The Desert Alpha's Mate

CHAPTER 38-TAVERN

"Sir Ashraf?" a man called out to Ashraf. He was currently at the town center, waiting for someone sent by Lady Lina to pick him up.

"Yes?" Ashraf answered, eyeing the man coming towards him. The man was bigger than Ashraf, with broad shoulders and hard muscles that were evident, even with the layers of clothes that he wore. The man wore a black tunic with long sleeves under his woolen cloak. The cloak was wrapped around him, hiding the janbiya that was hanging at his cloth belt. The man was trying to blend in among the Saharan crowd. But his skull cap with the band of cloth around the edges gave him away. The elaborate and intricate design in his plaited cords that was holding his skull cap was known only to the people of the Khiterra clan because they were the ones who had a massive supply of wool and could create artistic plaited cords. His long, curly hair was messily tied at the back. His bush of an eyebrow didn't hide the scar that was near his left eye. He had a thick mustache and beard hiding the real expression on his face. The man didn't look like an ordinary warrior from the Khiterra clan, he was oozing with confidence and was arrogantly eyeing Ashraf too.

"Come with me, Lady Lina is waiting for you," the man said to Ashraf. Without waiting for Ashraf's reply, he started to walk back in the direction where he came from.

Ashraf followed the man silently, neither dared to speak to one another while they were trudging the path to the tavern where Lady Lina was. The path they took seemed like a maze of mud houses, the man walked swiftly and fast. He effortlessly followed along in the man's swift stride. He was the best hunter in the Drozosha clan, it was just a piece of cake for him.

They seemed to be walking in circles on those narrow paths. There were many forks in the road that the man took and kept turning. Just as Ashraf thought that they were walking endlessly, the man entered a dilapidated mud house at the corner of a road. The man didn't even bother to look back at Ashraf to make sure that he followed.

Ashraf studied his surroundings, he didn't immediately follow the man inside that mud house. The mud house was located in the far corner of the town. Even though it was dilapidated, there were still patrons that were going in and out of there. His trained hunter side tried to detect any danger that could be lurking in the shadows. When he had made sure that there was no threat to him there, he then entered the tavern.

The earthy scent of wolves inside the tavern, mixed with the smell of smoke from shisha, and the scent of different fermented drinks hit his nose upon entering. Different wolves from different wolf clans invited by the king were gathering there to have a good time. Mercenaries, ordinary citizens, warriors, farmers, and a lot more were there. The place was busy with people, and Ashraf was having trouble locating where Lady Lina and her companion were.

"Hey there handsome, looking for a good time?" a lady that was wearing a thin fabric tunic which didn't help to cover her naked body underneath asked Ashraf. 'Even with the scarcity of women, there's a place like this in the capital?' Ashraf thought. Half of her face was covered with a veil, only her eyes could be seen. She batted her eyelashes at Ashraf but he paid her no attention. Instead, Ashraf just avoided the woman and made his way inside, looking for the man that Lady Lina sent for him before.

"Hmph! Snobbish!" He heard her mumble before she left and went to the other men that were already intoxicated on the other side of the room.

"Hey," a man appeared from nowhere and tapped Ashraf's shoulder. It was the same man that brought him here. "This way," he said flatly and motioned for Ashraf to follow him. They avoided the intoxicated patrons that were scattered on the floor, some of them harassing the omega boys that were serving them. Some of them were just minding their own business. Most of the people inside were men and boys, and the only woman Ashraf saw in there was the lady who approached him and was now having a good time with another patron of that place.