.

Azura visibly relaxed at my reassurance. “Okay,” she replied softly, her shoulders finally losing some of their tension.

“So, who’s the guy you’ve got your eye on?” I asked, genuinely curious now.

She mumbled a name I couldn’t quite catch, her eyes glued to the ground as a blush crept across her cheeks.

“Who?” I asked, leaning in slightly.

“Ironfist…” she huffed out, barely above a whisper.

I blinked, wide-eyed, for what felt like the second time in just a few minutes. Ironfist? One of the dragons? That threw me for a loop. I wasn’t sure how to respond to that right away.

“Please don’t tell Cain or Abel… They’re still stuck in the old ways, thinking wolves should only date other wolves. They’ll make me feel bad,” she admitted, her voice tinged with worry.

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“Azura, I would never betray your trust like that,” I assured her. “Besides, who you choose to be with is your business. The dragons are part of our pack, just like everyone else. I’m just surprised, is all.”

Azura seemed to stumble over her thoughts, processing what I’d just told her. It seemed like she couldn’t believe that I was okay with her choice.

“So… you’re saying it’s okay for me to date one of the dragons?” she asked in a hushed tone, as if testing the waters.

“Absolutely. You’ve got my blessing. Hell, Steve and Catalina are dating,” I added, pausing as I considered their relationship more carefully. I had a feeling they were closer to mate bonding than just casual dating. “Go for it, Azura. And if anyone, including your brothers, gives you a hard time, send them straight to me.”

“Okay, but… how do I even approach him?” she asked, her shyness returning.

“Well, for starters, don’t treat him like he’s broken or needs pity. He’s a Ranger and Special Forces, after all. Maybe just do something nice for him,” I suggested, trying to think of what might resonate with Ironfist. “Have you ever gone skyboarding before?”

“No… we weren’t allowed to in our old pack. It was… very old school. Women weren’t permitted to do anything dangerous,” she confessed.

That brought up something I’d been meaning to ask the three of them about. “Where is your old pack, anyway?”

“They’re in India,” she said, her voice dropping again.

“What brought the three of you here?” I asked, genuinely curious about their backstory.

“It’s a long story, but basically, Cain had a falling out with our old alpha, and we were banished,” she quickly explained, brushing it off.

“Oh…” I murmured, not wanting to press further.

“Yeah…” she echoed, the weight of that single word hanging in the air.

“Well, back to Ironfist,” I said, steering the conversation back to her original question. “Why don’t you ask him to take you to the local skyboarding shop in Des Moines and see if he can teach you how to fly?”

Azura’s eyes lit up with excitement at the suggestion. “Do we even have time for that?”

I gave her a sly grin as I scanned the yard for Ironfist. He was over by Tyler and Charlotte, helping with their load despite his injury. Letting out a sharp whistle, I got everyone’s attention and called him over.

He approached quickly, using his crutch to move with surprising agility. “Yes, Colonel Acosta,” he said, snapping to attention.

“Ironfist, when we’re not around brass, you can call me Lyra,” I huffed, already tired of the formality.

“Yes, Colonel. Understood,” he replied with military precision.

I rolled my eyes. I’d have to work on breaking the dragons of this habit. We were a pack first, a unit second.

“Could you please escort Azura to the local skyboarding shop? She’s interested in learning how to fly,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him in a playful warning.

“Of course, Colonel,” he said, saluting me again.

I let out a growl of frustration, but it was Azura’s small, bell-like giggle that really caught Ironfist’s attention. His entire demeanor softened, his stern military bearing melting away as he looked at her with genuine interest. Maybe, just maybe, there was something there after all.

Giving Azura a wink, I left them to it and headed back to help the rest of the fleet with the trucks. I hadn’t been back long before Abel found me, looking like he was ready to demand answers about why his sister had gone off with Ironfist.

“What the hell, Alpha? Why did you send Azura off with Ironfist?” Abel growled, his protective instincts flaring up like a bad rash.

I arched an eyebrow at him, silently challenging his outburst. He quickly lowered his gaze, submitting to my authority as he should.

“Do you have a problem with the fact that I sent her and Ironfist on a local mission to get supplies for my skyboard?” I asked, keeping my tone even but firm.

“No, Alpha. It’s just…” He hesitated, clearly struggling to put his thoughts into words.

“It’s just what?” I pushed, crossing my arms and waiting for him to spit it out.

“It’s the way he looks at my sister,” Abel finally huffed. “It’s like he adores her and wants to date her.”

“And what’s wrong with that?” I asked, genuinely curious about where his mind was taking this.

“He’s a dragon. Wolves should only date wolves, and dragons should only date dragons,” he pointed out, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

I tilted my head, giving him a long, hard look before responding. “Abel, do you have a problem with Steve dating Catalina?” I asked, watching his reaction closely.

“What? No!” he said quickly, looking almost offended at the suggestion.

“Why not? Steve’s a wolf, and Catalina’s a pixie,” I pointed out, not letting him off the hook that easily.

“But she’s part wolf too,” he argued, grasping for something solid to cling to.

“Would you look down on me if I chose to date Mac or one of the dragons?” I shot back, keeping my tone sharp.

“No!” he sputtered, clearly taken aback.

“Why not?” I demanded, pressing the issue.

“Because you’re the alpha. You can date whoever you want,” he replied, as if that explained everything.

“Abel… I want you to think about what you just said,” I huffed, giving him a moment to process his own words.

“Alpha, I don’t understand what you’re getting at,” he admitted, his confusion evident.

“Abel, I lead by example. Not by ‘do as I say, not as I do.’ If I’m allowed to date whoever I want, and I’m allowing others to date whoever they want, what makes you think I’ll prevent others from doing the same?” I pointed out, my voice softening just a bit.

“But he’s a dragon…” Abel grumbled, clearly not ready to let go of his prejudice.

“Let me ask you this: have you considered that the feeling might be mutual?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Uh, no…” he admitted, looking a little lost.

“So, would you want me or anyone else to stand in the way of your happiness if you found someone to date?” I asked, pushing him to really think about his stance.

“Well, no… I’d be upset if you or anyone else did that,” he replied, his tone softening as realization dawned.

I arched my eyebrow and crossed my arms over my chest. “So, it wouldn’t be fair to your sister if you stood in her way, would it?”

Abel shifted uncomfortably, his jaw working side to side as he realized I had him cornered. He had no ground to stand on with his outdated views.

“Abel, just because she’s your sister doesn’t give you the right to stand in the way of her happiness. If you found a human, a pixie, a phoenix, or a dragon to date, I’d want you to be happy. If that person made you happy, then that’s all that matters to me. Rules be damned, we’re people first,” I explained, my tone firm but understanding.

I watched Abel visibly deflate as my words sank in. There were clearly some deep-seated issues within the pack that I’d need to address sooner rather than later. We weren’t a normal pack, and everyone needed to understand that.

“As much as I want to disagree with you, Alpha, you’re right. The three of us were banished from our old pack because Cain refused to accept the arranged marriage our parents and our alpha had planned. He and his betrothed did nothing but fight. He was miserable. Azura and I both saw it. We took his side, and well… here we are,” Abel confessed, finally giving in.

“Then I suggest you and Cain support Azura in her choices. If she chooses to date Ironfist, then stand by her and encourage her. Especially since the three of you know what it’s like to have your happiness dismissed,” I said, my tone softening as I offered him a way forward.

He nodded, and we both returned to the task at hand. Abel stayed by my side, and together we worked in silence, securing the load I’d been working on before our conversation.

It was nearly seven at night when a SkyTeam company pickup truck rolled into the yard, bringing with it the unmistakable smell of hot food. I glanced at Steve, asking silently if he’d arranged for this, but he shook his head and shrugged. When the driver and passenger stepped out, they waved me down and explained that my uncle had sent the food for us. I quickly thanked them, and a small team of us set to work unloading the coolers and setting up tables.

Together, Stoneclaw and I served everyone their plates before I grabbed a chunk of steak and bit into it, signaling that it was okay for the others to start eating. They were slowly getting used to the new rules I was laying down. Kira and Jake had already started eating without waiting for me, which made me smile, even as a few of the others shot them curious glances. After fixing my own plate, I looked up and made an announcement.

“For the rest of the evening through tomorrow morning, everyone is off. No training, no loading, no securing, or tarping. First formation will be at ten in the morning. Be in uniform and ready to roll. If you have any questions about uniform setup, ask one of the dragons, Catalina, or me. We’re here to help. But as of now, everyone is off duty. Get some rest and enjoy your evening,” I said loudly, my voice carrying over the group.

A collective woof of acknowledgment rippled through the group before everyone dove back into their meals. I took my plate and scanned the area for Mac, who had been noticeably absent since she showed me my truck. Balancing my plate in one hand, I made my way to the MCV, peeking inside her room only to find it empty, save for her military gear. Leaning back out, I called over to Catalina.

“Have you seen Mac?” I asked.

“Not since she brought out your truck,” Catalina replied, barely glancing up from her paperwork.

“Catalina… I said no work,” I grumbled, narrowing my eyes at her.

“I know, I know. I have two files left, then I’m done,” she said, waving me off without missing a beat.

Rolling my eyes, I left the MCV and headed back to my truck, intent on finding Mac later. For now, I needed to put this food somewhere before it got cold. Reaching my truck, I did a little balancing act with the plates, managing to get the door open. I placed the food on the passenger seat and climbed into the cab, closing the door behind me. But as I turned toward the sleeper, I came to a dead stop.

There, sprawled out on my bunk, was Mac—fast asleep.

I stood there for a moment, not sure what to do. Sighing, I leaned over her and gently began to shake her shoulder, hoping to wake her up. She let out a grunt and rolled onto her back.

“Mac, can you wake up, please?” I whispered, trying not to startle her.

No luck. I patted her cheek gently, hoping that might do the trick, but instead, I found myself yanked off my feet and pulled into the sleeper with her. I let out a squeak of surprise as my back was pressed against the wall and my front was plastered against Mac. She pulled my arm under her head and snuggled into the crook of my neck. My face heated with embarrassment, and my heart pounded in my chest. Before I could say or do anything, I heard Mac murmur in a sleepy tone.

“Don’t leave me behind again. I missed you,” she whispered in my ear, her voice filled with a vulnerability I hadn’t expected.

Her words hit me right in the chest, sinking deep. Mac always put up a tough front, but right now, she seemed so… exposed.

“Mac, you know it’s me, Lyra, right?” I asked softly, my voice barely more than a whisper.

She nodded her head slowly, snuggling even closer. Swallowing hard, I let out a deep breath.

“How long have you been alone?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

“Years…” she whispered back, her voice tinged with a sadness that tugged at my heart.

I made a mental note to ask her about that later, to find out what had left her feeling so isolated. But another question was already spinning in my mind, one I couldn’t ignore. I’d had a hunch for a while now, ever since that dinner with Star and Cayro.

“Mac… do you like me?” I asked, my voice barely audible.

She nodded again, and to my surprise, something sparked in my chest. For so long, I’d seen myself as unlovable, especially after Cameron left. But here was this strong, beautiful phoenix who wanted my attention, my affection. Slowly, I let my body relax, wrapping my free arm around Mac. For the first time in a long time, I let the walls around my heart crumble just a little, enough to snuggle her back.

My mind was racing, trying to reconcile this new reality. I’d never really considered being with a woman before, but in that moment, it didn’t matter. What mattered was the connection—the chance to be that one special person for someone, to share happiness and memories with them. I decided then and there to give Mac a chance, to see where this could go. Listening to her heartbeat, I let it lull me into a peaceful sleep.