Altair (Desert Sheikh Romance, #5) by Tee, Marian (freenovel24 .txt) 📗

tremendously larger than life that it took a while for her to realize something more important...which was that he was dressed for combat?

Stunned dark eyes flew up to the sheikh, but the princess' anxious appeal was left unnoticed, with Altair too busy doing his own staring. People were also staring at him - at them - but he didn't give a fuck about that either. All he knew...all he could think of...all he could see was her.

Safiya.

His Safiya.

His princess.

She really was here, and the realization made his head spin even faster.

A mere ten minutes ago, Altair, having made himself believe the worst, had already suited up for battle. Since the investigation had come up with nothing, he had been prepared to personally lay siege on every terrorist-owned encampment in the region. They were the last possibility, the only reason left to explain why none of his people could find her, and it was while he had been briefing his soldiers when the call came in—-

Saul.

The Sheikh of Farigha.

The princess.

That was all he needed to hear before racing out on the fastest fucking thing he could get his hands on, which turned out to be Malik's Dodge Tomahawk from his racing days. The bike was a beast, and Altair was thankful for that. The bike was supposedly capable of gunning down the road at 350 miles per hour, and the sheikh had certainly put that to the test.

And now that she was finally standing behind him—-

Beloved.

She had called him that in her letter, and he had known then she was that for him as well.

The princess was his beloved, and it was why, even though he could also see Mahmud and Saul behind her, he simply could not make himself give a damn.

After over a fucking month of thinking he had lost her for good, of struggling not to think that something had happened to her—-

His beloved was finally standing in front of him, and the sheikh's gaze raked over her in desperate need to assure himself she was real. And that she was fine.

No wounds seemed like it.

No bruises.

But...

She looked like she had been crying. Looked like she had lost weight, too.

And when his gaze finally met hers—-

"Why are you dressed for battle?"

The fear in her whispered question nearly made his heart splinter, the sound of it telling him right away that it was as she had promised in her letter. Even when she had every reason to do so—-

She did not hate him.

She thought him an angel still.

And most of all—-

She truly fucking believed—-

How the fuck could she believe—-

"You’ve gotta be the world's biggest idiot," Altair said hoarsely.

Safiya couldn't help gasping even as she heard her father chuckle behind her.

"To truly believe that I was only pretending to love you."

But the princess didn't answer.

She couldn't seem to, with the way her lip had started to tremble, and when he saw her bite it hard to keep herself from crying, he could no longer help himself—-

"Maehdina, hamira. I'm so fucking sorry."

Strong, hard arms engulfed her, and the tears she had tried so hard to hold back started flowing.

"I promised myself I would let you go, that I only need to know you're safe, but I can't. I just fucking can't."

The rawness of his tone made her cry harder, and when she felt his large strong hands actually shaking as he cupped her face—-

I know you think I'm some fucking angel," Altair gritted out, "but I'm not. I would not hurt you the way I did if I were. I would let you go if I were. But I just fucking can't. And you, dammit...you..."

He glared at her, and Safiya was torn between confusion and laughter. He had never glared at her like this before, and for some reason, it made her think of Mahmud's last words to her before calling the police.

Her father had told her that the sheikh's love was true, and just because it had started a lie did not change what it became.

And now—-

The love that her father spoke of—-

The love that was true—-

It was there in Altair's eyes...even when he was still glaring at her.

And when he finally spoke—-

"Promise me you will never be an idiot again, thinking that I did not love you."

Safiya could feel a smile wobble over her lips even as the sheikh called her an idiot for a second time.

Because beyond the words he spoke, she also heard what he did not say-—

Papa was right, after all.

The sheikh's love for her was true, and just as he was her beloved—-

Safiya knew now she was also his.

Epilogue

Dear Mama,

My new life begins today. And it starts with this letter...that I no longer have a reason to hide in the ashes. This will be just one of the many letters that I may finally keep in order to one day read to my child, just so they'll know that they have a grandmother in heaven watching over them.

On the last day of Tamara's trial, the prosecution unveiled its final witness, and it was none other than Sheikh Mahmud Tannous of Farigha. The palace, having been informed about the circumstances surrounding Mahmud's supposed acts of treason, had already granted Safiya's father a full pardon. The royal family had also intended to seal his case to prevent the public from learning about his actions, but on this matter the older man was adamant. He wished to ensure Tamara's conviction, and the only way to do that was to reveal the full extent of his involvement. And so with this, Sheikh Farigha revealed to the entire world his former dealings with Tamara, and his testimony proved to be the final nail in the defendant's coffin. The older woman was sentenced to solitary confinement for life, and when asked if she had any final words to say, she only asked to speak to her son in private. What she said, however, would forever remain a secret between Tarif and his mother.

Saul, on the other hand,