A Mate To Three Alpha Heirs novel Chapter 186

{Elira}

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Saturday mornings at ESA were usually noisy.

Not the kind that grated on your nerves, but the kind that reminded you that the whole school was alive—music leaking from open dorm windows, laughter echoing down the hall, the faint hum of chatter about Founder’s Day preparations.

By the time I left the dorm with the girls, the air was already bright with the scent of grass and paint.

Nari carried a stack of folded fabrics for the decoration team, humming a tune that was too cheerful for how early it was.

Cambria had her sketchbook tucked under her arm, and Juniper, as usual, looked like she was already done with everyone before the day even began.

We didn’t need to talk about what I would be doing today. Everyone knew. The combat team didn’t participate in the weekend prep projects because the elimination rounds were still ongoing.

“Come with us anyway,” Nari said, glancing at me as we walked. “You can sit and laugh while we work. It will be fun.”

“I will come,” I said softly. “But only to watch.”

“Good,” she said, smiling. “I hate painting in silence.”

We cut across the courtyard, the cobblestones warm underfoot. Students darted everywhere, carrying boxes, brushes, and banners. The energy was good—light, contagious. For a while, I let myself feel it.

Then we reached the cafeteria.

It was subtle at first—the quick lift of a few heads, a shift in the air—but I felt it immediately. The way conversations trailed off just a second too late. The way eyes lingered a heartbeat too long.

We found a table near the far window, and I tried to ignore the prickle of attention on my back.

The others started chatting, arguing over whose dorm banner would look best, and for a moment, it almost felt normal again.

Until a voice carried from a nearby table—too clear, too deliberate not to hear.

“She’s the one who won yesterday, right? Knocked the guy out cold?”

“Yeah. Heard she used that pressure-point trick. Totally unfair.”

“Figures. Omegas always cheat when they can’t win properly.”

Instantly, my stomach tightened. I kept my eyes down, pretending to stir the tea in front of me.

Juniper’s voice cut through the air, sharp as a blade. “You have something to say, say it louder.”

The girls at the other table went quiet instantly. One of them flushed, muttering something under her breath before looking away.

Nari huffed. “Unbelievable. Half of them can’t even throw a punch, and they are out here talking like experts.”

Cambria laid a calming hand on Nari’s wrist. “Let it go. They are not worth it.”

Tamryn looked at me. “You know it’s all nonsense, right?”

“I know,” I said, though my voice came out thinner than I meant it to. “It doesn’t matter.”

But it did matter. The words clung to me like glue.

I picked at my food, appetite gone, listening to the muted hum of the room. Laughter rose and fell, spoons clinked against plates, and underneath it all, the whispers spread—quiet, steady, and poisonous.

By the time we left the cafeteria, the morning light had turned harsh, too bright for my eyes.

Nari slipped her arm through mine. “Don’t think about it, okay? Next week, when you win again, they will choke on their words.”

I smiled faintly. “You are very optimistic.”

“I have to be. You are my friend, and your glory reflects on me,” she teased.

That earned a soft laugh from me, but it didn’t reach my chest. The laughter around us sounded distant, hollow.

I could feel the unease creeping deeper, threading through my thoughts like a quiet warning.

Something had shifted, and I didn’t know why.

—

By the time we stepped outside again, the courtyard had transformed.

Bright ribbons hung between the lamp posts, fluttering in the breeze. Students were everywhere, balancing ladders, splashing paint, laughing, and chasing each other with fabric streamers.

Someone had even brought a speaker, and cheerful music floated through the air, mixing with the scent of cut grass and sweet pastries from the bake team’s table.

Nari ran off first, waving the folded fabrics above her head. “Decoration squad, make way for your queen!”

Juniper rolled her eyes but followed after her, clipboard in hand. “She’s going to trip on her own ego one of these days.”

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