Mated To My Mate's Worst Enemy Chapter 62

ARIA

She turned away from me, picking up her mortar and pestle again and resuming her grinding with exaggerated focus. The conversation was clearly over.

I left the room, my mind churning with everything Ivory had said and, more importantly, hadn't said. Her avoidance of Kael made no sense unless—

Unless she had feelings for him.

The realization hit me like a physical blow. Of course she did. They'd been friends since childhood. She'd dedicated years to helping him, to finding a cure for his curse, to being by his side when few others would. She'd traveled across territories searching for herbs that might help him. She'd put her own life and goals on hold to support him.

That wasn't just friendship. That was devotion. That was love.

And then I'd shown up, agreed to bond with him, and taken the position she probably thought should have been hers.

No wonder she resented me. No wonder she could barely stand to be in the same room as Kael—seeing him with me, marked by me, bonded to me when she'd been the one standing by his side all along.

The guilt that washed over me was complicated. I hadn't known. Hadn't realized. And even if I had, what would I have done differently? Kael had chosen me. The bonding was complete. I couldn't undo it even if I wanted to.

But understanding Ivory's pain made it harder to dismiss her hostility as simple territorial behavior or professional jealousy. She was hurting. And every time she looked at me, I was a living reminder of what she'd lost—or never had the chance to claim.

I made my way up to the chambers I now shared with Kael, my mind heavy with the weight of revelations I hadn't been looking for. The bath Margo had drawn was indeed waiting, steam rising from the water, and I sank into it gratefully.

The hot water helped ease the physical tension in my muscles but did nothing for the emotional knots I was trying to untangle. How was I supposed to build a life here, to be an effective Luna, when so much of the pack didn't want me? When the woman Kael had been closest to couldn't bear to be around him because of me? When every attempt I made to help or learn or contribute was met with polite dismissals and barely concealed resentment?

I was still in the bath when I heard the door to the chambers open, followed by Kael's familiar footsteps.

"Aria?" he called out.

"In here," I responded.

He appeared in the doorway of the bathing room, already loosening his formal clothes after what had probably been another long day of dealing with pack business. His expression brightened when he saw me, warmth flooding through our bond.

"How was your day?" he asked, settling on the edge of the bathing platform.

I considered lying. Considered telling him everything was fine, that I was adjusting well, that the pack was warming to me. But we'd promised each other honesty, and besides, he'd probably feel the truth through our bond eventually anyway.

"Challenging," I admitted. "I tried to help in the kitchens and got politely dismissed. I attempted to learn about guard operations and was told my input wasn't needed. I visited the treasury and was made to feel like an intruder in my own pack's financial management."

Kael's expression darkened. "They dismissed you? Who specifically? I'll speak with them—"

"That won't help," I interrupted gently. "If you force them to include me, to accept my presence, they'll just resent me more. They need time to adjust, to see me prove myself through actions rather than demands."

"You shouldn't have to prove yourself," Kael said, frustration evident in his voice. "You're Luna. You've earned that position. They should respect it."

"They respect the position," I said. "They just don't respect me yet. There's a difference."

Through the bond, I felt his conflicted emotions—anger on my behalf, guilt that his pack wasn't welcoming me, helplessness about how to fix the situation.

"I also saw Ivory today," I continued, deciding to share at least part of that encounter.

"How is she?" Kael asked immediately, and I caught the complicated mix of emotions that came with the question. Concern for his friend, confusion about her recent distance, frustration that she wouldn't talk to him anymore.

"Healing well physically," I said. "She's back to working on her herbal preparations. Apparently developing a preventative medicine for winter fever."

"That sounds like Ivory," Kael said with a sad smile. "Always working on something. Always trying to help the pack in whatever way she can."

"She's avoiding you," I said carefully. "Has been since the bonding. Have you noticed?"

"Of course I've noticed," Kael said, his frustration bleeding through more clearly now. "She barely speaks to me anymore. Calls me 'Alpha Kael' like I'm some stranger instead of someone she's known since childhood. Makes excuses to leave whenever I try to have a real conversation with her. I don't understand what changed. I thought—I thought she'd be happy that the curse was broken. That we could finally interact normally again now that I'm human."

I studied his face, seeing genuine confusion there. He really didn't understand. Really didn't see what seemed so obvious to me now.

Should I tell him? Should I share my suspicion that Ivory's avoidance stemmed from unrequited feelings, from pain at seeing him bonded to someone else?

No. That was Ivory's secret to keep. Her feelings were hers to manage or reveal as she chose. It wasn't my place to expose her vulnerability to the person she was trying to distance herself from.

"Maybe the bonding itself changed things," I offered instead. "You're not just her friend anymore. You're a mated Alpha, bonded to someone else. That changes the dynamic of any friendship, even one as close as yours."

"But it shouldn't," Kael protested. "You being my mate doesn't mean I value Ivory any less. Doesn't mean our friendship has to end."