The Ivory Throne

11. Honor

***Celina***

I teleport back to the top of the cliff in time to see Jadiel pull on some swim trunks, his full attention on my sister. Without my consent, my eyes wander down his body, mesmerized by the tattoos on his chest and the taut muscles forming a v-shape that disappears beneath the waistband of his shorts, leading to something forbidden.

Knock it off, I snap at myself, taking a deep breath to muster up some bullshit politeness Aurora’s always talking about.

“Can we help you?” I ask, Jadiel looking at me briefly before returning his gaze to my sister.

Both of us still wear our medallions so he does not feel the urge to bow to us, yet he still lowers his head to my sister. He then holds out his hand to her as he speaks, but Aurora does not take it, choosing instead to clasp her hands together and standing up a little taller.

“Your Majesty, I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m—”

“Jadiel Navarro, King of Estrella del Monte,” Aurora replies curtly. “I know who you are.”

Jadiel’s smile doesn’t falter, the man pulling back his hand and stroking his chin.

“You’re a long way from home, Your Majesty. I hope you are enjoying all of the beauty México has to off—”

“I believe my sister asked you a question,” Aurora interrupts, a part of me screaming in triumph when he seems caught off guard by her coldness.

Aurora may be gentle, but she does not shy away from defending her own.

“I don’t believe I heard anything, but my apologies,” he says once he recuperates, turning to me with a forced smile. “What was your question?”

“Clean your ears out if you didn’t hear me. I’m not repeating myself,” I mutter, Jadiel chewing on his cheek to hide his annoyance.

“Right, so why don’t I just continue my conversation with Her Majesty then?” Jadiel says with forced politeness. “Given our previous conversations, I’m sure whatever you have to say is of little importance.”

Aurora responds before I can react, “If you are attempting to gain an audience with me, you’re not earning my favor,” Aurora huffs, crossing her arms over her chest.

Jadiel smiles at the challenge in her voice before looking over at Oliver who scowls at him.

“King Olivier,” Jadiel says with a mocking tone, “tell me, is your current mate not enough that you’ve suddenly taken an interest in her sister as well?” he asks, Oliver’s eyebrows furrowing in rage. “Or why else did you introduce yourself to me as her fiancé? I mean… I don’t judge. I’m just curious.”

Oliver’s blue eyes turn silver in an instant, his beast taking over as he prepares to attack.

“Michael, no!” Aurora pleads, standing in front of her mate and pushing him back as he attempts to charge at Jadiel. “I need Oliver back,” she murmurs to her mate. “He’s just trying to start a fight with us. I’m fine, I promise.”

Oliver’s silver eyes glare at Jadiel before looking down at his mate, his face softening when she cups his cheek. He closes his eyes as he takes a few deep breaths to calm down, and when he opens his eyes again, two blue irises stare lovingly at his mate.

“I see who wears the pants in this relationship.” Jadiel snickers under his breath.

Aurora turns to Jadiel, a calm rage settles on her delicate features, meanwhile my mind is already planning where I will bury Jadiel’s body after dismembering him.

“On your knees, Your Majesty,” Aurora commands with her ivory voice, Jadiel unable to resist her order. She turns to his goons and snarls at them, “Sit!”

They sit without resistance— some even whimpering in fear as Aurora looks at them. She turns back to Jadiel, who does his best to remain unfazed, but I can see the aura of anxiety lingering around him as she approaches him.

“It seems you don’t wear the pants in your kingdom either, Your Majesty. She lies to you,” Aurora murmurs in his ear. “But you already know that. So here you are, wanting to ask questions… fearing the answers you know she has kept hidden from you. Perhaps that’s why you lash out with your cruel jokes? It’s the only control you have. I can only imagine the pressure you grew up with. No child should have to grow up so fast, but those are the cards you were dealt, so it’s time to man up.”

My sister steps back and stands beside her husband, who wraps his arm around her waist.

“Let me be clear, sir,” Aurora continues, “my family and I are on vacation, and we are enjoying our time here peacefully. I am asking you nicely to leave us alone while we mourn our loved ones. I will not ask again.”

Jadiel laughs to himself while shaking his head, Aurora staring at him stoically. “If you are here on vacation, why do you hide on the Orozco’s ranch?”

“Because a couple of rats were following us,” I snap, Jadiel turning to me.

Aurora squints her eyes and focusses on Jadiel— likely diving into the depths of his memories to better understand him. She is more patient than I am, because I can’t imagine there being anything useful left in that brain of his.

“You are afraid that we’ll take what’s yours.” Aurora hums to herself. “Given your upbringing, I can see why. Cartels rise and fall on trust alone, but I’m sure your step-father taught you that already, didn’t he?”

Jadiel doesn’t respond, still trying to figure out my sister and her intentions, and — if I’m honest — I’m not entirely sure what those intentions might be either.

Aurora continues, “I can assure you, Jadiel, we have no interest in taking what you stole.”

“Stole?” He scoffs.

“Extortion is theft,” Aurora says calmly, Jadiel clicking his teeth in annoyance. “But regardless, we have no interest in starting a war with Estrella del Monte.”

“Aurora, what are you doing?” I ask via mind-link, but she ignores me.

“Then what are your intentions in coming here?” Jadiel retorts.

“To heal,” Aurora says simply. “And to protect what remains of our family from the people who keep trying to harm them.”

“My intention is not to harm anyone,” Jadiel argues, his face full of determination. “I aim to protect—”

“By forcing everyone to be under your rule?” I scoff, unable to believe he truly thinks he’s helping these packs.

“Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for a pack to be on its own? IN THIS f*****g ECONOMY!?” he responds, his voice raising in frustration. “There are cartels far worse than the Navarros. Cartels who would stop at nothing to destroy those packs and take what they can. We were doing them a favor, by offering them protection—”

“Oh thank you, so f*****g much, for protecting our family, BY KIDNAPPING THEIR CHILDREN!” I shout, my breaths coming in pants from my screams.

“I wouldn’t have allowed them to be hurt... That much I can promise you.”

“Your promise means nothing to me,” I snarl at him. “My Gods, you and your family make me sick to my stomach. It’s unbelievable! You can’t possibly believe you’re helping.” My head shakes in disbelief as I frown in disgust.

“You don’t know anything about my family and what we’ve been through!”

I am about to contradict him, when Aurora stops me in my tracks.

“Do not expose all of our gifts to him and his men,” she warns. “The more we show, the more they can prepare for us. It’s best they know as little as possible.”

I begrudgingly close my mouth and count to ten to calm down.

“Our parents’ ashes were spread here,” I say calmly. “We can’t visit their graves, so the least you can do is let us finish our visit here in peace. Please. I would like to say goodbye without being reminded of who took them from us.”

Jadiel eyes us carefully, mulling over something in his head, before sighing tiredly. “I have a family staying at the hacienda this weekend, for a quinceañera.. You can stop by tomorrow, if you like, to visit your family’s graves. We haven’t touched anything. It’s bad luck to mess with the dead.”

My heart leaps into my throat. “Really?” I croak.

He nods solemnly. “I visit my father all the time. I don’t see why you shouldn’t be able to see yours. You’re welcome to come anytime you want— so long as you don’t enter the house. I don’t need anyone questioning what you’re doing there. I’ll let the guards know you’re permitted to go to the gravesite, but nowhere else.”

I am too stunned to speak, but my sister manages to express gratitude on behalf of all of us. .

“It would be amazing to see them,” Aurora says with excitement.

“Then consider it done,” Jadiel answers.

“Do my ears deceive me, or did I hear someone say quinceañera?” Evan calls out as he waddles his way back up the cliff. He isunfazed to see the army of wolves kneeling and sitting at Aurora’s feet, his smile widening as he high-fives his Luna. “So… this quince… any room for some Americans?”

Aurora smacks Evan in the gut, but Jadiel smirks at the suggestion.

“Eh, why not? Have you had mezcal? We have only the best reserved for the party.”

“Is that tequila?” Evan asks as Jadiel rises to his feet.

“Let’s just say, it makes tequila look like child’s play,” Jadiel explains. “So, can we expect you at the party?”

“When is it?” Aurora asks, though neither my mom nor my dad seem at all pleased to see us considering the invite.

“This Saturday, after three in the afternoon,” Jadiel says, stepping back to his wolves. “We’ll save you some mole.”

He shifts into his wolf and takes off with his men, though not before sneaking a wink at me. When we’ve made sure they’ve left us alone, Valentina is the first to speak.

“What an irritable young man,” she mutters. “How dare he insult us by inviting us to the land he stole from us?”

“But... we are going, right?” I ask, my mom looking at me in bewilderment.

“Of course not,” she replies and scoffs. “Ni más faltaba — pedir permiso para entrar a mi casa — hazme el favor! {That was all we needed — to ask permission to enter our home — give me a break!}

“But this could be our one chance to see the hacienda and visit our parents’ grave!” I argue, unable to believe my mom would pass up such an opportunity.

“Please, do you really think that… that boy actually cares about our feelings?” She huffs. “You can’t honestly tell me anything good could come out of spending time with that family. We’re not going and that’s final.”

“Tia, perhaps we need to think about this a little more carefully,” Aurora urges, but it seems my mom has made up her mind.

“The Navarros and Estrella del Monte are dangerous people,” Valentina warns. “There’s a reason Celeste did not join us today, and I believe she is right in doing so. You will promise me right now that you will not go anywhere near the hacienda. This right here, is as far as we go. We will honor Sofia and Mateo here — and that’s final.”

“But Mom, if you would just—”

“Enough Celina!” Valentina snaps. “Ya basta! {Enough!} We will not set foot on that land. Tomorrow, we will go with Ubaldo down to Ebano to meet with the Hernandez Clan, and we will spend the remainder of the week gathering our people together, so they can start protecting each other against the Navarros. That is what we agreed to, and that is what we are going to do.”

She turns back to the edge of the cliff and angrily walks down the path to the water, Danny staying behind with us.

“I didn’t see any ill will on Jadiel’s part in his mind,” Aurora offers, Danny shaking his head.

“But Valentina is right.” Danny sighs. “I know it’s tempting but it’s best we keep our distance from Jadiel and his family. You may think you know Jadiel because you’ve seen his mind, but you don’t know his family or what he’s like around them. There’s no need to go. Come, let’s go down to the cave and enjoy our day here like we planned. No more of this hacienda and quinceañera talk.”

Danny ushers us down the cliff, Aurora and I exchanging glances and mind-linking privately.

“I want to go,” I tell her, though I see the reluctance in her eyes. “...Just to the graves. We can skip the party. I’m not in the mood to party anyway…”

“You promise, it’s just to the graves?” Aurora asks, closing her eyes as she thinks it over. “Fine. We’ll go bright and early tomorrow morning and come back before anyone notices.”

“You’re the best,” I squeal, Aurora rolling her eyes at me.

“Don’t thank me just yet,” she mutters, “if we get caught, I’m blaming you.”

“Yeah, whatever,” I say, grinning from ear to ear as we reach the water.

We spend the remainder of the day at the river, exploring the cave my mother once loved. It hurts to imagine all of the good memories she must have made here, but it also feels amazing to see all of the beauty she experienced growing up. The cave is small and rocky, with a few places for us to rest on, but there’s an entire world of darkness just below our dangling feet. Oliver keeps Aurora close, and while his doting would have annoyed me by now, Aurora absolutely loves having all of his attention.

“Do you think you can give me a minute alone with my mate?” she asks timidly, her cheeks turning bright red. When I eye Oliver, he is looking around the cave, oblivious to the request his mate just made. “Don’t make it obvious!” Aurora huffs, her cheeks burning redder. “I just want to be alone with him for a moment… Just the two of us.”

“Okay…” I say teasingly, swimming out of the cave mouth and finding Evan arguing with Mia over what type of mermaid he would be.

“You can’t have blue mermaid scales, because I already called dibs,” he contends as his mate rolls her eyes at him.

“Why can’t we have the same color?” she snaps back.

“Because we can’t have two mermaids of the same color. What are you not picking up!?” Evan groans with frustration.

“It’s made up!”

“Do I need to put you both in time-out?” I ask as I swim up to them, my gaze switching between the two wolves as Mia shifts uncomfortably.

She and I are not exactly friends, but I tolerate her presence for Aurora and Evan’s sake, and she knows it.

“She’s being unreasonable,” Evan whines. “I am a blue mermaid. She can’t also be a blue mermaid! That’s not how this works.”

One look from me has Mia groaning and giving in to Evan’s wishes.

“Fine, I’m purple,” she mutters, Evan grinning cheekily as he swims up to her and kisses her on the lips.

I shudder in disgust and turn away, only to see my mom and dad stealing kisses and swimming together farther up the river.

“How did I get surrounded by couples?” I mumble to myself, swimming towards the shore to grab a snack.

Sarahi sighs in her loneliness as I sit on the water’s edge with a sandwich in my hands— a part of me envious of all the lovely couples enjoying each other’s company. If Javier were here, we’d probably have run away together by now, farther up the river, to be alone. We’d make out against a tree and make a second pup together in the quiet forest.

One day, we’ll feel that love again, Sarahi says quietly, but I shake my head, hoping she’s wrong, more than ever.

I hope not, I whisper back. I want to be alone.

But Jadiel—

He will reject me eventually, I mutter back. He has to. We can’t keep playing this game forever. He’s got a girlfriend and will eventually want to mate with her. Our bond will only hurt us in the long run. He has to reject me.

Sarahi only whimpers, knowing I have absolutely no intention of accepting this bond. I’d rather die. Settling alone in our thoughts, Aurora and Oliver eventually come out, their lips swollen and Aurora blushing profusely when our eyes meet.

Atta girl, I giggle to myself as she swims to the shore to sit beside me.

“Are you okay?” she asks, wrapping her arms around me and resting her head on my shoulder.

I smile at the warmth of her hug and let her hold me.

“Yeah.” I sigh. “I am.”

.

.

.

The first signs of morning peek through the window, waking me up instantly. After returning from El Nacimiento, Aurora and I agreed to meet each other at the river at the first light of dawn. Ubaldo arrived late last night and will be taking us to Ebano this afternoon, to meet with the Hernandez Clan. So, as long as we return before noon, we’ll be okay. We can always ask for forgiveness after seeing the graves.

I quickly stuff my backpack with some clothes and change into some running shorts and a t-shirt, so that, if anyone notices, they will think I’m going on a run. Closing my eyes, I imagine the tree with the rope dangling on its branches back on the edge of the cliff. When I open my eyes, I find myself back on the cliffs overlooking el Nacimiento.

I wait by the tree for a few minutes, before a small portal opens beside me. Aurora slips out wearing similar clothes as me, smiling from ear to ear with excitement.

“Ready?” she asks, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

“Duh,” I mutter back, removing my clothes and shifting.

“Just follow the scent of your mate.” Aurora giggles as she takes my backpack and climbs onto my back, burying her fingers in my fur.

“Stop talking.” I grimace, Aurora laughing as I burst into a sprint.

I race through the humid forest, Aurora digging her knees into my sides and hanging on for dear life. My nostrils flare as I search for Jadiel’s familiar scent, my wolf howling as she finally finds his trail. We follow it for what feels like miles, the scents of several guards lingering nearby.

A clearing gives Aurora greater visibility of the hacienda, and she opens a portal to get us closer to the edge of the land. She opens a second portal as I step through it, this one getting us past the gates and inside the territory. I rush through the hacienda as quietly as possible, mesmerized by the beauty of the large house overlooking a lush green forest.

“Stop sightseeing, and get us to the graves,” Aurora hisses, reminding me of our mission.

I run past the house, to the eastern part of the territory, unsure where to go, but feeling the wind guide me. Finally, we stumble upon a gated clearing in the forest, Aurora jumping off to inspect the ornate gate door.

I stand behind her as she pulls the handle, the gate door slowly creaking open. Aurora is the first to step through, my wolf at her heels. We stop in our tracks when we see several untouched tombstones, carefully arranged in rows. At the center, stands a large mausoleum with a water fountain beside it. The fountain has two wolves carved together in an eternal embrace. Despite the new owners, it seems the cemetery is well cared for— the tombs still clean and the foliage nearby, freshly trimmed. Several unfamiliar names are carved into the stones, a gasp leaving Aurora’s lips when we stumble upon a tomb with an angel on it, in the warrior section… the name Penelope Cortez engraved on its face.

“She was so young,” Aurora whimpers, her fingers tracing the date of death.

I nudge her forward, Aurora reluctantly turning away from the little warrior and walking up the path towards the mausoleum. Shifting into my human form, I stand beside her, in front of the mausoleum as she reads the inscription.

“Here lies a King and Queen whose love burned brighter than the sun itself. Long may they reign in the Kingdom of the Moon.”

I press my hand against the cold stone of the mausoleum, a sob caught in my throat.

“Have you ever thought about what it would have been like… to be held by them?” I ask, Aurora’s eyes twinkling with tears as she smiles at the thought.

“I imagine Dad would have given the best hugs,” she says quietly, wrapping her arms around herself.

“Valentina used to sing to me before I went to bed when I was little,” I sigh. “But she says our mom had a much better voice than she did,” I chuckle. “Of course, Valentina sounds like a dying crow when she sings, so I imagine anyone would sound like an angel compared to her.”

Aurora and I burst into laughter, settling down beside the fountain.

“I can’t believe we made it here,” Aurora murmurs. “We’re finally home.”

“It’s not our home anymore,” I say solemnly, looking up at the water trickling down the intertwined bodies of the wolves. “It belongs to someone else now. We’re just visitors.”

Aurora reaches for my hand in my lap. “But we’re together, right? That counts for something, doesn’t it?”

It’s times like this, that I’m grateful for Aurora’s presence and her ability to find the positives in any situation. I squeeze her hand in solidarity and we remain at the cemetery for the remainder of the morning, watching the sun climb the sky to shine brightly over the hacienda.

Knowing we need to return to the Orozco’s ranch, Aurora and I get ready to leave, creeping our way out of the cemetery gates, when we hear a number of cars enter the property. Curious to see who is staying at the hacienda, I make my way towards the driveway, making sure to stay out of sight of the people stepping out of their cars.

“Celina, this is a bad idea,” Aurora murmurs, hiding in the bushes beside me.

“Aren’t you curious?” I ask, stretching out my neck to see who steps out of the car.

Dread washes over my being when I see Jadiel greet his mother at the door… with Benoit Perrault.

[A/N: Hey! If you do not already follow me on I.N.S.T.A.G.R.A.M or F.B. or T.i.k.T.o.k , I am currently holding a giveaway for the Earth Witch. Winners will get a signed copy of the original book, along with stickers, soaps, candles, crystals, and other awesome prizes. Find me @stephanielight.author on both I.G and T.T]