The Ivory Queen
Chapter 18

***Aurora’s POV***

Oliver shifts and his beautiful blue eyes are filled with hurt. I want to comfort him, but Evan’s g****s remind me of what just occurred. Oliver attacked Evan, one of his closest friends and my guardian, and I have no idea why.

I turn to help Evan but Oliver grabs my wrist and pulls me back.

“No,” he commands, but his alpha voice doesn’t work on me.

Frightened, I yank my wrist from his grip and take a step toward Evan. I feel Oliver’s strong arms lift me up and throw me over his shoulder.

“I said no,” he growls.

“Oliver, let me go!” I shout. I start pounding on his back and thrashing my legs violently. “Let me go!”

Oliver tightens his grip and panic mode kicks in. I scream bloody murder as I continue to struggle out of his grip.

“No, no, no” I cry. Tears stain my cheeks as I continue to scream. “Let me go!”

Oliver starts walking away from Evan and I do the only thing I could think of. I bite down on Oliver’s shoulder. Surprised, Oliver cries out in pain and loosens his grip on me. I squirm and kick, knocking us both to the ground. I try crawling towards Evan but Oliver snatches my left foot and pulls me back. I kick his face and his nose begins to b***d. I scramble back into Evan’s arms. He winces as I bury my face in his chest but manages to wrap his arms around me. I’m trembling with fear and sob loudly into Evan’s bloody shirt.

What has gotten into him?

“Get your hands off my mate,” Oliver commands.

Evan obediently drops his arms but I cling onto him for dear life.

“Oliver what are you doing?” I cry. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” he sneers. “What’s wrong is this!”

He walks back to the pile of ripped clothes and I finally notice he’s completely naked. I focus my eyes on Evan’s shirt. I hear Oliver grab something from amongst the debris and toss it at Evan. Evan and I both look the item he threw and see that it’s his cell phone. Evan unlocks the screen and our eyes widen as we look upon a photograph of our accidental k**s taken from this morning. Erin must have taken that picture.

Oh no, he thinks I’m cheating on him!

“Oliver this-this is a-a misunderstanding. We didn’t- I can explain-” I ramble.

“You know, I have been so patient with you Aurora,” Oliver interrupts, wiping the b***d from his nose. “You spent four long months in the hospital and I sat there waiting for you to wake up every day despite the fact that no one knew if you would ever wake up! Despite the fact that my own family was begging me to let you go! But I wanted you. I still want you. And then,” he laughs dryly. “Then you go and run away the same day you wake up! I got over it because I knew you were afraid of me but.. my heart…my heart shatters every time you wince at my touch because after all this time, all I’ve ever wanted to do is just hold you. But you’re hurt and I’m trying. I’m trying so hard to make you feel safe around me. But this?” his voice breaks as he points to the phone. “How could you?”

Tears run down his face and I want nothing more than to run in his arms and wipe each tear away and tell him that this was all just a mistake. But the ice in his voice freezes me with fear.

“You son of b***h!” he says turning to Evan.

I hear Evan gulp as Oliver continues.

“I trusted you with her! I trusted you!” He shouts in thick anger. “She’s my entire world! How could you try and take her from me? You’re her f*****g gamma!”

I can’t take his pain any longer. I run out of Evan’s arms and rush into Oliver’s. I wrap my arms around his waist and pull him close to me. He’s arms go limp at his side and I can feel the sadness radiating off of him. I look into his sad blue eyes and wipe away his tears with my thumbs.

“This morning,” I begin, my voice trembling, “I told Evan about what happened to my dad. And he told me he believed me,” my voice breaks and sob escapes my throat. “No one has ever believed me before! So I tried to k**s him on the cheek … as a thank you. But I miscalculated and I accidently kissed him on the lips,” I sob. “It was an accident! I- I didn’t mean to k**s him like that.”

Oliver stares into my eyes searching for the truth.

“Please, you have to believe me! I only want you,” I plead. “It was just an accident.”

Oliver looks past me at Evan.

“Is this true?” he asks.

Evan nods. “We were only discussing her father. I would never disrespect you like that Oliver. I love our Luna, but definitely not in the same way you do. Like you said, I’m only her gamma.”

I see the struggle in Oliver’s eyes as he weighs our words. As his silence continues, my stomach drops and my tears burn with frustration. I feel my chest get heavy and I start gasping for air. My legs go weak and I cling onto Oliver.

Please believe me…

“Are you still afraid of me?” he finally asks, the pain clear in his voice.

His question catches me off guard and my body tenses up. I don’t know how to respond.

Am I still afraid of him?

“Yes,” I admit, biting my lower l*p to keep it from shaking. “I’m afraid all the time.”

The sadness in his eyes is heartbreaking and he steps back timidly, removing my arms from his body. “I’m sorry,” he whispers as a few tears fall down his cheeks. He turns away to hide his face. “D-Do you want to leave?”

“No, I don’t. I just … Oliver, I’m not just afraid of you. There’s a lot of things I’m afraid of. All I’ve ever known is fear. It’s the only thing I’ve felt for the past five years. I’m still adjusting to everything that’s happened. I’m still getting used to you. I-I just… I don’t know how to let you in,” I say, my voice trembling. “I’m trying, though. I want you … I want to be with you.”

I’m falling for you…

Suddenly, I feel Oliver’s arms wrap around me. He gently cups my face in his hands and sighs, ashamed of what he’s done.

“I’m sorry. This is hard for me too. I promise I’ll try harder.”

“Ok,” I nod.

“Umm this is very sweet and all, but Luna, I could really use some of you healing powers right about now,” Evan g****s.

Oh right.

I glance up at Oliver, hoping he won’t argue with me about healing Evan. I see a tinge of jealousy in his eyes but I give him a small peck on his lips and it evaporates immediately. I take a deep breath and cup his face in my hands. The electricity flows through us and Oliver’s nose heals. I k**s him gently and walk over to Evan. I place my hands on his shoulder and he winces.

“Sorry,” I mutter and concentrate on his wounds.

The electricity flows quickly to his injuries. He sighs in relief as the bleeding stops and the teeth marks disappear. I’m panting when I’m done and light headed. I feel Oliver’s arms lift me off my feet and I hold onto his neck and lay head against his chest. The sparks when our skin touch put me at ease.

Wait…

I squirm in Oliver’s arms as I remember he’s nude and he gently places me on the floor.

Evan takes off his shirt and hands it to Oliver without a word.

I’m beet red and look away as Oliver drapes the t-shirt over his a*s and his not so little friend, tying a knot over his thigh. He looks like he’s wearing a skirt and I cough to hide my laughter. Oliver gives me an amused look and walks over with his arms spread open. I shake my head. He pouts but stops advancing towards me.

“I’m on it,” Evan sighs as he rushes downstairs and out of the building.

Oliver and I remain quiet for a while as we wait for Evan to return. The silence makes me nervous and I begin to fidget with my fingers. I gaze up at Oliver and blush as I take in his bare features. Oliver looks like Greek-God at 6’3 with an 8-pack and finely chiseled biceps. His sharp jaw is clean shaven and his dimples stand out as he smiles at me. I love that smile. My eyes follow the lines of his body down to his abs and v-line before hovering over the large bulge barely contained beneath Evan’s t-shirt. Oliver clears his throat and my eyes immediately shoot up to meet his face. He’s grinning mischievously at me. B***d rushes to my face and I quickly turn around to hide my embarrassment. Oliver chuckles softly and walks slowly toward me until he is only a few inches away from me. He leans down to my ear, his hot breath tickling my skin.

“A penny for your thoughts.” he whispers.

“I-I,” I stutter frantically, unable to string a single coherent thought.

He laughs gently in my ear before planting a k**s on my neck. My skin tingles underneath his lips.

A heavy sigh interrupts us.

“Here,” Evan says, tossing Oliver a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. He’s obviously annoyed.

Oliver doesn’t seem to notice and proceeds to change. I motion for Evan to help me collect my books but he hesitates, stealing a glance at Oliver. I roll my eyes and motion for him to come to me. He sighs and walks cautiously towards me. I hand him some books when I hear Oliver’s voice.

“Here, let me help too,” he says.

Evan visibly tenses as Oliver comes closer and he clenches his jaw when Oliver tries to take the books from my hand.

“Don’t bother, I got it. After all, it’s my job to help take care of her!” Evan snaps, taking the books from Oliver before storming off.

Oliver is stunned and I can’t help but feel guilty.

He’s angry. I should have never tried to thank him with a k**s. What the hell was I thinking?

“What the hell just happened?” Oliver asks.

“He’s upset,” I say quietly. “Just- just let him cool off.”

Oliver nods. He bends down slightly, placing his arms on my back and thighs, and lifts me up bridal style.

“What are you doing?” I ask with surprise.

“I’m carrying you home. You’ve healed Evan and I and you look exhausted. Are you hungry now?”

I nod and rest my head against his chest. I drape my left arm around his neck and trace the neck of his t-shirt with my right. He k****s the top of my head as we head home.