And somewhere in the stands, she saw.
Good.
Let her see the cost of gambling what you never truly owned.
I stepped into the locker room, blood trailing from my lip. It stung, yes—but not as much as silence would have. Pain was useful. Pain was proof.
The noise hit first.
Laughter. Shouts. The thick scent of sweat, rubber, and adrenaline soaked into every corner. The air was warm, heavy with victory. With release.
Home.
Jared’s voice cut through the chaos. “Look who decided to show up!” He grinned, waving a towel like a flag of foolishness. “Thought we lost you out there, Reaper.”
I rolled my shoulder—muscle still taut, pulse still hot. “Didn’t lose,” I said quietly. “Just put him down.”
That was enough. The boys gathered around like moths to a fire. Rough slaps on my back. Grins. Bloodlust.
Ethan winced, looking over my face. “You look like hell.”
I didn’t respond.
Asher jumped in. “You saw him drop, right? Petrov folded like a lawn chair.”
I let out a short breath—maybe a chuckle. Hard to say.
Their noise swirled around me like smoke, but I was somewhere else—checking my bruises. Running my tongue over the split in my lip. Calculating damage.
Then I said it, flat and calm. “So when do I get the girl?”
The room shifted.
The laughter changed. Softer. Stiffer. Eyes darted.
Jared cleared his throat. “I mean… Petrov did lose the bet…”
Ethan hesitated. “Yeah, but… she’s not a prize, man.”
They meant well. Good hearts. Weak stomachs for the truth.
I tilted my head, unscrewed my water bottle, and took a slow drink. Let the silence stretch. Let the discomfort grow legs.
“Exactly,” I said. My voice stayed even. Empty. “Not a prize.” I let them breathe. “Just something worth claiming.”
That shut them up.
For a moment, the air crackled. Something unspoken crawled up their spines. They laughed again—but this time it didn’t fill the room. It bounced off the walls, then faded.
I leaned back against my stall, letting the tension settle. Let them feel it. Let them understand what I’d done tonight was not about a scoreboard.
It was about lineage. Territory. Making the first mark on a battlefield no one else even saw yet.
Jared broke the silence. “And if she doesn’t want you?”
I looked at him.
Steady. Still. My voice didn’t rise, didn’t tremble.
