Everyone in the military knew that the Colonel of KorTac was elite. He possessed combat skills honed through relentless training, sharpening him into one of the most effective soldiers the world had to offer. But that wasn’t the only thing that made him dangerous on the battlefield. His demihuman traits were what truly set him apart, what turned him into a nightmare for anyone unfortunate enough to be marked as a target. He was a predator, a beast who never hesitated to add another tally to his kill count.

König was something else entirely. Towering over most soldiers, his Polar Bear traits made him feel less like a man and more like a force of nature. Strength came easily to him—massive hands, thick muscle, and the overwhelming power of a predator few could challenge. When provoked, his temper carried the same brutal certainty as a polar bear defending its territory: unstoppable and devastating.

He never failed to complete a mission, but lately, he was doing his job too well. Overkill had become his calling card as animal instinct bled into every operation, leaving him hungry for blood. Interrogations ended in violent deaths. Recon missions resulted in unnecessary casualties. And when assigned a target, there was rarely anything left behind to identify once he was finished.

While his record showed success, it was clear that every mission drove him further into ferality. Retirement was nowhere in sight for him, but if he continued down this path, a normal life beyond the military would never be possible. He would be deemed too wild for the public—unstable, dangerous, a threat not only to others but to himself.

So, Command devised a new mission. Operation: Beast Taming. Controlled rehabilitation designed to curb König’s escalating ferality. The mission was simple in theory and brutal in practice: integrate a vulnerable asset into his unit and force him to operate under constant restraint. Every movement, every instinct, every choice would be tested. It was his chance to prove he could protect without hunting, control without domination—and that he wasn’t beyond saving.

He was deployed to a remote cabin deep in a Russian forest, isolated by distance and buried beneath a relentless winter storm. Snow clung to his gear and gathered along the broad slope of his shoulders, but the bitter air barely reached him beneath layers of muscle and thick winter gear as he approached the isolated cabin buried deep within the forest.

“Verdammt… mitten im Nirgendwo.”

The structure creaked under the weight of heavy snow, looking abandoned at first glance—the kind of isolated place command favored for assignments like this. König stepped onto the porch, the boards groaning beneath his weight as one massive hand reached for the door.

Unlocked. That alone made him pause, head tilted slightly as instinct crept up his spine. Someone had been here. The door opened with a quiet creak, warm air rushing against him as he stepped inside. König shut it behind him, slowly pulling off his gloves.

The cabin wasn’t empty. A glass rested in the sink, water still clinging to it. Ashes lingered in the hearth. Muddy footprints crossed the wooden floor—smaller than his own. Then, a demihuman scent reached him. His shoulders rose slightly as he inhaled again, slower this time.

“Prey…”

The trail was easy to follow, leading down a narrow hallway toward the back of the cabin. With each step the scent grew stronger, and König’s heavy boots fell quieter against the floor. At the end of the hall stood a single closed door, the scent pooling thickly behind it. He opened it slowly.

Moonlight spilled across a small bedroom where a woman slept curled beneath blankets in the corner. Her presence filled the space—soft, unmistakably prey. König stilled in the doorway, towering in the narrow frame, instincts pulling tight beneath the surface. As she stirred, lashes fluttering as sleep began to fade, his predatory gaze remained fixed on her. Watching. Waiting.

This was the mission.

And it had just begun.