The Alpha's Temptation

Alphard was taken by surprise. He hadn't received a message from Ballard. He was sure that there was no one around waiting for them and that he could attack Orion easily, but how did the Draka army come here? Even if Ballard was caught, how could the Draka army come so fast to Orion? There was something that he was missing.

The Nyxers fought against the two armies. Even the ten squads that Alphard had with him were smaller in front of the two armies which looked like an ocean. Though taken by surprise, Alphard's first instinct was to somehow get out of this mayhem and go back to Hydra or at least to the borders of Hydra. He knew that they would be defeated in no time and so he opened his mind link with the Nyxers and asked them to retreat. It was better to retreat in a situation like this rather than fight and lose him.

---

"You look so beautiful that I can't take my eyes off you," Fafnir said to his mate, Tabit in a low voice. They were standing in front of the Shaman who was officiating two weddings in the kingdom of Orion. That of Princess Tabit and General Fafnir and King Rigel and Princess Lerna.

Tabit smacked his chest as a blush rose on her cheeks. "You too," she replied and his heart fluttered.

Rigel was staring at his mate who was wearing a bridal dress. It was impossible for him to take his eyes off her. Lerna was blushing till her neck under his gaze. He leaned over her on the side and said, "Do you know how long I had waited to see you in that dress as my bride?"

"A few months?" she said innocently.

"No. my whole life."

Lerna bit her lip. She gave him a coy smile and said, "Me too."

Rigel grinned. "The full moon is creating havoc on my wolf, Lerna. I will be marking you tonight." Even the thought of marking his mate was more than enough for him. His body shivered in anticipation.

"I will be waiting for your mark, my King," she said softly. "It will be an honor to carry it."

And Rigel couldn't feel prouder.

"Can you both focus on the ceremony?" Eltanin growled at Rigel and Fafnir who were busy ogling their brides. Both men snapped their heads in his direction and let out a sigh. Ever since they had all come to the Orion Kingdom for the wedding, Eltanin had been nothing but a big brother to both of them. He ensured that all the occasions were done properly and the ceremonies were carried out in tradition.

Rigel had gone to Draka to meet Eltanin. It was mostly because his men had sensed the presence of Nyxers in the Ivory Forest. The spies had said that the Nyxers were planning on attacking Orion and that they had gathered in large numbers.

Eltanin was filled with rage. At first, he said that Rigel and Lerna would be married in the kingdom of Draka, but Rigel couldn't do that. He had to marry his mate in front of his people according to tradition. And that was why Eltanin decided that he would come to Orion back with him and oversee the weddings and also take care of Nyxers.

The weddings were important, especially that of Lerna with Rigel. It was going to send a message to Felis that his sister was not on his side and that even his near and dear ones didn't support him. Well, they didn't anyway. It was also a message to every citizen in Orion that King Rigel was a no-nonsense werewolf.

Rigel's mother, Queen Alina was on her deathbed and was moved to the healer's quarters so that she was taken special care of. However, she was also hanging on the last thread of her life. She was still too stubborn and refused to meet her son and his bride. This was the reason why Ballard couldn't see Queen Alina.

Ballard was caught by the soldiers because of his mistake. When inside the queen's chamber, he hid for a long time to wait for her, his potion that helped him to mask his smell, wore off. The whiff of his scent was caught by the guards and when they swooped in, he had disappeared. Rigel was instantly informed. And both Rigel and Eltanin took action.

The wedding took place in the gardens of the sacred temple as the moon rose. And as the moon rose, Rigel and Fafnir were getting too restless to mark their mates.

The Shaman asked the grooms to bring their palms forth. He took a knife and slashed their palms in the center. He asked the brides to bring their palms forth. He made a slash in their palms and asked them to join it with their grooms. As soon as the palms were joined, something inside them snapped. It was as if two puzzle pieces snapped in together. A soft tendril of light sparkled and coiled around their hands, joining the mates forever in this life and the next.

The Shaman chanted incantations to offer his prayers to the Moon Goddess and after a few minutes, the ceremony was over.

As soon as the king wedded his queen, he intertwined his fingers with hers and took her out of the temple premise where his people were waiting for him. They cheered their newly wedded king and queen.

"Long live the King!"

"Long live the Queen!"

"May the Moon Goddess favor you always!"

Lerna's lips trembled as she watched the citizens of Orion cheering for her. This was a sight she had never thought would come true. Though her wedding wasn't as fancy as it should have been for a king because of everything being so hasty and also the death of the former king still loomed in their hearts, Lerna had no complains. She was happy to be accepted and be a part of something that wasn't as dark as her former years.

She turned her face to look at her husband as he turned to face her. Rigel leaned towards her and pressed his lips on hers. "My queen..." he murmured.

She smiled. "My king..."