The Alpha's Temptation

Taiyi laughed at her son and husband. "I am leaving to get some sleep. When you are done with, come over," she said.

When Taiyi left, Alrakis watched her leaving, gritting his teeth. He turned to his son and said, "So what was so important?"

Eltanin was suddenly left with no words. He looked blankly at his father. He was hoping for some resistance from his parents and then probably a tantrum he would have thrown, but now that his mother left so easily, he didn't know what to do. He scratched his forehead and took a deep breath in. "Why don't you sit here till Tania is awake?" he said. "I am feeling nervous."

Alrakis narrowed his eyes. That was one feeling that Eltanin always concealed. "Nervous?"

"Yes!" Eltanin growled. "Can't you see she hasn't awakened?"

Alrakis turned his gaze at Tania who was sleeping peacefully beneath the warm furs. In fact, she was sleeping like a baby. Flora had done good work on her. Her pain had long gone and there was calm on her face. "Why will she wake up when she is relaxing at the moment? I would want her to regain her energy."

"So you wait here!"

"Eltanin," Alrakis said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I am right in my bedchamber. If there is an emergency, call me. Your mother is alone." Saying that Alrakis turned and walked out of the door before Eltanin could even protest, murmuring something about babies and possessive sons.

Eltanin watched his father going and he felt... ditched. He trudged to Tania and slid beside her. He crossed his arms behind and cradled his head over them. His father had changed a lot. He had to keep his mother in Araniea so that his father stayed with him. He felt a soft hand on his chest. "Tania..." he whispered and grabbed her little hands in his. She had curled to his side almost as if on instinct. He moved to his side and wrapped her in his arm, cradling her head on his other arm. He continued to watch her sleeping until he closed his eyes and slumbered off to sleep.

---

Menkar started after he had taken enough air for the next part of the journey. He hated that he had to constantly be in water every now and then while Taiyi didn't need it as much, and even if she did, she could openly get into a lake and turn to her mermaid form. Everyone in Araniea knew that she was a mermaid. Moreover because she was a goddess, she could stay in her human form longer.

His hand went to the tangerine soul stone. He grabbed it in his hands. He had to save his energy and not use his dark magic on it now. But he would use it once before leaving for home. He had to give Tania another taste of what he could do. No. He would give Eltanin and Taiyi another taste of what he could do. He had the power to control the fae in whose hands lay the future of Araniea and even his.

It was dark in the night when they all reached the Bikr Harbor. There was another harbor where Eltanin would go and then enter the realm of the Jade Sea. But Menkar could never use it because he always had to hide his identity. They all rented rooms in an upscale inn. Menkar called his spy after his servants arranged his things in his room.

The spy was happy that they didn't go to the Bikr Harbor immediately. He was going to go to Guntar and probably just divert his attention or if that didn't happen, he would have to kill him so that he didn't reveal anything to the High Priest.

Menkar was sitting at the table when the spy arrived. He was writing a letter. He rolled the letter and tied it with a red cord. Giving it to the spy, he said, "Arrange for this letter to reach the king of Eridanus."

"Yes, Your Grace," said the spy as he took the letter.

"For the next five days, I don't want anyone to disturb me," Menkar said in a strict voice. "If I hear even one noise outside my door, you will not like my wrath. Don't worry about my meals. I am going to go into a deep state of meditation in which no one can disturb me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Grace," the spy bowed. He knew that his master was a weird dark magic wielder. In fact, if he went into a five day hibernation, it was good. He wouldn't have that constant fear that Menkar would go to Guntar. But he was confused. Why would his master come to Bikr for this and that too in an inn?

As if reading his mind, Menkar added, "I will be going to a cave every now and then in the west of the forest here, every now and then."

The spy bowed again.

"Ask them to send my dinner to my room after which you will instruct all the servants to stay away from me. Is that clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good," Menkar said, sighing. He was as such going to cast a spell out of his room to keep them all away before he left for Murel.

The servants served him dinner and after they left once and for all, Menkar waited. He waited for everyone to sleep so that he could easily slip out of his room. He tied his beard in a braid and his hair in tight plaits. He changed into a tunic and trousers. When the inn was in complete silence and darkness loomed over Bikr, he got out of his room. His hands swirled with bright blue and gray lights that sealed the door of his room so that no one could enter, even those who worked for the inn.

Menkar walked out of the inn towards the harbor. The village was sleeping. Apart from the fireflies around a few lamp posts that sprayed dim yellow lights on the street, there was no one else.

He wasn't ready for what happened next.