Forged in the Flames by Karima Sa'ad Usman

Nikolas POV

It took three days to get the werewolf scent off me before I decided to set out to the Hill Kingdom.

I decided Grant would follow me because I did not trust him to be impartial.

Qusack would have been my safest option, but I needed him around to protect Aliana. A lot of Lycan women had it in for her. I feared they might carry out their plans when I was not around.

Besides fulfilling my mother’s wishes, Aliana was part of why I wanted to be King. I wanted the right to love her and have children with her, and I did not want my children to be discriminated against.

I was doing this so we could have a future.

I did not want anything bad to happen to her.

With Qusack in charge, while I am away, I would have peace of mind knowing she is safe and all right.

I left in the early morning hours and was eager to know what the Hill King had in store for me. It would be nice to have a royal ally. I knew it would make my quest easier.

“Alpha, our men have started hunting in Snow, and I am sure the Snow King will soon reach out,” Grant said while we were heading to the Hill Territory.

What Grant said explained the new werewolf faces I had seen in the cells. I thought they were offenders I had to ask to be clear. “Where do you put the captives?” I asked Grant, and he laughed.

“In the cells. We do not want them mixing with our werewolves. Those things are treacherous, as you already know; outside knowledge might help boost their morale,” He said, proud of himself, and I knew cruelty was part of his speciality. I should have put Qusack in charge of this.

“I doubt they would want to go back to Snow, Grant. I want them released and assigned duties immediately. They are people, not livestock.” I cautioned him, and he apologised for presuming that was what I would want. I dropped the matter and focused on the journey. The place was seven hours away from Forest through the shortcut, so we were in for a long ride. The road wasn’t good either. It was clear that Forest had been cut off from the world entirely.

to fix

that the gold reserve was massive, and he never took any

wealth I found was more than what my mother told me. Forest had gold mines, so it was normal to have an abundance of it. It was the reserve I was using now to build social and economic infrastructures that

though sleep came, I refused to fall. I liked staying vigilant at all times just in case an ambush or treachery was about

days in the Hill Kingdom because I was dying to

sad because if she were a lycan, she would have accompanied me on the trip as my Luna, but I had to hide her away in Forest like a dirty secret because she was a werewolf. I

why my father and the other kings would legalise slavery with the Unity law. I knew they were treacherous people, but seeing things from their angle,

Grant paraded Joshua for getting a Lycan pregnant was just cruel. They weren’t animals; they were people like us,

would not have to wash Aliana’s scent off me, and I

the place was magnificent. I had not been away from Forest before, so this was my first time. Its vegetation wasn’t as rich as Forest, but the mountains and high peaks of the place were

not look like they were suffering. They were well-fed and healthy, more healthy than the ones in Forest, but it was obvious that they were slaves. None of them looked into my eyes. They all bowed their heads as we drove past. I looked at

have made some improvements over the years. Had my father been alive, I knew Forest would have

gold chest we had brought as a gift for the King. He would appreciate gold because other territories spent bronze and copper as currency. Gold was a valuable commodity, and only Forest had it. One gold coin equated to a

respect, and we moved into

and carvings on the wall. It wasn’t dark like the one in Forest. It showed the King’s personality as a fun-loving person. I saw paintings of him and his

was led to a waiting room. I sat on one of the couches while Grant stood behind me. He dared not sit because

was waiting. The guards in the lounge referred to him as His Highness, so I

I think of what Gabriel did, I want to march to his home and s*laughter him in

thought defeating and destroying Gabriel would be easy, but now

though he was the prince, he bowed his head to greet

Prince of Hill Kingdom. My father would join us soon,” he said and decided to sit on the couch adjacent