A Dragon's Heart

17.

Bilal glowered at the bruise still on my wrist. His brows pulled in tightly as the carriage swayed around, pushing me more into him. Not that I minded, I just didn't like that he was still mad about the burn mark. Because it certainly wasn't just a bruise anymore since the healer applied whatever ointment it was she carried.

We agreed to ride a carriage to Jaddah’s instead of Sameer, so I wouldn't aggravate my already bruised, sore thighs.

“I am fine,” I said for what felt like the hundredth time since he arrived. “It's just a bruise, Bilal, nothing more. I am not injured. I am not sick. I am perfectly okay,” I added, lifting my head just a bit from his chest to look at him. I meant, it didn't even hurt anymore, not since Bilal applied the salve he made for my sore thighs. Before we left for Jaddah’s, he applied the salve on my wrist and thighs again.

His voice sounded grave when he answered. “I know. Still doesn't mean that I like the idea of my servant hurting my wife.”

“It was an accident, Ya Omri.” I called him a name I never did. A name that took me days to come up with. Something I felt represented at least a fraction of what I feel for this man. “It wasn't like she deliberately wanted to hurt me and just did.”

His eyes bore into mine as he stared down at me, his hold around my waist tightening as he pulled me closer, as though we weren't already close enough. He was looking at me like it was the first time he was seeing me. I don't even think he’s ever looked at me this intensely, and it is doing crazy, wild things to my insides. The swaying of the carriage had stopped, meaning we were now on a better road. Perhaps a cobbled one.

What did it look like outside this carriage? I wondered, as though that would do anything to lighten the tension in my core.

‘One of these days, I am going to explode from the intensity of this man. I swear!’ Jay said, and while her tone sounded a bit unhappy, I was certain she’s loving every bit of attention from both Bilal and Sameer.

“What did you just say?” Bilal finally spoke, his voice sounded rough. Scratchy.

“Huh?” I was confused. “I said it was an ac…”

“No. Not that. What was it you just called me?”

I blinked twice. “Umm, Ya Omri?”

“Why? Do you know what it means?”

I swallowed and nodded.

“You do?”

“I do.” My voice was a breathy whisper as he suddenly pulled me on top of him, my legs straddling him on either side. He didn't even seem to care about my weight, or the fact that the light blue abaya I wore to match his thobe had ridden up, exposing my thick thighs and stretch marks on the sides. “I mean, it fits you.”

His hand curved behind my neck, slipping off the black veil I had on. He gripped my ponytail, bringing my face close to his, his beard tingling my face. Our noses rubbed against each other. Our breathing mixed. Our eyes a violent crash of emotions.

“I…” he paused, swallowed, then continued, “I love it.”

I smiled brightly, happy that the name I chose had such an effect on him. “I am glad,” I murmured, cradling his cheeks with both hands, while the heat of his palm pressed on my right thigh.

Damn!

“I learnt that the word plays lots of roles. It could mean ‘my life’, or 'darling.’ But what I liked the most about it was how it can also be used in the context of age. Like the love we share, which has no boundary. It means love deeper than age or anything.”

It was only this morning when I woke up before the incident with the servant that I decided on the name to call him. Thanks to the books Yasmina left me to learn Arabic.

He was silent for a while before he replied. “You sure did your research.”

I smiled again. “I did,” then I dragged his face down and whispered. “Ya ba’ad omri anta, (you are my now and forever).”

I had barely breathed when his mouth covered mine in a fierce kiss, his hold on my thigh growing intense, as well as the grip on my ponytail. He groaned and moaned and gripped me tighter, as I let out breathy moans that seemed to turn him on even more.

“Ant tadfaeuni liljunun,” he growled against my mouth.

“No idea what you just said, but yes.”

He chuckled at that, his gripping hold loosening as he now gripped both of my thighs, his thumb grazing lightly at the stretch mark on my right thigh.

His black keffiyah wasn't the dotted type today, but it matched perfectly with the light blue thobe he wore. Hair fell on his shoulders and a dangling earring on his left ear. As always. He, however, did not add the shiny piercing he uses for his left brow.

“You are a wicked seductress.”

“Don't act like you don't like it when I am. Because I just turned you on. And look, you aren't angry about the burn mark anymore.”

He growled, snatching my hand and looking at the mark again. “I don't like it. Why won't it vanish?”

I stared at it too and shook my head. “No idea. Besides, it was just a bruise before the healer applied her ointment.”

He sighed. “I know. I spoke to her. And she said she didn't know what happened, but perhaps it is your body reacting to an ointment made for dragons whilst you are a wolf.”

“Hmn. That could totally be it. Well, the good thing is that it doesn't hurt anyone, so we are good. Stop growling every time you see it.”

“I’ll try,” he grumbled, and I chuckled, resting my head on his chest and wrapping my arms around him. “I was scared for a moment that the fae queen had found out about you.”

I held him closer. “Was that why you almost lost it when you saw the burn mark?”

“Yes,” I could feel him nodding as he answered. “I am keeping my eyes open, hoping that the ritual worked. But at the same time, I can't help but wonder what the consequences will be when Amara finds out what I’ve done. I want to be prepared when she finds out.”

“And I will always be here with you. We are a team, and together, we can overcome anything, Omri. Trust me.”

“I do,” he kissed the top of my head, his arms coming around me. “And I am glad you are here, but I am worried my selfish decision has put you into harm's way.”

“Don't say that,” I chided, pushing from his chest so I could look at him. “What would be the wrong thing would be you hiding this from me. What would be wrong would be you not fighting for us. Regardless of what happens in the future, I am glad you chose to communicate with me. Always.”

He stared at me for a moment and then nodded. He was dealing with conflicting emotions, and I perfectly understood them. Still didn't make it any easier for him to constantly be on the watch, afraid that harm may come my way. It was why when I felt him losing it, I kissed him back there. And it was only when I had felt him calm down in my arms, did I explain what happened and how I got the mark.

He wasn't happy, but no one was at risk of getting hurt from his reactions then.

Now it was evening, and I could hear the bustle of people outside as we rode to Jaddah’s.

“Sameer lost it more than I did,” he said again. “He wasn't fully sane, because according to him, it was like something or someone had marked you. Claimed you.”

I furrowed my brows again. “How so?”

Bilal dropped his eyes. “He felt it. The bond may not be strong yet, which was why I couldn't feel it since we haven't consummated it yet, but Sameer can feel a touch of it, and he said it felt that way. Like you were being branded by something. It was why our first thought was Amara, but nothing about this indicates it was her.”

I nodded. “I agree.”

“But from what the healers have told me, it sounded a lot like what Yasmina went through. Only a lot less violent and wild than Yasmina’s; however, almost all the details matched.”

“And you still have no idea what happened to Yasmina back then?”

“After the deal with Amara and she got better, I stopped my searching. But I will start again, and I’ll keep a close eye on Maryam and take note if there's any shift, especially with what you mentioned her saying when she held you. When she caused you this,” he glared at the mark again.

“I can have her work close to Samirah. That way, I can also keep my eyes on her. Besides, I don't think what she said meant anything. She wasn't exactly sane, so what she said certainly shouldn't matter.”

Bilal smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. “Thank you. And it does matter. That is beside the fact it still baffles me that a grip from her can bruise you. It made no sense. Something is amiss, something I am yet to uncover.”

“Then we can uncover it together. I just need you to stop worrying unnecessarily right now, Omri. I am fine and everyone is fine and nothing is amiss. We can figure it out slowly. Hum?”

He was silent for a while, his gaze down before he sighed deeply, nodded and looked at me. “Fine. I won’t sulk about it anymore. For now. And thank you for being here.”

“Always.”

“Remember I mentioned having a gift for you? Well, it arrived just before we left home.” He said, seeming to want to shift the discussion to something less worrisome.

I perked up instantly. “Really? What is it? Tell me please.”

He chuckled. “Not what, Noorie, who.”

My eyes widened. “Who? What do you mean?”

“Your gift is a person, and I am hoping with every fiber of my being that you like the person.”

I thought long and hard for who the person could be, but none came to my mind. It certainly wouldn't be Ummi. Or my half-sisters. So who could it be? Who agreed to come here for me?

“A wolf? A lycan? Who?”

“A wolf,” he answered with a grin.

“Who?”

“You’ll meet her when we get back home.”

Ahh. So it's her. Wouldn't be Natasha, I mean, she's my best friend, but she’s still a queen. Nor would it be Sherneil. Because Sherneil wasn't the type of person to travel through a portal just for me. So who?

But before I could ask Bilal more questions, the carriage began to slow down, and Bilal shifted, adjusting me back on the carriage seat and fixing my veil. I was sure the lipstick I added had already been wiped from his kiss.

“We are here,” he announced as the carriage finally came to a halting stop.

Time to meet Jaddah again and I was not the least bit excited for that.