Forged In The Flames By Karima Sa’ad Usman
Chapter 44 A tricky One (Nikolas POV)
I stood under the cold shower for almost forty minutes. I contemplated whether I was too harsh, but I knew I had done the right thing. I eventually turned off the water and returned to the room. Aliana was still on the couch, and I could smell her fear. I wondered why she was afraid. I wasn’t mad at her.
“Have you eaten,” I asked her, trying to ease the tension? She shook her head, and I linked Ania to bring us food.
Still tying on a towel, I went to sit beside her on the couch.
“She won’t trouble you again, Little wolf. I guess the Queen Title got to her head. It is time she faces reality now. I have told everyone not to call her queen,” I said, and she was surprised.
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While telling Aliana, I realised that Aliana and her friends could not call my mother by name due to the Unity law. It was either they called her Mistress or Luna. I decided to settle for Luna. It would be honourary until I have fixed the issues.
“Won’t you shower?” I asked her touching her bruised forehead. It had healed a bit, but it would take a few more hours to heal completely and not show.
I stood up to lead her to the shower. I wanted her to relax and know that everything was fine. We got the shower, and I took off the towel I had and gently helped her remove her clothes. Checking her body, I saw the bruise marks of my mother’s kicks close to her ribs on her side. I touched it, and she flinched a bit. I turned on the water and pulled her close to my chest to hold her.
“She won’t hurt you again,” I told her, and she broke down in those minutes. I doubt the beating was the only thing that hurt Aliana. My mother’s words must have cut deep, along with the fear of what was to come. Aliana was still afraid I would leave her eventually because what we had seemed hopeless. Everything I had set out to do so we could be together would be impossible. I could not blame her. Still, everything happening pointed in that direction, especially my mother, but I will just have to keep reassuring her until I have done everything I promised. I pulled away to look into her eyes.
“1 do not break my promises, little wolf. It will always be the two of us,” I assured her, and she nodded.
I held her under the cold water for a while. Before we decided to leave the shower. Ania had brought the food and left. It was displayed on the table for us to eat. She must have let herself in when no one answered her knock.
Aliana and I changed into something comfortable. I wore shorts, and she wore my I -shirt with nothing under.
The day had been hectic for both of us. Relaxing and letting go of the stress was the best thing to do. We finished dinner, and I took the plates out.
Aliana only ate a little. But I did not make a fuss about the issue. I was sure she would be okay by tomorrow. It wasn’t long after dinner; we went to bed. Sleep came quickly because I was exhausted.
I woke up early, and Aliana was still asleep. As much as I wanted to stay, I had much- unfinished business to attend to. I never received the report on what Abraham found in the woods.
Remembering Abraham made me realise I kept him waiting in my office. Qusack must have linked him to retire to bed. I went to freshen up, showered and headed out. On my way to my office, I linked with Qusack, who told me he was already there. It was typical of him.
Qusack had no romantic attachment, unlike the others, and it did not seem like he would get attached to anyone anytime soon.
Understandably, he would be the first in my office every time and would never reject or hesitate to do a job. He had much time and no attachments. It was an excellent quality for a beta, but as his friend, I knew it was a lonely life. In the past, it seemed okay, but now that I have Aliana in my life, I know he is missing out on a great deal.
What brought Aliana and me together was divine and beyond us, but had I rejected it, I wouldn’t have had this. I prayed Qusack would someday find someone to bring sunshine into his life. Someone he can relax and be himself with. Someone he would not need to pretend to impress. Someone that would see him and want him, flaws and all. Someone that would give him absolute love without reserve.
Someone that would be his little wolf, just as Aliana is to me. I hoped it would happen for him and kept my fingers crossed.
I entered the office and saw Qusack sipping coffee on the couch.
“Still sleepy,” I asked him, and he shook his head.
“I just love the aroma. The werewolves roast it so well. It is just delicious,” he said with a smile, and I went to sit on my chair.
“How are you feeling?” he asked me with concern, and I knew he was talking about Aliana and my mother.
“Torn,” I confessed, and he sat down.
“I do not understand your mother, but her rage blinds her. Aliana is completely harmless; what she did was unnecessary. I hope the measures you took will fix the problem, and she does not make an enemy of you,” he said, and I sighed.
I hoped so because I needed her to face the council and her brother and confirm I was Mathias’s son. I also needed her to help me with the Kingship. I wondered if she would choose to work against me because of this. I shouldn’t think this way, it shouldn’t be plausible, but her actions made it so.
“What about Aliana?” he asked, and I sighed. “She was badly bruised and shaken. She could not eat last night. I hope her mood improves today,” I said, and he nodded.
“She is in the worst situation ever. I must commend her strength,” he said, and I frowned at him to elaborate. “She is a werewolf in love with a Lycan that would one day be King. A Lycan that hates her father for a good reason; now, his mother hates her and wants her gone. In her head, she is afraid you might have to choose, and to the world, we know the obvious choice. There is no way her heart can be at ease,” Qusack explained, and I understood his point.
“I have assured her,” I said, and he nodded.
“The odds are against her. She has no choice but to hang on to your words even if she does not believe them; it is all she has.
Her kind hates her; no one would dare be with her after this. She has no choice but to hang on to your words. I hope this works out for you because two people who care about each other should not have to go through all this. The painful part is that your mother should love you enough to let go of her grudge. She should make your life easy and let your problem only be with the outside, but I doubt she is capable of that, and knowing she is Fredrik’s sister, I’m not surprised.” He said, and he was telling the truth.
He advanced towards the table, then dropped a letter before me. From the seal, I knew it was Fredrick. I had expected his response would come today, but I had also guessed the attack was his response; the letter’s content would determine that.
I opened it, and it read. “Nikolas,
I never received any letter of your complaints about my hunters. Now that I know what happened and do not want us to be on bad terms, I will call my men to order and tell them to seek a permit from you before they come and take slaves from Forest.
As you know, the slave trade is how most hunters survive, and desperation due to scarcity of these resources might prompt them to do unruly things.
Be assured they will seek a permit from you before entering. I hope Forest and Snow can trade with ease henceforth,” It read, and I frowned at the letter.
This bastard had just backed me into a comer. Telling me that his hunters would seek permission to come and catch my pack members as cattle was presumptuous of him. I never told him that Forest would sell its residents or we were interested in the slave market.
As things were, it was best that I table the matter at the council. If I write Fredrick to inform him that I would not indulge in the slave trade and that his hunters should source for slaves elsewhere, he might turn it to war. I must find a way to deny his request without crossing the line with him.
Qusack collected the letter and read it. Just then, Abraham and Grant walked in and greeted us. Qusack passed Fedrick’s letter to them, and they both took turns reading the letter’s content.
“Are you planning to trade with them?” Grant asked, and I shook my head.
“I have to find a way to decline without giving Fredrick cause to fault me,” I said, and Grant nodded.
“I agree with you on this one. Treating them as lesser in society is one thing, but seeing them as commodities is another. Not that I sympathise with them. After all, they betrayed your father, but it isn’t Forest’s business if Snow is running out of slaves.
Had they treated their werewolf residents well, their werewolves would not leave and would have gladly done their work. Since we relaxed the laws in Forest, the productivity rate has gone up and is still rising. We need to shut this request down,” Grant said, and I was surprised he was taking the side of the werewolves for a change. He saw a different side to them that he did not know existed.
“You can stylishly decline during the council. Simply say that as much as you would like to approve his request, you can’t because you need werewolves to build your projects, and you do not have enough of them in Forest. Thus you are also looking for an addition to the number already available.
Also, tell them that even though Forest was rumoured to have the highest number of werewolves, the battles, hunters and reduction in reproduction have reduced their numbers drastically.
Inform them that it would be advisable that all interested in getting more slaves to source for slaves elsewhere, but you are open to trading gold and other natural resources with him,” Abraham said, putting the entire thing together brilliantly. I liked it, and I decided I would use that.
Since we had already reached out to the council for a hearing, we just have to wait for a response and see what happens.
“So, what did you find in the woods?” I asked him, and Abraham nodded.
“Only four out of the attackers were hunters. The rest were military people from Hill and Snow. I could tell from the crest on the pieces of their clothes found on the ground that they must have shredded when they shifted suddenly to fight,” Abraham said and placed two things on the table. One was a golden crest belonging to the Hill, and the other to snow. While one was a triangle, the other was in the shape of a snowflake, the shape was precise, and I knew a unique mould was used to create them.
“So, they came to kill people?” I asked, and Abraham shook his head.
“There were silver meshed nets in the woods, as Gabriel had said. Based on my observation, this was an act of desperation.
The hunters were friends and were from Hill and Snow, respectfully; they must have come with military forces to guarantee the success of catching werewolves to sell.
As you all know, the cost of buying a slave has increased due to the scarcity of free werewolves. I think they were trying to ensure success in their venture,” he said. I wondered why Hill hunters and warriors would try to capture people in Forest after we were at the point of forging an alliance with their King. King Aleksander did not mention the desire to get slaves from Forest, nor did anyone write to me to request permission. I wondered what was happening, but I needed to be extra careful.