"Name's Annie Vale."
"And I'm Lina Rowe."
The two of them held out their hands without hesitation.
Jaxon paused for a brief moment, then reached out and shook their hands one after the other. "Jaxon Hawk."
A short silence followed. Not awkward, just… expectant. The kind that comes when no one wants to waste time with small talk.
"So," Jaxon said calmly, looking between the two, "what do you want to talk about?"
Annie and Lina exchanged a glance. It was quick, like they had already talked about this before. Then Annie looked straight at him and spoke without going around it. "Our squad leader is interested in you."
"I'm not into men."
Lina covered her mouth as a small laugh slipped out, while Annie immediately rolled her eyes.
"That's not what I meant," Annie said flatly. "He's recommending that you apply for B-1, the elite units. He said he's willing to mentor you personally and give you private training before the test."
