The Alpha's Temptation

Chapter 143 What Is The Meaning Of This?

Tania blinked at them feeling pretty awkward. A pale blush heated her cheeks when she realized that all of them were staring at her as if she had grown two horns. She reiterated, "I am not sure…"

Eltanin's surprise was like a bolt from the blue. His mate was half fae. Was it because of her ability as a fae that she could sense the portal? Excitement surged through him and his skin pebbled with goosebumps. Last night when he drew circles on her back, white shimmery light would follow more zealously. It meant that her abilities were manifesting more after their mating. "But they have closed all the portals, Tania," he said, not denying that she knows that.

"How do you know about it?" Alrakis asked, completely bewildered.

As for Rigel, his mouth fell to the floor. Over many years, he had scouted for portals to be able to go to Vilinski, but he hadn't found any. And now if Tania had discovered one out of her sheer ability as a half fae, he was surely going to display himself as a peacock in Vilinski and marry a fae. He just needed one damn chance to go to the fae kingdom.

Tania rubbed her neck and appeared uncomfortable. She wondered if they would believe her and not think that she is insane. "When I was in Pegasii, I could—" she bit her lip. She looked up at Eltanin and he nodded as an encouragement for her to speak further. "I could sense strange energy. It seemed to draw me closer to it. It was very faint when I had reached Pegasii for the first time, but after my father had taken me to the royal garden and I met with the spirit, the energy became stronger." She shifted in her chair. "Like I couldn't deny it…"

Eltanin was… dumbfounded.

"I had this urge to go there, but I could resist it…" she continued. "And right now, I don't feel anything…"

There was a stunned moment of silence. All the men were looking at each other's faces, clueless about what she just said, but excited that it could mean she had sensed a portal.
"In that case she needs to go back to Pegasii," Alrakis said in a low voice that was barely audible. They were not planning on letting her go, but her revelation stumped them. She was the key to opening a portal? It would be mind-blowing.

"But it is dangerous, Father," Eltanin said. What if his mate was so attracted to the energy or the portal that she decided to step into it and never came back? And what if a beautiful fae male liked her? A shudder ran through his body.

"Why so?" asked Alrakis.

"What if the portal is only one way? What if she is able to open it and gets sucked into the other side? And what if the faes get offended by it and we have another problem cropping up after Kinshra?"

"Unless you take chances, how will you ever know?" said Rigel. "You are just being paranoid! Faes were angry because Biham rejected his pregnant mate. When they see that he has accepted his mate's child, they might relent."

Eltanin shook his head as terror skittered down his spine. "I don't care about Yunabi arcana. If she is able to translate it, it is fine. If not, I don't care!"

"What will happen if Felis attacks you next time?" Alrakis growled. "He is going to leash your beast and you will lose control. Your wolf is already becoming stronger and almost everyone in Araniea can see it. How long do you think it would take Felis to learn about your wolf's new found strength?"

"I can tackle Felis!" Eltanin snapped. He rose onto his feet and rounded his way to reach Tania. "But I can't put Tania's life in danger!" What he meant was he couldn't let Tania be separated from him. "And it is my wolf who wants to protect her more than ever."

Rigel was daydreaming about marrying a beautiful fae with soft wings that would circle him in his embrace. His bubble burst and his lips curved down. His friend was always doing this to him. "What if I step inside the bubble— I mean the portal first?" he said in a voice that had an underlying tone of sacrifice. "I am ready to go to Vilinski." And meet my future wife. "I will face the danger of going in there first."

"No need!" Eltanin retorted. "No one is going to Vilinski!"

Alrakis narrowed his eyes on his son. He was getting angry at him, but then he understood how protective he was about his newly marked mate. "Okay, we are going to decide about going to the portal later. Right now, you have to go and meet with your mother. Taiyi has been waiting for both of you for ages!" He would get to it in time. He would get Rolfe Aramaer in this realm, no matter what. If Eltanin was protecting his mate, he had to protect his family.
"We can start tomorrow morning," Eltanin said, shoving out all the negative thoughts.

"I would suggest that you start today by the afternoon. Biham won't wait much longer. As soon as he is healed, I am sure that he will want to take you both to Pegasii," Alrakis suggested. "So, you better take advantage of the time that he is here. I will keep him occupied while you go and meet with Taiyi."

"I was hoping that you would come with us," Eltanin said.

Alrakis' lips curled up. "I will be leaving you shortly to go and live with my wife on a permanent basis."

Eltanin clenched his jaw at his father's words. "I will bring my mother here," he growled. All of a sudden, a heavy knock on the door sounded. "Who's there?"

A guard opened the door slightly and announced, "Your Highness, the soldiers have caught Princess Morava. General Fafnir is requesting permission to see you."

A vicious smile appeared on his lips and he tilted his head. "Send them in." He placed his hands on Tania's shoulder and kissed her on the crown of her head. "What would you like to do with her?" Eltanin asked. "She is yours."

Tania pursed her lips. "I don't know…" she replied, tipping her head up to look at him. "She will not go down easily…"

The door opened and Fafnir stepped inside along with Princess Morava and Mizvah. Eltanin glanced at Morava and to show her, he bent down and kissed Tania's lips. When he stood back, he found Morava staring at them with round eyes. Her face was ashen white. She looked as if she had seen a ghost instead of the real Tania. In order to stop herself from gawking at her, she immediately controlled her emotions.

"I discovered them in Eslam, not very far from here," Fafnir reported. "She was lying on the ground, exhausted while he was sitting beside her." He motioned at Mizvah.

"Who is he?" Eltanin walked back to his chair.

"This is Mizvah, a soldier in king Biham's army."

Morava was in chains. Her chains rattled as she stepped forward. Her clothes were tattered and her hair looked like a bird's nest with twigs and leaves in it. "What is the meaning of this?" she growled. She pulled at her chains. "Remove these now! I am not an ordinary citizen who can be chained like this! How dare you?"