Forged in the Flames by Karima Sa'ad Usman

Nikolas POV

The lounge we were led to was smaller and more private than the one we left. I was offered a seat, and I sat down.

“The maids have prepaid two rooms for you and your Gamma. I ensured your rooms were beside each other if you don’t mind.” Aleksander said, and I smiled and thanked him.

“Also, there are pretty Lycan entertainments for you,” He said and leaned close with a whisper. “Or do you prefer werewolves?” he asked. I frowned at him, and he relaxed, laughing. “You do have your mother’s blood running in your veins. She hated those things so much. Where is Isabelle, by the way?” He asked, and I knew it would be wrong to lie to him.

“She became feral nineteen years ago,” I confessed, and everyone gasped. I could see the horror in Poitr and Aleksander’s eyes.

“My goodness. You were a child!” the King exclaimed, and I nodded.

“Yes, I was a child, and I have been taking care of her ever since,” I said, and he was shocked.

“I learned you were hard and ruthless, but now I know why,” he said with Sorrow in his eyes.

“Fedrick was cruel not to accommodate his sister when she ran home for refuge,” he said, and I was flabbergasted. I could not believe what Aleksander had just told me.

“Sister?” I asked, and he nodded.

“You look more like Fedrick than your father,” he said with a smile.

“Your mother was his sister. When she escaped the massacre in Forest, he refused to allow her into his Kingdom.

He said she was weak and should have ruled Forest by force. He said she had no home in Snow. He sent her away with her maid. Honestly, he hated her because she accepted help from a werewolf.

A werewolf helped her escape the massacre. Because of that, Fedrick believed she was compromised and had broken the unity law. He banished her and sent Lycan hunters after her. We never heard from her again. It is amazing to see she survived long enough to bring you into the world,” he said, and I was surprised at his words because my mother did not tell me any of these things. I wondered what else did she hide from me.

denounced her. There was no point telling you of her relatives. Isabelle was always the proud kind. I would have married her, you know, but she chose Mathias because he was rich and very powerful. He was also a charmer. I must say she chose well. Your father was a fine man. What the werewolves did to him

bit and nodded, then asked his children to excuse us He waited for them to

most lenient of all of us. He made Forest a haven for the werewolves. It was unheard of. Lycans usually separated themselves from werewolves, but when Mitahis took over from his father, he brought them together.

for it. I remained neutral and planned to go with majority votes because I loathe wars. At least Piotr is good at combat and leading now, so I can dare to do

land was poor, so I was at the mercy

ask you. Sorry, I had to digress, but I need to chip this in,” he said, and I nodded that it was okay. “I would like to trade with Forest. Trading with Snow is tedious, and most of his people sell loot from Forest. That is why he always has hunters there,” he said, and I was in shock, but I wanted him to tell me of my past, so I did not ask the question in my mind, so we did

hunters’ issues, and I would love to open a trade line if you help me with my kingship,” I said, and he smiled. “Smart man indeed. I will get to

“My father was neutral and fought against the

and laughed. “He fought Fedrick on it, and even with Isabelle’s influence, Mathias refused to pass the law. He couldn’t. Gabriel Nowak was his Beta, and Giles Wojcik was his Gamma. Mighty men in their time, and they were

was involved mysteriously died by poisoning. Because the Werewolf Omegas were in charge of food, they were blamed for it. Mathias believed the werewolves were the ones trying to usurp power by killing all the Lycans

claimed Mathias’ brother, Leon, was the perpetrator, and the other men that were killed

would believe that

that the people Giles said were involved miraculously died like that. Either the werewolves were planning an

loved Leon so much, and the grief of what happened to

for his crimes, and Gabriel and the other werewolves in the ranks were removed and reduced to slave status,”

opportunity presented itself. Miles made life a bit difficult for the werewolves after what they did. He did it to put them in check because he had no Lycan might to push back, so he

an agreement with Fedrick to allow Fedrick to help him manage the slaves in his region in exchange for some warriors. Fedrick did it, but we do not know what happened. One day we just heard that Gabriel had finally done what he wanted. He and his friends fought your father and

of then, you wouldn’t have succeeded in taking Forest. Fedrick tried to seize control of the forest several times, and they fought him to a standstill. They might

in detail, but this just made me realise how deeply my father

what made Gabriel

sake, I will investigate, but for now, I want to focus

your majesty. I really

not feel sentimental about a man I did not know, but I was glad to know someone that knew him, other than my mother, and the beautiful things he said about him had warmed my heart. My mother wasn’t lying when she said he was a good man. What Giles did was unforgivable, and then Gabriel completed it. He would have let them go if they

his face. “It is rightfully yours, but that bastard would not want you to have it because he wants to take over Forest Everything is there. Gabriel had pushed back all this while.

mineral resources, and he would make more money if he was sitting on them than having to