The Alpha's Temptation

Ileus tilted his head as he scratched his day-old stubble. "What do you think, Rolfe? Are you up for it?"

Rolfe shrugged. "I don't mind, but I need to know more about Felis and his Nyxers."

The way he said 'I don't mind' made Rigel wonder about the powers this man held. He was also a demon, but he was a pure-blooded demon--one with the same bloodline as the faes. These demons were just as powerful as faes, if not more. "I can fill in the information for you, but I must warn you that this isn't a mission that can be done easily. Nyxers are... not easy to kill. It's a rumor that if their blood drops onto the Hydra soil, the soil produces another Nyxer." He let out a nervous laugh.

Rolfe chuckled as he sipped his tea. "That rumor is bullshit. How can that happen? If that happens, I would like to take some of it back home. What must be happening is that the magic in soil might be showing a mirage of the Nyxer who died on it. And nothing else. Once an immortal dies, their soul goes forever in the Land of Gaira in our realm. And I think your souls go to the Fade. That's why once a Nyxer dies, they won't come alive again. Though I can't say if their souls are accepted by the Fade."

Sucking in a sharp breath at his theory, Rigel nodded. "No one in Araniea knows where Fade is..."

"That's better," replied Ileus. "It's a burden to know where it is. Life becomes complicated when you have people who try to explore Fade."

"So, tell us more about the Hydra kingdom," said Rolfe impatiently. "We would like to finish this job as soon as possible!"

This was them telling Rigel that they would help him find his mate. For the rest of the evening, Rigel told them about Nyxers and Felis and how Felis had been trying for centuries to control Eltanin's beast How Eltanin had been able to escape Felis's clutches. "However, Eltanin's control over his beast is lessening. They say that if Felis captures Eltanin this time, he will be able to leash it with his dark magic, and only when he claims his mate with her full powers will he be able to defeat Felis."

"Isn't Eltanin a demi-god? What about his magic?" asked Ileus.

Rigel pursed his lips as he stretched his legs in front of him. He leaned back on his arms. "There is a prophecy about him, which states that only if he is able to find his mate and claim her with his bite, would he be able to use his gifts. He has found his true mate in the form of Lusitania and he has claimed her. But... I don't know whether his magic has been unleashed or not. Moreover, they have just gotten married and their marriage is being kept under wraps."

"Why?" Ileus's brows furrowed.

"It's their decision. Maybe because Eltanin fears that his enemies are close and may harm Lusitania. Apart from that, things are very complicated. One of the most complex parts is that a part of Lusitania's soul was pinched and held captive by the High Priest of Cetus Monastery. And if they reveal that they are already mates or married, Lusitania would be at a high risk of never getting freed from this captivity."

To say that Rolfe and Ileus were both shocked, was an understatement. They were aghast. "This kind of dark magic is banned in all realms. Yet the High Priest is using it and no one has pointed it out?"

Rigel shook his head, his expressions gloomy. "We learned about it after we had found Lusitania. That's why Eltanin is all the more cautious. There is a serious ploy taking place in Cetus Monastery, but we don't know what. At the same time, there's a constant threat from Felis. Eltanin just can't take any chances in revealing his mate. And at the same time, it is also their decision. But I know for sure that Eltanin needs you to help Lusitania translate the Yunabi arcana. He mentioned that every time Lusitania translates a dark arcana, its magic gets imbibed by her and becomes more powerful."

"How is that possible? You simply don't go around absorbing dark magic and become powerful!" Rolfe growled. "You either have it in your blood or you don't!"

"Lusitania is half-fae..."

"What?" Ileus jerked his head back. "What the fuck?"

Rigel's lips curled up. He leaned forward with his elbows on his thighs. "Lusitania's mother, Kinshra, was a pureblooded fae who had come with King Ian Aramaer's group to visit King Biham." Rigel glanced away from them. "Kinshra happened to be Biham's mate. It's a long painful story of rejections and betrayals. But long story short, Lusitania was born out of wedlock. She is a half werewolf and half fae."

Ileus's eyes widened. So were his children, except they had wizardry in their genes as well. "Has she shifted yet?" he asked. He wondered if Anastasia would end up coming here to help Lusitania. He abandoned the idea. Araniea was... unstable at the moment.

"No. Why?" Rigel asked, feeling curious at his question.

"I would love to see her shift!"

"Are you thinking what I am thinking?" Rolfe asked with a knowing smile.

Ileus nodded.

"Is there a way of making her shift?"

"There should be," Ileus replied as he rubbed his mouth.

"Lusitania hasn't shifted as of yet," Rigel informed them, his curiosity rising to the next level.

"Not as of yet. She will," Ileus said in a mysterious way.

It was past midnight before Rigel had finished the conversation. By that time, all the men were quite tired. Two more tents were erected for them. Before leaving, Rolfe said to Rigel, "Were you actually planning on going to Hydra kingdom with only these men?"

Rigel gave him a tight smile. "I was. I didn't have an option. If I told this to my father, the king of Orion, he would have probably ridiculed me and banned me from leaving Orion out of his concern for my safety."

Rolfe shook his head and then he patted Rigel on the shoulders. "Sometimes, one must not act like a fool to obtain their mate." Though Rolfe, himself, would have totally fought all sorts of dangers to get his mate. It was different that he had found her on the shores of the frozen lake. Well, there was no harm in giving advice to others. "Also, get your soldiers ready before dawn. If what you are saying is true, our only chance of getting into Hydra is before dawn and without your soldiers. We need them on this side of the Hydra borders."

"I will," Rigel said, feeling indebted to the two legends in front of him.

The last ribbon of stars in the night sky were dazzling. Wind had picked up its speed and the flaps of the tents fluttered noisily. A movement stirred outside and the next instant, Rigel was in deep sleep, tired as hell for having traveled the whole day. Sensing the motion, he jumped out of his bed, picking up the dagger that was beneath his pillow. A dark silhouette of a man appeared by the tent.