Chapter 128: Narrow Escape_A Mate To Three Alpha Heirs

<h4>Chapter 128: Narrow Escape</h4>

 {Regina}

 ~**^**~

 For a heartbeat, I thought Kaelis would finally let it go because of the way her smile softened. But a secondter, her eyes sharpened like a de sliding free of its sheath.

 "Proof," she said, her voice lilting but deadly. "Show us."

 The words fell into the room like thunder.

 My stomach lurched. "Excuse me?" I managed, though the edges of my voice felt brittle.

 Kaelis leaned back in her chair, her curls bouncing as she tilted her head. "You say Zenon is your mate. That your bond works because you trust him, because you give him space. Fine."

 Her smile widened, venomous and taunting. "Then show us your mark."

 The silence that followed was more suffocating than the previous ones. And believe me, I felt that I had reached my dead-end.

 Soraya’s eyes gleamed, eager, almost hungry. Thorne chuckled low, as if he had been waiting for this. Caleb smirkedzily, but his gaze was sharp with interest. Even Nyra, who rarely spoke, turned her attention fully on me.

 Every gaze pinned me in ce, burning through my skin.

 My pulse raced in my throat, hammering so loud I thought the chandelier above would rattle.

 I curled my fingers into my skirt beneath the table. ’Stay calm, Regina. Stay calm. You can get through this.’

 "I don’t have to prove anything to you," I said smoothly, though I could hear the faint tremor beneath my words. "Our bond is private. Not something to be paraded around like a trophy."

 Kaelis’sughter rang sharp and melodic, slicing through myposure. "So private," she mused, "and yet Zenon publicly meddles in Council business over a little Omega."

 Her eyes glittered like shards of ice. "Strange, isn’t it? Almost as though the bond you im doesn’t exist."

 The words hit me like a strike to the chest.

 Soraya leaned forward with her lips curved. "Maybe he shields her because she’s more than she seems. More to him."

 The room buzzed with low murmurs, mocking and spective, and I felt my stomach coil into knots.

 These people are trying to force me into giving up the truth. But hell would have to break lose first before they can get a denial from me.

 So, I forced out a sharp derisiveugh. "You’re all grasping at shadows. Zenon and I haven’t...pleted the bond yet. Our families agreed on a special mating ceremony—one that requires both bloodlines present."

 Then I lifted my chin, letting my words drip with cool confidence. "Until then, there will be no mark. But that doesn’t mean the bond isn’t there."

 A thin silence stretched, skeptical, weighing my words.

 Then Kaelis leaned forward again, her smile as radiant as it was poisonous. "How romantic. But forgive me, Regina, your words are like wind. Surely, if you are what you say you are, you must have some proof."

 "Proof? What other proof?" I echoed, my throat tightening.

 "A photograph, perhaps?" Kaelis suggested sweetly. "A message? A token? Anything to show that Zenon acknowledges you as his mate. Surely you’ve got something."

 The weight of their gazes pressed like stone against my chest.

 I swallowed, hard, then forced my lips into a thin smile. "Fine. If words don’t satisfy you, I will give you more."

 My hand slipped into my skirt pocket, trembling slightly as I pulled out my phone. "I will call my mother right now. You can hear it from her yourself."

 For the first time, the room stilled, the amusement dimming into wary curiosity.

 I pressed the screen with a steadier hand than I felt. Inside, my pulse thundered like a storm. ’Mother, please do not fail me no otherwise, this will be my end.’

 I listened to the ringing tone go on and finally on the third ring, my mother’s poised voice drifted through the speaker. "Regina, darling. What a surprise, calling during school hours."

 I drew in a breath, ncing at Kaelis, then I hit the speaker button. "Mother, I’m with the members of the Student Council. They wished for confirmation regarding my mate bond with Zenon. I even told them regarding the special mating ceremony, but they don’t seem to believe it."

 The silence that followed was no more than a heartbeat long, but to me, it felt like a century had passed.

 Then, like velvet dipped in honey, My mother’sughter chimed through the line.

 "Oh, is that all? My, what a waste of my precious time. Yes, of course, Regina and Zenon are bonded. Our families arranged everything long ago, but because our pack’s traditions are sacred. The full ceremony hasn’t taken ce yet."

 Her tone wrapped around the room like silk, sounding unhurried, confident and untouchable.

 "It’s not umon in noble houses to dy the sealing of a bond until after the formal rites. Surely, you’ve heard of such customs, Princess Kaelis?"

 Kaelis’s silver eyes narrowed, but her lips quirked upward faintly. "I have."

 "And until then," Mother continued smoothly, "Zenon and Regina have agreed to keep their rtionship more private. It’s a matter of dignity, not secrecy. Anyone suggesting otherwise is simply misinformed."

 The line was quiet except for the soft hum of her voice. Even the razor-tongued Soraya sat back in silence with her arms crossed.

 My pulse began to steady. My mother had woven the lie so wlessly like we had secretly nned together some time ago, and even I almost believed it.

 "Does that satisfy your curiosity?" My mother’s voice lifted again, airy but with a touch of steel. "Or shall I arrange for both families to deliver the formal documents directly to the Council chamber?"

 For the first time, Kaelis’s smile faltered. She leaned back in her chair, tilting her head. "That won’t be necessary."

 "Good," Mother said briskly. "Now, unless there’s some other trivial matter you would like me to clear up, I have something important to return to."

 Since no one had anything otherwise to say, I quickly said, "Thank you, Mother. Have a good day."

 "Good bye my Gina." And with a final click, the call ended.

 I lowered my phone slowly, meeting the council’s gazes with as much calm as I could muster. Inside, my organs were quaking, but outwardly, I held Mother’s same air of poise.

 Kaelis’s fingers drummed against her chair arm. Then, with a casual shrug, she turned away. "Well, that clears the air. For now."

 The tension bled from the air, though suspicion still flickered faintly in a few eyes.

 I almost let out a scoff, but held myself back. Maybe, everything yed out today so I would be careful of my attitude, and learn to y my role as Zenon’s mate well, so the cracks on the walls would never be revealed.

 ---

 {Elira}

 ~**^**~

 I quickly swiped to answer, holding the phone close. "Tamryn? What’s—"

 But it wasn’t Tamryn’s voice that came through. It was Nari’s breathless and urgent voice.

 "Elira! Come back to the hostel quickly."

 My pulse skipped. "What’s wrong—?" I tried to inquire, but at that moment, the line went dead.

 I stared at the phone, my stomach sinking. A chill threaded down my spine. Something had happened.

 "Elira." Rennon’s steady voice anchored me. His eyes, calm yet sharp, searched my face. "What is it?"

 I wet my lips, trying to steady my breathing. "That was Nari. She said I shoulde back to the hostel quickly, but she cut the call before saying anything else."

 Beside me, Lennon straightened, his easy smile wiped clean. "Something’s wrong then," he said tly.

 Zenon’s deep voice cut in, firm and absolute. "Go." His gaze locked on mine, unreadable but weighted. "And if something has happened, reach us immediately."

 The knot in my chest tightened, but his words steadied me. I nodded. "I will."

 Closing the yearbook gently, I set it back on the table with careful hands. Then, slipping my backpack over my shoulder, I rose to my feet.

 "Goodbye," I said softly, forcing myself to meet each of their gazes, Zenon’s unwavering, Rennon’s kind, and Lennon’s burning with barely concealed worry.

 Then I turned, heart thudding fast, and stepped out of the office, the heavy door clicking shut behind me.

 My footsteps echoed down the hallway, quicker than usual. A hundred questions wed at me, but none louder than one:

 What on earth could have happened back at the hostel?

 ---

 By the time I reached the dorm building, my legs were moving so fast it felt like my heart was dragging me along.

 I shoved the strap of my bag higher on my shoulder and quickly entered the elevator, the call reying again and again in my head.

 What if someone was hurt? What if Tamryn—

 As soon as the elevator reached the third floor, I pushed open our dorm door without knocking. "Nari? Tamryn? What happened?"

 The room was warm and quiet, steam still clinging faintly to the air from the bathroom. I blinked once, taking in the sound of water running behind the closed door.

 Only Nari sat on her bunk bed, cross-legged, grinning like a fox caught mid-mischief. She looked up at me, a phone still in her hand.

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Chapter 128: Narrow Escape