Mated To My Mate's Worst Enemy (ARIA) novel Chapter 303

Chapter 303

ARIA

The rest of the day continued in the same vein. Petty aggression wrapped in professional courtesy. People being just respectful enough that I couldn't call them out without looking oversensitive, but making it abundantly clear through tone and body language exactly how unwelcome my presence was.

The supply coordinator had records that were suddenly "misplaced" when I asked to review them. The training yard supervisor kept referring to Ivory's organizational systems and how much better things had been when she was overseeing certain programs. The kitchen staff were polite but cool, answering my questions with minimal detail and volunteering nothing beyond what I explicitly asked for.

Each interaction was a small cut. Nothing that would be fatal on its own. But collectively, they were bleeding me dry of whatever confidence my speech had temporarily given me.

By mid-afternoon, word had spread that Ivory was now receiving visitors. I heard it in whispers as I passed through corridors, saw people hurrying toward the healing bay with cards and small gifts, their faces showing genuine warmth and concern that nobody had ever directed at me.

I made the mistake of walking past the healing bay entrance during what must have been prime visiting hours. The curtained area where Ivory was recovering had a steady stream of people—pack members bringing flowers, homemade food, handwritten cards expressing how much she meant to them and how glad they were she was recovering.

Ivory welcomed each one. I could hear her voice through the curtain—tired but genuine, thanking people for their kindness, asking about their families, being gracious even when she must have been exhausted from the sustained attention.

And notably, I heard no one asking her about Kael or about me. No one pressing her for details about the memory restoration or what it meant for pack politics or whether she was going to fight for the Luna position now that she remembered everything she'd lost.

They were being considerate. Respectful. Focusing on her health and recovery rather than using her vulnerability as an opportunity to extract gossip or push their own agendas.

It made me acutely aware that nobody had visited me after the Hunt. Nobody had brought cards or gifts or expressions of concern about how I was recovering from trials that had nearly killed me multiple times. I'd completed the Hunt—four fragments, more than anyone in recorded history—and the pack's response had been to whisper about my inadequacy and wait for Ivory to wake up so the real celebration could begin.

I retreated to my chambers before the bitterness could manifest as something visible. Before I could do something stupid like actually trying to visit Ivory myself and getting confronted with just how unwanted my presence would be.

My guard stationed herself outside while I sat at the desk, staring at nothing, trying to convince myself that Jason was right about standing my ground being the correct long-term strategy even when the short-term consequences felt crushing.

A knock at the door interrupted my spiraling thoughts. My guard's voice carried through: "Security Chief Nina to see you, Luna."

I straightened, tried to make myself look less like I'd been wallowing, and called for Nina to enter.

She came in with her usual professional efficiency, closing the door behind her and taking the seat across from me without waiting for invitation. Her expression was carefully neutral—the kind of neutral that suggested she had news I wasn't going to like but that she'd deliver it objectively regardless.

"I wanted to update you on the investigation," she said without preamble. "We've reviewed prison logs, guard reports, intelligence about Damon's movements. Cross-referenced timing with your visit."

My stomach clenched. "And?"

"There's no evidence directly linking you to his escape," Nina said. "No record of you discussing patrol schedules or guard rotations. No indication you provided specific operational intelligence that enabled him to leave the facility."

Relief flooded through me so intensely I felt dizzy. "So I'm cleared?"

"You're not implicated in the escape specifically," Nina corrected. "But we're not done with the investigation. We still need to determine how Damon obtained information about the convoy attack. How he knew Alpha Kael's schedule and route. Whether there was another intelligence source inside Shadowmere or whether you inadvertently mentioned details during your visit that he pieced together."

The relief curdled into something more complicated. Not cleared, just not conclusively guilty yet. Still under investigation. Still suspected of being careless enough with operational security that I'd enabled an attack that had nearly killed Kael.

"Great," I said. "That's just great."

Nina was quiet for a moment. Then: "Where's Kael? Have you seen him since yesterday?"

The question made my chest tight. "No," I said. "Not since before my meeting with you. Not since—" I stopped, not wanting to say *since he told me I wasn't good enough in front of the entire pack.*

"He's been tied down in his office," Nina said. "Meetings with the Ghost Council and the Elder Council. Reviewing reports about Damon's escape. Trying to figure out exactly how he got out of that cell and how he planned the ambush with such detailed intelligence about our operations."

"So basically, he's avoiding me," I said.

Nina's expression became complicated. "I believe he doesn't know what to say to you without it being something he'd regret. To him, no conversation is better than a bad conversation that causes more damage. And I think—" she paused, choosing words carefully, "—I think he's hurting even if he denies it or hides it well by focusing on pack business."

"He's hurting?" I repeated, feeling anger cut through the exhaustion. "I'm the one under investigation. I'm the one dealing with the pack's petty aggression. I'm the one who confessed my worst failures publicly while he sat there confirming that I wasn't good enough."

"He's hurting because the person he's supposed to share his deepest secrets and fears with is under investigation for potentially colluding with her ex," Nina said bluntly. "Because his mate—the one person who's supposed to be his absolute confidant—might have enabled an attack that nearly killed him. That's not a small thing, Aria. That's fundamental trust being questioned."

I wanted to argue. Wanted to insist that I was the injured party here, that I deserved sympathy rather than being told Kael was hurting. But Nina wasn't wrong. I had betrayed his trust. Had visited Damon in secret. Had potentially—even if inadvertently—provided intelligence that was used against him.

"And Ivory's the other complication," Nina continued. "Going to her for support right now would look like he's picking who he wants. Would seem like he's choosing her over you before the investigation is even complete. It would be politically disastrous and personally devastating for everyone involved."

"So he's just going to hide in his office forever?" I asked.