Mated To My Mate's Worst Enemy Chapter 55

ARIA

*To Alpha Kael of Shadowmere,*

*I write to demand the immediate release of my mate, Alpha Damon Cross, and the wolves of Blackwood Pack currently being held in your dungeons. My mate was acting within his rights under ancient pack law to challenge for an unmated omega during a bonding ceremony. While his timing may have been poor, his actions were legal and should not result in imprisonment.*

*Furthermore, keeping an Alpha and his wolves detained against their will is an act of aggression that Blackwood Pack cannot ignore. If Alpha Cross is not released within twenty-four hours, I will have no choice but to consider this an act of war and respond accordingly.*

*I suggest you reconsider your actions before this situation escalates beyond repair.*

*Luna Sera Cross*

*Blackwood Pack*

"She's threatening war," I said, my voice hollow. "Over Damon."

"She's posturing," Kael corrected, though his expression was grim. "She knows the council will side with us. Damon didn't just issue a challenge—he attacked during a sacred ceremony, assaulted a pack member, brought armed wolves into neutral territory without permission. Those are serious violations of pack law, and Sera knows it."

"But she's still his mate," I said quietly. "His bonded mate. She has to defend him, even if she knows he's wrong."

"Does she?" Kael set down the letter and turned to face me fully. "Because from what I've heard, Luna Sera wasn't exactly thrilled about being bonded to Damon. And she certainly wasn't happy about being imprisoned when he decided to chase after you."

That was true. But duty and pack loyalty could override personal feelings. Sera might not love Damon, might even resent him, but she was still Luna of Blackwood. Still responsible for defending her pack's interests, even when those interests were led by an unstable Alpha.

"The council meeting," I said, changing the subject slightly. "What will they decide? What are the possible outcomes?"

Kael moved to sit behind the large desk that dominated the office, gesturing for me to take the seat beside him rather than across from him. A subtle indication that we were partners in this, equals rather than Alpha and subordinate.

"Worst case, they could demand his execution," Kael said bluntly. "Attacking during a bonding ceremony is considered one of the most serious violations of pack law. It's sacred, protected, and anyone who disrupts it faces severe consequences."

"Execution," I repeated, my stomach churning. Despite everything Damon had done, despite the pain and chaos he'd caused, the thought of him being killed made me feel sick.

"Best case, they strip him of his Alpha status and exile him from the territories," Kael continued. "Force him to live as a rogue, without pack or position. It's a harsh punishment, but it's survivable."

"And most likely?"

"Probably somewhere in between. Imprisonment, loss of status, forced abdication of his Alpha position with someone else—likely Sera—taking over leadership of Blackwood. The council will want to send a strong message that this kind of behavior won't be tolerated, but they'll also want to avoid escalating to actual war if possible."

I nodded slowly, trying to process all of it. In less than twenty-four hours, I'd gone from omega barely surviving in a pack that didn't want me to Luna of a new pack, with my ex-boyfriend imprisoned in the dungeons and his mate threatening war if we didn't release him.

"When is the council meeting?" I asked.

"In two hours," Kael said. "The council members are already gathering. Some were here for the ceremony last night and stayed after the chaos. Others are arriving now." He paused, his expression turning serious. "Aria, you don't have to attend if you don't want to. This is going to be uncomfortable, maybe even painful. Damon will be there, and he'll likely try to appeal to you, to manipulate your emotions."

"I'm Luna now," I said firmly. "I should be there. I need to be there, to show the council that I'm not some helpless omega being fought over by competing Alphas. I'm a leader of this pack, and I have a voice in what happens to threats against it."

Pride flickered through our bond, along with something warmer. "That's exactly right," Kael said. "You are a leader. And having you there, showing a united front, will make our position stronger."

We spent the next two hours preparing—reviewing pack law, discussing possible arguments the council might make, strategizing how to present our case. By the time a guard knocked to announce the council was ready to convene, I felt as prepared as I could be.

But as we walked toward the council chambers, my hand in Kael's, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. That Damon's attack last night had set in motion events that would ripple through multiple packs, creating consequences none of us could fully anticipate.

And that before this was over, I would have to make choices that would define not just my role as Luna, but the kind of person I was going to be.

The council chambers were already full when we arrived. Five council members—Alphas from neighboring packs who formed the regional governing body—sat in a semicircle at the front of the room. Behind them, observers from various packs watched with interest. This wasn't just about Shadowmere and Blackwood anymore. This was about precedent, about pack law, about what would be tolerated in the territories.

And in the center of it all, hands bound with silver chains that would prevent him from shifting, stood Damon.

His eyes found mine the moment I entered, and I saw hope flare in them. Hope that I would somehow save him, somehow convince the council to show mercy.

Hope that I was about to crush.

Because I wasn't here as his former love, his rejected devotee, his convenient fallback. I was here as Luna of Shadowmere, as Kael's mate, as a leader in my own right.

And it was time everyone—including Damon—understood exactly what that meant.