The Ivory Throne

12. Alone

***Aurora***

“What the hell is Benoit doing in México?” Celina asks, turning to me.

I had completely forgotten to mention that I had seen Jadiel’s desk files as he looked into River Moon and all the surrounding packs near my kingdom. He must have been searching for enemy packs as well, but I saw no plans of a meeting on his calendar nor in his memories yesterday.

Perhaps it was last-minute? Reyna offers.

We watch as Lorena introduces Jadiel to Benoit, and I realize this may very well be Lorena’s doing instead.

“Let’s get closer and see what we can find out—”

I grab Celina by the wrist and shake my head at her. “What if it’s a trap?”

“How could it be a trap if he doesn’t even know we’re here?”

“Think about it—” I hiss at her. “He invites us to the territory, tells us we can’t enter the house, and then invites our enemy over for a meeting. Does that not sound a little too suspicious to you?”

“First of all, you’re giving him way too much credit,” Celina mutters back. “Jadiel has no idea we came alone. He expects our entire family to come with us, and he even invited us to a party. Plus, we’re two lunatics who came in at dawn. How would he know we’d even be here at the exact time Benoit would be here?”

A million thoughts swirl in my brain as I try to make sense of Jadiel’s intentions, but Celina grows impatient as Lorena, Jadiel, Benoit, and the goons enter the house.

“You can stay behind if you want, but I want to know exactly what the hell Benoit is doing here,” Celina huffs, inching her way closer.

“Celina!” I protest, pulling her back once more.

“Okay fine! Let’s say Jadiel isn’t a bad guy,” Celina retorts. “In this instance, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. What about Benoit?” she scoffs. “You know he’s up to no good. Aren’t you always the one saying we have to think about our kingdom? Isn’t it in the kingdom’s best interest to know what our enemy is doing here? Does his presence not concern you in the slightest? Besides, what is there to fear? We’re the baddest of the bad wolves there are,” she teases. “They should fear us.”

I know she’s right, but I can’t shake the feeling that this is a really bad idea. Still, I’m not about to let my sister go off on her own. We’re stronger together, not apart.

Celina and I undress, leaving our clothes tucked away neatly in our backpacks, hidden in the bushes, but we keep our medallions on to mask our scents. I disappear completely while Celina does her best to camouflage with our surroundings, her skin changing colors to blend in with the shrubs near the house. Once the coast is clear, I tiptoe my way up the steps of the house, towards the entrance.

The door is closed, but just as I reach for the handle, the door suddenly bursts open, Lorena and her two goons stepping out.

“Yes, I’m on my way!” Loren says into the phone pressed against her ear. “I just had to give my son a push in the right direction and remind him who the real enemy is. Can you believe he had the brilliant idea of inviting those girls and their family to the quinceañera this weekend? I don’t know what games he’s trying to play but I—”

The conversation cuts off as Lorena steps into the car, one goon closing the door after her.

Celina remains in place so as not to get caught, while I walk a little closer to the car in hopes of hearing where they’re going.

“Are we going straight to Panuco, or do you want us to stop at the hotel first?” one goon asks as he steps into the car.

“Hotel. I have to pick up the—”

The car speeds off before I can hear Lorena’s response.

“What did she say?” Celina questions once the coast is clear.

“I didn’t catch much, but it seems they’re going to stop at the hotel first for something, before heading over to Panuco.”

“What’s in Panuco?” Celina asks.

I rack my brain for a second, a gasp leaving my lips when I realize there’s a pack living there.

“That one pack on the Panuco River… What was it called?” I try to recollect, snapping my fingers together as I think. “...Rio Rojo, Rio… Verde, Rio something—”

“Rio Azul,” Celina answers. “What would she need at the hotel to bring to Rio Azul?”

“I don’t know. That was all I heard.”

“Well, we can’t sit here and wait for s**t to hit the fan. I’ll go to the hotel.”

“To do what?” I snap.

“To search her office. She’s got a two-hour drive ahead of her, so there’s plenty of time for me to snoop around and figure out what she’s up to,” Celina explains.

“Okay, I guess we can do that—”

“No!” Celina interrupts, grabbing me by the shoulders. “No, you stay here and find out what the f**k Jadiel and Benoit are talking about. You can be in the same room without Jadiel noticing you. I can’t. My camouflage only really works from a distance, and Sarahi is already a mess when she’s near that i***t. I’ll be of much better use at the hotel, searching through Lorena’s office.”

“But I don’t think we should separate—”

“Look, if anything bad happens, we can teleport our asses home— but it’s now or never, Aurora. We don’t have time to waste.”

I stare at my multicolored sister hiding in the bushes, frustrated that I can’t command her to stay here with me.

“You promise you’ll get out, if there’s any sign of trouble?” I ask her, hoping to all the gods I don’t regret this decision.

“I swear it,” she promises.

“Fine, g—”

She’s gone before I can even say the word “go,” leaving me alone on the driveway to fend for myself.

It’s gonna be fine, Reyna reassures me. We just have to be quiet.

Taking a deep breath, I creep up the steps to the house and very slowly open the door, peeking inside the room to see if anyone is watching, but no one is there.

I tiptoe past the foyer, making sure to take light steps, so the wood floors don’t creek. I have to stop myself from looking around and appreciating the beauty of my mother’s home, the colors of the furniture and the walls both warm and inviting. Upon entering what appears to be the dining room, I find access to the large rectangular courtyard that houses several fountains, trees, and even a rose garden nestled inside. There are beautiful archways all along the perimeter of the courtyard, with tables and chairs for lounging.

Back inside, I find myself easily getting lost in the maze of rooms, hallways, closets, and servants’ quarters. I even discover a small chapel dedicated to Moon Goddess. The hacienda is even larger than the Orozco’s ranch and while I want nothing more than to explore every inch of it, I remind myself that I need to find Jadiel and Benoit. Several maids and guards walk right past me, and I struggle to make sure none of them run into me. Finally, I find a set of stairs and go up to the second floor, listening for the sound of voices. There, I find a library lined with bookshelves and books I imagine my mother liked to read. I look up to see a balcony that wraps around the corner of the building, leading to another room, so I tiptoe my way around and see Jadiel and Benoit having a light-hearted discussion, in what appears to be an office. Both men laugh merrily as an elderly maid pours them coffee. I inch my way closer to them, relieved that they left the balcony door open while they chat.

Once inside the room with them, I sit quietly in the corner and wait.

“I’m glad to hear México welcomed you with open arms, your first night here. We are a… happy people, I think is how you say. Excuse my English— I do my best, but it’s not perfect,” Jadiel chuckles.

Benoit only shrugs, his own French accent thick. “It sounds good to me.”

They both laugh as they prepare their coffee to their liking.

“So tell me, is it true River Moon once belonged to your pack, Lune de Minuit?” Jadiel asks.

“You could say that,” Benoit hums. “My pack has been around for several hundred years in France, and my great-grandfather thought it was time to expand our territory. We chose to start in America and work our way around the world. We have started a few others elsewhere, but River Moon is our most successful daughter-pack.”

“And forgive me, but are the Artauds related to you?”

“No.” Benoit smiles. “They were from a small pack that Lune de Minuit conquered. We had several small Alpha families under our control, and my great-grandfather tested all of them to find the best family to establish River Moon. The Artauds won, and he sent them to California with a few pack members to get River Moon started. Up until Olivier took over… things were running very smoothly. River Moon was working closely under our watch, and then they rebelled.”

“Seems to be a common theme in the Americas,” Jadiel chuckles. “We get conquered, and then we find our own independence.”

“Independence isn’t always a good thing,” Benoit retorts. “Some people require strict control.”

“And why is it that Olivier is no longer operating under your control?”

“...His stupid pute {w***e} of a wife,” Benoit shrugs. “River Moon spiraled out of our control when she came into his life. He was engaged to my sister, Adeline, before he met Aurora, and their union would have united our two packs permanently. Everything was planned out perfectly, and they even trained together to lead the pack, but he chose that salope {slut} of a mate over my sister. Now my sister lives on the run, while some w***e benefits from all her hard work. I’ll tell you what I told your mother: Don’t fall for that innocent-looking face. Aurora is a snake, just waiting for you to let your guard down, before she strikes — and when she does — she’ll take everything you have. Your kingdom will be hers.”

“I see,” Jadiel says, leaning back in his chair in thought.

“This Alpha seems like an i***t, but I’ll tread carefully around him and those Reyes twins. Until I know for certain where they both stand, I’ll keep them both close, I hear him muse in his mind.

“It seems she has a pattern of taking what’s not hers. I suspect Aurora has her eyes on my kingdom, but I was hoping I was wrong,” Jadiel sighs aloud.

“Don’t be fooled. She’s a powerful b***h, and she’ll attack when you least expect it. If I were in your shoes, I’d do everything in my power to strike first.”

“What do you suggest?” Jadiel asks, sitting up and leaning forward with interest.

“Despite her power, Aurora has a lot of weaknesses,” Benoit explains, pointing to his head. “She’s crazy. Not all of the lights are on upstairs. And she has a soft spot for children. Threaten a child and she’ll cave.”

“What else?” Jadiel asks.

“Evan.” Benoit grins, my heart falling to the pit of my stomach.

Evan is untouchable.

“Before she disappeared, my sister told me he was selected as Aurora’s Gamma, and they have an unusually close relationship— one even Olivier was not fond of. Perhaps there is something still there for you to cause trouble with. Olivier is not known for his patience. He will attack anything and anyone that so much as touches his Luna.”

Jadiel smirks at this information. “I’ve noticed. With a temper like that, it’s a wonder he’s managed to keep his kingdom afloat.”

“It’s that conniving boudin {French insult for ugly woman}.”

“And your sister, how is she?”

“I don’t know. She disappeared off the face of the earth three years ago and hasn’t been seen since. She could be anywhere, really… though I suspect River Moon may actually be hiding her. I’ve tried looking, but it’s hard getting past their territory without them noticing.”

I have to bite my tongue to keep from storming up to Benoit and slapping him for even suggesting I have his sister locked up. I don’t want her anywhere near my family.

“Does she have any reasons for hiding— even from you? I can’t imagine why your own sister wouldn’t turn to you for help,” Jadiel pries.

“My father disowned her for failing to unite our two packs. Even if we did know where she was, she wasn’t allowed to return home while my father was in charge. But now, I’m Alpha, and I intend to bring her home again once I find her,” Benoit huffs.

“Very noble of you,” Jadiel replies with a sigh. “Anything else you think might help me bring down Aurora and her sister?”

“Yeah, I want in,” Benoit says with a relaxed smile, Jadiel raising an eyebrow. “Whatever you decide to do against Aurora and her family, I want to be involved. I want to watch that b***h’s kingdom burn.”

“Well, we’re already actively working on that,” Jadiel answers with a smile. “My mother and I believe Aurora and Celina may be trying to reunite the old packs of their mother’s former kingdom to fight against us. We’ve been doing what we can to make sure that doesn’t happen, and this morning, we got news that Rio Azul is willing to negotiate new terms along the river border we both share. My mother is—”

Jadiel stops mid sentence when his phone rings. He looks down at the caller ID, rolling his eyes and groaning.

“Would you excuse me for just a minute? It’s my sister. She’ll keep calling until I pick up,” Jadiel says, getting up and leaving the room.

Benoit lets out a tired sigh before getting up to explore the room, studying the book spines lined up neatly behind Jadiel’s desk.

I start to get up, the wood creaking beneath me and drawing Benoit’s attention in my direction. His eyes widen in shock, and he looks me directly in the eyes— as if he could see me. Raising my hand to my face, I realize he can see me, my invisibility having faded away. I try portaling out of the room, but my powers refuse to cooperate. A feeling of dread settles in the pit of my stomach.

My powers are gone…

“You’re powerless…” Benoit whispers in realization, a small smirk curling on his lips.

My instincts kick into overdrive, and I make a run for the door, Benoit getting there first and blocking my way.

“Where the f**k do you think you’re going?” he asks, his blue eyes glaring down at me as he grabs me by the wrist and pulls me to him.

Benoit’s eyes widen in shock and pain as I jam my knee into his groin, the Alpha bending over to clutch his balls while I shove him aside and escape out of the room. I don’t make it far, before he grabs a fistful of my hair and yanks me back into the office.

“You’re not going anywhere, you little b***h,” Benoit snarls in French, pushing me up against a curio cabinet.

Little black spots blur my vision as he slams my forehead against the display, the glass cracking from the force. He slams my head a second time, and the glass shatters upon impact.

For a split second, I find myself back in Lluvia Blanca, as nothing more than a living punching bag for all the wolves to abuse. Tears fill my eyes as my worst nightmares flash across my mind.

“Celina!” I call out, knowing she can’t hear me at this distance, but hoping she might still be nearby.

Blood trickles down a wound on my forehead, snapping me out of my flashback and — despite being disoriented — I reach into the cabinet and grab a piece of glass, hiding it in my hand.

If I’m going to die, I’m going to die fighting.

Benoit lifts me off my feet, and drags me to the desk, my arms and legs thrashing against him as I shriek and cry for help. No one comes. Several servants all walk past the room, scurrying away to not interfere.

“Now, now, Your Majesty,” Benoit chuckles, tightening his grip on me the more I struggle. “I think it’s time I put you in your place…”

He bends me over a table, pinning my hands behind my back and spreading my legs apart with his knees.

I hear faint footsteps approaching the doorway of the office, Benoit chuckling as he smacks my bare ass.

“Oliver? Evan?” I whimper, praying someone hears me.

We’re on our own, Reyna whispers. But you’re strong. You can get out of this.

I nod to myself, soothing my fears as I readjust the piece of glass in my hand so that the sharpest end sticks out between my fingers.

“Would you like a turn with her after I’m finished, Your Majesty?” Benoit grunts over his shoulder as he struggles to unbuckle his pants. “I hear she’s quite good. She must be for Olivier to—”

I slam my body back into him, jamming the piece of glass into his stomach. Benoit screams, stumbling back with his pants around his thighs.

As he tries to regain his balance, I hear a gunshot go off, blood splattering onto my back and legs. I turn around, finding Jadiel standing in the doorway with a gun in his hands, the barrel aimed at Benoit lying on the floor. There’s a gaping wound on Benoit’s forehead where the bullet escaped, his face partially disfigured. A second shot rings out as Jadiel shoots Benoit again, this time in the back, to make sure he stays dead.

Jadiel then turns the gun on me, his finger resting on the trigger… but he never pulls it as he stares down the barrel at me.

“Aren’t you going to command me to put the gun down?” he finally asks, a curious look in his eyes.

My mouth falls open, but no words come out, a scream caught in my throat as I place a hand on my belly. He lowers his gaze to my stomach and wordlessly puts the gun in his pants.

He takes a step forward, only for me to take a step back and reach for a picture frame to throw at him. He pauses, raising his hands up in surrender.

“If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done it already,” he mutters as I eye him suspiciously.

With slow movements, he inches closer to me, swallowing back whatever he was going to say when he notices my legs shaking.

“It’s alright,” he says quietly, removing his jacket slowly and holding it out to me.

I had completely forgotten I was naked, so I take the jacket and clutch it to my chest to shield myself.

“I’m gonna call a nurse to help clean that up,” he murmurs, pointing to the gash on my forehead. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

Too numb to speak, I shake my head no, his hazel eyes flickering as he mind-links someone. He bends over to carry me, but I push him away, too overwhelmed to be touched right now.

“Can you walk?” he asks, pointing to the door. “There’s a bedroom next door where you can lie down before the nurse gets here.”

I nod and carefully tiptoe around the broken glass on the floor, following Jadiel to the empty bedroom. Jadiel leans against the doorframe while I crawl under the covers of the bed, wrapping myself up in a cocoon of blankets.

“How exactly did you get inside my house without the guards noticing?” he asks, as we wait for the nurse.

I shrug, Jadiel growling at the vague answer. “I-I walked through the front door.”

“And what did you hear?”

“Enough to know that you’re… confused. I guess that happens when you’ve been constantly fed lies by everyone you know,” I whisper, suddenly feeling a sharp pain in my stomach.

My heart races in panic and tears fill my eyes as my fears come racing back towards me.

“Oh Goddess, please no,” I whimper, clutching my flat belly. “Please, not again.”

Jadiel rushes into the room, standing over me as I curl up into a ball and cry. “Do you know how far along you are?” he asks, unsure how to help me when I shake my head.

“I-I thought… I thought I had another week,” I whisper.

“Do I call your husband—”

“NO!” I shriek, Jadiel staring at me in bewilderment. “I can’t… I can’t do this to him again,” I cry into my pillow. “I can’t.”

There’s a gentle knock on the door, the nurse coming in with a backpack of supplies and a small, portable ultrasound machine.

“If I were your husband, I would want to know,” he says, stepping aside to let the nurse come to my bedside.

The nurse sets her things down and begins asking me questions in Spanish about the pain I’m feeling. I answer as honestly as I can, and she smiles at me.

“They’re just growing pains, mija,” she says. “You’re likely six or seven weeks along already, so your baby is about to start growing very quickly, in a very short amount of time. That does a number on your uterus, so you’ll experience some discomfort and some pain over the next few weeks, while your body adjusts. But it’s gonna be okay. I’m going to take a quick look in a moment, to see how your baby is doing, but first, I’m going to take care of you. Is that okay?”

I breathe a sigh of relief, and she quickly gets to work cleaning up the small wound on my head and checking the minor cuts on my hands and feet. Despite me being an enemy wolf, she is very kind and gentle with me, making small talk so I don’t feel so afraid. As she prepares the ultrasound machine, I realize this is a moment I don’t want to spend alone.

“Jadiel?” I call out, the Alpha stepping over to me from the wall. “628…”

He pulls out his phone and starts dialing the number, my heart beating rapidly as I mentally prepare for the storm coming my way. The nurse excuses herself to bring me something to eat, and I stare at the young king as we wait for my mate to pick up— still unable to believe he’s even helping me.

“You’re wondering why I helped you,” Jadiel muses as the phone continues to ring on the other end. “I’m not exactly sure myself.”

“You do realize Lune de Minuit will come after you, right?” I ask. “You killed their Alpha, and Alpha Jacque is not going to let that slide.”

I can’t quite get a read on him and his thoughts, but his lack of worry concerns me. I don’t think he quite understands what’s coming.

“Hello?” Oliver finally answers, his voice doing little to hide his panic. “Who is this?”

“Señor Olivier,” Jadiel says into the phone with a grin on his lips, dread filling my heart when I hear the playful tone in his voice. “How are you this morning?”

“What the f**k do you want?” Oliver snarls into the phone.

“I’m sure you’re wondering where your wife is, no?” Jadiels smirks.

“If you touch her, I swear—”

“Is that any way to speak to the man who has your mate?” Jadiel cuts him off, laughing when it’s silent on the other end.

“Where is she?” Oliver roars.

“In my bed,” Jadiel teases, and even I feel Oliver’s rage through the silence on the other end. “I’ll see you in a few.”

He hangs up the phone before Oliver has a chance to answer back, very pleased with himself at having caused chaos.

“Did you have to piss him off?” I huff.

“Doesn’t take much, does it?” Jadiel shrugs. “And for the record, I did not invite Benoit here this morning. My mother did. So she can be responsible for his actions. I only killed an intruder who tried to take advantage of my guest. Now you explain to me what you were doing here on your own. That’s pretty irresponsible for someone in your… condition.”

“I wasn’t alone— not at first anyway.” I shake my head. “Celina was with me, but she left me here to chase after your mother. I figured I would be safe so long as I stayed invisible.”

“Is she alone?” Jadiel asks, a look of worry in his eyes.

“She is, but she’ll be fine,” I reply. “Her powers still work.”

There’s a long pause as neither one of us knows what to say to each other.

“I… uh… I take it, this isn’t your first pregnancy?” Jadiel dares to ask, though I see he means no harm.

“It’s my third,” I reply, placing a hand on my stomach.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Truly. I can’t imagine what you must be feeling right now,” Jadiel sighs.

“I’m more afraid of what Oliver will say when he gets here,” I whisper. “He’s going to hate me for lying.”

“Perhaps…” Jadiel shrugs. “But then he’ll be happy that you’re both in good health. Either way, I could always beat him up if he doesn’t behave himself.”

I snort with laughter at the thought of Jadiel taking on Oliver, feeling a bit more relaxed in his presence. The nurse returns with some food while Jadiel goes off to take care of the body lying in the other room. Several minutes go by, before I hear a commotion coming from outside. Footsteps thunder up the stairs, and the door to the bedroom swings open, Oliver standing in the doorway.

Despite the fear coursing through me, I clear my throat and look him in the eyes. “I’m pregnant.”

[A/N: As promised, The Ivory Throne and A Wolf in the Game of Dragons will be switching to Subscription only on the I.N.K.I.T.T app sometime within the next two weeks. To access chapters for both books, you will need to pay a small monthly fee of $2. Once complete, the books will go to A.M.A.Z.O.N for purchase. Updates will completely stop on Dreame once the subscription is set up. I apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your support even if you choose not to continue reading my books. I will provide further information once I start the subscription.]