The Ivory Queen
Chapter 29

***Aurora’s POV***

Oliver bursts into laughter, but David’s glare suggests he means business and he stops.

“I am the official Alpha of this pack. You have no right to take my pack away from me,” Oliver declares.

David smirks. “I, David Artaud, challenge you, Olivier Honoré Artaud, my son and current Alpha of the River Moon Pack, for the Alpha position.”

“Dad you can’t be serious?” Rosalie says in disbelief. “This has to be some kind of joke, right?”

“Do you accept the challenge?” David asks, ignoring Rosalie completely.

“No!” I scream, causing everyone to look at me. I pull Oliver’s face down to me. “Oliver please don’t do this!”

“This is not your choice, little girl. It has nothing to do with you,” Adeline sneers stepping forward. “If Oliver wants to accept the challenge, he has every right to do so!”

I can’t stand this b***h anymore and my wolf threatens to take over. I push past Oliver and stand directly in front of Adeline. Her 5’7 frame towers over my own tiny body, but I refuse to be intimidated any longer. “This has everything to do with me. Oliver is my mate,” I spit.

I can’t see him, but I know Oliver’s smiling with pride as I claim him as mine.

Anger flashes in her eyes as she lifts her arm to swing at me. Oliver catches her arm and crushes it before her blow reaches my face. The sound of bones cracking fills the room. She screams, but he doesn’t let go.

“You touch my Luna and it’ll be the last thing you do!” He snarls.

“Oliver!” David snarls but Oliver ignores him.

A look of horror washes over Adeline’s usually composed face and I feel bad for enjoying it. I wrap my fingers around Oliver’s wrist and tug a little. “Let go,” I murmur.

I feel his muscles relax and he loosens his grip before tossing her arm away from us. He wraps his arms around me, taking deep breaths and inhaling my scent.

“Oliver, please don’t do this,” I whimper. I turn to Simone, hoping she’ll knock some sense into her husband. “Please! You can’t possibly agree to this!” I plead. “It’s your son and your mate! You can’t be okay with this!”

“A good Luna does not get in the way of the Alpha and his affairs,” Simone says solemnly, looking at the ground in front of her. “Besides, I think he’s made it very clear that he no longer considers himself a part of our family.”

I’m panicking now. Why am the only one opposed to this? Alpha challenges are to the death. Only the victor comes out alive.

Unless the loser yields in battle, Reyna reminds me.

You are not helping! Neither of them will! One of them is going to die.

“Oliver please don’t,” I plead with him as tears well up in my eyes. I can’t risk losing him over this. My pleas fall on deaf ears, however.

“I, Olivier Honoré Artaud, accept your challenge for the Alpha position of the River Moon pack,” he says with clear confidence.

The wind is knocked out of me with every word he says.

David smiles triumphantly at his son. “Since I am your challenger, you are free to choose when and where the challenge is to take place.”

“The Training grounds this Thursday at sunset,” Oliver growls, facing his father head on.

“Eager to end this, I see. Very well.” His father nods in agreement and takes his wife by the arm. “Je vous verrai en deux jours, Oliver.”

Together they walk out of the room without so much as a good bye. Adeline follows closely behind, still whimpering from her injury.

When they finally leave, Oliver turns to me, but I refuse to look at him. He hangs his head knowing he’s upset me. He walks towards me and takes me in his arms but I don’t hug him back. My body is frozen with the fear of losing him.

“Aurora, please understand. I swore to defend this pack with my life and I am swearing to defend you. I can’t back down from a challenge.”

My heart is pounding in my ears and my breaths are becoming fast and shallow. I can feel my throat is closing up. I don’t respond. I know he’s right, but I’m scared. I’m so scared.

“Aurora?”

“I-I can’t … breathe,” I pant. Before I even realize it, I’m running out of the room.

I hear him call after me, begging me to come back and talk to him, but I don’t want to talk. I just want to cry. I run past several wolves and out the front door. I don’t know where I’m going, I just run. I run past the now familiar houses down the main road. When I reach the daycare, I make a sharp turn into the woods. Although there is barely any light out, I still manage to find the hidden trail using my enhanced vision.

“Aurora!” Oliver calls out, very close behind me.

I ignore him and keep running until the fort is in my line of vision. When I reach the ladder, two strong arms grip my h**s, pull me back, and spin me around. My emotions get the best of me and I let my feelings of anguish flood out of me. I bury my head in Oliver’s chest as he pulls me close to his body, shielding me from the cold. I cling to him for dear life, afraid he might disappear.

“I love you so much, nena,” he murmurs, lifting me off the ground slightly. “How could I not fight for you?”

“I’m so scared Oliver. What if – what if you don’t-“

“Do you have so little faith in me?” He chuckles. “I’ll have you know, I am the strongest warrior in this pack.”

“That’s not funny,” I say quietly as dark thoughts fill my mind. “I couldn’t bear to lose you.”

“And I could never give you up, especially not for the approval of my father, nor for anyone else’s. I will fight for you and my pack with every fiber in my body. Trust me, I have no intention of losing. Besides, I have a date on Friday with a very special girl and I don’t plan on standing her up,” he says, winking at me.

I stare into his gorgeous dark blue eyes, searching for any possible sign of regret and find none. He leans forward, placing a k**s on my forehead and wipes away my tears with his thumbs.

“It is a painful thing to lose a father, Oliver. Your mother… s-she’ll hate you if you win. A-Am I w-worth losing your family over?” I stammer.

He lifts my chin with his thumb and forefinger. “You are my family now. You are the only person I’m not willing to lose.”

He gently brushes his lips against mine, the sparks overwhelming my senses. I k**s him back and his lifts me up by my thighs, making me gasp. His tongue takes advantage and slips into my mouth. I hook my left arm around his neck while my right hand roams his hair. After a few minutes we pull back breathlessly for air.

“Eres mia, {You’re mine}” he smiles.

My stomach growls, ruining the moment. I blush with embarrassment as he laughs at my reaction.

“Always hungry, aren’t you? Let’s get you something to eat,” he chuckles. He doesn’t put me down, but instead shifts my weight so that he holds me bridal style.

“I-I can walk,” I stutter and he smiles at me.

“I know,” he chuckles. “But I like having you in my arms.”

I don’t argue and he carries me back to the Pack house, putting me down when we reach the main foyer. We make our way into the dining room and to my surprise, there are other wolves eating cheerfully, passing jokes and chatting about their day. I smile when I see Carter, Evan and Rosalie taking their seats. When they hear us walk in, the chatter stops and everyone greets Oliver. I, however, am ignored by everyone (with the exception of my friends) pissing off Oliver.

“Your future Luna is in your presence. Show some respect!” He commands.

The wolves obediently greet me, but the damage is done. They are being forced to acknowledge me and I know they still loathe me. I can’t blame them. I’ve done very little to garner their affection and acceptance since my arrival.

Stringing together some confidence, I stand up straight, meet their ticked off gazes, and smile. I don’t want to live in fear in my own pack anymore. Oliver slips his hand in mine and gives me a light squeeze for comfort. I instantly relax with his touch.

From the corner of my eye, I see Laura and her mate, Noah, sitting at the far end of the table. Hannah and Leila sit near them, an evil smirk hanging on their lips. Seeing this, Oliver growls and their smirks evaporate. I can tell he’s using all his strength to hold back his wolf. The pack seems to sense this too because they all stiffen with fear. Its clear he’s losing his battle as his eyes turn silver and he shakes violently with anger. I step in front of him and cup his face in my hands, pulling him down towards me. Our eyes meet.

“You promised,” I whisper. I give him a stern look to show him I meant what I said. I did not want him hurting them.

He clenches his jaw and balls his fists up before he finally let’s a out a large breath. His face softens and his eyes shift back to their dark blue.

“Sorry,” he grumbles quietly.

I give him a quick k**s on the lips and wrap my arms around his waist. He pulls me close and buries his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling my scent. His muscles relax and I feel his smile against my skin.

When we pull away from each other, I realize the entire room is staring at us in shock. I can’t help but blush at the sea of eyes watching us as Oliver lifts me up and takes his seat at the head of the table with me in his lap. Noticing their stares, Oliver snarls and they turn their attention back to their food. The chatter slowly starts back up again. An omega serves us some mole, rice, beans and tortillas. I smile at my plate. Oliver still insists on serving me Mexican food, but I don’t complain. I love it.

“Little Aurora finally managed to whip the big bad wolf,” laughs Evan.

We roar with laughter. Oliver sends a warning glare at Evan, making him laugh even harder. When we finish our meal, Oliver calls for a packing meeting in the yard. I’m nervous. His announcement of the challenge is sure to fuel more anger towards me. As we make our way outside, Evan pulls me aside into the living room.

“How are you feeling?” He asks.

I know he’s talking about my fingers and the bath tub incident but I don’t want him to erupt like Oliver almost did.

“Hey, it’s ok. You can trust me,” he insists.

I sigh and decide to tell him what the girls did to me. When I’m finished, he’s practically on the verge of shifting.

“Evan please don’t do anything! You’ll only make things worse for me. Please let me handle this my way. I don’t-“

“Don’t do anything? They cornered you like an animal and tortured you when no one else was watching and you want me to sit back and do nothing? I am your guardian! I knew I shouldn’t have left you alone!”

“Evan, do you even realize why Laura did this to me? I took away her family from her! I failed her as a Luna and I’ve failed this pack. I can’t even imagine how many more families I’ve affected by making Lluvia Blanca leave the alliance.”

“Lluvia Blanca leaving the alliance is not your fault. They chose to leave on their own. They chose anger over the well-being of their pack. Miguel failed Laura and he failed his pack, not you,” he snaps, running his fingers through his hair. His face softens. “Aurora, you can’t keep letting people get away with hurting you.”

I know he’s right but I can’t bring myself to retaliate against them.

“Please Evan, just this once don’t do anything. If-if this happens again, I give you permission to take matters into your hands. Just not now. Please!”

He hesitates, clearly still upset with them. “What did Oliver say about the matter?”

“I-I made him promise not to hurt them,” I say sheepishly.

Evan gives me a suspicious look. “And he agreed?”

I nod my head and he let’s out a annoyed growl.

“Fine, I’ll let you handle this this one time. But if they so much as touch you again, I will not hold back,” he warns.

I smile at him and pull him into a hug, thanking him. Oliver interrupts our moment, snatching me from Evan’s arms and snarling at him.

“Mine!” He snarls.

Evan raises his hands in surrender with a huge grin on his face. I give Oliver a k**s on his cheek, instantly calming him down. Evan makes a whipping motion with his arms before running off to the meeting location in the garden. Oliver rolls his eyes and leads me outside.

“Don’t be nervous, baby. You don’t need to talk, you just have stand beside me as my Luna,” he reassures me.

I nod, ignoring the knots forming in my stomach.

River Moon has over 800 hundred pack members, making it the largest of the Allies and one of the most powerful in Northern California. Oliver calls for the heads of households, the elders, and warriors to be present at the meeting. As we stand before roughly 250 pack members, my anxiety kicks into full gear. This will be the first time I appear before important members of the pack and I just know they’re going to hate me.

“As many of you may know, last night Lluvia Blanca left the alliance,” Oliver begins. “In response, the border between our two packs has been closed and we are no longer allowed to wander onto their territory.”

Murmurs erupt in the crowd but Oliver is quick to silence them.

“The Cerulean Sea pack will be taking over the partnership we shared with Lluvia Blanca. As for our other allies, B***d Moon and Jade Crescent, our agreements remain unchanged,” he continues. “Earlier this evening, my father and past Alpha came to visit us, upset about the loss of such a loyal ally. He believes me to be unfit to lead you all and has therefore challenged me for the title of Alpha of the River Moon pack.”

Shock and anger washes over the crowd. A thousand questions are shot at Oliver. He lifts his hand and silence falls amongst the crowd.

“The challenge will take place this Thursday at sunset here at the Training grounds. Now I’m sure you have many questions, but all I can say is this: I would not be fighting my own father if I did not absolutely believe I am fit to lead you. You are my pack and I will defend you, my Luna and my title with my dying breath.”

This last statement is met with cheering from the crowd. There is no doubt Oliver is beloved by his pack. Since he took over the pack almost a year ago, he’s proven to be an incredibly smart and tactical Alpha. He was even negotiating with the Desert Sky and Maple Moon packs to bring them into the alliance and thus turn the Allies into an powerhouse in California and bring peace to the Region.

“Is she the reason you’re fighting your father?” Laura calls out, pointing a finger at me. “Is she the reason Lluvia Blanca stepped away from the alliance?”

All eyes turn to me and I fidget with my fingers to calm myself down. I try to act strong by meeting their cold gazes, but I’m shaking. Oliver holds my good hand in his, running circling over my knuckles with his thumb.

“My Luna is not to blame for Lluvia Blanca’s actions nor my father’s challenge. They made their decisions out of their own hate and anger,” he pauses, making sure his every word is understood by the pack. “Aurora was nothing but helpful during the Alpha meetings we held yesterday and even won over the support of the Cerulean Sea, Jade Crescent and B***d Moon packs with her abilities. She is a silver wolf with the gift of healing.”

At this revelation, several gasps are heard amongst the crowd and their cold gazes turn to shock.

“After the rogue attacks on our allies, not only did she save her sister, Mia, but she also managed to heal 8 severely injured wolves from Cerulean Sea and cure Alpha Wesley’s son,” Oliver continues, barely able to restrain his growing anger. “So I will not stand here and allow anyone to slander her any longer!”

Oliver steps forward, causing Laura and the pack to step back in fear.

“And you,” he says pointing a finger at Laura. “The only reason you are still breathing right now is because your Luna chose to spare your life. If it were up to me, you’d already be six feet under. But let me be perfectly clear. The next time you ever try to lay a finger on her, I’ll rip Noah’s throat out while you watch, And then I’ll rip yours,” he snarls.

“Oliver th-that’s enough!” I cry out, pulling him back by his arm. I steal a glance at Laura who is on the verge of tears. Oliver turns to look at me, his silver eyes filled with rage.

“That’s enough,” I whisper. I snuggle up to his chest, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt. His heart begins to slow down as he wraps his arms around me.

“Meeting adjourned,” he growls but the crowd remains frozen, still processing Oliver’s threat to Laura.

Before he can lose his patience I decide to step in. “T-his meeting is o-over. P-please go h-home and rest,” I stutter, still clinging onto Oliver.

I hear movement behind me and sigh in relief as pack members begin to disperse. Oliver’s hand reaches for the back of my thighs and he lifts me up bridal style. I look at him with surprise and am glad to see his eyes shift back to blue. Seeing that he’s still very angry, however, I decide not to say anything as he carries me back to our room.