Mated To My Mate's Worst Enemy (ARIA) novel Chapter 178

Chapter 178

ARIA

33%

Finished

“That’s what the evidence suggests,” Nina confirmed. “Which means she personally participated in an attack. on another pack’s Alpha and Luna. That’s a treaty violation we can actually prove. The council would have to take action.”

Kael’s expression became grim. “Prepare a full report. Documentation of the fabric, the scent analysis, Jordan’s testimony. I want everything ready to present to the council by tomorrow.”

“Already being compiled,” Nina assured him. “But Kael, there’s more. The fabric also has traces of the same poison that was used on Ivory. The one that was supposedly created specifically to implicate Luna Aria.”

My stomach dropped. “So Sera had access to the poison Was probably the one who provided it to the spy.”

“It’s circumstantial but compelling,” Nina said. “Combined with her presence at the ambush, her manipulation during your visit to Blackwood, and the timing of Damon’s escape-we’re building a solid case that Sera has been actively orchestrating attacks against Shadowmere.”

“Good,” Kael said. “Make it airtight. I want no room for her to wriggle out on technicalities or claim plausible deniability.”

“There’s one more thing,” Nina added, her voice becoming more hesitant. “The council wants to conduct their own investigation. They’re sending representatives here to interview everyone involved. They’ll want to speak with you, with Luna Aria, with all the guards who participated in the rescue. And they’ll want access to all the evidence we’ve gathered.”

“When?” Kael asked.

“They’ll arrive tomorrow afternoon,” Nina said. “I’ve been coordinating with them since this morning. They want this handled quickly before Sera has time to construct alternative narratives or destroy evidence.”

Kael nodded, processing the information. “Then we’ll cooperate fully. Prepare everyone who’ll need to give testimony. Make sure all documentation is organized and accessible.”

“Already on it,” Nina confirmed. She glanced at me, her expression softening slightly. “Luna Aria, you’ll need to testify as well. About what happened during the ambush, what you witnessed, what you experienced. Are you prepared for that?”

Was I prepared to stand before council representatives and recount the attack? To describe being targeted by Damon, being used as bait, nearly surrendering myself to end the violence? To admit I’d been seconds away from giving up?

“I’ll be ready,” I said, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt.

“Good.” Nina looked back at Kael. “I’ll let you both get settled. Dinner is being served in an hour if you want to join the pack. Or I can have food sent to your chambers if you prefer privacy.”

“We’ll eat with the pack,” Kael decided. “Show unified leadership. Let everyone see we’re not hiding or cowering from what happened.”

Nina nodded and headed back toward the guards, leaving Kael and me alone in the courtyard.

༢/;

14:44 Tue, Dec 30 @

Chapter 178

“So much for taking a break,” I said quietly.

33%

Finished

The day isn’t over yet,” Kael said. “We still have tonight. Tomorrow we’ll deal with council representatives and investigations. But tonight, we can still have some peace.”

I wanted to believe him. Wanted to think we could just retend the complications away for a few more hours. But reality had a way of intruding, and I suspected our brief respite was already over.

We made our way to our chambers to clean up before dinner. The walk was quiet, both of us lost in our own thoughts. As we entered the room, I noticed something hat made me pause.

A small package sat on the desk, carefully wrapped with a note attached. The handwriting was precise and controlled-Ivory’s handwriting.

Kael saw it too and moved to examine it. He opened the note first, reading silently before handing it to me.

*Alpha Kael and Luna Aria,*

*Enclosed are additional doses of the healing compound I provided to Nina. Given the ongoing threats and likelihood of future confrontations, I thought it prudent to ensure you both have access to accelerated healing resources. The instructions for application are included.*

*Also included are mild sedatives in case either of you are experiencing difficulty sleeping due to trauma from yesterday’s attack. They’re non-habit forming and will provide 6-8 hours of genuine rest without affecting mental clarity upon waking.*

*Please don’t hesitate to request additional medical support if needed.*

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