The Alpha's Temptation

King Biham was sitting in his bedchamber on a couch, talking to Kinshra. It was early in the morning and Kinshra was watching the birds chirping through the window. “We must change the tapestry of the palace. It’s been ages and the current one is too dark.”

He smiled. “Do whatever you like Kinshra. You don’t have to ask me about things this mundane.” Ever since he had signed the contract, he would look at Kinshra with hope in his eyes. He would do anything for her at this stage.

She turned to gaze at him as she stretched her wings as if they just yawned. She crossed her arms across her chest and tilted her head. Biham was looking at her like a puppy in love. A pale blush rose to her cheeks. “I wanted to request one more thing and it is very important.”

Biham immediately became alert and his back straightened. “About what?”

She ambled towards him. “I had gone on a tour in the capital and I saw that there are not many learning centers for the girls or those that are catered to the girls. Sooo… I was wondering if you would allow me to begin one for them?”

Biham jerked his head back. “That is a wonderful idea Kinshra. If you like I can send the architects and planners to make plans for you.”

She chuckled and came to sit next to him. “There’s no need to build a new one. One of the properties of the palace is sitting idle. I can use them for opening a school only for the girls.”

“Where?” he asked with a frown. He wasn’t aware of it.

“It’s a little out of the capital, about half an hour from the center. Currently it is abandoned and I am afraid that it is being used for keeping smuggled goods. From what I heard, it was used by Sirrah to hide…” she pursed her lips and lowered her eyes not wanting to speak about it lest he would think that she was complaining.

“Hide what?” Biham’s face darkened. When she didn’t reply, he coaxed her. “You have to tell me Kinshra. I don’t even know that a building of that sort exists in the kingdom. It is not mentioned anywhere in the documents.”

She let out a sigh. “I also tried to find out about the building mostly because I wanted to know its layout. So I went to your court’s office to find out. The chancery out there couldn’t produce the document I was looking for. He gave me a thick file that mentioned all the buildings built in the past twenty years, but there was no mention of this one.” She took a deep breath in and continued, “I went on to look for it twenty years before that, but it wasn’t there either.”

Biham’s eyes were wide by now. “Then how do you know that it was used by Sirrah?”

“I asked my fae people to look into it and they found a family in your kingdom who is looking after that property. When they investigated, the family revealed that it was a building constructed by Sirrah and she used it to hide Nyxers.”

Shocked, Biham became still. All the illegal construction was happening under his rule and he didn’t even know about it? His skin lined with goosebumps. “Then there must be more in the kingdom…” he said.

“There could be…” Kinshra shrugged.

Biham caught his head in his hands and closed his eyes. Sirrah had damaged him and his kingdom to a level that was difficult to fathom. He wondered if the Nyxers even took the women of Pegasii and had children with them. He let out a rough exhale. “I will be investigating it more…” Soft hands stroked his hair and when he looked up, he saw Kinshra standing in front of him. Her right wing curled around his shoulder.

“Would you like me to find out about it?”

He nodded and rested his head on her belly. She caressed him gently with her fingers. She didn’t say it aloud, but she realized that Biham was manipulated by Sirrah in the worst possible manner. He was drugged by her. She used dark magic on him to control him and if that wasn’t all, she went around hiding enemies in their kingdom for her personal gains. She cupped his cheeks and lifted his face up. “I am so sorry, Biham, but we will correct it all.”

She leaned down and kissed his forehead. Her eyes darted to his lips as his hot breath fell on her. Her lips parted and she inched them closer to his, her heart racing faster.

A knock on the door sounded.

“Who’s there?” Biham growled, upset about the timing.

“Your Highness, a messenger is here.”

Biham’s brows furrowed. “Send him in.”

The messenger stepped in the antechamber, where Biham went along with Kinshra to receive him. He gave a scroll to him. “This arrived from Cetus this morning.”

Biham rolled the scroll out. “It’s a message from Kaitos! He wants assistance for the borders of Cetus.” He dismissed the guard and came back inside the bedchamber.

“Show it to me,” Kinshra said. “Why would Kaitos need assistance? Cetus is too far away from the borders of Hydra Kingdom.” She read the message. “And he wants faes.”

Biham shrugged. “Maybe, after what happened at Aquila, he is afraid.”

Kinshra narrowed her eyes and read the message again. “That could be possible. We can send two faes for help,” she suggested.

“How about the same who went to Aquila?”

“They have left for Vilinski. There are a few here for the trade who had stopped in the inns. I can ask them.”

“In my opinion, Kaitos is a little worried. Just ask two faes casually about it. If they are ready to go there, then ask them to come back after assuring Kaitos that everything is fine at the moment.”

“I will,” she replied with a smile. “And please don’t think much about what Sirrah did. I will take care of it.”

Biham looked at her fondly. He clasped her hands and squeezed them a little. “I can never thank the goddess enough to give me a woman like you.”

She giggled and pressed a quick k**s on his lips.

That night two faes were sent to the borders of Cetus with instructions not to go in the monastery.