CHAPTER 27: STOP TALKING & PROVE IT

Rhea adjusted her stance, muscles coiled tight, ready for the rest of them — only to see every face before her frozen solid in shock.

Roff sat perched on the bed, his mouth slightly agape, disbelief flickering in his eyes. The second man hovered not far from her, shifting his weight from foot to foot, glancing from Keiran’s limp form to Rhea as if trying to process the impossible.

"What the hell was that?" he muttered, voice cracking with nerves. "She just... dropped him? Like that" His eyes darted to Rhea again, widening when she tilted her chin slightly.

Rhea looked every bit like a fighter who’d already measured her opponents and found them lacking.

From the corner, the Omega peeked with wide, disbelieving eyes. Had she been that strong all along? Then why did let them bullied her for years? Did she somehow gain a wolf recently? Even with that, no Omega should have the power to drop a sub-beta with a single strike. And that kick... it was precise, lightning-fast, absolutely surgical. How? When did she train like that? How had no one noticed until now? The whole situation refused to make sense.

Roff’s movements were slow and deliberate as he rose from the bed, his expression hard to read. "Did... did she just knock Keiran out?" His voice came out low, uncertain, the disbelief hanging thick between them. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, eyes narrowing at Keiran’s limp body sprawled across the floor.

The second guy’s voice cracked when he finally spoke. " Is she still the same girl, Roff?" His gaze darted toward Rhea, cautious and wary. "How did she drop Keiran like that? That’s not—"

"Shut up!" Roff’s head snapped toward him, cutting him off. His jaw flexed, but his stare returned to Rhea, who stood in the center of the room like a storm waiting to break. Her focus stayed locked on him.

"It must be a mistake," he said, forcing a laugh that came out shaky. "There’s no way a wolf-less Omega could knock out a sub-alpha like that. Keiran hasn’t been feeling fine lately, that’s all. And she..." he sneered, pointing at Rhea, "...she took him by surprise, the sneaky bitch probably played dirty. Nothing more."

Rhea’s brow arched slightly, her thoughts dripping with irritation. This dude was really stupid. Keiran, or whatever they called him, had been pinning an Omega to a bed minutes ago, perfectly healthy enough for that. Now he was suddenly "unwell" ? And taking him by surprise? Calling a clean hit a mistake? Oh, this one was truly brainless.

The second guy’s eyes darted nervously between Rhea and Roff. "I don’t know, man," he muttered. "Something’s off about her. That wasn’t normal. I don’t think she’s the same girl everybody used to mess with. Maybe we should—"

"I said shut the fuck up!" Roff snapped, his voice flaring with sudden fury. "How can you let one fancy move get in your head? She’s an Omega, damn it. A wolfless one at that." He jabbed a finger at Rhea as if to remind himself.

Rhea watched the finger, vision narrowing. That hand had struck her before and now it’s pointing at her with no respect. When it was his turn, I will break that hand first. I will definitely break it, her thought.

"You better deal with her right now," Roff growled. "Because if I have to do it myself, you are out of my team. Got it?"

The guy swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. "Y-yeah," he muttered, nodding quickly, his eyes never leaving Rhea.

Rhea shifted her stance, her feet solid on the ground, one slightly behind the other, knees bent, arms raised and loose. She watched him, not his eyes but his shoulders, the real giveaway. Every muscle in her body coiled, ready.

He moved first, fear pushing him faster than thought. A wild uppercut cut through the air, sloppy but strong. Rhea stepped left, fluid and calm, her weight rolling through her hips. His punch sliced past her shoulder harmlessly. She caught his arm mid-swing, her palm snapping against the inside of his elbow in a sharp sonnal chigi — a knife-hand strike meant to redirect and shock. His balance faltered instantly.

Before he could understand what’s going on, Rhea pivoted, heel snapping back in a tight, clean dwi chagi — a back kick that connected squarely with his ribs. The impact landed deep, a solid thud that stole the air from his lungs. He stumbled backward, coughing, clutching his side, eyes wide in disbelief.

"What the hell is wrong with you fools?" Roff barked, his face twisting. "What’s so hard in taking care of a weak omega!"

Rhea straightened, breathing steady.

The man barely had time to raise his hands before she moved again, one quick step forward, a crisp ap chagi to his chest. The kick lifted him off his feet and sent him crashing backward, head thudding against the floor. His body went limp, unconscious.

Rhea exhaled softly, lowering her leg with unhurried precision. "Hmm." Her gaze swept over the two motionless bodies, unimpressed. "Why are they so weak?" she murmured, clear disappointment in her tone.

"What the actual fuck," Roff spat, disbelief sharpening every syllable. He stared at the two men sprawled motionless across the floor, chests barely rising. "She just took them out like that?" He scoffed under his breath, jaw tightening. "I knew they were weak, but not this weak. Should’ve picked better teammates — pathetic fools." His voice dropped to a growl, each word bitten off in disgust.

He stepped forward slowly, his eyes locked on Rhea, as if sizing up his prey. Every measured step was meant to intimidate, to reassert control.

Rhea’s gaze followed him with razor focus, reading every shift in his stance, every twitch in his shoulders. Her body stayed loose but ready, her breathing even. She’d already seen enough of his arrogance to know it would be his downfall.

"I don’t know how you’re doing it," Roff said, voice low, coiled tight with barely restrained fury. "But your luck just ran out. I’ll show you the difference between a sub-beta and a sub-alpha. You’ll regret ever messing with me."

Rhea tilted her head slightly, an unimpressed smirk tugging at her lips. "Then stop talking and prove it. You’ve been running your mouth since I walked in, and it’s really getting on my nerves."

Roff’s face darkened instantly, color rising to his cheeks.