The Ivory Queen
Chapter 79

***Aurora’s POV***

“Aurora?” Evan calls out. “I-it’s me, Evan.”

I store away the letters and k**s my parents picture goodbye before I walk to the door. Evan wraps me up in his arms the second he sets foot inside the room.

“Hey kiddo,” he whispers, pulling back and taking my face in his hands. “What’s wrong? You look amazing by the way.”

“T-thank you,” I blush. “I-I just wish my family were here.”

He softens his face. “Aurora, they are here. They’re standing right outside prepared to love you for the rest of their lives. Your sister and your aunt came all this way to see you off on your big day. Oliver hasn’t stopped smiling all day and won’t shut the f**k up about seeing you,” he chuckles. “And I’m right here, ready to walk you down to meet your Alpha. We may not all be b***d related but we love you so much.”

His kind words warm my heart and I pull him into another hug. “Thank you,” I whisper. “I needed this.”

“Anytime kid,” he smiles. “Oh by the way, Oliver doesn’t want you wearing that tonight.” He says, pointing to my medallion on my neck.

I scrunch up my nose. “Why not?”

“Because he wants everyone to see you for who you truly are and not hide behind that medallion. Now let’s go, Oliver is anxious to have his Luna.”

I remove my medallion and catch a glimpse of my father’s alpha ring. I grab it, rolling the ring between my fingers and I k**s the emblem.

Wish me luck, Dad.

I stash the ring and medallion away and lock them in my box before turning back to look at Evan. He bows before me and I blush, still not used to the bowing. Evan looks dashing in a dark blue and black suit and black shirt. His handsome hazel eyes pop against his dark attire.

He offers me his arm and together we march downstairs towards the garden. The entire yard is beautifully lit with fairy lights and small torch lights. All the décor is in River Moon’s pack colors, midnight blue and gold. A small aisle lined with sunflowers cuts through the middle of the yard and pack members stand on either side. At the far end, Oliver and the pack elders wait for me on a stage. Behind them, Carter and Rosalie stand by offering me encouraging smiles. As I approach the pack, everyone bows their heads in reverence. When I get closer to the stage, I see a single tear run down Oliver’s cheek and his dimpled smile makes my heart skip a beat.

He looks incredible in his gorgeous dark blue tuxedo, white shirt and black bow tie. His hair is combed back in a neat quiff and his face is clean shaven. At his side, my little Rio sits wearing his own little tuxedo and bow tie and I hold back a giggle at how proud and handsome he looks.

My boys look absolutely perfect.

When I take the stage, Oliver and the elders bow. I take a few timid steps and Oliver locks his fingers with mine and lifts my hand up to k**s it.

“Tu es magnifique, mon amour. Ready?” He asks.

I give him a small nod and he k****s my cheek before addressing the pack and our guests. I don’t really pay attention to what he says, too busy calming my racing heart. I look out into the crowd and see so many familiar smiling faces. Celina and her family stand proudly in the first row and Celina looks at me with so much love. I’m so glad she came. Carter and Evan’s parents are there as well. I hold back laughter when I see Sam’s goofy smile as he offers me a thumbs up. I see Mia looking beautiful and smiling up at me, Javier at her side.

Laura and her mate Noah beam at me. Leila and Hannah are there as well, though not nearly as happy. Marie, Clyde, Emma, Taylor and William glow with joy. Ezra, Zoe and Isaiah wave their hellos at me and I wave back. On the right side of the aisle, the Allies stand proud and tall offering me their congratulations with a simple nod. I almost squeal when Kehlani holds up little Matthew’s arm to wave at me. Also among them are the alphas from Desert Sky and Maple Moon, although I can’t tell who is who.

I’m ashamed I was ever upset about not having my family present. My family has been here the entire time and I’m finally ready to take my place as Luna.

The elders step forward and introduce themselves briefly before beginning the ceremony.

Elder Amelie brings forth a gold tablet and sets it down on the table for me. There is a small bowl shaped indentation sitting between the images of two wolves on the face of the tablet while precious blue stones and beautiful designs are etched in the remaining space. Elder Collette presents me with golden dagger, wrapped neatly in black cloth and sets it down as well.

“Are you ready, my dear?” Elder Auguste asks.

“Yes, I am ready.”

He smiles at me and turns to the crowd. “Repeat after me:

“I, Aurora Salome Altamirano-Reyes, do solemnly swear to preserve, to protect and to serve the members of the River Moon pack. I swear to uphold the values of this pack and lead with strength and grace to the best of my abilities.

I swear to stand by my Alpha’s side, to guide and to lead him down the right path should he ever falter. I swear to offer him my knowledge and wisdom so that we may both lead River Moon with peace and understanding.

I swear so to do, until my final breath.”

As I repeat the words, I catch a glimpse of Rosalie bawling her eyes out and I resist the urge to run up and hug her. Elder Henri takes the dagger and reaches out for Oliver’s hand and then mine. He makes a small incision across both of our palms then guides our hands towards the tablet, placing Oliver’s bloodied palm on one wolf engraving and mine on the other.

The second my palm touches the cold tablet, my head fills with the voices of my pack.

“Welcome Luna!” I hear them cry.

It is a bit overwhelming and after a few seconds, my head starts pounding as more and more voices mind-link me.

“This is so strange!” I giggle and the crowd bursts into laughter.

Elder Auguste calls for my attention. I am now an official member of the pack but the ceremony has yet to be completed. Oliver and I then squeeze our palms and a few drops of our b***d fall into the tablet’s little basin and mix.

For a moment, the world stops and all I see is Oliver staring back at me. He leans forward and presses his lips against mine, the sparks electrifying every cell in body. They are stronger than I’ve even felt them and I know our souls are tied for eternity. This man is now my life.

Our k**s is interrupted by Elder Auguste clearing his throat and he urges Evan to step forward, who then kneels before me and offers me a goofy smile.

“You’re doing great,” he whispers.

“Gamma Evan,” Elder Henri interrupts. “It is now time to officially offer yourself to your Luna.”

Elder Amelie wipes the dagger and it offers it to Evan. Evan slices his palm, a little b***d pooling in his hand and he bows his head in reverence.

Elder Henri continues. “Repeat after me:”

“I, Evan Silas Gérard, do solemnly swear to serve and protect my Luna, to prioritize her safety and her life above my own. I swear to uphold my duties as her guardian and gamma to the best of my abilities, until my final breath.”

His eyes switch to green and his wolf, Bodhi, makes the same promises. I place my sliced palm onto his to accept him as gamma and a feel a pinch at my temples. Our gamma bond is now official and he will forever be my guardian.

He gets to his feet and pulls me into a bear hug.

Several cameras flash and Evan leans down to my ear and whispers, “Well Luna, you may not need protecting from simple wolf such as myself but-“

“Evan Silas Gérard, you are more than enough for me,” I interrupt him. “You are the gamma I need.”

“Spoken like a true Luna,” Oliver adds.

Elder Amelia comes forward and speaks to the crowd, a small box in her hands. “Luna Aurora, I now present you with the Luna ring-“

Her words stop as we hear gasps amongst the crowd. Simone walks down the aisle toward us, an emotionless expression on her face.

Oh no. Please not now!

When she reaches the stage, she bows her head while Oliver growls at her. “Mom, don’t you dare ruin this for her!”

She says nothing and pulls out a small black box from her dress pocket and opens it up for me. As she speaks, her eyes are glued to the beautiful sapphire ring with a gold band sitting atop a velvet pillow.

“This ring has belonged to every River Moon Luna since we first established ourselves here in the United States. I had hoped that I would one day give it to Adeline,” she sighs. “But Oliver chose you instead. My feelings for you have not changed but after some thinking I realized I love my son more than I hate you… and I would like to be a part of his life again.” She clears her throat and looks me in the eyes. “So this belongs to you now. Take care of my son, Luna.”

I tentatively take the ring from her and she takes a knee. Everyone in the crowd follows her lead and bows their head. One glance at Oliver tells me he’s displeased with his mother, but I refuse to let her ruin the mood and lean over to k**s his cheek. A little smile tugs at his lips.

“May Moon Goddess bless you eternally, you’re majesty,” Elder Aguste says and the four elders take his lead and kneel before me.

“River Moon pack, I present to you, Luna Aurora,” Oliver says, beaming with pride.

Everyone gets to their feet and erupts in cheers and whistles. We hold a brief intermission before the pack run and I take advantage to speak with Celina and her family. As we talk, I catch a glimpse of the two people I’ve been meaning to speak with for a while now: Erin and Andrew’s parents. I excuse myself from the group and make my way through the crowd.

“Diana?” I ask the blonde woman in front of me.

She turns and gives me a cold smile, the man beside her glaring at me and together they bow. “Luna Aurora, what can we do for you?”

“I-I just wanted to clear some things up with you-

“There is nothing to clear up,” Diana snaps. “My son and my daughter are dead and we know whose fault it was. But if you’re concerned about our loyalty, you have nothing to fear. My husband and I are loyal members of this pack and we will follow our leaders until our final breath, regardless of who they are and what they’ve done.”

“I see,” I sigh, knowing there is no point in arguing with them. “I am sorry for your loss. I know how painful it can be to lose-“

“You know nothing!” Arthur scoffs. “You’ve never lost a child, let alone two!”

“Perhaps not,” I say, pursing my lips. “But I’ve lost two sets of parents, so I know what it’s like to lose someone you love.”

“It seems you are the common denominator in both of our sorrows,” Diana retorts. “Everything you touch, dies. What can we expect of River Moon?”

Reyna scoffs. Let me handle this, she snarls before taking over.

“You birthed a rapist and a psychotic b***h,” Reyna laughs. “But thank you for your loyalty. I can always appreciate two loyal pack members, no matter how useless they are.”

Diana’s jaw drops as Reyna gives me back control and I give her an innocent smile.

“Enjoy the ceremony,” I chirp, turning on my heel and walking away quickly back to Oliver.

“What did they say?” he asks.

Oliver would murder them if he knew what they said.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” I smile. “They know they’re place.”

“Aurora-“

“Oliver,” I tease and he scowls at me. “Did I ever tell you that look amazing in blue? Very handsome.”

He rolls his eyes but a tiny smile tugs at his lips. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

I giggle as he pulls me into him and k****s my forehead.

After the intermission, all River Moon wolves between the ages of 18 and 65 meet at the edge of the woods in their wolf forms for the pack run. Oliver and I undress by a tree and step out before our pack as wolves. In my wolf form, the power I hold is undeniable and everyone once again kneels before me.

“You may rise,” Reyna declares and everyone follows the command.

Suddenly my mind is once again bombarded with my packs thoughts.

“Wow, our Luna is gorgeous!” ………. “Your white fur is stunning, Luna” ……… “Goddess, your eyes!”

“You’ve made quite the impression, your highness,” Carter chuckles. “Your wolf is definitively unlike any other.”

“Thank you,” I reply.

Oliver’s black wolf comes up behind me and nips at my ear.

“Ready when you are,” he says.

We howl, filling the night with our song and others quickly join. For the next hour, the River Moon wolves follow in our footsteps. The entire experience is like a dream and I know I’ll never forget this night. We cross streams and splash in the water, chase each other’s tails, hunt small animals and race. By the time we return back to the house, River Moon is one entity and I know I can lead these people with Oliver by my side. There may be obstacles I’ll have to overcome but my pack will always stand behind me. I will not fail River Moon.

***Ira’s POV***

A lot of planning has gone into the preparations for tonight and I grow anxious as the moment I’ve been looking forward to draws near. As I watch the pack welcome their new Luna, I feel my hatred for her grow.

She looks just like her mother, I grin, reminiscing the fallen Queen’s demise. You better enjoy him, Aurora. By the end of tonight, you and Oliver will be no more.

I glance over at my allies for the night. I just hope these stupid wolves know what they’re doing.