Page 26

CHAPTER 26

Malakai

The weight bites into my palms, the steel bar bending under the pressure as I lower it slow and controlled. My muscles burn, my breath comes in steady exhales, and with every rep, every fucking press, I focus.

Focus on the rage still simmering under my skin. Focus on the satisfaction curling deep in my gut. Focus on her .

Raven.

Last night, I let her in. I told her shit I’ve never told anyone. I watched the way her eyes softened, the way she listened without judgment, the way she understood me in a way that no one else ever fucking has.

And now? Now I can’t undo it.

I push the bar up, locking it into place, muscles shaking, my entire body taut with leftover adrenaline. My chest rises and falls, sweat slicking my skin, the weight of what I did last night hitting me all over again.

I fucking like her.

There’s no denying it now.

I’ve spent my life trusting no one, keeping people at arm’s length, using them for what I need and then throwing them away when they’ve served their purpose.

But Raven? Raven is different.

And I fucking hate it.

I roll off the bench, grabbing a heavier set of dumbbells, my grip tightening around the metal.

I can’t afford to be distracted. Not now. Not when I’m so fucking close to finishing what I started.

Alex is crumbling. His father is next. And now I have Raven by my side, not because I'm forcing her to be my fake girlfriend but because she wants to be right beside me.

The thought thrills me more than it should. She could’ve walked away. She could’ve chosen the easy way out. But instead? She looked me in the eye and asked how she could help me ruin the man who tried to control her.

I grit my teeth, exhaling sharply as I start my next set, biceps flexing, veins standing out beneath my skin.

Alex Callahan spent his whole life thinking he was untouchable.

Thinking he was better than me.

Thinking that his father’s money, his family’s status, his fake fucking morals made him untouchable.

But now? Now, he’s lost everything. And I’m not done yet. Not until his father is dragged down with him. Not until their entire fucking legacy is in ashes.

Not until Alexander Callahan Sr. pays for everything he did to me.

I growl under my breath, moving into my next exercise, the weights biting into my grip.

My arms scream in protest. But I don’t stop. I push harder.

This rage is my fuel. This is what’s going to keep me standing when the dust settles.

I drop the dumbbells, the heavy thud echoing through the Pantheon’s private gym. Sweat drips down my back, and my breathing is ragged.

I roll my shoulders, shaking out my arms, and let the pain settle deep into my bones.

The gym is empty. No distractions. Just me. Me and my thoughts.

I grab a towel, wiping my face, and lean against the squat rack, my mind circling back to last night. Back to her. Back to the way she stood in front of me, unafraid, demanding the truth. Back to the way she stayed.

She should have walked away. She should have called me a monster. Instead, she listened. And for the first time in my life, I let someone see me.

Fucking hell.

I toss the towel to the bench, rolling my neck, trying to shake the weight of her from my mind. I hear it.

Her voice.

Kai.

The way she said it.

Soft. Unintentional... Like it belonged to her.

I growl, grabbing the barbell and loading it up heavier than before, my grip so tight my knuckles turn white.

I shouldn’t like that she calls me that.

I shouldn’t like that she’s in my head, wrapping herself around the part of me that no one gets to touch.

I lower into my squat, pushing the weight up with everything in me, gritting my teeth against the thoughts threatening to distract me.

When I first laid eyes on her, I imagined she'd be the perfect soft spot for Alex—an Achilles' heel I can target. No matter how hard I try to deny it, the truth is, I don't think about her that way anymore.

Because, somewhere along the way, she became more than that.

I drop the bar onto the rack, breathing heavily, my hands braced against my knees. I let my mind settle, let the pieces click into place.

Raven’s on my side now. She’s seen who Alex really is. She knows what his father is hiding. And she’s angry enough to do something about it.

I smirk, grabbing my water bottle and taking a slow sip as my pulse finally evens out. She wants to take him down, and so do I.

So we will. Together.

I grab my phone from the bench, scrolling through my messages, my mind already working through the next steps. If we do this right, Alex won’t just lose his future. He’ll lose everything—his spot in the Pantheon, his reputation, his father’s support. His entire fucking existence.

And when he’s at his lowest? When he’s got nowhere left to turn? I’ll be there.

Not with a helping hand. Not with forgiveness. But to fucking destroy him. Because Alex Callahan took everything from me.

And now? It’s my turn to take everything from him.

I smirk, cracking my knuckles, the fire inside me burning hotter than ever.

This is going to be fun.

Nate’s already waiting for me when I step into the Pantheon’s private lounge in the arena just before practice. His arms are crossed, his expression tight with irritation.

I don’t give a fuck.

I drop into the chair across from him, stretching my legs out, rolling my shoulders back.

"Let’s make this quick," I mutter, grabbing the protein bar from the table and unwrapping it. "I’ve got shit to do."

Nate snorts, shaking his head. "Yeah, I can tell. You’ve been more focused on Callahan than the actual game."

I pause mid-bite, my jaw locking.

"I am focused on the game."

"Are you?" He leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Because from where I’m standing, this isn’t about winning. This is about him."

I throw the wrapper onto the table, exhaling hard through my nose. "Winning is easy."

Nate raises a brow. "Oh? That confident, huh?"

I meet his stare, completely unbothered. "Tell me I’m wrong."

He doesn’t. Because he fucking knows. We’re the better team. I’m the better player.

Winning? That’s a given. But ruining Alex? That takes precision.

I lean forward, matching his posture, my voice low and controlled. "This is the perfect time to finish him. He’s already slipping. He’s already on the edge. I’m just gonna give him the final push."

Nate sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. "Look, I don’t give a shit what you do to Callahan, but don’t let it fuck up the team’s momentum. We need this win, and we need it clean."

I laugh. "Clean? What part of me has ever played clean?"

He shakes his head, clearly done with my shit, but I see it—the doubt in his eyes.

The hesitation.

Like maybe, just maybe, he’s wondering if I’m taking this too far. And that? That pisses me off more than anything.

"You in or not?" I snap, my patience wearing thin as fuck.

He studies me for a long moment, then finally nods, though it’s not as firm as I’d like.

"I’m in," he says. "But don’t fuck this up, Vega."

I smirk, grabbing my water bottle as I stand. "I never do."

I don’t wait for him to say anything else.

I leave, my frustration still boiling under my skin, itching for an outlet.

I guess I’ll take it out on the ice.

And Alex?

He’s going to feel every damn second of it.