Page 68 of Specter Bred

I stared back at them, a decision settling into place almost as quickly as the possessiveness had.

“Actually,” I said, “I’m calling my hold.”

Alvarez’s mouth fell open.

Cutter’s followed.

For once, I’d shut both of them the fuck up.

Every training cycle, the instructors could reserve one recruit for themselves. Captains referred to the tradition as 'a recruit hold.' Once an instructor claimed a name, the other captains couldn’t select that recruit for their unit unless the original instructor released them from the hold. It kept the strongest candidates from being stacked under one captain and gave each of us one guaranteed pick.

Traditionally instructors settled it at the beginning of training by reviewing files and then flipping a coin for choosing order.

I’d forfeited my turn.

At the time, Cutter and Alvarez had both told me I was an idiot for waiting. While they made their picks immediately, I wanted to see what the recruits were actually capable of before attaching my name to one.

Alvarez frowned. “Your hold?”

“The one I passed on at the start of training.”

Cutter leaned back in his chair. “You said you’d choose later.”

“I am.”

Alvarez’s brows lifted. “All right. Who?”

“Archer.”

Silence.

Cutter stared at me. “Maeve Archer?”

“That’s the one.”

Alvarez gave a short, disbelieving laugh. “You’re reserving Archer for your unit?”

“Yes.”

“The same Archer you’ve been riding harder than anyone else here?”

“I’ve been evaluating her,” I said with a shrug.

“More like you’ve been trying to break her,” Cutter snorted.

“And she hasn’t broken.”

That wiped some of the amusement from his face.

Alvarez studied me for another second, then shook his head.

“Is this a joke, Grizzly?” Cutter asked.

"Picking Redwood was the real joke," I muttered.

"Careful," Cutter said low.

"I'm serious." I leveled a look at Cutter as the humor faded from my voice. "If I'd seen what happened with Redwood and Archer before selections, he never would've made your board."