CHAPTER FIVE — THE GIRL BENEATH THE MASK

Bella - First Person POV 

I knew he would be there.

The moment I stepped onto the cold stone floor of the arena, my chest tightened not from fear, not from the crowd roaring around me, but from the undeniable pull that tugged at my soul.

Jake.

Even before I saw him, I felt him.

The bond hummed beneath my skin, restless and alive, like it was counting my heartbeats for me. I had prepared myself for this. I had told myself I wouldn’t look for him, wouldn’t let his presence shake me.

But the moment my eyes found him across the arena, everything else faded.

He stood among the others tall, unyielding, his posture carved from authority. The Alpha everyone feared. The warrior everyone admired. The man I was trying desperately not to fall apart over.

For one reckless second, I hoped.

I hoped he would see me and understand.

I hoped he would step forward and end this before it began.

I hoped he would choose me.

But hope was a luxury I could no longer afford.

The horn sounded, sharp and echoing, pulling me back into reality.

Five of us stood in the arena.

Five alphas, one from each dominion called forth to prove strength, loyalty, and dominance.

And me.

The hidden variable.

The girl no one expected to survive the first round.

My heart hammered as I adjusted the mask over my face. It was light, forged for battle, but it felt heavier than iron. It concealed everything: my fear, my identity, my truth.

Good.

Let them underestimate me.

The ground trembled as the first clash began. Steel met steel. Power exploded through the air as wolves shifted partially, claws scraping against stone. I moved on instinct, body flowing from training into action.

I ducked under a swing meant to shatter bone, twisted, and struck back. Pain rippled up my arm, but I welcomed it. Pain meant I was alive. It meant I was still standing.

From the corner of my eye, I saw him.

Jake.

He fought like a force of nature controlled, precise, terrifying. Every movement was deliberate. Every strike measured. He didn’t waste energy.

And still… he was watching me.

I could feel his attention like a hand at my back.

He protected me without meaning to subtly shift his position so others couldn’t flank me, intercepting blows meant for my blind side. It made my chest ache.

I didn’t want his protection.

I wanted his respect.

A growl tore from my throat as I surged forward, meeting one of the larger alphas head-on. He laughed when he saw me, confidence dripping from his sneer.

“You should’ve stayed home, little one.”

I struck him hard across the jaw.

He staggered, shocked, and I didn’t let up. Every blow carried years of frustration, every whispered insult, every look of pity, every moment I’d been told I was less.

I wasn’t less.

I was done being small.

I caught a glimpse of Jake then his eyes wide, conflicted. He saw the fury burning through me. The power I was finally allowing myself to wield.

And then, without warning, he turned toward me.

His movements shifted sharper, heavier.

My breath hitched.

He wasn’t protecting me anymore.

He was coming for me.

The realization struck like ice water.

He meant to stop me.

Our first clash sent a shock through my bones. His strength was overwhelming, his control immaculate. He pushed me back with ease, forcing me onto the defensive.

“Jake,” I hissed through gritted teeth, blocking another strike. “What are you doing?”

His eyes burned. “Ending this.”

“Why?” I demanded, barely dodging a blow that would’ve shattered my ribs.

“Because you don’t belong here!” he snapped. “You don’t know what this world does to people like you.”

Something inside me cracked.

People like me.

I felt the heat rise in my chest hot, wild, uncontrollable.

“You don’t get to decide that,” I said, my voice shaking with fury. “You don’t get to decide who I become!”

He lunged.

I met him head-on.

The impact knocked the air from my lungs, but I refused to fall. Every instinct screamed at me to stop, to retreat, to survive but something deeper roared louder.

The bond flared, violent and painful.

He faltered.

Just for a second.

And in that second, I struck.

All the training. All the rage. All the nights I’d spent bleeding alone in the dark.

I moved faster than I ever had before.

My fist connected with his chest, channeling every ounce of strength I had. He stumbled back, shock flickering across his face as he lost his footing.

The world went silent.

Jake fell to one knee.

Gasps erupted from the stands.

I stood frozen, staring at what I’d done, my chest heaving, heart pounding like it might tear free.

I had beaten him.

Not by luck.

Not by mercy.

But by my own will.

The arena erupted.

I could barely hear it over the roaring in my ears.

I reached up with shaking fingers and removed my mask.

The gasp that followed was louder than the cheers.

Faces stared back at me shocked, horrified, confused.

A girl.

An omega.

The impossible made real.

I lifted my chin, meeting their stares without flinching.

Let them see me.

Let them choke on their disbelief.

Jake slowly rose to his feet, his eyes locked on mine. There was no anger there. No resentment.

Only awe.

And something dangerously close to pride.

For a heartbeat, the world stood still.

Then the arena exploded into chaos.

Shouts. Arguments. Outrage. Disbelief.

But none of it mattered.

Because in that moment, standing in the center of the arena with blood on my knuckles and fire in my veins, I finally understood something vital.

I didn’t need their approval.

I didn’t need their permission.

I had carved my place into the world with my own hands.

And no one, Alpha or otherwise would ever take it from me again.