The Alpha's Temptation
The Alpha’s Temptation – Scene 100

With his hands clasped behind his back, Eltanin stared at the palace, which was surrounded by the high walls that shone gray in the waning moon’s light. The pines and oaks that surrounded it marched down the hill like sentinels. Built on the top of a mound, the palace was strategically located. Pegasii’s banner flapped gently on the heights. The palace was lit by thousands of torches that lined the parapets.

He could smell her from miles away. His chest vibrated with anger and trepidation. He wanted to march into the palace and get her, killing everyone in his way, but Rigel had stopped him.

“Why didn’t you tell me that she is your mate at that time?” Rigel sounded angry standing behind him. He found Eltanin’s behavior odd, but he didn’t question him since he was in a hurry.

He growled, “She is my mate, unmarked and unclaimed. She is fragile and a slave from Cetus Monastery. What do you think I would have done?”

Rigel understood his friend’s predicament. Eltanin was highly protective about her. It was natural. But Rigel was happy that Eltanin had finally found someone. The fate of Araniea was looking better. “So, how do you plan to extract her? I am sure Biham already knows that we are here.”

“I want to kill them all and get her as soon as possible. She is being held a prisoner!”

Rigel rubbed his temple. “Come inside Eltanin, we have to form a plan.”

But Eltanin didn’t. He continued to look at the palace. He had a plan of his own. That also included killing Morava.

The healer had given Tania a stronger potion for healing. She had stopped mumbling and was now sleeping soundlessly. He hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep all the while. Checking her pulse rate, he said to his colleague, “She is better. If you want to go refresh yourselves, you may leave. I will stay here.” His colleague looked so disheveled that he pitied him.

“Thank you.” His assistant bowed and without another word walked out of the room.

The royal healer chuckled. He got up and briefly gazed at her bandages on the thigh. She was healing well. Relieved, he sat down in his chair and didn’t know when sleep had overtook him.

“Mamaaa!” Tania sobbed.

“Stay here Tania,” her mother said, a woman with hazy features but clear gray eyes. “Whatever happens, don’t come out, okay?”

“I want you mama,” little Tania cried, holding her hand and tugging her.

“My little Tania… I am so sorry for not being able to protect you, my child. Hide here until everything is over.”

Tania shook her head. “Where is papi?”

But mama was gone. Tania felt as if she was being held under water. B***d dripped all around her and mingled with it. She wanted to breathe.

The scenery in front of her changed. There were soldiers all around and a woman.

“Did you replace her?” she growled at them.

“No, Your Highness!” the soldier replied. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀ​ꪶ​

“Burn this hut down!” she said and Tania heard her boots clattering against the stone floor.

There was fire all around and screams.

Tania woke up with a jerk, her body covered in sweat. She was breathless as she scanned her surroundings. The nightmare was so real that she felt like she was living it. Her mama and papi were killed and the hut was burned, so why had Biham said that she was his daughter? He was mistaken. Her eyes went to the healer who was sitting next to her. She needed to escape this place as soon as possible before things escalated to an ugly level. How could a slave girl from Cetus Monastery be a king’s daughter?

From the window she could see that it was still dark. Very quietly, she removed her blanket and swept her feet off the bed, when a sharp pain hit her. “Arghhh!” she g*****d. The healer stirred a little, but he didn’t wake up. The embers in the hearth glowed a fiery orange imparting a soft glow on the entire room.

Tania caught the edge of the bed and limped her way to the door. By the time she reached the door, she was sweating heavily. As soon as the door was ajar, she found herself staring in the eyes of a guard, whose face was half covered with a cloth. Another, taller guard, stood right behind her. All the other guards were still standing in their positions.

Her heartbeat accelerated. Those eyes. “Princess Morava?” she gasped as dread skittered down her spine.

Morava immediately took a dagger out of her tunic and pointed at her. She leaned over her ear and whispered, “Come with me and do as I say. If you don’t, I won’t think twice before plunging this dagger into you.”

Tania’s head dipped to see the dagger. She raised her eyes and found that all the guards were standing very quietly at a distance. “I will not go with you,” she said with quivering lips, untrusting Morava. There was no way that she was going to go with her.

Morava growled. She pricked the dagger in her stomach and gritted, “Come, or I will lose my patience! I will hand you over to—” Suddenly, Morava found her lips sealed. She couldn’t part them. She tried to open them, but she couldn’t. The more she tried to open them, the more they pursed together .

“Princess!” The taller guard rasped. “What is wrong?”

She whipped her head to look at him. She pointed to her lips and a muffled sound came out.

“Why are your lips locked?” he asked as he placed his hands on her shoulders.

Morava pointed her thumb over her shoulder to Tania and tried to say something again, but she only managed to hum. All of a sudden, she turned to Tania and tried to press her dagger into her, but stumbled. Mizvah held her steadily to stop her from falling onto Tania. “Have you killed her?” Mizvah mumbled, breaking into a sweat. It was a bad idea and now he would be executed. When their eyes went to the place where Morava had plunged the dagger into Tania, they found that Morava held roses in her hands, the petals crushed against Tania’s stomach but the thorns dug into Morava’s flesh. She couldn’t even scream with pain. It was as if she had been gagged and stabbed tiny knives all over her palms.

“Were you trying to stab me with those roses?” she asked in a cold voice, taking some rose petals and pasting them between her thumb and finger.

How did this happen? Horrified, Morava lifted her gaze to look at Tania, who fluttered her eyelashes innocently.

And then—

“Ahhhhh!” Tania screamed as loudly as she could.

Commotion followed.

All the guards rushed to where she was standing. Morava tried to leave the place, but Tania pointed at her, crying. “That guard wanted to kill me.”

Morava shook her head as she stepped back. She wanted to deny vehemently, but her lips were sealed tight. She picked up the roses to show to the guards to prove her innocence, but instead of roses, now a dagger was there. Confused, Morava’s hands started shaking.

One of the guards removed the cloth that covered her face as they held her hands from the back.

“Princess Morava?”