The Ivory Queen -
Chapter 55
***Aurora’s POV***
The magnitude of the situation hits me. I’ve just revealed myself not only to Oliver, but to Evan and the rest of the warriors. Everyone is about to replace out what I am and I’ve just put all their lives in danger.
“What the hell?” Oliver mumbles, completely bewildered by what he just saw.
“There’s no time to explain!” I shout. “She’s behind the attacks! We need to figure out why!” I say, pointing a finger at Erin.
“She’s crazy Oliver! She just started attacking me! She tried to kill me!” Erin screeches, showing her bruises and cuts as proof.
“No-no, she’s lying!” I cry.
No I can’t be the villain again. Not again.
The warriors step back in fear as Erin keeps accusing me. After a few seconds of assessing the situation, Oliver finally reacts.
“Shut the f**k up” Oliver snaps at Erin and orders some warriors to take her to the dungeon. He turns to me and pulls me into his arms, holding me tightly and kissing the top of my head. His heart is pounding. “Are you hurt?” He asks pulling away and searching for wounds.
I’m grateful he believes me and that he’s dropping the subject of my powers for now.
“No,” I shake my head and take in his injuries. He’s got a gash on his shoulder, several claw marks on his back and countless bruises.
“I’ll be fine,” he says, noticing me staring at his wounds.
Evan wheezes and I rush to his side.
“Evan, I’m right here,” I whimper. “You’re going to be alright.”
I start to work on his injuries, letting jolts of electricity flow into his body. I’m glad none of the injuries are poisoned. He’s lost so much b***d so it takes longer to heal him. After five solid minutes of healing, his wounds finally start to close up. Evan lets out a sigh as the last injury heals and gets to his feet before shifting. He wraps his arms around me as stumble a little, drained from the exertion of energy. Oliver growls but I shoot him a death glare to stop overreacting .
“I’m sorry… I wasn’t strong enough…” he croaks, his body trembling.
“It’s ok… I’m ok,” I say, trying to calm him down.
“Your powers…”
I shake my head “Not now.”
I feel light headed and exhausted. I’ve used way too much energy and I want to sleep. Oliver takes me from Evan, gently lifting me up bridal style and I curl up against his chest. The sparks are so warming and inviting, I just want to sleep.
No, don’t fall sleep, I scold myself. Taylor still needs you.
“Taylor needs me,” I murmur, trying my best to keep my eyelids open.
“Later. You need to get back to the safe house and rest. The attack isn’t over yet. Some of the rogues hid and we still have to finish sweeping the territory,” Oliver explains.
“Taylor needs me!” I snap. “She was bitten, Oliver! She’s only four! I need to get to the daycare center now!”
Oliver sighs knowing I will never forgive him if he doesn’t let me heal her and he starts sprinting towards the daycare center. Evan and Carter escort us there. When we arrive, one of the guards comes running out, wiping a few tears from his eyes.
“She’s really hurting, Luna,” he says.
The guard takes me inside as the boys go off to get some clothes. Taylor does not to see the Alpha, Beta and Gamma butt naked. I’m taken to a couch where Taylor cries in agony.
“I want mommy!” She wails.
“I know sweetie,” I whisper, placing my hand on her leg.
I notice she’s squeezing a stuffed animal in her hand.
She must have gone off to get Mrs. Cotton after all…
“Taylor, I need you to be brave for Mrs. Cotton. We don’t want to scare her now do we?” I say, trying to calm her down.
She shakes her head and cries. “It hurts too much!”
I hear the boys come in and I feel ok to start the healing knowing they’re here.
“Ok sweetie, it’s going to be ok.”
Pushing through the exhaustion, i place my hands on her tiny body. The electricity instantly creates a burning sensation at my fingertips that spreads like a wild fire up my arm and towards my temples. I hold back a scream, tears welling up in my eyes. Before I know it, my entire body feels like it’s on fire. Another wave of pain hits me and I start to tremble. A sob escapes my throat and I scream into my arm to keep from scaring Taylor. A few more surges of pain flood me before the wound finally closes and Taylor lets out a tiny sigh. I let go of her and my temples start throbbing. I start shrieking and Oliver orders the guard to take Taylor to her mother.
I take huge gulps of air, desperate for the pain to subside. With no lavender oil on site, I’m forced to endure the pain for several minutes before it starts to subside on its own.
“That’s it baby, breathe,” Oliver murmurs as my heart rate starts to slow.
After a few deep breaths, Oliver helps me to my feet. Worn out, I lean on Oliver to keep from falling down. Carter informs us the pack is safe and the rogues are gone.
“Get on my back, I’ll take you home,” Oliver says, turning his back to me.
I can feel his anger emanating from him and I know he’s pissed I never told him about my powers. I hesitantly climb onto his clawed back, careful not to hurt him and wrap my arms around his neck. He grabs the backs of my knees and hoists me up. We run back to the house and Oliver carries me to our room, setting me down gently on the bed. He refuses to look at me and talks only to Evan and Carter.
“Evan, you better explain what the f**k you two were doing outside the safe house-“
“If you want someone to blame, blame me. I told him to take me out of the safe house. I put us in that situation. It was my fault.” I sigh, not wanting Oliver to punish Evan for my mistakes.
Oliver ignores me and keeps talking to Evan. “Go down to the dungeon and make sure Erin doesn’t escape before I and the other Alphas get a chance to interrogate her. Carter, get the elders to the house.”
“What do you want the elders for?” Carter asks.
“Just do it!” He commands.
Carter gulps and gives me a look of compassion. I ask him to pick up Rio on his way back before he takes off to fulfill Oliver’s request. Evan runs off to the dungeon, leaving Oliver and I alone.
The silence between us is suffocating. Oliver pacing back and forth only makes me more anxious so I decide to break the silence. “I know you’re mad but please, just let me explain,” I say, trying my best to keep him calm.
“Mad? You think I’m mad?” He laughs bitterly. “Aurora, I’m f*****g frustrated! I’m tired! I’m so f*****g tired of being lied to all the time! You refuse to be honest with me when I’ve been completely honest with you! Does that seem fair to you?”
“N-no,” I mumble, feeling tears burn my eyes. “I’m so sorry…”
He sighs. “If you won’t tell me what’s going on then maybe the elders can explain it to me. I’m tired of being left out of the loop.”
“Oliver, if you would just let me explain!”
“Why? So you can lie to me again?”
Tears fall down my cheeks. “I pinky swear, Oliver,” I whimper, holding out my pinky to him. “I won’t lie.”
His face softens when he sees my tears and takes a seat at the edge of the bed. He locks our pinkies together. “Don’t you dare lie.”
I take a deep breath, unsure where to begin. “I told you my parents were royals but I failed to mention that they were a special pair. My mother carried the royal line. She was a gold wolf and like every gold wolf, had an elemental gift, hers being fire. My father, on the other hand, was not a royal but instead a silver wolf like uncle Emiliano.”
“I’m not understanding. So what are you? A gold wolf or a silver wolf?”
I shake my head. “Neither. I’m a special type of wolf, one that only exists when a silver wolf and gold wolf are mated by the Moon Goddess. I’m what’s called an Ivory twin.”
“Ivory twin? I-I’ve never heard of that,” He says, scooting closer to me.
“That’s probably because Ivory twins only exist once every 150 years and very little is known about them.”
“Why couldn’t you just tell me that from the beginning? Why all the lies?”
I take a deep breath before explaining. “My kingdom began to crumble when my mother became pregnant with my sister and I. I guess everyone knew what we would become and the power we would hold. Ivory twins are extremely powerful beings, valuable to a lot of creatures. I have spent the last 18 years in hiding, not knowing who I was or where I came from for one reason and one reason only. I’m a weapon, something a lot of beings want to possess.”
I immediately regret saying that and cover my mouth as Oliver’s eyes turn silver and Michael takes control.
“You. Are. Mine! No one can take you from me!” Michael snarls. “Who is after you?”
“Michael calm down,” I say, crawling over to him and sitting in his lap. I take his face in my hands and force him to look at me.
“Who is after you?” He snaps. “Don’t lie!”
“I want Oliver back,” I whisper. “I love you, Michael but I need to speak with Oliver, please.”
He hesitates before pressing his lips against mine. I melt into him for a second before I remember my task at hand. When I pull back, Oliver’s beautiful blue eyes stare back at me..
“Who is after you, baby? I won’t let anyone take you from me!” He says, grabbing my face and kissing my cheeks.
I shake my head. “I don’t know. My mother’s kingdom fell under constant attack by creatures who wanted my sister and I. There was a war. That’s why I kept quiet about who I was,” I whimper. “So many lives have been lost because of what I am, I couldn’t bear the thought of having a war erupt here in River Moon because of me. I know it was wrong to hide this from you but I was just trying to protect River Moon. But I guess it was all for nothing. Somehow Erin and her master found me.”
“Erin’s master?”
I nod. “Erin said there’s a ‘Master’ behind all the attacks.”
A growl rumbles through his chest. “I’m going to kill her!”
“Oliver calm down,” I say grabbing his face again. “That’s not important right now! This is just another reason why I didn’t tell you about me. You’re too overprotective!”
“Overprotective? You just told me there are creatures after you! This is exactly why you should have told me!” He argues, struggling to keep his composure. “You can’t keep stuff like this from me.”
“No, telling you or anyone else would’ve put a target on River Moon. Creatures have been searching for me since before I was born, before I even knew what I was. Telling people would have made it easier for them to replace me before I could complete my shift. Besides, I had to keep my sister safe too. From what I can tell, no one has managed to replace her and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“So what? Were you just planning on never telling me?” He snaps, his eyes full of hurt.
I don’t answer for a few seconds, mentally preparing myself for his wrath when I tell him about the shift. “I’m sorry, I was going to tell you after my first shift,” I say rapidly. “with Celina…”
“Celina?”
“I can’t shift without my twin. It’ll kill me.”
“So what? Is Celina flying in on Monday?”
I shake my head. “Oliver, please don’t be mad…” whisper, my entire body trembling.
Too late. There’s a storm in his eyes. “What were you going to do?”
“I-I uh-“
“What were you going to do?” He snaps.
“I was going to leave…” I whimper.
Oliver starts breathing heavily, the anger in his face clear as day.
“I would have only been gone for two days!” I explain, desperately trying to calm him down. “Celina and I planned to meet somewhere where no one could replace us so that we could be safe.”
“Where?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“You are out of your f*****g mind if you think I’m letting you go with her,” he snarls.
That pisses me off. “Oliver, I wasn’t asking for permission. I can’t shift without-“
“Then she’ll come here where I can protect you!”
“I don’t need protecting. I’m case you forgot, I took on 20 rogues just fine on my own!”
“You’re not going!”
I sigh. This is exactly why I didn’t want to tell him about the shift. We hear a knock at the door and I get up to let Carter and Rio in. Rio curls up in his bed, exhausted from all the attention he got today.
“The Elders are here. They’re in the office waiting,” Carter announces.
“Send them back,” I say, grabbing Oliver’s wrist. “You can’t tell them about me. You can’t tell anyone about me until after my shift.”
He glares at me before turning to Carter and telling him to send the Elders home. We sit alone in silence for about a minute when Carter returns.
“Alpha, the Allies are waiting downstairs for a chance to interrogate Erin. What should I tell them?” Carter asks.
“Stand in for me and lead the interrogation.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Carter excuses himself and takes off.
Oliver turns to me and has me explain what little I know about my shift.
“Silver, Gold and Ivory wolves keep their secrets very well hidden, Oliver, for good reason-”
“Damnit, Aurora, stop beating around the bush! I am your f*****g mate, not some monster trying to kill you! Just tell me the truth,” Oliver snaps impatiently.
I jump at his harsh tone and fidget with my fingers to keep calm. “According to my research, Ivory twins can only shift during an equinox, a solstice, or a full moon. I must also complete my first shift with my twin. Not doing so will result in death… That’s why I have to leave with Celina, so we can shift-“
“Then Celina can come here! You’re not going anywhere so long as there’s people trying to hurt you!”
“But there will always be people after me!” I argue. “I’m not safe anywhere but at least shifting somewhere secluded and secret, I can protect the people I love from getting hurt,” I say, looking him in the eyes. “Erin and her people already know I am here. If you bring my twin here, you’ll put both of us at risk of being attacked before we can even complete our shift. It’s safer to shift in an undisclosed location where no one will replace us.”
Oliver slams his fist against the wall and I jump. His eyes shift between blue and silver as he battles against his anger. “Then I’m coming with you. That’s my final offer, Aurora.”
He’s not going to give in, is he? I sigh.
No, I don’t think so.
I move my hand on top of his fist, hoping to calm him down and he starts to relax. I take a deep breath before looking back at Oliver. “I need to speak with Celina about this. She and I both agreed to do our shift alone. The last time someone tried coming, he-“ my voice breaks as I remember the last night I ever spoke to Emiliano.
“You’ve tried shifting before?”
I nod. “The night Emiliano died, we were going to meet my Aunt and Celina for our first shift. I was waiting outside for him to grab something when….. when the rogues found us,” I sigh. “Celina and I decided we didn’t want escorts coming with us because we didn’t want to put anyone else at risk.”
He looks like he’s about to explode. “Are you kidding me? How could you possibly think doing the shift alone would be a good idea?”
I become infuriated by his comment. “It’s so easy to judge us when you’ve never had to watch the person you loved most die right in front of you because they were trying to protect you! You didn’t lose your entire family because of what you were!” I huff. “We didn’t want escorts because we’re tired of letting people lose their lives for us!”
Oliver’s face softens. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you,” he sighs. He runs his hands through his hair and exhales. “I just …. I can’t lose you. You are the most important person in my life, Aurora. If something ever happened to you…”
I curl up against his chest and hold his hands. “I know… I know you’re just scared something might happen, so I’ll talk to Celina right now.”
I hold my medallion between my fingers and concentrate on Celina.
“You’re eyes,” Oliver gasps.
“Oliver, I need to focus!” I scold him and he promises to be quiet.
“Celina, we need to talk…”
“Oof, that doesn’t sound good,” she mutters. “What’s wrong?”
“We were attacked by rogues and it looks like I was their target. I had to use my powers and Oliver knows everything now, including that you and I need to shift together.”
“Oh my Goddess, Aurora. Are you ok? We’re you hurt?” She asks, panic in her voice.
“I’m fine but now Oliver knows about us and he…” I sigh. “He won’t let me go to you unless he can come along too.”
“But we agreed no escorts!”
“I know, but he’s afraid that something might happen to me. He knows I’m in danger now and he can’t just sit back anymore. Please try to understand him!” I plead
“Urgh! Fine, since he’s giving us no choice, he can come. I guess tia Valentina can come too then. She’s been begging me all week honestly. Okay, let’s do this.”
Apparently, the pack has a private jet, however, after a bit of bickering, I convince Oliver to let us fly commercial to avoid detection. I want to avoid anyone being able to pinpoint our destination. Celina proceeds to give me the details of my flight and Oliver is able to get a seat. Of course, Oliver being Oliver, he upgrades us to first class. I have him print out our tickets and delete all the emails, flight confirmations, and search history for our safety. I cut the link with Celina and he smiles at me triumphantly.
“I guess you got your way,” I say, rolling me eyes.
He shakes his head. “No. If I had gotten my way, Celina would be coming here.”
“Whatever. I’m going to go stash these tickets in my suitcase and go help the injured at the pack hospital. You, mister Alpha, have an interrogation waiting for you,” I say, kissing his lips.
“I don’t want you healing until after we return from our trip. You’ll need all your strength for your shift.” I’m about to protest when he interrupts me. “I know you want to help and you can… when we return. The poison works slowly so the wolves will still be there when we get back. Please?”
“Oliver, that’s a lot of pain you’re asking them to endure.”
“I know, but I begging you to please wait until we return. Besides, you just healed Taylor and Evan and used up so much energy. Just rest.”
The last healing session took a huge toll on him so I decide to fulfill this one request. “Fine, but I’m not resting just yet. I’ll meet you down stairs after I change for the interrogation. I have questions of my own.”
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