Chapter 295

Chapter 295

Chapter 295

ARIA

I thought desperately. Was there anything I hadn’t mentioned? Any detail I’d left out that could come back to haunt me?

“I still care about him,” I said suddenly, the confession escaping before I could stop it. “Damon. I know I shouldn’t. I know he’s our enemy, that he’s hurt the pack, that caring about him makes me a terrible Luna. But I can’t just turn off feelings I had for years. And when I saw him during that visit—” I stopped, swallowing hard. “When I saw him, part of me still wanted him to want me back. Still wanted to hear that he’d made a mistake choosing Sera. That’s why I went. Not to betray anyone. Just because I couldn’t let go p>

The admission hung in the air like something toxic. Nina and Lunaris were watching me with expressions I couldn’t read-disgust, maybe, or pity, or just the clinical assessment of people evaluating a security risk.

“Thank you for your honesty,” Lunaris said finally. “That kind of admission takes courage, even if it’s not what anyone wants to hear p>

Nina stood, signaling the interview was over. “We’ll be in touch. Stay within pack territory. Continue following the restrictions Alpha Kael outlined. And Luna Aria? If you remember anything else, anything at all that might be relevant, come to me immediately. Don’t wait. Don’t try to handle it yourself. Just come to me. Understood p>

“Understood,” I said, standing on shaky legs.

My guard escorted me from Nina’s office, through corridors that felt too bright after the dim intensity of that interview. I’d survived it. Had told the truth as much as I could. Had admitted things I’d been hiding even from myself.

Now I just had to wait to see if that honesty would be enough to save me, or if I’d just confessed my way into exile or worse.

We were passing through one of the common areas when I heard them. Voices raised just enough to carry but not so loud that they were obviously trying to be heard. Pack members gathered in a cluster, their attention focused on their conversation rather than their surroundings.

-never liked her anyway,” one woman was saying. “From the moment she arrived. Too soft. Too uncertain. Exactly the kind of Luna who’d canoodle with the enemy while pretending to

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be loyal to her pack p>

“Kael should stop giving her chances,” another voice agreed. “Should choose Ivory. Everyone knows Ivory’s the one who actually earned the position. She’s the one who suffered through the curse years, who kept Kael alive, who deserved to be Luna. Not some Blackwood castoff who’s still pining for the mate who rejected her p>

“Why isn’t Ivory saying anything?” a third person asked. “Why is she just locked in the healing bay not receiving visitors? If I were her, I’d be demanding Kael make the right choice p>

“Ivory’s too noble for her own good,” the first woman said. “Always has been. She’ll never ask for what she deserves because she thinks it’s selfish. But someone needs to make Kael see sense before Aria does more damage p>

I stopped walking, my guard stopping with me. The voices continued, unaware they were being overheard, continuing their discussion of my inadequacy and Kael’s poor judgment and Ivory’s superior claim to the position I held.

My first instinct was to retreat. To hide in my chambers until they were done gossiping. To avoid confrontation because confrontation had never gone well for me and right now I had no reserves left for fighting.

But hiding would only confirm what they were saying. Would prove that I was weak, that I couldn’t defend myself, that I deserved to be dismissed and replaced.

Nina’s words echoed: *You start being honest. About everything. You stop trying to handle everything alone and start actually trusting the people around you to help p>

And Kael’s accusation from yesterday: *You weren’t good enough because you couldn’t be honest. Couldn’t be trusted. Couldn’t commit to what you had because you were too busy mourning what you’d lost p>

I’d spent months being inadequate. Being the Luna who couldn’t quite measure up. Being the woman everyone tolerated but nobody respected. And I’d accepted it. Had internalized it. Had carried their low expectations like they were truth rather than judgment.

But I’d completed the Hunt. Had survived trials that killed most competitors. Had collected four fragments-more than anyone in recorded history. And yes, I’d made mistakes. Had visited Damon. Had kept secrets. Had proven my judgment was flawed.

But I’d also been honest when honesty cost me everything. Had faced the truth of my betrayal in front of the entire pack. Had admitted my inadequacy publicly when I could have continued hiding it.

That had to count for something.

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I turned to my guard. “Summon everyone for a meeting,” I said, keeping my voice steady despite the fear trying to overwhelm me. “In the main stadium. Anyone who wants to attend can attend p>

The guard looked skeptical. “Luna, are you sure that’s p>

“I’m your Luna,” I interrupted, using the authority I’d barely touched since arriving in Shadowmere. “First and foremost, I’m your Luna. And I’m calling a pack meeting. Now. Summon everyone p>

he hesitated for one more moment, then nodded and pulled out his communication device, sending out the call.

Within twenty minutes, the stadium was filling. Pack members arriving in clusters, talking among themselves, clearly confused about why they’d been summoned. Some looked curious. Others looked annoyed at the interruption to their day. Most looked like they were expecting some kind of confession or announcement-probably assuming I was here to resign or apologize or confirm their worst suspicions about me.

I stood at the center of the stadium floor, alone except for my guard stationed nearby. Kael hadn’t arrived yet he probably hadn’t gotten the message or had chosen not to come. Ivory wasn’t there either, still recovering in the healing bay. But most of the pack had assembled, hundreds of faces looking down at me with varying degrees of interest and judgment.

And I felt it. The power that had awakened during the Hunt. The moon magic flowing through

my

bloodline, responding to my emotional state, amplifying my presence in ways I was just beginning to understand. My eyes probably still showed that silver glow-I could feel it, could sense the magic making itself known.

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