Forged in the Flames by Karima Sa'ad Usman

Nikolas POV

Sitting in the tub with Aliana in my arms fell so right. It felt more right than anything I had done in my entire life. How could something that felt so right be so wrong?

There was an incredible feeling that came with Aliana. A feeling that I had never felt before. And though I fought it, I knew it would be inevitable. In the past, I had fought myself from embracing my feelings because I knew they would not last. I would have to fulfil my promises to my mother, and I could not place Aliana in that picture.

After the date night that we danced and drank, and she even threw up, I knew I loved her, and I knew my heart wouldn’t stop beating the way it did, but I also knew what we had was forbidden and against everything in our world.

After Grant and Ingham confronted me in my office, it made me rethink everything.

I knew the feeling I was developing for Aliana would not disappear, but I could not allow it to thrive, so I cut off and tried to deal with my emotions.

I tried to forget about that night and how she made me feel. I shut her off and stayed away. I told myself that it would go away if I did not see her, but it left nothing but emptiness in my heart, and I was a miserable man.

Within those months, I applied for kingship, and many people suggested it would move faster if I were mated to a Lycan from either the Snow King’s family or the Hill King’s family, but I felt it was wrong because I was the rightful heir to the forest throne. It was Gabriel’s fault, and knowing I still had a revenge to enact on the traitor made me pull away from Aliana.

My nights were long, and my days were long and cold.

It was hard, and I saw myself and my drive fade away.

Qusack noticed, and he would often urge me to damn the consequences and live in the moment, but I was worried about where my actions would leave Aliana and me when it was time to part ways because it would happen. No matter how much I loved her, I knew we would have to say goodbye someday. The complexity of the situation made me fall back, k*ill*ing me.

I often glanced at her door and imagined what she was doing there. When I entered my mother’s room, her scent lingered in the air, and I took it in.

It had been difficult, and Ingham and Grant made it worse by organising the ridiculous garden parties at night.

It used to be something I enjoyed, but I just couldn’t relax and participate anymore. I was in knots.

I would catch Aliana peeking from the window, but she did not think I would see her. I could see in the dark, and I would see her rage and disappointment before she moved away. I knew she was feeling what I was feeling. Both of us were suffering.

If only I wasn’t a Lycan, and if only her father had not betrayed my father, then this would have worked, but everything was against us, and there was nothing I could do to fix it. It wasn’t going to work.

remained permanently closed, and I believed she had given up and moved on. It was okay because it was a hopeless situation, but I wondered what would have been. I wondered

I noticed Ingham would come to my office with her scent on him, and Qusack knew too. I wanted to confront him, but I believed his explanation would break my heart and make me lose my temper. I did not want to hurt Aliana, so I let it

a rule, but I was ready to let it go, just like every other

focused on the megacity we were building and hoped

on the chair in my mother’s room and read her

everything I had suffered and endured,

me to inform me of Ingham’s conduct and what he was

because he was closer to the palace, but by then, Bane had taken over, and we were heading back to the

did not give what we had a chance. I had punished myself for too long. The fact that she understood that it would not last and knew what would happen in the future made me want to build memories with

the same way she would I was mad at myself for blocking her off, that was

for not being easy and standing her ground. I always knew her defiance would pay off one day, and it did. Had she been easy, the b*astar*d would have succeeded, and he would have lost his life for it. Her defiance saved his life, and I made sure I let him know it before I

Aliana close to my chest and promised myself never

of my resolve until I saw her

to do, and I would have enemies for it. I might never be King, but

let my heart and wolf be happy for once. I wasn’t going to let her

in the tub with this resolve, and my

water for a bit to avoid getting sore. Some would argue cold

mark would rest one day. She m*oa*ned

I wanted to cherish it for the rest of my

and brought her hand

were giving this thing a shot, and I was

in the tub for a while and then

addiction, so I was giving in and not punishing myself anymore. I spent the night learning about

be enough. I

your wolfs name?” I asked her while we lay in

she said, and I

I said and looked at her. “Is she as stubborn as you are?” I