TRIPLED: THE KINGS & THEIR MOON

CHAPTER 5: THE LEAK

The Leak

I woke up to my phone exploding.

100+ notifications.

#THREESOME

#SCHOLARSHIPWHORE

#KINGANDBETA

Serena did it.

She posted the photos from the lake.

Me kissing Kael.

Me kissing Riven.

All three of us by the fire.

The captions:

The powerless boy is sleeping with BOTH heirs

Is this what your tuition pays for, Crescent Peak?

By 6:15AM it had 10k views.

Kael was already on the phone. "Take it down. Now."

Riven was pacing. "She hacked the school server to post it on the main page."

I sat on the bed. In the middle. Where we’d all slept.

My face was burning. "I’m sorry."

"Don’t," Kael said. He hung up. Came to me. "This isn’t your fault."

Riven sat on my other side. "Yeah. She’s just desperate."

"She’s not done," I whispered. "She said she isn’t gone."

Kael’s jaw ticked. "Then we end her."

First Period. The Walk of Shame.

We didn’t hide.

Kael in front. Riven behind. Me in the middle.

The halls were a nightmare.

Phones out. Pointing. Laughing.

"That’s him."

"Did you see the pics?"

"Disgusting."

One girl threw a drink at me.

Riven caught it mid-air. "Try that again and I’ll break your hand."

She ran.

Kael stopped. Turned to the whole hall. "Anyone else?"

Silence.

We kept walking.

Lunch. Comfort.

I couldn’t eat.

My hands were shaking.

Riven noticed first. He slid his tray over. "Eat."

"I’m not hungry."

"Bullshit." He picked up a fry. Fed it to me.

I opened my mouth before I could think.

Kael watched. Then he did the same. Water bottle to my lips. "Drink."

The whole cafeteria was watching us feed me.

"Stop," I whispered. "People are—"

"Let them watch," Kael said. "Let them see who takes care of you."

Riven leaned in. "You’re not alone in this, Noel. Not anymore."

My throat closed up. Not from crying. From something else.

Strength.

Someone had my back.

After School. Jealousy.

We were in the guest house. Door locked.

I was trying to study. But my phone wouldn’t stop buzzing.

Riven grabbed it. Threw it across the room. "Enough."

"That was my—"

"I don’t care." He pulled me to him. Sat me on his lap. "Look at me."

I did.

His eyes were serious. No grin. "Are you okay? Really?"

"No," I admitted. "I feel dirty. Like everyone saw me."

Kael came over. Knelt in front of us. "They saw 10 seconds. They don’t know you."

He took my face in his hands. "We know you. The way you fight. The way you said no. The way you kissed us back."

My breath caught. "Kael—"

"Can I?" he asked.

I nodded.

He kissed me. Slow. Gentle. Like he was washing the comments off me.

Riven’s hands were on my waist. Steady.

"Jealous?" he whispered to Kael when they broke apart.

"Yes," Kael said. "But not of you. Of them. Of anyone who thinks they can touch him."

Riven smiled. "Then show him."

And Kael did.

He kissed me again. Deeper. One hand in my hair.

Riven kissed my neck. Soft. Contrasting.

It wasn’t about s*x. Not yet.

It was about claiming me back. From the internet. From Serena. From everyone.

"Stop," I said finally. Breathless. "Both of you. I need—"

"What?" Riven asked.

"Comfort," I whispered. "Just hold me."

So they did.

Kael behind me. Chest to my back.

Riven in front. Arms around me.

Me in the middle.

We stayed like that for an hour.

. Serena Makes Her Move.

Another text. From the unknown number.

Photo: The guest house. From outside. Tonight.

Me between them.

Text: Cute. I have video too. Want me to post it?

My blood ran cold.

Kael saw it. "She’s outside."

Riven was already at the window. "Car. Black. Down the road."

"Call security," I said.

"She’s not on campus," Kael said. "She can’t be touched."

"Then we go to her," Riven said.

"No," I said. "That’s what she wants."

I stood up. Walked to the window. Pulled the curtain open.

Looked right at the car.

Held up my middle finger.

The car peeled out.

Riven laughed. "Damn."

Kael pulled me away from the window. "Don’t do that again."

"Why? It worked."

"Because if she had a gun—"

"She doesn’t," I said. "She has her phone. And her lies. And that’s it."

Midnight. Strength.

We couldn’t sleep. Again.

Riven was on his phone. "Comments are turning. People are defending you."

"Who?" I asked.

"Scholarship kids. Some teachers. Even a few Alphas."

Kael laid back down. Pulled me with him. "See? You’re not alone."

Riven got in on the other side. "Never again."

The three of us. In one bed.

Riven’s leg thrown over mine.

Kael’s arm around my chest.

My head on Kael’s shoulder.

"Can I ask something?" I whispered.

"Anything," both said.

"Is this real? Or is it just because Serena made us a team?"

Kael answered first. "It was real before her. The library. The roof. The announcement."

Riven nodded against my hair. "I’ve never wanted anyone like this. And I’ve never shared. But with you... with him..." He gestured to Kael. "It feels right."

Kael squeezed me. "We choose you, Noel. And we choose this."

My eyes burned. "I choose you too."

Riven kissed my temple. "Good."

Kael kissed my other temple. "Good."

And for the first time since the leak, I slept.

Safe. Claimed. Wanted.

12:30AM. The Video Threat.

My phone buzzed again.

Serena: Last chance. Transfer out by morning or the video goes live.

Attachment: 3 second clip.

Dark. The guest house.

Me between them. Riven’s hand on my waist. Kael’s mouth on my neck.

My hands shook.

Kael took the phone. Watched it. His expression went blank.

"She’s been recording us for weeks."

Riven cursed. "How?"

"Hidden cams," Kael said. "Her dad installed them ‘for security’ last year."

I stood up. "I’m not transferring."

"I know," Kael said. He pulled me into him. "That’s why we’re posting it first."

"What?" I stared at him. "No—"

"Yes," Riven said. He was already typing. "We control the narrative. Or she does."

My heart was pounding. "You can’t—"

"Watch us," Kael said. And he hit post.

Caption from Kael’s verified account:

`Yes. We’re together. All three of us.

And if you have a problem with that, you have a problem with us.

• Alpha Heir, Beta Heir, and Noel Hart`

The video: 10 seconds.

Us on the bed. Talking. Laughing.

Riven kissing my temple. Kael holding my hand.

No s*x. No nudity. Just us.

Comments exploded in 2 minutes.

KING STAN

FINALLY

SERENA WHO?

Riven grinned. "We broke the internet."

I was still shaking. "What if—"

Kael cut me off. Kissed me. "Breathe, Noel."

"Come here," Riven said. He patted the bed.

I sat between them.

The room was dark except for the fire.

It felt safe. For the first time in days.

"You did good today," Kael said. "At the board. On the table. With Serena."

"I was scared," I admitted.

"And you did it anyway," Riven said. "That’s strength."

He reached out. Brushed his thumb over my lip. "Can I?"

I knew what he was asking.

I nodded.

He kissed me. Slow. Deep.

His hand came up to my jaw. Tilting me.

Kael watched. Then he moved. Behind me.

His arms came around me. His mouth at my ear.

"You’re so brave," he whispered. "Do you know that?"

My whole body shivered.

Riven pulled back. His eyes were dark. "We’ve been wanting this. For a while."

"Wanting what?" I asked. Even though I knew.

"This," Kael said. His hand slid down my arm. Laced with mine. "All of this."

The s****l tension was thick. Like we could cut it.

Riven leaned in again. This time his kiss was different.

Hungrier. His hand slid under my shirt.

I gasped.

"Too much?" he asked against my lips.

"No," I whispered. "More."

Kael’s laugh was low. "Greedy."

"With you two?" I said. "Yeah."

That did it.

Riven laid me back on the bed. Careful. Like I might break.

Kael was on my other side.

Four hands. Two mouths. All on me.

Riven’s lips on my neck. Kael’s on my collarbone.

Their hands everywhere and nowhere. Teasing.

"Comfort," I breathed. "I need—"

"We’ve got you," Kael said. "Always."

Riven kissed my jaw. "Tell us what you want, Noel."

I couldn’t. The words wouldn’t come.

So I showed them.

I pulled Riven down to me. Kissed him hard.

Reached back for Kael.

And they understood.

It wasn’t fast. It wasn’t dirty.

It was slow. Careful. Like we had all the time in the world.

Like I was theirs.

And they were mine.

When it was over, we were a mess.

Sweat. Tangled sheets. Breathing hard.

Riven curled into my side. "Damn."

Kael pulled the blanket over all of us. "Yeah."

I laid between them. Heart still racing.

But not from fear.

From confidence.

For the first time, I felt powerful.

We woke to silence.

No new notifications.

No new threats.

Riven checked his phone. "Serena deleted her account."

"Good," Kael said. He was making breakfast. Actual pancakes.

I sat up. Sheets around me. "Did we—"

"Yeah," Riven grinned. "We did."

My face went red. "And?"

"And it was perfect," Kael said. He handed me a plate. "Because it was you."

Riven stole a pancake. "And because we got to do it together."

I looked at them. My Alpha. My Beta.

Mine.

The school still hated me.

Serena was probably planning something else.

But I wasn’t scared anymore.

Because I had them.

And they had me.