Mated To My Mate's Worst Enemy Chapter 52

ARIA

I woke to warmth surrounding me, to the solid presence of another body pressed against mine, and for a blissful moment, I simply existed in that comfort. Then memory returned—the ceremony, Damon's attack, the fight, Kael shifting back to human form—and my eyes flew open.

Kael's face was inches from mine, his golden eyes already open and watching me with an intensity that made my breath catch. We were in his quarters—I vaguely remembered being brought here after we'd finally left the clinic in the early hours of the morning. I'd been so exhausted I'd barely registered where I was before collapsing into bed.

"Good morning," he said softly, his voice still carrying that rough edge that suggested he wasn't entirely used to speaking yet. "Did you sleep well?"

There was something off about the question, something too careful in the way he asked it. I studied his face more closely and saw the telltale signs—the tension around his eyes, the tightness in his jaw, the shadows underneath that spoke of a sleepless night.

"You haven't slept at all," I said, not making it a question.

A flicker of something crossed his expression—guilt, maybe, or frustration at being so easily read. "I tried. But every time I closed my eyes, I kept seeing Ivory flying into that table. Kept hearing the sound her body made when she hit. I couldn't—" He broke off, shaking his head. "I should have anticipated Damon would try something like that. Should have had better security, better preparations."

"Kael, you couldn't have known he would attack during the actual ceremony. Most Alphas have enough honor to at least wait for a formal challenge—"

"But I know Damon," Kael interrupted, his voice gaining an edge of frustration. "I've dealt with him in council meetings, in pack negotiations. I know he's unstable, that he doesn't respect traditional boundaries. I should have prepared better. And now Ivory's hurt because I didn't."

I wanted to point out that he was being too hard on himself, that no amount of preparation could have predicted every possibility. But I also understood that arguing would only make him defensive. And truthfully, his worry for Ivory was justified. She'd put herself directly in harm's way to protect our bonding ceremony, and she'd paid a steep price for it.

"Have you heard anything from the clinic?" I asked instead. "Any updates on her condition?"

Relief flashed across his face—probably grateful I wasn't trying to convince him not to worry. "Eliza sent word a few hours ago. Ivory's stable but still unconscious. Broken nose, fractured cheekbone, severe concussion. She'll heal, but it's going to take time."

The guilt in his voice was palpable, and I felt an answering guilt in my own chest. I'd been so jealous of Ivory, so convinced she was trying to undermine me, when all along she'd been working to protect us. To protect me, even though she had every reason to resent my presence.

Before I could respond, Kael reached for a bell pull near the bed and rang for service. "You must be hungry. I'll have breakfast brought up."

"Kael, you don't have to—"

"I want to," he said firmly. "You're my mate now. My Luna. Let me take care of you."

There was something almost desperate in the way he said it, like taking care of me was the only thing he could control right now. So I nodded and allowed him to fuss, watching as he rang again and gave detailed instructions to the maid who appeared moments later about exactly what he wanted brought up for breakfast.

The doting continued as we waited for the food. He insisted on checking my mark, making sure it was healing properly. He adjusted the pillows behind me at least three times until he was satisfied I was comfortable. He even tried to brush my hair until I gently took the brush away and did it myself, pointing out that neither of us really knew what we were doing with that particular task.

It should have been sweet. And part of it was. But I couldn't shake the feeling that all this attention, all this care, was really about him trying to distract himself from thoughts of Ivory lying injured in the clinic.

I kept quiet about my observations though. Pointing out that he was using me as a distraction from his worry would only make things awkward. And telling him not to worry about Ivory would make me look ungrateful—would make it seem like I didn't appreciate what she'd done for us.

So I accepted his ministrations, let him serve me breakfast when it arrived, and tried not to feel guilty about the hope that had bloomed in my chest when I'd first woken up. The hope that maybe today, the morning after our bonding, we could have some time alone together. Time to actually talk, to get to know each other better, to start building the foundation of whatever this marriage was going to become.

But that hope died quickly as Nina arrived barely an hour after breakfast, her expression grim and her arms full of documents.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," she said, though she didn't sound particularly sorry. "But there are matters that require immediate attention. Council business that's been piling up while Kael was cursed, and now with the situation with Alpha Cross—"

"It's fine," Kael said, though I caught the flash of frustration through our bond. "What needs to be addressed?"

Nina began laying out documents on the desk in the corner of Kael's quarters, and I realized with a sinking feeling that this was going to take a while. My hopes for a quiet morning alone with my new mate evaporated entirely.

"Nina's been running most of the day-to-day pack business for the last three years," Kael explained to me, his tone apologetic. "While I was cursed. She's done an incredible job, but there are some things that require the Alpha's direct decision, and they've been accumulating."

I nodded, understanding even as disappointment settled in my chest. Of course there was work to be done. I was Luna now—I couldn't expect to spend my days lounging in bed with my mate while the pack's business went unattended.

We spent the next several hours going through documents and decisions, with Nina explaining the context behind each issue and Kael making rulings where necessary. I tried to follow along, to learn the intricacies of pack management, but my mind kept drifting to Ivory in the clinic. To Damon locked in the dungeons. To all the complications that had erupted last night and showed no signs of resolving themselves easily.

It was nearly midday when Nina's carefully maintained composure finally cracked. She'd been explaining something about trade agreements with a neighboring pack when her voice faltered, and I saw her hand tremble as she reached for the next document.

Nina," Kael said gently. "When's the last time you slept?"

"I'm fine," she said automatically, but her eyes were red-rimmed and her usual sharp energy was clearly flagging. "We just need to get through these last few items—"

"You've been awake as long as I have," Kael interrupted. "Probably longer. And you've been worried about Ivory this whole time, haven't you?"

Nina's carefully constructed facade crumbled. "Of course I've been worried. She's my cousin, Kael. My best friend. And she got hurt protecting—" She broke off, shaking her head. "I should have been the one to intercept Alpha Cross. Should have been the one leading him astray. But Ivory insisted she could handle it, that her knowledge of herbs and healing would let her protect herself better than I could, and I let her do it. Let her put herself in danger while I stayed safely at the ceremony."

"You stayed to coordinate security," Kael said firmly. "To make sure the ceremony could proceed smoothly. That was just as important."

"Was it?" Nina's voice broke. "Because Ivory's in the clinic with a fractured skull and I'm standing here shuffling papers like nothing happened."

Kael stood, moving around the desk to pull Nina into a hug. Through our bond, I felt his affection for her, his concern, the sibling-like connection they'd developed over the years of working together.

"Go," he said gently. "Go sit with Ivory. Be there when she wakes up. The pack business can wait a few more hours."

"But the council meeting about Alpha Cross—"

"Can wait," Kael repeated firmly. "Nina, you've held this pack together for three years while I was stuck as a wolf. You've earned the right to take a few hours to be with family. Go."