TRIPLED: THE KINGS & THEIR MOON

CHAPTER 3: THE EARNING WAR

By Monday morning, the entire school had rules.

Rule 1: Don’t touch Noel Hart.

Rule 2: Don’t film Noel Hart.

Rule 3: If you break Rule 1 or 2, you answer to the Alpha and the Beta.

And Rule 4, written on the bathroom mirror in red lipstick:

Noel belongs to no one.

Serena’s handwriting.

I stared at it while brushing my teeth.

Tayo leaned on the door. "You see this?"

"I see it."

"Are you scared?"

I spat. "No. I’m tired."

First period. Politics of the Pack.

Professor Hale was boring. Until he wasn’t.

"Today," he said, "we discuss pack alliances. Who holds power. Who gets protected."

Every eye in the room went to me.

I sat between Kael and Riven. Again. Sandwich.

Kael hadn’t spoken to me since the library. Riven hadn’t either.

They were "figuring it out. Together. Or not at all." My terms.

It was awkward. And hot.

"Example," Professor Hale said. "The Alpha heir and Beta heir both claim interest in the same individual. What happens?"

Silence.

Riven raised his hand. "They fight."

"And if the individual doesn’t want that?" Hale asked.

Kael answered. Voice cold. "Then they stop fighting."

The whole class stared at us.

Riven leaned over. Whispered only for me. "We’re trying, you know."

I didn’t look at him. "Try harder."

Lunch. The Announcement.

I was getting food when the lights cut out.

Emergency sirens.

Then Serena’s voice. Over the PA system.

"Attention Crescent Peak Academy. This is Serena Voss."

The whole cafeteria froze.

"Due to recent events, I am announcing my official engagement to Kael Drayven. The wedding will be after graduation. Please respect our privacy."

Lies.

Kael shot to his feet. "That’s not—"

But it was too late. Phones were out. Videos recording.

Serena walked in. White dress. Veil. Holding a fake bouquet.

She stopped in front of our table. Right in front of me.

"Smile, Noel," she said sweetly. "For the cameras."

Kael grabbed her arm. "Take it off."

She yanked away. "You can’t deny me in public, Kael. It looks bad for the pack."

Riven was already at the PA system. "This is false," he said. "There is no engagement."

Serena smiled at me. "There will be. Unless our scholarship friend transfers out. Today."

Blackmail. Public.

The hall was silent. Waiting.

I stood up. Slow.

Everyone was watching. Kael. Riven. 400 students.

I looked at Serena. "You want me to leave?"

"Yes."

I walked around the table. To her.

I was shaking. But not from fear.

I took the fake bouquet from her hands. Snapped it in half.

"No," I said. Clear. Loud. "I’m not leaving. And he’s not yours."

Gasps.

Serena’s smile dropped. "You little—"

Kael stepped between us. "Touch him and I’ll end you."

Riven cut the PA. "Show’s over."

But it wasn’t. Because someone was already posting.

#ScholarshipBoySaidNo

It was trending in 2 minutes.

After School. The Parking Lot.

They jumped me.

Four of them. Serena’s girls.

No wolves. Just fists and claws.

"Queen B says you embarrassed her," Mira said. "So we’re returning the favor."

First punch landed on my jaw.

I hit the ground.

Then a growl.

Kael. He tore through them like paper.

Riven. He pulled two off me and slammed them into a car.

In 30 seconds, it was over.

I was on the ground. Bleeding from my lip.

Kael crouched in front of me. His hands were shaking. "Noel. Look at me."

I did.

"Are you okay?"

"No," I said honestly. "My face hurts."

Riven laughed, but it was shaky. "Tough guy."

He helped me up. Kael on one side. Riven on the other.

"Why did she do that?" I asked. "The engagement thing."

"Because she’s desperate," Kael said. "And because she thinks if she claims me publicly, you’ll back off."

"Did it work?" Riven asked. Testing me.

I looked at both of them. "No. It made me mad."

Kael’s mouth twitched. "Good."

Night. The Headmaster’s Office.

We were called in. All of us.

Me. Kael. Riven. Serena.

Headmaster Varga looked tired. "I’ve seen the videos. The announcement. The fight."

Serena cried. On cue. "He’s dangerous, Headmaster. He’s turning them against each other."

"Am I?" I said. "Or are you?"

Varga held up a hand. "Enough. Here’s what’s happening. Serena, you’re suspended for 2 weeks for false announcements and inciting violence. Kael, Riven, you’re on probation for fighting. And Noel..."

She looked at me. "You’re being moved to Alpha dorm. For your safety."

My stomach dropped. "What?"

"With Kael and Riven," she said. "Effective tonight."

Kael and Riven both stared at me.

Living together.

The three of us.

Serena screamed. "That’s not fair!"

"Life isn’t fair," Varga said. "Dismissed."

Alpha Dorm. 11PM.

It was huge. Two floors. Fireplace. One bed. Huge.

King sized.

For three people.

Kael stood by the window. Riven was on the couch.

And me. In the middle of the room with one duffel bag.

"This is insane," I said.

"Yeah," Riven agreed. "But it’s safer."

Kael turned. "You take the bed. We’ll take the floor."

"No," I said. "We share it. Or I sleep on the floor."

Silence.

Riven grinned. "Bossy. I like it."

Kael just nodded. "Fine."

We changed. In the same room.

Awkward. Tension thick enough to cut.

When the lights went out, we got in bed.

Me in the middle.

Kael on my left. Cold. Rigid.

Riven on my right. Warm. Too close.

No one spoke.

Then Riven’s hand found mine under the blanket. Squeezed once.

Kael’s didn’t. But I felt his arm brush mine.

And for the first time since I got to Crescent Peak, I didn’t feel alone.

I felt claimed.

Even though I wasn’t.

11:47PM. Alpha Dorm.

The room was too quiet.

King sized bed. Three people.

Me in the middle.

Kael on my left. Rigid. Like a statue.

Riven on my right. Warm. Too close.

Riven’s hand was still holding mine under the blanket.

Kael’s arm kept "accidentally" brushing mine.

No one was sleeping.

"You guys breathe too loud," I whispered.

Riven choked on a laugh. "You’re the one breathing fast, Noel."

"I’m not."

"Liar." His thumb brushed over my knuckles. Once. Twice.

Kael shifted. "Riven."

"What? We’re sharing a bed. I’m allowed to touch."

"You’re allowed to touch when he says you can."

Both of them went still. Waiting for me to say something.

I pulled my hand away. "Sleep. Both of you."

But sleep didn’t come.

12:30AM.

A noise. Downstairs. Glass breaking.

Kael was up in 0.2 seconds. Wolf eyes. "Stay here."

He left. Riven sat up. "Probably nothing."

"Probably," I said. But my heart was racing.

2 minutes later Kael came back. Holding something.

A note. Pinned to the door with a knife.

He read it. His jaw clenched.

"What does it say?" I asked.

Riven took it. "‘If I can’t have the King, no one can. See you at midnight, Noel. - S’"

Serena.

"She’s in the school," Kael said. "Suspended means nothing to her."

Riven looked at me. "You should sleep in the middle. Between us."

"That’s not—"

"Safer," Kael cut in. "Please."

Please. The Wolf King said please.

"Fine," I muttered.

I laid back down. Kael on one side. Riven on the other.

This time, neither of them touched me. But I could feel their heat.

1:00AM.

I couldn’t sleep.

Riven rolled onto his side. Facing me. "You awake?"

"Yeah."

"Can I ask you something?" His voice was low. Rough.

"What?"

"Why did you say no? To fighting over you?"

I stared at the ceiling. "Because I’m tired of being a prize. I want to be chosen. Not won."

Kael shifted. He was listening too.

"And did we choose you?" Riven asked.

"You announced it to the whole school."

"That’s not the same," Kael said. First words in hours. "That was protection."

"Then what is choosing?" I asked.

Silence.

Then Riven moved. Slow. Like asking permission.

His hand came up. Brushed hair off my forehead.

"Like this," he whispered.

My breath caught.

Kael watched. Didn’t stop him.

Riven leaned in. His lips hovered near my ear. "You’re frustrating. Stubborn. And you don’t flinch. I’ve never met anyone like you."

"Riven—"

"Can I?" he asked. Not about a kiss. About more.

My heart was pounding. "I don’t know."

"That’s okay," he said. He didn’t push. He just stayed there. Close.

Kael exhaled. "Riven. Back off."

"I’m not—"

"You are," Kael said. Then he did something I didn’t expect.

He reached over me. Past me. And grabbed Riven’s shirt. Pulled him closer.

Not to fight.

To kiss him.

Right over me.

Riven froze. Then kissed back. Hard.

I was trapped between them. Feeling everything. Their heat. Their tension. And suddenly it wasn’t about fighting.

It was about me.

They broke apart. Both breathing hard.

Kael looked at me. Gray eyes dark. "This is what choosing looks like, Noel. We choose you. Even if it means choosing each other too."

Riven nodded. "No more games. No more hiding."

My face was burning. "That was..."

"Nuts?" Riven grinned, shaky. "Yeah."

"Spicy," I whispered.

Kael’s mouth twitched. "Good."

We didn’t do more. We couldn’t. Not yet.

But we laid there. Three in one bed. And for the first time, it didn’t feel like a war.

It felt like something else.

6:00AM. The Explosion.

We woke to sirens.

The Alpha dorm wing was on fire.

Not the whole building. Just our floor.

Someone had set it.

On the wall, spray painted in red:

IF I CAN'T HAVE HIM, BURN IT DOWN - S

Serena.

Students were screaming. Running.

Kael grabbed me. Threw me over his shoulder.

Riven grabbed my bag.

We got out. Barefoot. In pajamas.

Standing in the snow, watching the dorm burn, I realized something.

This wasn’t about Kael anymore.

Or Riven.

It was about me.

And Serena was done playing.

Kael’s arm was around me. Riven’s hand was on my back.

"She’s going to pay for this," Kael growled.

Riven looked at me. "You okay?"

I nodded. Even though I wasn’t.

Because now the whole school knew: I was the reason the Alpha dorm burned.

And I was done being powerless.