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.

an army and nine years to conquer every part of Forest,” I told her, and

is venison,” I said, and she nodded slowly with her eyes on me in shock while she absentmindedly picked

silence, and she appreciated the food but ate

the truth. She must have had a lengthy

am working towards it,” I said, not giving away that I knew

and squeeze. “That bastard. What did he say his reasons were?” she asked, and I shrugged, still eating my

the Forest King has is living with him.

such a thing?” she asked, and I

your birthright?” she asked me, and I shrugged. “I fought for this place. It is my prize,

then you can just take it, but I doubt the

I heard,” I

She asked, and I smiled at

gotten so far but is unwilling to go against the Snow

looking away from her plate

plan to do it then?” She asked, trying to be calm

said, and she shook

if they are our equals and sleeping with the daughter of the man that killed your father?” She said, finally speaking her mind, and I put down my fork and

is wrong with treating them with some

trusted them, and look

part where Gabriel set you free and sent you to your brother so you will be safe,” I said, and the shock on

part where he told you that you can return when I am of age to claim Forest,” I said, and she looked

might have done that, but he also hunted us,” she said, still trying to lie. I did not know if it were to

to dig,” I said,

doing, not Gabriel’s,” I

she said, and

Aleksander that you called him a liar,” I said, and

all 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, I had not spoken

yourself, Niko. Fucking his daughter and keeping him around when both of them should be dead and

Niko; these wolves would betray you as

you propose?” I asked her, wanting to know how far she was willing to g o, and she nodded with approval and sighed. “Obey the Lycan unity law, and the committee will side with you against Fredrick

because I never told her the

of him?” I asked her, and she realised

Niko. There is no point soiling his image with things

a point regarding resolving past issues and killing people for it. Why is your story selective, Mother? It is almost as i f what

cannot be king!”

when he had the boy long before he married you?” I

has gone too far with his lies,” She said,

died while giving birth to their son, who was declared a stillborn but has miraculously surfaced. How do you

time. I could feel it. She was connected

and looked at me

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