Forged in the Flames by Karima Sa'ad Usman

Nikolas POV

Alianas’ reasons touched my soul, and I could not express myself without compromise.

What she achieved was unbelievable, and she made me realise how negligent my kind has been where my mother was concerned.

I could sit beside my mother and feed her for the first time in years. She looked like she did when she was all right, and I wished she would gain her sanity in those moments.

I have learned how meticulous Aliana was with her. She had nursed her diligently, and it had paid off. I might have wanted her if she weren’t Gabriel’s child.

I deliberately stayed away from her to get my need for her out of my system.

Ever since we met, there has been a silent fire between us that only our wolves could understand. The few times we were alone together, we had broken barriers between us.

Knowing it wasn’t good for my agenda and not wanting to hurt myself, I distanced myself from her for a month to get her out of my mind and focus on the things that matter. The truth was that it was a futile effort. I found myself thinking of her, her scent, her voice, her defiance, her confidence, and her beauty.

I thought of her response to my touch, her m*oa*ns.

I knew she wasn’t faking it. Every moment, reaction, expression, and emotion with her were genuine. It was sad that we were on opposite sides.

Since I met Aliana, I had lost interest in other women, but she did not need to know that. It was my cross to bear. I had sometimes listened to her communication with her father, and she never spoke badly of me or complained.

I had thought she was playing a game, but her progress on my mother made me realise otherwise.

I looked at her for a bit and decided to live in the moment, just for tonight.

“Are you allowed to drink wine?” I asked her, and her cheeks coloured with embarrassment.

Her complexion had been going from pale to blush since she sat beside me, and I knew I had the same effect on her.

“I am allowed to drink, but I can’t handle alcohol well,” she replied, and I got up to get two wine glasses and a bottle of merlot and served both of us.

She raised an eyebrow when she collected the glass from me, and I smiled at her for the first time.

“Just for tonight,” I said, and she nodded and took a sip.

asked, and she

was an ingenious way

So, I switched on the music and stretched my hands toward her to dance.

waist and pulling her close to my chest. She gasped, and I held her hand with my other hand on her waist while I tried to sway

wolf?” I asked, and she was still a bit tense, but I felt her relax. I was rewarding her for being kind to my mother and doing her best. At

but then composed myself and decided to live unburdened in those moments. Tomorrow we can get back to hating each

the night away and drank

that Aliana was tipsy. She was laughing a lot, and her cheeks were red. I decided she needed a break. “I haven’t had this much fun since my mother died, and I couldn’t even drink alcohol then,” she said, laughing, and I got curious about her mother’s death. “Do you mind telling me how she passed away?” I asked,

beyond the woods, and Lycans killed her. I was

and that we weren’t welcome in other territories,

to run while she shifted and fought. She was a Beta wolf, so she could hold her ground, but

stayed, but I was too afraid. I listened to her.”

know my mother would refuse to be enslaved, so they

in the world, but her father caused their problem by k*ill*ing the only man that would have protected them from the Snow King and his people. He must have been delusional to think he could rule an entire territory. Had my father been alive, no Lycan hunter would wonder near the border of Forest. As long as a king was present, the respect would be mutual. It was a silent law. The

I led her to the toilet, and she sat by the toilet seat while I watched her throw up her dinner. The wine shouldn’t

then rubbed her back gently

over her shoulder and smiled She was

beat at that moment. I wanted to hold her to my chest and give in to what I had been fighting since I laid eyes on her. I would lie

rubbing her back. I felt her temperature rising, and I knew the maids might have given her something

they weren’t drugs because I

what the Lycan women did with their spare time, but I would have issues if they were

beauty was humble and innocent, yet striking and

slurred, and I sighed before undressing

body was still

I decided we would

cold water, and when it was enough. I made her sit in it with me. She sat between my legs,

was, I could stay with her in my arms forever, but it was just for the night. I wasn’t going to allow myself to get carried

nodded. I was pissed off immediately and decided I would punish them for it. They

pills, and I was not allowed to leave, so I decided to settle for the next best thing. It tastes bad, and

realised she had anticipated me touching her tonight. Those were not my intentions

to feed my eyes and feel her body close to me, but I