Forged in the Flames by Karima Sa'ad Usman

I had finally achieved my dream. Taking over the forest territory had been embedded in my mind for years.

My mother, Isabelle, blamed my father, Mathias, for being lenient and kind. Unlike the Lycan King of the snow territory, my father allowed the werewolves to live freely in his Kingdom.

His kindness had given them the bright idea of making Forest their haven. Led by Gabriel Nowak, they destroyed my father’s Kingdom and murdered him in cold blood.

The day my mother finally lost her sanity remained embedded in my mind.

I would have lost my left eye, but I was lucky.

I tied my mother in chains and cared for her.

She never spoke to me again; she never recognised me again. She was an empty shell.

Every day, I would check on her, hoping, just like before, she would snap out of it, but she never did.

Bane, my wolf, came to me when I turned fourteen. It gave me hope that I could reverse my mother’s predicament by becoming her Alpha, but it never happened; she never regained her sanity for me to absorb her into my pack. I spent my time caring for her and training myself.

Slowly my father’s goals became my goals. My mother’s revenge became my revenge, but I knew it would be impossible if I did it alone; that was when I decided to start my pack, and rogues were my choice for members.

I met Qusack, my Beta, when I turned fifteen, and we have remained friends ever since. We started building the pack when we turned sixteen. He had been loyal ever since we met.

My pack members needed me to keep their sanity, and I needed them to enact my revenge.

After almost thirteen years of building a pack and conquering packs to take over their lands and carve a niche for myself, I had finally taken over my father’s territory.

I had finally conquered the people that destroyed him.

I had taken away the freedom he gave them and treated them as they should have been treated; as slaves.

The werewolves were nothing but slaves, and Forest will no longer be their haven.

Looking at the man that led the attack on my family humbling himself before me gave me some joy, but it did not cure my pain.

I knew killing him wouldn’t be better than letting him live to suffer the consequences of his actions.

He had the effrontery to ask me for mercy where his daughter was concerned, but did he have mercy on my pregnant mother?

Did he give her her honour and cover her shame?

everything he did. I knew I would have no joy until I had

the night. It was the rule I never broke, and Bane knew it, so I was

rage and piqued my

well my wolf and body responded to her or how much I

I did not care.

the daughter of my enemy and of a treacherous race. I would banish my want for her and

my bed. Only my Luna will bear my mark. I growled with rage, and she woke up immediately. She was disoriented, and I waited for her to gain her

eyes fell on

that lived the life that was stolen from me. Her suffering will break

scrambled to her feet in fear. She left the room immediately, and I felt alone; the feeling was from Bane, and it was overwhelming. It was weird,

have to be cruel. I was the one that asked her to

up. I had a meeting in the

plan to do with her?” Bane asked me curiously, and I chuckled under

her around, but never grant her her freedom,” I

you dare,” he warned me, and there was so much force in his voice that I knew my wolf would not share. I did not know what was with him, but the girl seemed to be on his

years my mother was sane. He did not see what happened when she lost it and how I had to survive. He wasn’t a part of the true pain of my

I was just joking,” I told my wolf, and he

will tease him about it one

them. It will be sad if I end up like my

got dressed and

are you?” I asked Qusack,

alpha’s office where you should be,” he replied, and I chuckled and headed towards the

was easy to

on the

in, and Qusack was behind the

immediately so I could sit

think I could not read? I might have grown in the wild, but I

sure I was educated too. She stole books for me to use, and I will never

here?”

Alpha of the

a leader, not a king. We must apply for your Kingship, and the Hill King and Snow King must agree and recognise you as their equal for that

will want to play with these wolves for a bit before I move to do that. I want to make Gabriel suffer for his crimes,” I said, and

easy on the girl.

my mother like a dog at the age of ten. I can never forget it. I have a scar that would always remind me of it. That girl is a part of it, just as I am, and she would pay for her people’s crimes,” I said, and