Forged in the Flames by Karima Sa'ad Usman

Chapter 36

“Niko,” my mother said, smiling at me and battling her disgust. I went to sit on the second chair at the table.

“I see you look better,” I said, trying to make it less awkward.

“Gezel and Erica did a great job. They call me Queen, you know,” she said, smiling, and I nodded.

“Were you able to get the kingship?” she asked eagerly, and I sighed and shook my head.

Just then, Gezel and Erica brought our meal.

My mother smiled lovingly at them, and I wondered if she knew the kind of scum they were. I kept them around so they wouldn’t divulge my conduct to the people outside Forest and hurt my chances of being King. Otherwise, I would have sent them away.

I was silent until they finished bringing the food. My mother touched Gezel’s hand gently and thanked her with a smile before they left. I wondered if she would feel so grateful when she found out that Gezel and Erica were one of the people that underfed her and kept her like a wild animal. I doubt she would be happy.

“How have you been, Niko?” my mother finally asked, and I sighed.

“Fine,” I said, and her smile dissipated.

“You can’t have been fine, my love,” she said, reaching for my hand. You were just ten,” she said, and tears began to well in her eyes.

“I failed you. I should have listened to you and returned to our cave. I am sorry, Niko,” she said, tears streaming down her cheek. “I wanted you to have meat that day. I knew you liked meat and wanted to get it for you. Please forgive me for being unable to hold on to my sanity long enough,” She said, and I patted her hand.

“It is okay, Mother, you are back,” I said, and she shook her head.

“I missed nineteen years. It is as if a huge part of my life has been taken from me,” she said and began to weep. I rubbed her hand gently to calm her down.

“Why didn’t you bury a blade in my heart,

“Niko?” she finally asked me, and I remembered the silver blade she sharpened every fourth night while we were in the woods.

“I couldn’t,” I confessed, telling her the truth.

“Then you should have left me for the hunters and saved yourself,” she said, and I shook my head.

“You told me you didn’t want to be left at the mercy of the hunters, and I was hoping the feral episode would be like the others and you would snap out of it in no time,” I said, telling her the truth.

“Only that it wasn’t, and you had to care for a feral wolf for nineteen years. Moving me about while you tried to accomplish something for yourself. I am sorry,” she said, and I continued to rub her hand so she would know it was okay.

“How did you manage to keep me? You were only ten, Niko,” she said, realising how it would have been impossible for me to subdue her.

“You came at me, and I ran back to our cave. You chased me there, but I was fortunate to hang the silver chain on your neck, forcing you to change back to your normal form and weakening you; then, I secured you on the tree you normally tied yourself to. We were deep in the forest, so we didn’t have hunter issues. I cared for you there until I got my wolf and started building a pack,” I said, and she was shocked.

“You are a true Alpha and a true King,” she said with respect, and I should feel great about it, but I didn’t.

“How did you take it all back?” she asked me, and I sighed and looked at our empty plates, then started to plate the food for both of us.

nine years to conquer every part of Forest,”

our food does not get cold. It is venison,” I said, and she nodded slowly with her

in silence, and she appreciated the food but

you king now?” She asked, and something in her eyes revealed that she knew the truth. She must have had a lengthy discussion with Gezel and Erica. I wondered what

is opposing me, but I am working towards it,” I said, not giving away

her fork in anger and squeeze. “That bastard. What did he say his reasons were?” she

said I might be a fraud and that the only heir the Forest King has is living with him. He said he won’t support me and he would oppose me in the

such a thing?” she asked,

asked me, and I shrugged. “I fought for this place. It is my prize, and I plan to

king, then you can just take it, but I doubt

I heard,” I said, and

coward?” She asked,

gotten so far but is unwilling to go against the Snow King for my sake,” I said, and she

Fredrick,” she said, looking away from her plate and muttering

it then?” She asked, trying to be calm but failing at

committee,” I said,

and sleeping with the daughter of the man that killed your father?” She said, finally speaking her

is wrong with that, Mother? What is wrong with treating them with some kindness?” I

walk the same path your father did? Your father trusted them, and look what they did to him; to us,” she said, and

will be safe,” I said, and the shock on her face

told you that you can return when I am of age to claim Forest,”

not know if it were to pursue her revenge or out of shame, but it was

years is a long time to dig,” I said, and she looked at

doing, not Gabriel’s,” I said, and

said, and

be glad to tell King Aleksander that you called him a liar,” I said, and

of this? I haven’t even spoken to the man,” I told her, and that was true. Other than what Aliana told me out of concern,

here. It is all his fault, and you should be ashamed of yourself, Niko. Fucking his daughter and keeping him around when both of them should be dead and forgotten just like he killed your father.” She

these wolves would betray you

and she nodded with approval

away because I never told her

him?” I asked her, and she realised

There is no point soiling his image with things of the

regarding resolving past issues and killing people for it. Why is your story selective, Mother? It is almost as i f what you have against the werewolves has nothing to do with my father because clearly, he loved them too,”

cannot be king!” She

decide when he had the boy long before

has gone too far with his lies,”

werewolf mate died while giving birth to their son, who was declared a stillborn but has miraculously surfaced.

I know nothing of it,” she said, telling the truth for the first time. I could feel it. She was connected to me now, so I could feel she wasn’t lying about this one.

sighed and looked

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