A Mate To Three Alpha Heirs novel Chapter 179

{Elira}

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I hesitated before finally clicking Rennon’s name. The line barely rang once before it connected.

“Rennon,” I said softly. “Good evening.”

“Good evening, Elira,” his voice came through, calm and steady like always. “How are you feeling now?”

The concern hiding beneath his composure made my chest warm. I leaned against my pillow.

“Better. The nurse said I can take off the bandages tomorrow. I think she is right, the wounds don’t even hurt anymore.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” he said. His relief was quiet but unmistakable. “You should rest early tonight. You pushed through a lot today.”

“I already did,” I said, smiling faintly. “I just woke up from a nap.”

Just then, I heard a low chuckle that didn’t belong to Rennon.

“Of course she called you first,” another voice said, full of mock wounded pride.

My eyes widened. “Lennon?”

“Hey, sweetheart.” I could practically see his grin through the phone. “You didn’t think I would let Rennon talk to you alone, did you? You called him first instead of me. I’m hurt.”

A laugh slipped out before I could stop it. “You called me after him.”

“Only because I knew he would check first,” Lennon countered easily. “He is the responsible one. I’m the charming one.”

“Then I will take that as a warning,” I said, shaking my head even though he couldn’t see me.

I heard Rennon sigh—that quiet, patient sound that always carried both amusement and resignation. “You two…” he muttered under his breath.

“I just didn’t want to bother either of you,” I said, voice softening.

“You never bother us,” Rennon replied simply.

“Yeah,” Lennon added, tone light but sincere. “You could wake us at three in the morning, and we would still answer.”

My chest tightened. “That’s good to know,” I murmured.

For a moment, a warm silence settled between us. I could hear faint background noise on their end, maybe the wind outside, wherever they were.

Then Rennon spoke again, his tone more practical. “You should get more rest. Tomorrow is another long day. Zenon wants to review your form during practice.”

I groaned softly. “He is going to be harder on me after what happened, isn’t he?”

Lennon’s laugh came low and amused. “Oh, absolutely. He has been in a mood all day. Better brace yourself, sweetheart.”

“Great,” I muttered, pressing a hand over my face.

“Don’t worry,” Rennon said. “We will all be there.”

That made me smile. “I know.”

“Goodnight, Elira,” Rennon said gently.

“Goodnight,” I echoed.

“And next time,” Lennon cut in smoothly, “call me first. I will give you extra points for it.”

I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn’t see me. “Goodnight, Lennon.”

“Like what?” Tamryn asked.

“Like being watched,” I admitted, picking at my food. “I used to wish people would stop ignoring me, but now I kind of miss it.”

Nari leaned her chin on her palm, eyes dancing. “That’s because you are famous now. You won a combat duel, Elira. Your name made an appearance on our school’s gossip blog.”

My fork paused midair. “What?”

She grinned wider. “Moon’s Whisper posted about you last night. I read it before bed.”

I groaned softly. “Nari, why would you—”

“Because it’s entertaining,” she cut in cheerfully. “They called you the ’unexpected flame’ of ESA. That’s a compliment!”

Juniper chuckled while Tamryn shook her head. “Don’t listen to her, Elira. They will move on once the next fight happens.”

But I wasn’t sure. The looks following me across the room didn’t feel like passing curiosity. They felt like recognition. And recognition, in this academy, was rarely a good thing.

I forced myself to eat, to smile when my friends joked, to nod at Cambria’s patient reminders that I needed energy for training later.

But the whole time, I could feel that pull of eyes, the weight of being seen in a way I hadn’t been before.

When we finally left the cafeteria, the whispers trailed us all the way through the hallways.

By the time I reached the locker corridor, I almost sighed in relief at the familiar echo of footsteps and metal doors.

I opened my locker, slid my bag inside, and carefully pulled out my Agriculture & Pack Sustainability notebook.

But even here, the looks didn’t stop. Two students across the hall paused mid-conversation. One of them whispered something; the other turned quickly away when our eyes met.