A Mate To Three Alpha Heirs novel Chapter 195

{Elira}

~**^**~

I sat still, unable to stop the swell of emotion rising in me.

For so long, my mother’s legacy had been something distant and unknown to me until I stepped my foot into ESA.

Now, it was something the people here mentioned in hushed tones, or not at all. Hearing her name spoken with such reverence felt like finding a piece of her I didn’t know I had lost.

“I always wondered,” Ilyra continued softly, “if she had passed her strength on to her child. And now I see she had.”

My throat tightened. I didn’t know whether to feel proud or unworthy.

“I’m not…” I swallowed hard. “I’m not like her. Not yet.”

The vice chancellor’s smile turned kind, almost motherly. “You will be, if you choose to. Strength isn’t just what you are born with, Elira—it’s what you build after you’ve been broken.”

Her words settled deep in my chest, heavier than I expected.

Ilyra’s gaze held mine a moment longer, before she said, “It must not have been easy for you. Being called what you are not. Fighting under a label that never belonged to you.”

I let out a slow breath. “No, it wasn’t. But I guess… it made me tougher.”

A spark of amusement danced in her pale eyes. “That it did.”

Then, as if remembering something, she added, “I only called you here because I wanted to see for myself what everyone has been whispering about. Now that I have, I understand why your name has reached my desk. You carry a fire that will not stay hidden for long, Elira Shaw.”

Her voice softened on my name, almost as if she were speaking it with purpose.

“Thank you, Vice Chancellor,” I murmured, meaning it more deeply than I expected.

She gave a small nod. “Keep doing what you’re doing—but be careful who’s watching. Not every admirer applauds from the heart.”

Her tone shifted slightly on those last words, a warning wrapped in grace.

I rose from my chair and bowed my head respectfully. “I will remember that.”

As I turned to leave, I could feel her gaze on me still—steady, thoughtful, and maybe a little wistful.

And for the first time, I realized that my mother’s story wasn’t done echoing through ESA’s halls. Because now, that story rightfully lived through me.

—

By the time I stepped into the cafeteria, the chatter was louder than usual. Trays clattered, laughter rose and fell in waves, and the sweet, earthy scent of roasted pumpkin soup hung in the air.

I grabbed my tray almost absently—I could barely taste anything right now. My mind was still spinning from my meeting with the vice chancellor.

My friends were already seated at our usual table near the window, halfway through their meals. When Nari spotted me, she waved so dramatically that a few nearby students turned to stare.

I sighed, smiling faintly, and wove through the rows of tables to join them.

The moment I sat down, Cambria leaned forward. “You’ve been gone for ages,” she said. “What happened?”

Tamryn arched a brow. “You look like someone who just walked out of a mystery novel. Why did the vice chancellor want to see you?”

I set my tray down and looked at them, realizing they were all watching me expectantly.

“She called me in because she has been hearing about my performance in the duels,” I said quietly, lowering my voice just enough to keep it between us. “She said she wanted to see the ’Omega’ who has been breaking expectations.’”

Nari chuckled softly. “That sounds like her though.”

Juniper, though, was watching me more closely. “That’s not all, is it?”

I hesitated, replaying the vice chancellor’s words in my head—her voice calm and knowing, her eyes sharp when she had said, “But you are no Omega. Even though it be subtle, I can see that small fire in you.”

Finally, I nodded. “She told me she could tell I wasn’t an Omega,” I murmured. “And then… she asked me about my parents.”

Cambria’s fork froze halfway to her mouth. “Oh?”

“When I told her my mother’s name,” I continued softly, “she looked… shocked. She said she taught my mom herself, that she was one of ESA’s greatest combatants. That people here still remember her.”

A hush fell over the table. Then, slowly, Nari broke into a grin, her eyes lighting up. “Well, thank the moons that someone has finally recognized an important truth,” she said.

“The vice chancellor now knows you are the real connection to ESA’s greatest star, not that imposter cousin of yours, Regina.”

Tamryn laughed quietly, though there was a sharp edge to it. “I can only imagine Regina’s face when she finds out the vice chancellor sees you as Kathryn Morgan’s legacy.”

Juniper smiled too, but her tone was gentler. “It must have felt… strange, hearing your mother’s name spoken like that.”

“It did,” I admitted. “Strange, but also… good.”

THURSDAY.

By the time the bell rang for the end of classes, my stomach was already a knot.

Every corridor buzzed with the same rumour—the last round of combat eliminations was happening tonight. The final ten. The ones who would stand before the King on Founders Day to compete.

I dropped my notebook into my locker and stared at the reflection in the metal for a second. My heartbeat was everywhere—in my chest, in my throat, in the tips of my fingers.

’Calm down,’ I told myself. ’You’ve made it this far. You can survive one more match.’

Suddenly, a message blinked across every smartwatch, followed by a ripple of excitement swept through the hallway:

“All students to the auditorium.”

Soon, I joined the flow of uniforms and chatter, trying to breathe normally. My friends walked close, Tamryn looping her arm through mine.

“You’re definitely making it to Founders Day,” she whispered, her eyes sparkling.

“Don’t jinx it,” I muttered, but her confidence made me smile a little.

The auditorium doors were already open when we arrived. The entire space thrummed with noise—hundreds of voices, the scent of adrenaline and perfume, the faint hum of power in the air.

The professors were lined up at the front, and in the centre stood Professor Kael, clipboard in hand, his hair catching the overhead lights.

When he lifted his hand, the chatter dissolved into silence.

“Good evening, students. This is the final round of the Combat Elimination. Today, the twenty who remain will fight for their place among the top ten finalists—those who will represent ESA on Founders Day.”

A rush of murmurs swept through the hall—nervous, excited, electric.

Then came the part that lit the entire auditorium on fire.

“And for the first time, this round will be open for public viewing. All students are permitted to watch the duels live from the large training hall.”

The crowd exploded—cheers, whistles, clapping that seemed to rattle the floor beneath our feet.

My friends shouted, laughing and hugging each other. I tried to smile, though a sharp pulse of nerves ran through me.

So, the whole school will see this… wonderful.