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.

was okay because it was a hopeless situation, but I wondered what would have been. I wondered how it would have felt to love her without reserve, even if it was for a day. I wondered so much that I

Qusack knew too. I wanted to confront him, but I believed his explanation would break my heart and make me

broken a rule, but I was ready to let it

and

in my mother’s room and read her

to her senses and recognise me. If that ever happened, then everything I had suffered and endured, even refusing

mad when Grant linked me to inform me of Ingham’s conduct and what he was doing to

stop me from going to the scene by telling me he would handle it because he was closer to the palace, but by then, Bane had taken over,

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

will never love or t*ouch another till the day I d*ie. I planned to suffer the same way she would I was mad at myself for blocking her off, that was why Ingham could do what he wanted. When my men and the maids narrated

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

the tub, I pulled Aliana close to my

until I saw her lying

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

get afraid. But I planned to separate her from my vengeance and let my heart and wolf be happy for once.

her in the tub with this resolve, and

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

then her sweet spot where my mark would rest one day. She m*oa*ned sweetly, and I smiled. She responded so well, I knew it could

wanted to cherish it for the rest

intertwined her fingers in mine and brought her hand to my

words between us. We were giving this thing a

tub for a while and then returned to bed. I made love

so I was giving in and not punishing myself anymore. I spent the night

I wanted to

name?” I asked her while we lay

and I repeated the

“Is she as stubborn as you are?” I asked, and