The Alpha's Temptation

"Elty!" Tania cried.

"What baby?" he said, trying to keep his calm. "The swirl is getting smaller. We have to make it in time!"

"I feel— I feel like my magic is—" she couldn't complete her sentence and shrieked in pain. Her magic rebelled against leaving. "Eltyyy don't go!" she screamed, her claws digging in the flesh of his forearms, drawing his blood. "I can't stand the resistance!"

"Hold on, Tania!" he snapped at her. "You can do it!"

She shook her head. "Noooo!" The swirl was doing something to her. She felt like magic cutting her flesh and trying to fight with the swirl.

"Tania!" Eltanin said. "Look at me!" Aether spilled out of his eyes as Tania focused on him.

Her magic forgot about the swirl as it started rooting for her mate. Everything became slow in motion. 'Claim us…' her magic hissed.

Tania watched her beautiful mate. His hair was swirling back and forth as he increased the speed of his horse. She reached for his cheek, craving for his skin contact. "Elty…" she whispered. She was so dazed by his beauty that she felt she needed him to hold her, press her beneath him and then take her. Sink his fangs in her. "Mark me again…" she whispered. The noise of the swirl around her diminished and she was hardly aware of it. All she wanted was to become one with the man she was born for. She felt the horse rising up in the wind and jumping through something that tried to clamp on her, but the feeling dissipated in a second.

"Jump!" Eltanin shouted at Wind. As if understanding what his master wanted, Wind jumped through the portal. The portal squeezed around them, lashing out at Tania. Eltanin grabbed her head tightly with one hand as he maneuvered Wind. The portal came collapsing down as soon as they were out of it.

"Eltanin!" Kinshra rasped as she brought her horse near them. They were all waiting for the two to cross over. Kinshra was so worried about Tania that her eyes were only focused on her face. "Tania. Tania!" She looked dazed. Kinshra glanced at Eltanin and was surprised to see aether spilling out of his eyes. She stifled a gasp. Only gods had that kind of aether in their eyes.

Tania's face was buried in his chest, her head slightly tipped up. Tears were flowing out of her eyes.

Eltanin bent his head down to look at Tania. He removed his hand from her head as if revealing her beauty to the world. "Tania?" he said softly. He bent lower to kiss her tears away. "I am sorry," he whispered. "Are you well?"

"I am. Now." Tania buried her face back in his chest, not wanting to leave the warmth, the protection. She felt as if her life depended on it. What she felt just a few moments back was extreme love and desire. She didn't know what was happening to her, but whatever it was, she liked it.

"Good," he said. He gave Kinshra a knowing nod. Everyone else let out a sigh of relief and started to move forward.

By the time it was night, they all came across a cave which Lord Krail found. He made sure not to go into a cave that had water flowing through it. Those were dangerous for the faes because they were tempted to make a portal from the red, blue and violet shimmery lights in them, back to Vilinski.

Eltanin dismounted the horse. He grabbed Tania by the waist and scooped her in his arms. She looked too vulnerable. He carried her inside the cave where Flora had already laid a fur for her. The ground was wet and she had prepared a special place for her. Eltanin made her lie on it and covered her with fur. When he was about to leave, she held his wrist. "Stay with me," she requested softly. He could see that she was trembling. He raked his fingers through her hair and nodded.

Biham had gone out to get some logs. Flora used her magic to burn the wood as near as possible to Tania. She took some burning logs in a corner to warm the food she had packed for the journey.

Kinshra came to sit next to Tania as Jiada busied herself with Flora and Biham and Lord Krail went for a small walk outside.

"Tania, I know that you are not that well, but we have to finish with Yunabi before reaching Draka," said Kinshra.

Tania frowned at her mother. "Is it necessary?"

Kinshra gave a cursory gaze to Eltanin and said, "Yes, it is."

With a sigh, Tania closed her eyes. She was really tired of it. "Why don't you just finish it all in one go?"

---

Felis was rushing to Morava's bedchamber. The servant had informed him that she had awakened and that two Alphas were going to her. Before he could reach, the Alphas had closed the door after them and he could hear their roars. "Fuck!" He punched a column in frustration which cracked upon impact. He turned back to his chamber after telling the guard to inform him as soon as they finished.

When he went for the next time, Morava was lying in the bed, her eyes staring in vacant space. He didn't have the time for her to recuperate. "I have something to ask you, Morava," he said.

"What?" she asked, her voice a mere whisper.

"I need every information about Lusitania and Eltanin."

She turned her face to gaze at him. After a moment of studying him, she said, "What will I get in return?"

Felis was waiting for her question. "I will offer you the position of the Luna of the Alphas. That position comes with numerous benefits. You will always live under my protection and that of the Alphas."

Morava scoffed at him. "That is something you will have to give me now that I am mated to ten of your fucking Alphas!" She turned her face back to the ceiling. "I want more."

"What?"