The Ivory Queen
Chapter 84

***Oliver’s POV***

I’ve woken up for the past several days completely alone in a dark room, devoid of windows or air vents. It’s hot as s**t and I’m sticky with sweat. To make the situation worse, I feel a constant burning sensation on my ankles and wrists due to silver shackles keeping me locked in here.

I’ve lost count of how long I’ve been here, the hours dragging on aimlessly.

“Hey!” I call out for the millionth time, pulling at my chains and hissing in pain as the silver burns into my flesh. “Where the f**k am I? Show your faces you cowards.”

After a few minutes of shouting, I become exhausted. Why am I so weak?

I catch my breath and a dark realization hits me. It’s been days since I’ve felt my wolf. What did they do to me?

Suddenly the door bursts open and light spills into the room. I see the silhouettes of two figures walk in and the b***d drains from my face when I realize who the witches truly are.

This can’t be possible!

Before my eyes, the witches shape shift into their true forms and now two women who appear to be in their early 20’s stare back at me with grins hanging from their lips.

“Surprised?” one of them laughs. “Allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Tais and this is my dear sister, Ira. Pleased to make your acquaintance… Alpha.”

After weeks of fearing for Aurora’s safety, I am now face to face with her parent’s killers and they had been hiding in plain sight this whole time.

“You lying bitches!”

“Awe, Oliver don’t be such a bad sport. We tricked you fair and square,” Tais, laughs.

“I let you into my home,” I snarl. “I trusted you. Aurora still trusts you. She adores you! Both of you!”

“That was your mistake, not ours.”

I growl at them but they seem unfazed by my anger. “Aurora will figure this out,” I snap, tugging at my chains. “And when she does-

“It’ll be too late,” Ira snickers. “Now smile. We have to send a little proof that you’re still alive and well for the trade to work.”

“Trade?”

“Why of course. We’re not stupid. Aurora would never agree to give us her b***d if she knew what we were planning and it would be suicide to even try to take it by force now that she’s shifted. The only option is to trade. Your life for her and Celina’s b***d.”

“What do you need their b***d for? What are you planning?”

They ignore my questions and set up a camera. Suddenly, Adeline and the other traitor walk in. Adeline’s involvement didn’t come as too much of shock. She always hated Aurora. But it was the other traitor whom I did not expect. Was there anyone left to trust at this point or had they all lied to me?

The traitor leans into Ira’s ear and whispers something before bowing to her and taking off. Without my wolf ears, I catch nothing of what was said.

“Adeline, darling. Gag him,” Ira orders

My mind goes back to the night of the ceremony. Adeline had spiked the champagne glass she gave me. She faked her own drunkenness so I wouldn’t see it coming. But it was not she who injected me with that strange liquid in my neck. It was the other traitor. That filthy, lying traitor!

“Yes master,” Adeline says, smiling wickedly and stepping towards me. I growl at her and she pouts, getting on her knees.

“Oh Oli, I know you’re upset, but I’m doing this for us!” She speaks sincerely and it disgusting.

“You’re delusional if you think you and I will ever be together,” I snarl.

She grabs my head and crashes her lips against mine. I fight against her grip and bite down on her l*p, drawing b***d. She screams and slaps me across the face.

“You were mine before she showed up and you will be mine when this is over,” she snarls before taping my mouth shut.

The camera flashes and I glare at the three monsters grinning back at me. After the pictures are taken, the two witches leave and Adeline places a plate of food near me, urging me to eat. She then removes the tape and steps out of range of my teeth as I try to bite her.

She giggles and it infuriates me.

“f**k you,” I growl, kicking the food away and she pouts.

“You need to eat Oli. You’ll need your strength back for when this is over.”

I spit at her feet. Annoyed with her presence, I decide to ask about mu wolf.

“I haven’t heard from or felt my wolf since I’ve been here. What the f**k did you guys do to me?” I snarl.

She smiles. “That little concoction we injected you with was meant to suppress your wolf for a few days,” she shrugs, getting down to my eye level. “It’s made with wolfsbane and is formulated specifically to weaken your strength and interfere with you wolf connection. Of course, we have something else in store for Aurora and Celina.”

She pulls out a vial containing clear liquid with a pink hue to it. “This will ensure they won’t be able to use their powers when the time comes.”

I growl at her and she giggles once more.

“Don’t worry about Michael, my love. You were only given a small dosage of the wolfsbane and the effects aren’t permanent. You won’t feel your wolf for another day or two. We’ll give you a new dosage soon.”

She strokes the side of my face and I snarl at her. “It was just you and I before she came. Why did you have to fall for her? What’s wrong with me? Wasn’t I more than enough?”

“I don’t love you, Adeline. I never have. Get that through your thick skull. You and I were forced to be together,” I snap.

“Liar! You cared about me! I know you did!”

“Caring for you and loving you are two different things!” I argue. “Of course I cared for you, otherwise I wouldn’t have gone alone with that charade for so long, but Addie, you need to let me go. I-“

“You called me Addie…” she smiles, a few tears welling up in her eyes. “You haven’t called me that in years.”

I see an opportunity to appeal to her soft side and take it. “Addie I-“

“See? All I had to do was get you away from her and you already love me again!” She chirps.

My heart sinks as her delusion peaks through again. Goddess, she’s crazy!

“No, Adeline, I have a mate who I love. Please, you have to let me go!” I plead as she starts getting up to leave. “I know you think you love me but I promise you, you don’t. You’ll replace your mate and he’ll love-“

She ignores me and walks toward the door. “I let you go once and she came and took you. I will not make the same mistake again, Oli. I love you more than Aurora ever will and when this is all over, it’ll just be us again. How it was meant to be.”

And with that, she slams the door shut behind her as she leaves.

“No! Let me go! Let me go!”

I scream into the abyss, struggling against my chains until b***d drips from my wrists. After goddess knows how long, I slump against the wall, completely drained. My mind drifts off to Aurora. I’m so afraid of something happening to her, especially knowing the enemy has been hiding in plain sight this entire time. I send a silent prayer to Moon Goddess to watch over her before my fatigue finally takes over.