The Alpha's Temptation

Eltanin drew in a shaky breath, squaring his shoulders. Anxiety bubbled inside him like white foam of crashing waves. He looked away from his mother-in-law and watched at the deluge on the outside. It had slowly begun to recede. He wondered how Flora must be helping Tania.

"How are you feeling now, m'lady?" Flora asked as she soaked the loofah in more lavender and elderberry oil and applied it on the back of Tania, slowly bringing it up towards her shoulders and neck.

Tania moaned in relief and said, "I am feeling a lot calmer, Flora…" The water was tepid, whose temperature was again carefully controlled by Flora. Every time it would become cold, she would dip her fingers in it and use her magic to warm it. Tania's tension was slowly leaving her. It was as if they were seeping in the water through her skin.

Flora smiled. She said, "M'lady I am glad to hear that. I suggest that you chew these also." She offered her small green balls of something herbal.

"What is it?" Tania asked, looking at the green balls in Flora's hands.

"This is mint, honey and a little bit of cinnamon tree sap. It is going to help with your nerves."

Tania actually needed something for her nerves to calm down. She picked up a pill from her hand and put it in her mouth. It melted on her tongue and Tania's eyes opened wide. "These are delicious!" she rasped and grabbed all of them from Flora. Flora chuckled and resumed her ministrations of Tania. As Tania chewed her pills, she said, "Flora, why don't you also come with me to Draka?"

Flora grinned. Carefully, she brought the loofah beneath Tania's armpit and started scrubbing her there. "Would you like me to come with you?"

"I would love to!" Tania moaned. How could a servant be so good? It was like Flora knew how to take care instinctively. She was putting pressure on every right nerve and muscle in her body, making her relax.

"Then I shall come with you," Flora replied softly.

Tania jerked her back straight. Water splashed out of the tub. "Really?"

Flora laughed. "Yes, dear lady. I will come with you."

"Ohhhh Flora! I could hug you right now!"

With a benevolent smile, Flora just held her shoulders gently and pulled her back to the old position. "Please take a bath m'lady. I will feel very happy."

And Tania sat back, feeling happier and calmer. She closed her eyes as Flora again started her magic.

---

General Alphard was under a lot of tension. It had been a day since Felis had asked him to check the borders of Pegasii and Draka to see if there was any activity going on, but things were too quiet. His spies gathered the information that the Draka Kingdom was managed by Alpha Alrakis. If that was the case, then where was King Eltanin? At the same time, his spies also informed him that Pegasii was being managed by General Balfour. So where was King Biham? What was going on that he wasn't able to put his hands on?

He was shaving and staring at himself in the mirror. A tattoo had started crawling up from his neck towards his chin. After shaving he lifted his chin up and looked at the tattoo which was a thick line coming straight up. Soon his face would be covered with tattoos. He wiped himself with the towel and was about to take a shower when a guard came to him and said, "Princess Morava has conveyed that she can talk now."

Alphard wanted to speak with Morava, and he wanted to speak with her before Felis. She could prove to be a treasure trove of information. Besides he was afraid that she knew about the association between him and Sirrah. He needed to know that urgently. If she knew, then he would have to kill her.

He had a towel wrapped around his waist. Quickly he changed into trousers and wore a white tunic over it and rushed to meet Morava.

Morava was sitting on the bed, having hot herbal tea that a maid had prepared for her. She was wearing a white nightgown and covered in sheets. Ever since the Alphas had come to know that she wasn't Princess Lerna, they kept away from her, but the maid had informed her that the mate bond might bring one or two of them back. She was thankful that Felis had stopped them from coming to her. Her whole body was so sore that she struggled to walk.

"Princess," General Alphard bowed to her and sat on a chair beside her bed. He couldn't help but pity her condition. She looked pale. Her hair was falling around her shoulders in a mess. Had it been Princess Lerna, he knew that she would have taken the mating easily, because she was a Hydranian, but Morava—she was not meant for this.

"What do you want to know from me?" Morava asked with shaky lips, as she covered herself in sheets.

Alphard glared at the maid who was attending to her. She cringed and hurried out of the door. As soon as the door closed, Alphard said, "You were in the dungeons of Draka for a long time. Why were you lodged there?" Although he knew it already, he had to start the conversation. He was slowly going to extract the information from her.

Morava closed her eyes, remembering her ordeal and how Mizvah helped her. Had she stayed with him, she would have been safer. "My mother and I were thrown by King Eltanin over there."

"Why?"

Morava opened her eyes which were full of hatred now. "Because of Lusitania."

Alphard's brows furrowed. "How is Lusitania connected to Eltanin and you?"

"She is my father's daughter from his fae mate. And she is someone who has caught King Eltanin's eyes. The king has become very protective of her!"

The information blew his mind. "Where are they now?"