The Alpha's Temptation

Chapter 76 Chop Your Hands

Glenn gave her an eager look as he held the reins of the two horses. "How have you been, Tania?" he asked. He had stayed back in the servant quarters after she had left. He didn't leave for his kingdom because Prince Rigel had ordered for him to stay back and he couldn't defy his orders even if Tania wasn't around. In a way he was relaxed that he didn't have to be on vigil of the slave girl. She was very important because she was supposed to stay hidden and.

He noticed that she was also very pretty. "I came to know from the king you are busy with your work." She looked healthier. Her usual pale skin was rosy and her lips were red with a beautiful pout. He wondered if after her work was completed, he could take her to his kingdom and marry her.

He was sure that the king wouldn't travel with her on his horse and that she would be sitting in front of him. The thought made his heart flutter.

She gave him a benevolent smile. "I am doing fine, Glenn," she said enthusiastically, seeing him after so long. Eltanin had asked her to go ahead of him in the passage and wait for him. He had explained to her that Glenn would be there. Tania looked at the gardens in front of her and saw remnants of white snow on the ground. Her hair fluttered in the cold breeze and played on her cheeks, as they escaped from the white woolen scarf she was wearing on her head. Eltanin had insisted that she wear a full white tunic and trousers, a gray sweater over it and a red cloak.

Tania walked to a white stallion that was standing next to a brown one with white spots on his skin. The horse stood taller than her and had a beautiful mane. He let out a soft exhalation, which fluttered her cloak. She patted his neck and scratched him behind the bridle strap. The horse, a tall stallion, was a far cry from Menkar's geldings.
"He is the king's personal stallion," said Glenn as she continued to scratch him.

"He's beautiful," she remarked.

She looked at the other horse who snorted a little when she touched him. She backed a little, but the horse decided to give his snout in her hand. Perhaps he was jealous that she was favoring the other horse and demanded her affection too. Tania laughed softly at him and began patting his head. The horse whuffled. Both the horses were saddled with knives and crossbows. While the brown horse was also loaded with supplies, the white one waited for his master to come.

Eltanin had woken her up in the morning even before the sun was up. He had helped her to get ready. As he was buttoning her cloak, he said, "Make sure that you carry a dagger strapped somewhere on you." And she decided to strap a dagger on her thighs. Eltanin had groaned when he saw her strapping it there and she wondered why.

"I wonder what is the hurry," she uttered under her breath, missing her sleep already.

Eltanin emerged from the passageway and she whipped her head to see him. He was wearing a white shirt, black leather breeches and boots. His sword was sheathed on his side. His hair fell till his neck in silky curls that seemed to make love to his skin. He looked so regal. He had an air of an aristo—powerful, arrogant and confident.

She let out a soft breath as a pleasant feeling tingled down her spine and settled in her lower belly. She found him so attractive that it was impossible not to look away from him even if she wanted to. She was dangerously getting accustomed to him. She pursed her lips in a thin line as she silently chided herself for thinking all about it all over again. She reminded herself of her goal, of her mission as a spy and what was at stake. Suddenly, she realized that the price of her freedom was growing higher with each passing day.

Eltanin had packed a bag full of food and an extra pair of clothes for them. He tied the saddlebag to his stallion and asked, "What are you thinking, Tania?" His sharp voice snapped her out of her reverie.
Glenn had bowed to him and hurried to help the king with loading the bag.

"Oh, nothing!" she replied as a blush heated her cheeks. "I was just wondering how long our trip would be."

"It will take a day to reach Humval ruins. We won't stop anywhere if we have to reach that place by sunset! And then we will return tomorrow morning." He tilted his head to see if she was having reservation or was scared, but she seemed eager. "Have you ever ridden a horse?"

She shook her head. "No." Where would she ride a horse at? Her work at monastery was that of a slave and slaves were treated like that—slaves.

His lips quirked. Instead of replying to her, he held the reins of his horse and was about to say something when Glenn eagerly interjected, "Your Highness, Tania will ride with me!"

A low dangerous growl emanated from Eltanin's chest and he gave Glenn a murderous look. Glenn didn't know what wrong he said. He only offered the girl to sit on his horse and not steal his prized possession. He shrank and stuttered, "T— Tania can share the ride with me."

Eltanin's growl made his knees weak and Glenn thought that the king was about to take his sword out of the sheath and murder him. Sweat broke on his body. Out of his nervousness, he squeaked, "Your Highness, I am yet to marry." What he meant to say was that this was his chance to woo a girl like Tania who was a slave. She was a perfect fit for an average soldier like him.

"Tania will ride with me," Eltanin snarled. "If you touch her as much, I will chop your hands and then feed them to the wild beasts in front of your eyes."