The Ivory Queen
Chapter 50

***Aurora’s POV***

We’ve been on the road for almost an hour and with every passing minute I make new discoveries about Oliver. For one thing, he is an impatient driver. Within the first 10 minutes of the drive, he cussed out and honked at 3 other drivers. I couldn’t stop laughing as he cussed out an elderly woman for slowing down at a yellow light.

“Oh come on! You could have made that light, grandma!” He g****s.

“I’m not licensed but I believe yellow means slow down, not speed up,” I laugh.

He rolls his eyes but I see the smile hanging on his lips.

He also likes to speed and I have to scold him multiple times to slow down. I even smack him a few times when he decides to go even faster just to irritate me.

Additionally, Oliver has a very diverse and colorful music taste. He plays everything from h*p hop to rock to country and in multiple languages. Jolene by Dolly Parton is a special favorite of his, which I found so interesting. He also loves Reggaetón and we both go ballistic when Daddy Yankee’s ‘Gasolina’ comes on.

There’s a smirk on his lips as he watches me move my h**s to the beat of the music and we both start to scream the lyrics.

“A ella le gusta la gasolina, dame mas gasolina

“Como le encanta la gasolina, dame mas gasolina!”

He plays a couple more reggaetón songs to dance to before switching gears completely and playing John Legend’s ‘All of me’ instead. He reaches for my hand and k****s it slowly as if to commit every inch of it to memory. He starts to sing along and I’m left in awe. His voice is so beautiful.

“…Cause all of me loves all of you. Love your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections…”

He looks back at me with so much love in his eyes, interlocking our fingers before placing our hands on my lap. He lets go of my hand and slightly lifts the skirt of my dress, exposing my scarred flesh. He gently brushes the scars on my thighs while continuing to sing to me. I let him caress my uneven skin, sparks igniting beneath his touch.

Reyna purrs with excitement and dirty thoughts flood my head. I start to blush furiously and I hear Oliver chuckle. He lets go of my thigh and grabs my hand again.

“We’re here, my love,” he whispers.

I look up to see us drive through a pair of iron gates. A paved road lined with trimmed thin trees cuts through a gorgeous vineyard. We drive for about five minutes before I see the most incredible sight: a castle sitting regally at the end of the road overlooking the Napa Valley and the surrounding hills.

“This is incredible…” I mumble, staring at the beautiful stone structure.

“Every Queen deserves a castle,” he replies, kissing my hand.

He informs me that he rented the entire castle out just for us to enjoy. He helps me out of the car and walks me across the draw bridge to the inside. The Italian style medieval castle is complete with Italian iron work, handcrafted doors and statues, and exquisite murals and paintings. We walk up a series of stairs to one of the watch towers and gaze out onto the incredible view of the valley.

I’m virtually speechless as we watch the sun set in the horizon, casting a beautiful red hue over the sky.

“Oliver, how did you find this place?” I ask.

He chuckles. “Well, my original plan was to take you on a Hot air balloon ride over the valley but then you told me your secret so I just had to find a castle for my Queen. I pulled a few strings and..” he gestures around the castle. He sighs. “Of course, I feel bad for the bride and groom who were supposed to get married here today, but decisions had to made,” he says nonchalantly.

I stare at him with a look of horror.

He did what?

“No, Ol-”

The biggest smirk creeps up on his face and I know he’s lying.

“Babe, it’s Monday. Who would get married on a Monday?”

Oliver bursts into a fit of laughter as I go to smack his chest. He catches my wrists and pulls me into a k**s, making me instantly forget that I was mad at him for joking like that. He releases my wrists and I hook them around his neck, pulling him closer. I stand on my tippy toes as he wraps his arms around my waist.

I’m at the mercy of his lips, falling deeper and deeper into oblivion as my brain turns to mush. His k**s is passionate, hungry, and full of desire. He greedily tastes every inch of my mouth with his tongue. I shiver against his body, Reyna purring contently.

When we finally pull away, our lips are red and swollen. I get l*p stick on his lips and try to wipe it away with my thumbs but he grabs my wrist and k****s my fingers instead. I stand there completely mesmerized as he k****s each finger before pulling me into another k**s, this one soft and sweet.

He smiles against my lips. “Te amo, mi nena. Te amo con todo mi corazon {I love you baby. I love you with all my heart}” he murmurs.

I will never grow tired of hearing him speak Spanish. I need to learn French for him.

“Je t’aime, Olivier,” is all I can manage for now.

He leans his forehead against mine as we catch our breaths before we head down to the Tuscan courtyard.

Pretty fairy lights hang over the courtyard, lighting it up in the growing darkness while decorative flower vines are draped across the many arches along the sides. A little well sits on the far end and iron fire pits are scattered across the yard.

Oliver takes me to a little table near the center and helps me remove my coat since the fire pit is more than enough to keep me warm. A waiter promptly brings us a bottle and glasses. I tense up at the sight of the bottle and glue my eyes on the fairy lights.

“It’s grape juice,” Oliver says, reading me like a book. He reaches over and caresses my cheek. “No alcohol,” he whispers with guilt. “Never again.”

I gaze back at him, kissing his hand in hopes of washing away his shame. The waiter serves our drinks before running off and returning with our Italian dinner.

As we eat, I can’t help but feel grateful I never managed to escape the city. I’ve gotten the chance to feel love again and I’m even learning how to love myself. I have a new family now and people who make me feel safe. I’ve found my home at River Moon alongside my mate and I couldn’t be happier.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Oliver asks, seeing me lost in thought.

I smile at my plate. “I was just thinking that I’m so glad I never made it out of the city the night I tried to escape… And I wanted to thank you for bringing me home.”

“I wouldn’t have stopped searching you even if you did manage to leave. I would have gone to the ends of the earth just for the chance to hold you,” he says quietly. He takes a drink from his glass and c***s his head to the side. “I am curious though. Where were you going?”

I chuckle as I set down my fork. “I didn’t really have a plan, but I somehow wanted to go to the beach.”

He raises an eyebrow and looks amused. “The beach?”

I nod, smiling at the memory. “When I was younger, Emiliano used to tell me about going to the beach with my dad all the time. There was this secret cave on the beach that they’d swim in. He’d say the water was so clear, you could see straight to the bottom. I’ve always wanted to see it for myself. Emiliano and I made a promise to go together when I was older but… we never got the chance. He kept so many secrets … he never told where it was.”

“Do you know what part of Mexico he was talking about?”

I shake my head. “My family never really liked to talk about Mexico, just a few stories here and there. Until I met Celina, I didn’t even know Dad and Emiliano had a sister named Valentina. Karina was no different. She would always change the subject when we asked about her past. I guess I just assumed it was too painful for them to talk about so I stopped asking.”

He reaches across the table and holds my hand, running his thumb across my knuckles. “Don’t worry, Aurora. I’ll help you find the cave. I’ll take you home.”

I smile at him and shake my head. “I’m already home.”

Suddenly the waiter comes back and takes our plates, but Oliver eyes never leave me. He interlocks our fingers and pulls me forward a little. I give him a confused look.

“Come here,” he says.

I get up and walk to him, taking a seat on his lap with my back to his chest. He wraps his arms around me and plants soft k****s on my cheek. I feel the sparks instantly, making butterflies dance in my belly. He moves his lips across my cheek bone and down my jaw before stopping. I unconsciously whimper as his lips leave my skin, missing his touch and he chuckles into my ear. He tucks a lock of hair behind my ear and sweeps my hair out of the way, exposing my neck. His lips return to my jaw and start moving lower again. I tilt my head to the side, closing my eyes as I enjoy the sensation of his lips. He starts to gently suck on my neck, sending Reyna into a purring frenzy.

Oliver pulls away and I turn my head to look at him. Our noses touch and I lean forward to k**s him. My hand goes to his cheek while his find its way to my thigh. We are exploring each other’s mouths when I hear the waiter come back. I push Oliver away and try to get out of his lap but he has a firm grip on me and holds me back.

I’m burning with embarrassment as the waiter returns with dessert so I fidget with the hem of my dress to avoid his eyes. Oliver laughs and buries his face in my neck, continuing to k**s me shamelessly. The waiter places two plates of ice cream on the table and excuses himself. As he leaves I proceed to smack Oliver on the shoulder for embarrassing me, making him laugh even harder.

“Wait until you see your neck…” he murmurs.

“What-what did you do?” I ask, my hand flying instinctively to my neck.

“Nothing…” he says, grinning from ear to ear.

He gave me a hickey, didn’t he?

I turn red as I realize the waiter probably saw it.

“I couldn’t help it. You taste so good,” he murmurs, pecking my cheek. “Now time for dessert.”

I sigh, shaking my head. What am I going to do with this boy?

I turn back to the ice cream in front of us and gasp. I can hear my heart beat against my ears as I stare at the bowl of Thrifty’s chocolate malted crunch ice cream in front of me.

“How did you…. You couldn’t have known…”I stammer, my voice trembling.

A few stray tears fall down my cheeks and I quickly wipe them away, careful not to ruin Rosalie’s work. This is my favorite ice cream. Emiliano would always bring me a tub for my birthday and we’d scarf it down together. I haven’t had it in years.

“I wanted this night to be perfect,” he says, laying his chin on my shoulder and hugging me tightly. “So I got a hold of Mia’s number and asked her for some … advice.”

“You spoke to Mia?” I ask with shock. “You hate Mia.”

“This is true,” he replies with a shrug. “But I would do anything to make you happy. Even reaching out to an enemy for you.”

I lean into him, my hand going up to caress his cheek. “Thank you, this is perfect,” I smile. “Have you ever had this ice cream before?” I ask.

“Nope,” he says, shaking his head.

I grab a spoon and try to feed him some but he shakes his head in refusal.

“Ladies first,” he chuckles.

I oblige and pop the spoon in my mouth, moaning a little as the incredible taste fills my mouth. He chuckles, giving me a peck on my cheek.

“What else did Mia tell you?” I ask, feeding him some ice cream.

He chuckles. “A lot, actually. She spilled all of your secrets. I can’t believe you don’t like strawberries! Who doesn’t like strawberries?”

“Ok I don’t like the actual berries but I like strawberry flavored things,” I say defensively.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” he says, shaking his head.

“Well it makes sense to me!” I laugh.

He showers me with k****s. “Let’s see what else? You prefer sunflowers over roses… Umm oh, I thought this was cute. When you were five, you were afraid to go to the hair dresser so you cut your own hair with safety scissors!” he chuckles. “You gave yourself lopsided bangs and there was no way to fix it so for whole a year, your mom had to clip back your bangs until they grew out!”

Leave it to Mia to embarrass me.

“Ok stop, enough!” I giggle.

“Nope, I’m just getting started… so you love horror movies but you’re afraid of the dark?”

“I’m not afraid of the dark… I’m afraid of what’s in the dark.”

“We’re werewolves. You literally have night vision.”

“Fears are irrational by nature, Mister Smarty Pants. People are afraid of spiders and they’re only this big!” I say pinching my fingers and frowning at him. “Enough about me. Tell me about you.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything. I want to know your likes and dislikes. Oh, tell me some of your childhood memories. What was little Olivier like?”

His face darkens and he looks he’s a little uncomfortable. My heart breaks a little when I realize I’ve just reminded him of his family. I shift my weight around and k**s his cheek lightly before laying my head against his chest. I pull his hands and lay them on my lap.

“It’s ok if you don’t want to talk about them. I understand.”

He lifts my chin, forcing me to look at him. “No, it’s ok. I want to share my life with you. I want to tell you how I grew up.”

I lay my head back on his chest and listen.

“I was very close with my mom as a kid. I was practically attached to her h*p! Everywhere she went, I had to go or I’d throw a fit. When she dropped me off for my first day of kindergarten…” he chuckles, “no one could console me when she left. I cried so hard, the teacher called my mom back and had her take me home. My mom was more than happy to do so, though. She had apparently cried the whole walk home.”

“That’s so sweet. So you were a momma’s boy?” I giggle.

“Yeah, I guess I was,” he says, blushing slightly. “My dad wasn’t home much. He was always working or taking care of his duties, so I just spent a lot of time with my mom. I rarely saw him when I was kid. I’m not even sure he liked me all that much since he always managed to find excuses to not be around.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” I protest.

He smiles and k****s the top of my head. “Always looking for the good in everybody, aren’t you?”

I frown. “No. I’m just sad your relationship with your parents is all messed up because of me.”

“Hey, there were problems with my family before I met you.”

“Like what?” I ask, doubting him.

He sighs. “My mom became distant the older I got at my father’s request. He thought she was turning me soft and wanted to toughen me up a bit. That’s the type of father he was. Stern, cold, distant. He’s always been very controlling. He likes controlling all aspects of my life and for a long time, I let him. He decided who my friends were, how I spent my time and-“

“And who your mate was…” I finish for him.

He nods solemnly. “When he found out Alpha Jacque had a daughter, Dad practically offered me to her, like I was an appeasement gift to the might Lune de Minuit pack. I wasn’t allowed to look at another girl or have female friends because my father thought it would jeopardize my relationship with Adeline.”

A small growl escapes my lips at the mention of him even thinking of looking at another girl and Oliver looks amused. I want to wipe the little smirk off his face but he continues talking.

“My dad made me learn Spanish and French so I could reinforce our relationship with Lluvia Blanca and Lune de Minuit. He wanted me to stop hanging around Carter and Evan so I could spend more time with Wesley and Javier because they were alphas and ‘at my level’,” he says, rolling his eyes. “I don’t even know what that means! It didn’t help that my dad also hated Evan with a passion for reasons I’d rather not mention.”

My heart sinks a little. It’s 2020, how could people still think like that?

“He also thought Evan was a bad influence because… well, you know him. He’s a goof and back then he never took anything seriously. He was a little rebel when we were younger. And to make things worse, he and Adeline never got along. When she showed up at River Moon, he did everything in his power to annoy her.”

“I didn’t think I could love Evan more,” I chuckle.

He growls and now it’s my turn to be amused. I k**s his cheek and he rolls his eyes.

“Anyways, the summer before senior year my relationship with my dad took a nose dive. I decided that I wanted Evan as my gamma instead of my dad’s choice.”

“Who was his choice?” I ask, a sinking feeling settling in the pit of my stomach.

He shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. Point is, my father was furious with me, so he sent me away to teach me a lesson. I spent my entire senior year in a boarding school in France. Afterschool I would train at Lune de Minuit, which is notoriously known for its brutal warrior training program. I was also not allowed to return to the U.S. until I completed school, so I spent my holidays and breaks at the boarding school, alone. He wanted to make me think twice about going against him.”

The thought of Oliver being pushed away by his own father saddens me and I unconsciously shed a tear. Oliver reaches down to wipe it away.

“Don’t be sad, baby. I came back.”

“You still chose Evan as your gamma…” I say, forcing a smile. “He couldn’t break you.”

He nods. “I’m an Alpha after all. We don’t do well with taking orders from anyone else and I had already decided who I wanted to lead with. Carter was beta material from the start. He’s smart, patient, and focused. I knew I could count on him to help me run the pack company. Evan, on the other hand, is loyal beyond reason and the best fighter besides me. I knew I wanted Evan to protect my Luna. It didn’t matter that David sent me away. I was done giving into his every whim. David and I got into a lot of arguments when I came back, especially when I broke things off with Adeline after we discovered we weren’t mates.” He k****s the top of my head. “So you see? My problems with my father have nothing to do with you.”

“What about your mom?”

“I love my mom, but …. but she broke my heart when she did nothing to stop my dad from sending me away. She always defended my father, saying it was for my own good.”

I sigh, sad to learn of the broken relationship he has with his parents.

“Stop it,” he says, knowing me too well. “I have you now to make me happy.”

I smile. He makes me happy too.

“Let’s go for a walk,” he says patting my thighs.

I hop off his lap and grab my coat to stay warm. He leads us into the vineyard for a stroll. The moon light shines down on us and we walk side by side in comfortable silence. A gentle breeze blows past us, rustling the leafless vines. I stick my arm out to touch the bare vines as we walk by.

This place must be even more beautiful in the summer …

Reyna pops into my head, extremely excited. Ask him, please! She begs me.

After about five minutes of begging, I sigh and give in. Oliver turns to look at me with amusement.

“What’s going on in that beautiful mind?” He sings, teasing me.

“It’s my wolf,” I whisper. “She wants to meet your wolf. We’d… like to meet him.”