The Alpha's Temptation

"No, he hasn't brought Kinshra," said Biham in an exasperated voice.

Tania thought that for three days, when she was not conscious, had the news not traveled to her mother that she was in Vilinski? It was highly unlikely. There was no reason to keep it a secret. Her gaze went to Lord Krail who was only looking at the king and the queen. Did her grandfather not allow her to come here? Too many questions swirled in mind and she let out a ragged breath.

As soon as the court proceedings got over, King Ian invited them all to have lunch with him. Tania walked along with her father and Eltanin into the dining hall.

"Father, let us not waste our time and ask Lord Krail if we can accompany him to his castle," she said.

"But he isn't even talking to me," Biham gritted. "All he has been doing is avoiding me. I can understand his anger towards me, but I have bloody crossed a realm, traveled through Sgiáth Bio along with you, crossing one danger after the other! Doesn't that thing cross his mind? I have come here to meet Kinshra after so much planning and danger which I am sure he knows. Why the hell can't he understand that I am desperate to meet her?" He rubbed his chest as he muttered his anger in a low voice.

"I understand father," said Tania, feeling just as sad for her father. But what could she do? Lord Krail was actually refraining himself to stay away from all three of them.

"Tania!" Princess Anastasia came to her side and curled her arm around hers. "How are you?"

Tania dipped her chin slightly and smiled. "I am perfectly fine, Princess Anastasia."

"I love your wings!" she said. "They are so beautiful! I wonder how they will be once you are able to spread them."

Tania's face gleamed with love and excitement. "Thank you and Prince Ileus for all that you have done."

Anastasia laughed softly. "It was a pleasure." Together they walked up to the dining hall along with other nobles. "Have you met Lord Krail?" she asked when she saw her mother talking to him.

"I am afraid not," Tania replied. "He is being--" her voice trailed off.

"Difficult?" Anastasia completed her sentence.

Tania nodded with a rough exhale. "I really want to meet my mother." For the first time, her gaze went to all the fae in front of her who were walking to the dining hall. She found herself staring at their beautiful wings that they had all tucked at their backs. It looked exotic.

"No one can stop you from meeting her, Tania," Anastasia said. "But what is important is what you have to do after that."

Tania frowned as she looked at Anastasia. She didn't understand what the princess was trying to say.

Anastasia glanced at Eltanin who was walking beside his father-in-law, staring at the wings of the faes with wide eyes. Biham's attention was on Lord Krail. There was tension rippling in the air as the courtiers murmured amongst themselves and passed curious glances towards them. "Rolfe has left for Galahar, but the main reason why he has left is that he knows that your mother can teach you the rest of Yunabi. Now that you are in Vilinski and a heavy layer of dark magic has peeled off you, you will be able to learn it faster."

"Oh!" Tania's eyes widened. The whole thing became even more complicated, especially because she didn't know if she would be meeting her mother or not with the way her grandfather was behaving. A heavy sadness sunk in her heart. "But..."

"Don't worry. I have asked my mother to convince Lord Krail to take you all there. If he doesn't agree, then my father would be ordering him!"

Tania stifled an urge to giggle. But her excitement surged. Seeing her mother would be wonderful. They all walked to the dining hall.

Over a big red carpet that had the insignia of Vilinski, set a gold and white table. A wide spread of exquisite cuisine was spread over it. There were servants standing in a line on both sides of the table towards the wall. They all glanced at Tania with amazement. Her cheeks heated because it was apparent as to the way they were looking at her. She lowered her face and bit her lip.

"Don't worry, Tania," Anastasia said. "They are intrigued by you. You are half fae and half werewolf. They are fascinated that you have those wings and would like to see that when you shift, what would happen to the wings."

"But even your children are the same?" Tania said, not understanding the explanation.

"They are too small. You are already at the age where you can shift. Have you shifted even once?"

Tania shook her head, sadness bubbling inside her again. "Perhaps my wolf isn't there..."

"Utter nonsense!" Anastasia said. They had reached the table.

Ileus called her to sit beside him after the king took his chair at the head of the table and �ine sat on his right. Throughout the time they ate, the conversation was at minimum. Lord Krail sat at the far end of the table to avoid them all. The king too kept quiet for the whole time. He knew that family matters were not a topic to be discussed in the presence of other nobles.

It was after lunch when King invited them for a private meeting in his library. Lord Krail bowed to the king before he sat on a chair opposite to him.

"I do believe that you have something to say, Lord Krail," said Ian.

Lord Krail sucked in a sharp breath of air. He gave a tense look to Biham and said, "I don't want him to meet my daughter! He had rejected her and now he comes like a puppy to seek her?"

King Ian shook the wine inside his tumbler and sipped it. He relaxed on his chair as his wings dropped to his sides. He said, "Considering all the things that had happened in the past, I do believe that what he did was ghastly. But we need to move on. You have to let him meet Kinshra at least once. That is by the order of the king."

Lord Krail clenched his jaws. He couldn't go against the king. "In that case, I would like to leave for Kral as soon as possible." He looked at Tania with indifference and said coldly, "You look a lot like your mother." His gaze shifted to Eltanin and he said, "If you were raised like a princess, I would have made sure that you were married to a fae!" His loathe for werewolves was apparent in his sentence.

"And I would have made sure to prevent it," Eltanin replied and Ileus burst into a wicked laughter.

Krail gritted his teeth. "My apologies, Your Highness. Prince Ileus is our savior, but he is an exception."

Before anyone could say anything, Biham said quickly, "I am ready to leave. Now!"

"Good!" Ian replied. He turned to Krail, his eyes blazing. "Next time, be careful." Lord Krail gulped.

Anastasia squeezed Tania's hand and winked.