The Ivory Queen
Chapter 38

***Aurora’s POV***

The wet earth feels amazing against my bare feet. I look around and am pleased to be surrounded by so many trees and flowers. I look down and notice I’m wearing a plain white dress. I examine my arms and legs. No scars. Before me, a small purple orb of fire floats in mid air. It’s beautiful. I reach out to touch it but it disappears before I can, reappearing a few feet further away from me. I try to catch it and soon ensue on a chase after it. It takes me deeper into the woods before I completely lose sight of it.

I look around and realize I’m all alone, there’s not a creature in sight. For some reason, however, this doesn’t bother me. A peaceful quiet surrounds me and I stretch out on a patch of grass. I could stay here forever.

My peace, however, is suddenly interrupted by a soft voice.

“Aurora,” it whispers as a gentle breeze washes over me.

“Hello?” I call out. “Who’s there?”

I hear it whisper my name again, this time much louder, and decide to get up. A gust of wind pushes past me and I hear my name loud and clear. I follow the direction the wind is blowing towards and discover a large stream, the purple fire orb waiting patiently along its shore. I walk up to it, mesmerized by its violet flames. I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the water and nearly jump when I notice my black hair is now white and practically glowing.

I suddenly get the feeling that I’m no longer alone and look up to see a figure standing across the stream. A pink orb floats beside her. I look closer and am shocked to see that the other person is me.

Is she a reflection? I wonder.

We both venture into the water, taking slow and tentative steps. As we grow nearer, I realize the other me has silver grey eyes, nothing like my honey gold eyes. The floating pink orb beside her is made entirely of water.

Curious about one another, we both reach out to touch our hands. When our hands meet, I feel a jolt of warm electricity flow between us and we both step back.

“Who are you?” I ask.

“I could ask you the same thing…” she replies.

“My name is Aurora.”

Her eyes nearly pop out. “You’re Aurora?”

I nod and a sweet smile spreads across her face.

“I’m Celina.”

———

“Celina?”

The sound of my own voice wakes me up. As my senses return, I realize I’m being embraced by two strong arms around my waist and shoulders. I feel safe and snuggle up closer, wanting to take in all their warmth. Reyna purrs happily as I inhale their honey and green apple scent.

Honey and green apples?

My eyes burst open as panic takes over. I push Oliver’s body away from me, yanking his arms off of me. He opens his eyes, grabbing my arms to stop me from hitting him.

“Aurora stop! Please stop it!” He pleads.

But I don’t and scramble out of bed. I look around the room and recognize it as a hospital room. I’m wearing a hospital gown and my medallion is sitting neatly on the table next to the bed. My face burns up and I grab a blanket and wrap it around myself. I feel a body come up behind me and hold me tightly.

“Aurora calm down!”

Recognizing Evan’s voice, I turn to face him and wrap my arms around him.

“Hey there … calm down,” he says softly, hugging me back.

I take several deep breaths and catch my bearings

“What happened?” I ask.

“You passed out at the house,” Oliver answers, his voice quiet. “You’ve been out cold for hours.”

I glance back at him and my heart breaks. He’s extremely pale and his eyes are puffy from crying so much.

“You had us worried there for a while. Your fever kept spiking up and down and your heart rate was crazy! Meghan couldn’t figure out what was wrong with you. The only thing that finally helped stabilize you was Oliver,” Evan explains.

“I can leave if you want,” Oliver says, his voice shaking.

I watch quietly as he stares solemnly at the ground, getting off the bed and adjusting his clothes. Just then, Carter and Meghan walk in.

“You’re awake!” Carter says excitedly, pulling me into his arms and lifting me off the ground. “Thank Moon Goddess!”

I hug him back and I hear Meghan’s voice begin to speak to me.

“Aurora, I’d like to run some tests to make sure you’re ok and then I’d like to talk to you about some things.”

Meghan checks my vitals and sends me upstairs to get some b***d work done and a CT scan. Once the tests are complete, I’m taken back to my room.

“Well your vitals are great, but we’ll have to wait for the b***d and CT scans to get a better picture of your health,” she says, looking through my chart. “I’d like to keep you here over night until I can confirm you’re ok to go home.”

I nod in response.

“Aurora, I have some questions in regards to your wolf,” she continues, shifting in her seat.

I give her a puzzled look.

Questions? About what?

I steal a glance at Carter and see that he’s equally confused.

Ok, good. He hasn’t said anything.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“Well, while we were trying to figure out what could be the cause of your illness, Oliver mentioned that you still haven’t had your first shift,” she states. “He also mentioned that your wolf doesn’t appear to be interested in shifting.”

I turn to Oliver who looks like he’d rather be anywhere else but here right now.

Really? This again?

“Why does it matter that I don’t want to shift?” I ask defensively. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Meghan frowns, clearly aware that she is treading on thin ice with this subject. “Our wolves are a part of us,” she begins, picking her words carefully. “To deny them access to the outside world and not shift is detrimental to our health.”

Angry, I lash out at Oliver. “Seriously, Oliver? You’re that angry I won’t shift and do the pack run that you’ve brought Meghan here to convince me to do so?”

“No, Aurora that’s not what I -“

Meghan interrupts him, her voice turning serious. “Aurora, you’re wolf was awakened over 5 years ago. Refraining from shifting will kill you. You need to let your wolf out soon. I think this fainting episode is a sign that your wolf’s health is starting to deteriorate.”

“My wolf is fine,” I sigh. “I was just … overwhelmed and a little tired.”

“Is there a reason your wolf refuses to shift?” Meghan asks. “Do you feel her growing weak or fading perhaps?”

Weak? I’m not weak! Reyna snarls.

Í shake my head. “No. In fact, I feel her getting stronger with every passing day ever since I came to River Moon.”

Our mate makes us stronger! Reyna gushes.

“So why doesn’t she want to shift?” Oliver asks, his voice just above a whisper.

We have enough on our plate with Carter knowing. No one else must find out until after our shift when we can protect ourselves better.

“She says it’s not the right timing.” I sigh, annoyed with the subject. “She has a mind of her own. I can’t force her to shift.”

“What does she mean by ‘not the right timing’?” Meghan asks.

“Well isn’t it obvious?” Carter interjects and I feel myself tense up.

Please don’t betray me, Carter. Please I’m begging you.

“Silver wolves only shift under special conditions. For one thing, they don’t shift on their 13th birthdays like the rest of us. They’re special to Moon Goddess so they can only shift on the first full moon following their awakening.” We all look at him with confusion. He sighs with irritation and proceeds to explain further. “Aurora can’t complete her first shift until there’s a full moon,” he explains, rolling his eyes. “Which would be on the 30th of this month.”

Oliver perks up. “That’s a little more than a week from today. Well we can definitely have the ceremony then.”

10 days? I have to find Celina in 10 days?

That’s plenty of time… You’ve already confirmed that she’s alive.

But that was just a dream! I snap. Besides we only spoke for like 20 seconds. I have still have no idea where she is or how to meet her!

That wasn’t a dream…

There you go being cryptic again!

Oliver interrupts my internal dialogue. “Why didn’t you just tell me that, Aurora? I would have understood.”

I should have thought of this lie myself. Now how am I supposed to come up with a good excuse?

Carter once again comes to my rescue. “Silver wolves are very secretive due to how highly sought after they are. It’s the reason they don’t typically live in packs but rather family clans so they can stay hidden and safe. It’s very rare for a silver wolf family to submit to an Alpha and his pack. Gold wolves are no different in terms of trust. To befriend either a silver or a gold wolf is an accomplishment in it of itself. It’s Aurora’s nature to keep secrets. I’m sure the rest of her family is the same.”

“How did you know about her shift if silver wolves are so secretive?” Evan asks.

“The only reason I knew is because my grandfather spent his life studying the children of the Moon and Sun and he taught me what he knew. Like I said, I’m sure Aurora’s wolf was only acting on instinct.”

Carter looks to me for confirmation and I nod in return. “With all the rogue attacks happening, my wolf just didn’t feel safe telling you when my shift was. I’m sorry,” I lie almost seamlessly and surprise myself with how convincing I sound.

Oliver seems to accept this lie, making me feel like crap. I curl up in my bed, suddenly exhausted from keeping up this farce. With the situation now cleared, Meghan excuses herself to go check on other patients and receive the results of the CT scan, leaving me alone with the boys.

“Aurora, do you think we can talk? Alone?” Oliver asks, clearly nervous I might reject him.

I sense Carter and Evan’s uneasiness. They’re still angry at Oliver and quite frankly, I’m still afraid.

“Please? I promise I’ll leave as soon as I’m done,” he pleads.

Reyna whines, begging me to forgive him already. I turn to face Evan and Carter. “It’s ok. I’ll be fine.”

They make their way outside, reminding me they’ll be by the door and to call out if I need anything. Alone with Oliver, I pull my knees to my chest, making sure the blanket covers my legs and wait for him to start. He sits on the edge of the bed, fidgeting with the blanket.

“I-I don’t remember much of what happened when I came home last night. All I know is I was angry at you. I was angry that you weren’t telling me the truth. I was just so full of anger that you were keeping things from me that I couldn’t see past my own feelings. I didn’t try to understand what you wanted. I ignored your feelings and I wasn’t being the mate I promised to be. I’m sorry.” I look up at him and see the guilt in his eyes. “Aurora, what exactly did I do to you? I don’t remember anything and it’s killing me that I don’t know what happened.”

I swallow hard and take a few breathes before I explain myself. “I hate the smell of alcohol. My mom used to do the worst things to me when she was drunk,” I pause, trying hard to hold back tears. “When you came home last night and I smelt the booze, you reminded me of her,” I confess. “You elbowed me in the face by accident but that wasn’t what scared me. You made me relive one of the worst nights of my life, Oliver and I remembered all the other times she used to beat me until I couldn’t move anymore … until her own muscles ached from beating me.”

Oliver crawls closer to me, cupping my face gently in his hands. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I don’t think there are enough words to explain just how much I hate myself right now for doing this to you. I don’t- I don’t deserve your forgiveness! I’m so sorry I hurt you. I’m so f*****g sorry,” he cries, gasping for air. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

I feel those amazing sparks spread across my face as he touches me. But I don’t want to give in to him so easily.

“Oliver this can’t keep happening. You can’t keep letting your anger get the best of you!”

“I know,” he nods. “I’m sorry I keep putting you through more trauma,” he whimpers. “Ma-maybe you are better off living with Evan’s parents. That way I can’t hurt you anymore.”

I think about his proposal. My mind drifts off to the day he attacked Evan for our accidental k**s and the angry look in his eyes from last night. I hate his controlling demeanor.

But what about the good? Reyna argues. What about his soft k****s that keep away the nightmares? What about all the times he’s defended and protected you the way no one has in years. What about the way he makes you feel safe with just his touch?

“I don’t want to live without you Oliver,” I finally respond.

He looks up at me with hope in his beautiful blue eyes.

“But that doesn’t mean I can’t,” I add, making the smile on his face fall. “I will give you one more chance,” I say holding up one finger towards him. “One more chance to prove to me that you can control your anger and that you will never hurt me again. And if you fail, I will leave, Oliver. I promise you I will leave and I will never come back to you. Even if it kills me inside, I will leave you.”

He grabs my hands and k****s them gently. “Thank you. I-I promise, I won’t ever touch you or hurt you again.”

“Pinky swear?” I say, holding up my pinky towards him.

I know it may seem childish, but to me, pinky swears are the most sacred of promises. My dad – err- Emiliano and I used to make all of our promises this way and never once were our promises broken. Ever. Oliver stares at me with confusion but I am dead serious and he locks his pinky with mine.

“I pinky swear,” he declares. “I will never hurt you again.”

He looks into my eyes and I can see the sincerity in his. He won’t hurt me like that again. I crawl into his arms, resting my back against his chest and pulling the blanket across my legs. He runs his fingers down my arm and into my hand, interlocking them with mine. He pulls my hand up to his lips, kissing each knuckle tenderly.

I can feel Reyna jumping with joy that I’ve forgiven our mate and rest happily in Oliver’s arms in comfortable silence. Oliver gently caresses my bruised cheek, inspecting it slowly and a deep sadness settles in his eyes. He leans forward to k**s it, sending tingly sparks across my face.

“I’m sorry I missed our date,” I finally say, breaking the silence.

“It’s alright,” he replies, leaning forward and kissing my cheek again. “We can try again soon. What’s your schedule like this coming week?” he chuckles softly in my ear.

I bring up a finger to my chin and look pensive. “Oh I don’t know. I’m a very busy girl, ya know?” I tease.

He holds up two fingers. “Two days. I have an important business meeting coming up on Monday. After that, I’m all yours.”

“Ok,” I say, poking his dimples. “Two days.”

I sit in his arms for a while, tracing my fingers along his jaw line and down his neck and chest. He watches me as I explore his body, sitting perfectly still. I reach up and touch every curve on his face, poking his dimples and caressing his cheeks.

“Aurora?”

“Mhmm?”

He hesitates. “I-I think you should see a therapist. It’s not healthy to keep all your feelings bottled up,” he sighs. “I know you don’t like talking to me about those things, but it might be useful to speak to someone else.”

I scrunch my nose in disagreement.

I don’t want to talk about those things. I just want to forget and move on…

“Aurora, don’t shoot it down completely. Just think about it, ok? I know you want to forget but you need to let it out. You need to process what happened-“

“I know what happened to me, Oliver. I’m not confused about the last five years. In fact, I even understand why my mom did those things to me. I know why Salvador tortured me. I know why Mia pretended I didn’t exist. I know what I felt all those years and I don’t want to relive it with some random person who doesn’t understand the situation and who doesn’t care about me!” I huff, a few tears spilling over. I take several deep breaths to calm myself down. “Look, I know you’re just trying to help, but I don’t want to speak with a therapist.”

“Then let someone in, Aurora, please!” His face turns serious.

I stopped confiding in people about the horrors I survived after what happened in that stupid supply closet. Could I really trust Oliver with my pain?

He is our mate for a reason…

“What if what I have to say is too evil or disgusting? Would you think less of me?”

“Of course not!” He grabs my face and pulls it closer to his. “You are the bravest girl I’ve ever met and you have the biggest heart,” he smiles. “Nothing you say could ever make me love you any less.” He wipes my tears with his thumbs and k****s me gently on the forehead. “You must have been so scared all those years,” he whispers. “I’m so sorry.”

I hide my face in his chest and shift my legs up closer, causing the blanket to slide off onto the floor. He looks down at my newly exposed scarred upper right thigh. My hospital gown has ridden up quite a bit and just barely hides my most horrific scar. Oliver carefully grabs the hem of my hospital gown and gently pulls it down. I grab his wrist to stop him and he looks at me with confusion.