Reborn to Ruin the Alpha

Chapter 3

The air in the dining hall was tense. You could feel it. It was like a thread that could snap at any moment.

A hundred important people sat there frozen, their forks stuck in mid-air holding their breath under the weight of two Alpha auras. On one side stood Austin Vance, a picture of power. He was rich, powerful. Wrapped in a huge empire worth billions of dollars. On the side stood Jaxon, wild and lawless like a storm in a school uniform, his dark tattoos standing out against his red angry skin.

Right in the middle of all this was Maya.

Austin did not let go of Maya's wrist. Instead his fingers squeezed tighter a show of ownership. He tilted his head looking at Jaxon with a smile like a man watching a dog bark at a big car.

"I do not think we have met, " Austin said smoothly, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. "I do not like being interrupted when I am talking to a lady."

"I do not care what you like, " Jaxon growled. He took a step forward, his boots heavy on the marble floor. The black centers of his eyes made him look completely not human. "I told you to take your hands off her."

The Headmaster quickly got up from the table, his face pale. "Jaxon, calm down now. You are talking to a guest of our school -"

"He is on my territory " Jaxon snapped, completely cutting off the older man without looking away from Austin. "That means he has to follow my rules."

Maya's mind was racing. Why is he doing this? The special bond between two people was supposed to be a secret. Jaxon thought his special person was Raven, the fighter from the parts of town. He was supposed to dislike Maya, the "princess.". He was risking big trouble with the Alpha-Core Syndicate just because another man touched her hand. The pull she had noticed earlier was not just annoying to him. It was becoming a feeling he could not control.

Austin felt the mood in the room change. He slowly let go of Maya's wrist. His eyes never left hers. He fixed his suit. His charming smile came back.

"Ah, an heir " Austin said, his voice full of disdain. "I see our school's program to help people fit in has results. It is sad that some people never learn about hierarchy." He turned back to Maya, his voice soft and warm. "Sorry about the unpleasantness, Maya. We will finish our talk later. Your safety is my priority."

My safety? Maya wanted to laugh. You were the one who hurt me.

She made herself shake, looking down and nodding quietly. "Thank you Lord Vance."

Jaxon made a sound. Without a word he put his hands in his pockets, turned around and kicked the pieces of his chair away as he stormed out of the dining hall slamming the doors behind him.

Hours later the school was covered in thick fog.

Maya stood in a room, the excitement from the dinner still buzzing under her skin. She had changed out of her school uniform, taken off her glasses and let go of her fears. Wearing her fighting gear she put on a mask. Shook a can of special spray.

Hurry, her inner voice said. We need to fight. We need to hit something.

She sprayed the mist on her neck and wrists watching her natural smell disappear. Austin's arrival had changed everything. She could not wait six months. She needed to earn money to leave her group. That meant fighting in bigger riskier matches.

An hour later she was entering the fighting arena. The air was thick, with the roar of the crowd. Tonight it felt darker. Heavier.

"Raven " a rough voice called out. It was her manager, a fighter named Marcus. He looked worried while chewing on a cigar. "You should not have come tonight."

Maya narrowed her eyes behind her mask. "I have a fight scheduled with Marcus. I need the money."

"The plan changed, " Marcus muttered, looking over his shoulder. "A big fighter bought out the slot. He saw your video from three nights ago. He wants to fight the girl with the kick."

Before Maya could ask who it was the lights came on. The microphone came to life.

"Ladies and gentlemen we have a fight tonight " the announcer shouted, the crowd cheering. "Our rising fighter, Raven, faces a challenger who needs no introduction. The undefeated phantom of the underground... Jaxon."

Maya's blood went cold.

She looked through the bars of the cage. Standing in the center of the ring wrapped in tape and shirtless was Jaxon. His dark tattoos seemed to move under the lights. He was bouncing on his feet his jaw set, looking like a man who needed to tear something

He did not know she was Maya. He thought she was Raven, the fighter he had been looking for.

"Get in here Raven " Jaxons voice echoed across the ring loud enough to cut through the crowd. He locked his eyes onto her masked face as she approached the cage doors. A dangerous smile spread across his lips. "You have been running from me for a week. Tonight the cage is closed. Let's see how fast you run when there's nowhere to hide."

Maya swallowed hard, stepping into the humming ring. The heavy doors slammed shut behind her locking with a sound.