The Alpha's Temptation

"Kinshra?" Anastasia mused as she tapped her chin. She said, "I haven't heard her name, to be honest. If she was within a group headed by my father to Araniea, then I am sure father knows about her. All this must have happened before I was born or I must have been very young."

Ileus crossed his arms beneath his head. "I need to find out about Kinshra."

Anastasia looked away from him into the darkness outside the window. "The fae empire is divided in seven kingdoms, each with their own kings. My father, King Ian Lachlan, rules over them. It could be possible that Kinshra belonged to one of those kingdoms."

"Don't you know about those seven families that rule these kingdoms?" he asked with a frown.

Anastasia's lips curled down. "I know the heads, but I don't know who all are there in the families. All my growing years, I wasn't allowed to meet them and none showed interest in meeting me because they were too afraid of Aed Ruad. From the past few years, whenever I go back, I am mostly staying with mother and father and like to spend time with Kerr. We do get invitations to visit other kingdoms. I have been to only one... But someone or the other always keeps coming to meet my father from these kingdoms. I can ask him about Kinshra's family."

"That would be great. I do believe that finding her family in Vilinski holds the key to Lusitania's future," said Ileus.

"Why are you so interested in it, Aly?" she asked.

"Because king Eltanin needs my help and if I won't help him, Araniea would no longer exist. And Araniea is a whole realm in itself. Every realm in this world is placed one over the other. We are clustered together in a way that if one realm disappears or is destroyed the other would be affected fast. It would lead to a crazy imbalance. Realms may collapse."

Anastasia's eyebrows shot through the roof. "That is... disturbing."

"It is more disturbing than one can imagine, Ana. The problem is that those who want to create imbalance, do not realize what they are doing because of the sheer lust for power!"

Anastasia slumped beside him and he covered her with blankets. "I am going to send a letter to my father tomorrow. I hope we get an answer in a week!"

---

Lerna was sitting in her room when Tania went to meet her the first day. Over the last two days, Lerna had slightly opened up with Tania. Lerna hadn't seen any other princess, but she must be one of the sweetest and grounded princesses. Today, Tania had brought a servant with her along with a tray of food. Lerna was extremely hungry and she ate it all. At first, Tania watched her eating it and then said, "It would be nice if you would come out and meet with people."

Lerna lowered her head. "I feel like I am such a burden to everyone and--" she pursed her lips as tears stung her eyes. "I am scared that Felis will come after all of you because of me. I-- I have put so many people in jeopardy, especially Rigel!"

Tania held Lerna's hand gently and stroked her knuckles with her thumb. "Lerna, what would you have done if you were in Rigel's place? I mean what if Rigel is abducted and take away or is killed?"

Lerna's eyes widened as a violent shudder passed through her body. Her mind couldn't even think what would become of her if anything happened to Rigel. "Please don't say this," she said and tears broke the barrier to flow out of her eyes. Her heart stuttered to a stop and her lips quivered. The thought was... abhorrent. She felt like shifting in her wolf and went to meet her mate.

Tania gave her a soft smile. "That's what. You both are mates and the attraction is natural. Moon Goddess has chosen you both as mates, so I am pretty sure that the goddess has plans for you." She wiped Lerna's tears. "Rigel is suffering each day when you don't meet him. He is a werewolf and the rumor is that he has had numerous women before you. Another rumor says that he is very good in bed and often needs more than two women to satisfy his needs."

Lerna's tears stopped instantly as sharp jealousy rose and then burned her chest. "Women? How many?" she asked, wanting to rip every one of them with her bare claws.

Tania shrugged. "I don't know, but he has lived long, so yes, too many!" She realized that the same must be the case with Eltanin. They had had this discussion earlier also, but jealousy took a fresh bite of her flesh. She let out a ragged breath.

"Where is he now?" Lerna asked, wiping her tears away.

"He was in the dining hall the last I saw him."

"Can you please take me there?" Lerna said, afraid that more women must be swooning over him in her absence. Prince of Orion was a very handsome man. He needed more than two women to satisfy his needs? The thought gave her another shudder. What if she didn't show her interest in him and he got other women? All at once, her anxiety rose to another level. Felis was completely forgotten. If that was the case, then she had to seduce her mate or she had to cater to all his sexual urges. The thought made her blush like a thousand suns, but what alternative did she have? Lerna got up on her feet.

Tania jerked her head back. The girl didn't want to meet anyone and now she was too eager to meet Rigel? "Sure!" she replied.

"Great!" Lerna turned to go to the bathroom. "I need to get ready," she muttered, smoothing her hair. She spun on her heels and said, "I will be there with you in no more than fifteen minutes!" As Tania raised an eyebrow, Lerna corrected. "In no more than half an hour!" She needed to take a bath, and not just a normal one. She would take a scented bath and wear the best dress from the closet. She was going to let her hair open because she had heard that hair smelled great for mates amongst werewolves.

Tania gaped as she blinked with astonishment at the girl.

Eltanin had come by then and growled and huffed for his wife to come out, but she didn't. Instead she said, "Lerna wants to meet Prince Rigel. Where is he?"

Eltanin was surprised. A moment later his lips curled up and the sly wolf said, "Get her to the garden that overlooks your balcony. Rigel has gone there."

Tania frowned. "What is he doing there?"

"Just brooding." Rigel hadn't gone there. He was going to get his friend over there to meet Lerna while he would pluck his wife away and take her to their bedchamber. He loved his plan.

"Ah, the poor one. I hope Lerna accepts him soon," Tania tsked.

Lerna came out of the bath and into her room in a little more than an hour. She had done everything to look good. But she didn't have one thing. "I need a flower crown," she said to Tania. That would complete her look and make her more beautiful.

"Why?" Tania asked, bewildered.

"To wear on my hair."

Tania had a tough time stopping herself from laughing. On a quick thought, she murmured a spell, "Chenyy venok." A flower wreath of pink and white roses appeared in her hands.

Lerna watched it with wonder and fear. "Do you know dark magic?" she asked, as she froze in her place.

Tania frowned. "Dark magic? No..." she replied. "I can do this... naturally..."

It was Lerna's turn to be shocked. "H-- how is this possible?"

Tania chuckled. "Don't worry about it. Let us go. Prince Rigel is waiting for you. I have asked the servants to take breakfast and wine for us in the garden overlooking my bedchamber. I heard that Lady Heron is here and I have invited her as well to join us."

Lerna's mind jolted. A competitor? "Let us please hurry up!"

Tania smiled. She grabbed her hand and put it in the crook of her elbow.  "Let's go!"

---

"Please take me out of here, Mizvah!" cried Morava. "This dungeon is pathetic. They don't give us enough food. I haven't taken a bath in so many days and I smell like shit!"

Mizvah had come to visit Morava, contemplating on how to free her.