I Left Before He Learned My Worth novel Chapter 126

**I Left Before He Learned My Worth**

**Chapter 126**

**ARIA**

“That hardly seems fair to Aria,” Kael remarked, his tone laced with concern.

“I know,” Ivory replied, her voice steady but tinged with regret. “And I promise I won’t do it again. I won’t place you in that uncomfortable position again. I have my reservations about Aria—let’s not pretend otherwise—but if we ever find ourselves in a similar predicament where my words could condemn her, I’ll remain silent. I will take a step back and allow someone else to take the reins. It’s simply not right to force you to choose between us. It’s unjust to wield your trust in me as a weapon that could harm your mate.”

“You don’t genuinely dislike her,” Kael countered gently, his gaze softening. “What you dislike is the idea of her. She represents the disruption of the life you envisioned for yourself. But Ivory, in reality, Aria—the person herself—you don’t know her well enough to harbor true dislike.”

“Perhaps that’s true,” Ivory conceded, her eyes narrowing slightly. “But I know enough to understand that she isn’t the Luna I would have been. She’s not what you need, and certainly not what this pack deserves.”

“You can’t know that for certain—” Kael began, but Ivory cut him off.

“I do know that,” she insisted, her voice firm. “And deep down, you know it too. Everyone in this pack recognizes it. Aria might evolve into a capable Luna one day, given years of hard work and dedication. But as things stand? She’s simply not up to the mark. Pretending otherwise only serves to mislead everyone involved.”

The harshness of her words struck me like a physical blow. Yet, I couldn’t muster any anger because, on some level, I recognized the truth in her statement. I was inadequate. I was still on a journey of learning, grappling with my responsibilities, and failing to meet the expectations of my role.

“She’s making an effort,” Kael defended me, his voice rising with a protective edge that I hadn’t heard during the tribunal. “She’s dedicated to doing the work. To earning trust. To proving her worth.”

“Then I sincerely hope she succeeds,” Ivory responded, her tone unexpectedly earnest. “I hope she invests the time and effort required. I hope she lays down the foundation she needs. I hope she grows into someone this pack can genuinely rely on. Because Kael, you deserve a mate who is your equal. Someone who enhances your leadership rather than complicating it.”

“And you believe that person should have been you,” Kael said quietly, a hint of sadness in his voice.

“I can’t say for sure what I think,” Ivory admitted, her expression softening momentarily. “Without my memories, I lack the context of what we were to one another, what we shared, or why everyone seems convinced we should have ended up together. All I have left is instinct. And my instinct tells me that I would have been better suited to be your Luna. I would have grasped the role. I would have already earned the trust and respect necessary to lead effectively.”

“But you’re not my Luna,” Kael reminded her gently. “Aria is. Regardless of how we arrived at this point, however imperfect the circumstances may be, she’s my mate now. My bonded partner. And I must support her. I need to help her become the Luna she has the potential to be.”

“I understand,” Ivory replied, her voice steady. “And I won’t interfere with that. I won’t exploit my relationship with you to undermine her or make her position any more challenging. But Kael, I also cannot pretend to be something I’m not. I can’t feign liking her or supporting her or wanting her to succeed when the reality is far more complex.”

“What is the reality?” Kael asked, his brow furrowing in curiosity.

Ivory fell silent for a long moment, her thoughts clearly swirling. Finally, she spoke, her voice low and filled with emotion. “The reality is that I’m angry. Angry that I lost three years of my life to the curse, only to see everything I believed I was working toward handed to someone else. Angry that I lack the memories to help me comprehend why I should be okay with that. Angry that I’m expected to be gracious and supportive when inside, I’m just… hurt and bitter and resentful.”

“I know,” Kael replied quietly, the weight of understanding settling between them.

“So what will you do about it?” Ivory challenged, her eyes narrowing. “Are you going to bolster Aria’s credibility so that next time, she has her own foundation to stand on? Are you going to assist her in becoming someone whose word carries weight? Or will you continue to allow this disparity to exist, leaving her vulnerable to such attacks?”

“I don’t know how to do that,” Kael admitted, his voice tinged with frustration. “I don’t know how to build trust for someone else. That’s something she must accomplish on her own.”

“Then support her while she navigates that journey,” Ivory urged, her tone insistent. “Stop being passive. Stop waiting for her to figure it out alone. Actively help her. Guide her. Use your position as Alpha to create opportunities for her to prove herself. Because right now, she’s floundering. And every day she flounders is another day our enemies can exploit that weakness.”

“You’re lecturing me on how to support my mate,” Kael observed, a hint of amusement breaking through the tension in his voice. “That’s rather ironic.”

“It’s practical,” Ivory corrected, her expression serious. “I don’t like Aria. I don’t want her to be your Luna. But she is your Luna, whether any of us like it or not. And having a weak, unproven, untrusted Luna is detrimental to the entire pack. So yes, I’m urging you to help her. Not because I’ve suddenly developed warm feelings for her, but because it’s what’s best for Shadowmere.”

“Always thinking of the pack,” Kael murmured, a note of admiration in his voice.

“Always,” Ivory confirmed, her resolve unwavering. “Even when it means supporting someone I’d rather see fail. Even when it means acknowledging that the right thing and what I desire are two entirely different matters.”

A silence enveloped them for a moment, and I sensed movement—perhaps Kael pulling Ivory into a comforting embrace, or merely shifting positions. Through the narrow gap in the door, I couldn’t quite make out the scene, but I could feel the weight of their conversation lingering in the air.