The Alpha's Temptation

Eltanin reached the Draka Kingdom along with Fafnir and Tabit. The first thing he did was to meet his wife.

Tania was taking a stroll in the garden along with Flora. She had her wings flared open and so did Flora. It was as if she was about to take to the sky.

"Tania!" Eltanin shouted as he strode in her direction.

"Elty!" she turned to face him with her wings still wide open. "How was the wedding? Where is Tabit? And what about Rigel and Lerna? Are they also married? When will they come here?"

He grabbed her waist and her wings automatically came in to wrap him. "You are not flying, are you?" he asked, disregarding every question of hers.

Tania blinked her eyes in surprise. "Elty, did you even hear what I said?"

"Tania, you are not flying," he insisted. He was so petrified when he thought that she would fly? What if it affected her and the babies? Too many dangerous scenarios came into his mind and he shuddered.

She frowned. "Why Elty?"

"It's not safe!"

Tania raised her eyebrow. "And why isn't it safe? It's not that I am the only fae woman who has become pregnant."

Flora who was standing Tania said, "Your Highness, you worry too much. Flying is natural for faes. In my kingdom pregnant women fly around. It is part of our nature."

"I don't care," Eltanin growled. He grasped Tania's wrist and took him back inside the palace.

"Elty!" Tania rasped, struggling against his strong grasp. "Don't be so ridiculous!"

"If my care seems overprotective to you, then so be it!"

They both crossed a very surprised Fafnir and Tabit who followed them to their bedchamber. They turned to ask Flora about it, but she smiled and shrugged.

When they reached his bedchamber, Eltanin pulled her in and then left her hand. "You have to promise me that you won't fly until the pups are out."

Tania clenched her jaws. She crossed her arms and said, "I will make no such promise."

"Tania, this is for the safety of you and the kids. Please don't be so stubborn," he pleaded.

"Eltanin, you are really being ridiculous. Hear yourself. You shouldn't be bothered about my flying to this extent. I can feel instinctively that this is so natural."

"I don't care!" he blasted. "There is a war coming up. I want those kids. What if I am no more after that war? Who will look after Draka?"

"Elty!" Tania said, her eyes full of terror. "Don't speak like that!" She ran to him and hugged him tightly. "Stop thinking negatively, love," she murmured and kissed his chest and then squeezed him. "I don't like it."

He wrapped his arms around her and stayed there until she was soothed. "I am... so tense..."

"I know, but don't say that again."

Tabit watched the two of them and couldn't help but curl her arms around her husband. He was the General of the Draka army and he would be leading it along with the king.

After some time, when Tania calmed down, Eltanin made her sit on the bed. He kneeled in front of her and said, "I want you to be safe."

Tania knew that he was feeling so emotional at the moment that if she pursued him about her flying, he would refuse it with vengeance. She stroked his head in order to soothe him. "I will take care of myself," she assured him.

Tabit and Fafnir walked to them and the whole tension diffused.

"The Nyxers had attacked at the borders of Orion," Fafnir said. "This attack looked planned. We have to do something before Felis comes full on."

Eltanin gritted his teeth. "What do we do except wait and keep ourselves ready for it?" He got up from his place and then walked to the bar to pour wine for himself and his General.

"Why don't we attack Felis instead of waiting for him to attack us?" Tania suggested.

"On what basis, Tania?" Eltanin asked as he handed the glass to Fafnir. "He has done nothing to us from a very long time."

"Well, he attacked Orion. And Rigel should be very angry about it," Tania said.

"Oh, Rigel is very angry!" Tabit supported Tania. "Before I came here, I went to meet Rigel and Lerna. He was sounding like he could attack Hydra any time. I stopped him and so did Lerna. Lerna was saying that the best time to attack Hydra would be in the harsh winters. Hydra is under the blizzard spell most of the time and Nyxers tend to stay in the palace. It is better that they are attacked at that time."

"Won't it be harsh for us also?" Eltanin replied.

"We will stay in the borders, Your Highness," Fafnir added. "Once we have breached the bridge over River Eridani, we will be able to infiltrate the kingdom easily."

Eltanin took a deep breath in. There was so much tension in waiting for the war that it made sense to attack Hydra. There would be a number of reasons for him to attack it and primarily was that he had freshly tried to kill Rigel and Lerna. He walked to the window and looked out. Cold winds blew in the Eslam Forest surrounding the palace. In a month or so, harsh winters would set in and he wondered how bad they would be in Hydra Kingdom.

"Gather all our allies. We will have a meeting in a week's time to form the strategy."

---

Felis was pacing the meeting room where he had gathered all his commanders. Alphard's defeat had been a setback. He was sure that Alphard would win but he was ambushed by Draka and Orion army. Things were just not happening the way he wanted.

"Your Highness," said Morava, who was also in the meeting room along with five Alphas. "Alphard has suggested that we should declare war over Draka. I think we should. Instead of planning small battles, you must attack the kingdoms one by one. Otherwise it might be too late."