The Alpha's Temptation

Eltanin snorted. His jaws clenched at the thought. A muscle feathered in his jaw and without speaking a word, he circled past her and headed to his stallion. Rigel followed him, sending a pointed glare in Sirrah's direction. Sirrah shrugged and then walked back to the carriage. As the coachman opened the carriage door for her, she saw Eltanin's soldiers breaking ranks and disappearing into the darkness of Eslam.

Sirrah knew that if they were breaking ranks, they must be scouting. She watched them with a cold expression and then stepped inside the carriage. Under her breath she said, "Girls, brace yourself for the next few hours of the journey. We will reach Draka by evening, that is if we move quickly."

"Is he coming?" Morava asked. She had seen her mother talking to King Eltanin.

"I don't know," Sirrah shrugged. "Most likely not. But I suggest that whilst the carriage is stationary, you catch up on your sleep."

Morava blew a strand of hair off her face and rolled her eyes. "I can't sleep!" She was too hot and bothered.

"The fire festival is tomorrow, Morava," Sirrah said. "You better sleep as much as you can because you will be unable to sleep for the entire night. You have a target to focus on if you want to be the queen of Draka. You cannot leave Eltanin's side even for a minute, during the mating event. You have to offer yourself to be marked by him as much as he would demand."

Morava's worry was replaced by excitement. She couldn't wait for tomorrow night and be mated with the most powerful king of Araniea. She would become the queen of Draka. Starry eyed, she tilted her head to see where Eltanin was. He was usually riding behind their carriage because of Tania. However, this time he wasn't there. Disappointment settled in her heart. That man was so beautiful that she wondered how it would be to feel those hard planes of muscle as they rippled with every movement. Drool pooled in her mouth at the thought of tasting him.

When the carriage started its journey, Sirrah looked out of the window. She saw her soldiers riding beside them. She took a fabric bag out that was stashed below her bench. She opened the buttons and said, "Morava, when the fire festival begins, I want you to wear this dress."

Morava's brows creased when she took the bag from her mother and pulled  the dress from it. It was a bustier and a short skirt made from deer hide. "Why?" she asked. The dress was so scandalous for a princess.

"You wear this and go inside the cave where the mating will take place," Sirrah instructed. She looked at Tania on the side who was watching them with wide eyes and then reverted her gaze back to Morava. "Tania will accompany you to the cave. She is going to drop you there and then she will come back. Amongst all the werewolves who will be under the mating fever, you have to find Eltanin and mate with him."

"We don't need her to come with me," Morava disapproved, scrunching her nose.

"It is important that she comes with you," Sirrah snapped.

Morava pursed her lips and didn't argue after that. She decided she would do whatever her mother asked her to do as long as she got Eltanin in the end.

"Also, we will be reaching Draka sometime around midnight. I am sure that there will hardly be anyone to receive us. I have asked Eltanin to not have anyone  receive us because you two will be very exhausted." Sirrah glanced at the guard who was riding with them. A surprise flickered in her eyes. "Mizvah has come with us?"

Morava's lips curled up. "He can't seem to stay away from me."

"But be careful, Morava!" Sirrah warned her. "I don't want Eltanin to suspect that you and Mizvah are close."

"Eltanin won't be bothered with what is happening amongst the guards of Pegasii. You just worry too much," Morava dismissed her. She started inspecting the dress that her mother had given her. The bustier had laces that ran through the eyelets on the back. One tug of the bustier and it would come out. She chuckled. Her mother really knew how to seduce men. After all, she had managed to seduce her father.

Sirrah continued to instruct her. "For the whole day, you are not to step out of the guest room, okay?"

"Why? Morava's lips curled down. "I want to roam around the palace. It is beautiful. Even you should come with me." She whined.

"Don't you remember what happened to you last time you were there, you foolish girl?" Sirrah scolded her sharply. "The servants and guards of the palace, and probably Alrakis too, won't want to see you again. They may try to snicker behind you!"

"Then I will simply—"

"Shut up!" Sirrah hissed as she clenched her fists. The main reason why she was asking Morava not to go out was because of her temper. "I want this to go very smoothly and not be ruined by your anger. First get marked by the king and then you can show them all who the person in command is. It will be a resounding slap in the face of every person out there, including Eltanin!"

Morava jerked her head back. Her gaze turned to Tania who was still looking wide-eyed towards them. "Lower your fucking head bitch! What are you looking at?" Morava lashed her anger out at Tania.

"Do you understand me?" Sirrah asked as she held Morava's wrists.

"I do!" Morava snapped and wrenched her wrists out of her mother's hold. Infuriated at how her mother was ordering her around for the smallest of things, she looked to her side and saw Mizvah staring at her like a lovesick fool. He winked at her and she wished that she was riding with him, or maybe making out with him under a tree. She winked back.