The roar of the crowd thundered through the walls, vibrating in my chest like a second heartbeat. Even though I wasn't inside yet, I could feel the energy—the wild, electric buzz of people losing themselves in the fight. And deep down, I knew Riven was already winning.
But I was scared to go in.
I lingered at the entrance, taking a few more seconds to steady my breath, to mentally prepare myself for whatever was waiting on the other side. Then, finally, I pushed forward, weaving through the bodies crammed into the dim arena until I found my seat.
Tio didn't even glance at me when I sat down. His eyes were glued to the stage, sharp and calculating, as if nothing else existed.
But he knew I was there.
"He's got weak points," Tio muttered, his voice low, almost to himself. "When he punches, his body tends to lean a bit too far to the right on the charge. And he's getting tired. He's starting to miss and slowing down."
As if I cared.
I rolled my eyes, sinking lower into my seat, wishing I could sink right through the floor.
"If there were more matches, he'd be even more exhausted. He even took a break earlier. He's not as invincible as he seems."
"So what?" I snapped, unable to keep the irritation from my voice.
"So," Tio said, finally flicking his gaze toward me, "I'm challenging him after this match. He won't have time to rest. He'll be too tired, and I'll have a chance."
"That's insane! You can't do that!" My voice rose with panic. "Did you see what happened to the last guy? He could barely breathe!"
I stared at him, pleading silently, hoping—just once—he'd listen.
But Tio's eyes darkened, and his lips curled back, revealing sharp teeth in a low growl.
"Shut up." His voice was a snarl now.
At that exact moment, as if on cue, Riven's head turned toward us—toward me. And in that brief distraction, his opponent landed a punch square against his jaw.
Tio smirked, satisfied, his gaze flicking back to me like he'd just won some twisted game.
"If you don't stop telling me what to do," he hissed, "I'll give you a well-deserved lesson tonight. Is that what you want?"
His eyes burned with anger, the kind that sent chills racing down my spine. Then his hand shot out, gripping my thigh in a sudden, bruising hold. I gasped, a soft whimper slipping from my lips, but that only seemed to fuel him. He yanked me closer by the leg, his other hand tangling in my hair, forcing my head back as he leaned in to whisper.
"You don't get a say in anything I do. You mean nothing in this family. You're lucky you—"
Another punch landed on Riven, knocking him to the floor.
"—you have a nice body. Otherwise, you'd be useless to me."
My heart skipped a beat, terror clawing its way up my throat. I knew exactly what Tio was capable of. His hand crept higher on my thigh, fingers digging in, and I shivered, every nerve screaming for me to run, to scream, to do something. His eyes gleamed, dark and dangerous.
Then—a sound ripped through the arena.
A deep, guttural growl that echoed off the walls and silenced the entire crowd.
We all turned toward the stage.
Riven.
Even his opponent froze, fear flickering across his face as Riven rose from the ground, his body coiled tight with something primal and deadly.
Tio chuckled beside me, unfazed. He leaned in, his lips brushing my ear.
"And that," he whispered, "is another one of his weak points."
He finally pulled his filthy hands away from me, and for a moment, I felt like a bird escaping its cage, gasping for air.
"I can beat him," Tio said confidently, like it was already decided.
On the stage, Riven's opponent swung again, but this time, Riven was ready. He retaliated with a brutal force, each punch landing with a sickening crack. In the blink of an eye, Riven had him on the ground, pounding him mercilessly.
The challenger barely managed to tap the floor in surrender, but Riven didn't stop.
He kept hitting him.
Over and over.
The crowd erupted, their bloodlust igniting the air.
"Kill him!"
"Go, Riven! Go!"
"That's our guy! Keep going!"
"Kill!"
I recoiled, disgust churning in my stomach. I covered my eyes, unable to watch the brutality any longer. But Tio just laughed at me.
"You're so immature," he sneered. "Why would someone like Riven care about you?"
I didn't know.
I wondered the same.
"Enough!" The announcer's voice finally cut through the chaos as he rushed onto the stage. "The winner of all three matches… Riven!"
He lifted Riven's arm, but the crowd wasn't done. They roared louder, stomping their feet, demanding more blood.
"Thank you for attending our matches!" the announcer shouted over the noise. "See you next Friday! Have a nice, bloody good night!"
As people began to settle, Tio suddenly raised his hand, waving it high above his head.
What the hell was he doing?
Riven's eyes, already trained on me, flicked to Tio. His brow furrowed.
"What do you want?" Riven's voice was low, dangerous.
"I want to challenge you," Tio declared, his voice ringing through the now-hushed arena.
"What?!" The announcer's eyes bulged.
The crowd burst into laughter, their disbelief echoing off the walls.
"I want to challenge him," Tio repeated. "Or is he too tired?"
Riven growled, the sound reverberating in my bones. His gaze snapped back to me, and I shook my head vigorously, silently begging him not to accept.
"We have a challenge," the announcer speaks, his voice slicing through the crowd's restless energy. "We haven't had a challenge like this in years. Will our Alpha be ready to accept?"
I shake my head once again, a quiet, desperate motion.
I whisper under my breath, "Please don't."
But my shameless brother doesn't know when to shut up.
"Let's play a game, dear Riven," he calls out, his voice loud and confident, drawing the crowd's attention like a magnet.
The arena falls into a tense silence, anticipation crackling in the air.
"If I win," my brother continues, "you'll never have another challenger in this ring. And you'll give up your entire career."
The audience erupts into cheers and whistles, hungry for the drama.
Riven, standing in the center of the ring, raises an eyebrow. A slow, mocking grin curls on his lips as he looks at my brother with that infuriating, superior gaze.
"And what if I win?" he asks, his tone dripping with arrogance. "Which, let's be honest, is the obvious outcome."
My brother doesn't flinch. He smirks, like this is all part of some sick joke.
"If you win…" He pauses, just long enough to make my skin crawl. "You can have my sister."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut.
"What?" I gasp, my eyes widening in disbelief.
"You can move in with her, do whatever you want. I don't care." He shrugs like this is nothing, like he hasn't just thrown my life on the table as a bargaining chip.
"No!" I scream, my voice tearing through the air, but the crowd is already roaring again, drowning me out.
Riven's eyes flicker to me for the briefest moment, something unreadable in his expression. But then he looks back at my brother, his grin widening.
The challenge is set.
And I'm the prize.
"I accept."
.