Fated reborn - Chapter 281: Chapter 281

Luciano's Pov.
I woke up feeling like I’d been hit by a damn truck. Every muscle in my body ached, my ribs felt bruised, and my knuckles were still raw from the fight. I pushed myself up from the mattress, groaning as the stiffness in my back protested.
The villa was quiet, too quiet. I was used to hearing Matteo’s voice in the morning, either yelling at me to get my ass outside or complaining about something stupid Victor did. But today, there was nothing. Just silence.
I ran a hand down my face, then glanced at the clock. 5:43 AM.
I needed to train.
Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I forced myself up, ignoring the soreness in my limbs. My wolf stirred inside me, restless but calm. He wasn’t angry, just… watching. Waiting.
I knew I messed up. I shouldn’t have gone that far with Jax, but I couldn’t take it back now. The only thing I could do was keep moving forward.
By the time I stepped onto the training grounds, the sun was just starting to rise, casting a dull orange glow over the horizon. The air was cool, but I could already feel the heat building. It was going to be another long, exhausting day.
I rolled my shoulders and exhaled slowly before making my way to the sparring ring. A few wolves were already there, stretching, warming up. They barely acknowledged me when I walked past.
I caught snippets of conversation as I passed.
"Did you hear what he did to Jax?"
"Five ribs. *Five*."
"That’s not training, that’s a damn massacre."
"He lost control. Elias should’ve put him in his place."
I clenched my jaw but kept walking, pretending I didn’t hear them.
I knew this was coming. I wasn’t stupid. Jax was well-liked, and me nearly tearing him apart wasn’t going to make me any new friends. I wasn’t here to make friends anyway.
I stepped into the ring, stretching out my arms before shifting into a fighting stance.
Matteo was leaning against the fence, watching me with that unreadable expression he always had. "You planning on just standing there, or are you actually gonna train?"
I exhaled through my nose, shaking out my hands. "Who’s up first?"
He glanced around the training grounds, then nodded at a guy I recognized from a few past fights. Marco. He was one of the better fighters, not as strong as Jax, but still good.
Marco stepped into the ring, rolling his shoulders. "You want full contact, or we keeping it light?"
I cracked my knuckles. "Full contact."
He nodded once, no hesitation.
Matteo barely had time to drop his hand before Marco came at me. Fast.
I ducked under his first swing, shifting my weight before countering with a sharp jab to his ribs. He grunted but didn’t back off, instead using my momentum against me to slam his shoulder into my chest.
I stumbled but recovered quick, twisting to avoid his next punch.
We went back and forth like that for a while. No wolves. No shifting. Just fists, sweat, and instinct.
The murmurs around the training grounds hadn’t stopped. I could still hear them, whispers carrying over the sound of our movements.
"He’s trying to act normal now."
"Bet he loses control again."
"Alpha or not, Elias should put him down before he hurts someone else."
I grit my teeth, ducking under another swing before driving my knee into Marco’s stomach. He wheezed, staggering back, but I didn’t press forward.
Matteo called it. "Enough."
I wiped sweat from my forehead, my breath coming in sharp exhales as I stepped back. Marco nodded at me, rubbing his ribs before stepping out of the ring.
Another voice spoke up. "I’ll go next."
I turned, finding myself face-to-face with Nico. He wasn’t as big as Jax, but he was fast.
I nodded and got back into position.
The second round started.
Nico was quicker than Marco, forcing me to move faster, react sharper. He aimed low, trying to take out my legs, but I jumped back, pivoting on my heel before landing a solid hit to his shoulder. He grunted but spun, bringing his fist toward my ribs.
I blocked, barely.
The fight went on, sweat dripping down my back, muscles burning.
I wasn’t thinking about Jax. Or Elias. Or what the others were saying.
I was just fighting.
I was just trying to prove to myself that I still belonged here.
By the time Matteo called the match, my body was screaming in protest.
Nico smirked, shaking his head. "Not bad."
I rolled my shoulders. "You too."
Matteo eyed me, arms crossed. "One more?"
I hesitated for half a second before nodding. "Yeah."
Another fighter stepped up. Then another.
I kept going.
Hours passed. The sun climbed higher. The whispers never stopped.
But I fought through it.
And when I finally dropped onto the dirt, chest heaving, body exhausted—
For the first time in weeks, I didn’t feel like running.
I sat on the edge of the training ring, breathing hard, my body still aching from the fight. The others had already left, either dragging Jax away or murmuring amongst themselves. I could still hear them, though.
“He went too far.”
“That wasn’t a fight—it was a beating.”
“He’s losing control.”
I clenched my jaw and stared at the dirt beneath my feet. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered. I did what I had to do.
Elias hadn’t said another word after calling me out. He just gave me one last look—one of those *I’m disappointed, but I’ll deal with you later* looks—and walked off. Matteo followed, shaking his head.
Now, it was just me.
And the whispers.
I exhaled, stretching out my arms. My muscles burned, my knuckles still raw from the fight, but I forced myself to stand. I wasn’t done. If I stopped now, I’d only prove them right.
I walked toward the weight station, ignoring the glances from the few wolves still lingering. I grabbed a kettlebell and started my reps, keeping my focus locked in.
One. Two. Three.
“He didn’t even hesitate.”
I tightened my grip.
Seven. Eight. Nine.
“He’s gonna end up like his father.”
The kettlebell slammed against the ground as I let go, my breath coming out in sharp bursts.
I turned, meeting their eyes. The ones who had been whispering quickly looked away.
Cowards.
I grabbed the weights again and kept going. Because the only way to silence them—
Was to prove them wrong.