Forged In The Flames By Karima Sa’ad Usman
Chapter 94 The Mad King (Fredrick’s POV)
I could not believe Aleksander’s audacity to turn me down. The coward decided that he would sit on the fence when I needed him the most.
Sitting on the fence might make the Hill Alphas rethink helping me. I needed all the support because I was planning an overkill. I did not want anyone to surprise me in the future.
I left Hill in a rage.
I had respected Aleksander by visiting him in person, and he had insulted me, first by asking his son to join us and then refusing to help me. I know that my last words had shaken him, and just as always, he would comply. The last thing the bastard would want is for me to come for his crown after I am done with Nikolas.
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Thinking of Nikolas, I planned to teach that boy a lesson.
Isabelle and her son would have been executed had my father been alive?
Isabelle had failed Snow.
We had Forest in our grasp if only she had agreed to poison Mathias, but she refused, and Leon died because he had to find other ways to finish the work.
Since Mathias and his werewolf officers never left a room open for us to strike and get a hold of Forest, Leon had to die because he was trying to do the impossible while Gabriel and Giles stood in his way.
I would think Leon’s death would motivate Isabelle enough to do her work, but she had messed up.
She never loved Leon enough.
After her marriage, he became something to fill the void Mathias left.
Leon knew, and it pained him because she was once his. I did not care, really, because I wanted her with Alex and not the tainted halfbreed Mathias.
The bastard could never be Lycan enough for me, no matter how far his werewolf genes were.
I did not want Isabelle with Mathais. I knew she was fickle. If only she married Aleksander as I had desired, we would have owned Hill and going after the tainted Mathias would have been easy.
We would have controlled Hill, but she had to choose the more difficult King Mathais and fall in love.
I am glad that the love story didn’t end well. It only helped her realise all the lessons our father used to teach us were true.
Love begets fall.
Had she not chickened out last minute, Isaac wouldn’t have had the bright idea to force the werewolves to revolt. We would have successfully run circles around Mathias and taken Forest for all it had to help revive Snow.
Isabelle was the one that spoiled my plans then, and now her son was doing the same.
I stood in front of my father’s portrait in the grand hall of my castle, feeling like a failure. Everything he entrusted me with and asked me to achieve was now slipping away.
“I am sorry, Father, I did everything you said, but your daughter was no help, and now her son is a problem. Snow is sinking, but I promise to revive it no matter what.
I also promise to add Forest to our territory and rule over the lands. It has always been your wish that our Bloodline with produce the King of kings. I promise to bring it to reality,” I said, vowing to my father.
I stood there for a while and watched my father’s portrait, a man who rarely smiled.
I wouldn’t let Snow fall and my people go completely poor. I will put Miles in Nikolas’s place since Nikolas has decided to rise above his station.
I returned to my bedroom to while away time while I waited for Miles to return from training. “Gwen,” I linked my mistress.
I had a lot of anger and frustration; only she could ease it. I remember the day they brought her to me in a friend’s cabin in Riverdale. She was stubborn, and my men wanted to kill her. She was mine from the moment I set eyes on her. How could the goddess be so cruel to tie me to a werewolf bitch? I was glad she wouldn’t feel our bond like I do, but I hated it. I was yet to decide what to do with her, but I would never give her back because she is mine.
I thought about how Aleksander had likened Nikolas to me, and he was utterly wrong.
I might be fond of Gwen, but my head was screwed on properly. Should she defy me in any way or pose a threat to my kind or my
ambitions, I will kill her without remorse. The good part is she knew. I believed the only reason why she held on was the hope that her husband would one day come for her, a hope I try to crush every time, and I enjoyed every bit of her tears. How dare she think of Gabriel when she was mine?
Gwen came to the room in her sheer red tunic.
She never smiled, and I did not care. As long as I get what I want, I will be okay.
“What took you so long!” I growled at her and watched her fight my authority. It was fun seeing her squirm with fear. Betas were always stubborn.
“Next time I call you, you come running. Am I clear?” I asked her, and she nodded reluctantly. “Come over here, I ordered with compulsion. With her, I needed to compel her all the time, and I think that was why I liked her; she always made me work for it, and the fact that she did not know her stubbornness and defiance was the main reason I was attracted to her made it even much better.
When I was done with her, I got off the bed and started laughing. I realised I had gotten myself worked up for no reason. That was why I liked Gwen, time with her always gave me clarity.
“You know your daughter is a whore like you to the Forest Prince. Your husband is a slave, a stone cutter, I heard, and his health isn’t so good. Anyway. I am just giving you updates on your beloved family. At least you have it good here; I do not share you with my officers, no matter how badly they want you. I can’t say the same for your dear child. You know, I must really like you because I turned the offer to have her down when her master offered her to me,” I said, and she suddenly smirked.
“If that were true, you would have told me when you arrived. I bet the young prince drew the line,” She said, and I could see the defiance clear in her eyes.
“Today is what?” I asked her with an evil grin, and she replied.
“Saturday,” She said, confused.
“Well, not just Saturday but the last Saturday of the month. Since you have chosen to be a bad mouth,” I said, and the surprised look on her face gave me satisfaction that she had realised where I was heading.
“Well, I see you do not miss your wolf. If you did, you would have behaved yourself. I would have removed the silver so you could talk to her, shift, run in the wild, and hunt. Still, I guess you will have to wait until I have slaughtered everyone in Forest, including your daughter and former mate. As you already know, the mark on your neck says you belong to me. Never forget that,” I said, ordering her to get out.
She got off the bed, wore her tunic and headed out.
Watching her leave, I was pissed. I wanted to spend the night and hold her, but I knew it would be harder than just ordering her.
Usually, managing Gwen used to be easy because she had nowhere to run to. She knew I would unleash my army on her mate if she ran away, and Hill would not give her refuge. Something had changed now.
Nikolas was in the game. He was causing me to lose my hold on everyone and everything. I needed to take him out and return things as they should be.
I waited in the room, and then when I knew Miles had returned from his training, I decided to see him.
I went to his room.
The man had done well for himself.
He had proven his use, and now, instead of a cage with a collar on his neck like all my slaves, he had a room and was treated like a prince. It was time for him to show his gratitude and allegiance.
When he returned from Forest, I wasn’t hoping he would get much information because I knew Nikolas would be guarded around him. Still, I had taken him there and left him there so I could use the vision of the life he could have to make his loyalty stronger than it already was.
The moment I entered his room, he stood up and greeted me.
“I see you are diligent with your training, ever ready to strike,” I said, and he bowed respectfully.
“As we all know, I am not your biological father, and you have seen your father’s home now and the young bastard claiming everything. My sister had a lot of affairs, so I wouldn’t put it past her to pass another man’s pregnancy to Mathias, but it is okay,” I said and looked around the place.
“I took pity on you and raised you when your father did not want anything to do with you, and you have shown your gratitude by
eliminating my enemies and helping me to hold on to power. I would like to call on that loyalty today,” I said, and he was attentive.
I studied him; I had his full attention.
“Nikolas has decided to defy me and belittle me. He is trying to destroy the reputation I spent sweat, blood and tears to build. He is trying to make me a laughingstock. I want you to help me take back my honour, Miles, and in exchange, I will make you ruler of Forest.
Though not King, you will be a lord, and anyone that does not like the idea of a halfbreed leading will have me to contend with. I will give you a place of honour in this world. No more will you have to bow to anyone.
You have seen Forest, and it expands, and I know you desire to own it. Never again will anyone claim you do not have a place in our world, Miles,” I said, and he was attentive and quiet.
“Nikolas has decided to go against our law. Instead of waiting for the committee to vote and my approval to be crowned, he has decided to crown himself as King. Now we must not allow him to do this, or there will be chaos because everyone will feel they can ignore the rules and do as their like. Also, your chance of getting some of what belongs to your father will be lost forever. So, I want you to lead our army and that of our Alphas. Hill alphas will join you. I want you to go to Forest and wipe them out. Earn your place as ruler and owner of Forest, and let Nikolas know that he is the bastard,” I said, and his face bore no expression.
“What about King Aleksander?” he asked me, and I laughed.
“The coward said he wanted to sit on the fence this time, but I gave him an ultimatum. If he does not send his troops to aid us in battle like his alphas have promised, I will come for his Kingdom and his crown,” I said, and he nodded.
I guess Miles did not need too much convincing after all. Seeing how useful Miles had turned out for me, I wished I had taken halfbreeds from birth and raised them the way I raised Miles. I would have had killing machines, and my army will be more fierce than it is right now, but this would have to do for now. I left Miles’s room to prepare my mind.
This wasn’t a battle that I planned to send Miles forward and remain in Snow. I planned to go and lead by his side. I planned to make the victory mine.
I plan to physically take the victory and ensure my orders are diligently carried out.
I walked to my room, realising I should have done this long ago instead of playing politics with the bastard. I had learned my lesson, and I was better for it.
“What about Izzy,” Rudolph, my wolf, asked, and I growled.
“The bitch will die with her son,” I replied, and he was silent. He never tells me what to do anymore; I keep him happy by holding on to Gwen so we are even.
I headed to my chambers to write Isaac Lucas and inform him that he could now come out of hiding, and we could attack Forest together.
I knew Nikolas had caught and killed his men, which is why we had not heard anything from them; there was no need to have spies in Forest any more, Nikolas’s days were numbered.