Mated To My Mate's Worst Enemy Chapter 40

ARIA

The whispers started before I'd even made it back to my quarters.

I'd thought the corridors would be empty at this early hour, that I could retreat to my room and process everything that had happened in private. But news of Kael's transformation had spread through the pack with impossible speed, and wolves were already gathering in small clusters, their voices carrying through the halls.

I slowed my pace as I passed one such group—three older women I recognized from the kitchens, their heads bent together in urgent conversation.

"—can't believe Ivory actually did it," one of them was saying, her voice full of wonder. "Three years we've waited for Alpha Kael to be human again, and she figured out the cure in a matter of months."

"She's always been brilliant with herbs," another agreed. "Remember when she saved little Thomas from that poisoning? No one else knew what to do, but Ivory identified the toxin and mixed the antidote in minutes."

"And now she's given us our Alpha back," the third woman said. "Properly back, not just lucid but actually human. That's not something we should forget when—"

She cut off abruptly when she noticed me passing, and all three women dropped their eyes with guilty expressions. But I'd heard enough to understand the unspoken end of that sentence.

*That's not something we should forget when deciding who deserves to be Luna.*

I kept walking, my face carefully neutral even as my stomach churned. They weren't wrong, I told myself. Ivory had accomplished something incredible. She deserved recognition, appreciation, gratitude from the entire pack.

But the way they'd said it, the implication that her achievement somehow negated my own claim to the Luna position—that stung.

I turned the corner toward the residential wing and encountered another group, this one younger wolves who'd probably been training when the news broke. They were still in their workout clothes, sweaty and energized, talking over each other in their excitement.

"—should have seen him, standing on two legs like it was nothing—"

"—Ivory's a goddess, I swear. Did you see her catch him when he fell?"

"Do you think he'll stay human? Or will it wear off?"

"If anyone can make it permanent, it's Ivory. She's been studying curse-breaking for years—"

"—should mate her instead. I know there's a ceremony tonight, but after what Ivory just did—"

That comment came from a young male, maybe twenty years old, his voice carrying the absolute certainty of youth. One of his companions shoved him, glancing nervously in my direction to see if I'd heard.

I had. But I kept walking, kept my expression neutral, kept pretending their words didn't feel like knives sliding between my ribs.

*He should mate Ivory instead.*

I'd been here a week. Ivory had been here her whole life. I'd saved Kael once. Ivory had just given him back his humanity. The comparison wasn't even close, and part of me understood why these wolves would think she was the better choice.

Understanding didn't make it hurt less.

I was almost to my quarters when I heard Nina's voice, sharp with reproach. She was around the next corner, speaking to someone I couldn't see.

"—don't care what you think Elder Marcus. The bonding ceremony is happening tonight as planned. Aria has been nothing but dedicated to this pack since she arrived, and she deserves our support, not our gossip and speculation."

"I'm not saying she doesn't deserve support," an older male voice—Elder Marcus—replied defensively. "I'm simply pointing out that Ivory has proven her value to this pack in ways that can't be dismissed. If Alpha Kael were to reconsider the alliance, given his newfound freedom from the curse, no one could blame him—"

"He's not reconsidering anything," Nina interrupted coldly. "He chose Aria. He's bonding with Aria tonight. And if I hear one more pack member suggesting otherwise, I'll start questioning their loyalty to their Alpha's decisions."

"Nina, be reasonable. Ivory has dedicated years to helping Kael, has sacrificed her own opportunities to travel the territories searching for a cure. Don't you think she deserves some recognition for that? Some reward beyond a simple thank you?"

"She has recognition," Nina said firmly. "She'll be celebrated as the healer who broke the Alpha's curse. She'll be honored, respected, valued. But that doesn't mean she gets to be Luna. That position was claimed by Aria through her own actions and Kael's choice. End of discussion."

I heard footsteps, suggesting Elder Marcus was leaving. I ducked into my quarters before he could round the corner and see me eavesdropping.

Once inside, I leaned against the closed door and tried to steady my breathing. The conversation had been supportive—Nina defending me, making clear that the ceremony would proceed as planned. I should have felt reassured.

Instead, I felt like I was standing on increasingly unstable ground, with every passing moment revealing new fissures in the foundation I'd thought I was building.

I moved to the window, looking out over the pack lands as the sun climbed higher in the sky. Somewhere out there, preparations were being made for tonight's ceremony. The blood moon would rise at sunset, providing the magical backdrop for the bonding ritual. Guards would be stationed at every entrance, watching for Damon's inevitable appearance. The ceremonial clearing would be decorated, food prepared, guests from neighboring packs arriving to witness Shadowmere's new Luna.

And I—I would put on that beautiful gown, wear those magical moonstones, stand before hundreds of wolves and bind myself eternally to an Alpha I was still learning to know.

An Alpha who was currently unconscious in his den, recovering from a transformation that had been orchestrated by another woman. A woman the pack clearly adored. A woman some of them thought should be standing where I would stand tonight.

A knock on my door made me jump. I composed myself quickly before calling out, "Come in."

Nina entered, her expression a mixture of exasperation and concern. "How much did you hear?"