Reborn: I Chose the Alpha Slave

I closed my hand around the gold crest and let its cold edge bite into my palm.

"You dropped this," I said, slipping the coin into my trouser pocket.

Rowan didn't blink. His massive chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. "I drop many things."

"Not things stamped with a three-headed hound."

"You recognize the mark."

"Everyone in the underworld recognizes the Cerberus syndicate," I countered. "The real question is why a pit fighter carries their gold."

Rowan stepped closer. The chain between us rattled. "A smart bird does not ask questions about the hounds."

"Good thing I'm not a bird."

A hard knock on the mahogany door cut off his reply.

"Miss Elara!" Thomas called from the hallway, his voice tight with panic. "Your sister is here. She stormed the front gates."

I sighed, stepping away from the safe. "Diana never learns."

"She brought the other one," Thomas added through the wood. "The boy from the market. They are making a mess of the main hall."

I glanced at the steel chain connecting my left wrist to Rowan's thick iron collar. "Put your shirt back on," I ordered the gladiator.

Rowan grabbed the torn, bloody fabric from the floor and draped it over his broad shoulders without fastening it.

I unlocked the study door and pulled him into the corridor. We walked in tandem toward the grand foyer.

Diana stood in the center of the imported marble floor, screaming at a maid.

"Clean it up! He's bleeding all over the Persian rug!" she shrieked.

Kael knelt at her feet. His blond hair stuck to his forehead in sweaty clumps. He swayed, coughing weakly into his hands. A fresh purple bruise bloomed along his jawline, a clear sign Diana had taken her auction frustration out on him during the ride over.

"What do you want, Diana?" I asked.

Diana spun around. Her eyes darted from my face to the towering giant chained to my wrist. She took a quick step back, nearly tripping over Kael's leg.

"He's entirely useless!" Diana yelled, pointing a manicured finger at the boy. "He won't speak. He won't stand up straight. He threw up in my car!"

"Sounds like buyer's remorse." I walked to the sitting area and sank into a velvet armchair. Rowan stood directly behind me, the chain pulling taut.

Thomas hurried forward with a silver tray, placing a steaming porcelain teacup on the side table. I picked it up, letting the floral aroma fill the space between us.

"I demand you trade with me," Diana said, marching closer. "Father gave me the budget for a champion. You manipulated the auctioneer."

"I paid cash," I corrected, taking a sip. "You brought a plastic card to an underground fighting ring. That's your own stupidity."

"You planned this!" Diana stomped her foot, her expensive shoe digging into the rug. "You knew they wouldn't take my card. You embarrassed me in front of the entire syndicate."

"You embarrass yourself just fine without my help."

"Give him to me." Diana pointed at Rowan. "He belongs in the main estate. Father needs him for the border disputes."

"Father can buy his own muscle."

Diana scowled, her face turning an ugly shade of red. "You are just a bastard daughter, Elara. You think buying one heavy hitter makes you a boss?"

I lowered my cup. The porcelain clinked sharply against the saucer.

"It makes me the owner of a two-million-dollar asset," I said softly. "Which is two million more than you have."

Kael shifted his weight. He dragged himself an inch closer to my chair, his wide, tear-filled eyes locking onto mine. He pressed his bruised hands together, silently begging.

I took another sip of tea. I didn't even blink.

"Look at him!" Diana huffed, kicking Kael's hip. "He's pathetic. He's looking at you because you always pick up trash. Just take him and give me the brute."

"Rowan is not for trade," I said.

Kael's jaw tightened. The mention of the giant's name made a muscle feather in his cheek. He hated being ignored. In my past life, a single tear from him would have me firing staff and burning down buildings. Now, he was just a stain on my floor.

Thomas stepped forward, offering Kael a glass of water from the silver tray. "Perhaps the boy needs hydration, Miss Diana."

Diana slapped the tray. "He doesn't get water until he walks properly!"

The tray tipped. Kael lunged forward, catching the heavy crystal glass before it fell. His reflexes were surprisingly fast for a half-dead slave.

He held the glass in both hands, his knuckles white.

Then, he locked eyes with me and opened his fingers.

The crystal plummeted toward the table's edge, directly above my bare ankles.

Before the glass could shatter against my skin, Rowan moved.

The giant stepped forward, his heavy combat boot sweeping over my feet. The crystal smashed against the thick leather of his footwear, sending sharp shards flying across the carpet. Not a single piece touched me.

Rowan didn't flinch. He planted his foot over the broken glass, his body shielding my legs.

"Mind your hands, boy," Rowan growled, his voice a low, vibrating threat.

Kael recoiled, throwing his arms over his head in a perfect display of mock terror. He let out a high-pitched whimper, burying his face in the rug.

"Oh, for God's sake!" Diana screamed. "He can't even hold a glass of water! Elara, I am leaving him here. I will tell Father you stole my gladiator."

"Tell him," I said, setting my teacup down. "But you're taking your purchase with you."

"I refuse!" Diana crossed her arms. "I am staying right here until you transfer ownership."

I looked at the two armed estate guards standing near the front doors. "Escort my sister out. If she leaves the boy behind, throw him over the front gate."

"You wouldn't dare," Diana hissed.

"I'd throw you over the gate too, but you're too heavy," I replied flatly.

Rowan let out a low, rumbling grunt behind me. It sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

Diana's eyes widened in outrage. "You let this animal laugh at me?"

"Guards," I snapped. "Now."

One guard grabbed Diana's arm, ignoring her furious shrieks. The other hauled Kael up by the back of his dirty collar.

Kael twisted in the guard's grip. He reached out toward me, his lips parting in a silent scream. Tears streamed down his face, a flawless picture of a broken, desperate victim.

I leaned back in my chair and crossed my legs. "Take your dog and leave, Diana."

"You'll pay for this, Elara!" Diana's voice echoed through the grand hall as the guards dragged them out the oak doors.

The doors slammed shut, plunging the foyer into sudden quiet.

"Thomas," I said, staring at the closed doors. "Sweep up the glass."

"Right away, Miss Elara."

I stood up, the chain pulling against Rowan's collar. "Come with me."

I led the gladiator down the side corridor, stepping into the dim parlor that overlooked the front courtyard. Heavy velvet drapes framed the large bay window. I unlatched the brass lock and pushed the glass open an inch, letting the cool evening air slip into the room.

Outside, the guards shoved Diana and Kael past the iron security gates and locked them.

Diana stumbled onto the cobblestone street. She spun around, her face twisted in rage, and slapped Kael hard across the cheek.

"Get up, you useless freak!" she screamed. "Walk!"

Kael fell to his knees on the pavement. He kept his head bowed.

"He plays the victim well," Rowan rumbled from behind me.

"He's a parasite," I replied, keeping my eyes on the scene outside. "He feeds on pity."

Diana raised her hand to strike him again. "I said move!"

Kael didn't cower this time.

His hand shot up. His fingers clamped around Diana's wrist, stopping her slap mid-air.

Diana froze.

Kael stood up slowly. The trembling, pathetic boy from the auction vanished. His posture straightened, his shoulders rolling back with aggressive confidence.

He twisted Diana's arm sharply.

Diana dropped to her knees on the cobblestones, her mouth opening in a scream of pain.

Kael leaned over her, his grip tightening until her wrist bent at a sickening angle.

"Do not ever touch me again," Kael snarled, his clear, deep voice slicing right through the open window.