The Alpha's Temptation

In the morning when Tania woke up, her hands went to her side to search for the familiar warmth and scent that she savored for the whole night. She jerked her eyes open when she realized that was alone. Her mood dipped. She had spent the whole night in Eltanin's arms, even though there were only a few hours remaining for the night to end. "I will come to visit you every night, Tania," he had said just before she went off to sleep on his sweet reassurances.

Tania yawned and stretched her limbs. She turned her gaze to the left and through the gauzy curtains found a group of maids waiting for her. Not used to this kind of a treatment, she woke up with a start and removed her fur. The maids hurried and they immediately gave her sandals to wear before she placed her feet on the ground. "Th— that won't be necessary!" she blurted.

"It is, my lady," said the maid who had given her a bath yesterday evening. "His Highness wants us to dress you appropriately because he is taking you out in the capital to introduce you to the subjects."

Tania was stunned. Everything was happening at a lightning speed. Just a day back she came to know that she was a princess, that King Biham was her father, that Princess Morava was her half-sister and that she was the real heir of a kingdom! Her life had turned upside down or the other way round.

"After that there would be a meeting with King Eltanin and Prince Rigel," the maid continued.

Stunned, Tania raised her eyebrow. "Why?" she asked cautiously.

"I don't know, my lady," said the maid. "But the rumors are that King Eltanin wants to meet the slave girl who was abducted from his kingdom and he wants to be reassured that she is doing fine."

Tania suppressed a chuckle. The wolf was too cunning. He was just finding ways to meet her. A pale blush rose on her cheeks.

She gulped the lump in her throat as she stared at the maid. Was she even ready for this? What if her Master came to know about it? Would he come and claim her and demand the kingdom in exchange for her soul? Too many frightening thoughts made her tremble. She got up on wobbly feet. An hour later after she was given a thorough bath with sandalwood oil and various other lotions rubbed on her body, she was dressed in a blue silk gown that matched her eye color. It had a square neck and a brocade bodice that accentuated her curves. The skirt had a lot of fabric and so it pooled on her ankles. A large gold belt of gauzy material knotted like a butterfly on the small of her back. Half her hair was pulled up and pinned by gold pins and the remaining were curled to fall on her shoulders. The maid made her wear blue diamond earrings with a matching necklace.

As Tania sat in front of the mirror, stunned at whatever was going on, she couldn't believe that she looked so different. Earlier, she looked like any other ordinary girl who was so timid and fragile and scared of the world, but now she stared back at her reflection with confidence. There was only one consternation in her mind—the tangerine soul stone.

"Would you like me to remove it, my lady?" asked the maid, seeing her brushing her finger on the chain that held it.

Tania jerked out of her stupor. Releasing a shaky breath, she shook her head. "No…"

The maid nodded at her assistant who brought a flat rectangular box. She opened it to reveal a white gold tiara that had diamonds. She fixed it in Tania's hair and gave her a huge smile. "You look so beautiful, my lady. May the moon shine on you forever."

Tania blushed as her lips curled up. "Thank you," she replied.

"Come, my lady," the maid offered her hand. Being tended to was so different from tending to others. She hesitated for a moment and then took the offered hand and rose to her feet.

Biham was waiting for them in the main hall. He was pacing the hall with fresh anxiety. He didn't want to delay Tania's coronation as his heiress, and for that he had to prepare his subjects first. Not only that he had to—

The guard announced her arrival. "Princess Lusitania!"

As soon as she entered the hall, Biham's breath lodged in his throat. The girl was a replica of her mother, only that she had blue-green eyes whereas Kinshra had bright blue eyes. Images of his mate flashed across his mind and his eyes became misty. Kinshra was the love of his life. His heart ached for her every day because even though he had rejected her, she never rejected him and that meant that their rejection was not complete. The dull ache in his heart for his mate always remained. Even Sirrah's beauty and the birth of their daughter Morava, never reduced it.

Lusitania walked to him with trepidation in her eyes. The nervousness was etched on her features. He knew that everything was new to her, but he had no time to build her confidence. He would take each day as it came. He had to teach her a lot. Had she been with him since the beginning, he would have given her a far more rigorous training that what he did to Morava.

"Come here my child," he said proudly. She was so beautiful that he was sure that no one else in the whole of Araniea matched her beauty. He could sense how everyone in the main hall, right from the courtiers who had gathered to see her, to the guards and the servants watched her with intrigue. He knew that they were mesmerized by her. She had a soft halo around her face and that was because her mother was a fae.

Tania closed the distance between them. She bowed to the king and waited for his next step, biting her lips out of anxiety. She was under a lot of pressure. Biham held both her hands and squeezed them as warmth filled his chest. He was sure that if the Draka king saw her, he would ask for her hand in marriage, and he wasn't going to give her. He would offer his older daughter only. Tania was his child, and he intended to make her the queen of Pegasii. She was his legacy.

"How are you feeling, Lusitania?" he asked.

"I am well."

"Good. Come with me," he said and without wasting time he started walking to the royal gardens.

Located in the center of the palace, the royal gardens were heavily guarded. Biham and Tania entered the corridor that was cordoned off for others. They reached a wooden door that was heavily crafted. He placed his hand on the handle and chanted an incantation. The door creaked open. Biham was amazed. She had passed the first test. The door never opened for Sirrah or Morava, but it opened for her. With a sigh of relief and immense joy, he opened the door wide open for Lusitania to enter.