The Alpha's Temptation

Terror gripped her chest and they all rushed back to the open. However, the moment they reached the landing of the stairs, a crimson mist whirled and raced towards them, howling and screeching. It started climbing the stairs.

"Calaman's horns!" Eltanin cursed. "Let's go that side," he said pointing to the left. There should have been a stair on the other side as well. However, the moment he reached there, the marble stairs cracked with a boom and crumbled into dust, sending a flurry of debris on the first floor. Without thinking much, Eltanin grabbed Tania by her waist and jumped on the first floor, landing nimbly on his feet. Debris and dust whirled around them. She coughed and saw that Glenn had followed them. Terrified, she clasped onto her savior.

The crimson mist stopped and rolled into itself as if confused and trying to sense its prey. Tania could feel the black magic that emitted from the crimson mist and she knew that the Crimson mist wanted her. It was as if she was being lured by the mist and it wanted to become her. She opened her mouth and took a deep breath in. The crimson mist scented her immediately.

It started drawing closer as if craving for Tania, as if it had found home and wanted the very essence of her life. Tania knew that the mist was getting attracted to her gift. But why? "It wants me…" she said in a low, gravelly voice.

Eltanin stared at the mist in wide-eyed shock. The crimson mist was created by the High Priest of the temple and when it affected people, they turned into flesh-eating, blood sucking vuargs.

The mist roiled and groaned as if calling its lover. The walls around them started crumbling. The mist gathered speed and descended the stairs. "We need to get out of here!" Eltanin rasped, his forehead coated with fresh sweat. He grabbed Tania from her waist and started to run. The mist sensed their movement and chased them. In one hand, he held the book, and in the other he had Tania. He had to make out of the temple before the mist consumed them. He shouted at Glenn to take the lead and Glenn ran as fast as possible to open the doors if they were closed.

The mist was barely a few feet away from them. "Shift!" Eltanin shouted to Glenn and Glenn leapt in the air and shifted into his wolf form. He jumped over a bundle of debris. When Eltanin leapt over it, a crimson tendril of mist lashed out and looped around his leg. He crashed on the floor with Tania in his grasp.

Agony ripped through her body and her vision became black. An enraged shriek filled the room. She closed her ears, feeling the weight of Eltanin's body over hers. Suddenly, she sensed them being pulled in the opposite direction. Blood trickled from her nose. Eltanin raised himself up with a groan and tried to break free from the mist.

Her throat became paper dry. She didn't want the mist to come to her. It smelled of death and blood and rot. Almost instinctively, a silent spell left her lips. Another shriek sounded and the mist uncoiled from his leg, shrieking as if in pain. Eltanin took the opportunity. He rose to his feet with her in his arms and darted out of the room.

However, the mist was only too fast. It gathered speed, lashing out its tendrils at him. It wanted to reduce him to ashes, burn him and take his possession. It wanted Tania. Tania let out another and blew it over her palm towards the mist. It recoiled and curled back.

Eltanin jumped to another room through the door. They were still two more rooms away. The walls of the rooms were crumbling. The rafters were falling. Glenn had already gone out. By the time they reached the door of the last room, the rafters fell from the ceiling and blocked the entrance. "I have to break past them," he said as he panted and set her to her feet. "Can you keep that thing at bay?"

She nodded and turned to see the mist behind them. It was too close. She chanted a spell and was about to blow it towards the mist when all at once, the ball of mist rose up in the air and launched itself on Eltanin. Just then, he thrashed the beams with his punch and leapt out. Tania dodged the mist and jumped out only to find that his cheeks had lost their color. Blood trickled down from his left ear.

Tania stumbled to him as the mist stopped right behind them, breathing as if it was full of life. Evil life. Eltanin inched away from it, taking Tania back with him. The mist had lashed on his thighs and made a gash. His leg was covered with blood. "I want you to leave Tania," he whispered. "Let the mist consume me, but you have to leave."

Her lips quivered. She couldn't even think of life without him. Over the past few weeks, she had grown so addicted to him. Do you know about mates? He had asked. She knew vaguely. Mates could never stay away from them and they… "I will follow you until death…" she heard herself saying it to him and it felt right.

He whipped his head to see her. "Leave me, love. This is not for you." They could hear the mist breathing.

"Then it is not for you either," she replied. She walked in front of him to shield him from the mist.

"What are you doing?" he growled. With effort and pain, he rose to his feet, almost limping. He held her by her waist. "I need you to leave. Now!" The mist's black magic must have seeped in his blood because he was reeling under the shock of it. His vision was hazy and all that mattered to his was her safety.

With determination she glared at the crimson mist. It started to crawl slowly towards her, as if like a puppy in love. Tania clenched her teeth. She narrowed her eyes, took her hand up in the air. When she brought them back in the front, she chanted, "Desa parix a marca!" Tiny wisps of magic flowed out of her body and coiled around his body. They called for his eather. When the two met and curled outside their bodies, it became like a thick cloud that swirled. She hurled it towards the mist. A shriek emanated from the mist. It tried a last ditch effort to launch on them, but with a loud boom, it blasted. Icy wind gusted around them as the black magic evaporated.

A moment later, Eltanin collapsed behind her, lifeless, awash in blood, his body cold.

"Eltanin!" she shouted. She knelt beside him, her own pain forgotten. She wiped the blood from his face, wetting her sleeves. "Don't you leave me here alone!" She looked at the darkness outside and screamed, "Glenn!" The mist was gone, but it took its toll. She shook Eltanin. "Wake up, will you?" Her voice trembled but only silence greeted her.

Glenn came inside in his wolf form.