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?

I planned to make him pay for everything he did. I

and saw the girl lying in my bed. I was mad that I let her stay the night. It was the rule I never broke, and Bane knew it,

rage and piqued

my wolf and body responded to her or

I did not care.

treacherous race. I

with rage, and

eyes fell on

may be, the girl was an offspring of my enemy and the one that lived the life that was stolen from me. Her suffering will break Gabriel. I pushed away my want and desires and allowed my thirst

the feeling was from Bane, and it was overwhelming. It was weird, but he

be cruel. I was the one that

up. I had a meeting in the morning

do you plan to do with her?” Bane

her around, but never grant her her freedom,” I said, and Bane

voice that I knew my

He wasn’t with me for the 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 past. It was understandable that my wolf would

Bane. I was just joking,” I told

him about

however. Werewolves are treacherous. Mother told me all about them. It will be sad if I end up like my father because we got too attached,” I said, and my

dressed and

you?” I asked Qusack,

you should be,” he replied,

was easy

office was on the ground floor after the

in, and Qusack was

so I

figured Gabriel must have cleared the place. Did he think I could not read? I might have grown in the wild, but I

books for me to use, and I will never forget the pains she

going on here?” I asked

now that you are the Alpha of the Forest territory, we

a leader, not a king. We must apply for your Kingship, and the Hill

move to do that. I want to make Gabriel suffer for his crimes,”

easy on the girl. She wasn’t a part of it,” Qusack said, and I growled at

of ten. I can never forget it. I have a scar that would always remind