A Mate To Three Alpha Heirs novel Chapter 203

{Elira}

~**^**~

By the time I made it back to the dorms, the sky was already painted with the kind of light that softened everything it touched.

My whole body ached, but it wasn’t the usual soreness that came after a brutal session. This one felt earned.

Every ache was a reminder that I was changing, piece by piece.

As soon as the elevator arrived on the third floor, the doors opened. I exhaled and stepped out, finding my way to our door before pushing it open.

The familiar chatter hit me immediately. Nari sprawled on her bed with her tablet in hand, Cambria folding laundry with her usual quiet focus, Tamryn braiding Juniper’s hair while humming off-key.

The room smelled like shampoo and warm tea.

When they noticed me, all movement paused for a second.

“Elira!” Nari practically leapt from her bed, her grin huge. “You look like you just ran a marathon, but also like you won one!”

Cambria’s brows furrowed slightly as her gaze swept over me. “Did Professor Zenon push you again today?”

I laughed weakly, dropping my backpack on my bed. “Let’s just say… it wasn’t a light session.”

Juniper’s gentle voice followed. “And yet you are glowing.” She tilted her head, smiling softly. “Like you are not even tired.”

“I’m exhausted,” I admitted, collapsing backwards onto my pillow. “But maybe… I’m getting used to it.”

Tamryn snorted. “Used to Professor Zenon? Impossible.”

That made me smile. “Maybe not to him, but to what he is teaching.”

Their eyes flickered with curiosity, but none of them pushed. Not this time. I think they could sense that whatever happened today wasn’t something I could explain easily. It was something I felt after all.

Nari came over and perched on the edge of my bed. “I swear, every day you come back stronger. It’s kind of unfair, actually.

“You are glowing, your hair is all messy like some action movie heroine, and the rest of us just look like tired students.”

“Speak for yourself,” Cambria teased without looking up. “Some of us know how to look composed even after a full day.”

Nari threw a pillow at her. It missed. Barely.

I laughed, the real kind that reached my chest. The sound of their banter, the ordinary rhythm of the room, grounded me again after hours of intensity.

Juniper passed me a small cup of warm tea. “Drink this. It will help with the fatigue.”

I took it, the steam fogging my vision for a moment. “Thanks.”

“So,” Tamryn said suddenly, tone mischievous. “Did you see the stage today?”

I blinked. “The stage?”

“The Founders Day stage!” she exclaimed. “They have already started decorating the front lawn. You should have seen it—huge silver banners, all carved with the academy crest. Even the platform for the combat arena is almost ready.”

That made my stomach twist with a sharp jolt of reality.

Founders Day. The final duel. The day everything would be decided.

“I guess it’s really happening,” I murmured.

Nari bumped my shoulder playfully. “You are not nervous, are you?”

I hesitated, then smiled faintly. “Maybe just enough to stay sharp.”

Cambria gave a small nod. “That’s good. Overconfidence breaks faster than fear.”

There was a small, comfortable but charged pause after that. Each of them knew what was at stake. And maybe for the hundredth time, so did I.

Juniper broke the silence gently. “Elira, when you fight on that stage, remember you are not just fighting them. You are fighting everything they said you couldn’t be.”

I met her eyes, warmth spreading through my chest. “Yeah,” I whispered. “I know.”

The room fell quiet again, the calm before the storm.

—

By evening, ESA didn’t feel like the same academy anymore.

The grounds shimmered under the pale wash of dusk, the air carrying that rare hum, the kind that comes before something monumental.

Even the wind felt aware, brushing past the flags and silver banners that had begun to line the walkways.

When the notification pinged on my smartwatch, my stomach dropped:

[Top Ten Combatants – Report to the Main Hall at 6:00 PM for Official Founders Day Briefing.]

I stared at the words for a long moment before Cambria’s voice cut through the fog of my thoughts.

I froze, then turned to see Zenon walking toward me, hands in his pockets, his usual calm masking something deeper.

“Professor,” I greeted, though the word came out softer than I intended.

He stopped a step away. “Did you listen to everything that was said?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” His gaze searched mine, unreadable as ever. “You have made it this far because you learned to endure. Don’t forget that on the field. And remember, not every opponent will fight fair. Anticipate that.”

I swallowed. Something in his tone made my chest warm and uneasy all at once. But before I could say anything, he stepped back and turned away, his figure disappearing down the hall.

—

The campus air felt cooler than usual this evening, and I was halfway across the courtyard when two first-year girls rounded the corner, nearly bumping into me.

Their eyes widened instantly. “Elira Shaw!” one of them gasped, clutching the paper bag in her hand like it was about to fall.

The other girl elbowed her, grinning ear to ear. “We were just talking about you! You have been amazing in the duels—everyone says you are the real rising star of ESA.”

Heat crept up my neck at the praise. “Oh, um, thank you.” I gave a small smile, hoping they wouldn’t make a scene. “But I still have a lot to learn.”

“Maybe,” the first girl said, eyes bright, “but you are already everyone’s favorite. We—” she hesitated, then held out the paper bag—”we wanted to give you this.”

Inside, I caught a glimpse of neatly packed snacks—choco bars, fruit candies, and a bottled drink. I immediately shook my head. ”

Oh, that’s really kind of you, but I can’t accept it. Snacks aren’t allowed in the dorms, and if the dorm mistress finds out—”

They both laughed. “Others can see you taking snacks from us here on the school grounds, so it isn’t a problem,” the taller one teased. “Besides, everyone’s bending rules this week. The dorm mistress won’t say a word.”

I tried again, weakly. “Really, I appreciate it, but—”

“Please,” the girl insisted, gently pressing the bag into my hands. “We just wanted to wish you luck for Founder’s Day. You will win for sure. We are counting on you!”

Their earnest faces made it impossible to refuse. I sighed and smiled. “All right. Thank you.”

They both squealed softly, then stepped back and waved as they left.

I stood there for a moment, the small bag warm in my hands. It felt strange, being admired, loved, even, by people who had once only seen me as a lowly omega.

As I turned toward the dorm building, the last glow of sunset brushing the sky, I thought to myself,

’Maybe this is what change looks like—small, unexpected, and a little terrifying.’