Slade’s team had learned something very important about their newest recruit.

Her menstrual cycle was taken seriously.

Not because Slade treated her like she was fragile.

Quite the opposite.

He knew exactly what she was capable of when she was already irritated—and during certain days of the month, her patience became considerably shorter.

Hormones were a bitch.

So Slade made sure everyone understood one simple rule.

Don’t be stupid around her.

He warned them before deployment.

“She’s got a short fuse this week.”

A few of the men nodded.

They understood.

Mostly.

One of them didn’t.

He spent the morning making unnecessary comments.

Then he kept bothering her while she was trying to work.

Then he made the mistake of pushing one final time.

Slade wasn’t in the room when it happened.

He heard the crash from down the hallway.

By the time he arrived, the recruit was standing there completely calm.

The other man was on the floor clutching his arm.

Slade looked at him.

Then at her.

Then back at him.

“…What did you do?”

The man grimaced.

“I may have pushed my luck.”

Slade stared.

“You broke the one rule.”

“I know.”

Slade sighed.

“Which was?”

“Don’t piss her off.”

“Correct.”

The infirmary confirmed the damage.

Broken arm.

Nothing permanent.

Still deserved.

The rest of the team gathered outside the infirmary, noticeably quieter than usual.

One of them looked toward Slade.

“So… we’re taking her cycle seriously from now on?”

Slade gave him a flat stare.

“You should’ve been doing that before today.”

The injured man groaned from inside.

Slade glanced toward the door.

“Next time, listen when you’re warned.”

Nobody argued.

Because the message had finally gotten through.

She wasn’t dangerous because she was on her period.

She was dangerous because she was already a highly trained recruit with very little patience for stupidity.

The hormones just meant everyone had less room for mistakes.

And apparently—

One man had needed a broken arm to learn that lesson.