A Mate To Three Alpha Heirs novel Chapter 187

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“Not at this time.” The professor paused. “However, those who rely on such tactics will face stricter observation moving forward. Founder’s Day combat represents ESA’s strength and honour. Cheap tricks make it look otherwise.”

The words were directed at everyone, but they felt like they were meant for me.

I swallowed hard and stared at the mat beneath my feet—he mat where I had cried. The mat where I had finally felt like I belonged.

And now, it was as if that victory had turned sour overnight.

When the meeting was dismissed, I waited until most of the others had filed out before I quietly slipped out of the hall.

The evening air was cool, but it couldn’t chase away the tightness in my chest. I walked slowly, replaying every word Professor Pierce had said.

A cheap trick.

Shortcut.

Not ESA’s honour.

Each word gnawed at my chest.

I hadn’t meant to cheat. Rennon had taught me that move as a last resort, a way to defend myself if I had no other choice.

I hadn’t even thought about how it would look to others. I just wanted to survive.

My boots scuffed against the polished floor as I turned a corner and froze.

Two students were standing near the stairwell, whispering with their backs half-turned to me

“I heard they are thinking of banning that technique because of what happened yesterday.”

“Yeah, I heard she knocked the guy out cold by hitting some secret point. Totally unfair. Typical of someone like her.”

“An omega pulling tricks to get attention,” the other scoffed. “Probably learned it from someone shady. Makes ESA look bad.”

The words stung like open flames.

I stepped back before they could see me, my heart pounding in my ears. The whisperers kept talking, their voices growing fainter as they descended the stairs.

’Omega.’

Still that word. Even after all this time.

I pressed my hand against my chest, forcing a breath out.

They made it sound like I had done something wrong just by fighting to stand my ground. But worse, I knew this wasn’t just random gossip.

Rumours spread fast in ESA, yes, but this fast, about something that only happened a few hours ago? That meant it had been fed to them.

Someone had wanted this to leak.

My thoughts immediately went to Regina, the student council members and the rest of their pack of perfect smiles.

If anyone wanted to drag me down before Founder’s Day, it would be them.

—

The smell of roasted meat and buttered rice drifted from the cafeteria long before I reached it.

The low hum of evening chatter filled the air, laughter, clinking trays, and chairs scraping the floor.

I spotted my friends waiting inside, close to the entrance, their trays already in hand. Juniper was waving a fork at Cambria, who looked seconds away from stealing a slice of her bread.

When Tamryn noticed me, her face brightened. “Finally! We thought you would bail on dinner.”

“Sorry,” I said, forcing a small smile as I caught up to them. “Professor Pierce kept us longer than I expected.”

That caught Nari’s attention. “Longer? Don’t tell me it was about the duel again.”

“Come on,” Juniper nudged her, “let her breathe. Let’s eat first.”

We slipped into the cafeteria line, picking out dishes from the spread—herb-seasoned chicken, mashed sweet potatoes, fruit salad, and a warm vanilla pudding that had everyone crowding the counter.

By the time we sat down, the noise around us had softened into the steady rhythm of silverware and conversation.

For a moment, I almost forgot about everything.

Tamryn was the first to ask, her tone quiet but curious. “So, what did Professor Pierce want?”

I set down my spoon, fingers brushing the edge of my tray. “He talked about plans to ban my last-resort winning technique, even though it isn’t against the combat rules.”

The words dropped like pebbles in still water.

Cambria blinked. “Like seriously?”

“This is ridiculous,” Juniper said flatly. “It is a strategy.”

Nari leaned forward, whispering, “So basically, someone is trying to paint you as a cheater.”

“Seems that way.”

Tamryn’s gaze sharpened, the same way it always did when she was thinking. “Elira, this has student council written all over it.”

I sat cross-legged on my bed, scrolling aimlessly through my phone while my friends took turns washing up.

They made the room smell faintly of lavender and soap, creating a calmness that lulled me into forgetting everything for a moment when they returned.

Then, all at once, notifications went up on our phones. A few seconds later, Nari screamed my name.

“ELIRA!!! MOON’S WHISPER POSTED SOMETHING ABOUT YOU AGAIN!!!”

Just then, Cambria said to me, “Elira, open it right now. You won’t believe this.”

My pulse picked up. “What is it?” I asked as Juniper hurried over to peer at my screen.

I opened the gossip blog, and there it was, glowing bold at the top of the feed like wildfire had found dry grass.

—

*MOON’S WHISPER EXCLUSIVE*

THE OMEGA MIRACLE STRIKES AGAIN, AND SOME PEOPLE AREN’T HAPPY ABOUT IT!

Yesterday’s duel saw first-year student Elira Shaw—ESA’s once ’hopeless omega’ take down a senior wolf twice her size in a fair fight.

Her victory sent shockwaves through the academy, and apparently through the fragile egos of a few higher-ups.

Word from reliable sources says that a certain polished report made its way to the professors’ desk, accusing Shaw of cheating by targeting her opponent’s acu points.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting: who exactly has access to file such a report directly to the faculty?

A Student Council member, perhaps?

Moon’s Whisper won’t make assumptions, but we will say this much: if Elira Shaw is the threat people suddenly fear she is, maybe that says more about ESA’s ’leaders’ than about her.

Until proven otherwise, this “Omega Miracle” is the only one making ESA worth watching.

—

The room went dead silent for a heartbeat, then suddenly erupted.

“Oh. My. Goddess!” Nari squealed, clutching her pillow. “They just called out the Student Council!”

Tamryn was already scrolling through the comments, eyes wide. “Everyone’s defending you, Elira! People are saying you fought fair and square. Some are even calling you the pride of the first years.”

Cambria grinned, shaking her head in disbelief. “Moon’s Whisper really doesn’t care who they anger. They just boldly implied the entire council is afraid of you.”

I blinked at the screen, my heart racing faster than it had during any duel. “They… they called me the Omega Miracle again?”