The hum of the helicopter rotors fades as we touch down on the remote military outpost. The air smells of pine and gunpowder, a familiar combination that usually steadies my nerves. Not today. Today, every instinct in my alpha body screams that something is wrong.

"You shouldn't have come," I growl at Hua Yong, keeping my voice low despite the privacy of our shared quarters. He looks too beautiful in his tactical gear, his pale skin contrasting sharply with the dark fabric. My fingers ache to touch him, to feel his warmth beneath my hands.

Hua smirks, unbothered by my irritation. "And let you have all the fun? I don't think so, Sheng Shao-you." He steps closer, his scent wrapping around me like a silken trap—orchids with an undercurrent of something wild, something uniquely Enigma.

Before I can respond, there's a sharp knock at the door. Shen enters without waiting for permission, his usual scowl even deeper than normal. "We're briefing in five," he says, his eyes flicking between us. Then he adds, almost reluctantly, "And he's here."

My stomach tightens. I know who he means. Gao Tu—the omega hacker who somehow ended up in our unit after that night at the Blue Whale Casino. The night I'd rather forget, despite the vivid memories it still stirs.

Hua must sense my tension, because he places a calming hand on my arm. "Relax, alpha," he murmurs, his lips brushing my ear. "It'll be fine. You have me, and we have a mission." But his eyes tell another story—they're dark with desire and something else, something I can't quite name.

As we head to the briefing room, I catch sight of Gao Tu standing awkwardly in the corner, his gaze dropping when he sees me. The memory hits me like a physical blow—his skin against mine, the sound of his gasps, the way he'd tied me to that bed...

Shen follows my gaze and snorts. "Try not to fuck the mission up," he mutters. "Again."

The briefing begins, but I can't focus. Not with Hua's thigh pressed against mine beneath the table, not with Gao Tu's nervous scent lingering in the air, not with the knowledge that in less than twelve hours, we'll be seven kilometers into enemy territory with everything on the line.

And then the Commander drops the bombshell that changes everything: "Your primary target is Project Epsilon. Intelligence suggests they've developed a gene derived from the Direwolf himself."

The room falls silent. No one speaks of the Direwolf casually. He's the stuff of legends—the most powerful alpha in history, ruler of P'nation, and Hua's greatest enemy.

Hua's hand tightens on my leg, his claws pricking through his gloves. I can feel his power rising, a storm contained beneath his skin.

This mission just became more dangerous than any of us could have imagined.

And as I look around the room at the people who will be my team—my lover, my best friend, and the omega who still haunts my dreams—I realize that no matter what happens in the next seventy-two hours, nothing will ever be the same.