A Mate To Three Alpha Heirs-Chapter 197: Waiting Won’t Get Us Anywhere

{Elira}

~**^**~

Adriel coughed as he pushed himself up, shaking his head. The timer ticked—nine minutes. Only one left.

He grinned, panting. "You are good," he admitted, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "But let’s see how long that luck lasts."

He feinted right again, then ducked. And this time, swept his leg at my feet. I lost balance and hit the mat as air rushed from my lungs.

Before I could roll away, he was on me, pinning me down by the shoulder. His breath was hot against my cheek.

"Now, you are back where you belong," he growled.

My world went red at that statement, but Selene howled inside me. "No. Not this time."

Immediately, I twisted sharply, grabbed his wrist, and rammed my knee up into his ribs with all my strength. The sound that left him was half groan, half gasp.

I rolled, flipped us both, and before he could even blink, I slammed my forearm across his throat, locking him down the same way Lennon had taught me.

He clawed at my arm, gasping, struggling to break free, but I wouldn’t let him as the ten second countdown began.

Nine.

Eight.

Seven.

I shifted my weight, pinning him harder. His claws scraped at my arm, uselessly.

Five.

Four.

Three.

His muscles trembled, his movements slowing.

Two.

One.

"Time up!" Professor Kael’s voice thundered.

The hall exploded with noise.

I stayed there, panting, staring down at the boy who had called me weak. His eyes were wide with disbelief.

He sat up slowly, completely dazed, then looked at me with something almost like fear.

"Elira Shaw wins!" Professor Kael’s voice boomed through the hall, echoing above the noise.

The crowd erupted around me—claps, cheers, shouts that felt distant, muffled under the rush of blood still pounding in my ears.

I stayed still for a moment, hunched over, hands on my knees, my chest rising and falling in sharp, uneven breaths.

My whole body trembled from the effort—from holding back, from fighting until there was nothing left to give.

I had made it to the top ten.

The words slid through my mind, quiet and unreal. I had made it.

The air around me shimmered faintly with heat—the kind that always came when my emotions ran high.

I swallowed hard, forcing the fire down as the reality of what this meant began to sink in.

I was now one of the ten who would fight on Founder’s Day.

Me—the girl they had mocked as an Omega, the one everyone had pitied or ignored, and even tried to spread rumours against.

I straightened slowly, still catching my breath. My fingers curled and uncurled, as if trying to hold onto this feeling—the raw disbelief, the victory, the fragile pride that was finally mine.

Then, my name began to rise from the crowd.

"Elira! Elira! Elira!"

The chant rolled through the hall like a wave.

I blinked in surprise and lifted my gaze—rows of faces turned toward me, some shouting, some smiling, some just staring in shock.

And then I saw the brothers.

Zenon stood near the far wall, arms folded, his face unreadable — but his eyes burned with quiet intensity that made my pulse quicken.

Beside him, Rennon gave a small approving nod. And Lennon, of course, was grinning widely, pride gleaming in his eyes like sunlight.

Something inside me unclenched. The breath I had been holding all this time slipped free.

Just then, a voice cut through the noise—bright, familiar, impossible to miss.

"ELIRA!"

My head whipped toward the sound.

There she was—Nari, standing in the crowd of students, waving both arms so wildly she nearly smacked Tamryn in the face.

Cambria was beside her, smiling softly, her eyes glistening with pride. Juniper was clapping, sharp and unrestrained, while Tamryn raised both thumbs high in the air.

My throat tightened unexpectedly.

After everything—the whispers, the pain, the bruises—this moment felt real. For the first time,

I raised a shaky hand and waved back at them, smiling despite the tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.

The cheers grew louder.

And standing there, under the roar of hundreds of voices, I finally let myself believe it—that maybe, just maybe, I belonged here after all.

---

{Regina}

~**^**~

The moment the final duel ended, the hall exploded with cheers.

Her name — again.

Elira Shaw.

I didn’t even realize my nails were digging into my palms until the sharp sting pulled me back to myself.

The cheers grated against my ears, each one a reminder that she had done it again, that she was now one of the top ten who would stand in the Founder’s Day duel.

And not just that, the crowd had chanted her name.

Elira. The supposed Omega. My cousin.

Every part of me burned.

By the time I stormed back to the student council office, the others had already arrived. The air in the room was tense—the kind that carries the taste of disbelief and humiliation.

Princess Kaelis was standing by the wide glass window, her arms folded tightly across her chest, her jaw sharp as cut stone.

Soraya leaned on the edge of the desk, lips twisted in disgust. Nyra sat back in her chair, glaring down at her tablet as if the screen itself had offended her.

Caleb and Thorne exchanged helpless glances.

As soon as I walked in, the room erupted.

Soraya was the first to speak, her voice cold and sharp. "I can’t believe she won again. What is she made of?"

Kaelis didn’t turn around. Her reflection in the glass was a storm barely contained.

"It’s not just that she won," she said slowly. "It’s that they were cheering for her. Loudly. Publicly. ESA’s students are turning her into a symbol."

Nyra huffed. "An Omega symbol. Imagine that."

Kaelis finally turned, her piercing eyes sweeping over us. "She’s not supposed to be the one people are talking about before Founder’s Day. I am."

The last word snapped like a whip through the air, but no one dared to answer.

For once, even Soraya stayed silent, tracing the rim of her glass cup like a predator waiting for the right moment to strike.

Kaelis’s voice dropped lower—quieter, but deadlier.

"That girl’s name is starting to overshadow ours. The Moon’s Whisper post this morning... and now this? Every time she steps into that ring, she steals another fragment of ESA’s attention."

Her fists clenched. "And I don’t like it."

The silence that followed felt heavier than the air itself.

Finally, Caleb broke it. "Maybe she’s just... lucky?"

Kaelis’s glare sliced through him. "There is no such thing as luck in this academy. Someone is really helping her because you can’t tell me that she suddenly woke up one morning to be a warrior material."

Her gaze shifted to me. And for the first time since walking in, I met her eyes.

She didn’t need to say it out loud. I knew what that look meant — Find out.

I nodded slightly. Kaelis turned away, exhaling sharply.

"This ends on Founder’s Day. Whatever she has been doing to win, whatever trick she is using, it stops there. I won’t let an Omega or whatever she is- stand on that stage and outshine me."

Soraya smirked. "Should we start planning her fall, then?"

Kaelis’s lips curled faintly — not quite a smile.

"No," she said, voice soft but cutting. "We don’t have to. All we have to do is wait. She is walking right into the spotlight... and that’s where mistakes shine the brightest."

The words hung in the air like venom. And as the others murmured among themselves, I sat quietly — watching Kaelis, watching the storm she was barely keeping contained.

Inside me, my own fury pulsed like a heartbeat. And I couldn’t stay silent anymore.

"With all due respect, Your Highness," I began, keeping my tone measured, "waiting won’t get us anywhere."

Her head turned slightly, her eyes narrowing on me. The others looked up too. Even Soraya seemed intrigued.

"What are you suggesting, Regina?" Kaelis asked, voice cool but edged.

I leaned forward in my seat, clasping my hands on the table. "That you leave this matter to me to settle the scores."

Kaelis arched a brow. "To you?"

"Yes," I said, meeting her gaze without hesitation. "You said she’s walking into the spotlight. That’s good. Because that’s where I will make sure the light burns her alive."

A few glances exchanged around the table—some impressed, others wary.

I continued, lowering my voice just enough to make them listen harder.

"If we simply wait, she will only grow stronger. Every duel, every whisper, every article about her adds to the legend they are building around her. By Founder’s Day, it won’t matter if she wins or loses; she will still walk away as ESA’s golden girl."

I paused, watching Kaelis carefully. "So the question, Your Highness, is simple. Do you want her forgotten... or destroyed?"

Kaelis’s silence was long and deliberate. I could almost see the calculations behind her eyes—her pride warring with her caution.

Finally, she asked, "And if I let you handle it, what exactly are you planning?"