Forged in the Flames by Karima Sa'ad Usman

I woke up and snuck out of Nikolas’s arms. For someone so hateful, he seemed to be holding on too tightly.
I also felt his c*oc*k poking my back. I gently pulled the sheets to see what he had underneath, and even though he had shorts
on, I could tell the size was huge.
He was packing. I wondered if it would even fit. He stirred, and I got startled and dropped the sheets, then waited for him to wake
up. While I waited, I snuck to his bathroom to use his mouthwash. I did not want my mouth to stink when I spoke to him, I did not
know why it mattered, but I cared. I cared a lot. Nikolas did not wake up until thirty minutes later. He woke up and looked at me
where I sat. I stood up immediately.
“I will leave now, I just wanted to discuss your mother’s feeding with you,” I said before he asked me to get out again, and he
frowned. I guess I was talking too fast. It took a few seconds for him to figure out what I was saying.
He got off the bed and went to the bathroom. I could see his hard-on. I guess he did not care this time.
He spent at least thirty minutes there and returned wearing his bathrobe. Then he sat on his bed and looked at me. “What do you
want?” he asked with a low voice, and a yawn followed, which made me yawn in return. I tried to control it, but I believe that thing
was infectious.
“What do you want?” he asked me with a stern expression on his face.
“Men that can help me hold her and feed her. I also want them to get and prepare specific meals for her to be fed three times a
day. We will start with soups and gradually move to solids, but everything will be blended so it goes into her system,” I said, and
he sighed. “What if she is sedated?” He asked, and I nodded.
“Then I will spoon-feed her the soup blends and fruit mixes,” I said, and he looked at me.
“Remember what I warned you about, little girl. If anything happens to her, then you and your treacherous people will be in a
mess,” he said. I frowned at him, wondering why he would use that word, but what offended me the most was him calling me a
little girl.
“With all due respect, Alpha, I am a woman, and my name is Aliana,” I said, and he chuckled. I was offended. He made me feel
stupid. I exhaled quietly, not wanting to overstep.
“Yet you can’t do what women do,” he said, and I was pissed off understanding his statement.

“You are the one unwilling to take what you want. Don’t blame me for it,” I said, and he pulled me back to the bed and placed me
between his arms. Hovering over me, he growled to my face It was scary and arousing at the same time. His face inches from
mine. His eyes stared deeply into mine.
He was indeed handsome.
He had perfect features. His eyes were sharp, his face was chiseled and contoured in the right places. His eyes had a
tenderness he tried to mask. His breath was fresh mint. His l*ips parted slightly. I wanted to k*iss them. They looked that hot.
The familiar ache between my legs began, and I tried to close my thighs together, but he stopped me and rested his knee on the
bed between them to keep them apart. He sniffed the air and looked at me. By then, my l*ips were parted.
I wanted something but could not say it because I felt guilty. I am not supposed to want this man. He was a monster, he stole my
home and ridiculed my father. He stripped me of my honour, yet my body and Raven wanted him. Nikolas sniffed the air and
smiled.
“Your body wants it,” he said, and I had no choice but to maintain eye contact and look back at him as if I felt nothing. He bent to
k*iss my neck, and I bit my l*ips so I did not m*oa*n.
He held my hands together over my head with just one hand and reached into my pants with his other hand while maintaining
eye contact. I gasped when he touched and parted my l*ips with his fingers, gently brushing my c*li*t. He closed his eyes and
then opened them and stared at me intensely. He began to rub gently, and I was already coming apart.
His eyes remained on mine, and I dared not look away, but I could not hold it anymore.
The pleasure was intense. A m*oa*n soon escaped my l*ips, and he slid down my s*li*t with his finger and placed it in my
p*uss*y.
“So w*et, tight, untouched,” he said, and I could not speak. My body wanted it.
“More,” Raven m*oa*ned in my head, and I dared not let the word out.
“You will submit, little wolf,” he said, and I began to m*oa*n uncontrollably with my eyes closed.
He pumped with his fingers, and I felt his thumb caress my c*li*t.
My hips began to move on their own, and I became wild.

No one has touched me before. Even the pleasure I gave myself was nothing compared to this. It was like giving me a snack
after starving for a while.
“More,” I m*oa*ned, and he continued.
I opened my eyes to look at him. I was m*oa*ning uncontrollably, and his eyes were pure black. He continued what he did with
the proper exactitude, and I felt my release coming. I turned my head to the side.
“Look at me, little wolf,” he growled, and I turned my head back.
“Do you like it?” he asked me, and there was no point lying.
I m*oa*ned a breathy ‘yes’, my hands still held above my head, feeling helpless. He picked up the pace and turned me into a
m*oa*ning mess.
I knew he wasn’t pushing his fingers because it would have hurt if he did, but it was deep enough to make me lose control.
“Ahhh,” I m*oa*ned, and soon the orgasm erupted. He continued what he was doing, and I began to shake.
He pulled his finger out of my p*uss*y and out of my pant and tore the panties off me, growling.
I could see his need reflect in his eyes. He wanted me, too.
My heart was pounding because I anticipated he might take what he wanted now. My knees were weak, and I did not know what
he planned to do or how he planned to start. His eyes flickered from his wolf to his normal eyes until they became normal.
He traced my hips with his fingers. His touch tingled, increasing my anticipation and need. I tried to control my breath, but I
couldn’t. My chest rose and collapsed with air, my body waited to be taken, and he looked at me down there. I was too eager to
feel shame. Then he rolled off me and got off the bed. I was stunned by his actions, and my heart dropped. I felt rejected. I felt
unwanted, and I knew that was his point.
Tears stung my eyes, but I held them.
I could not let him see that his action got to me. It made me snap out of the dream I was in. I was back to reality.
He had taken me to strip me of my honour and make me suffer for reasons best known to him, and it was silly of me and my
body to want him in those moments when he gave me pleasure.
“Only a woman would know what to do at this stage, little girl,” he said and went into his bathroom.

The moment he entered the bathroom, my tears fell.
I gathered what I could of myself, including my torn underwear, and headed for the door.
Once, I was told no one would ever want me because of my domineering and defiant nature. I always thought they were wrong,
and once I put myself out there, I would find him. The right one. I was supposed to go on that journey to find the right one this
year, but now, that will never happen.
I had resigned myself to whatever life Nikolas would subject me to as long as my father was well and my people were safe, but
the degrading thing he did to me this morning made me realise my life would be worse than expected. I felt ugly, I felt ashamed
and unwanted.
I left his room in tears. One thing I was glad about was that he did not see my tears. I returned to my room and headed to the
shower. Turning on the water, I sat under it and wept.
I knew Lycans felt superior to werewolves, but this was degrading. I held my thighs together and scolded myself for m*oa*ning
and wanting him. I scolded myself for asking for more and Raven for reaching out.
How did I lose myself in those moments? “I am sorry, Aliana. It’s that I feel pulled towards his wolf. I can’t help it. I will control
myself better next time. We are worth more than what he says, Aliana.” She said, but I continued to weep. I wasn’t hurt that he
didn’t find me attractive enough to go all the way, I was mad that I responded to his touch. Angry at myself for being easy.
I spent an hour in the shower gathering myself, even though I heard Lisa and Ania enter. I remained in the shower until I felt
strong enough to face the day.
I exited the shower n*ake*d.
“Aliana,” Ania said, and I looked at her. I greeted them, and they pointed at the tray of food. I wasn’t hungry, really, but I nodded
with gratitude.
“What is that smell?” Lisa said, giggling, and I knew it was a private joke between them.
I did not bother to ask. It wasn’t my business. I just moved to my bag that I was still yet to unpack and took out something simple
to wear.
Shorts and a white T-shirt. I packed my hair in a ponytail and sat at the table to eat with them.

“You must have made an impression on Alpha, he has never marked any woman with his scent before,” she said, and I paused
what I was doing.
“What?” I asked, and Lisa looked worried. “You didn’t know?” Ania asked, and I was confused.
“Well, be happy because it means you won’t be branded. He has marked you with his scent so no Lycan or werewolf would dare
touch you,” she said, and I began to sniff my body.
“It doesn’t work that way, Aliana,” She said, giggling.
“Only other people would pick the scent. You are his now,” she said and squealed as if it was a good thing, but I could not smile. I
knew exactly why he did this.
He meant what he said by taking my honour. He wasn’t going to mate with me, and no one would.
Maybe tease and punish me occasionally, but never give me what I need. And when he is tired, he would brush me aside.
I had resigned to never bearing anyone’s mark, but being celibate was a huge commitment. One I wasn’t ready for.
I became despondent.
“I am so unfortunate,” I said, letting my tears escape.
I might be a virgin, but I wanted to experience everything.
Initially, Nikolas declared I would have no honour, so I prepared for it. He said he wouldn’t father bastards, and I wasn’t allowed
to get pregnant by anyone. I was okay with it because I would save a soul from a miserable life, but being celibate wasn’t
something I wanted. After what he did to me this morning, my touch would never be enough. He was a sick bastard, and I hope
he suffers.
Ania looked at me as if she was disappointed.
“What is with you? Being exempt from branding is a huge honour. All the women that serve the Alpha have never been marked
by his scent. They could be branded and demoted to maids at anytime.” She said.
Ania packed her hair with her hand and turned her back to me.

There was an ugly burned mark on the back of her neck that made me gasp. “You do not want to know what branding is like.”
She said, and I was in shock.
“I will never be regarded as an equal to my kind. And because weres and Lycans don’t mix, I will never be touched. I will never
be mated. I will never have children. Do you want to know why?” she said, and I could not speak.
“It was because Delta Grant said I was useless. He said I could not please him. When they brought me, I was taken to the Alpha,
but I wasn’t a good dancer, so he passed me to Beta Qusack. The beta said I wasn’t good at chess, so I wouldn’t be a good
companion, and he passed me to Gamma Ingham. The gamma did not like my scent. He said it was too flowery for him and less
impressive, so they passed me to the Delta, which sealed my deal. That was why I pleaded with you to make sure you make a
good impression on the Alpha. Had I known then, I might have put in some effort, but I was lycan, I did not expect to be
discriminated against by my own. My only crime was I lived in the forest territory where werewolves ruled. It made me seem like
a traitor to my kind.” She said and wiped away her tears. I knew there was more to her story than she let out, but my heart went
to her.
“You are blessed, Aliana. No one would ever touch you wearing his scent. You should be happy,” she said and stood up.
“Alpha said you requested three men to help you feed the Queen. Kindly inform us what you want us to have prepared and
everything you need,” she said, and I knew she was a bit mad at me. I did not know if I should apologise, so I held my tongue
and faced the task.