The Ivory Queen
Chapter 63

***Logan’s POV***

I knew instantly that the white haired beauties in front of me were the legendary Ivory twins, the power emanating from them was intoxicating and unmistakable. I’d heard the legends but I was in awe of the raw power I could sense within them. I even felt the urge to bow before them. I don’t bow before anyone. I noted the silver wolf’s presence as well, though her power was not as great. The Alpha holding on to one of the Ivory twins was on edge with my presence. It’s a pity they’re mates. I’m clearly a better candidate. He and I both knew who was stronger.

I enjoyed pissing off the Alpha; his little mate was certainly worth the trouble. She was stunningly beautiful and mysterious, refusing to look me in the eye for long. She was shy but not a pushover. When I threatened her mate, she was quick to step in. Such an interesting creature. I loved how her heart raced when I reached to out to touch her hair.

The other unmated twin was her equal in beauty and power but I couldn’t stand her. She was a b***h who didn’t know how to hold her tongue or keep her stupid opinions to herself. I’m still fuming over what she said.

“Now leave us alone unless you want to witness what a real Royal can do.”

Pretentious b***h! I am a King!

I was furious for a split second but then a thought filled my mind. If I had a Queen as my mate, I would be a true King in everyone’s eyes. No one would dare question my title. My mate would provide heirs to my throne and my line would continue for centuries. And what better mate than an all-powerful Ivory twin? I would be unstoppable. I could rule more than just Boise. I could rule everyone!

I quickly compose myself and forgive their trespassing, now focused on my new task.

As we walk out of the dinner, I turn to Gregory, my beta. “Get me all the information you can on the Ivory Twins. I want to know everything, their strengths, their weaknesses, their whereabouts, everything,” I snap. “I want their location. Follow them but be discrete. They’re powerful.”

“Yes, King. But what’s this all for?” He asks and I slap him for questioning me.

After he collects himself, I grab him by the collar.

“It seems I’ve just found my Queen.”

***Aurora’s POV***

When Carter and Evan pick us up from the airport, they’re more than a little shocked to see my white hair. They both bow before me and several humans give us weird looks. “What are you doing? Stop it!” I scold them, not liking the stares.

“I don’t know why I just did that, but it felt right,” Evan says, scratching his head and looking confused. Carter rolls his eyes and steps forward to greet me.

“Your majesty,” Carter grins before pulling me into a hug. “Glad to see all went well with your shift,” he whispers.

“So you mean to tell me you flew out of state to dye your hair white and get some tats?” Evan teases as he lifts me out of Carter’s arms and spins me around. “I missed you, Luna,” he says giving me a squeeze. “Now I can watch the Avatar with you because some people don’t appreciate complex story telling!” He grunts, giving Carter a cold stare to which Carter responds by sticking his tongue out at him.

“You mean cartoons?” He mocks us, crossing his arms over his chest. Evan and I gasp at him and he rolls his eyes at us. “Dorks,” he mutters.

“This is why I’m the favorite!” Evan snaps and they both start to argue over who I like better. I notice a few girls watching my interaction with the boys, the jealousy clear as day in their eyes.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for asking,” Oliver mutters to himself. “Nah, I don’t need help carrying these bags back to the car.”

The boys pay no attention to him so I run up to him and stand on my tippy toes to k**s his lips. “You’re my favorite,” I say.

Evan grumbles as he takes the bags from Oliver and we head to the car. On the drive back, I explain the purpose of the trip to Evan and he showers me with a bunch of questions.

“So what are your powers? What can you do? What’s your sister like? Is she a badass like you?” He asks, going a million miles an hour. I answer as best I can and he grins at me. “I have the coolest sister ever!”

I love this i***t.

Midway through our drive, Carter informs Oliver that the Alphas have requested a meeting tonight, their patience having worn out. I’m exhausted and would rather just go home but the Alphas are anxious to hear from me. There’s no avoiding this meeting. I’m just going to have to suck it up for a few more hours.

——

We arrive at B***d Moon around 8 pm and I’m grumpy, hungry, and tired.

“Cheer up, baby. It’ll be over soon. Just hang on for a few more hours,” Oliver says as he helps me out of the car. I mumble a quick ‘whatever’ and walk by his side up the path to the B***d Moon Pack house.

A group of guards come out to escort us inside but before they even reach us, they stop and bow before me. When they look up again, they seem extremely confused and embarrassed. This bowing thing is starting to annoy the crap out of me.

They can’t help it. Now that you’ve shifted, they sense our power and Royal b***d. They must show respect and bow, Reyna explains. It’s their instinct.

Yeah? Well it’s still freaking weird, I retort.

Just wear the medallion if it bothers you so much. They’ll stop.

The medallion is in car, I snap. There’s no point now.

The guards lead us to the office where the meeting is to take place. Nathan (B***d Moon Gamma) is standing near the door. When he catches a glimpse of me, he bows. Carter takes his position in front of Oliver and I while Evan steps off to the side to join Nathan. As we enter, the Alphas become rigid, instinctively fighting submission before giving in and bowing. There is a look of bewilderment in their eyes when they finally look back up at me. My white hair and the bowing has completely thrown them off guard.

“What the hell is going on?” Wesley asks as Oliver and I take our places. “Why did we just-“

“Calm down, Alpha Wesley. There’s no need to panic. Aurora will explain,” Oliver explains.

I shift nervously on my feet and look to Oliver to find some courage. “I am the daughter of Sofia Isabel Reyes, Queen of the Sol de Oro Kingdom and of King Mateo Salvador Altamirano of the Altamirano silver wolf clan. I was born to the Royal family and put into the protective custody of Emiliano Altamirano and his wife, Karina.”

“You’re an Ivory twin,” Alpha Patrick gasps with shock and I nod.

“Ivory twin?” Wesley asks, still confused.

“Yes. It’s a hybrid of sorts between a gold and silver wolf,” I reply, taking a deep breath. “I didn’t know until recently and I only just met my twin for the first time yesterday afternoon to complete my first shift. It’s been a lot to process and I’m still unsure of the powers that I have.”

“Powers?” Jonathan asks. “You mean you can do more than just heal?”

Patrick answers the question for me. “Yes, exactly. Ivory twins possess an array of gifts and abilities. Her healing powers are just one example of what she can do.” He turns to look at me. “So these attacks we’ve been fighting off….”

“They’re my fault. I’m the one Tais is after. I’m the only thing that stands is her way of destroying the last remaining gold and silver wolves. Tais has been tracking me since birth. My parents…. They’re gone because of her,” I say, fighting back tears. “I’m sorry I’ve brought this all on you and your packs.”

“How long were you planning on keeping this vital piece of information from us?” Wesley snaps, getting up from his chair.

“Watch it Wes,” Oliver warns but Wesley stands his ground.

Reyna doesn’t appreciate Wesley’s tone and I feel her take control. I know my eyes have changed colors when the Alphas lower their eyes in submission.

“I would have put more people at risk by exposing myself and I had a sister to protect. I didn’t know that Tais already knew where I was and that I was her target but it does not matter. She did not know my sisters location and I managed to keep it that way. I will not apologize for doing what I thought was right, NOW SIT DOWN,” I command.

Wesley obediently takes his seat. Reyna gives me back control and I take a few seconds to collect myself.

“You have a Royal voice…” Patrick says.

I nod. I’m still extremely uncomfortable with the idea of the power I now possess. “I’m expected to build my own kingdom soon. My wolf is extremely territorial and it won’t be long before she starts to get aggressive,” I mutter, fidgeting with my fingers and avoiding their eyes.

“So what are you going to do? Are you planning on turning this alliance into a kingdom and crowning yourself Queen?” Jonathan asks, a challenging tone in his voice.

“I don’t know!” I snap. “I-I didn’t ask for any of this! I had a kingdom. I was supposed to be trained, I wasn’t supposed to be thrown into this. I don’t know the first think about leading people, but I’m coping with everything as best I can!” I argue, my voice shaking a little.

The Alphas seem to be weighing my words carefully. It’s obvious I’m not ready to build a kingdom, let alone take the throne, but there’s no denying Reyna’s power. She needs to lead.

“I know this is a lot to take in at the moment,” Oliver says, trying to ease the tension. “But right now we’re not asking you to pledge your loyalty to Aurora. We’re just asking for your patience as we figure things out. We still have to deal with Tais and the war she seems hell bent to start.”

“A-About Tais….” I stumble. “Moon Goddess showed me something while I was in her realm,” I say, desperate to get this off my chest. “It seems Erin wasn’t the only person helping Tais.”

“Who else was involved?” Oliver asks, a little annoyed I didn’t inform him sooner.

“Karina.”

“Karina? Why- why would she be helping Tais?” Wesley asks.

“I don’t know,” I reply truthfully. “All I know is, Karina informed Tais of my location and as a result Tais sent Rogues after me. The night Emiliano died, I was the target. Karina had it all planned it out.” I proceed to explain how I was supposed to complete my first shift when I was 13 and the events that occurred that fateful night.

“But why would Karina willingly help Tais? Her own children are silver wolves and are therefore prime targets for Tais!” Wesley argues, trying to make sense of it all.

“Wasn’t Mia also severely injured during the Lluvia Blanca attacks?” Jonathan adds.

“I don’t pretend to understand her motives for wanting to kill me but I have a theory.”

“We’re all ears,” Oliver says.

I take a deep breath to collect my thoughts. “Salvador told me Karina and Emiliano used to argue about me all the time. I think Karina thought I was a threat to her family, that my existence was putting their family at risk.

I also think perhaps she wanted revenge for what happened to my mother’s kingdom. It fell shortly after my birth and from what I know, a lot of people died and suffered. My father’s clan was almost completely eliminated with the exception of my aunt and they were silver wolves. I can only imagine what happened to Karina’s family. I think she holds me responsible for the war and everything that followed.”

“So you think she could have made a deal?” Oliver asks. “Her kids safety…… for you?”

I nod. “If she’s lost her family back home, she would have done anything to protect her kids here, including handing me over.”

“Well her plan must have backfired when you weren’t captured during the first attacks. Mia’s attack could have been a warning to her or a sign that the deal was off…” Oliver adds.

“Which means Mia and Salvador are now also in danger…” I finish his thoughts.

“Well unfortunately for them, Lluvia Blanca left this alliance and given how things ended, I doubt they would ever take our help,” Wesley says, deflated. “I’m sorry Luna Aurora, but I’m afraid if Tais does attack Lluvia Blanca, they’ll have to face the witch alone.”

“I understand,” I mumble, offering him a weak smile. “I just wish things were different.”

Oliver decides to redirect the meeting. “Any news on Tais? What information have you gathered about her?”

Patrick takes the lead and explains the findings. “We unfortunately couldn’t find much. Tais and her sister are very good at hiding their tracks. However, one of my elders believes Tais might not be too far. We tried looking up the spells Tais could have used to kill Erin and all of them indicated that the witch must be within a 10 mile radius for a spell to work.”

“So Tais might be in the city?” I ask, fear lacing every word and Patrick nods.

“Then you’re not going anywhere near the city for the time being,” Oliver declares. “I can’t believe she’s been hiding in plain sight. How could she have gone undetected?”

“Witches are extremely powerful creatures. They mask themselves well.”

Oliver seems agitated by the news and I hold his hand to calm him down. “I think this is good place to end this meeting,” he says, getting up from his chair. “Aurora needs to be home.”

“Do you need an escort?” Patrick offers. “I can send some guards with you.”

Before Oliver can accept, I answer. “That won’t be necessary,” I decline politely. “I can manage just fine. Thank you.”

Oliver looks annoyed but does not contradict me. He knows he won’t win. The Alphas bow once more as we leave. I can tell they’re upset with me and I pray to Moon Goddess that I didn’t just ruin River Moon’s place in the Alliance.