Mated To My Mate's Worst Enemy (ARIA) novel Chapter 166

Chapter 166

ARIA

Finished

“Then perhaps,” Ivory said, her voice becoming slightly gentler, “we can focus on the fact that your Alpha and Luna are home safely, your guards succeeded in their mission, and everyone will recover. Rather than criticizing the methods that made those outcomes possible.”

She gathered her remaining medical supplies. “If there are no other concerns that require my immediate attention, I need to check on the guards. Make sure they’re properly positioned for safe unconsciousness. Monitor for any unexpected complications even though I don’t anticipate any.”

“Go,” Kael said. “And Ivory-thank you. For the accelerants. For the quick response. For everything you did that made today’s rescue possible.”

Ivory nodded once, acknowledging his thanks without quite accepting the praise. Then she left, Margo following with the remaining supplies.

The council room felt larger with fewer people in it. The elders were murmuring among themselves, clearly processing everything that had happened. Nina looked exhausted, her good hand pressed against her injured shoulder as if trying to will away the pain through pressure alone.

And Kael-Kael looked like he was holding himself together through sheer force of will. Like if he let his guard down for even a moment, he’d collapse under the weight of everything we’d been through today.

“We need to discuss security protocols,” Elder Thorne said, drawing everyone’s attention back to practical matters. “Damon escaped and immediately organized an assault on Alpha Kael. He has resources, organization, and clear objectives. This won’t be his last attempt.”

“Agreed,” Kael said, his voice taking on that Alpha quality that meant he was shifting into leadership mode. Putting aside personal emotion to focus on pack safety. “We need increased patrols. Better communication systems. Rapid response protocols in case of another attack.”

“We also need to address the Blackwood situation,” Cassius added. “Sera’s involvement in this is obvious even if we can’t prove it definitively. She delayed you with those conditions and games while Damon organized his assault. She had to know what was coming.”

“We can’t act against Blackwood without solid proof,” Morrison cautioned. “The council would view an unprovoked attack as treaty violation. We’d lose the moral and legal high ground.”

“So we gather proof,” Nina said, her voice strained but determined despite her injury. “We investigate. Document. Build a case that’s undeniable. Then we present it to the council and let them authorize appropriate response.”

The discussion continued, moving into tactical details and strategic planning that I only partially understood. My mind was elsewhere, replaying the attack, the rescue, the sight of guards collapsing one by one as their enhanced abilities exacted their price.

Ivory had created something remarkable. Dangerous, yes. Uncomfortable, absolutely. But remarkable. She’d looked at a problem-response time, capability gaps, the need for enhanced performance in emergency situations-and she’d solved it. Created compounds that turned certain defeat into possible victory.

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Chapter 166

Finished

Just like she’d solved the problem of my false accusation by setting that elaborate trap. Just like she solved every problem that came her way through brilliant application of her knowledge and skills.

I was useful for settling minor disputes. For handling administrative tasks. For being present and performing the basic functions of Luna.

But Ivory saved lives. Created solutions to impossible problems. Made the difference between success and catastrophic failure.

The comparison stung even though I knew it was unfair. We had different skills, different roles, different ways of contributing. But in moments like this, when her work literally saved us all, the disparity felt overwhelming.

“Aria?” Kael’s voice pulled me from my spiraling thoughts. “Are you alright? You look pale.”

Everyone was looking at me now. The meeting had apparently concluded while I’d been lost in my head.

“I’m fine,” I said automatically. “Just tired. It’s been a long day.”

Kael’s expression was skeptical, but he didn’t push. “The elders have finished for now. We’ll reconvene tomorrow after everyone’s had time to rest and recover. Why don’t you head to our chambers? I’ll join you

soon.”

I nodded and stood, grateful for the dismissal. I needed space to process. Needed time alone to sort through everything that had happened.

As I left the council room, I heard Morrison say something to Kael about the paper-the folded note that Sera had given him. About whether he intended to read it soon or wait until things had settled.

The paper. I’d almost forgotten about it in the chaos of the attack and rescue. But it was still there, still waiting in Kael’s pocket, still containing my name and the revelation that would change everything.

How long did I have before he read it? Before my secret was exposed and I had to face the consequences?

Hours? Days?

A

I didn’t know. But I was too exhausted to worry about it properly. Too drained from fear and adrenaline and watching people collapse to care about future disasters when present ones had barely been survived.

I made my way to our chambers, past pack members who were still processing the day’s events, through corridors that felt safer now that we were home but never quite safe enough.

When I reached the chambers, I collapsed onto the bed fully clothed. Too tired to change. Too overwhelmed to do anything but lie there and stare at the ceiling.

Somewhere in the pack house, guards were sleeping off the effects of enhanced performance drugs. Somewhere, Ivory was monitoring them with clinical precision, ensuring they recovered safely from the risks they’d taken to save us.

Somewhere, Damon was regrouping, planning his next assault, obsessing over reclaiming what he’d lost.

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