The Alpha's Temptation

Tabit paused and spun to look at them. She said to Tania, "Can I come with you?"

Tania raised an eyebrow. Tabit's sudden question amused her. "Sure. But I thought that you would want to help Lerna. She needs to know a lot of things about the kingdom and the palace and the treasury and... basically everything else!"

"Oh, I think my brother can help her!" Tabit replied quickly. "And then there are so many people who would volunteer for her!"

Both Lerna and Tania were surprised. "Tabit," Tania said, narrowing her eyes. "What is it that you are after?"

Tabit pursed her lips. A deep crease formed between her forehead. She gathered her gown and sat beside Tania, exhaling roughly. "I miss..." she paused, wondering if she should reveal or not.

"Miss whom?" Lerna asked. Now both the girls were just too intrigued. They turned to look at her suspiciously.

"Oh come on!" Tabit huffed. "Don't look like I have committed a crime!"

"Then come out with it!" Tania urged.

In a very low voice she said, "I miss my mate."

"What?" Tania rasped, shocked.

"What?" Lerna jumped out of her place. "Mate?"

They both took a long time for the information to process. It was so sudden that they were taken aback.

"You have a mate?" Tania said and not asked.

Tabit nodded with her lips downturned.

"And he is in Draka?"

She nodded again.

"Oh my God!" Tania squealed as Lerna's eyes widened.

"That's... shocking," Lerna finally managed to say.

"And who is your mate?" Tania asked, as she closed the gap between her and Tabit.

Tabit's cheeks heated. In a very, very low voice she said, "He had come to rescue me in the palace just before the war."

"Fafnir?" Tania squealed so loudly that Tabit closed her fists.

"Keep your voice down!" she admonished Tania. "This is so sudden that even I can't wrap my head around it and I don't want anyone to know in the palace!"

"Why?" Lerna went to kneel in front of Tabit. "That is wonderful news! Fafnir is such a gentle wolf. You will love him!"

Tabit bit her bottom lip as her eyes became dreamy. "I know... he is so handsome and muscular and tall and--"

"Okay, we get it!" Tania stopped her, giggling.

"But we met for a very brief time," Tabit said, once again her heart plummeting. "Over the last four days, I have missed him. A lot!"

"It's natural!" Lerna too giggled as she squeezed Tabit's hands.

"So you want to come to Draka?" Tania said, tapping her chin. There was so much excitement in the air that it was palpable. Tania couldn't believe that Fafnir had finally found a mate. The General of Draka was a very somber man. She hadn't heard of his dalliances. It was said that he guarded the privacy of his private life very seriously.

"I do! But I am scared that if I declare to everyone that Fafnir is my mate..." Tabit looked away. "I mean I am waiting for the right time. You understand?" She looked at Lerna who was sitting in front of her. "I shouldn't leave Orion right now because of mother's health, but mother is not meeting anyone. It's like she has created this invisible barrier between her and others."

"Yes, we do understand," said Lerna as she cupped Tabit's cheeks. "She is doing the same with me. She is not meeting me. Every time I go there, the guards turn me away."

"Oh, that's rude!" Tabit remarked. "You are the future queen of the Orion Kingdom. You can force your way in. I mean you can overrule the guards and meet her."

"I don't want to do that. Even if I meet her against her wishes, what would be the outcome?" Lerna argued. "She will not be happy to see me."

"She is not going to be happy to see either me or Rigel too!" Tabit scoffed. "I don't know what has Meissa told her about us. My mother is totally brainwashed!"

Lerna's chest caved in out of sadness. "I wish she could hear my story..."

"Lerna," Tabit said. "Mother won't understand anything at this point of time. Not only is she miserable after father's death, she feels that everyone has betrayed her. I don't know what to say, but she has been like that over the last few months ever since Meissa tried to claim the throne. So, please don't feel guilty or sad. Mother has got into this situation herself. It's not your fault. Everything can't be your fault."

Lerna chuckled and shook her head.

"Don't worry so much," Tabit added. "Give time and everything will settle down, okay?"

"Okay," Lerna said as her lips curled up at Tabit's optimism.

"Now!" Tabit rasped. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I got an idea," Tania interjected.

They both whipped their heads to look at Tania.

"Why don't you disguise yourself and come out of Orion?" Tania suggested. "You can disguise as a Draka soldier and get out of Orion Kingdom."

Lerna and Tabit blinked at Tania for a long time as if wondering what she was suggesting. And then it dawned upon them.

"Yes, she can get out of Orion as a Draka soldier and no one is going to point their fingers at her!" Lerna clasped her hands. "I will cover her over here!"

"Once you reach Draka, you can meet Fafnir!" Tania added.

"Calaman's horns!" Tabit exclaimed. "That's a great idea! But what if--" she bit her nails. "What if people come to know about me in the Draka army?"

"No one will!" Tania waved her hand. She got up and grinned. "You will be personally escorting Eltanin and me to Draka."

Lerna giggled. She loved the plan. She clapped her hands as she got up like a little girl. This was the first excitement she experienced ever since she came to Orion. For the rest of the day, the three girls formed one plan over the next to safely take Tabit out of Orion.

Little did Tabit know of the wild adventure coming next.