The Alpha's Temptation

The wind had begun to howl outside as snow battered against the window panes, as if an angry ghost was punching it but failed to break it. The weak gray light poured inside through the window. Lerna wiped the mist from the glass and peered down.

The height at which she was at made her feel dizzy. She never liked this side of the palace. When she was younger, she had taken a ride down the mountain. It was dangerous, even on clear days, the road was icy and littered with wet divots and protruding rocks. However, when there was a winter storm, it was even more treacherous. Because of the dangers on this side, the palace gates mostly remained closed. Very few Nyxers were posted on this side because no one traveled here. They were posted for the sake of it.

Lerna tried to pierce her gaze through the blizzard, but there was no one as far as she could see. She went back to the door to exit the bathroom and the scent picked up again. A shudder passed through her body and goosebumps pebbled her skin. The nannies were waiting for her. As soon as they saw her, they rushed to her.

"Princess Lerna!" said one of them as she held her hand and tugged her. "It is very cold. You should come sit next to the fireplace."

Lerna jerked her hand away from her. She ran to the door of the room. As soon as she had opened it, a waft of the smell of pine needles crushed in snow reached her and her nostrils flared. On their own volition, her feet picked up speed as she crossed another room. She dashed past the guards on the spiral stairs that led down, but as soon as she was three stories down, she was stopped by a group of Nyxers. They snarled at her as they bared fangs and formed a human shield.

"Where are you going?" their leader growled.

"Move," Lerna said, as fear mingled with frustration rose in her chest. She wanted to reach the man who smelled like heaven. She was desperate.

The leader climbed the stairs taking two at a time. "King Felis has given special instructions that you cannot leave the tower."

Lerna trembled as she backed away. If she told the Nyxers about the scent, would they let her go or would they go and report it to Felis? She couldn't take a chance. She had to stay clandestine about it, but the smell was stronger now. It proved one thing--the bearer of the scent was close. Pretty close.

"Go back!" the Nyxer growled, standing almost at her eye level, even though he was standing two stairs below.

Lerna glanced behind him. There were about ten of them standing on the stairs, each with their muscles bulging, as if they were waiting to beat her the moment she tried to do something. Lerna took a step back. She knew that her plea would fall on deaf ears. With a rough exhale, she turned to leave, but her wolf goaded her to kill these men and reach her destination. Lerna knew that the moment she let her wolf free, the Nyxers would overtake her. She was outnumbered.

"Princess Lerna!" the nanny shouted. "Please come back."

Lerna whipped her head up to see the troubled faces of her nannies. She felt... trapped. She lowered her head and rested it on the gray stony walls of the staircase. They were cool against her heated skin. She composed herself and then slowly walked back to her room, surrounded by her nannies and Nyxers following her back up the stairs. The moment she stepped inside, they locked her room from the outside. She heard the click of the lock and then their receding footsteps.

Her nannies took her to the bedroom, where they made her sit in front of the fire. They dried her hair, wiped the sweat from her skin and applied thick paste from the healer onto her wrists, ankles and back where Felis had whipped her. They made her wear a cotton chemise.

"Would you like to sleep, princess?" asked the nanny. "You will heal better. Also, there is food for you. You must eat in order to keep in good health. You haven't eaten a morsel since you've come back."

Lerna glanced at the food trolley. There was a variety of food on it. Roasted and buttered chicken, fried fish filet, sesame and whole wheat bread and various dips. But she had lost her appetite. Every passing minute was growing difficult for her. All the pain that she felt was nothing in comparison to her urge to go and be with the man who smelled like pine needles crushed in snow. She walked to her bed and her nanny covered her with the furs.

Over the next hour, Lerna had become anxious. She left the room and began pacing. She would walk over to the door, sniff the air and then come back. At one point in time, she wanted to break the door down out of frustration. But if she did that, Felis would learn of it. The wolf had his dark magic spread throughout the palace and the Hydra Kingdom. There was not a single movement that he couldn't detect. And if she broke the door, it would be taken as a revolt by him. He would throw her to the alphas immediately. As such, she heard her nannies joking that the alphas were growing impatient. They were waiting for her and had even asked about her ever since she had been placed in this tower. Her trepidation tripped into fear.

All of a sudden the door to her room blasted open and she saw four Nyxers stepping in. The nannies looked at them with strained looks. Lerna was still in her chemise, that did little to hide her breasts. She snapped her head to look at them and her eyes focused on the Nyxer who was snarling. His fangs had lengthened and his eyes flickered a winter blue. Her lips parted for a rough exhale as her wolf said, "Mate." Did she say it aloud?

Rigel walked towards her, his neck muscles corded, arm muscles bulging and his breath ragged. He came to stop right in front of her. Nearly chest to chest, he tilted his head down as she tipped it up. They looked at each other with numerous emotions written in their locked gazes. Lerna tried to translate those emotions, but all she could do was manage to stand on her feet without swaying. She didn't understand the words in his silent eyes, but she felt like her soul was being crushed from inside out. He had an aura that spilled out of him. It held her, bound her to him. Her gaze slid to his lips when he sucked in a sharp breath. He reached down and took hold of her hand. She froze in her spot  at the electrifying contact and her heart stuttered to a stop. The world faded into the background. A shudder traveled through her body when he brushed her knuckles.

Her breath hitched when the air around the Nyxer rippled and the illusion cracked. Rigel's face came into view. She gasped as her eyes became wide. "You--"

"Shh..." He placed his finger on her lips. The illusion mended itself.