The Alpha's Temptation

Chapter 151 [Bonus Chapter] Come A Long Way

Tania's eyes became wide with shock as she stared from Izo to Nerina and back. She had heard that kings had many women or they even kept harems, but she hated the idea of anyone touching her mate.

Nerina's lips pulled up in a smirk when her gaze met with that of Tania's. She simply bobbed her head, picked up the red wine and sipped it, as if challenging her with Izo's decision.

"Father," Taiyi interjected, cutting the thick air with her soft words. "Tania and Eltanin have just arrived . Can we have this conversation another time?"

"No!" Izo said in a menacing voice. His aura spilled out of him and both Taiyi and Nerina seemed to wince. Eltanin's muscles strained as his jaws clenched tightly. Tania watched them going quiet. "This is an important conversation. You know that I need you closer to me. You have to look after a cluster of six kingdoms now. How long will I wait for you to come? You haven't been able to reach any solution, so now I have made my decision!"

Anxiety rolled inside Tania. And the solution was Nerina? While Eltanin was going to be with her on the lands of Araniea, Nerina would be here with him? The idea was… abhorrent. "I am sorry, but that is impossible," she blurted.

Izo whipped his head in her direction. His face turned red with anger. "Watch yourself, fae," he warned. "No one defies my orders in the Jade Sea."

"I am not defying your orders, Your Majesty," Tania replied in a firm, yet polite voice. "If Eltanin wanted to produce an heir for Stourin, don't you think he would have already done that… with Nerina?" She raised her eyebrow at Nerina who stopped drinking her wine and narrowed her eyes to look at Tania. "You chose this occasion to talk about Eltanin having an heir with Nerina, so I assume that this is not the first time this conversation has happened."

Izo's brows drew together. Everyone in the room became absolutely quiet as they gaped at the girl, who was arguing with the king of Jade Sea.

"This also means that Nerina has tried hard to be with Eltanin, yet she hasn't succeeded. Why push a woman on an unwilling man, unless you want her to rape him?" Tania completed her sentence and relaxed back in her chair.

"Lusitania!" Izo's voice roared in the room and all the servants froze in their spot, petrified that someone was about to die. The glow from his body spilled out and his eather pulsated in the air dangerously.

She rose from her chair and bowed to him. "With all due respect, Your Majesty," she said in a cold voice, "Nerina cannot have Eltanin. If she even dares to touch my man, I will burn this kingdom down, and you know that I can. Without Stourin, you won't have the need for an heir." Her gift crooned inside her and then spilled out as if in tandem with her thoughts. Soft blue waves of her gift curled and curved over her skin. She lifted her fingers as the waves curled around them. All at once, light crackled in between her fingers and she exhaled roughly. She didn't know how it happened, but she closed her eyes briefly for the energy to back down. Once she felt that she had absorbed it all within her, she opened her eyes.

Taiyi and Eltanin were staring at her in… awe. No one had ever dared to speak against King Izo and this petite, little, girl said such powerful and challenging words?

Izo leaned forward as he supported his elbow on the table. "Lusitania, you should be happy that you are Eltanin's mate, but you are not married to him. You can remain his mate forever, but you can only dream of being his wife. His real heir will come from Nerina. According to the law of the Jade Empire, legitimate children are allowed to ascend the throne." _​

"This is not right, Father," Taiyi said as she got up from her chair. "You can't insult Lusitania like this."

"I am not insulting her," he smirked as he continued to stare at Tania. "I am merely stating a fact. She is not his legitimate wife, since there is no marriage between them." He glanced at Nerina. "Tomorrow, at the temple of Fury, these two will wed."

"Over my dead body!" Taiyi snapped. "You cannot coerce my son into doing something he would loathe later!"

Izo slammed the table and the food trays rattled on it. "I can force anyone I like, and you will not say a word Taiyi, otherwise I will take it as treason!"

Tania jerked her head back. She had thought of a beautiful union when Eltanin had asked her to meet his mother, but she had never anticipated that it would spiral down like this. Sadness crept into her heart. The royal battles were always for heirs, power and associations. She almost pitied the royal and then suddenly realized that even she was now a part of it. A sigh escaped her lips. She lifted her gaze to Izo who was radiating rage. She opened her mouth to say something, when Eltanin got up and said, "If I were you, grandfather, I wouldn't challenge my mate. She is capable of razing this entire world down, single-handedly. I have felt her powers. Moreover—" he looked at Nerina. "I don't like her."

Nerina's face became red with embarrassment and she lowered her eyes.

Eltanin went to Tania and held her hand and pulled it forward. He turned her fingers towards Izo and showed him a diamond ring. "That's our wedding ring. I married Lusitania the day I mated her in a secret ceremony."

Izo's eyes flared. "What?" He rose to his feet so fast, as if bitten by a viper.

Tania couldn't help chuckling.

"That's right, grandfather," said Eltanin. "Tania is not only my mate, but my legal wife." Then he stared at Nerina. "If Nerina wishes, she can come and stay with us, but she will never be used in my bedchamber. However, I won't stop Tania from using Nerina as her personal servant."

"You—" Nerina yelled. "What do you think I am? I am Princess Nerina of Murel."

"About to be reduced to a servant of Araniea and Stourin," Eltanin added. "However, it depends on you, whether you want to stay a princess or become my wife's servant. If you choose to stay with us, the process will be irreversible and I will leave it to my wife to do as she pleases with you."

Nerina was trembling with rage. No one had dared to speak to her like that. "You will pay for this, Lusitania," she said through her clenched teeth. "You will pay for humiliating me and the king of Jade Sea."

Tania crossed her arms across her chest. "Before that think of how you are going to save yourself from my wrath for initiating this humiliation."

Izo sneered at her. "You have come a long way from being a slave."

Lusitania didn't reply to him at first. She just bowed. "Isn't that nice Your Majesty? You would need a queen to rule these worlds and not a slave."