The Ivory Queen
Chapter 88

***Aurora’s POV***

“I met with Tais last night.”

Evan is on his feet in a split second, sending his chair crashing against the wall and splitting it to pieces. A quick glance around the room tells me everyone shares his sentiments. Celina is practically shaking with anger and the vein on Carter’s forehead looks like it might burst.

“YOU DID WHAT?” Carter growls as his brown eyes shift to his wolf’s forest green with blue rings around the irises.

My eyes fall on the envelope and I work quickly to pull it out of the box.

“W-we didn’t meet in person, so to speak. She sent a messenger…” I say, my voice shrinking with every word. “She gave me this letter with instructions on how to get Oliver back.” I push the envelope forward but no one seems in a rush to read its contents and they all glare at me instead. “She said to meet alone-“

“And you went without back up? Without out letting us know? Do- Do you even realize how stupid you were to go by yourself?” Celina snaps, her eyes narrowing to slits at me. “Did you even think about all the things that could have gone wrong?”

Angered, I grab the envelope and pull out the photos of Oliver chained up and slam them on the table.

“I followed her instructions but I’m not an i***t! I kept my guard up, I was prepared to fight. I took a calculated risk and now not only do I know he’s alive, I know what she wants, when she wants it and who her sister is. It doesn’t matter how I got it, I did what I had to do!” I could feel the anger build up inside me while my palms grow hotter by the second. I shift my anger onto Carter. “If it were Rosalie, you’d move heaven and earth to replace her, wouldn’t you? So why can’t I do the same for my mate?” I have to take a few deep breathes to calm my venomous rage and keep the flames on my palms at bay. “I took the oath to protect River Moon, but I cannot do that locked away in here, Carter!”

Carter’s jaw clenches as he thinks over my words. He rests his elbows on the tables and runs his fingers through his hair before finally looking up and wiping his tired face. “Promise me that from now on, you will not keep anything from us again,” he growls. “You can lead the search IF you make this promise.”

“Okay, I promise,” I sigh, annoyed that this was even a topic of discussion. I wouldn’t have lied if they let me search for him in the first place!

“Stubborn brat,” Evan mutters under his breath and I glare at him.

Carter leans back in his chair, seemingly satisfied with my response. Rosalie, on the other hand, trembles anxiously and reaches for the photographs. When she sees the images of her brother chained up, she covers her mouth as a sob escapes her lips. Carter wraps an arm around her and she buries her face in his chest. Celina pulls the letter out and translates it aloud for everyone.

“They want us to wait a week for Oliver to return? They’re out of their f*****g minds!” Evan snaps.

“We have no choice. They unfortunately have the upper hand in this situation. Tais and Ira made sure to hide Oliver somewhere even Celina and I can’t reach. I won’t risk losing Oliver. We’ll have to play by their rules until we figure something out,” I say.

“This all seems too easy. A bit of b***d is too simple a request for them to have taken Oliver. There must be a catch,” Celina thinks aloud. “‘Think Long and hard…’ It’s a hint and a warning. Whatever they’re planning, they know we’ll figure it out and when we do, Oliver’s life will be the bargaining chip.”

“You’re right…. and it scares me that I might not be able to choose Oliver,” I whisper, hugging myself to keep the thought away.

Evan walks over to me and wraps me up in a hug from behind, resting his chin on my head. His maple and rain scent soothes me a bit and I lean into him.

“Don’t think that way…” he murmurs. “It’s going to be alright.”

I take a deep breath and exhale slowly to calm my nerves. “I spent all last night researching the significance of the Winter Solstice to see if I could figure out their interest in our b***d. From what I gathered, some legends claim the Winter Solstice is the night the Sun was born. On this night, people celebrate the coming return of light.” I g***n. “I don’t see how b***d relates to this.”

“What if the b***d is a distraction. Perhaps they’re not really seeking b***d at all, just creating a reason for us to go to them,” Celina says solemnly. “This could all be a lie.”

“Then Oliver is doomed,” Rosalie whimpers. “He’s not coming back!” She sobs.

Carter tries to calm her down but she gets up from her chair and runs off to her room. Carter chases after her, leaving us all to our thoughts.

“I’m not giving up on Oliver. I only have a week but I will bring him home,” I say with determination. “Tais and Ira will not take from me again.”

—

An hour later, the Allies arrive and I give them the information regarding Oliver’s kidnapping and the b***d request. After yet another good scolding, we settle down to discuss the contents.

“The legends of the Winter Solstice are of great interest to me… I have a feeling it reveals something about the witches themselves,” Patrick says. “Perhaps they draw their energy from the sun.”

“But it’s also the longest night. Who’s to say they’re not drawing power from the moon?” Wesley argues.

“I, for one, believe the most telling part of the letter is the mention that your powers will be greatest on the night of the Winter Solstice,” Jonathan says. “If you’ll be at your most powerful and they’ll require your physical presence for the b***d deposit, it’s likely they have a plan to pacify you, perhaps a potion or a spell to block out your powers. If that’s the case, this entire exchange is likely a trap.”

It takes everything I have to not scream in frustration. How on earth do I get my mate back?

“Well I have some good news then,” Patrick says, interrupting my thoughts. “I’ve been searching for a witch I know ever since we first found out about the poisoned bites and it seems my scouts have finally managed to locate her whereabouts. She could perhaps help identify the significance of the winter solstice and the potential plan Ira and Tais might be hatching,” Patrick sighs, rubbing his temples. “It’s been years since I’ve last seen her but she owes me a favor. She’ll arrive tomorrow or the day after and I’ll send her immediately to you, Luna Aurora.”

I don’t know if I trust a witch to help us with Tais and Ira.

“How do you know a witch?” Wesley asks.

“Long story,” he chuckles. “She’s a trickster, but harmless. I promise,” he adds looking at me reassuringly. “As for Luna Aurora and Celina, I suggest you two research the records of your kind and figure out if your b***d possesses any special properties the witches might be after or better yet, replace out your weaknesses.”

As the meeting draws to a close, Javier and Mia arrive. Beside me, Evan and Celina visibly tense up. They’ve been civil throughout this entire ordeal but I know they’re burning up inside. Jonathan and Patrick haven’t said anything about Javier and Mia’s presence, perhaps out of respect for the kidnapping we were dealing with but I’m sure they had questions.

Oliver isn’t here to help me, but this issue needs to be brought up. I owe it to the allies.

“Since you’re all here, Alphas, I think this is the best time to bring up an issue Oliver and I planned to discuss with you at the official Alpha meeting with Maple Moon and Desert Sky,” I say, offering Javier and Mia a seat at the table. “As you well know, Javier is set to take over Lluvia Blanca tomorrow and you may have even heard of an upcoming agreement between Lluvia Blanca and Amethyst Lake.

Well after careful consideration, River Moon thinks it’s time to make amends with Lluvia Blanca and put the past behind us. We would like to formally ask the Allies to reinstate Lluvia Blanca into the Alliance.”

Evan and Celina gasp, a hint of anger in their eyes. I had forgotten this decision was made by just Javier and Oliver and I. Even Mia seems surprised but I could see her lips curve into a slight smile at the possibility. Patrick and Jonathan look like they’re about to protest so I try to keep the discussion focused and ask that they simply listen for now.

“Lluvia Blanca has almost 700 pack members, 200 of which are children under 13 who are extremely vulnerable to a witch attack. They also have 2 silver wolves and will most likely experience their own attacks from Tais and Ira.

Oliver and I have spoken with Javier extensively and given the circumstances, think it would be in our best interests to reunite the five packs. 50 years ago, the region faced a similar situation with witches and it was through unity that all five packs survived.

I also urge you to remember that Javier is not Miguel and should not be punished for the actions of his predecessor. They are two different leaders and while Miguel refused to put his pack before his own ego, Javier has already swallowed his pride and accepted responsibility for his actions.

Should you vote against the union of our packs, Oliver and I will understand. Leaving an alliance is not without consequences and we can’t expect everyone to trust Lluvia Blanca once again. But to be fair, Javier has already agreed to accept any conditions you put on their reinstatement.”

Patrick and Jonathan exchange glances and think over my words carefully, but I’m surprised Wesley has said nothing. Did he already know?

Besides me, Javier is quiet as well. I try to read his emotions, but I’m not Celina and his face gives nothing away.

“Luna Aurora, you are willing to forgive the pack that caused you so much harm these past few years?” Jonathan asks.

“Yes,” I reply without hesitation. I reach for Mia’s hand and a few tears well up in her eyes as her gaze settles on me. “It’s time to move on. We’ve all been punished enough.”

Evan is on his feet and excuses himself from the table. He’s angry with me.

I turn to Mia and see her face fall for a split second before she too turns to stone. Does she know they are mates?

Before I can say anything, Patrick hits me with a question I was not prepared for.

“Do you trust Javier?”