The Alpha's Temptation

"Your dress will become wet," Taiyi warned her light-heartedly.

"It's fine," Tania giggled. She was already looking at men and women who were seated next to each other and were lovingly stroking the tails. She couldn't help notice the shiny blue, green, orange and red iridescent scales. The scales would glimmer every time a ray of light fell on them.

Taiyi leaned closer to her ear and said, "Don't touch their tails, okay? Mermen are sensitive creatures."

Tania pursed her lips as a blush formed on her cheeks. It was as if a child was caught stealing a cookie for a jar. She shook her head glibly. Taiyi took her to a group of courtiers who were sitting the nearest. She introduced Tania to them and said, "Please take care of her before leaving."

The courtiers, out of which four were men and one woman, looked at her with keen interest and bowed. They made place for her to sit as they shifted on the sides. Tania lifted her gown to her knees and stepped inside the warm water of the pool. She sat on the stony bench and her gown floated to her thighs. She pushed it down, hoping that none saw it, but no one seemed to be bothered. Seeing that the princess had joined them, more courtiers came over and bowed to her.

"I am Esmeralda. And you look very pretty, Your Highness," said one of the women with a wide grin. "You must visit the main city. Citizens would love to see you and Prince Eltanin."

Tania's eyes were on her red fishtail that flared into a brilliant yellow on her waist. "I will, surely..." she replied. Her gaze shifted to yet another tail that of a man. It was a peacock blue with deep blue scales towards his waist. Tania was mesmerized how these men and women stood in water supported by their tails. "How is the city here?" she asked with curiosity.

"It is beautiful! You will get some of the finest pearls. I have heard that an Urzan merchant has brought rare black pearls. You must take a look at them," Esmeralda replied.

"No, not that," Tania said. "I mean do you have to swim everywhere to reach the shops in the city?"

Everyone fell silent for a moment and Tania felt she asked the wrong question. She bit her lip, feeling awkward.

"There is a tunnel for those who can't swim," Esmeralda explained. "You don't have to worry. When Prince Eltanin came to Stourin for the first time, the queen had the tunnel built to go everywhere for him. It is a pity that he doesn't come around much."

"Oh!" Tania was impressed.

"Our queen is one of the best in the Jade Sea," a man said.

Tania smiled at him trying her best not to look at his beautiful tail.

"She is," Esmeralda nodded. She swam towards Tania and came and sat next to her. "She had come out of her depression after marrying Alpha Alrakis and that has been the best thing that could have happened to her."

"Depression?" Tania was puzzled.

"Yes. It is said that someone had taken her against her will and she was freed after King Izo's timely intervention," Esmeralda said in a gloomy voice. "But she was absolutely fine after Prince Eltanin's birth!"

"I see..." Tania felt strange. She was going to ask Eltanin about it.

Esmeralda called a servant who brought a tray of fried prawns and green seaweed coiled around boneless fish. "You must try the seaweed fish, Your Highness," she said. "It is something you will never find on land."

Tania picked it up from the tray. She ate it as everyone watched her, and she felt all the more awkward. She wasn't used to this kind of attention at all. Her cheeks pinkened. She diverted the topic to what she was curious about. "Your tails--how do they work? Don't you feel restricted? And those scales must be so... prickly!"

At first, they all blinked at her and then smiled and then a few of them burst into laughter. "We feel more comfortable like this rather than walking on our two feet," Esmeralda replied very politely. "With our tails' powerful movements, we are able to rudder into water better. Imagine being in deep waters with only your legs to propel your body. It is very difficult. Our tails do a better job. As for the scales, they are a part of us. You would be surprised at the kind of equipment sold in the market of Stourin to keep them clean and shiny." Esmeralda swished her tail in Tania's direction and added, "Would you like to feel it?"

"Yes!" Tania almost squealed. "I would love to!" Saying that she gulped down her food and placed her hand on Esmeralda's tail and ran down the length on the side. Her fingers tingled at the touch. The scales were like armor--thick at some places and thinner at the other. "These are beautiful," she murmured, totally enthralled. She moved her hand all around the tail and a heavy blush bloomed upon Esmeralda. "Why are you blushing?" asked Tania.

"You can check Kirgis' tail," Esmeralda blabbered in order for Tania to remove her hand from her tail. She pointed to the man with peacock blue scales.

Tania got up excitedly and waddled through water to reach him. The man was petrified, but by the time he could step back, Tania's fingers were on his tail. She ran them lengthwise from his waist to his hips and then down. Her lips parted at the sheer beauty of them. When she looked up at him, he was red till his neck. "Am I hurting you?" she asked.

"No!" he squeaked and closed his eyes as if trying his best to control his emotions. "But Thyr has better scales than mine," he pointed to a man with azure tail standing beside him.

"What?" Thyr gasped and tried to move away, but Tania was on his tail by then. There was a loud splash of water around her as Kirgis turned around and swam away  as fast as possible.

With a broad smile, she brought both her hands up and grabbed Thyr's tail.

"Nooo!" he squeaked like a mouse. "Your Highness!"

In her excitement, she squeezed his flesh, and Thyr's eyes rolled in his head. Suddenly, she could feel the scales rippling. "What is happening?" she asked wide eyed as she stared at the center of the tails just below where the scales flared to his hips. She took her hand to the sides and stroked him gently. "Am I hurting you?" she asked. But Thyr's body was on fire. The scales parted from the center. She stared at it. "Your scales! Your tail!" she shouted.

"Tania!" Eltanin's voice echoed in the chamber. People saw him running at god-speed, and the next moment he jumped into the pool. He grabbed Tania by shoulders and yanked her away from Thyr, whirling her in his direction.

"Eltanin!" she rasped. "I think I hurt Thyr badly!"

Eltanin looked at Thyr and saw that his erection had started emerging.

"We must check on him!" Tania was panicky. "Now!" She tried to turn her head, but Eltanin pressed her face into his chest, giving a murderous glare to Thyr.