A Mate To Three Alpha Heirs novel Chapter 193

{Elira}

~**^**~

Though a bit intimidated, I didn’t shrink under the weight of being noticed.

Instead, I sat a little straighter, took another bite of food, and let myself laugh with my friends.

The evening passed in bursts of chatter and laughter—stories about professors, the Founders Day decorations already appearing across campus, and Nari’s dramatic retelling of how she almost fainted watching my last fight.

By the time we finished dinner, my stomach was full, my heart even fuller.

As we walked back toward the dorms, I found myself glancing up at the evening sky—the faint silver curve of the moon shining down through the tall windows.

“Thank you,” I whispered silently to the goddess for strength, for survival, and for them.

Because even though I knew the road ahead was still heavy with danger, for now, I had this laughter, friendship, and a piece of peace I had long thought I had lost.

—

After long hours of study, the dorm room was quiet

My friends were already half-asleep, sprawled across their bunks in mismatched pyjamas.

I had just finished brushing my hair when my phone buzzed on the desk—the screen lighting up with one of the names that made my stomach flutter for reasons I refused to admit.

I snatched it quickly before it woke anyone, slipping out onto the small balcony and closing the door behind me.

The night air was cool, brushing against my cheeks as I pressed the phone to my ear.

“Hey, troublemaker,” came Lennon’s voice—bright, teasing, unmistakably smug. “You know, you really gave the audience a show today.”

I rolled my eyes, but the corners of my lips tugged upward. “If you are just calling to tease me, you can hang up now.”

A low chuckle hummed through the line. “Relax, I’m calling to congratulate you. You did well, Elira.”

Before I could respond, I heard Rennon’s calm voice in the background. “She did more than well,” he said. “She fought smart and stayed composed.”

My chest warmed. “Thank you, Rennon.”

“And,” Lennon added, mischief threading through his tone, “Zenon says congratulations too.”

That made me pause, my heartbeat skipping for a moment. I could picture Zenon perfectly: his usual stoic expression, arms crossed, pretending not to care.

’He actually said it?’

I swallowed a small smile and said quietly, “Then… tell him thank you for me.”

“I will,” Lennon replied easily, though I could hear the grin in his voice.

There was a brief pause—only the sound of the night wind and distant campus chatter filling the line. Then Lennon’s tone shifted, softer, more serious.

“Elira, listen. There’s one more contest left before Founders Day—the final for the ten selection.”

“I know,” I murmured, already feeling my pulse quicken.

“Then get ready,” he said. “Because this one won’t be easy. Everyone’s going to come at you harder now that they know what you can do.”

I nodded to myself, even though he couldn’t see it. “I will be ready.”

There was another pause. Then Lennon sighed just quietly. “About training…”

Something in his tone made my stomach sink. “What about it?”

“We won’t be continuing,” he said. “Not for now.”

The words hit harder than I expected. “What? Why?”

“Too many eyes are on you,” he explained. “People are already whispering that you have help. And we don’t want any more speculations that could harm your efforts.”

I pressed my lips together, understanding even though it stung. “So… this is it, then?”

“For now,” he said gently. “But you’ve learned enough, Elira. You just need to trust yourself. You’ve already proven you can win without us standing behind you.”

I took a slow breath, letting his words settle. “I get it,” I said softly. “Still… I will miss the training.”

“Don’t go sentimental on me,” Lennon teased, the warmth creeping back into his tone. “Besides, we will still be watching. You can bet Zenon will have his eyes on every move you make.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “That’s not comforting.”

“Good,” he said, clearly amused. “Because he can be terrifying when he’s proud of someone.”

That made me smile again—a small, secret smile.

“Rest well, then,” he said finally. “Big days ahead.”

“Good night, Lennon. And… thank you.”

“Anytime.”

Juniper nudged my elbow gently. “Still, you’ve earned every word in that article, Elira. They are not lying.”

“Maybe not,” I said, exhaling slowly. “But I just wish they would stop shining a light on me. I’m barely keeping my balance as it is.”

Cambria leaned forward, eyes warm. “You can’t stop people from seeing what’s already obvious. You’re good. Maybe even great.”

I met her gaze and smiled faintly. “That’s sweet, but I would rather be invisible for now.”

“Too late,” Nari teased with a proud grin, tapping her tablet. “You are trending.”

I groaned and covered my face with my hands, earning quiet laughter from the others.

Inside, though, the unease didn’t fade.

Every word from that blog, every spotlight they threw on me felt like it was painting a bright red target over my head.

And I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone, somewhere, was already aiming.

The laughter around the table slowly faded as my smartwatch gave a soft, low chime. I glanced down, expecting some campus-wide notice about Founders Day preparations.

But when I read the message, my breath caught.

From: Vice Chancellor of ESA “Miss Elira Shaw, please report to my office during lunch break today.”

For a full heartbeat, I just stared at the glowing words. Then another. My spoon slipped quietly from my hand, clinking against my tray.

Nari leaned forward immediately. “What’s wrong? You look like you just saw a ghost.”

I swallowed hard, still reading the message as if it might change. “The vice chancellor just sent for me. She wants to see me at lunch.”

That did it. My friends all froze. Juniper’s eyes widened, Cambria’s lips parted slightly, and Tamryn straightened, brows furrowing.

“Wait—the vice chancellor?” Nari asked, her voice rising an octave.

I nodded, feeling my pulse quicken. “I—I don’t know why she is asking for me.”

Cambria was the first to recover. Her expression softened into that calm, confident look she always wore when she sensed I was close to panic.

“Hey,” she said gently, placing her hand over mine. “If it were bad news, it wouldn’t be her calling you in. The Dean of Disciplinary Actions would have handled that. This has to be something good.”

“Or at least not terrible,” Tamryn added, though her tone held a sliver of uncertainty. “Maybe she just wants to talk about Founders Day. You’ve been the highlight of the combat eliminations, after all.”

“That’s exactly what I’m worried about,” I muttered, earning a sympathetic chuckle from Nari.