The Alpha's Temptation

"The fire festival?" Biham almost squeaked. He knew what that was.

The fire festival was only celebrated in the Draka Kingdom and it was when the werewolves met their mates and mated them. Men and women from all over the kingdom were invited once a year and it was their chance to find a mate. Though finding one was as rare as finding a needle in hay stock, yet they all came and took their chances. Most ended up marrying after knowing each other for a while, whereas some were marriages of convenience.

"B—but Tania is too young to attend it!" he protested. He was scared that she wouldn't return if she found her mate. What if her mate turned out to be a slave like that of Sirrah? What if he turned out to be of lowly life? He simply couldn't let his daughter be out of his sight.

"How old is she?" Eltanin asked, narrowing his eyes.

"She has just turned eighteen."

"That is the ripe age for entry to the festival," Eltanin replied with a stubborn smile. Then suddenly his expression hardened. "Are you rejecting my invitation?"

A thin line of sweat broke on his forehead. "No, not at all!" Biham blurted. King Eltanin's army was stationed outside his territory and they could attack any time. The king himself was now in the carriage with him and inviting the right heir of Pegasii to strengthen the relations between two kingdoms, which was a natural thing to do. All new crown princes or princesses were invited like this across all the kingdoms. However, Lusitania's case was different. He didn't want her to leave his side even for a minute. At the same time, he couldn't leave his kingdom. The only option left was that he sent Lusitania only for a day and that too with Sirrah and a unit of his soldiers.

"Well, then it is settled. Tania will go back with me to Draka for the fire festival!" Eltanin said as a final statement. "I would like it if you accompany her." He wanted to eliminate the possibility of Morava joining them.

"Go with you?" Biham said, jerking his head back in a shock. Did the king not realize that Lusitania was no more his slave girl? He was talking as if he owned her completely. "It would be better if you leave first, King Eltanin. I am sure you will have to make a lot of preparations for the festival. Lusitania will come a day after."

"I don't have to prepare for the festival, King Biham. My servants will be doing that."

Biham realized his mistake. "Of course!" he sputtered.

Eltanin placed his hand on his thighs and leaned forward in an intimidatory manner. He growled, "And Tania won't be able to reach Draka if she starts a day after on the right time. She has to start today itself."

Biham felt as if sands of time were slipping through his hands. He didn't know what to say next. And just as he was thinking that he was running out of options, Eltanin added, "Tania is still my slave. I haven't freed her of my bondage." He was on the tip of telling him that she was from Cetus Monastery, but that would have been disastrous. He didn't want to reveal Tania's true identity as a spy.

Biham was well aware of the slaves and how they were bonded to their Masters. It was a blood oath that they had to take. He looked at his daughter with pity and sadness. In his happiness he had completely forgotten about that part. His daughter had to be released of her blood oath. Till then, she was going to be Eltanin's slave. "You must release her from the bondage, King Eltanin," Biham said like a plea. "After all, she would be the Luna Princess of Pegasii now."

"I will but for that she needs to be in my kingdom," Eltanin said in an authoritative voice.

After a long moment of silence, he said, "Okay, she can go with you, but my wife Sirrah will be accompanying her. Lusitania is too naïve to be left alone."

Eltanin couldn't say no to that. Sirrah was the queen of Pegasii and practically Tania's mother. "She is most welcome," he replied but at the back of his mind he started forming plans on how to keep Sirrah away.

The entire journey was over in two hours. When Tania came back after her fate was being decided, pushed and pulled, by two most important men in her life, she was both physically and mentally exhausted. She wanted to go back to her room in quiet and peace but she was taken to the throne hall for her coronation. It was as if her day was suddenly filled up with things that she would normally do in a year. From the corner of her vision, she saw Sirrah also walking behind them. She wanted to ask many questions from her about her mother, but she thought it would be best to stall those questions for now because Sirrah looked like she could murder her.

The throne hall was packed. The guards announced their arrival. The red carpet in the center of the throne hall was showered with petals of flowers as soon as Tania entered. Her fingers rested in the crook of her father's arm as he walked proudly beside her. Eltanin and Rigel and the rest of them walked right behind them. Now that Eltanin had made his entry, he wasn't going to leave Tania even for a minute.

As Tania moved forward, each and every courtier and guard present in the throne hall bowed to her. She found it all extremely awkward. Nervous and not knowing how to react to all of it, she held the side of her gown tightly and dug her nails in her father's arm.

Eltanin wanted to go and soothe his mate but he knew that it would be too soon of an intervention. He decided to wait until she was alone so that he could teach her the ways of the royals. His heart saddened at the thought. Tania was a royal but was robbed of her lineage. He was going to find out about the person who benefitted from it all and he was going to kill them to make this world a better and safer place for her to live.

A priest was standing on the dais where two cushioned thrones were. As soon as Tania reached the dais, her father made her stand in front of all the courtiers. After that he nodded at the priest who immediately started chanting the ancient words for the ceremony. Biham had asked him to cut short the ceremony because he wanted to see the crown on her head as soon as possible.

The priest did as he was told. The ceremony which would have taken at least an hour, finished in a quarter of an hour. He lifted a knife from a tray that was being held by his assistant. "Give me your hand," he said to Tania. He sliced her palm and picked her hand up. The blood trickled on Biham's crown that was in his hand. A golden shine pulsated out of the crown sharply. The red drop mingled and disappeared.

The priest made Biham wear his crown and a gem encrusted gold tiara to Lusitania.

Lusitania was forever bonded to Pegasii.