The Alpha's Temptation

Chapter 96 Slap In The Face

"Arthur." Cordea whispered as she rested her head against the chest of her husband. The soft fire was burning in the hut. Arthur had hunted a duck from a nearby lake and Cordea had cooked the meat on the fire. After eating, they were both sitting huddled up next to the fire. They were looking at the little baby who was swathed in a warm sheet that Cordea had managed to snag from the palace to cover Kinshra.

Arthur was stroking his wife's back lovingly. "Yes, Cordea," he said as he looked at the baby girl that Kinshra had left with them to take care of.

"What if the queen comes after the baby? How are we going to be able to save her?" she shuddered as she said that. The baby was less than a day old and she knew that the child would soon need milk. They had to arrange for a nursemaid.

"We will save her for as long as we can," Arthur replied. "We both are already doomed, so let's just extend our lives."

Cordea laughed at her husband's jest. Even in this situation he was making her laugh. "I love you so much."

"And I love you too, Cordea. You have shown your loyalty to Kinshra. And I am glad that she was saved by her people just in time. I hope that after we are gone, her daughter also lives a long life and finds her place in the world."

"Right place!" Cordea sighed. "They have snatched everything away from her!"

---

Darkness was so enticing that Tania didn't want to wake up. But nightmares followed. She woke up with a start, her throat as dry as a desert. She mumbled something incoherent. "The baby… save her…" Speaking those words weakened her more than ever. Someone pulled her up and gave her water to drink. She lapped it up with effort. Someone called her name, "Lusitania…" It sounded like it was coming from far away in the woods. She wasn't Lusitania. Even Ladon had called her Lusitania… "I am Tania…" she muttered. "Eltanin?" she questioned. Her tongue felt swollen. She tried to look around her, but everything was hazy, misty. Pain was like a serrated dagger in every part of her body. "Blood…" After that she embraced the peaceful darkness.

King Biham was sitting at the edge of the bed, looking at his daughter for the first time. The moment he had sat down in front of her, her scent hit his nostrils and shocked his senses. She smelled of him and Kinshra. The name sounded melodious to his ears and brought forth so many beautiful memories that tears welled up in his eyes. Kinshra was his mate. And she was a fae.

King Ian of Vilinski had traveled to Araniea on Biham's request. He had to ask her about ancient magic that his ancestors practiced. He had wanted the mysterious arcana that had been written and stashed someplace in Araniea. No one knew about them. He was sure that King Ian would shed some light. The king was accompanied with his small troupe of courtiers, who also included Kinshra. He remembered in their first meeting he had scented her as his mate. He was mesmerized by her beauty. He couldn't believe that his mate was a fae.

Kinshra had long pale blond hair with deep blue eyes. Her white wings that had a streak of brown on the edges were tightly tucked behind her back. When her gaze locked with Biham's, she gasped and Biham—his world had turned upside down. His wolf wanted to shift and claim his mate.

"She is the princess of Delphin," King Ian had said. "A state within Vilinski. Her father rules the state, but Kinshra is one of my courtiers." _{ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀ​ꪶ​}

At that time, he was betrothed to Sirrah, who was the princess of a small kingdom, Antlia near his. Her father, the king, was on his deathbed and he had promised to merge his kingdom with Pegasii if Biham married Sirrah.

However, Biham couldn't resist the mate bond with Kinshra. Sirrah was pregnant with their daughter, Morava, when Biham met Kinshra.

Biham had begged King Ian to leave Kinshra to Pegasii because she was his mate. "Only Kinshra can produce the rightful heir to my kingdom. The spirit of my kingdom will recognize her child and no one else's."

After a lot of contemplation, Ian yielded to his request, but he had a condition. "If Kinshra does not feel safe in Pegasii, she will return and I will give her access to my realm. However, your child will not be able to accompany her until he or she is blessed by the spirit of your kingdom. It would be like his or her brand."

"I assure you that I will never let Kinshra and my child out of my sight."

On his assurance, King Ian had patted Kinshra, had a long talk with her over the pros and cons of staying back and then returned to his realm along with the rest of the courtiers.

---

Sirrah was pacing her daughter's bedchamber. She had arrived immediately after the incident in the dungeon. She saw a naked Mizvah on the bed. "Get out!" she said, shaking with rage. Mizvah had gathered his blanket, bowed to the queen and then left.

After Biham had learned about Lusitania, she was trembling on the inside with fear and rage. She was afraid that now the truth would come out and she was furious that Lusitania was still alive. Lusitania was Kinshra and Biham's daughter and the rightful heir of Pegasii.

She was the princess of Antila and her power was everything. Unfortunately, she had found her mate in an omega soldier of her kingdom, not believing that this was the fate Moon Goddess had chosen for her, she had rejected her mate immediately. She didn't take the rejection easily and had terrible headaches. She had compelled her mate to reject her too, so that she could move on and be with a powerful man into a royal household. According to her, in the games of kingdoms and power, mates were of no importance. Two years later, when her father recommended king Biham's to her for marriage in order to save the kingdom from falling into the wrong hands, she had agreed hastily. She hadn't revealed anything about her mate to anyone. After she forced him to reject her, she had him killed.

Morava was sitting at the edge of the bed, her face ashen. She had not only been slapped by her father in the face, she was slapped with the reality that a slave girl turned out to be her half-sister. She didn't know what was worse. Until yesterday, she was the undisputed heir of Pegasii and now—now her father had declared that the true heir had arrived. She knew that true heirs were those who were born of mates. But her mother had made her father reject his mate. Then what happened? Where did this child come from? Her head was reeling with too many questions. She had faced so much humiliation from her father and then the slave girl, that she just couldn't contain it. As soon as she had entered her room, she had thrown half her things around.