A Mate To Three Alpha Heirs Chapter 167: Lennon’s Taunts

{Elira}

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Rennon must have noticed the way my shoulders had gone tight after Zenon’s remark, because when Lennon leaned back in his seat, it was he who cut across gently.

"He didn’t an it as harsh as it sounded," he said, his gaze steady on .

I toyed with the edge of my plate. "It felt harsh," I muttered, not caring that Zenon could help .

"That’s Zenon," Rennon replied, quiet but confident. "He trims words down to the bone. But what he ant was—don’t waste yourself on worries you can’t change. Save your strength for what you can."

Sothing in my chest loosened. With Rennon, words never felt like decoration. They settled clearly and true, and sohow steadied . So, I gave him a small nod.

When we finished eating, I stood automatically, gathering the plates, as I had already made up my mind to wash them after dinner.

But before I could reach the sink, Rennon was there, sliding them out of my hands. His touch was light and deliberate. "You should go and rest now."

"But I want to do—"

"Elira." His tone was calm, final, but not unkind. "Tomorrow will be long enough, and we have to leave for ESA early."

My protest wilted and in the end, all I managed was a soft, "Thank you," before retreating.

"Sweet dreams, sweetheart," Lennon called after as I crossed the room. Zenon said nothing, only a flicker of his eyes following while Rennon was already rolling up his sleeves at the sink.

I slipped into the small bedroom, and the quiet was imdiate.

The bed was soft beneath , but sleep didn’t co. My mind spun, looping endlessly over everything the day had carved into .

The witch’s words echoed: |Fire either forges or destroys."

Then the mory of chains breaking inside still lingered, raw. And then, dinner, the small cottage, and the warmth of being with the brothers like this, close and unguarded.

It had felt almost like belonging.

I lay back on the bed and curled tighter under the blanket, pressing my hand over my chest.

The fire still moved beneath my skin, restless, hot, waiting. But the thought of testing it, of letting it loose even for a second, made fear claw at .

What if I lost control? What if it burned through instead of for ?

"Selene?" My mind reached for her. "What if I can’t handle this? What if I lose myself?"

Her voice ca quickly, but different, not in the muted or the soft calm I had always known. There was strength now, a sharper edge like the purr of fla behind words.

"You won’t lose yourself," she said firmly. "This fire is ours. It does not own us—we own it."

I sat up slightly, breath catching. "You sound... different."

"Because I am different," Selene replied. Her tone was still hers, still carrying the undercurrent of calm I knew, but it burned brighter now.

"The seal bound us both. It dimd as much as it dimd you. But now... now we are whole again."

Her words should have comforted , and perhaps they did, but unease lingered as well. If Selene had changed, what else in had shifted?

Pulling the blanket tighter around myself, I stared at the ceiling until my vision blurred.

My body. My wolf. My future. Nothing about was the sa anymore.

And in the dark, with their voices still faint beyond the wall, I wondered if I would ever feel steady again.

---

Heat pressed down on in sleep, thick and stifling, crawling over my skin even while I slept, as though the fire inside had slipped loose and was now pressing down on with greedy hands.

I twisted beneath the blanket, restless, my heart pounding faster though I didn’t know why.

Then—warm breath ghosted across my cheek. Too close. Too manly.

Instantly, my eyes snapped open, and I saw a face inches from mine.

"Ahhhh!" I choked on a scream, the sound tearing out raw, and flung myself sideways off the bed.

The floor ca up hard against my hip and shoulder, but panic drowned out the pain.

At the sa ti, the door burst open at once and slamd against the wall.

"Elira!" Zenon’s voice sliced through the room like a blade.

Rennon was beside him, scanning the shadows, his stance ready for a fight.

My chest heaved as I pushed myself upright on shaky arms. But then—Zenon’s body stilled. His gaze cut sharply past , narrowing into sothing lethal.

I froze, dread curling in my stomach. And slowly, I followed his line of sight back toward the bed.

And there he was.

Lennon.

He was half-sprawled across my sheets, one arm propped under his head like he belonged there. A grin tugged at his mouth, far too pleased with himself for soone caught red-handed.

The sound that left was sowhere between outrage and disbelief. "What—what in the world are you doing!?"

Zenon’s jaw tightened, fury radiating off him in sharp waves. "Lennon."

Rennon sighed under his breath, already rubbing the bridge of his nose.

And ? My heart was still in my throat, every nerve screaming, while the idiot on my bed had the audacity to chuckle.

"Explain yourself." Zenon’s voice was a low growl, sharp enough to slice through stone. His claws flexed at his side, the air around him tight with fury.

Still lounging against my pillow, Lennon gave a lazy shrug, like none of this was serious. "Relax, brother. It’s not what it looks like."

"Not what it—" My voice cracked high with outrage. "You were in my face while I was sleeping!"

Rennon exhaled heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Lennon..."

But Lennon only smirked, pushing himself up to sit cross-legged on the bed.

"It was four in the morning. You needed to wake up for school, sweetheart. Zenon told to wake you. I just chose a more creative thod."

Zenon’s glare sharpened into sothing lethal. "You were told to wake her, not climb into her bed like a child without sense."

"I wasn’t climbing in," Lennon shot back, grin widening even as Zenon’s fury thickened. "I was leaning over. Big difference."

My mouth dropped open. "That’s not a difference!"

But he ignored , his fire-bright eyes fixed on Zenon instead. "Besides, I wanted to test her. See if she would react with power now that her channels are open."

That stopped cold. My breath hitched as my palms beca clammy.

"And instead..." Lennon’s smirk softened into sothing sly, "she scread like a scardy cat and rolled off the bed."

Heat flooded my face. "Because you scared the life out of !"

Zenon stepped forward, his shadow cutting across the room. His voice was low, even more dangerous for its calm.

"If you ever pull sothing like this again, Lennon, it won’t be her power you will need to fear. It will be ."

For once, Lennon didn’t laugh right away. His grin faltered just enough to show he heard the threat behind Zenon’s words.

I pressed a hand to my still-racing heart, glaring up at him. "You are really unbelievable."

"Unforgettable," he corrected smoothly, but the playful spark in his eyes dimd under Zenon’s watchful glare.

Then, Rennon said to , "Elira, freshen up and put on your uniform. If we leave now, we will have ti to stop for breakfast in town before we drop you at school."

I nodded quickly, too drained to argue, and still hugging my arms around myself.

Zenon’s eyes lingered on a mont longer, then he turned on his heel and strode out without another word.

Lennon stayed perched on the edge of my bed until Rennon’s sharp look sent him rolling his eyes and standing up.

"Fine, fine," he muttered, hands raised in mock surrender. But his gaze flicked back to with a crooked grin. "Don’t take too long, sweetheart. The earlier we leave, the more ti we’ve got for coffee."

"Out," Rennon said firmly, and that was the end of it.

Once the door closed behind them, I let out a shaky breath and pressed my palms to my cheeks.

My heart was still galloping from the scare, but I forced myself up and hurried into the bathroom for a shower.

When I re-entered the room, I bolted the door and changed into my fresh set of uniform, tied my hair back into a neat ponytail, and that was enough to make look put together, even if I didn’t feel it.

Finally, I lifted my backpack and stepped into the small living room, and the three of them were already ready.

Zenon didn’t waste a second; he pushed the door open and stepped outside into the cool dawn without a word.

Rennon was adjusting the strap of the bag slung over his shoulder when Lennon reached for mine. "Here, sweetheart. Let take that for you."

I pulled it back instinctively, shaking my head. "I’ve got it."

One brow arched, that sly grin curving across his mouth. "Oh? After rolling on the floor like a terrified kitten, you suddenly want to prove you are strong?"

Heat rose up my cheeks that second. "Shut up."

He chuckled and raised his hands in mock surrender, but his eyes glimred with the kind of teasing that always left half-annoyed, half-flustered.