The Alpha's Temptation

The local merchant didn't seem too happy about what he was doing, but he couldn't even refuse. Too many things were locked in this deal. He was getting a fixed amount of money every year for what he did for the Nyxers. The thing about him was that he was a local spy for many kingdoms and not just Nyxers.

Ballard gritted his teeth. There was no point in arguing with the merchant. So he stayed in for the entire day and next day in the early morning, the merchant hid Ballard beneath all the vegetables in the wagon and took him inside the Orion palace. As soon as he was on the path towards the kitchen and the stores, Ballard clawed his way out of the vegetables and jumped out. Since it was early in the morning and the sun hadn't risen up yet, it was still dark. Taking advantage of the dark, he rushed out towards the gardens.

There were not many guards on duty at this time of the hour. Carefully, he walked to his destination. Using his memory, he located the tunnel that led to Alina's bedchamber. The tunnel was hidden behind a grove in the wall. Tall grass and weeds had created a mesh around the small gate that led inside the tunnel. He removed the grass with his hands and cleared the iron gate. It was so rusted that when he opened it, it groaned. Ballard entered it and then into the tunnel. He knew that by this time Hydra army must have also closed in around Orion Kingdom He had to give it to General Alphard. The man was intelligent.

The tunnel was long and winded. He took his dagger out because he was sure that he was going to deal with rodents and reptiles in this abandoned passage. As and as he walked deeper in it, the place smelled musty. He began to sweat and his breath became labored. He realized that the tunnel was getting deeper in the ground. Eventually it became darker. He used his werewolf senses to navigate through it.

When he reached the end of the tunnel, he saw a worn-down wooden door. He stood a few meters away from it, straining his ears to listen to the sounds from the other side. Ballard was sweating heavily. He took out a vial from his bag and drank its content in order to conceal his scent. According to his calculation, he was sure that it was midafternoon and that the queen must be sleeping after her lunch.

But he remembered that she was grossly ill and so it was possible that there were maids around her. Gritting his teeth, Ballard placed his bag on the ground. He took the poison vials out of it and stashed them in the pocket of his trousers. After that he took the sickle out. Equipped well, he slowly turned the knob of the door. It creaked open and he slid inside it. He thought that he would get inside the room directly, but he found himself in a small corridor.

He padded his way out of the corridor. As soon as he entered, he scanned the room in front of him. It looked like an antechamber. There were plush couches everywhere, but there was not a single maid. Carefully, avoiding the furniture he inched towards the door where he thought would be the queen's main bedroom. He opened its door and again expected that someone would jump at him or shriek. But nothing of the sort happened.

Finding it strange, he opened the door wide and examined the room. There was no one inside. His pulse thrummed against his heart. He spun on his heels to look for some activity, his sickle dancing in his grip, but he was shocked when he didn't see a single soul out there. "Where the hell is everyone?" he muttered.

He was supposed to kill the queen and then rush out of the tunnel back to the merchant who must be waiting for him. He even had his poison vials ready to consume in case he was caught by the enemy. But his current situation threw him in utter confusion.

He went to the bathroom and didn't find anyone. He checked the closet, the balcony, even the fireplace, but there was no one. He was running out of time. What if he waited? He found a spot behind a thick curtain and decided to wait.

Ballard waited till the sky was turning a gray shade characteristic to evenings. He was starving and his stomach grumbled. He had picked up an apple which he munched upon, hoping that someone came in the room. No one came. Frustrated as hell, he came out of his hiding place.

He had to give a message that he had killed the queen, but now that he hadn't killed her and that he was also out of time, he turned to leave. He left through the way he had come.

As soon as he was out of the tunnel, he saw three Orion soldiers standing and waiting for him. "Did you find the queen?" they smirked.

Ballard immediately dug his hands in his pocket to take out vials of poison, but the soldiers stopped him instantly, overpowering him. One of them said, "The merchant who brought you here is already dead!"

Enraged, he asked them, "Where is the queen?"

---

Alphard was waiting for Ballard to give the information about the queen. His army had gotten very close. All he had to do now was attack. But that boy hadn't reached yet. He had to make a quick decision. It would be foolish to wait for him. There was a high possibility that the boy must have died already.

The sun had set down and the night dazzled the sky with stars. He ordered his army. "March!" He knew that everyone would be so busy with the marriage that it would be extremely easy to abduct Lerna and then blackmail Rigel to become Hydra'a ally or he would simply destroy them all.

The Nyxers were waiting to launch an attack on Orion. With a bellow to the sky, his army charged towards the Orion Kingdom. However, before they could even reach the capital, combined forces of Orion and Draka ambushed them from all sides.