Forged in the Flames by Karima Sa'ad Usman

I bowed my head to show respect, but I hoped Nikolas would stop calling me ‘Little girl’ and just use my name instead.
“What are you looking at down there?” he asked me, and I looked up.
“Nothing, Alpha,” I said, and just then, two ladies came up the stairs. They bowed to the Alpha and then looked at me.
He must have told them something I wasn’t privy to. This was the disadvantage of the mind link.
“Link me if she causes any trouble,” he said, and I knew that part was to my benefit.
He walked away, and the crowd of women in the foyer bowed to him as he walked down the stairs.
“Let us go,” One of the Lycan women told me, and I did not want to cause any trouble, so I followed them quietly.
We returned to my room, and they closed the door behind them.
“The Alpha said we should prepare you for tonight. We will go through the beauty regiments and then dress you up. When we
are done, You will be taken to his room,” One of the women said, and the horror of her words struck me.
I gasped, and the women giggled.
“It is an honourable thing to be the Alpha’s mistress. He has never taken a werewolf before. You will be the first.
Appreciate his kindness and focus on showing your worth tonight.
It will determine whether or not you will be one of his favourites or a mistake. Many women would do anything to be in your
position right now,” One of them said.
I was disgusted by what she said but did not want them to report me, so I held my tongue.
We spent a while scrubbing, cleaning, waxing, and scenting. Name it, they did it all, and my body felt sore when they were done.
The women were pleasant and told me about their first time. The savagery they practised made my stomach churn.
Werewolves did not mate with Lycans; why would he want me?
I kept the women’s names.
The blonde one who seemed to be in charge was Ania, and the one with red hair was Lisa.

Ania told me they had been assigned to serve me when I was alone and with the Alpha.
They were the only Lycans I was allowed to interact with.
When I moved back to the packhouse under Nikolas’s orders, I thought I would serve people; I did not know it would only be the
Alpha.
“We will take you to his room now,” Ania told me, and I became nervous.
They dressed me up in revealing clothes, leaving nothing to the imagination.
The moment we stood by the door of my room, Ania touched my hand.
“Alpha is a hard man; try to make things easier for yourself and your people by not aggravating him,” She said, and I could see a
haunted look in her eyes. I wondered what Nikolas did to her people, seeing they were of the same kind. The look disappeared,
and she replaced it with a smile.
“I know you are defiant; I can see it in you. Please be careful so you do not end up with a brand for general use,” she told me,
and I gasped.
They made me inhale and exhale and led me to the Alpha’s quarters.
I was taken to his room and left there.
I wanted to run away.
I did not want this.
Doing this to me without claiming me would be dishonourable, but he had told my father that I would have no honour, so I should
expect the worst. I also felt it was too early, but he did not seem the patient type.
“Put yourself together. When he comes, I will take over, so you won’t deal with him,” Raven offered, but I refused.
My father had done what he could. It was now my turn to make sure my people did not experience the wrath of the new Alpha.
It took about two hours before the Alpha returned to his room. I was hungry by then, and I dared not speak.
He did not spare me a look. He just went to the bathroom.

I tried to listen to what he was doing in the bathroom, and when the shower came on, I knew he was taking his bath.
My tummy growled, and I tried to control myself.
I wondered why my father had not linked me.
I tried to link him, but I met silence and became worried.
Had something happened to him?
I tried to link Delta Isreal and met the same silence. I knew then that it was a blockage.
“There is no use, little girl, I determine who links who around here,” I heard Nikolas’s deep voice in my head, and I shut my eyes
immediately. I knew Lycans had abilities that werewolves could only dream of, and sensing who was trying to mind link and
blocking the connection might be one. I felt helpless.
Nikolas came out in shorts and shirtless.
I averted my gaze from his body. He had tattoos, but I did not look long enough to know what it was.
“Look at me,” he said sternly, and I looked at him. He had covered his body with a robe.
“There is no need to be shy, little wolf,” he said, and I did not know how to respond.
He clearly wanted to touch me, and I knew he would.
He moved close to me, made me stand up, then lifted my chin and gazed into my eyes.
His eyes were cold, and I felt chills down my spine.
“You are mine for now. Just because we will be f*uc*king does not make you shit. You aren’t important to this pack or me. Got
that? If you aggravate or defy me, I will take it out on your people.
Your compliance and good behaviour would determine my hospitality towards your father and people.
Above all, do not fall in love with me or anyone and do not get pregnant for me or anyone.
You are not allowed to fall in love or date.

If you make the mistake of getting pregnant by me, you will regret it.
A baby won’t make me change my mind. I will not father a mixed breed and a bastard.
If you break any of the rules, you, your father and your people will be dealt with. Am I clear?” he said, and I nodded.
Falling in love with him was impossible. I could never fall for his kind.
He did not have that hold on me, so he had nothing to worry about in that department.
“Will I be given birth control?” I managed to ask, and he looked at me.
“Do I look like a physician? You figure it out on your own,” he said coldly. It was unfair because he was putting me in an
impossible situation. I made a mental note to figure it out quickly. I did not want to get pregnant, either.
Nikolas was too close for comfort, and I wanted to step back, but the wall wasn’t far behind, so I remained.
“When you are not with me, you are to care for the person in the cage that was brought in. She is to be fed and cared for at all
times. On no account should anything happen to her under your watch. Ania and Lisa will help you out,” he said.
I remembered the wild growl coming from the cage and became scared. How was I going to care for a wild animal?
“I have no history of caring for wild animals,” I said.
As soon as I finished that sentence, I regretted it because his eyes turned completely black.
He reached for my neck. The lace gown tore and he pushed me against the wall, pressing the side of his arms against my neck.
I had to stand on my tip-toes. So he would not disconnect my head from my body. My eyes stung. I wanted to cry from fear and
pain, but I held it.
I felt him crushing my windpipe, and I tried to gasp for air.
“Never call my mother a wild animal again,” he warned me, and the pain was so much that unwanted tears streamed down my
face.
How was I supposed to know he had his mother in that cage? I managed to nod while blinking the tears away, and he released
me.

I coughed, trying to breathe.
I thought that was it, but he began huffing and puffing from rage as if his actions weren’t enough.
Lycans had an issue with their temper, and he was displaying it for me.
My back remained against the wall wishing I could sink into it.
I was shaken and afraid.
He tried to touch me, and I screamed.
I did not want his hands on me after he had almost crushed my windpipe.
Nikolas trapped me between his arms and hit the wall with his palm.
I did not know what to do. I knew of the Lycan’s rage, but this was my first time seeing it.
He growled and moved close to my neck. I was scared.
I felt him breathe in my scent, but his touch was unwanted at that moment.
“Place your hand on his chest to calm him wolf down,” Raven said, and I refused. I dared not touch this psycho. It was a miracle
we were still alive.
“Do it now, Aliana!” Raven commanded, lifting my shaky hands and placing them on his bare chest.
He growled, and I pulled my hand away, but he caught the hand and put it back there, holding my hand in place.
He bent towards my neck where a mark should be and kissed it lightly. I was too scared to react to the sensation. He travelled
with his hand to my waist and pulled me to his body. His robe was opened, and I felt his warm skin. His body vibrated, but I was
stiff. I held my breath, afraid that he might lose it again.
“Relax, little wolf,” he whispered in my ear, and I felt current shoot through my body. I shouldn’t feel this way, but I did. He nibbled
my ear and kissed my neck again, making an uncontrollable moan escape my lips when I tried to exhale.
His actions made me dizzy, and I pressed my thighs together to relieve the ache between them. I felt something poke my
stomach, and he stepped back immediately and covered his robe before I could see what it was. His reaction hinted at what it

was, and I was embarrassed.
I looked up, and he stared down at me.
Slowly his breathing steadied, and his eyes turned back to normal.
Nikolas moved away from me immediately and went to sit at the foot of the bed.
I stood still, not knowing what to do, but it was safe to say I had just had a near-death experience mixed with pleasurable
sensations. A peculiar mix.
There was a knock on the door, and trays of food were brought in by Ania and Lisa. They kept their head bowed and left the
room.
“You need to eat,” Nikolas said calmly.
I wasn’t fooled by his calmness.
The episode I had just experienced remained with me, and I was still shaken.
I was also saddened that he did not proceed. My body wanted him in those moments, and the residue of the need lingered. I
could no longer coordinate myself anymore.
I ate a little and left the rest.
“I won’t need your services tonight,” he said, and though it should be music to my ears, my heart sank. It was bruising to be
rejected like this, but I controlled myself.
At the same time, I was worried that I had failed and would get branded and end up somewhere bad.
“Should I go and care for the Luna?” I said quickly, trying to refer to his mother as respectfully as possible so he does not try to
hurt me again. He looked at me and then shook his head.
“No. You can attend to her tomorrow,” He said and stood up; his eyes were completely black again, and I felt the urge to bolt.
Nikolas walked to me and touched my ripped nightgown.
I knew my neck would be red because of how he handled me, but it was okay. I was alive.

I watched his eyes flicker between his wolf and his normal colour. I held my breath, still afraid.
I knew he knew I was scared, but there was no shame in it. I was just a Beta werewolf and was allowed to be afraid for my life
when facing an Alpha Lycan wolf. A savage at that.
Nikolas lifted me gently with wolf eyes and carried me to the bed.
I froze, but he pulled me to his body and cuddled me.
How could I relax in his arms when my body wanted more?
Ania and Lisa said no one slept in his bed. This was a new behaviour.
“When am I to leave, Alpha?” I asked him, afraid and not wanting to overstep.
“Never,” he replied with a sleepy voice, and before I could say anything, he had fallen asleep.