The Alpha's Temptation

Tania opened her eyes only to find that she was levitating in the air along with her mother with her wings cocooning her.

Kinshra was behind her. She shrieked out of fear and the moment she did that, Kinshra opened her eyes. The connection between them snapped and both started falling to the ground. "Taniiiaaaa!" Kinshra screamed. She immediately flared her wings wide open and grabbed Tania by her waist. She flapped her wings and prevented them from falling hard on the ground just a few feet before. Kinshra landed on the floor with Tania, gently flapping her wings behind. "Why did you open your eyes?" she said, concern and anger etched on her face.

"I-- I--" Tania's face flushed. She did know what to say other than the fact that she was inquisitive. "I am sorry," she ultimately said meekly.

"Don't do that ever again, okay?" Kinshra said with a ragged breath and then sat on the ground. She was sweating, and her chest was heaving. "When I open up the connection with you, I am actually using all my powers to disentangle whatever it is in you that is holding you back from your inherent magic. I can't believe that you are struggling so much with Yunabi when you should be able to accept it easily. I agree that Yunabi is a dark arcana, but for you, a half fae, it shouldn't be such an issue."

Tania's eyes widened. "You are doing that?" To say she was shocked was an understatement. Her mother was so powerful that she could awaken her magic?

"So if you sever a connection, you cannot understand the powers I have been drained of and how badly it affects me."

"Oh god! Mother, I am so sorry!" Tania said as she grasped her hands and squeezed them. "I am sorry if I have caused you agony." Using her sleeve, she wiped her mother's brows. She felt horrible on the inside for opening her eyes.

Kinshra smiled at the way her daughter was showing her concern. It was a beautiful feeling to belong. "Don't worry," she said. "We will continue it tomorrow. Right now I don't have the energy to start all over again."

Tania felt like a fool. As such they were here for a very short time, and she ended up wasting one day because of her curiosity. However, she was feeling quite energetic now. She helped her mother to get up and took her to her bedroom. It was a small, cozy bedroom with a small four poster bed in the center. Gauzy curtains were drawn to the side. There were shelves on the left wall while a large dresser sat on the right. Tania made her mother lie on the bed and then covered her up with blankets. "Would you like to have some water?" she asked.

When Kinshra nodded, Tania started to get up, but Kinshra held her hand. "No. Will the glass to come to you."

Tania stared at her mother incredulously as to what she was even saying.

Kinshra raised an eyebrow. "You heard me. Go ahead and do it."

"H-- how?" Tania asked, not sure how to will a bloody glass to travel in the air and reach her hand.

Kinshra let out a rough exhale. "Close your eyes and command it."

Still unsure about it, Tania's gaze flitted to the glass of water on the bedside table. She closed her eyes and wished for it. Suddenly, her hands felt heavy. "Calaman's horns!" she rasped when she opened her eyes and found the glass in her clasp. "How did this happen?"

Kinshra couldn't help but laugh softly at her daughter. She was so cute. "More can happen." Saying that she took the glass from her and winked.

Once Tania placed the glass back on the table, she kissed her mother's forehead and continued to sit on the bed, not wanting to leave her even for a minute. All the while she had wondered how her mother would be. And now that she was with her, she couldn't think of a better version.

Kinshra closed her eyes and just reveled in Tania's presence. It was comforting. "Try moving your wings. Do simple exercises," she goaded her.

"It is painful..."

"I know, but if you don't move those shoulder muscles, you won't be able to fly. Just try moving them."

As Tania lifted her left wing, she winced. She grabbed her mother's hand tightly.

Kinshra said, "I am so sorry that I left you alone out there. But father was--" she took a deep breath. "He was mad with anger."

"I know..." She didn't realize that she was moving her wing, when she said, "I always wanted to ask you one thing, Mother."

"Hmm?"

"You were banished from Pegasii for using black magic. Why did you use black magic when you already have fae magic?"

Kinshra opened her eyes. "Do you think I will use black magic? But all I can think is that there was something that was compelling me to get lost in oblivion. I used to space out for hours and then find myself in odd places. This mostly happened when I was pregnant with you. Once I found myself in a stable with a murdered horse." A shudder ran through her. "That was most terrifying!"

"Why would you space out? Were you suffering from a disease?"

She shook her head. "I wasn't. Sirrah was filling Biham's ears to show me to a healer. So Biham took me to a healer. I told him that I will be fine but he was over-concerned about me. The healer, an old man with glasses--" Kinshra pursed her lips. "I should have killed him then. He would give me potions to become well. I was so afraid that the potions may affect my pregnancy that I coated my womb with a layer of protective magic and let the potion affect me."

Dread skittered down her spine. Tania said, "You mean the royal healer?" There was certainly some big conspiracy.

"No, not the royal healer. Biham would send me to a healer who the royal healer had suggested."

"And who was he? What was his name?"

Kinshra's brows creased. "Some man called Murel," she said, remembering hard.

"Murel?" Tania couldn't think of any Murel in Pegasii but she thought of asking her father about him.

"Murel would give me these terrible potions which Biham would ask me to drink because Sirrah had convinced him that it would make me better." She let out a long exhale as if her pains returned.

"You mean father forced you?"

She nodded. "Biham was getting worried about me every day."

"I am finding it a little ridiculous, Mother..."

Kinshra chuckled. "It was pretty serious at that time."

---

Lord Haftr was seated in front of Biham and both were in a glaring match. Eltanin was... enjoying it. "So what do you do, Lord Haftr?" he asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I have five diamond mines," Haftr said proudly. "And my trade is not only concentrated in Vilinski. I have trade in Draoidh and Aztec. I have so much money that I can run economy of a kingdom easily." Lifting his face up, he said, "What about you, King Biham? How is Pegasii's economy doing?"