Forged in the Flames by Karima Sa'ad Usman

I could not wait to get back to Forest.

Throughout the journey back from Hill, I kept thinking of Aliana and wondering what she was up to. I

was sure she wasn’t hopeful that I would return early.

I had a joke to crack with her when I got home, and I could not wait to see the expression on her face

when I told it.

We finally got to the palace in Forest, and I looked at Gabriel’s house to see if Aliana was there. The

door was locked, so I figured no one was home.

I alighted the vehicle and went into the building. Leaving Grant and the driver to handle my luggage.

I did not need to guess where Aliana would be.

On my way there, I heard Qusack in my head.

“Welcome home, Alpha,” He said, and I growled slightly. I didn’t want him to be the first to welcome me

home.

“Thank you, Beta, see you soon,” I said, closing the link.

I went to my mother’s room and took a deep breath. Bane was eager to see Aliana, and so was I.

I turned the knob, opened the door and walked in. She was sitting on the couch looking at m y sleeping

mother.

The moment she looked in my direction, her face lit up, and she ran to me.

I wrapped my arms around her and breathed in before kissing her sweet spot. It had only been five

days, but it felt like I had been away for a while. I held on to her and allowed her scent to surround me.

The very scent I had to get off me before going to Hill.

It had been five days since I held and touched her: three days of staying apart, and two days since I

had seen her; now that I could do all those things, I doubted I could let her go.

Was this what being in love felt like? Was this what finally having a home felt like?

This was the first time I would be welcomed home warmly in my entire life. This was the first time I

would be hugged and greeted with warmth.

The first time someone missed me.

I didn’t want to get emotional, but I would be a fool to let this go. I lifted Aliana bridal style and carried

her to my room. I noticed she had dark circles, so I figured she had not been sleeping well.

While we headed to my bedroom, I linked Ania to care for my mother for the rest of the day and the

next day.

I doubted I would be leaving my bedroom soon. Whatever I needed to do could wait. “Take care of the

Queen and have food served in my room. You and Lisa would also be working alone tomorrow, and I

would not like to be disturbed,” I linked to Ania.

“Yes, Alpha,” She replied, and I shut off the link.

“Qusack, I will discuss matters with you later. Tomorrow or the day after,” I told him and closed the mind

link before he protested. I deserved some joy and peace too.

Entering the room, I noticed my luggage had been placed there. I could not wait to see Aliana in the

lingerie I had bought in Peakland, but it could wait.

“You carried me all the way,” Aliana said when I placed her on the bed. She sat up, and I took off my

shoes and knelt before her on the bed. Then I bent to kiss her. She tasted sweet. I deepened the kiss,

and soon we broke it. I caressed her cheek and looked into her honey-coloured eyes.

“You didn’t sleep?” I asked, and she looked away.

“I told you I would be back. Do not doubt my promise,” I said, and she nodded. Seeing her mood, I

wondered how she would handle my joke.

“Don’t do it,” Bane said, but I liked mischief. I still planned to tell it.

I sighed and sat beside her, resting my back against the bed’s headboard.

Aliana moved close to me and leaned on me. I could smell her arousal and held out a bit before telling

my joke.

“What is with you?” She asked, sensing something was the matter. I sighed and looked at her.

“I do not know how to tell you this,” I said, and she became worried, but she tried to mask it. I had to

commend her for her ability to look brave even when frightened.

“The Hill King wants me to marry his daughter, and I accepted,” I said, and she froze and moved away

from me. She did not say a word. She just moved away.

“I guess this is it then,” she said, sounding as if she had expected it. Which meant she didn’t believe

any of my promises to her.

“Is that all you have to say?” I asked her, and she turned away gradually.

“I have nothing to say. The good part is you will get your wish and be crowned the King of Forest.” She

said, and I could hear a crack in her voice. I guess the joke was too hard.

I pulled her close, and she pulled away from me, refusing to look at me and wanting to escape. Fighting

me.

“Aliana,” I said, and she refused to look a t me.

“Look at me, do not make me use my command or force on you,” I said gently, and she gradually

turned to look at me. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and I felt horrible. I wiped them away with

my thumbs immediately.

“You never believed a word I said about never giving you up,” I said, and her tears continued to flow.

“It will be wrong to have a mistress when you are married….” She said, and I shook my head because

that wasn’t what I meant.

“You were expecting me to return with this news,” I said, and she nodded gently. “I do not break my

promises, Aliana. If that was the only option given to me, then I would kiss the Kingship goodbye,”

I said, and she looked at me with confusion.

“I meant what I said, Aliana,” I said, feeling bad about cracking the joke in the first place.

“It was a joke. I am not getting married,” I confessed, and I saw relief in her eyes. She pulled away from

me, a bit annoyed.

“How can you Joke like that?” She asked, and I knew I had overdone it.

I should have listened to Bane and done something else. This was my first real relationship, so I wasn’t

any good at it.

“Hey,” I said, making her look at me, and she did. I pulled close and looked into her eyes.

“I promise I won’t joke like that again,” I said, and she nodded.

I kissed her, and she wrapped her arms around my neck and held on tightly.

Our kiss was hungry.

I could feel her relief that it was a joke.

I did not know she cared this much until this moment. I dared not break her heart. What she was doing

was taking a massive risk with me, and I planned to make it worth it.

I planned not to disappoint her.

“I am sorry, Aliana,” I linked her, and she came on top of me, kissing me and unbuttoning my shirt.

I broke the kiss and stopped her. Her eyes were confused, but I wanted to be the one to serve. So I laid

her on the bed and gently took off her clothes.

“I missed you, and I want to take my time,” I said to her, and she tried to relax, but I knew she wanted

me badly. I could feel and smell it.

I went to her b*rea*sts and worshipped them. Her n*ipp*les were hard and ready, and I s*uc*ked and

l*icked them, making her moan, and I knew she would be extra wet.

She grabbed my hair, and I moved down her body, k *issing every part and t*ast*ing her skin. My

c*oc*k twitched, eager to e*nter, but I wanted her to come first. I wanted to take my time. Her breathing

quickened. She was anticipating it.

I felt between her legs with my f*ingers, and she was soaking w*et.

“I want you i*nsi*de me”, She finally said. I knew it took a lot of effort for her to be vocal. She was too

eager for f*orep*lay. I decided to honour her wishes.

I knelt between her l*egs and w*ent in. I did not know how much I had missed it until I was d*eep inside

her.

I p*umped while she moaned. Her voice was like music, and her pl*easure was my reward.

I placed her l*egs over my shoulder, knowing she liked it that way and pushed through. It got to my

head, but I had to wait for her release. The moment she came, I poured myself into her.

I wasn’t tired, but I noticed she was.

I knew it was because she did not sleep in the night. Instead of troubling her for more, I lay beside her,

and she placed her head on my chest and fell asleep.

While I lay there in bed with her, I wondered what to do. The hatred for werewolves in our world was

intense. I wondered how we would be able to beat all that. I did not want to lose Aliana. I didn’t want to

give her up. I doubt anything could make me give her up, but it also means I must fight for her.

If my kingship was denied because I refused to settle with a Lycan from a prestigious family, I was

determined to take the other option. The only issue is that I doubted the werewolves in Forest would

fight for me.

I doubted they could be loyal. They had betrayed their kings once, what if they do it again? Training

them would be a massive risk because they could turn against me as they turned against my father.

Could Aliana make them loyal? Could she convince her father to persuade them to fight for me?

I wondered until I finally fell asleep.

I got up to use the bathroom. Aliana was deep in sleep, and I doubted she would wake soon.

She was exhausted when I saw her. I saw the bracelet, the store owner in Peakland had given me on

the floor. It must have fallen from my pocket when we undressed in a hurry. I picked up the jewellery

and placed it on my dresser. I planned to give it to her when she woke up.

I was in the shower when I heard Qusack’s voice in my head. He also sounded urgent.

“Alpha, a letter just arrived from King Fedrick. I think you need to come to your office,” he said, trying to

sound calm, but I knew something terrible had occurred.

I told him I would be there and left the shower. I did not wait for my hair to dry. I wore a shirt and shorts

with slippers and headed towards my office. Grant wasn’t there, but Qusack and Abraham were there.

I went to sit on my chair, and Abraham and Qusack stood up to greet me.

“Welcome home, Alpha,” they said, and I nodded, eager to know what the matter was because I did not

plan to leave my room.

“I think King Fedrick knows of your Visit to the Hill. You know he has spies everywhere,” Qusack said,

and I nodded.

“So, what did he say?” I asked, and he looked at Abraham, who handed me a letter with a broken seal.

I took it and looked at both of them.

“I read it,” Qusack confessed, and I nodded. It was okay because he would read it anyway.

“Nikolas,

I heard you honoured Aleksander’s invite but are yet to honour mine. I find it highly disrespectful. I only

asked you to come so I would know if you are a fraud. But since you have refused my invitation, here is

my argument, and I will table it before the committee. The same committee members you have

managed to make friends with in Peakland.

I am Laughing right now because I know what Aleksander is trying to do for you. If you plan to claim the

throne as an inheritance, you are not one to succeed your father. That is if Mathais is genuinely your

father.

At the time of his death, Mathais had only one child, my nephew Miles Bradford. He is the son of

Mathias with his first mistress before he mated with my sister.

I was given custody of the boy to protect him from the werewolves of Forest. Thus, I cannot hand his

inheritance to a stranger who grew up in the wild.

I am yet to divulge his true identity to him, so I will tell you this, come to Snow so we can discuss the

future of Forest, or I will present the legitimate heir of Forest to the committee. You will have to

relinquish your hold.

If you think you can stake a claim because you conquered the region, I have the army to subdue you

and take it by force.

I am not to be meddled with. I doubt Isabelle was your mother because she would have told you who I

was.

Nonetheless, I will give you a month to decide and set my plan into motion.” The letter read, and I

wondered if it were the ramblings of a madman or something I should be worried about.

Had my mother been well, fighting back would have been easier.

If push comes to shove, I will need Gabriel to identify her as their Queen.

I knew the Hill royal family would not openly move against Fedrick, and I doubted any Lycan would, but

the word of the werewolf Alpha that betrayed my father when my mother was at his side would do. All I

needed him to do was recognise her.

I would have to plan with Qusack and secretly get word to Aleksander before I make my move. I knew

it would be foolish to overlook my uncle’s threat.