The Alpha's Temptation

Eltanin waved his finger once in a circle in the air and one curl of smoke lifted up. He said, "If you want to speak, nod once and I will uplift this magic."

Nerio wanted to chant his blackest spell on Eltanin. The king was standing too close to him and he had to take advantage of the situation. If he didn't, it would be so foolish. And at the same time, he couldn't believe that Eltanin was this stupid. So he nodded once.

Eltanin waved his finger again in the air and the second layer of magic lifted away. "You are going to tell me where the real Menkar is. I have to send a letter to the Cetus Monastery of your heavy treason." He waved his finger again to lift the third layer. Now only the last layer remained.

Nerio waited for him to lift it up, but Eltanin didn't.

"Speak now!" Eltanin commanded in a loud voice.

"You have to remove this last layer," Nerio replied on an impulse and found that he could talk.

"Why would I remove it?" Eltanin said mirthlessly. "This will stay around your mouth on a permanent basis. Now you can speak with me and I can hear you. However, if you try to cast a spell, the spell would hit this layer and come back to you."

It was Nerio's turn for another shock. The king had played well. He gritted his teeth and said, "I will not talk unless this layer is removed."

Eltanin raised his eyebrow. He turned and started to leave. "Suits you. I don't care." He started to leave. Nerio got completely flustered. Why wasn't Eltanin not even interested in talking to him? Suddenly, he shouted, "I want to talk to Lusitania!"

Eltanin turned to look over his shoulder and said, "That is Her Highness for you. Next time you call her by her name, I will personally pull your dark tongue out and hang it on the door of this cell!" And then he walked out.

Nerio was left shuddering in the prison. He was still shackled by chains and now instead of the iron guard, he had this blue smoke twirling around him.

He was sure that Eltanin was bluffing him. So, he thought of casting a tiny spell. He whispered it and as soon as it came out, it hit the blue smoke with force. But the next moment it rebounded from there and hit his cheek, which in turn started bleeding. "Bloody bastard!" Nerio roared. "Wait for your death!"

---

Felis was pacing the room as Morava was watching him. She hated how Alpha always looked at her with lust in their eyes. She hated how they pounced on her every day. It pained her. She was living in personal hell and she often wondered how soon she would go insane.

"Menkar sent me a message that a half-fae is waiting for me in the kingdom of Draka. She is your sister."

"That is right," she replied.

"I want her," he said, rubbing his palm. "If I claim her, she will produce strong heirs for me."

Morava's face twisted with jealousy. "That is right," she said. Everyone wanted Tania. "But for that you have to kill Eltanin."

"That I will!" he said, getting even more excited. "And I have to meet someone!" he had to meet his mother. Then he came to sit next to Morava who was sitting on a couch. "You have to tell me everything about this fae girl."

"You already know everything that I know. Now you also know that she is the Queen of Draka. So whatever steps you will be taking to get her, be careful. Eltanin is a very powerful werewolf."

When Felis heard about the new queen of Draka, he wanted to abduct her and kill her because she was Eltanin's mate as well, but now his plans changed. Things were becoming exciting. A knock on the door disturbed them. "What is it?" he growled.

"A messenger has come, Your Highness. He says it is urgent," the guard informed.

"Send him in!"

The messenger came in and bowed to him. "Your Highness, we received news from Cetus Monastery that His Grace Menkar was missing for a dozen days. When we sent our people to find him, we came to know that he was imprisoned by King Eltanin of Draka."

Both Morava and Felis jumped up in shock.

"Further it is mentioned that the real High Priest of Cetus was killed and the current one is a fake. He is Nerio of the Kingdom of Murel of the Jade Sea."

Felis's mouth dropped to the floor as Morava blinked at the messenger. The information was simply too astonishing.

"Did you hear it correctly?" Felis asked, till feeling staggered.

"Yes, Your Highness," the guard replied and bowed. "Nerio is a merman and not a werewolf."

Morava couldn't believe that all this while, a merman lived amongst them. He fooled her mother. He fooled the entire Araniea. "Calaman's horns!"

Felis was stunned. He went out of her room. He had to investigate more about Nerio. The whole game changed for him.

---

Nerio was sleeping in his cell, too tired and exhausted. He dreamt of golden eyes and blue smoke. He dreamt of wings and spells. The golden eyes came so near him that they were a fiery orange. Large hands clasped around his throat, stifling him, cutting off his air supply. He screamed and screamed and jerked open his eyes only to find himself in the damp dungeon. Sweat trickled down his forehead. He licked his lips. "Only a dream," he murmured and rested his head back against the wall.

His gaze went to the pitcher in the dungeon. He was about to call the guard to pass that pitcher to him when he heard a laugh. It was as if two insane people were laughing.

"I know you are here, Menkar," he heard Kypho's voice. Every muscle in his body strained.