Ivory Snow

Once Adam closed the door to their suite behind them, he took a longer moment to analyze his new surroundings. His first reaction to the room was shock. The room itself was nearly half the size of the entire second floor of the farmhouse.

The bed was large enough for Gabe and Fitz to join them, if Adam let them through the door.

The frame had posts similar to his and Ivory’s bed at home, the one his father had made for his mother. The main difference were the curtains that still hung from the three sides not against a wall. His father had removed theirs within a week of their mother dying.

The room was large enough that it even held a sitting area, with sofas!

Another wall held a large wardrobe, which they were told held clean clothes they were welcome to change into. Ivory had heard the subtle hint from her uncle, it was time to look like a Princess again.

When Ivory walked into the room first, she felt a little overwhelmed, having almost forgotten the opulence that she had been raised in. As she turned and saw the look on her mate’s face, she realized that her feelings were only a shadow of his.

She smiled nervously, wanting to help him somehow.

“It’s not exactly like home is it?”

“Uh...no. This is…” Adam shook his head. “I have no words for what this is.”

Ivory stepped up closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She placed her chin on his chest and looked up at him. As an automatic response, Adam wrapped an arm around her, but his eyes were still on the red and gold that decorated the room.

Ivory waited patiently for him to look down, for him to talk, for him to respond in some way. He didn’t.

Adam was too busy in his own head trying to figure out how his life had flipped in such an odd way.

He thought that he would spend his whole life on that farm. He figured he’d meet his mate one day, and she would move in. Just as his mother had done after mating his father. The same with his grandmother.

They had enough land that his brothers could build their own houses, or even leave if that’s what they wanted. He had always assumed that Dean would at some point, maybe one or two of the others as well.

Leaving and ruling a country had never even entered his mind.

Now, he was set to become a King. The council members, and even the Duke, a male who had been raised as a Prince, were looking to him to make decisions.

Honestly, that part didn’t bother him so much. He was used to making the decisions. Brian and the twins had been like his own personal council, but they still looked to him to make the final decisions.

As long as he didn’t look at the picture as a whole, working with the council didn’t bother him. He was still doing what he always did, caring for his family.

Protect his mate.

“Adam?” Ivory called to him softly. She tried a few more times and he still didn’t respond. She couldn’t decipher his feelings. They were too mixed up. Like a tornado.

He was lost to his own thoughts.

With no other ideas, Ivory decided to try invading his mind and interrupting those thoughts.

Adam? Please talk to me.

She sighed with relief when he finally looked down at her.

“Sorry. I guess everything is finally starting to settle in. I knew who you were, obviously, but being here, in this place, it just really sank in. A few years ago, my only problem was how to keep the farm and make money to support my brothers. Even just a few weeks ago. Now, everything has changed. And so quickly. It’s like I don’t even recognize my own life. Like I don’t recognize myself.”

Ivory loosened her grip and took a step back. She looked down at their feet, feeling ashamed of how much she had changed his life. How her invasion into it was what disrupted his plans.

Adam hadn’t meant anything of the sort, he had just been stating a fact. But a pregnant female, most females really, would feel hurt by a comment like that.

“I’m sorry. I never expected my life to affect yours so much. I never meant to mess up your whole life.” A tear escaped her eyes. Ivory felt guilty for inadvertently ruining the life he had planned.

She also felt very irritated, as she was more than ready to be done with the whole crying thing. It was seriously getting ridiculous.

Adam didn’t understand where she was coming from or what she meant by that. He had to rethink the entire conversation to figure out what happened.

He hid the smile when he realized where she got that ridiculous notion, not wanting her to think he was laughing at her when she was feeling so sensitive. He put his hand under her chin and lifted it up until she was looking at him again.

“Ivory, I meant nothing of the sort. Has my life changed and taken an unexpected path? Of course. No one can argue that. But what you most certainly did not hear me say was that I minded. You are my mate and I love you. I’ve loved you since before I knew you were mine to begin with. You have made my life better than I ever imagined it could be. And now,” he lowered his hand to her stomach, “you are giving me something I wasn’t sure I would ever want. But I do. I want our pup, I want you. I don’t care if we live in a castle, or under a blanket thrown over a branch. As long as you are happy and our pup is healthy, then I can survive the rest.”

Adam lowered his forehead to hers and they both closed their eyes. Ivory cursed as more tears ran down her face. Adam released the chuckle this time as he wiped them away.

He leaned back again, grinning at her. “I remember them saying something about a connected washroom, and hot water already waiting for us.”

Ivory laughed as she folded her fingers with his and turned around.

“Yes, we should probably get cleaned up. I need a nap and that bed looks too nice to get into while dirty.”

Adam closed the growing gap and wrapped his arms around her back while she opened a side door into a much smaller room.

“Does that mean we can’t get dirty while we are in the bed?”

Ivory snorted and lifted a hand to pat his cheek. He was cute.

After they bathed, Adam insisted Ivory lay down for a rest. She refused, until he offered to lay with her for a time. Ivory fell asleep nearly as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Adam wasn’t far from it himself when he heard a soft knock at the door.

He carefully slid out from under his pregnant mate – he loved saying that his pregnant mate - and softly walked to open the door. They had grabbed a pair of sleeping clothes - something he had never heard of - before lying down. Adam wasn’t wearing a shirt, but at least he had pants on. He opened the door slowly just in case it creaked or something. He should have known it wouldn’t in a place like this. Just like you would never hear a random squeaking from a misplaced step in the middle of the night.

Adam had assumed it would be one of his brothers (like Gabe), or maybe even Jack. He had not expected the Duke to be knocking on his door.

Adam quickly stepped out and closed the door softly again behind him. The heavy door probably would bang deeply.

Andrew slightly bowed, which Adam found strange and very uncomfortable, seeing as how the male was twice his age.

“Uh... hello.” Adam greeted him, not sure if he was supposed to bow back.

Did you bow to a Duke? He was also Prince. Adam floundered then decided to hell with it.

“I have no idea what to do. Am I supposed to bow to you? You are a Duke and a Prince.”

Andrew smiled and shook his head. “No. Well, sort of, but no. Most do a half bow. But seeing as how you are mated to the Princess and your wolf has already progressed to that of the King, the ultimate Alpha, it would not be fitting. And I am doubting your wolf would appreciate you lowering yourself to anyone but Ivory.”

He’s got that right. Do it and you won’t like to find out what I do in return.

Adam cleared his throat awkwardly. “Yes, it seems you are right about that.”

Andrew laughed hard at that then did his best to swallow it before waking his niece. She seemed, unlike herself today. He knew living away from the castle, and with all males, probably affected her, as would being pregnant, but still. He was hoping exhaustion was the biggest part of it.

“Let me guess, he just gave you some attitude about that?”

Adam smirked and nodded, scratching the side of his jaw in silent response.

“Alexander’s wolf was a bit on the wild side as well. They were both gruff and preferred to keep people at a distance. All except family. When he was alone with our families he would relax. I feel as though you are similar in that nature. As a good King should be.”

“I didn’t know that about him. Honestly, I don’t know much about anything outside of our farm. Ivory only spoke about the day of the attack at first, and only at night when the dreams came. I had to pull her out of them more times than I can count. Less than a year ago, she finally started being able to think of the good times again. I think she finally allowed herself to start healing. What I know of your brother is mostly from a daughter who loved him.”

Andrew’s smile turned sad. “Yes, Ivory was his world, outside Maria of course. Alex doted on Ivory, probably more so because she was his only pup. After they lost their son, he became overprotective. They stopped traveling with her, stopped traveling altogether if it could be helped. Hiding with you all at the farm probably felt almost normal too her.”

“Some, yes. She didn’t tell us at first who she was, but we heard the rumors in the village and figured it out. I, uh, told her she was more or less tied to the house after that. Very rarely did she complain about not being able to leave. She busied herself with baking and working around the house.”

“Yes, you’re brother... Fitz?” Adam nodded. “He’s been entertaining us with stories. I admit, I would have liked to have seen my niece go head-to-head with a cow.”

Now it was Adam who had to keep his laughter down. “That was something I will never forget.” He sighed. “That was one of the first things that made me fall in love with her. She was a Princess, but she wasn’t spoiled. From the very beginning, she insisted that she help out in return. We fought nearly every day for the first week because I wanted her to stay in bed and rest. She wanted to get up and work. It wasn’t until she hinted that her mind needed the distraction that I gave her a little room to move.”

“Ivory always was a stubborn child. I haven’t seen much of her old personality yet though. She used to be more reserved than she was today. Quiet and thoughtful. Not giggling while we were talking.” Andrew frowned. He had not been impressed by her behavior at all. “Has she changed that much? Does the Princess even still exist?”

Adam could hear the worry in the male’s tone. If it had not been for that, he probably would have smacked him.

“The Princess is very much still there. We’ve been on the road for weeks. She was tired and filled with anxiety. While she never came out and said it, I know she worried about the reception she would receive. We discussed bringing her to you years ago. I was loath to do it, which confused and frustrated me to no end. It made no sense. She was young and scared. We didn’t have enough proof at the time to rule your involvement out. All she knew was that the guards they trusted disappeared and her parents were killed in front of her. We were going to take it all day by day, before we knew it, years had gone by. Outside of my brothers, our local Innkeeper was the only one who knew who she was.”

Andrew’s eyes brightened a little. “Richard told me about Sawyer. I had only met the male once or twice. I remembered him being a sad fellow.”

“He recently told me that he had been hoping my mother was his mate, they were litter mates and very close as they grew. When she found my father, Sawyer accepted the apprenticeship.”

“That would make sense then. So, do you believe Ivory will be somewhat better? After she rests.”

Adam scowled at her uncle, feeling aggravated by the implication that something was wrong with her. His wolf didn’t care much for it either.

A few months ago, the wolf’s level of irritation would have been showing through physical changes. But the two had grown united enough that Adam no longer struggled to keep him back. He did, however, allow his irises to darken. It wouldn’t hurt for the male to know he was crossing a thin line.

Andrew saw the eyes and realized his mistake immediately. He bowed at the waist and began apologizing.

“I mean no disrespect. I was not trying to imply that there was something wrong with the Princess.”

Adam released his wolf, allowing the now groveling Duke to relax. Adam kept his face straight, but inside both he and his wolf were loving the fact that they were obviously stronger than a born Prince.

A born leader.

“Will she be more like herself? No, that still doesn’t sound right. Maybe I should just explain my concern.” The male was rambling.

Adam had unnerved him enough that for the first time in his life, Duke Andrew was nervous. Even with his own father and brother he had not felt so much power rolling off a King, let alone

an uncrowned one. He had seen the color of his coat hours earlier, but he had not thought beyond the implications of that. If he had had any lingering doubts, they were certainly gone now. This male would do well serving by Ivory’s side.

“Perhaps you should.”

Andrew bowed his head slightly, recognizing the order.

“I want to invite a few of the court members that have taken sanctuary in my city for dinner. Many of them knew what Ava was and did not approve of her being crowned. She ordered the deaths of many that were against her. Of course, she claimed that we had all conspired against the royal family. Those that were able to get out, came here. I know that seeing Ivory alive, and yourself with her, will help them get their hope for the future back. Unfortunately, the pressure to surrender to Ava has been increasing. They have not handled the fall in their wealth as graciously as Ivory did. They need to see that the royal line did indeed survive.”

Adam thought this through. He wished Ivory was awake so he could get her opinion. He refused to wake her though, because she refused to admit just how tired she truly was. His mate had been pushed to the maximum, both physically and mentally. He would like to give her a few days before she rejoined society if he could.

Adam recognized that that possibility was not likely to happen. Now that her presence was being made known, it was only a matter of time before Ava found out. Time was of the essence, and the sooner they handled business, the sooner they could end this nightmare. Then his brothers could return to the farm, and he and Ivory could begin healing the kingdom.

“Only invite those that you trust the most. I don’t have to tell you that you never know if a spy is hiding in your fold. The longer we can keep her existence a secret, the more time we have to plan. And, to answer your question earlier, yes, she will be back to her normal self. We did not realize she was pregnant until a few days ago. She had already traveled over mountains on foot by then. She hasn’t had a decent night’s sleep in almost a month. What you saw earlier was Ivory barely holding it together and refusing to admit it. She was also relieved that none of you blamed her for hiding for so long.”

Andrew tskd, brushing the idea away with his hand. “Why would we blame her? As you said, she was a pup, and she was scared. Which leads me to another question I have been unable to force myself to ask.” His face fell, and his voice was a whisper. “How bad was she?”

Adam rubbed his lips together and looked at the wall behind the Duke. Physically anyway, mentally, he was back on that coast nearly four years ago.

“From what we could tell, she was hanging on by a thread. It was a miracle she survived as long as she had. Her pulse was very slow, her breath barely there. Her head had a giant gash in it from where she hit the stones. I gave her breath a few times and tried to expel the water, which did come gushing out. Once we had her home, Dean was able to stitch up her head. Her back was covered in bruises, cuts, and scrapes. It was all a sight I will never be able to scrub out of my head. Ivory slept through the whole thing. She did not wake until it was nearly morning again. When she did, it was to escape the nightmares already invading her mind.”

Adam lowered his eyes back to the Duke and saw that he was crying silently. His deep and somber voice had painted a bleak picture.

“We had planned to be there. All of us. It had been nearly a decade since we had gone to the beach with them. But I had received word of a dispute between two of our officials, it was getting ugly. They needed me to intervene. We left the morning after her party. While my brother and his family were being attacked, we were traveling home. Since I learned of their deaths. I have carried the guilt of not being there. Would our number have been what made the difference? Or would I have sacrificed my entire family?”

“I know something of survivor’s guilt. As does my youngest brother, Gabe. He was born months before he should have been. Our mother did not survive. Early on, he would ask if it was his fault that she died. Our father always told him that she sacrificed herself so that he would live. I think, to some extent anyway, that Gabe’s guilt is why he is so quiet. He sees Ivory as almost a second mother. I, on the other hand, was supposed to be with my father when he died. After mom died, he depended on me for a lot of things. I was supposed to go to the market with him, just as I did every Sunday. I didn’t want to that week. I was tired of it. I wanted to relax and fish with my brothers for a change. He eventually relented and went by himself. Our father was a talented craftsman, well known in our village and many others nearby. A thief snuck up on him on the road. Had I been there, I would have been able to warn my father so he could have more time. Instead, he was caught by surprise when he heard the male taking our things. Creations that would make the money we needed for the things we could not grow ourselves. The thief was prepared to fight, my father was not. He was a good male, but he wasn’t the strongest wolf.”

The hall was silent as Adam reigned his emotions back in. Up to that moment, Ivory was the only other soul he had told all of that too. It had been early on too, when he was helping her work through the nightmares in the middle of the night.

“The local Baron tried to swindle us out of our lands, almost did too. Thankfully his mate is the largest gossip in the village. When I found out what he was trying to do, I lost it. My wolf emerged that very day. I had no one to help me. The village elder, and even Sawyer, tried to help. But I was prideful and no longer trusted anyone. Not until Ivory floated into our lives. She blamed herself to some degree for not being able to help her parents. She forgave herself faster than I did. She taught me that we cannot go back and change the past. All we can do is create a better future, in the memory of those we lost.”

Adam shifted his stance, straightening his spine and letting his wolf add just a touch of power to add emphasis to his next words.

“And that’s what we are going to do. Together, we will take back our kingdom, we will help the victims heal, and then we will move on. We will learn from our mistakes and teach our pups to do better. Mother Nature selected Ivory from birth, she marked her as the rightful Queen by giving her the white hair, the way her wolf would one day be white. Mother Nature preserved her and protected her. And now, we will do our part. Invite your guests, and we will show them who the real Queen of the land is. Just one thing... don’t tell them about her. Let it be a surprise.”

Adam spoke with such passion that Andrew’s heart swelled with pride and patriotism. This was his King, and he was going to be great.

“As you wish, my King.” Andrew grinned at the moment of confusion on Adam’s face. Then he quickly bowed and left him standing in the hall alone.

Adam was startled by the use of the title. He wasn’t accustomed to having one. At least not from anyone besides Ivory. He knew, in time, he would be referred to as that by everyone else. Just not yet, at least not until a formal ceremony was held. He guessed, technically, Mother Nature had skipped that part though.

Feeling even more exhausted now, Adam returned to their temporary suite and slid back in with Ivory.

While the new royal couple rested, the other brothers were feeling a little energized by everything going on. Brian even convinced Gabe to join Fitz and Mark in a play room.

Then Jack took him and the twins out into the city.

None of them had ever been beyond their own village, prior to running for their lives that is. Being on the run, sticking to the deep forests, hadn’t exactly been the prime time to explore the outside world.

What they really wanted was to meet more females. They loved Ivory, but they had never loved her the way Adam did.

Which was a good thing.

They may tease their brother a lot, which was what brothers were for after all, but they were mostly envious. All three males knew that they were still young, that knowledge didn’t change how lonely their wolves were for their mates though. The human side wasn’t ready for that kind of responsibility yet though.

Instead, they did what Charles referred to as “enjoying the view.”

While they walked, Jack took the opportunity to pepper them with questions about his cousin. It seemed while the Princess slept, all her adopted brothers were sharing her stories for her, as The Duke and Duchess were spending time with the pups in Mark’s room. Fitz had a captive audience for all the stories he wanted to tell. Anytime he tried to embellish too much, Gabe only had to look at him for him to reel it back in.

Jack made sure they were back in time to prepare for the dinner. It wasn’t until they returned that he discovered the simple family dinner had been turned into much more.

“Do you think Snow will wear a dress or pants to dinner tonight?” Jack asked bemusedly as they watched the servants speed walking around the manor.

Dean had explained the purpose of the name change early on, and just like Richard, Jack thought it wise to continue.

“That’s a toss-up really. I bought her material to make a dress once and she just kept making up excuses to not make any. Instead, she turned the material into hair wraps to hold her hair up. I was a little offended that she lied about it, then I realized she was doing it to make me feel better. With Snow, it’s always about everyone else’s feelings.” Charles explained absently.

“The Duke said they invited other members of the court. My bet is that she and Adam are going to make an entrance.” Dean’s eyes widened at the large stack of plates one male was carrying, on each hand.

Their hands had to have been holding two dozen on each side, easily.

Brian cleared his throat, watching the same thing. “Maybe we should go elsewhere, avoid getting in the way and causing a scene.”

“Come with me. I’ll show you to the rooms we have ready for you. They won’t be as nice as Adam and Snow’s, but they are better than camping in the dirt.”

“It wasn’t that bad.” Charles drew out with an eye roll, before winking at his older brother. “If you do it in full wolf, it’s quite cozy.”

Brian smacked him while they followed Jack. Charles was actually making fun of him, seeing as Brian said the same thing after their first night in the encampment. He had slept in wolf form every night after. It also allowed him to give Snow his blankets to lay on, without her feeling too guilty about it.

They were led to a room that held a dozen beds.

“This is the room we used to hold in reserve for the royal guards when Ivory and her parents would visit. The servants have freshened it up for you. I thought this would be better, for the pup’s sake. Especially Gabe, he seems to be a bit shy.”

The three brothers nodded, but Brian answered. “Gabe is more reserved around those he doesn’t know. Well, he’s always reserved, just more so in the company of others.”

“With the exception of Snow, from day one they created a bond. He’s come a long way since she came into our lives.” Dean said as he sat on one of the beds.

Brian had no qualms with impropriety, he was too tired. He laid all the way out on the bed he chose. He crossed his ankles and placed both hands behind his head. “We all have. It’s taking a good deal of effort to not think about what happens after all this is over.”

“I’m sure everything will work itself out. Your farm isn’t much farther from the castle than we are now, just a different direction. We still managed to see each other from time to time. At one time, it was quite frequent. Unfortunately, after they lost the male pup, the King refused to let Snow out of his sight.”

“Gee,” Brian yawned. “Sounds like someone else we know. Poor Snow, she always finds the male who thinks she needs to be locked in a bubble.”

Charles laughed. “I feel more for Adam than her. Have you forgotten all their fights already? Snow does not take orders well. She will pop that bubble every time he starts it!”

Jack laughed along with them, feeling a bond with these brothers beginning to form. He was also feeling more and more grateful that they were the ones to find his dear cousin.

“Well, there is a washroom behind that door.” Jack pointed to a small door in the corner. “I will have someone bring fresh water for you. Evening clothes and sleeping clothes have been provided for you as well. They are in the wardrobes. My mother has a knack for knowing people’s sizes, they should fit fine.”

“Sleeping clothes?” Charles mouthed to his brothers after Jack closed the door.

They waited ten seconds then they all ran for the wardrobes, more interested in the latter clothes than the former.