Chapter 4

The whispers started before the bell even rang.

I slipped into my seat in the back row, dropped my bag on the floor, and pulled out my notebook like nothing was different. But the way people stared at me told another story. Heads tilted. Mouths moved in low, buzzing tones. Eyes lingered like I’d suddenly grown a second head.

“That’s her,” someone hissed as I brought out my notebook.

“She beat Viper last night.”

“No way, Jaxson Kane doesn’t lose—”

“Tell that to her.”

My stomach knotted, but I didn’t let it show. I leaned back in my chair, flipped my pen between my fingers, and forced myself to look bored. That was the trick, I wasn’t going to give them what they wanted.

Still, every word crawled down my spine. Jaxson “Viper” Kane wasn’t just a guy at school. He was the golden boy of the Serpents, the one who had been untouchable for years. And I’d beaten him.

I should not have won, not really. My body still ached from the way I’d pushed that bike. My mind kept replaying the moment I bent low, ass in the air, throwing him that look I knew would distract him. Cocky bastard couldn’t resist, and that second of hesitation was all I needed to fly past. Risky? Stupid, maybe. But it was worth it when I saw his face crack.

The teacher droned on, scribbling equations on the board. I didn’t hear a single number. I was too busy counting the whispers, the stolen glances, the way every eye in the room kept darting back to me like I was some kind of circus act.

By the time the bell rang, my patience was thread-thin.

Nova slid into step beside me as we headed toward the canteen, her grin wicked. “You hear them? You’re officially a legend, Tessa. My brother’s probably hiding in the bathroom pissing in his pants right now.”

I snorted, shoving her playfully with my shoulder. “I doubt Jaxson cries. He just looks like he wants to strangle me.”

“Same thing.” She winked.

The canteen was loud, packed with students, but as soon as I walked in, the air shifted. Conversations dipped, then spiked louder as people started pointing. I caught words, crazy, badass, slut, hero. My name tangled with Jaxson’s nickname, passed around like smoke.

I grabbed a tray, tried to play it cool, but I was buzzing inside, my heart was racing. I wasn’t used to this kind of attention, not at school. Being invisible was easier. But now? Everyone wanted to see the girl who had knocked the crown off Viper’s head.

And then, like the universe wanted to test me, Jaxson himself walked in.

The canteen seemed to bend around him. Tall, broad shoulders cutting through the crowd, black shirt clinging to muscles he damn well knew he had. His Serpents jacket was thrown over one arm, his helmet dangling from his hand like a warning. The smirk on his face wasn’t for anyone in particular—it was the kind that said he owned the place.

Every girl turned to watch him. Half the guys straightened in their seats like they wanted to copy him. Jaxson Kane wasn’t just popular. He was a gravity that pulled the whole room to him.

And the second his eyes found me, the smirk sharpened.

Nova muttered under her breath, “Here we go.”

I kept walking, tray balanced in my hand, pretending not to notice. If he wanted a reaction, he wasn’t getting it. Not from me.

But as I passed his table, his hand shot out, catching my wrist. The tray wobbled, food nearly spilling, and he tugged me just close enough for everyone to see. His grin was sharp and mocking.

“Well, well,” Jaxson drawled, voice smooth as venom. “If it isn’t the girl of the hour. Are you enjoying the spotlight?”

I yanked my wrist free, set my tray down on the nearest table, and met his eyes head-on. “If you’re asking if I enjoy beating you, then yeah. I did.”

Gasps scattered through the room. Whispers flared up. Nova nearly choked on her laughter.

Jaxson’s smirk twitched, but he leaned back in his chair, spreading his arms like a king on his throne. “Cute. You really think one lucky win makes you special?” His gaze slid down me, slow, deliberate, like he was undressing me with his eyes in front of the whole canteen. “Don’t let it get to your head, sweetheart. Serpents chew up little girls like you.”

I tilted my chin, refusing to flinch. “Maybe. But last night, the Serpents’ golden boy choked because he couldn’t keep his eyes off my ass. So tell me, Viper—” I leaned in just enough for only him to hear. “Was it worth it?”

His jaw flexed, eyes narrowing, but instead of snapping, his lips curved into something darker. A dangerous grin that made heat crawl up my neck. “Careful, babe. Keep talking like that, and people might think you like me.”

“I don’t.”

“Sure you don’t.”

The tension between us was thick enough to choke on. The whole canteen was eating it up, phones out, recording. Nova clapped her hands together and sighed dramatically. “God, this is better than Netflix.”

I grabbed my tray again, a smirk plastered on even though my pulse was hammering. “Enjoy your lunch, Viper. Maybe next time you’ll actually finish a race.”

I walked off, Nova at my side, leaving Jaxson’s table buzzing with low laughter and sharp mutters. But I felt his eyes burning into my back the entire way.

The rest of the day crawled by, but the whispers never stopped. By the time the final bell rang, I was ready to scream.

Nova and I headed toward the gate together, the late sun painting the pavement gold. I was halfway through telling her I needed a burger the size of my head when a group of guys stepped into our path.

At the front was someone I hadn’t seen before.

He was tall, leaner than Jaxson but sharp-edged, with dirty blond hair falling into stormy eyes. His smirk was colder, crueler, the kind that said he enjoyed breaking things. His crew fanned out behind him, their jackets stitched with a different emblem, dark red, twisted like fangs.

“So,” he said, voice dripping with arrogance. “You’re the girl who beat Jaxson ‘Viper’ Kane.”

His crew laughs. He steps closer, smirking curling. “Can’t decide if I should shake your hand or drag you to the track myself.”

Nova stiffened beside me. I just crossed my arms. “And you are?”

He chuckled, stepping closer, his boys following like shadows. “Damien ‘Venom’ Cross. And unlike Kane, I don’t lose. How about we see what you’ve really got?” He gestured toward the street beyond the gate. “Race me.”

I raised a brow. “That’s cute.”

His smirk sharpened. “Scared?”

“No,” I said flatly. “I don’t get challenged. I do the challenging. Learn the difference.”

Gasps rippled through his crew. Nova’s hand shot to her mouth to hide her laugh. Damien’s smirk faltered for half a second before twisting into something uglier.

“You’ll regret that,” he said, voice low.

“Maybe,” I said, brushing past him. “But not today.”

Damien laughs, but there’s an edge. “Careful, princess. You just made yourself my favorite game.”

Nova hurried to catch up with me, eyes wide, a grin stretched across her face. “Holy shit, Tessa. Do you even know who that was?”

“Some guy with a bruised ego?”

She barked out a laugh. “That ‘guy’ is Damien ‘Venom’ Cross. He’s the Vice President of the Red Fangs. Basically Jaxson’s opposite number. He hates the Serpents. And he really, really hates my brother.”

“Good to know,” I said, adjusting my bag on my shoulder. “Guess I just added another name to the list of people who want me gone.”

Nova shook her head, still laughing. “Girl, you don’t know what you just did. You started trouble with a monster.”

“Good,” I smirked, heart pounding with tension running through my veins. “Monsters don’t scare me.”