The Alpha's Temptation

"Faaaather!" Tabit screamed as she ran towards him.

Too stunned, Rigel spun and saw what his father did. He left the hilt of the sword. His mind going numb, he sank on his knees in front of his father. "Father..." he rasped, his skin pebbling with goosebumps. He never expected that his father would end up killing himself. "What have you done?" he cried as he scanned his father's chest as he lifted him in his lap.

Mintaka looked at him, his eyes dropping and his breath leaving. "This was necessary, Rigel. Don't bother--"

Eltanin let out a loud growl with so much force that his aura spilled out and everyone came to a standstill. He rushed to his friend's side and knelt beside him to see Mintaka.

Tabit too came to sit beside her father. "Why father?" she sobbed. She wanted to prevent exactly this, and yet she couldn't. "I came late!" Her shoulders wrecked with a loud sob.

Mintaka's lips curled into a faint smile. He brought his bloodied hand to Tabit's face and in a low, raspy voice said, "Tabit, I had decided it long back. This battle... This was--"

"Father, don't talk," Tabit said frantically. She looked at Rigel who was just too numb to even respond. She had to address Eltanin, "Take him to a healer. Please!"

Eltanin nodded, but Mintaka stopped them all. "No, I won't go. I want to redeem myself. What I did to Rigel wasn't right. I don't know what overcame me or how my mind became fogged, but Meissa's words overpowered me. It was a big mistake--" He stopped and gulped air heavily. "I should have accepted... Lerna... but I was too scared of people's opinion." His droopy eyes went to Eltanin. "I should have respected our alliance, but I didn't..." He shook his head lightly. "I am a very old man. It is best that I stop ruling Orion. I am not capable of it anymore..."

"No father!" Rigel whispered. "You will be fine."

Mintaka chuckled as his eyes went to his son. "You are my true heir. How could I miss this? I am happy to leave this kingdom in your able hands."

Rigel gathered his father in his arms and tried to lift him up. "We are going to the healer."

Mintaka resisted. "Rigel, you have to let me go. I am willing to go to the Fade. I have to... I don't want to live anymore. I have given my best to Orion but in the last few years, I haven't been able to give what Orion deserves..." His eyes closed. "Tabit..." he whispered. Tabit quickly gave her hand in his. "Let bygones be bygones. You are a wise and beautiful girl. I hope you find a mate and marry him."

"Yes, father," Tabit cried. She knew what her father meant. He wanted her to forgive his wife.

Mintaka became quiet as he looked both at his son and daughter who were the bright futures of Orion. Internally, he was satisfied and had no regrets. "Tell your mother that I am waiting for her in the Fade." With those words, he breathed his last.

---

For three days the entire Orion kingdom was in a state of mourning. Eltanin and Tania remained back. They had sent most of their soldiers back. Rigel was announced as the next king by the priest. Tabit had told him about how mother ruined all the plans. Rigel wanted to confront his mother but Alina didn't meet him even once.

His coronation took place on the fourth day.  Soon after his coronation, he announced that he would be married to Princess Lerna by the next full moon.

"I think I should go with you," said Lerna as soon as she entered Tania's room. Eltanin was with Rigel in the throne hall. She sat on the couch with a pout and started to twirl a strand of her hair.

"Why?" Tania asked. She was folding her clothes. After coming back from staying in the tent, she had to give some of the dresses to the maid for washing.

"The next full moon is in ten days. What will I do until then?" What she wanted to say was something else but how could she say that? She had dreamt of a big wedding ever since she had met Rigel.

"Get acquainted with the kingdom," Tania shrugged. She approached Lerna and sat beside her. She curled her fingers beneath her chin and turned her face to her. "Lerna, I know that you are looking for a grand wedding, which Eltanin also wants to give you, but circumstances are different."

"I know..." she lowered her eyes.

"You should remain with Rigel. You should be by his side. He still feels guilty about his father's death. Alina is also unwell. You should go and visit her sometimes."

Lerna's shoulders caved in. "I went to meet her today. In fact, I go to her room every day, but she has strictly instructed her maids and guards not to let me enter. What do I do?"

"That's sad..." Tania couldn't help pitying Alina. Not because of her health, but because she was just too closed in the way she thought. She was still unable to come to terms with the fact that Rigel chose Lerna. It was simple ego and nothing else. "Leave it. Stay with Rigel and Tabit."

"I will," she replied.

All at once, Tabit entered the room. She was looking so flustered that both Lerna and Tania frowned. "Is everything okay?" Tania asked her as she patted the space beside her for her to sit.

Over the past four days, Tabit had talked to Lerna about the kingdom and various other things to acquaint her with the functioning. They had gotten close to each other.

Things were fine, but she had started behaving strangely just after Eltanin announced that he would go back.

Tabit didn't sit, but she began pacing the room. Over the last four days, she hadn't seen Fafnir at all because he had to accompany the soldiers back to Draka. She was getting so restless that she was unable to sleep at night. She didn't tell anyone about Fafnir because of the grave situation. But she was getting desperate without him with each passing minute.

The girls watched her pace the room. "Tabit?" Lerna called her.