Ivory Snow

Ivory and her group only had to camp one night in the forest before reaching the village she had called home for the last few years. Their journey was smooth and uneventful. Which allowed them to travel at a faster pace.

She slept fitfully. It wasn’t until well into the night that she realized she hadn’t slept alone in some time.

She didn’t like it.

Not.

One.

Bit.

They didn’t camp in the traditional sense either. All the males slept on the ground with blankets, and Ivory stayed in the wagon. She was really beginning to hate that wagon.

She might burn it when they reach the village.

She only tried to escape her prison twice, both times she was stopped by one of the brothers. Who were more than happy to pick her back up and plop her butt back on the pillows. Literally.

Even Gabe got to get out and walk once in a while.

The next afternoon, they set up a small camp in a deep part of the forest near the village. The brothers debated whether their farm would be safe yet. In the end, they decided it was probably too far anyway. Besides, it was on the wrong side of the village. They set up on the Northern end, knowing Ava would be coming from the Southern. Where their farm was.

Ivory refused to sit down as soon as they released her from her prison on wheels. She paced up and down their little campsite. She and her wolf enjoyed the exercise.

Honestly, the wagon hadn’t been the worst part of the trip.

The worst part had been the fact that Ivory knew when the fighting had started. Ever since then, she had been feeling a mixture of emotions. She was too far from Adam to get a clear read, or to talk to him. And it was driving her batty.

Brian and Charles disappeared not long after they arrived. They were hoping to try and get some supplies from people they could trust to be quiet.

The longer they were gone though, the more worried Ivory felt.

When they did finally appear, closer to the sun going down then she would have liked, she rounded on them.

“Where the hell have you two been? Do you have any idea how worried I was? How would I know if Ava had caught you somehow and was torturing you somewhere?”

They froze where they stood, their faces an identical set of confusion and wariness.

She stomped her foot and half screamed in frustration through her teeth. “Did you two forget how to speak while you were gone? Well? What do you have to say for yourselves?”

Charles was the first to break, right into a smile. Then Brian rolled his eyes. He stepped forward and kissed her cheek.

“I’m sorry we worried you. There were more strangers at the market than normal this week. We had to be extra careful. We ended up having to go ask for help.”

Ivory immediately felt guilty, knowing they were just trying to keep her safe, like always. She started quickly patting Brian up and down his arms, looking around him for wounds in the process of healing.

“You’re both alright though?” She moved over to Charles, who she had never known was so ticklish. “Did anyone see you?”

Charles smacked her hands away, drawing shocked faces and hisses from the few guards that were with them. They had been laughing at her antics at first, but they didn’t seem to approve of Charles hitting her.

When he couldn’t get her to stop, he just wrapped her in his arms and hugged her.

“We’re fine, Snow. I know my way around that village better than Jack does his city.”

“Har, har.” Jack said from a far.

The close relationship between her cousin and her brothers warmed Ivory’s heart.

She sniffled and Charles recoiled from her. “Gabe? You’re up, pup!”

Gabe was the only one that seemed to not fear her random tears.

It was too late though. Ivory already had her arms wrapped around his neck and crying harder.

“You were both gone so much longer than I expected! I’m already worried about Adam, Andrew, and Richard. Then you two disappeared. I can’t take this anymore!”

“Sorry about that. It was all my fault. But what happened to make you so sensitive? What happened to the borderline scary female I knew?” A familiar voice said as he walked out of the trees, carrying another large bag.

Ivory couldn’t resist the smile on the face. “Sawyer!” She cheered up.

“Ah. You figured out my little secret.” He answered with a smile, then took a sniff. His smile grew. “Smells like you have one of your own.” He bowed his head at the neck, closing the distance and setting the bag down. “Congratulations, Princess.”

Ivory jumped up and hugged him. “I’m so happy to see you!”

He chuckled. “I see your hormones are already in full swing. Your mother was the same way. One minute crying, one minute laughing, and the next chewing your father a new one for every little thing.”

Ivory looked at him accusingly. “I thought you said you were only at the castle for a short time?”

The Innkeeper, Sawyer, gave her a sheepish look. “I couldn’t very well tell you more without giving it all away. I only visited on occasion, and not since you were a fresh pup. After my father died, I took over the full running of the Inn, I didn’t have the freedom to galivant all over the kingdom as I had been doing. I had made good contacts all over though.”

“Speaking of which…” Jack growled as he stepped forward. He had a grievance with the older wolf that had been bugging him for some time. “All these years we’ve been working together, and you never thought to tell me that my cousin was alive? How many times did I talk to you about her, and you never said a word?”

Sawyer sighed. “I wanted to, Jack, especially when I saw your sorrow.” Sawyer lifted his hands as he shrugged. “It wasn’t my secret to tell. Snow needed her space to come into her own, to become who she was meant to be. If we pushed her before she was ready, it would have backfired. I also had to give Adam time to come around to what I had been able to see from the beginning. They all needed time. And you needed time to become who you were meant to be, apart from everyone else. You ran that city under your father’s nose. Does he know yet, how much you’ve done?”

Jack shifted uncomfortably, clearly not happy with the turn of the conversation. “He knows some of it. I had to explain how I had met Adam before. And how they had come in and out of the city without anyone knowing.”

Sawyer nodded knowingly, picked the bags back up, and began carrying them over to the fire. “It was all bound to come out eventually. Now, I heard our dear Princess hasn’t been quite herself lately, the pregnancy explains a bit. However, I do believe I know how to help you relax and feel more like you. It was the same with both your grandmother and your mother.”

Sawyer began unloading. He pulled out apples, cinnamon, sugar, honey, and various other ingredients.

The brothers came over with more bags that were hidden behind supplies in the new wagon. By the time they were done unloading everything, Ivory practically had a kitchen in the middle of the forest.

She clapped her hands and shrieked with glee. The soldiers laughed and shook their heads. Sawyer reached for one of her hands, stilling them so she would listen.

“I know this party isn’t just about remembering your parents. But I was thinking we could truly honor them by making your father’s favorite apple pie.”

“Darn it, Sawyer! I just stopped crying! What’d you go and say something like that for?” Sure enough, Ivory had tears pouring down her face again. “I can’t think of anything better.”

With the help of the males in camp, they made her a small working table, dug a deep pit, and used large pieces of wood across it to hold the pans out of the worst part of the fire.

She began by mixing dough together in a bowl, one she suspected had been made and sold by her mate. She laid that out to begin rising, while she cut the apples and made her pie filling. She then went back and started rolling out her dough on one of the flat pans they had brought for her. Preparing it for another round of rising. Something her mother had taught her to do.

Sawyer returned to his Inn a little after sundown. The brothers went to bed when they were tired, knowing full well that she would be up half the night.

It took a little longer for the soldiers to get the hint.

By Midnight, Ivory was the only one up beside the two guards on night duty.

When all the filling was made, and the dough set aside to rise, Ivory finally retired for the night.

They still refused to let her sleep on the ground with them. So, she climbed into the back of the wagon. She begrudgingly admitted to herself that it was more comfortable than the ground.

She slept much better this time around, it still sucked but it was better.

At sunrise, she was up again, putting all her little creations together. It wasn’t as much as she could make in a real kitchen, but it felt nice, just the same.

By that evening, she had made three apple pies and a dozen apple turnovers. The turnovers were hardly cooled off before they were split up and divided among her drooling audience.

Sawyer returned just after they finished polishing them off, laughing at the contented smiles. He brought more ingredients for Ivory to use, including some peaches.

“When I got the word that you all were coming, I took some wolves I trust, and we went by the farm. Most of the wheat had been burned away. I’m sorry, but the house was nothing but a charred mess. The fruit trees, however, now they survived. So, we picked as much as we could. Which is where these all came from.”

During his first visit he had finally gotten to ask about the night they left.

“Thank you, Sawyer. It is comforting to know that not everything is gone.” Dean voiced what the rest of them had been feeling.

Ivory had barely gotten the dough done on her second night of baking, also known as her third batch, when Gabe stepped in front of her. He had his hands on his hips and a serious look on his face.

“I’m fine, honestly.”

The slight frown deepened, creating a small crease between his eyes.

“I got plenty of sleep last night, you don’t know what you are talking about.”

Ivory gave an exasperated sigh as she stood up.

“Fine, you win. Help me lay these out and I will go to bed.”

Gabe smiled triumphantly and did as she asked.

The soldiers had grown used to this odd relationship, but they were still baffled by the way she did that. The brothers assured them they would in time. It was just the way the two of them worked.

Ivory worked hard on baking the next day, but try as hard as she might, it wasn’t keeping her mind distracted.

It had now been four days since they left Adam behind. The plan had been for only three days.

By the end of the fifth day, she wasn’t making anything.

She sat on a rock and stared into the darkness, willing him to walk out of it. She only went to bed because Gabe led her there. He just picked up her hand and half dragged her.

Adam and the soldiers were bone tired by the time they reached the outskirts of the village. It had taken them longer to get there, by nearly double the time.

A few random groups of wolves had tried to attack them from the road.

It was the stupidest thing, hundreds of soldiers versus five to ten wolves at a time. They didn’t seem concerned about the numbers though.

They had come with one goal, to kill Adam and the Duke.

Word had reached Ava and Dale about the purple wolf. She was beginning to panic.

When had the Duke’s son changed colors? How?

As soon as her coronation was over Ava had shifted, anxious to see the angelic white. One more thing her sister had taken from her and had apparently taken it with her to the grave.

Ava was still the same muddy brown she had always been.

They hired mercenaries to come in and infiltrate the coming army, so far none had returned.

Dale had ordered soldiers to dress as guests and visitors to the village and to go early. They were keeping a watch out. They were told that if they got the opportunity to take one of them out, then they should take it. No one wanted to take any chances of mistakes this time.

On the morning of the sixth day, two days before the festival and party were to begin, the army made it to the campsite. The Duke’s men and the rogues set up camp half a mile away from where the others were, needing a larger clearing for the army.

Adam couldn’t wait for a messenger to be sent to bring his mate to him. He took off, his little lap dogs following behind, and ran the last bit to his family. When they got close, the guards on duty became alert and held bow and arrows at them.

Adam shifted, sliding on the pants he had carried in his mouth, and stepped out of the trees.

The guards lowered their weapons and bowed.

“Welcome, back, my Lord.”

“You have no idea how happy we are to see you!”

“Why? What’s wrong? Is Snow alright?” Adam tried to steady himself by mentally reaching out for her. He could feel her close, hear her steady breathing, and let a sigh.

“She’s fine, big brother. It’s the rest of us that are going to go nuts. Sawyer tried to keep her baking, but she didn’t last long. The later you arrival became, the worse she got. I’m not sure she said a word for hours before finally going to bed.” Brian walked around the guards and gave him a hug. “You had us worried. Not as much as your mate, but still, worried.”

“Sorry, we had some unexpected bumps in our path. We made camp down the way, about half a mile. As soon as everyone is up, pack it up and join us.” Adam turned to signal to his wolves. “This is Kyle and Leo. They are my permanent shadows. After we take a nap, they can show you the way.”

Adam patted Brian’s arm as he passed him, grateful his brother was well. Brian still seemed like his normal laid-back self, which soothed Adam and his wolf’s fears.

He lifted the back of the cover on the wagon and peeked in. He smiled, feeling like he could finally breathe for the first time in days, watching his mate sleep.

She mumbled something in her sleep and moved restlessly, which worried him a little. Ivory rarely moved in her sleep. She was like the freaking dead when she slept. With the exception of screaming or whimpering when she had a nightmare, anyway. That was all that was all that would happen though. Her body wouldn’t thrash around or even budge.

Very carefully, trying not to make any noise, he climbed into the wagon and slid up next to her. He gently lifted her head and laid his arm under it, then moved to wrap his other arm around her.

Ivory had been sleeping fitfully when her nose was filled with the best scent in the world. She had been dreaming about Adam, it was so real she swore the scent was really there, and then she could feel his arm.

She didn’t care that it was a dream, she rolled into the scent, a small part of her hoping it was the pillows she was snuggling into and not the wall of her wagon.

Adam leaned down and sniffed her hair, this was what he had been missing. He hadn’t slept all that great for days.

It was also the first time he had been in human form in days. After they left the first battle zone, he insisted on not wasting time and energy with putting up his tent.

That meant no place for him to shift without being seen.

It didn’t matter. Most everyone had already assumed he was Jack.

He heard their whisperings while they walked. Some wondered why he stayed in wolf form, seeing as they already knew who he was. Others suggested that it was because their wolves heard better, he was always on guard, or maybe that they wanted the Queen to doubt who it was.

The last one was the closest by far.

That being said, it didn’t take long for Adam to fall into a deep sleep next to his mate.

It wasn’t much later when Ivory was awoken by the sounds of a camp being brought to life and packing up.

She stretched her legs straight down, feeling more rested than she had in a while, calmer too. She took a deep breath of the fresh clean air of the forest. Well, that was the scent she was expecting, the one she got had her eyes flying open.

Adam had woken up when she started moving, as per usual. It was very rare when she would be able to get up without him knowing. And with the way he was holding on to her, she never would have been able to manage it.

Ivory’s eyes lit up when she realized her dream had not been a dream at all. She squealed and threw herself on top of him, somewhat awkwardly since he had a death grip on her waist. It didn’t faze her in the slightest. She just started leaving excited kisses everywhere she could reach.

Adam laughed lightheartedly, pleased with this welcome home. He waited patiently until her lips were close enough, then caught them with his own.

He swiftly maneuvered her onto her back before pulling away.

“Happy Birthday, my Queen.” He whispered as he took his turn leaving much softer kisses on her.

“Is it really? Already?” Ivory felt a wave of panic run through her.

Adam laid back down next to her and pulled her in. There was no point rehashing everything. She knew this was what needed to be done.

Hell, it was her plan.

Ivory rolled back into his side, draping her arm across his stomach.

“What took you so long?”

“Ava called in a lot of favors to try and stop us from coming.”

Ivory braced herself on her elbow, looking down at him. “Did you get hurt? What about the others?”

Adam slid a finger down the side of her face. “Everyone is alright. We lost five total in the first battle, outside the city, since then everyone has been able to heal from any wounds. Your plan worked, love. Most of them think my wolf is Jack.”

Ivory still seemed worried, so he began giving her the details of his trip. Only when he was done did she ask questions, letting herself internalize every detail and examine it.

“So, you can broadcast your thoughts to whomever you want when in wolf?”

“The shape doesn’t matter for us anymore, remember? Here, watch.”

Charles? Can you bring Ivory some water?

They heard a curse reach the clouds and started laughing.

Charles was putting the cooking fire out completely when he heard a voice, that was not his wolf, in his head. He had been so startled, he managed to get hot ashes on his arm.

“What the hell was that?” He shouted.

A wolf he hadn’t met yet ran over to him, searching the tree line.

“What happened? Did you see something?” The blonde asked, flashing a look at his companion, who ran toward the wagon the royal couple was sleeping in.

“No!” Charles scoffed. “I heard something. In my head!” Charles was borderline freaking out. “It almost sounded like Adam asking me to get water for Snow.”

The blonde relaxed and laughed. “That was the King. He found a new trick during our travels. I suggest you do as he asks.”

The male walked away laughing, the black haired one joining him on a log with bread.

Charles grabbed a cup and filled it from one of the barrels they kept with water. He then went to the wagon, where both his brother and sister were sitting up, laughing.

“That was not funny.” He scowled at them.

“I thought it was very funny.” Ivory said with a shrug, holding her hand out for the water.

“Why did you have to scare me like that?” Charles whined, even though his lips were starting to fight upwards. He couldn’t resist a good laugh.

“It is my mate’s birthday, she should wake up laughing, not worrying.” Adam stated matter of factly. “I knew you would be the loudest in your response. Had I picked Gabe or Dean, they wouldn’t have questioned it.”

Charles stuck a tongue out at his older brother. Others could call him the King all they wanted, but as far as he and the others were concerned, he was still just Adam. The brother who raised them, teased them, lectured them, and loved them.

Charles turned, starting to walk away with a shake of his head, then changed his mind. In one fast move, he hopped into the wagon, and tackled Adam.

Ivory squealed with laughter.

Adam growled when her water spilled on his face, making her laugh even harder.

“What?” Charles asked innocently, sitting down on Ivory’s other side. “You did say you wanted her to laugh. Besides, you’ve been on the road for a while. You needed a bath.”

Ivory busted into a fit of giggles. Adam tried to maintain the disapproving scowl at his clown of a brother, but Ivory’s joy made that difficult.

All too soon, they disembarked the small wagon and joined in the efforts of breaking down camp. Another wagon showed up shortly after, empty and prepared to help carry things. Which was good, as Ivory didn’t want to leave her makeshift kitchen behind.

“Are you sure we have a place for it in the new camp?” She asked Kyle.

“Yes, my Lady. By now they have your tent up and ready for you. It is large enough. You can probably fit all of this in there with you.”

Ivory frowned. Why did they need such a large tent for just the two of them?

When it came time to leave, the argument of her wagon came back up again.

“You’re riding in the wagon.” Adam said firmly, his claws poking into his own sides.

“It’s not that far of a walk. I can make it that far without any difficulty.”

“You’re both riding in the wagon, so knock it off.” Brian commanded them, he was bored with their arguing. It wasn’t as entertaining as it once was.

Adam rounded on him with his eyes wide. “Excuse me? I am not riding in that… thing.” He pointed at the wagon filled with bags and pillows, disgusted by the idea of it.

Ivory huffed at his hypocrisy.

“Yes, you are. The other soldiers still think you are me, you cannot be seen in human form. There are also too many of Ava’s spies walking about for you to be moving around in wolf form. You will lead them straight to our camp. And whether we have higher numbers or not, being surrounded and slaughtered in our sleep will not be helpful.” Jack added, standing next to his friend.

It would need to be a team effort to go against this strong wolf.

Kyle sauntered up, looking uncomfortable. “Actually, sir.” He addressed Jack. “It might be better for all three of you to be in the wagon. Seeing as everyone thinks you are the purple wolf.”

Adam smirked at Jack’s astonishment.

“What’s wrong? Are you both too prideful to ride in the back of the wagon with the weak and pregnant Princess?” Ivory asked haughtily. She gracefully walked over to the wagon. At least she wasn’t the only one being treated like a pup.

Leo was standing nearby. He held a hand toward her, which she took, and helped her into the wagon. He then released her and raised it again. Adam glared at his hand, which dropped away quickly. The King didn’t need any help getting in.

Ivory grinned at her grumpy mate as he sat down toward the front. Poking fun at him was always a good time, but she missed him too much. She scooted over, placing herself in front of him. Without a thought, and hardly paying attention, Adam pulled her against his chest.

The injured pride his wolf felt began to deflate. Getting to hold their mate wasn’t so bad. They could get over the fact that they were once again hiding, as long as their mate was right there with them.

Jack looked disgruntled as he climbed in with them. Which also helped lighten Adam’s mood.