The Ivory Throne

2. Ghosts of the Past

***Aurora***

“Well that could have gone better,” I sigh as we watch Benoit’s car speed out of the driveway.

“I didn’t expect anything less,” Oliver mutters, walking back inside the pack house. “I knew it was a bad idea letting him enter the territory after all these years.”

“It definitely could have gone better had you not called his sister a snake, damned all of his offspring, and throat punched him as soon as he walked through the door. Would it have killed you to be a little nicer?” I reply with a chuckle, Oliver rolling his eyes as he storms into his office.

“He wouldn’t even use your title, then called you a slut in front of me and you expect me to just sit back and let him?” he snaps, stepping aside to let me in. “Not a f*****g chance. You are a Queen in my kingdom, in my home, and in my heart. He’s lucky he left this place on his own two feet,” he snarls, walking to the window to look out at the pack.

I smile, having grown used to his temper over the years and lean my forehead against his back, breathing in his scent as I wrap my arms around his waist. My eyes look down at his knuckles, the bruising from his earlier altercation already healed.

“I’m tired of the world not seeing how truly incredible you are,” he says quietly as I listen. “They see your kindness as a weakness because they don’t know what strength looks like,” he adds, turning to me and cupping my cheeks. “I know you want peace, but sometimes you need war to bring peace.”

“And what about our pups?” I murmur, the look of anger dissipating from his eyes. “Do you really want to bring our pups into this world in the middle of war?”

He throws his head back and groans into the air.

“We need to be on good terms with Lune de Minuit,” I add. “They’ve got too many connections for us to be insulting their Alpha and exchanging fists with him,” I say sternly, taking his hands and kissing his knuckles.

“If you’re asking for an apology, you’re not getting one,” Oliver mutters, a small smile curling on his lips as I interlock my fingers with him.

“I’m not asking for an apology,” I grin. “I know better than to ask for the impossible. I’m just saying, maybe next time I should handle Alpha Benoit on my own. No, Oli, wait!” I call out as he starts to pull away in anger, but I manage to grab his wrists and pull him back to me before he can storm off. “Just until things settle down between our two packs.”

“You’re not going to apologize on my behalf,” Oliver says with mild rage. “I mean it. The next time he calls you a w***e, he leaves this house in a box. Do you understand me?” he says sternly.

I nod silently, knowing my past is a sensitive spot for him and that he would rather die than let another man disrespect me in my own home.

“We should start packing,” I reply quietly, turning to leave only to feel my mate wrap his arms around me protectively.

“I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again,” he whispers in my ear. “I promise.”

No matter how many times he says it, I never grow tired of hearing those words. He’s been my rock through all my pain, doing what he can to let me heal at my own pace, no matter how slow the progress is. He takes me to all my therapy appointments and doesn’t run when I need him to hold me. I still catch him checking my drawers for blades from time to time but I know I can tell him if I feel the urge to hurt myself without fear of being judged.

“I know I’m safe as long as I’m with you,” I reply, closing my eyes as he kisses my temples lovingly.

I stay in his arms for a few moments, basking in the bliss of his scent before pulling away to pack the last of my things for our trip to México. Three years ago, Oliver offered to take me to my family’s home in Mante, but between the many battles, stand-offs, and personal tragedies we’ve faced, we’ve yet to make it to the Gulf Coast.

I’m both excited and nervous for this trip, but above all, I’m terrified of the next two weeks to come. So far, I’ve managed to keep my pregnancy a secret from everyone, including Celina. She has enough pain to deal with than to be worrying about mine. I just hope I’m strong enough for whatever fate has in store for me.

When I’m sure I’ve packed everything I need, I head downstairs where I find Celina, my Aunt Valentina, and Uncle Danny already waiting for us. My Aunt is practically bouncing with excitement to return home after twenty one years of no communication with our family.

“I have so many places I want to show you guys,” she squeals. “The family hacienda, the hotels, the beach! Oh you’ll love your father’s cave!” she beams.

“And family? What about family?” Celina asks.

“Your grandfather had a few sisters who I believed survived the wars and so did your grandmother. I haven’t spoken to any of them in ages, but it shouldn’t be too hard to track them down once we get there,” Valentina explains.

“And where are we staying again?” Celina asks, turning to me.

“We’ll fly into Tampico and stay in Hotel Reyes in Madero,” I reply. “It’s the one closest to the Hacienda.”

“And I’ll guide us the rest of the way from there,” Valentina chimes.

When Mia and Evan finally join us, I open a portal to the San Francisco Airport, relieved my powers still work. Within a few hours, we find ourselves landing in the city of Tampico in Tamaulipas, México.

“Yo, why is the air wet?,” Evan complains as we step out of the airport, beads of sweat forming along our foreheads from the heat and humidity. “It’s hot as f**k!”

“Bienvenidos a México, {Welcome to México} ” Valentina chuckles. “Your lungs get used to the moisture.”

Valentina flags down a few taxis’ for us, instructing the drivers to drop us off at our hotel. As we drive through the city, I can’t tear my eyes from the window, mesmerized by the hundreds of colorful homes and the Mexican people going about their business as music plays from all the houses.

“It’s beautiful,” I murmur under my breath, Valentina smiling proudly.

“It’s the most beautiful place in the entire world,” Valentina sighs, taking my hand in hers. “It feels so good to be back. Thank you for bringing me home.”

We arrive at the hotel, my jaw dropping at the sheer size and elegance of it. The Reyes Hotel was more of a high end resort than a plain old hotel, with multiple pools, private access to beach, a spa, live day and night time shows, a theater and many other activities available for their guests. It’s hard to imagine my family running such an enterprise.

“Does this all still belong to our family?” Celina asks as we walk into the hotel.

“I don’t know anymore,” Valentina answers. “But as far as I know, your mother had a will. I just can’t remember who holds it and who the beneficiaries are.”

“Wait, you’re saying we might own this place?” Celina pauses, both she and I staring at our Aunt.

“Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves,” Valentina replies. “I don’t know what your mother left you guys. I need to track down some of the family to figure out who holds the will and what you two are entitled to now that you're adults.”

“And you didn’t think to tell us there’s a will we could help you find??” Celina exasperates. “You know how much I’ve wanted to learn about my parents. How could you keep this from us? What if there were pictures, small treasures, anything belonging to them meant for us to have? What if they’re all lost now because we didn’t start searching earlier?”

“We’ve been a bit busy,” Valentina retorts. “There’s never been a right time to bring it up. Besides, a lot of what remains of the Sol de Oro packs were absorbed by Estrella del Monte or some other Kingdom and I don’t exactly have a very good relationship with any of the Estrella del Monte pack members. They did, afterall, help kill my brother and I was not about to extend an olive branch to them to find out where the will was. I’m still quite angry that so many packs turned to Estrella del Monte. They betrayed their King and Queen by doing so.”

Celina’s mouth hangs open and she lowers her head in shame as Valentina fights off tears.

“I’m sorry,” she apologizes. “This is just a lot to take in right now.”

“I know,” Valentina whispers. “I’m not angry with you. I just wasn’t strong enough to find the answers you needed back then. But I am now and we will get to the bottom of this.”

Celina smiles half-heartedly, resting her head on Valentina’s shoulder as we walk up to the counter to check in. An older stout woman wearing a well tailored suit stands behind the counter, penning something down on a notebook as she hangs up a phone call.

“Hola, bienvenidos a Hotel Reyes, how can I be of service to -”

The concierge’s voice trails off as she looks between Celina and I, her face as white as sheet.

“Are you okay?” I ask, the woman nodding and swallowing nervously as she looks at her computer.

“Yes, sorry,” she says with a thick accent. “You just look like someone familiar. Err, but anyway, how can I help you?”

Celina and I exchange confused looks but decide to brush it off instead.

“Reservation for Olivier Artaud, please,” Oliver answers, the woman searching for the reservation.

“Ah, okay. Four VIP suites. Let me get your keys,” she says, mumbling to herself as she grabs eight copies of keys and activates them.

“VIP?” Celina asks with an amused look on her face, Evan nodding proudly.

“Mhmmm, we don’t do poverty,” he grins. “Daddy Oli always rides in style.”

“Don’t ever call me Daddy ever again,” Oliver threatens, Evan blowing him a kiss.

“Si, Papi,” Evan winks, Oliver giving him a murderous glare.

We are given the keys to our rooms, a few porters rushing over to carry our luggage up to our suites. Some give us weird looks, but it’s not until we walk down a long hallway leading to the elevators that we understand why. Hanging on the walls of the grand hotel are a series of old photographs and portraits capturing the history of the previous owners.

“Your family history,” Valentina says when Celina and I both walk up to the wall to get a closer look. “This hotel has been in your mother’s family for generations. It started off as a small bed and breakfast with nothing more than 5 bedrooms but it grew with time. That’s your great great grandfather right there,” she says, pointing to an old black and white image of an older gentleman in front of a small humble house. “And these are the portraits of all the owners past,” she says quietly, walking down to the last picture.

We follow her, looking at the images of all the past Kings and Queens of Sol de Oro, until we get to a portrait that brings tears to my eyes.

“Mom was so pretty,” Celina murmurs, reaching up to touch the painting.

Our mother, Queen Sofia, stands beside our father, Mateo, in a blood red dress, her long black hair swept to the side. Father wears a black suit and tie, standing proudly with his arms around our mother’s waist.

“She was beautiful,” Valentina whispers. “Easily the strongest woman I ever met,” she says. “And my gods, did my brothers love her. We all did. She was a force to be reckoned with.”

We stand before the portrait for a few more seconds, admiring the mighty Queen and her King before agreeing to meet downstairs on the beach for a little sun and relaxation before dinner. As I unpack my things to get ready for the beach, Oliver wraps his arms around me and rests his chin on my shoulder.

“You okay?” he whispers, kissing my neck.

“Yeah,” I sigh. “It's just a little strange walking into a place with so much of my history plastered on the walls, and yet I’m a stranger to it all.”

“It’s okay,” Oliver murmurs. “You have plenty of time to learn and explore with your sister. Just take it all one step at a time.”

“It’s just hard to accept that my life could have been different,” I mumble. “I should have grown up here, wandering the halls with my sister and playing hide and seek with our cousins. I should have gone to school and learned to be a better Queen with the help of my mother. I should have known what it was like to feel loved by my parents. I should have stayed here and never met you and caused you all these stupid problems with Lune de Minuit.”

“No,” Oliver snaps, turning me around so I face him. “No, how could you ever say that?” he says as he holds my face in his hands. “I have loved every second being mated to you and I don’t regret choosing you.”

“I’ve loved being mated to you too, but-”

“But nothing,” Oliver retorts, silencing me with a kiss as he slides his hands down to my waist. “You’re everything I could have ever wanted and more.”

“And what if I can’t ever give you a pup?” I ask, hating myself for even asking but needing to know that if I fail, I’ll still be loved.

“Then you and I can adopt and we’ll pour our love into a pup who needs a home. There are several pups from Amethyst Lake who still need a family to love them,” he explains. “It’s just you and me, baby. Always you and me. Anything is just a little extra blessing. I don’t want you to worry or feel like I need anything else. I just need you by my side to be happy.”

He presses a kiss on my forehead, the gesture making my skin burst with sparks as I drink in his scent. A small smile curls on my lips and I feel the urge to tell him the truth, but I know if I say anything, that happy gleam in his eyes will transform into worry. We’re on vacation and I want him to enjoy it for as long as possible.

When I’ve calmed down my insecurities, I pick out a bikini and change, Oliver’s eyes filling with lust as I walk out in the red one piece suit.

“I don’t like it,” Oliver mutters as I slip on my sandals.

“Would you prefer I go out topless like you?” I giggle, Oliver mimicking my voice with sarcasm.

“I still don’t like it,” He mumbles, an idea popping into my head. “No one else should have the pleasure of seeing this much of you.”

I feel myself blush at the compliment, but my wolf, Reyna, is in a feisty mood and takes over.

“It’s a good thing only you get to see what’s underneath,” She whispers in his ear as she stands on the very tips of her toes. “And if you behave, I’ll let you take it off… with your tongue.”

There’s a hunger in his eyes when I pull away and I smile at him innocently as I tie a beach wrap around my waist, intending to tease him for as long as I can. It’ll be worth it in the end to let his frustration build up throughout the day. His lust only intensifies the longer I ignore him and finish packing up my beach bag.

Knowing he’ll punish me for teasing him, I grab my bag and run out of the room, giggling as I hear his footsteps thundering after me. I manage to climb into the elevator before he can reach me, smiling and waving goodbye as the doors close on him.

You’re not going to be able to sit for the next few days, Reyna purrs with excitement.

When the elevator doors open, two beautiful, well dressed women with a body guard stand in front of me, the scent of their wolves hitting my nose almost immediately. The younger of the two walks in without hesitation but the older woman stares back at me in shock, the blood draining from her face as if she’s seen a ghost.

“Sofia?” she gasps.

.

.

.

***Celina***

The beach seems so inviting from my suite, the warm blue waves meeting the sandy beach in a passionate kiss before pulling apart and doing it again. It’s hard to imagine two innocent wolves accidentally crashing into each other on that very beach, only to fall madly in love with each other and die trying to protect their pups.

“Love is so pointless,” I sigh to myself, Sarahi shaking her head in disagreement. “It didn’t help them and it didn’t save me either. Just makes everything hurt more.”

“Love makes life bearable,” Sarahi argues. “You were happy with Javier, weren’t you? Cherish your memories with him. Be glad you got to experience true love with him, even if it was only for a moment.”

“Whatever,” I mutter, Sarahi whimpering in response.

I turn away from the window and back to my luggage sitting on the bed, searching for a bathing suit to meet up with Aurora and the others in. There’s no use in wallowing in my own self pity while I’m here. This was my father’s favorite beach and I should explore his cave while I have a chance.

Once I’m dressed and have my beach bag ready, I head down to the lobby, popping in my earbuds and scrolling through my phone for an audio book. I pick a book that’s been sitting on my TBR list for weeks and let myself fade into a spicy forbidden love story. With my hand buried in the pockets of my bag searching for my sunscreen, I make my way through the lobby and out onto the beach.

Aurora and the others are nowhere to be found so as I continue my search for sunscreen, I walk across the hot sandy beach, pausing a few times to make sure I’m hearing what I’m hearing. The odd yet rich scent of birch and sandalwood fills my nostrils, Sarahi suddenly barking up a storm. As I look up in search of the delicious scent, I slam head first into a wall of rippling muscles, a sparkling sensation tingling across my skin. Our collision knocks off my earbuds from my ears as I fall on my butt, my things flying everywhere. I accidentally press play on my phone as I try to catch my things, my soul leaving my body as the audiobook plays aloud.

“‘Oh god,’ I moan as his c**k slams into my p***y, f*****g me deliciously as I grip onto the sheets…”

The man has onyx hair and a strong jaw covered in a well groomed beard. He wears no shirt, his tan skin almost glowing in the hot Mexican sun. Both of his arms are covered in beautiful tattoos of a Goddess and a wolf, while an eagle and a serpent are entangled in a battle on one of his pecs.

I scramble on my knees to grab my things and leave, my cheeks flushed in embarrassment as the man smirks at me, mischief dancing in his hazel eyes.

“So, my mate likes to listen to porn while on her knees,” the man says with an amused smile. There’s a slight Mexican accent when he speaks but it adds a richness to his voice. “So what’s the book called?”