The Ivory Queen
Chapter 98

***Javier’s POV***

I let out a heavy sigh as I reach my father’s- I mean- my office to deliver the news and find Dad on the phone, seemingly excited with whatever news he just received.

“Yes of course… Trust me, Javier and his command line are more than capable… Excellent. We’ll see you in an hour to sort out the deals… Thank you.” Dad ends the call with a content sigh. “Oh, Javi. I just received the best news.”

I smile at him. “Yeah, what about?”

He struggles to contain his joy. “Alpha Oliver is missing.”

My heart starts racing. Oh f**k. This can’t be happening! Aurora was so careful to keep his disappearance a secret amongst the Allies.

“Can you believe it?” Dad squeals like a school girl. “That f*****g Alpha finally got what he deserved for humiliating me! Oh to see the look on that stupid girl’s face when she realized her mate was taken! Ha, Moon Goddess tested me, ” he laughs. “But she came through and things are starting to look up for us!”

“How is this great news?” I ask, hiding my fear and anxiety.

“Because son,” Dad says, getting up from his seat and stalking over to me. He places his hands on my shoulder and grins. “We can take down River Moon and those Allies once and for all.”

“What do you-“

“Alpha Nikolai will be here in an hour to discuss the best tactics to employ for an attack. Tonight, after you take your oath, Lluvia Blanca and Amethyst Lake will attack River Moon and take it.”

I feel the b***d drain from my face. He can’t be serious! Attack River Moon?

My heart rate increases with my panic and Dad gives me a confused look.

“Why aren’t you as excited as I am?” He asks. “This is incredible news! River Moon humiliated us and now we have the opportunity of a lifetime to pay them back with a bigger blow! You should be happy that you, Javier Salazar, the youngest Alpha in the region will take on the biggest pack in California. And with River Moon down,” he adds, “the allies will follow. They’ll have no choice but to follow you too and Lluvia Blanca will be the powerhouse of the West. You’ll be an legendary Alpha.”

“Dad are you crazy?” I snap. “The Allies are too strong for us to take on! You know that. If we even attempt an attack, Cerulean Sea will be the first to respond. You know their warriors are by far the fiercest. Besides, River Moon outnumbers us!”

“But we’ll have the element of surprise. We’ll take River Moon before Cerulean Sea even gets the alert. Besides, we have two silver wolves at our disposal! What are a couple of warriors compared to Mia and Salvador? You know those two are incredibly gifted warriors.”

I need to warn Aurora of his plan…

Sensing my hesitation Dad adds, “Javier, this is an opportunity of a lifetime and we need to act now while the enemy is weak. We won’t get a chance like this again. River Moon and its allies disrespected this pack and our loyalty by siding with that murderer and we must show them that we are not to be trifled with. If you let one pack disrespect us, then we as Alphas lose our credibility to lead. We cannot show weakness. Lluvia Blanca must show River Moon who its dealing with and you must show our strength.”

He straightens his shoulders. “Get Chava and Pablo here immediately. You and your command line must prepare for the war meeting we’ll be having with Amethyst lake. They’ll be here soon.”

“About Chava, Dad. I have something to tell you,” I say.

“No time right now. Whatever it is, it can wait.”

“No, Dad listen. Chava does not want the gamma position anymore. He forfeits.”

“What?”

“Salvador will not be my gamma,” I reply coolly.

“Why not?”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s his choice and I will not force someone to do a job they do not want.”

Dad thinks for a moment and sighs. “Then you’ll just have to convince him to take the position. A silver wolf in your command line is a power move. Do whatever you have to do to make him take the position. For the time being, I still want him at the meeting and have Mia join as well. Their powers will be critical for out attack.”

“Dad-“

“You have not taken the oath yet,” he growls. “So until you do, you will do as I say. Now get the silver wolves and meet me here in an hour. We have work to do.”

I clench my jaw and glare at him. Lluvia Blanca will not attack River Moon. I will make sure of it.

As I step out of the office, I call Mia and Chava to my new room, the Alpha’s room.

“So how did your dad take it?” Chava asks, looking guilty for backing out of the position.

“We have a problem. My father knows that Oliver is missing and he wants to attack River Moon tonight after the ceremony.”

“Is he crazy? With Celina and Aurora together, Lluvia Blanca doesn’t stand a chance,” Mia snaps. “We have to warn Aurora!” Mia replies, taking out her phone and dialing. She holds the phone to her ear but it appears she goes straight to voice mail and she frowns. “Damn it, she’s not picking up.”

I rack my brain for a possible solution before it clicks.

“Wesley!” I cry out, pulling out my phone. “He and Aurora are bringing the treaty. He can warn Aurora and she can prep her pack for the attack!”

Mia and Chava nod excitedly when Pablo walks in.

“Hey, your Dad wants to speak to us. He says its urgent.”

I turn to Mia and Salvador.

“You guys go on ahead, I need to poop,” I call out heading to the bathroom.

“Way to much information,” Chava chuckles, winking at me. “Let’s go before the whole place smells like a*s,” he laughs, gently ushering Mia and Pablo out of my room.

I dial Wesley’s number and he answers immediately.

“You getting pre-Alpha jitters?” Wesley chuckles into the phone.

“Wes, we have a problem. My father knows Oliver is missing and he plans on launching an attack-“

I hear a knock at the door and Dad’s voice calls out my name.

“Javier! Get your a*s to the office now!” he calls out.

“Yes father,” I reply before lowering my voice and hissing into the phone. “Tell Aurora to prepare for war. My father wants to attack River Moon tonight.”

Before Wesley can reply, I end the call and run off to the office.

“It’s about time you f*****g showed up,” Dad snarls. “Now let’s get down to business.”

For the next 30 minutes, Dad instructs Mia, Chava and Pablo (my future Beta) on how to behave at the meeting with Alpha Nikolai and his men and gives them a brief overview on the attack plan.

When Alpha Nikolai’s and his men arrive, it feels like my heart might jump out of my throat. Alpha Nikolai was the notorious alpha of the Amethyst Lake, known for ruling his pack with an iron fist. Any slight betrayal or sign of disobedience was paid for in b***d. Amethyst lake was not as large as River Moon or Lluvia Blanca but no one messed with Nikolai and his pack. He was also mateless which meant he had no one to help control his temper and his rumored sadistic tendencies. He was a 26 year old man standing at 6 ft 5 with platinum blonde hair and eyes of ice, but it was his dark aura that sent shivers down my spine. He would not submit to anyone which is why I doubted this alliance to begin with.

“So this is your new Alpha,” he smirks at me, sizing me up. “He looks like a pup.”

“I assure you, Javier is no child. He will lead this pack to greatness,” My father beams at me.

“Excellent,” Nikolai smiles. “I do not care much for weak alphas. If this alliance is to work, I need to know I am working only with the best,” he says, a hint of a threat in his every word. “So, Javier. Are you the best?”

I glare at him. “I will do what is necessary to protect my pack. And I don’t like when my loyalties are questioned.”

Nikolai nods approvingly and shifts his gaze to Mia and Chava. “Are these the mighty silver wolves you spoke of?” he asks my father.

“This is Mia and Salvador, the children of my former gamma, Emiliano.”

Nikolai stands in front of Mia and crouches down to her eye level before reaching a hand to grab her chin.

“I’d keep my hands to myself, Alpha. I’m not as cute as I look when provoked,” Mia warns.

Chava and I can’t help but smirk at Mia’s fierceness. She was indeed a very sweet looking girl, but that was always a ploy. Mia was feisty and had quite a mouth on her when aggravated.

Nikolai grins. “Oh she’s got a mouth… I can fix that.”

Mia’s eyes glow gold and I grab her wrist and shake my head. Better to not provoke this psychopath.

“Hmm, such an intriguing creature, ” Nikolai hums. “Tell me, what is your gift?”

“Would you like a demonstration?” My father asks gingerly. “Mia, Salvador. Show them what you can do.”

Mia and Chava exchange glances before looking at me for approval. I give them a small nod and they both get on their feet. Mia’s eyes glow gold and she narrows in on Nikolai. Within seconds, he gasps, staring blankly around the room and smiling.

“Incredible,” he murmurs.

Mia releases him from her spell and her eyes return to their warm brown color.

Chava is up next and he closes his eyes to concentrate. Suddenly, two black mambas materialize on the floor and slither up his leg and wrap around his arms. They stop around his shoulders before hissing at the Alpha and his men who stare back in amazement. He then projects a small dagger in his hand and aims it at one of the wolves, missing him by mere centimeters. The wolf snarls at him and Chava responds with a smirk and a shrug.

“Indeed, two very powerful wolves,” Nikolai smiles with satisfaction. “But I hear the Luna is gifted as well.”

“Yes, the little brat is a healer,” Dad mutters. “But she has no training and only recently discovered her powers. Unlike Mia and Salvador, that girl does not yet have full control of her gift. She is utterly useless.”

I want to burst into laughter. You have no idea just how powerful she is.

Nikolai presses his lips firmly together, thinking something over.

“So let’s get down to business,” he says. “You were once an ally. Tell me, what should we expect from River Moon?”

For the next hour, Nikolai and my father carefully discuss the details of River Moon, from the guard shift changes to the guard leaders of each quadrant. By the time we’re finished, Amethyst lake and my father have every minute, every second calculated for the attack and it makes me sick to my stomach.

“No one touches the Luna,” Nikolai grins. “She must be quite a catch if your allies so willingly turned their backs on you. I have some plans of my own with her and I’ll take my sweet time before I dispose of her.”

One glance at Chava lets me know he’s fuming at the disrespect with which this disgusting alpha spoke of Aurora and it makes me happy he is once again protective of her.

By the time the meeting is over, only two hours remain before the ceremony. When Amethyst Lake leaves, the smile on my father’s face fades, replaced by a look of disappointment.

“Tell me, son, are you trying to sabotage this alliance? You embarrassed me,” he snarls, his eyes darkening. “You were negative the entire meeting, looking for flaws in every plan. Is that what you wanted? To make me look bad?”

I’m on my feet in an instant. “I was just pointing out how stupid this attack is!” I retort. “We are in way over our heads and I’m trying to protect my pack. That’s what an Alpha is supposed to do!”

“No! An alpha finds a solution and you offered none!” Dad growls. “It’s almost as if you were dead set on destroying this alliance.”

“How can you trust them?” I argue. “There is a reason no one has allied themselves with Amethyst Lake. They are power hungry and the second we turn our backs, they will not hesitate to finish us off!”

“This alliance isn’t based on trust, it’s based on our mutual hatred for River moon.”

“An ally you can’t trust is not an ally at all!” I snap. “Amethyst lake-“

“Will be our allies and that’s final!” Dad roars, his face red with anger. “You will sign the treaty or you can forget about being Alpha.”

“You can’t take it from me!”

“I am Alpha and I choose who I give the title too. Just because you’re my son doesn’t mean you automatically get the title. You must earn it,” he snarls. “Amethyst lake will help us get what we want and there is no turning back from this agreement. You better get your act together within the next two hours if you want the title.”

Dads face turn serious and he looks over at Chava.

“And you, Salvador, I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately but I’m disappointed that you won’t be taking the oath along with Pablo and Javier. At least for now, it won’t be a problem. Javier hasn’t found his Luna so there is no rush to have a gamma but listen very carefully. We have invested many resources on you and your family. You don’t get to back out so easily. Remember, you, your mother and your sister have lived here under my protection since Emiliano died. Nothing is free in this world so when an Alpha asks something of you, you step up and do it, especially when said alpha has been exceptionally generous with your family.”

Mia’s face pales and she looks nervously at her hands. Chava has a blank look on his face and grabs Mia’s hand to comfort her.

He can’t seriously be threatening to throw out Chava and Mia right now?

“Dad, you are way out of line after everything Emiliano did for us!” I snap, disgusted with my father’s threat.

“It’s okay,” Chava says, his face unreadable. “I’ll take the oath.”

“Chava-“

“I said I’ll take the oath,” he says getting up from his seat and storming out of the office.

“Well then, now that that’s settled, I’ll see you in two hours for the ceremony,” Dad smiles triumphantly before heading out as well.

This doesn’t sit well with me. Chava has for too long had to care for his family. He was just a kid when his father died and he had to care for his drunken mother and broken sister while also grieving himself. It’s not wonder he held so much resentment for Aurora. Now that he’s finally coming to terms with his anger and working to get Aurora’s trust back, my father decides to place another burden on him.

“This isn’t right,” I mutter. “Chava shouldn’t be forced to be gamma.”

“Calm down, Javier,” Mia soothes, forcing a smile on her face. “We are really grateful to your family for caring for us all these years and it’s no trouble to pay it back.”

Her eyes are full of pain and hurt despite the smile on her face.

“No, Mia. You don’t owe us anything. Not after all that you have done for our pack. My father is wrong and you know it.”

She shrugs. “Well there’s no use in fighting it. You need to be Alpha for the pack’s sake,” she says, careful not to reveal our plans in front of Pablo. “We need you, Alpha.”

I give her a small nod and leave the office to prepare for the ceremony. As I enter my room, I glance at my phone to find 20 missed calls from Wesley and I dial back.

‘What the f**k, Javier? You don’t just get drop a bombshell like that and then not answer your phone!” Wesley growls.

“Look, I’m sorry. I was in a war meeting. So let me explain everything quickly-“

A knock at the door sends me into a panic.

“Hang on,” I hiss into the phone. “Who is it?” I call out.

“It’s your mother!” My mom sings. “Open up, the tailors, stylists and Elder Juan are here to help you get ready!”

f**k, are you kidding me?

“Wes, I gotta go. Just warn Aurora of an attack and make sure River Moon is ready for a fight,” I whisper before hanging up the phone.

I open the door and people come rushing in to help me get ready.

As is tradition, Elder Juan collects two vials of my werewolf venom for historical and ceremonial purposes. One would be locked away in the alpha archives while the other vial would be injected into the pack tablet to transfer power to me for the ceremony.

Venom extraction is an uncomfortable procedure. Elder Juan has to open my mouth wide with tongs while my canines protrude out onto a glass jar. He then squeezes the base of my jaw while I bite down on the jar. It’s like milking a venomous snake. I have to produce enough venom for two vials so it takes around 20 minutes of squeezing before I’m finally allowed to retract my canines and close my mouth.

I sigh with relief and message my sore jaw when Elder Juan is finished and he chuckles at me.

“50 years doing this and every time, the Alpha is always happy to get rid of me,” he laughs, putting away the vials.

My mother grins excitedly and she and Juan exit my room for the stylists to help me.

I can feel my nerves building up as the hour draws near and I send a silent prayer that Wesley warns Aurora in time.