The Alpha's Temptation

Rigel was... conflicted. Did he smell his mate? And if he smelled her, did she also smell him? And what was she doing in Hydra? A shudder passed through his body violently. Rigel sank on the ground, his chest panting heavily as air punched out of his lungs. What if-- what if she was one of the breeders in Hydra? Or was it that the Nyxers had abducted her a week back and were taking her to Hydra for breeding?

Nyxers were notorious for abducting women. They didn't have enough breeders in Hydra and so whatever women were born naturally to the alphas were heavily guarded. They were used only for alphas. But the Nyxers who were not alphas needed to satiate their desires and that was why they kidnapped girls from other kingdoms. The worst part was that their king Felis encouraged it all.

Rigel brought his hands to his face and rubbed it roughly as if trying to remove the agony, the anguish and desperation. He felt as if his soul was going to burn through when he tried to fathom the agony of the girl who was his mate and held captive in Hydra.

Suddenly, the air charged with electricity. A crackle of thunder sounded in the distance. The bleached leaves of the trees susurrated as if whispering something ominous. Rigel looked up at the skies. Clouds gathered and whirled above him. The center flashed lightning. The air rippled and became loaded with a heavy coppery smell as if laden with magic, dark and ancient magic. Goosebumps pebbled on his skin and he got up. A strong gust of wind blew his hair and clothes behind, his cloak flapping noisily. He whirled in his place, feeling as if something was about to attack, and that something was loaded with dark magic. His hand went to the hilt of his sword, ready to attack. His fangs grew and his eyes flickered winter blue. His chest rumbled with a menacing growl.

Right in front of him, a dense whorl formed in the air. White leaves got sucked. The whorl slowly started increasing. It grew in size rapidly and when it was wide enough for a man to pass through, it stopped increasing. A portal.

Rigel stared at it with wide eyes as his shoulders tensed. Portals had stopped forming in Araniea long back after Kinshra was rejected. He had sent his men far to search for them but they said that not a single one was left open. Did he accidentally find a lost or abandoned portal? He took a step towards it when all of a sudden, someone stepped out of it.

A tall and well-muscled man with shell-colored horns that curled back against his dark hair. His eyes were a brilliant green set on his masculine face. He looked fearsome and terrifyingly handsome. He stared at Rigel for a moment and then looked around at the mound.

"Who are you?" Rigel demanded. He had seen demons but not those with horns and certainly not so handsome.

"I am Rolfe Cranan Aramaer," he said as he returned the favor of staring at Rigel. "I was called by King Eltanin, but this looks like wilderness, not his kingdom," he said, waving at the surroundings.

Rigel's mouth fell to the floor as he gaped at Rolfe, the demon king of Galahar. As if that was not all, the portal behind him rippled again and yet another man even more handsome than him came out it.

"Where the fuck are we?" he said with a scowl. "And where the fuck is the king?"

"And this is Ileus Volkov, Prince of Draoidh."

Rigel opened his mouth to say something but he snapped it shut. He opened it again, but he couldn't find words.

"You look like a fish without water," said Ileus, as Rolfe flicked his wrist and the portal collapsed. "Who are you?" he asked as he brushed white leaves from his maroon tunic and wavy hair that fluttered on the column of his neck.

Rigel's throat dried. Ileus Volkov! This was the first time he had seen him and every myth and legend that he had heard about him seemed true. A man with broad shoulders and raven black eyes, he was muscular. The tunic on his body seemed to stretch with his muscles. A half werewolf and half wizard, he was a force to reckon with in Lore. And this was the man whose wife was a pure blooded fae who was none other than the princess of Vilinski. How could a man be so lucky?

Ileus raised his eyebrow as he placed his hands on his waist. "Did we come to the right place, Rolfe?" Both men popped their ears. "Damn this inter-realm travel!" he muttered.

"You were the one who gave me the coordinates of the portal. You should know it," Rolfe replied as he scanned the woods of the Ivory Forest. "Don't tell me that you wanted an adventure. I got a wife waiting for me and my kids!"

Ileus rolled his eyes. "Stop being so dramatic. Your wife is my sister!" He looked at Rigel again and glared at him. "Now can you tell us who are you and are we in Araniea?"

Rigel snapped out of his trance. His cheeks pinkened. He must be looking like a fool, staring at the two mighty men of the Lore. "I am Prince Rigel of Orion, and you are in the realm of Araniea," he replied in a hoarse voice. Every fiber of his body was excited as hell. Not only had he found a portal, two important men came out of the portal right in front of him. Surely, the faes were not so angry now. Wait. Ileus had created the portal. It wasn't a portal that was already existing. He tilted his head to look at the portal, but there was nothing. "H--how did you manage to create a portal? Araniea's portals have long been lost."

Ileus started walking down the mound as Rolfe followed him. "Rolfe created the portal. He can." Little did Rigel know that Rolfe Cranan Aramaer was over a hundred years old demon who had inherent dark magic flowing in his blood.

Rigel ran after them, giving a fleeting glance at his back where the portal was. The strong gusts of wind had stopped, the clouds had cleared and the place looked as quiet as it was earlier. "I have camped at the foot of this mound. Please join me."

"Where is Eltanin's kingdom?" Ileus asked with mounting irritation. "I need to deliver this demon to him and then get going. My wife is expecting me for dinner!" An angry grunt from Rolfe came. "Stop being so grumpy, demon. You agreed to visit Eltanin. It's not that I have abducted you."

"I know where Eltanin's kingdom is!" Rigel said, as he walked with them. "I can take you there. Eltanin and I are thick friends."

Ileus rubbed his hand. "Then please take us there as soon as possible."

"You have traveled from a different realm. Why don't you sit down and have tea with me?" Rigel offered. "Draka is pretty far from here, and I am afraid that if you make portals to go there, you will be detected."

"So?" Rolfe asked, stopping in his tracks.