A Mate To Three Alpha Heirs Chapter 191: The Next Round

{Elira}

~**^**~

Cambria raised a brow. "Oh no, that look on your face ans trouble."

"Not trouble," Nari said sweetly, leaning forward. "Excitent. I want to start featuring Elira in my posts."

My fork froze halfway to my mouth. "?"

"Of course, you," she said, eyes sparkling. "Do you have any idea how many readers are already curious about you? You’re practically a legend now—the mysterious fighter who beat a second-year wolf twice her size! It’s gold, Elira. Pure gold."

I groaned softly, setting down my fork. "Nari..."

"What?"

"I don’t mind," I said slowly, watching her beam. "But you need to understand sothing. I’m a sensitive topic right now. You might get a lot of backlash if you start posting about . So maybe it’s better to stick to your regular posts about ESA’s pretty corners and student life."

Nari pouted imdiately. "You’re talking like I scare easily."

"I’m talking like soone who is trying to protect you," I said, eting her eyes. "You’ve seen how people twist things. One wrong sentence and—"

"Then I will write it right," she interrupted stubbornly. "They can twist their own words, not mine."

Juniper sighed. "Nari, maybe Elira’s right. The council’s already watching her like hawks."

Nari waved a hand. "All the more reason to show the good side of her. Everyone’s been gossiping about her like she is a scandal, when she is actually the reason ESA’s combat team finally has a shot at glory this Founder’s Day."

I blinked, surprised by the fierceness in her voice.

Cambria smiled faintly. "I think she just volunteered herself for war."

Nari sat back with a proud grin. "Then let them co. My blog never backs down."

The others laughed, and even I couldn’t help it. The sound eased sothing in , a small, tired knot that had been tightening all day.

As dinner went on, their chatter filled the table with warmth again.

And for a few minutes, I almost forgot the eyes that watched, the whispers that followed, and the storm that was still brewing quietly beneath the surface of ESA.

Later that night, the dorm was wrapped in a hush that only occasionally broke—the soft rustle of pages turning, the click of Nari’s tablet keyboard, the faint hum of the wind brushing against the windows.

I lay on my bed, half-leaning against my pillows, scrolling absently through so class notes.

But my attention drifted toward Nari, who sat cross-legged at her desk, her face glowing with focus as she typed.

Cambria noticed, too. "She’s at it again," she murmured from her side of the room.

Juniper grinned. "Don’t bother her. When Nari gets that look, it ans she’s creating magic."

"I heard that," Nari said without looking up. Her fingers kept moving, swift and sure, and the corners of her mouth tugged into a satisfied smile.

A few minutes later, she sighed in triumph and spun her chair around to face us. "And done!"

"What did you write about this ti?" Tamryn asked, setting down the book she was pretending to read.

Nari’s grin widened. "Our very own Elira Shaw."

I groaned softly. "You actually went through with it?"

"Oh, don’t look at like that," she said, waving a hand dramatically. "It’s not gossip, it’s art. My blog isn’t so scandal sheet; it’s about stories that inspire people. And you, my dear, are inspiring."

Cambria raised a teasing brow. "Did you write a battle hymn or a biography?"

"Neither," Nari said proudly. "Just a short post titled ’The Girl Who Rose from the Ashes.’"

Juniper clutched her heart. "You are so dramatic."

"You will thank when it goes viral," Nari shot back, spinning the tablet toward .

I hesitated before taking it, but curiosity won. Her post was beautifully written. It was simple, emotional, and nothing like the sharp-edged articles on Moon’s Whisper.

’She fights with bruised hands and steady eyes. She doesn’t roar the loudest or shine the brightest, but she endures—and that’s rarer than strength. For so of us, she reminds us what it ans to survive.’

I blinked, reading it again. "You make sound like so tragic hero."

Nari grinned. "Maybe you are."

"Still," I said quietly, handing it back, "you really shouldn’t have—"

"Too late," she said cheerfully. "It’s posted."

I sighed, but couldn’t help smiling. "You’re sothing else."

"Impossible and brilliant," she corrected, turning back to her desk. "Mark my words, Elira, by morning, everyone’s going to see you the way they should have from the start."

Nari wasn’t entirely wrong.

By the ti morning sunlight poured through the dorm windows, her post had spread like wildfire, not just across ESA’s internal channels, but beyond, shared, quoted, and reblogged by students from other academies.

When we walked into the cafeteria for breakfast, I could feel the shift. The usual glares and whispers were still there, yes, but they were softer now, edged with sothing that almost felt like respect.

Juniper nudged playfully. "See? The Nari effect."

Nari just smirked. "You’re welco."

But across the room, I caught the opposite — a few students at a corner table glaring at with unmasked resentnt.

And I didn’t miss the one girl muttering into her comm-tab, likely sending the latest ’update’ to soone.

Because no matter how bright Nari’s words painted , I knew soone else would twist them soon.

And by the look of it, the Student Council was going to hate this new wave of attention.

---

Classes wrapped up faster than I expected. The last bell rang, echoing through the hallways, and the students poured out like a restless tide.

I walked to my locker, opened it, and reached for my backpack, already thinking about what kind of brutal surprise Zenon might have for during training today.

But just as I slung the strap over my shoulder, my phone buzzed with a ssage from Lennon.

Lennon: "Training is canceled today. Don’t ask questions. Just rest."

I frowned at the screen. ’Canceled?’ Lennon never canceled training, especially not without a reason.

For a mont, I thought about calling him, but knowing him, he would only dodge the question with a smirk or so teasing remark that explained nothing.

So instead, I sighed, slipped the phone back into my pocket, and decided to wait for my friends.

It didn’t take long before Juniper, Tamryn, Nari, and Cambria appeared down the hallway, chatting and laughing, the sound of their voices grounding instantly.

"Hey!" Juniper waved as they reached . "You waited?"

"Yeah," I said, smiling faintly. "Training is off today."

Nari’s brows lifted. "Really? That’s new. Did the world stop spinning, too?"

I laughed softly. "Feels like it might."

Before any of us could say more, a light beep went off from all our smart wristwatches. We all glanced down at the synchronized flash of notification across the screens.

[AUDITORIUM ASSEMBLY: COMBAT DUEL ROUND ANNOUNCENT–5 MINUTES]

My stomach dipped.

Cambria’s eyes widened as she looked at . "You think—"

I didn’t let her finish. I already knew what she was going to say. "I guess I will find out soon enough."

We started toward the auditorium together, the halls buzzing with movent as other students hurried in the sa direction.

My pulse picked up the closer we got. The place was already packed when we stepped inside with the sa electric tension and the sa hum of whispered bets and hopeful sighs.

The vice chancellor stepped forward with the transparent box of na cards, her voice clear and commanding as she began calling nas.

And then—

"Elira Shaw."

The sound of my na sliced through the noise.

Juniper instantly squeezed my hand, grinning despite the worry in her eyes. "You’ve got this, okay? Just like last ti."

"Show them what they get for doubting you," Tamryn added with a small smirk.

Nari took my backpack gently from my shoulder. "Go win, champ. We will hold your things and your dignity."

I gave them a weak laugh that didn’t quite hide my nerves. "Thanks. I will... try not to lose either."

They all squeezed my hands one last ti before joining the stream of students filing out of the hall.

And now, I knew why my training with the brothers today was canceled.

---

The other nineteen students and I stepped forward when the vice chancellor called for us. The auditorium suddenly felt too small, the air charged with nerves and challenge.

Each pair was matched quickly, and when my opponent was announced, my stomach knotted.

"Elira Shaw versus Fenric Vale."

Fenric was a tall, lean wolf with sharp green eyes that glinted with confidence—maybe too much of it. His smirk said he already thought he’d won.

We were led to the large training hall, the space already prepared with fresh mats, and the professors lined along the sides.

I caught sight of the clock hanging on the far wall. Ten minutes. That was all it would take to determine who stayed and who got sent ho.

My hands were already slick with sweat, but I rembered what Rennon told . ’Breathe. Keep your head clear. Be the one in control.’

And just then, the whistle blew.