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?

pay for everything he did. I knew I would have no joy until I had restored my family’s

my bed. I was mad that I let her stay the night. It was the rule I never broke, and Bane knew it, so I was angry

piqued my interest, but she was nothing and no

did not care how well my wolf and body responded to her or

I did not care.

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

growled with rage, and she woke up immediately. She was disoriented,

fell on

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

felt alone; the feeling was from Bane, and it was overwhelming. It was weird, but he made me feel her exit and feel I was unfair, but I had a

be cruel. I was the one that asked her to stay,” Bane argued, and I did not

I had a meeting in the morning with my officers, and I could

you plan to do with her?” Bane

whore. Have some fun and then pass her around, but never grant her her freedom,” I said,

is mine, Nikolas. Don’t 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 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 have

Bane. I was just joking,” I told

tease him

have to be careful, 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

got dressed

you?” I asked Qusack, my

you should be,” he replied, and I chuckled and

easy

office was on the ground floor after

went in, and Qusack

immediately so I could sit

he think I could not read? I might have

was educated too. She stole books for me to

here?” I asked

that you are the Alpha of the Forest

conquered it, and what they had was a leader, not a king. We must apply for your Kingship, and the Hill King

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

the girl.

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