A Mate To Three Alpha Heirs novel Chapter 84

{Elira}

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Lennon stood at the front and clapped his hands once. “Today is about control, coordination, and learning how to adjust your instincts in a real-time scenario. Some of you think fighting is just throwing punches harder than the other guy. It’s not. You’re going to learn that today.”

He scanned the group, his eyes briefly landing on me. My spine straightened automatically.

“Let’s start with a few demonstrations. Cadren, Vyra, front and center.”

Two students stepped forward—Cadren was broad-shouldered and fast on his feet. Vyra was lean and sharp-eyed. They faced each other, and Lennon nodded at them to begin.

The fight wasn’t flashy, but it was solid. Vyra moved with grace, Cadren with sheer force. Lennon watched like a hawk, then raised his voice mid-spar.

“Vyra, you’re pulling back too far with each step. That’s wasted time. Cadren, you’re dropping your elbow every time you swing. That’s an invitation for a broken wrist.”

They paused, panting. Lennon gave a sharp nod. “Again. Fix it.”

They continued, and everyone watched closely.

Then, Lennon stepped forward. “Anyone feeling brave enough to take me on?”

The room went still. No one moved. Then a tall guy with dark-red hair raised his hand.

“Brave man,” Lennon said, grinning faintly. “Come on, then.”

The spar was quick and brutal—but clean. Lennon didn’t humiliate him. He corrected every move in real time, even as he dodged and countered like it was second nature.

In less than a minute, the guy was on the ground, blinking up at the ceiling.

“Anyone else?” Lennon asked, casually stepping back. “No? Alright then.”

He clapped again. “Pair up.”

The students scrambled to find partners. I didn’t move.

Lennon’s voice rang out again. “If you don’t have a partner, don’t worry. You will be sparring with this.”

He gestured, and one of the staff assistants rolled in a large combat dummy—tall, padded, and humanoid in shape, but clearly built with motion sensors and automation in its joints.

“The combat dummy moves on its own,” Lennon explained. “The speed depends on your strength. You hit harder, it moves faster. You hit softer… well, it might just slap you.”

A few students laughed. My turn came. My name was called.

“Elira Shaw.”

My breath caught. I stepped forward slowly.

“Dummy three,” Lennon instructed. “It’s already calibrated for you. Give it everything you’ve got.”

I swallowed my nerves and took my stance.

The dummy didn’t move at first. Then I swung, but it dodged.

I blinked.

’Okay.’

I adjusted my stance and punched again. The dummy jerked back, then pivoted toward me—and lunged.

I squealed, stepping back quickly and swinging reflexively. My fist hit its chest. It rolled with the motion.

I began to get the rhythm. Step in, swing. Move back. Block. Dodge. Strike.

It wasn’t perfect. I stumbled once. But I didn’t fall. I didn’t look like a fool.

I was…enjoying it.

The rush of movement, the way my body remembered old drills I thought I’d forgotten.

I hadn’t done this—not properly—since before my parents died. Since before everything fell apart.

But now? This felt good and safe.

Because it was just me and the dummy. No judgment. No cruel whispers. No magic involved. Just combat.

And Lennon—he hadn’t thrown me into a mess. He made it manageable and balanced. He gave me something I could handle, something that didn’t set me up to fail.

Nari’s eyes sparkled with delight. “Seriously? What is it?”

I gave her a teasing smile. “You will find out after classes today.”

Nari nodded enthusiastically. “Though I hate surprises, I will wait patiently.”

For a moment, everything felt normal—laughing, eating, just being a group of students in the middle of the chaos that was ESA.

But then I remembered something else. I reached for my cup of warm water and said, “Oh, by the way… I got another red envelope this morning.”

Nari’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me—another one from those creepy council people?”

I nodded. “It was stuck to my locker again. They want me to come to their office by 3 PM today.”

Juniper groaned, dropping her chopsticks on her tray. “Ugh. What do those people even want from you?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “There’s never any detail in the letter. Just the time and place.”

“They really think they’re above everyone else,” Nari muttered. “Throwing out mysterious invitations like they’re in a royal court or something.”

Cambria leaned forward slightly, her voice softer than the others. “Are you okay with going? Do you want one of us to come with you?”

I shook my head. “No, it’s fine. I’ll be okay. Besides, they might just have a file or question or… I don’t know. Something basic.”

Juniper didn’t look convinced. “Well, if they try anything, you tell us. Seriously.”

Tamryn finally looked up from her plate. “If they’re pushing too hard, it’s because they’re interested in you. And not all attention from the Student Council is good attention.”

That comment made me pause. But I just nodded slowly and said, “I will be careful.”

The conversation shifted again after that—Nari talking about how yesterday, one of the male students tried to carry three trays and dropped his food all over a prefect’s boots—but in the back of my mind, I was already counting down the time.

3 PM wasn’t so far away.

And something about this second invitation made my stomach twist with unease.