The Alpha's Temptation

Tania looked at her father with eyes wide in surprise. He was the one who wanted her to stay in Pegasii for at least a week and more if needed. Then why was he suddenly so interested in sending her away? She wanted to ask him, but then she realized that it would be better to stay quiet. More she asked, the more it was possible that his plans would sway. She pursed her lips tightly as excitement surged through her. Her gaze flitted to Eltanin who had a frown on his face. The court proceedings started and she gave a smile to her husband.

"Father has allowed me to leave with you for Draka," said Tania as soon as the court was over and they were walking down the corridor to their room. "We will be leaving tomorrow!" She let out a low squeal of excitement.

"What happened in such a short span that he changed his mind?" Eltanin was surprised. What was it that he was missing? But then who was he to question his father-in-law's judgment. Maybe he was trying to fan the gossip of the royals. Still, he had to talk to King Biham.

"I don't know. He just said that he wants me to translate Yunabi and that the demon king, Rolfe Aramaer is coming in three days. He will come straight to Draka."

Eltanin couldn't suppress his smile. "I can't wait for tomorrow then," he breathed.

The conversation in the dining hall was clipped with Biham mostly talking about the proceedings in the court. He invited them to his chamber when Eltanin wished to talk to him.

"I want Lusitania to learn Yunabi as soon as possible!" Biham said. "Rolfe will be going to Draka directly."

"Why is there a sudden change in the plan?" Eltanin asked, confused.

Biham scratched his chin. He looked at Tania and said, "Why didn't you tell me about the soul stone you are wearing?"

Bewildered, Tania jerked her head back. She was stunned into silence. How did he come to know? When she dragged her gaze to Eltanin, he too was looking as shocked as she was. Biham raised his eyebrow and repeated his question. "Why didn't you tell me about it, Tania? Did you not trust your father? Or did you think that I would go around talking about it?"

"No Father!" she said. "I--" she licked her lips as she tried to think of words. She looked at Eltanin for help.

"We didn't want to bother you," Eltanin replied. "It was something that both of us are trying to solve but we do not see a solution."

"Don't you think that Menkar doesn't know that Lusitania is the princess of Pegasii?" Biham chided Eltanin.

"Yes, of course! He has his spies everywhere."

"And yet he hasn't come to talk to her despite the fact that she was his slave at the Cetus Monastery. He will not come because there is something going on in his mind. Something big. I do think that his demand would be to rule over Draka the moment he comes to know that Lusitania is your mate!" Biham almost shouted.

Eltanin and Tania became quiet. They had contemplated Menkar's moves. "Then what do you have in mind?" Eltanin asked.

Biham looked away and then with a deep sigh, he said, "I wasn't able to help my child when she was born. She was brought up in the worst environment possible." He glanced at Tania, his mind going heavy with guilt. Then in a firm voice he said, "So I have decided that I will go to Menkar with my troops and I will force him to take half of Pegasii and trade with Lusitania's soul stone."

Tania's mouth fell to the floor as Eltanin got up.

Biham continued. "I will coerce him into a treaty that would bind him into not demanding anything else. After he takes over half of Pegasii, I am sure that his greed would be satiated."

"No!" Tania snapped. "You will not do that!" She couldn't believe that Biham was ready to give half of his kingdom to free her.

"Tania is right. You are not going to get into any of this," Eltanin said. "We will wait for Menkar's next step."

"We haven't declared that you two are mates. Once we announce it, Menkar would come after Draka, Eltanin. Don't you understand what a powerful tool he has in his hand?" Biham said. "I am going to coerce him into a treaty that will bind him forever!"

"No, you can't!" Eltanin protested. "Menkar would not stop there. He knows dark magic. We have to be very careful around him. You have to wait till Tania translates Yunabi!"

Biham rose from his chair and walked to the bookshelf that lined a wall. As he walked, he said, He opened a shelf and tilted a book so that now it was parallel to the ground. Something clicked and the book shelf started to move to the left. He stepped back and let the shelf move completely. When it stopped, a painting of a beautiful woman with wings, revealed.

"That is Kinshra!" he said as his throat choked with emotions and as he gazed at the painting.

Another shock for Tania. She came closer to the painting and stared at the woman in it. She was so beautiful that Tania's breath lodged in her throat. Her blond hair fell in cascades over her shoulders. Her light-blue eyes shone with mischief. She was wearing a white silk gown. The painter had captured her beauty perfectly.

"This painting does no justice to her beauty," Biham said. "She was... ethereal. And I lost her..." He continued to stare at Kinshra for a long time. With a sigh, he turned to walk back to his chair and sat down. "I had this painting painted by a royal artist. After I rejected her, I hid it over here from the jealous eyes of Sirrah."

Tania imagined her father sitting and watching his mate longingly in the evenings when he was alone with a tumbler of wine in his hands.

"Look at it carefully, Lusitania," Biham whispered. "She is your mother. And for Kinshra, I am ready to give half my empire if that frees your soul."

Her eyes became misty and Tania turned to him. "Father!" She rushed to him and hugged him hard. "You are not going to do this, okay!"

Biham hugged her hard. "But Lusi--"

"No, Father!" Tania sobbed. "You have gone through a lot and I won't let you suffer more. I won't let both of us suffer anymore!"

Biham patted his daughter's back. "This is the least I can do... At least let me try."

She shook her head as tears poured out of her eyes. "No!"

Eltanin's face softened. He hadn't expected Biham to give away half his kingdom to free his daughter. But on the inside, he knew that Menkar won't stop at it. "Tania is right, King Biham. You must wait for a few more days."

Biham sighed deeply. "I will remain anxious until Lusitania gets her soul back. This is the best solution I came up with."

"Trust me this isn't!" Eltanin reiterated. "Please do not rush into it."

Next day they set out to go back to Draka after making King Biham promise that he wouldn't do anything in a hurry and jeopardize things.

---

Mizvah started out early in the morning the next day. While he was riding on his way, he noticed a pack of four large gray wolves that were hunting a deer. He stopped his horse immediately as his muscles tensed with fear. They were Nyxers. All gray wolves were Nyxers. But usually they weren't this massive. Each of these four was taller than him in his wolf form. They were ferocious and looked dangerous. But what were Nyxers doing so far ahead from their territory? He had to report them to someone so that they were chased back, but who was he going to report? Right now, he felt like a rogue.

The whole forest was quiet while they chased the deer. It was as if every beast in the forest hid from them, scared for life. Mizvah too felt scared and waited for the wolves to pass before he resumed his journey to Draka.

Thankfully, no guard had come after him. He was expecting that they would come for him. His hand went to the black velvet bag that he had hidden inside his tunic. Those gems were more than enough to bribe the jailer and also to start a new life with Morava. A feral snarl brought him back to the present. A wolf had stopped and was sniffing the air. It snarled as it scanned the area with his yellow eyes, but a sniff later, it joined its pack.

Mizvah closed his eyes with relief. When the wolves were out of sight, he galloped his horse away down the wet dirt road.

He reached the Draka Kingdom a day later. He showed his brand of Pegasii soldier on his chest and entered the capital without any problem. He went straight to the dungeons in the palace. The jailer was a busy man, but Mizvah waited for him for more than two hours patiently. As soon as the jailer came, Mizvah asked for his private audience.

"I have come to discuss a very important prisoner," said Mizvah and took the black velvet bag out. He untied its strings, revealing sparkling gems inside. "Do you want to know the name or do you want to negotiate the price?"

The jailer, a man with silver hair and a big scar that ran in the middle of his face, stared at the bag.