"Keep staring at me like that, and I'll start thinking you've got some weird thing going on." Thora's cool voice snapped Tristan out of his daze. He gave a wicked smile. "You're overthinking it." He kept running, adding, "I need to ask you something." "Catch me first, then maybe I'll answer." Thora didn't even glance at him. She pushed off hard and shot ahead in an instant. Tristan twisted his neck, grinning like he already knew he'd catch up. His muscles coiled, and he surged forward after her. By the end of the weighted run, Luke was still trailing at the back. He'd burned all his energy in that first sprint and then just dragged along the rest of the way.Thora should've finished first, but she slowed near the end and let Tristan slip past. Even then, he didn't bring up his question.. That night, while Thora practiced alone at the shooting range, Tristan showed up with a pistol. Watching her stance and smooth shooting, he couldn't stop himself from admiring her. He never imagined drills could look so damn impressive, like a full-on performance. Tristan moved to the lane next to hers and fired off shot after shot. Thora holstered her pistol. "What do you want?" "During the weighted run, I beat you," Tristan said straight to the point, holstering his pistol as well. Her lips curved. She dusted off her pistol. "A bet is a bet." Tristan raised an eyebrow.He knew she'd slowed on purpose, but a win was a win. That gave him the right to ask. "I want to know—are you a man or a woman?" His expression was serious, his voice rough, carrying that deep rasp only men have. Thora didn't expect it. She raised a brow and smiled. "Take a guess." Then, she turned and walked off. Tristan shouted after her, "Commander Green, that's cheating!" A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes. "I said you could ask. I never said I'd answer." She didn't slow down and soon melted into the night of the base. Tristan gritted his teeth, torn between a grin and frustration, weirdly thrilled. The next day, during a two-team sparring drill, he slammed Ashton down in a few quick moves. "Hey! What the hell? I'm not into that! Back off! One more inch, and I'm calling for help! Harv—" Before Ashton could finish, Tristan's forearm pressed across his throat, shutting him up. "I'm asking you. Is Commander Green a woman?" Tristan's voice dropped, pressing the question. Ashton blinked, surprised. They really don't know if Boss is male or female? Thinking of how badly Tristan had bullied him before, Ashton's eyes flicked, and he lied on purpose. "What are you talking about? Boss is totally a man. How could he be a woman? Look at how cool he is." Tristan paused, oddly convinced by Ashton's words. If Thora were a woman, men might as well not exist. Maybe she was just young, and the male traits hadn't fully shown yet? Ashton didn't know that one little lie would make Tristan question his own orientation for a solid two years.... Meanwhile, at the Greywolf mercenary base in the Xepral Empire, Lance stared at two photos, his blue eyes sharp. One showed a shy girl in a college female uniform, hair down to her waist. The other showed a cold, distant boy in a male uniform, short hair, and piercing eyes. Anyone else would think they were two different people, but Lance knew better that they were the same person. The kid who messed up his mission and ruined his plans was actually a girl. He tapped his brow, thinking. Thora was the eldest daughter of the Greens from the Silverleaf Pack in the Astralis Empire, but the old files were useless. The girl in the intel didn't match the one he'd fought. "Boss, the Astralis info only goes up to two weeks ago. Half a month back, Thora disappeared," Julio said quietly, arms crossed, leaning against a pillar.Lance brushed his tongue over his lip, eyes lighting up with that hunter's thrill. "Disappeared, huh? Looks like we'll meet again soon." "Boss, he's here." Sharkie entered with a man in a suit, briefcase in hand. The man froze at the sight of Lance before speaking. "Greetings, Mr. Wright." Lance grinned. "Take a seat." The man sat, eyes flicking toward the photos on the table. But before he could study them, a cold, deadly glare made him flinch. In a blink, the photos burned to ash in eerie blue flames. The man shrank back, attempting to remain calm. "Mr. Wright, I'm here on orders from the Lathrops of the Morandell Empire to discuss a deal with you ..."