TRIPLED: THE KINGS & THEIR MOON

CHAPTER 4: NO PLACE TO GO

The Alpha dorm was still smoking at 6:15AM.

Fire trucks. Students in pajamas. Phones out.

And me. Standing between Kael and Riven in borrowed sweatpants.

#AlphaDormFire was already trending.

"Arson," Headmaster Varga said. "No one was hurt. That’s what matters."

She looked at us. The three of us. "You’ll be relocated. Together. Effective immediately."

"Where?" Kael asked.

"The guest house. Behind the main building. It’s the only place with 3 beds and security."

The guest house.

AKA: One bedroom. One bathroom. One bed.

Riven grinned. "Cozy."

I didn’t grin.

8:00AM. The Guest House.

It was small. Too small.

Wood floors. Fireplace. Kitchenette.

And one room. With one king bed.

"There’s a couch," Riven said hopefully.

"It’s a loveseat," I said.

Kael dropped my bag on the floor. "We’ll figure it out."

We tried.

I took the bed. Obviously.

Kael took the floor by the door. "In case she comes back."

Riven took the loveseat. "Which is actually just two cushions pushed together."

By 9PM we were all miserable.

I was on the edge of the bed. Kael was on a blanket on the floor, staring at the door.

Riven was half hanging off the couch, one leg on the floor.

"This is stupid," I said.

"Agreed," Kael said.

Riven sat up. "New rule. We rotate. Every night. Someone gets the bed."

"No," I said. "That’s dumb. We’re all sleeping like crap."

"Then what?" Riven asked.

I looked at the bed. Looked at them.

"All three. Or I go back to Dorm C."

Silence.

Kael stood up. "Fine. But ground rules."

"Name them," I said.

"1. No touching unless you say yes."

"2. No fighting in bed."

"3. Doors stay locked."

Riven saluted. "Yes, Alpha."

We got in.

Me in the middle again.

Kael on my left. Close, but not touching.

Riven on my right. Also close, but not touching.

It was worse than the floor. Because now I could smell them. Feel their heat.

I didn’t sleep.

Next Day. The Board Meeting.

Serena didn’t waste time.

She’d gone to the Board of Governors. With her dad.

By noon, there was an emergency assembly.

Headmaster Varga stood on stage. "There have been allegations. That Crescent Peak is unsafe. That favoritism is being shown."

Serena sat in the front row. Arm in a fake sling. Crying.

"My daughter was attacked," Mr. Voss said. "By a scholarship student who is receiving special treatment from the Alpha and Beta heirs."

Lies.

Kael stood up. "That’s not true."

"Sit down, Mr. Drayven," Varga said.

Riven stood too. "No. She set the fire. She’s lying."

"Proof?" a board member asked.

Kael pulled out his phone. Played the audio. Serena’s voice:

If I can’t have the King, no one can.

The hall went silent.

Serena’s face went white. "That’s fake!"

"Is it?" Riven said. "We also have the cup. With your fingerprints."

Mr. Voss stood up. "This is slander."

"No," I said. My voice echoed.

Everyone looked at me.

I walked to the front. Between Kael and Riven.

"I’m Noel Hart. Scholarship student. Powerless."

I paused. "And I’m tired of being used as a weapon."

I looked at Serena. "You tried to drug me. You tried to bully me. You tried to burn us. And now you’re lying to the board because you didn’t get what you want."

Gasps.

"I’m not anybody’s claim," I said. "But I am somebody. And I’m not leaving."

The board whispered.

Headmaster Varga nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Hart. The board will deliberate."

Night. Back at the Guest House.

We won.

Serena’s dad lost funding for the new gym.

Serena was expelled.

But the victory felt hollow. Because now the whole school hated me more.

"They’ll get over it," Riven said. Trying to be cheerful.

"Will they?" I asked.

Kael was quiet. Making tea. Actual tea.

He handed me a mug. "For your throat. From talking today."

It was sweet. And hot.

Riven flopped on the bed next to me. "So. Rotation’s canceled, right? We’re doing the 3-person cuddle puddle forever?"

I laughed. First time in days. "It’s not a cuddle puddle."

"Could be," Riven said. He was close. Too close.

Kael sat on the other side of me. "We should talk. About what happened in the bed. Two nights ago."

My face went hot. "What about it?"

"About us," Kael said. "All of us."

Riven nodded. "We meant it. When we said we choose you."

"And each other," Kael added. Quiet.

The room felt small. Again. But different.

Riven reached out. Tucked hair behind my ear. "So. What do you choose, Noel?"

My heart was pounding.

I looked at Kael. Stoic. Waiting.

I looked at Riven. Grinning. Nervous.

"I choose," I said, "to stop being scared."

I leaned forward. And kissed Riven first.

Soft. Testing.

He made a sound in his throat and kissed back.

When I pulled away, Kael was watching.

His expression was unreadable.

Then he leaned in too. And kissed me.

Different. Slower. Deeper.

When he pulled back, his forehead rested against mine.

"Good," he whispered. "That’s good."

Riven flopped back on the bed. "Well. That happened."

Kael sat back. "We should set boundaries."

"Boundaries are boring," Riven said. But he was smiling.

I laid back between them. Staring at the ceiling.

For the first time, I wasn’t powerless.

I wasn’t alone.

And I wasn’t scared.

Day 2 in the Guest House.

The whole school was staring.

I walked to class with Kael on my left and Riven on my right.

Like bodyguards. Like boyfriends. Like a problem.

Whispers followed us.

Slut. Homewrecker. Gold-digger.

I kept my head up.

Kael noticed. "You okay?"

"No," I said honestly. "But I’m not hiding."

Riven bumped my shoulder. "That’s our boy."

Our boy.

The words did something to me.

After School. The "Date".

"We’re taking you out," Riven announced at dinner. "Officially."

Kael frowned. "It’s not safe."

"That’s why we’re going to the Pack Grounds," Riven said. "Private. Owned by Kael’s family. No students."

The Pack Grounds.

An hour later, we were at a lake. Bonfire. Blankets. Stars.

No one else.

"This is illegal," I said, but I was smiling.

"Only if we get caught," Riven grinned. He handed me a stick with marshmallows. "First date rules: you roast first."

Kael sat on one side of me. Riven on the other.

The fire reflected in their eyes.

"This is nice," I said. "Normal."

"It’s not normal," Kael said. "It’s ours."

My chest got tight.

Riven leaned in. "Can I steal a kiss?"

I looked at Kael. He nodded. Once.

So I kissed Riven.

Fire. Heat. Marshmallow and smoke.

When we broke apart, Kael was watching. Jaw tight.

"Your turn," Riven whispered to him. "Don’t be shy, Alpha."

Kael didn’t answer. He just pulled me to him.

And kissed me slow. Like he was memorizing me.

Like I was something precious. Not a problem.

When he let go, I was breathless.

"Boldness," Riven teased. "I see you, King."

Kael’s ears went red. "Shut up."

We laughed. All three of us.

For one night, we weren’t the Alpha, the Beta, and the scholarship boy.

We were just us.

11PM. Back at the Guest House.

We were messy. Smelling like smoke and sugar.

I was in the middle of the bed again.

Kael on my left. Riven on my right.

No rules tonight.

Riven’s hand found mine under the blanket. Laced our fingers.

Kael’s arm came around my waist.

No one said anything.

Then my phone buzzed.

Unknown number.

A photo.

Me. At the lake. Kissing Kael.

Kissing Riven.

Caption: WHORES. ALL THREE OF YOU.

Second text: I’m not gone, Noel. - S

Serena.

My blood went cold.

I sat up. "She’s watching us."

Kael was up in a second. Checking windows. Doors.

Riven grabbed his phone. "She hacked the security cams at the Pack Grounds."

"How?" I asked.

"Her dad," Kael said. Voice deadly calm. "He still has access."

Riven looked at me. "Are you scared?"

I thought about it. "No. I’m mad."

Kael turned. "Good."

"Because I’m done running," I said. "If she wants a war, she gets one."

Riven grinned. "There’s our girl."

"Boy," I corrected.

"Our boy," Kael corrected too. And there was pride in it.

The Next Morning. Boldness.

We walked into school together. Again.

But this time, we weren’t hiding.

I had Kael’s jacket over my shoulders.

Riven’s hand on the small of my back.

Serena’s old friends stared. Mira flipped us off.

I flipped her back.

Gasps.

Riven burst out laughing. "Damn, Noel."

Kael just looked proud.

At lunch, I stood up on a table.

The cafeteria went silent.

"I’m not going anywhere," I said. Loud. "You can call me names. You can post photos. You can burn buildings. But I’m not leaving. And neither are they."

I pointed at Kael and Riven.

"So get used to it."

Silence.

Then one person clapped.

Then two.

Then a few scholarship kids.

It wasn’t everyone. But it was something.

Night. The Jealousy Test.

We were in bed. Again.

Riven was curled into my side. Face in my neck.

Kael was behind me. Arm around my waist.

"I hate that photo," Kael muttered.

"Which one?" I asked.

"The one of you and him."

Riven lifted his head. "Jealous, King?"

"Yes," Kael said. Honest. "I am."

Riven propped himself up. Looked at Kael. Then at me.

"So do something about it."

The air got thick.

Kael looked at me. "Can I?"

I nodded.

He kissed me. Hard. Possessive.

Like he was erasing the photo from my mind.

Riven watched. Then he kissed my shoulder. My neck.

"Stop," I breathed. "Both of you. I can’t—"

"Yes you can," Riven whispered in my ear. "We’re choosing you. Together."

Kael pulled back. His eyes were gold. "No more hiding. No more fear. Agreed?"

I nodded. "Agreed."

Riven laid back down. Pulled me with him. "Good. Now sleep. We have war to win tomorrow."

Kael settled behind me again.

Three in one bed.

Three against the world.

For the first time, I believed we might actually win.