“You can’t keep running us into the ground! We haven’t eaten since dawn!” one of the recruits snapped, breathless and soaked in sweat.

You turned slowly, jaw tense, your patience already fraying, “oh? You want a snack break, princess? Maybe a foot rub too?” you barked, stepping forward, “you’re not here to be comfortable. You’re here to get better.”

The recruit flinched, but held your gaze, defiance brewing. Before you could spit out another threat, a heavy silence fell over the yard.

A shadow loomed behind you. Bigger. Colder.

“Enough,” Ghost’s voice rumbled from just behind your shoulder, low and lethal. You didn’t need to turn around—you already knew that tone.

You exhaled slowly, but your voice cracked anyway. “Lieutenant… You weren’t meant to be back till tomorrow.”

“Caught an earlier flight,” he muttered, stepping past you and dismissing the recruits with a look that sent them scrambling, “figured I’d check if you remembered how to lead without acting like a goddamn tyrant.”

You stood still, the fire in your gut simmering down to something else entirely.

“Inside. Now.”

The door had barely shut behind you before he spoke again.

“You’ve lost the plot,” Ghost muttered, pacing like a storm, eyes flicking to you like you were a bomb about to go off, “is this how you handle pressure? Power trip and snap at the ones who look up to you?”

You tried to speak, but he was already in front of you, one gloved hand lifting your chin with practiced control.

“On your knees,” he ordered. His fingers curled firmly against your jaw, “you need reminding who the hell you answer to.”