I Left Before He Learned My Worth novel Chapter 40

**I Left Before He Learned My Worth**
**Chapter 40**

**ARIA**

The murmurs began to swirl around me even before I reached the sanctuary of my quarters.

I had hoped that at this early hour, the corridors would be deserted, allowing me a moment of solitude to process the whirlwind of events that had just unfolded. Yet, the news of Kael’s astonishing transformation had spread through the pack like wildfire, and I found myself navigating through clusters of wolves, their animated voices echoing off the stone walls.

As I approached one such group, three older women from the kitchens caught my eye. They were huddled together, their heads bent low as they exchanged words with an urgency that piqued my curiosity.

“I can hardly believe it, but Ivory actually did it,” one of them exclaimed, her voice tinged with awe. “For three long years, we’ve waited for Alpha Kael to reclaim his humanity, and she managed to find the cure in just a few months.”

“She has always had a remarkable talent for herbs,” another chimed in, nodding vigorously. “Do you remember how she saved little Thomas from that dreadful poisoning? No one else had a clue, but Ivory identified the toxin and whipped up the antidote in mere minutes.”

“And now,” the third woman added, her tone reverent, “she’s given us our Alpha back—truly back, not just lucid but genuinely human. That’s not something we should forget when—”

Her voice trailed off abruptly as her gaze fell upon me. The three women immediately averted their eyes, guilt etched across their faces. But I had heard enough to grasp the unspoken conclusion of that sentence.

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

I continued on my way, my expression carefully crafted to remain neutral, even as a storm brewed within my stomach. They were right, I reminded myself. Ivory had achieved something extraordinary. She deserved every ounce of recognition, appreciation, and gratitude from the entire pack.

Yet the way they had framed it—the insinuation that her triumph somehow diminished my own claim to the Luna position—cut deeper than I cared to admit.

As I turned the corner toward the residential wing, I stumbled upon another group—this time younger wolves, likely fresh from training, their workout gear clinging to their bodies, glistening with sweat. Their excitement was palpable, voices overlapping in a chorus of exhilaration.

“I should have seen him, standing on two legs like it was nothing—”

“Ivory’s a goddess, I swear! Did you see how she caught him when he fell?”

“Do you think he’ll stay human? Or will it just wear off?”

“If anyone can make it stick, it’s Ivory. She’s been studying curse-breaking for years—”

“—they should mate her instead. I know there’s a ceremony tonight, but after what Ivory just did—”

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