Chapter Text
Katie Holt:
Katie Holt liked working late in her lab.
Usually, it was peaceful.
The low hum of machinery.
Soft music playing from a speaker near her workstation.
Plants from her mom’s greenhouse tucked into corners around the room because apparently Holt women biologically could not exist without at least one endangered plant nearby.
Tonight should have been normal.
Instead, she heard the doors slide open behind her. Katie barely glanced up from her console to say, “We’re closed.”
A laugh answered her.
Male.
It felt wrong in her gut.
Katie’s shoulders tightened immediately as she turned.
One of the newer coalition officers leaned against the doorway with a smug expression she already disliked.
“I just wanted to talk.”
“I don’t.” She replied stiffly and turned back toward her work.
That should have been enough.
Instead, he walked further into the room. “Are you always this cold?”
Katie sighed heavily. “Do you always ignore obvious social cues?”
He laughed again like she was flirting.
God.
Katie finally turned fully, irritation climbing fast. “Look, whatever this is, I’m busy.”
“You’re always busy.”
“Yes,” she deadpanned. “That’s generally how being a scientist works.”
His eyes drifted around the lab. “No wonder nobody can ever get near you.”
‘Well, there’s that and my two scary dog privileges.’ Katie immediately didn’t like the tone of that sentence. “What do you want?”
“You.”
Katie blinked once. Then snorted in pure disbelief. “Absolutely not.”
The officer pushed off the wall. “Oh, come on~ Give me one date.”
“No.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
He stepped closer anyway.
Katie stepped back instinctively.
“I said no.”
“You don’t have to act so uptight.”
“I’m not acting.” Her voice sharpened and her eyes narrowed. “You need to leave.”
Instead of leaving, or at the very least apologizing, he reached out and grabbed her wrist.
Katie’s expression went flat instantly. “That was a bad choice, man.”
“What?” he scoffed. “You think you’re intimidating?”
Katie yanked her arm free hard enough to make him stumble slightly. “I think,” she snapped, “you have about five seconds before I—”
He grabbed her by the shoulders this time, harder than last time.
And shoved her back against the wall.
The impact knocked the breath from her lungs for half a second.
“Katie—”
“Get OFF—”
Then he kissed her.
Everything in Katie went white-hot furious, and she froze.
Through the small observation window beside the door, Kosmo also momentarily froze in place.
The cosmic wolf had been padding casually through the hallway moments earlier.
Now his ears flattened instantly.
He saw Katie struggling against the large man.
Saw the man pinning her.
And vanished in a burst of blue light.
Back in the lab, Katie slammed both hands against the officer’s chest and shoved him away with everything she had.
He staggered back just enough for her to swing.
CRACK.
Her palm connected with his face with such force that he hit the floor sideways, stunned.
Katie stood there breathing hard, lip curled in disgust. “You disgusting piece of—”
The officer groaned and pushed himself back up anyway.
“You little—”
He lunged for her again.
A burst of blue exploded between them.
Kosmo appeared directly in front of Katie.
Growling.
Deep.
Violent.
Protective.
Every hair along his back stood on end as he planted himself between Katie and the officer.
The man stumbled backward immediately.
“What the hell even is that?!”
Kosmo barked sharply, and took a step toward him.
Katie’s anger cracked for just a second at the sight of him.
Her wolf.
Her sweet cosmic menace.
Standing there ready to throw himself into danger for her.
“Kosmo,” she said softly.
He glanced back at her briefly without lowering his guard.
Katie crouched slightly, resting one shaking hand on his head.
Pride swelled painfully in her chest.
But fear too.
Because Kosmo would absolutely attack this guy if he had to.
And she didn’t want her poor baby to get hurt.
So she swallowed hard and whispered in his ear, “Go find Daddy.” He stopped growling for a moment to look at her apprehensively, and she gave him a smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll be okay.”
Kosmo gave the man a final bark as a warning, then vanished instantly.
—
The Blade of Marmora strategy room was silent except for Kolivan speaking calmly over a rotating star map.
Keith leaned back in his chair half-listening while Antok and Regris debated patrol placements nearby.
Then, a burst of blue light exploded in the center of the room.
Kosmo appeared barking wildly.
Everyone, even Kolivan, jumped slightly, startled by the loud noise that erupted from the normally quiet and calm wolf.
Keith frowned immediately. “Kosmo?”
The wolf ran straight to him, pacing in frantic circles while barking and whining sharply. “Get that dog out of here. He’s interrupting a very important meeting!” A Blade of Marmora member said, who had no idea who Kosmo was.
Keith’s expression changed instantly, and he glared daggers at the man. “No. He’s trying to tell me something.” He was sure of it. Because Kosmo wasn’t being playful right now. He was in distress.
“Kosmo,” Keith said carefully, crouching slightly. “What’s wrong?”
Kosmo barked again.
Louder.
Then teleported three feet away.
Then back.
Then toward the door.
Keith stood immediately.
“Is it your mom?”
Kosmo barked sharply and whined, lowering his head.
Krolia straightened instantly.
Kolivan’s eyes narrowed.
Keith stepped closer to Kosmo slowly.
“Is she hurt?”
Kosmo’s ears lay flat against his head and he whined again.
That was enough.
Keith’s face went terrifyingly blank.
The room temperature seemed to drop.
“What happened,” he asked lowly.
Kosmo growled.
And everyone in the room heard it.
The sound Keith made afterward was worse.
Also a growl, but this one was lower, instinctive, and purely Galra.
Antok actually felt the hair on his arms stand up.
Keith turned toward the door immediately.
“Something’s wrong with Katie.”
Then he ran.
Kosmo teleported ahead.
Keith followed at full speed down the corridor while Krolia, Kolivan, Antok, and Regris stormed after him without hesitation, leaving the remaining BoM members there confused and stunned.
Nobody even questioned it.
Because they’d all seen Keith protective before.
This?
This was different.
This was primal.
—
Katie had grabbed a wrench by the time the doors exploded open.
The officer turned just in time to see Keith.
And immediately knew he’d made a catastrophic mistake.
Keith crossed the room in seconds.
No yelling or warning.
He grabbed the man by the front of his uniform and slammed him into the wall hard enough to crack the panel behind him.
Then punched him.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
The officer tried to fight back, key word tried, but Keith barely seemed to notice.
Kosmo barked viciously nearby while Katie stared in shock.
“Keith—”
Another punch.
The officer twisted desperately, pushed himself up and made a run for the door, trying to escape.
Antok intercepted him instantly.
The massive Galra grabbed the man by the back of his collar and physically dragged him back toward Keith.
“You are not leaving,” Antok growled.
Keith hit him again.
The officer gasped desperately, and tried crawling away. “Stop! Please!”
Krolia lifted her foot up and shoved him back toward Keith. “You coward, you should have listened when she told you no.”
Another punch.
Blood hit the floor.
Regris folded his arms nearby looking deeply unimpressed and downright bored. “This one is very weak.”
Kolivan remained silent.
Watching. Silently judging the pervert on the floor.
Katie finally moved.
“Keith.”
He didn’t stop.
Another hit.
“Keith.”
Still nothing.
Katie walked directly toward him despite Krolia reaching slightly like she considered stopping her. “No, Katie. Don’t stop him…”She muttered, her voice completely drained of any real sympathy toward the man.
Katie grabbed Keith’s hand and he stopped immediately.
The entire room noticed it.
The way his breathing changed.
The way the rage halted instantly at her touch.
Keith looked at her over his shoulder and his eyes softened so fast it almost hurt to witness. “Katie,” he breathed.
“I’m okay.”
His jaw tightened as he turned his head to face the man again. “He touched you.”
“I know, love.”
“He kissed you.”
The sheer fury in his voice made the officer pale further.
Katie squeezed his wrist gently. “But I’m okay now.”
Keith looked like he wanted to keep going anyway.
Katie stepped closer.
Close enough to rest her hand against his chest.
“You got him,” she whispered.
That finally seemed to break through to him and Keith exhaled shakily, dropping the man on the ground and took a step back.
The officer collapsed to the floor coughing.
Katie looked at him for one long moment.
Then turned back toward Keith, grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her, kissing him hard.
Keith made a startled sound before kissing her back just as fiercely, his arm sliding around her waist to pull her closer to him.
Like he needed proof she was really there.
The room instantly became awkward in wildly different ways.
Antok looked deeply satisfied and happy, indicated by the slight swish of his tail.
Regris looked like he wanted to leave the planet.
Kolivan politely stared at the ceiling, floor, and walls, anything but the kissing couple.
Krolia looked openly emotional, wiping a tear from her eyes.
Kosmo barked happily and wagged his tail.
Katie tangled both hands into Keith’s jacket while his other hand cupped her face carefully like she was something precious.
When they finally pulled apart, both breathing hard, Keith turned his head slowly toward the man on the floor. Every bit of softness vanished instantly, as he spoke. “If you ever touch,” he said coldly, “look at, or even think about my girlfriend again…”
He stepped forward once.
“…I will kill you.”
Silence.
Then Krolia spoke calmly from behind him.
“Me too.”
Kolivan nodded once. “You’ve been warned.”
Antok crossed his arms. “I support this plan.”
Regris sighed. “As do I.”
The officer looked absolutely horrified.
Meanwhile, Katie buried her burning face against Keith’s shoulder while Kosmo proudly trotted circles around all of them like he had personally solved the crisis himself.
Which, honestly speaking? He kind of did.