The Alpha's Temptation

Biham growled his disapproval. “I asked you not to disturb me.”

Sirrah opened the door despite the guards’ resistance. “You have to listen to me!”

Biham didn’t like the intrusion at all. He rose up and swept his feet off the bed, ready to hit Sirrah for her audacity. Sirrah cringed and cowered and before he could hit her said, “Lusitania is not her room.”

He stopped midway as he stared blankly at Sirrah. B***d drained from his face when her words made sense. “Wh—what?”

Happy to have gained his attention, Sirrah added sarcastically, “Your true heir is now with King Eltanin who now turns out to be your true enemy.”

“How is this possible?” He couldn’t believe a word Sirrah said.

“She is f*****g Eltanin as we talk!”

“Shut up!” Biham’s voice boomed in the chamber. Both mother and daughter shrank with fear.

Morava padded to stop behind her mother. “Mother is right. I saw her going to King Eltanin’s camp. So, I got a maid to follow her.” She could never reveal that she had gone to meet Eltanin. “My maid witnessed Tania entering the king’s tent and then she heard vulgar noises.”

Biham’s anger shot to the roof. He had asked Tania that she should not step out of her room and had arranged so much security for her, yet the girl went to Eltanin. And not just to visit him, she went to f**k him? She had the audacity to go against his orders? What if Eltanin took her back with him? The thought made his knees wobbly. What if he would never return her to Pegasii? “F**k!” he growled tasting fury at the back of his throat. He grabbed a robe and wore it in a hurry. As he dashed out of his chamber, he said, “If any of this is wrong, I will make you eat dust!”

“It isn’t wrong, Father,” said Morava, shaking her head. “I am extremely sure that Tania is with the Draka king. I am telling you that by tomorrow morning, Eltanin will walk in our palace with the slave girl and make deals on her behalf.”

“No,” Sirrah muttered. “He would take her away from here just to embarrass your father.” Sirrah had a great plan after Biham would witness Tania’s absence. She was going to make him forget his slave daughter and get Morava back into good books. She would ask Biham to not go crazy after this true heir business, and if he insisted, she was going to threaten him that his true heir was a whore of Eltanin.

Biham rushed to Tania’s bedroom. The guards followed them. “Open the door!” he growled as soon as he reached her room. He was breathless and in a terrible mood after Eltanin’s attempt to break the east borders. The guards opened the room. It was shrouded in darkness as the embers in the fireplace dimmed to a dull red, crackling softly. Hazy shadows danced on the walls as Biham moved closer to the bed. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀ​ꪶ​

Surrounded by gauzy curtains, the whole place looked silent and still. The room was warm and cozy. Biham moved to the bed where the furs were spread all over. A petite body covered in the furs was breathing softly and he could see the movement over the furs.

Biham clenched his jaw. He turned sharply to look at Morava. He whispered, “She is right there, you dimwit. You accused an innocent girl.”

Morava was stunned. “No, I saw— I mean the maid saw her entering the king’s tent!” She stared at the person on the bed. “Tania is very cunning. That could be her maid!” She was as sure as death that this wasn’t Lusitania. And why wasn’t she able to smell her?

Sirrah nudged Biham to go ahead and discover the truth, but he was reluctant. Seeing his reluctance, Morava walked past him, opened the curtains and pulled the furs off the person. The person got up with a start. “Lusitania!” Morava’s mouth fell to the floor. “B— But— you were—”

Lusitania blinked innocently at her half-sister. Her gaze drifted to Biham as a shiver ran down her body. He was looking furious. “Is anything wrong?” she asked with the innocence of a lamb. “I was sleeping…” Sirrah was standing right behind Biham, shock apparent on her face.

“I am so sorry, Lusitania!” said Biham as he grabbed the furs from Morava’s hands and covered her gently. “We were all afraid that— that you were in danger.”

“What danger?” she asked softly, tilting her head.

Biham pursed his lips. “Nothing of importance, child,” he said. He was sure that she would have become very scared at this sudden appearance. As such the girl was under immense trauma. “You should sleep.” He nudged her shoulders back to the pillow. Then he stroked her hair lovingly. He knew that the girl was so innocent that she wouldn’t know how to even get out of the palace, let alone go to meet the Draka king. That would be a huge adventure for her. When she laid back on the bed, he drew the curtains back and hissed at his wife and daughter. “I want you both out of the room now! Come with me!” Saying that he strode out of the room. Sirrah followed him silently whereas Morava watched Lusitania who had closed her eyes and was sleeping all over again. Morava was baffled. How probable it was that Lusitania came to her room so fast when she just saw her in Eltanin’s tent? She exited the room while glancing at Tania every now and then. Things didn’t add up. Was the king with her? Then why wasn’t she able to smell them? She gave a cursory scan to the room and everything was in its place.

“Come out!” Biham’s dangerous voice made her jump. She strutted out of the room and the guards closed the door behind her. Outside, Sirrah gave her ominous looks.

Biham halted in the corridor. “Guards!” he said, his voice dangerously cold. “Take Princess Morava and put her under house arrest. She is not allowed to move out of her room.” His gaze slid to Sirrah whose face was ashen white. “If the princess steps out of her room, take her to the dungeons!” He turned to leave.

“Father!” Morava cried as the ground gave way under her. “This— this is not fair. I was only trying to expose her true face. Can’t you see that she is a big manipulator?”

Biham looked over his shoulder. “Silence!” His voice echoed in the corridors of the palace. “From what I can see is that you are the one who is manipulating! You are the one who wants to eliminate the heir of Pegasii!” He turned. “And Morava, I will not allow you to do it. I will fiercely protect my daughter!” Saying that Biham walked back to his room.

Sirrah watched him disappear in his room as knots formed in her stomach. The guards came and surrounded a stunned Morava. She whipped her head to her mother when she was grabbed by her upper arms and pushed forward. “Mother! Mother!” she called her, but Sirrah just watched her going away. She would not be able to meet her daughter until Biham lifted his order.

Inside—