CHAPTER 420: SHOCKING REVELATIONS

Evaline:

Ria’s scream nearly made my eardrums burst.

I winced, pressing both hands to my ears in a desperate attempt to muffle her shriek. Beside her, Selene gasped so hard I was afraid she would inhale the entire room, while Noah’s jaw practically hit the floor and stayed there.

Honestly, if this were a competition for the most dramatic reaction, Ria would have won gold.

"YOU’RE WHAT?!" she screeched again, her eyes bulging like I had just told her I had married the Moon Goddess and moved to Moon.

"I said," I tried to repeat slowly, "I’m mated to Draven. And... River. And Kieran. And Oscar."

Ria’s second scream followed immediately after.

I shut my eyes, shaking my head. "Ria, I’m standing right here. You don’t have to summon the ancestors."

Meanwhile, Selene’s hand was still frozen midair, her expression blank as though her brain had short-circuited. And Noah... Noah was just staring at me like I had sprouted extra heads.

It didn’t help that Draven had already left five minutes ago, right after successfully throwing me to the wolves, both literally and figuratively.

He had accomplished his goal with that infuriating smirk of his, the side hug, and his suggestive words. He knew exactly what he was doing. And then, like the smug troublemaker he was, he left me here - to deal with the aftermath. Alone.

Now, here I was, surrounded by six pairs of eyes - three curious, three amused - and trying to explain something even I sometimes still had a hard time believing.

I sighed, lowering my hands as Ria finally stopped screaming to catch her breath.

"Okay," I said, rubbing my temples. "I know how this sounds. But I’m not joking, nor am I under a spell. I’m mated to all four Thorne brothers."

Noah blinked once. Then twice. Then rubbed his ears dramatically like maybe he had misheard.

"You mean... the Thorne brothers?" he asked slowly, his voice half disbelieving, half scandalized. "As in, the Rogue Alphas?"

I nodded while letting out a sigh. If I thought Mallory was dramatic with her reactions, I was in for a treat today.

Noah threw his hands up in the air, pacing a few steps as if trying to digest the information. "Unbelievable. The four most powerful, sought-after alphas in the entire shifter world... and they all mated with you?"

I frowned, crossing my arms. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

He stopped pacing, his expression serious now... though his eyes still held that mischievous glint that always preceded one of his dramatic speeches.

"I mean, let’s think about this rationally," he began, gesturing with his fingers as he counted off names. "River Thorne - the Rogue Alpha King, the man who single-handedly united the rogue territories and turned chaos into a civilization. The Chairman of Thorne Industries, worth billions."

He paused for effect. "Then there’s Kieran Thorne - headmaster of this very academy, a legend in herbal and potion mastery. Most professors and students around our world worship him like he’s the second coming of the Moon Goddess."

Selene and Ria nodded mutely. Even Kyros and Mallory joined in.

Noah continued, clearly on a roll now. "Next up - Oscar Thorne. Youngest instructor in history, chief of the Elite Warriors, the strongest shifter defense force known to exist. People literally write fanfiction about him."

Mallory snorted into her drink. "That’s true. I might be guilty of reading a few. But that’s before I found out about him being your mate." She quickly added the last sentence.

"Exactly!" Noah said, pointing at her. "And then we have Draven Thorne - the golden boy of Silver Moon, master of Runes, the youngest of the four, and possibly the most devastatingly good-looking man alive."

He turned to look at me, eyes narrowing in mock suspicion. "And somehow, you managed to... acquire all four?"

"Acquire?" I repeated flatly.

Ria burst out laughing while Selene pressed her lips together, trying to hold it in.

Noah grinned. "You get what I mean. It’s like saying you walked into a dragon’s den and came out with the crown jewels. Actually, no- you came out wearing the crown jewels."

I groaned and dropped onto the couch beside Mallory, burying my face in my hands. "You are impossible."

"Impossible but not wrong," he shot back smugly.

When I didn’t respond, I felt the couch dip beside me as Ria plopped down and nudged my shoulder. "Hey," she said softly. "You know we are teasing, right? It’s just... a lot to take in."

I peeked out from between my fingers. "You think?"

Selene finally found her voice, her usual calm tone returning. "It’s unbelievable, Eva. But... looking at you now, it kind of makes sense."

I blinked at her. "What?"

She smiled... a small, genuine one. "You have changed. You are no longer the girl I met on our first day at entrance exam camp. You are glowing now, stronger. There’s this... peace in your eyes that wasn’t there before. I used to worry about you all the time, especially last year. But now..." She tilted her head. "Now, you look like you finally found where you belong."

That lump in my throat formed so suddenly, I didn’t know what to do with it.

Before I could even thank her, Noah suddenly crouched in front of me, resting his elbows on his knees. His teasing tone was gone, replaced by something gentle. "You know, I was going to ask how someone like you ended up with them," he admitted, his voice quiet. "But I think I already know the answer."

My brows furrowed. "What answer?"

"That only someone like you could," he said simply. "Only someone strong enough to stand next to them, kind enough to heal what’s broken in them, and fierce enough to make them kneel when needed."

My eyes widened.

He grinned faintly. "You forget we have seen you fight for people, Eva. You might think you are ordinary, but we have known better for a long time."

For once, I didn’t have a comeback.

Ria nodded eagerly beside me. "Yeah! And don’t forget, you are literally one of the prettiest people alive now. You have put on some healthy weight, and those curves-"

"Ria!" I interrupted, mortified.

"What?" she said innocently. "I’m just saying! You look amazing! It’s not fair. Some of us have to work for it."

Selene chuckled. "She’s right, though. You have grown into yourself. You are... radiant, Eva. Really."

My lips parted, but no words came out. My chest ached with emotion... a heavy, warm ache that made it impossible to speak. I had been bracing for anger, for judgment, for mockery even. But what I got instead was... understanding. Acceptance.

For the first time since stepping back into the Academy, I felt my shoulders loosen.

And then...

Mallory cleared her throat dramatically, leaning back in her chair. "Okay, this is all very touching," she said, cutting through the softness of the moment, "but don’t get too emotional yet."

I turned to her, frowning. "What now?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You still have one more secret to drop, don’t you?"

Oh, Moon help me.

Kyros grinned like the devil himself. "Ah yes, the grand finale."

Rowan crossed his arms. "This should be good."

All eyes swung back to me again.

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. Right. There was that.

"Well," I began cautiously, "since we are in the mood for shocking revelations..."

Selene narrowed her eyes. "Eva, what are you hiding now?"

I hesitated for a moment... just long enough for the tension to stretch... before taking a deep breath and blurting it out.

"I’m... a mom now."

The silence that followed was so deep, I swore I could hear the clock ticking.

Then Ria’s mouth opened again, and I slapped my hand over her mouth before she could scream.

"Not again," I warned.

Her eyes went wide, muffled sounds of disbelief escaping against my palm.

Selene’s jaw went slack. Noah just fell backward onto the carpet, staring at the ceiling in utter shock.

Mallory, Kyros, and Rowan? They were all howling with laughter.

I couldn’t help it... I laughed too.

Because honestly, at this point, what else could I do?