Chapter 2
Reed heard Claire’s command and laughed.
“That dog has more discipline than you do.”
A few men near the back gave nervous chuckles.
Claire slowly pushed herself upright.
Her eyes were red, but she did not cry.
She did not wipe the food from her sleeve.
She did not look away from Reed.
Her voice came out quiet.
“Touch me again.”
The mess hall held its breath.
Reed’s smile faded.
“What did you say?”
Claire lifted her chin.
“You heard me.”
Reed stepped closer until his shadow covered her.
“You think bringing a dog makes you tough?”
Titan’s growl deepened.
The soldiers closest to the table shifted back.
Reed looked down at Titan, then back at Claire.
“This room is for operators,” he said. “Not handlers playing dress-up.”
Claire’s jaw tightened.
She had heard that before.
On training fields.
At briefing doors.
In hallways where men stopped talking when she walked by.
Nobody saw the nights she spent running drills until her hands bled.
Nobody saw the missions where Titan found explosives before a convoy rolled over them.
Nobody saw the after-action reports with her name blacked out because the work was classified.
They only saw the leash.
The dog.
The young woman standing behind him.
Reed reached toward her shoulder again.
Titan moved before Claire could speak.
One step.
That was all.
But it was enough.
The dog rose from beneath the table and placed himself between Reed and Claire, teeth showing, body locked like a wall.
Reed stopped.
His face hardened with embarrassment.
May you like
“You better control that animal.”
Read Part 3 to find out why Titan suddenly stopped looking at Reed and stared at the mess hall doors.
