The Alpha's Temptation

Tania was taken to the temple where priests performed more ceremonies. It was about midnight when she exited the palace at the very front of where a crowd had gathered under the velvety night sky with soft cotton-ball like clouds drifting giving a view of the stars that dazzled above every now and then. There was a mix of guests from the capital and courtiers. A row of carriages and horses with soldiers and wagons were standing, waiting for them.

Although the Draka army was supposed to meet them on the outside of the capital, Biham was surprised to see that Eltanin had come along with a small unit of his army to take Lusitania with him. It was as if he was taking back his bride. Unease settled in his heart at the thought of Lusitania being Eltanin's bride.

Biham was holding her hand as they descended the stairs more to show Eltanin that Tania belonged to Pegasii. When they reached the bottom, he said, "Always stay near Sirrah. She is going to guard you with her life." He had warned Sirrah that if he saw a single bruise on Lusitania, he was going to make her living life a hell. Then he lowered his voice. "We want to marry off Morava with the king. If possible, put those words in his ear and convince him to marry her. I know that Morava hasn't been nice to you." His eyes had a tight expression. "But now dynamics have changed greatly. She is your half-sister and you have to see her bright future. Besides, her being tucked safely with Eltanin, you would be able to rule Pegasii nicely."

Tania strangled an emotion akin to hatred and shoved it deep down. "Your Highness," she said, "Are you giving up the throne of Pegasii any sooner?"

Biham jerked his head back. He looked at her as if gauging her. "Dear girl," he said as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Don't think too far and remember what I told you." Then he kissed her hair and released her.

Tania moved on from her toward Eltanin instinctively but Sirrah came in between them and halted their movement. "Come this way, Lusitania," she said, pointing to a carriage. Tania was taken by surprise, but what could she do? Under the tight scan of her father and others, she walked to the carriage which Sirrah had pointed at. The coachman opened the door for her.

It was pretty dark inside the carriage and a lantern hung on the bottom. She stepped inside and felt a presence. She turned her face sharply to the left only to find herself staring into Morava's face. Tania turned pale. She thought of fleeing from the carriage when Sirrah stepped in. She was forced to sit on the bench and Sirrah sat beside her. An unknown fear gripped her but she clasped her hands tightly in her lap and then looked outside the window of the carriage. Morava sat quietly in the carriage and so did Sirrah and none of them glanced at her. Tania wondered if she would get even a wink of sleep.

The carriage started rolling and Tania heard horse hooves clopping the ground. The seat of the carriage was a dark velvet. It had wood paneled walls that were lined with leather and fur to keep the war inside. The floor was plush with a woven carpet. Even though the interiors were luxurious and warm, she had broken into cold sweat and she felt cramped.

They were outside the palace premises and into the capital. Soon they were out of Pegasii. She noticed that there was not a single tent of Draka army. All the soldiers were now on their saddles, waiting for their king to join them.

"Aren't you lucky, Tania?" Morava mocked, as soon as they were out of the palace. "You have the attention of the Draka king. Did you tell our father that you were his whore before coming to Pegasii?"

Tania looked out through the window. She didn't want to argue with Morava. She felt like chanting an incantation and turning her into a rodent. The life of which she actually deserved.

Morava leaned a little forward and lowered her voice. "Does he know that the Draka king is taking back his whore with him in the name of a fire festival?"

Tania whipped her head in her direction and studied her for a moment. She realized that Sirrah was leaning away from them and resting in a corner over a soft pillow and pretending to sleep. Through the darkness she could make out a faint smile on her face.

"Why Morava?" Tania said in a low voice. "Are you jealous?"

Morava's nostrils flared. "You bitch! You dare to compare me with you, a whore?" She picked up her hand to strike it across Tania's face, but stopped midair as Tania glared at her. Morava didn't know how, but she felt as if her hand was being forced down. Sweat broke on her face as she tried to resist the force. Air rippled around her like it was charged with something too menacing.

"If you do that again, I will make sure that your hands are tied behind your back forever," Tania growled.

"Morava!" Sirrah lashed. "Stop it and behave!"

Morava's chest rose and fell and then she snapped her head to look outside.

The pace of the procession was achingly slow and Tania realized that both Sirrah and Morava had gone off to sleep or were pretending to sleep. Who knew?

Chilled air passed through the gap in the frames as the procession moved away from Pegasii towards Eslam forest. The carriage was surrounded by at least a dozen soldiers of Pegasii. They escorted them down the long winding path in the midst of the Eslam forest.

As they traveled further away, the clouds began to gather densely, the weather ending its reprieve. The rain started to fall heavily, the shimmery lines freezing the moment they touched the glass of the window. However, no one stopped and the group continued to travel because the soldiers were adapted to the cold of the unpredictable Eslam forest. The guards simply put their hoods on. The rain stopped as soon as it came.

As they took the meandering road along the rim of a mountain, Tania tried to relish the peace of the night, tried her best to pay attention to the rain and snow, but the moment the carriage would slide on patch of ice or jolted over a rock, her heart would jump into her throat. Soon, she wanted to go out in the wide open and not be stifled with the two women who she could never trust in her life.

She tapped her knuckles against the window. Both Morava and Sirrah opened their eyes instantly and stared at her through darkness. The carriage slowed down and without waiting for it to stop, she got up, opened the carriage door and slowly jumped out of it. "Lusitania!" Sirrah called her as she jutted her head out of the window. "Come back in. It is cold outside."

"No, I want to stretch my legs," she replied and looked behind the carriage. Eltanin was right there on his stallion, Wind. Their heated gazes met.