Page 10

I agreed to this fight because I needed an outlet, a release. With Levi gone and Sable pulling away, I’m suffocating. Every goddamn day feels like a slow march into madness, and I don’t know how much more I can take.

I don’t care about my opponent—some OCK meathead whose name I don’t bother to learn. He’s not the one I’m really fighting. No, the person I want to destroy is sitting up in the bleachers, talking to the most beautiful woman on the planet.

Kade fucking Sinclair.

I’ve known the guy since we were kids. His smarmy, polished smile hasn’t changed. Neither has that air of entitlement he wears like a badge. And now he’s sitting up there, leaning in close to my girl, trying to make her laugh like he has a goddamn shot.

A cold rage settles into my bones, turning my blood to ice. I see the way Sable is smiling—nervous, sure, but there’s a softness there. A warmth she doesn’t give to just anyone. And he’s eating it up, his stupid fucking grin plastered across his face.

She’s mine.

That’s the only thought screaming through my mind, louder than the crowd, louder than anything. She’s supposed to be with me, supposed to be here, not laughing with some frat asshole while I’m about to tear someone apart in the ring. She’s mine.

And she’s up there with him.

My opponent steps into the ring, but I barely see him. All I can see is that smug look on Kade’s face, the way Sable’s eyes crinkle as she laughs at whatever bullshit he is saying.

Dayton’s still talking, trying to psych me up, but I’m already gone. The second the bell rings, I’m charging forward like a goddamn animal, fists flying before the other guy even gets his hands up.

“Silas, calm down!” Kai shouts.

I don’t fight like this—not usually.

Usually, there’s control, precision.

But right now? Right now, I’m not a fighter—I’m a fucking hurricane.

A force of nature that can’t be stopped. I hear the crunch of bone as my fist connects with the guy’s jaw and feel the shockwave run up my arm, but I don’t stop.

Not when I should.

Not when it’s enough.

I want blood. I need it.

“Fuck—” The guy stumbles back, trying to guard, but it’s useless. I’m on him, throwing punch after punch, not giving him room to breathe.

“Silas, back off!” Dayton shouts from the corner, but his voice sounds distant like it’s coming from underwater. I can’t hear him over the roar in my head.

I slam my fist into the guy’s ribs, feeling something crack under the pressure. He lets out a sharp grunt of pain, but I don’t stop.

I can’t.

He’s nothing but a proxy for my rage now.

I pull back just enough to see his eyes, dazed, unfocused. Good. I want him broken. I want to see him crumble.

“You think you can fucking take me?” I sneer. “You think you can walk into my fucking ring and survive?”

He doesn’t answer, because he can’t. He’s barely holding on, his legs wobbling beneath him as he tries to stay upright. But I’m not done. I want to see him fall. I want to watch the life drain out of his eyes, because maybe then, maybe just for a second, the chaos inside me will settle.

I grab him by the shoulders, yanking him forward, slamming my knee into his gut. He lets out a wheezing breath, his body folding in on itself, but I don’t give him a break. I drive my fist into his side again, this time feeling the soft give of his flesh, the sickening thud of my knuckles connecting with his organs.

“Silas!” Kai shouts again, louder this time, and I feel his hands on me, trying to pull me back. But it’s like trying to stop a freight train.

“Get the fuck off me, Kai!” I snarl, shoving him away.

“Jesus Christ, Silas, you’re going to kill him!” Dayton’s voice joins the fray, but I don’t care.

Let me kill him.

Let me fucking destroy something.

Let me burn everything down.

I slam my fist into the guy’s face again, and blood sprays from his nose, splattering across my knuckles. His knees buckle, but I catch him before he hits the ground. I’m not done with him yet.

“Silas, stop!” Kai has his hands on my chest, trying to push me back, but I don’t budge.

“You think this is enough?” I growl at the guy, ignoring Kai completely. “You think this pain is enough to make me stop? Not even fucking close.”

His eyes are rolling back in his head, his body limp in my grasp. But I’m still holding him, still ready to throw another punch.

“Silas, you’re going to kill him!” Kai’s voice cracks with panic, and he shoves me harder, trying to get between me and my opponent.

But I can’t stop. I can’t fucking stop.

Not until?—

“Silas!”

The sound of her voice freezes me.

Sable.

I snap my head toward the bleachers, and there she is, running toward the ring, her eyes wide with fear. Her face is flushed, her chest heaving as she rushes down the steps, pushing through the crowd to get to me.

And just like that, the rage flickers. Fades.

“Sable,” I breathe, my grip loosening on the guy’s shirt.

She’s in the ring now, standing between me and my opponent, her hands on my chest, trying to push me back.

“Stop, Silas, please!” Her voice is frantic, desperate. “He’s unconscious.”

I blink, the haze of fury starting to clear, and I look down at my hands. They’re covered in blood—his blood—and the guy in front of me is laid out across the mat.

“Sable.” My voice is hoarse, broken.

“Stop,” she whispers, her hands still on my chest, her touch gentle now. “You need to stop.”

I take a step back, my breath coming in ragged gasps as the weight of what I’ve done starts to settle in. I nearly killed him.

Because I saw her talking to someone else.

But she’s here. She came down to stop me. And I can feel the warmth of her hands on my skin, the way her touch softens the edges of my fury.

Then I glance up, and there’s Kade, standing at the edge of the ring, watching. His face is a mask of concern, but I know better. I know he’s enjoying this. Enjoying watching me lose control.

And just like that, the fire reignites.

I push Sable back, my hands shaking. Storming toward Kade fucking Sinclair. He’s dead. “He’s mine. You can’t stop me, Sable. He doesn’t fucking deserve to breathe the same air as you.”

She steps in front of me again, her eyes fierce. “No, Silas. You need to stop. You need to stop now.”

I blink, my heart pounding in my ears. Her voice… her voice is cutting through the noise, through the rage.

“I… I can’t… I need…”

She presses her hands to my chest again. “You need to come back to me, Silas. You need to stop this before you do something you can’t take back.”

For the first time in what feels like forever, I listen. I let her pull me back from the edge. I let her guide me away from the darkness.

Her warmth seeps through the haze of rage that’s been blinding me. My breaths come in ragged, uneven bursts as I try to focus on the feel of her fingers against my skin, the softness in her touch grounding me. Slowly, the red in my vision starts to fade, the sharp edges of my anger dulling, and all that’s left is her.

Just her.

I take a shaky breath, the pounding in my head still loud, but less deafening. I look down at her, really look at her for the first time in what feels like weeks, and my chest tightens.

“Sable.” My voice cracks, low and broken, and I reach for her, my hand brushing against her cheek.

Her eyes soften just a fraction, her fingers curling into my chest as if she’s afraid I’ll slip away again. “You won, Silas. You won. I’m your prize. I’m here.”

I exhale slowly, my shoulders sagging under the weight of her words. I want to believe her. I want to believe that I’m not the monster I’ve been feeling like—like I’m not losing myself in all this darkness.

But I don’t know how to stop the spiral.

Not without her.

My gaze flickers over her shoulder, just for a moment, catching sight of Kade standing on the edge of the crowd. He’s watching us. And even though the fire inside me is dying, there’s still something in his face that makes my blood simmer. Like he’s waiting for me to crack, waiting for me to lose her, too.

But I won’t give him the satisfaction.

“Everything is falling apart, and I’m losing him. I’m losing you.”

“You haven’t lost us,” she whispers, her thumb brushing against my jawline, grounding me at the moment. “You haven’t lost me. But this—” She glances down at the guy on the mat, bloodied and broken. “This isn’t how you fix things, Silas.”

Her words cut deep, sharper than any punch I’ve thrown. And she’s right. This isn’t how I fix things. I’m fighting ghosts, punching shadows, but none of it will bring Levi back or stop the world from crumbling around me.

Slowly, I loosen my fists, the tension leaving my body like air from a punctured balloon. I let her guide me back, out of the ring, away from the blood and the chaos.

The crowd is still roaring, the energy still thrumming through the gym, but for the first time tonight, it doesn’t touch me.

I’m not in the fight anymore.

I’m here—with her.

And that’s the only thing that matters.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur, the words tasting foreign in my mouth. I’ve never been good at apologies, but for her, I’ll try.

Sable’s eyes soften, a small smile playing on her lips as she looks up at me. “I know,” she says simply, her hand sliding down to lace her fingers through mine.