The Alpha's Temptation

When the last of the shackles unclasped from her skin, Tania's wings revealed. On a natural instinct, she tried to flare them up despite all the pain cruising through her body, but she couldn't. This was the worst agony she had suffered, only multiplied by a thousand. She screamed as excruciating pain ripped through her body. This was not what she imagined her wings would do when she eventually got them. They felt like heavy boulders on her back that was burned and abused. The agony was so severe that when she fell to the ground on the soft snow, she liked the coolness of the dust that covered her. She lost consciousness, the last she knew was how she was cocooned by her own wings. They were white in color. Something gold also flashed, but she slipped into darkness.

Nightmares followed.

"Tania!" Menkar called her. "Wake up." Serpents of black oily magic slithered over her soul. It was so sickening that she trembled. "Tell me where you are!" he goaded.

Tania turned her face to look at him and she found herself in a desert, surrounded by tall flames. There was no sun, no moon or stars. Just a deep gray sky with hot winds rustling her wings. She was lying on the hot sand, her skin burning with its heat. She wrestled to turn her body to face him. He was staring at her through his glasses from outside the ring of fire.

"Where are you?" he asked again, as if encouraging her. "Your time nears, Tania. I will come to take you back to Cetus Monastery. That is where you belong. You are my slave and that is what you will do for the rest of your life!"

Her lips were cracked and her throat parched. She felt the burn in her throat when she whispered, "You promised me freedom..." She pulled herself up and coiled her legs beneath her thighs. "Give me my freedom."

He scoffed. "You can never be free from me, Tania, unless you tell me your location!"

"Is that a deal?" she asked. She wanted to be free from his clutches and he knew that she wanted that desperately.

A smile formed on his face. "It's a deal."

Her lips lifted and then she started laughing. "Ostivati," she whispered a spell and started fading from her own nightmare.

"Taniiiiiaaaa!" she heard his distant yell.

A violent shudder passed through her and she woke up with a scream in her throat. Someone had pulled her against his very hard chest, gently caressing her down her back, her wings, the dip of her neck and her arms. The room she was in was warm and cozy bathed in the soft buttery glow of a dying hearth.

"Shhh..." he said through the darkness. Surrounded by his woodsy and male musk scent, she nuzzled her face in his chest.

"Elty..."

"Yes, love. I am right here," he said in a soft, firm voice.

"I saw-- I saw... Menkar..."

"He isn't here," he said in a hoarse voice. There was more caressing before Tania finally stopped trembling. "Only I am here with you. No one can touch you, love."

Suddenly, pain blasted on her back once again and she groaned. Her throat tightened as tears formed in her eyes. She clutched to his chest, her nails digging in his flesh, but he remained there for her, never faltering. He caressed her more and kissed her on the crown of her head, murmuring sweet nothings. "Sleep baby," he whispered. She closed her eyes and under his ministrations, she didn't know when she went off to sleep.

She didn't know for how long but when she woke up again, she found herself on silk sheets. It was morning and light tried to enter the room through the gaps between heavy curtains. Where were they? Had they reached her mother's place or were they in an inn?

She sighed deeply when she saw her mate, her husband, her everything, sleeping right beside her. Her fingers went to his cheek inadvertently. He was looking... tired and wary. There were dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn't rested for a long time and he hadn't shaved. She scratched his beard. It tickled her and she stifled a giggle.

Suddenly, from the corner of her vision, she saw a wing protruding out of her shoulders. With a jerk, she gasped as she held it. Her wings.

Every second of last night's incident flashed across her mind. She should have been in excruciating pain. Her eyes widened when she got up to realize that now she was a proud owner of two wings. "Oh. My. God!" she rasped.

"They look beautiful on you," a throaty voice from behind made her squeal.

"Elty!" she lunged at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He chuckled as her wings slid to the side on their own weight and cocooned both of them. He slid his hand in a way through them that he found her back and started stroking it gently. "How do you feel, Tania?" he asked, relief apparent in his voice. "Does your back hurt?"

"No!" she squealed again in his chest.

His chest rumbled with a vibration. He took his free hand around her head and wrapped it across her shoulders. "I love you," he said as a tear glided down his cheek. For three days, he hadn't left this room.

As soon as they had crossed the portal, it had collapsed, leaving the last vampire out. After that Eltanin had picked up Tania and put her on his horse. They rode for an hour before reaching a cave where Anastasia said that she could access the portal to Vilinski. The cave had a deep stream and looked as if it was inhabited by a large number of faes long time back. Everything was dilapidated. She had said that it was inhabited by a certain caste of faes that were now vampires. She used the blue and red shimmery lights that were settled on the surface of water and created a portal with them. Eltanin picked up his Tania and stepped into the portal. They stepped out of it into the Kralj Palace of Vilinski.

Eltanin met King Ian Aramaer and his fae wife �ine for the first time while carrying a bloodied Tania in his arms. King Ian and �ine were more than what the legends said. They were beautiful, like gods. He dipped his chin in curtsey, trying his best to keep a strong façade but failing miserably.

Healers were called and in no time, they were shown the guest room. The healers had stripped all her clothes and spread her wings out. They slapped tons of healing paste on her and then bandaged her with clean linen. She remained unconscious for three days during which they would regularly come and change her bandages. Eltanin didn't leave her side even for a second. Biham had come to see his daughter and informed him that Rolfe had left for Galahar. Ileus and Anastasia were still there, but they too planned on leaving soon.

"I love you too!" she breathed, bringing him back to the present. "I am so sorry for last night. I was such a mess." she whined.

"My Tania," he said, understanding what she referred to. "You were unconscious for three days!"