Forged in the Flames

Chapter 38

We sat quietly on the couch for almost five minutes, processing all that we had discussed. It was a lot.

“What did Alpha tell you after he revealed his identity to you?” Ania said, trying to calm the situation.

“He said he didn’t care about the past,” I said, and she nodded and touched my hands.

“Now listen to me; you have to trust Alpha. He has no reason to lie to you. But you also have to keep away from his mother. Do not allow yourself to be caught in the same space, either. Let us find a hobby and spend more time outside. Do not see her, and do not allow her to see you.

If that happens, then you will be at her mercy.

I do not know if she is a bad person, but she has a bone to pick with your father, and just like Alpha, she might do it through you. She also does not like our kind, so she would not want you with her son. She will try everything she can to make Alpha end the relationship.

You must brace yourself for that part because she might succeed. As things are, your relationship with him is impossible because he wants to be king, but he might have a way to beat it.

This woman might just complicate things,” She said and hugged me.

I let myself cry. I needed to shed tears so I could brace myself for what was to come.

They ate without me. I did not have the appetite to put anything in my mouth. Ania told me I should link her if she is not with me when I get hungry, and she would bring something for me.

After they ate, they decided that we should take a stroll.

I wanted to link Nikolas to inform him, but I did not want to interrupt his time with his mother.

Nineteen years were too long for both of them; he deserved to enjoy his time with her uninterrupted. They had much to catch up on, and I did not want to disturb them.

“Alpha said you will think of a work to do. He said something like a hobby,” Ania said once we stepped outside, and I nodded.

“A hobby means I would have to do it in that building, but as things are, I doubt I want to be in that building all the time. So let us volunteer to work in the werewolf clinic. There we can take care of people for free, and we do not have to be there always like their regular staff; we will need to only come in when I am not with Nikolas. That would keep me away from the palace and out of Queen Isabelle’s way,” I said, and Ania nodded.

“Well, you are right. After all, we were nursing her; now we can care for others. I like it, but you have to run it by Alpha first. If he approves, we will apply if there is a need,” Ania said, and I understand why she was unwilling to jump without Nikolas’s approval.

“Should we go to the market? I have little money we can spend there; besides, the Werewolves do not have much, and their stuff isn’t expensive, so we will be fine,” Lisa said.

Ania lifted my hand to admire the bracelet on my wrist.

“Where did you get this? It is so pretty and professionally crafted,” She said, and I looked at it and shook my hand lightly so it would dangle on my wrist. I laughed while I looked at it, remembering when Nikolas put it on my wrist with love and care.

“Alpha gave it to me as a gift from Peakland,” I said, and she beamed and touched it gently.

“Real Emerald and Amethyst held together with pure copper. It is a thing of beauty. Alpha has an eye for beautiful things,” She said, looking at the bracelet, then turned her attention to me and touched my chin.

“His taste is exquisite,” She said right about when we walked past my father’s house.

He was yet to be home, so we moved past it. Lisa looked at the bracelet and touched it gently.

“I wished someone would do something this nice for me. It would be romantic,” She said with a dreamy voice, and we all giggled.

For someone so pessimistic, she sounded too wistful to be true. Her cheeks were coloured with embracement.

“It is okay to feel, Lisa, I was there a few months ago, and now I am head over heels for Alpha,” I said, and we all giggled.

I needed the crying session. It helped me deal with my fear, and now that it was over, I was light and free, ready for the bumpy ride ahead.

I planned to hold on to Nikolas and follow his lead wherever he took us.

“Should we check the market out?” Ania asked.

I looked at the palace, which was far now, and nodded. I doubted Nikolas would be done with his mother by now.

I wouldn’t miss him much if I were occupied.

We hopped on a Cycle rickshaw so we could get there faster.

I thought the person riding it was a Lycan until Ania told me he was a halfbreed. I planned on learning how to sense them.

“What part of the market are you going?” He asked.

“Foot Lock, where the werewolves have shops,” Ania said excitedly, and he nodded and cycled.

We sat there with Lisa in the middle and Ania and me at both ends.

While we rode by, I saw people look at me with disgust. It made me look away and stare ahead.

The market wasn’t so far, so we arrived in thirty minutes.

Lisa paid the cycler, and we alighted the vehicle and entered the market.

There were multiple stalls.

Some had food items, while others had objects like clothes, cookware, decorations, costume jewellery, and so on.

Some sold their things on the table, while others laid them on the floor for purchase.

There were some small shops too. It was organised, and there were people buying things at every point. I noticed that people moved away every time we passed them; I wanted to believe it was because of me, but I ignored them and moved on.

“See that scarf shop; let’s buy something there,” Lisa said, hurrying ahead of Ania and me. A few followed behind and stood in front of the shop.

The seller came out right when I touched the yellow scarf that caught my yes. She yanked it from me.

“Do not touch my things with your filthy hand,” she sneered at me, and I frowned. I smelled the air; I knew she was a werewolf, so where was this hostility coming from?

“Hey, don’t speak to her like that,” Ania said, coming to my defence.

“She shouldn’t touch my things with her Lycan filth. She reeks of it,” she said and spat on the ground as if I was making her nauseous.

“You should be ashamed of yourself, Aliana. Your mother will be rolling in her grave. Sleeping with the monster that stole our home and enslaved us. Look around you!” she yelled.

“Look what they have reduced us to, We are nothing but filth to these people, and you dare to come here. You should be ashamed of yourself,” She said, and people began to gather, and they seemed to agree with her. “She follows him about. Who would have thought she had a w*hor*e in her?” I heard someone say.

“When he finally dumps you because he will, I hope you do not expect any of our brothers or sons to settle with you,” someone said, and Ania began to growl.

“You ungrateful wretches. Aliana is the reason you can buy and sell. She is the reason you are earning wages and have some freedom. You should be grateful to her. She has sacrificed herself and happiness for your kind…” She said, and someone shut her up.

“Enough! Had her father not killed the king, the savages won’t be upon us,” someone said.

“And the King would have sold you all as slaves to the Forest King. Was it not your men that met my father and begged him to liberate them? My father had no qualms with the king, but he sided with them against the king for your sake, and now you spill nonsense,” I growled, and they were silent.

“No one is forcing you to remain in Forest. If you feel Alpha Nikolas is too much of a savage to lead you, go to the forest and surrender to the snow hunters. I learned snow Hunters are looking for slaves,” I said, and they began to throw things at me.

“I am not ashamed of myself!” I yelled at them, and they stopped.

“Since you all see this as suffering. I will be happy to convey your feelings to the Alpha so you won’t have the need to buy and sell anything again, and all privileges you claim you do not need will be revoked,” I yelled, and they were silent.

“That is right. Aliana should just tell Alpha there is no need for him to show her kindness by being lenient on her people; he should treat all of you as the other two kings treat werewolves. I am sure you will all be happy,” Lisa said, and they remained silent.

“My father became the enemy to buy you all twenty-nine years of freedom. How many werewolves in other regions can boast of the same? Alpha Nikolas is kind to all of you because of me. How many werewolves in other regions can boast of the privileges you have? I am not hoping your sons or brothers will fancy me when all this is over because I doubt they can ever meet up to the standards the Alpha has set. But I will advise you to watch yourselves around me and my father. The only reason we surrendered was so none of you would die, but the day you make us realise it isn’t worth it, you will all be at the mercy of the lycans,” I warned them, and most of them began to walk away out of fear.

I thought they were tough and just looking for someone to pick on. I snatched the yellow scarf from the woman and smelled it. Then threw it back at her.

“Not my taste. It reeks of your filth,” I said, and she was terrified. I wondered what they were thinking, trying to mess with me the way they were. I wasn’t an easygoing person, so they should have known better. I guess they chose to vent to the wrong person.

“Should we leave?” Ania asked, and I shook my head.

“We came to the market; we will buy something,” I said, moving along.

We branched several shops, and they were a contrast to the scarf lady and the crowd that gathered around us.

They were kind and respectful towards me. Most of them gave me things and thanked me.

That was when I realised that the scarf woman and the street she sold on consisted of werewolves from Woodland, Oakspring, Timber, and other parts of Forest.

In contrast, the place where they were nice to me consisted of the people from Riverhead, my people. They had words of encouragement for me.

A young blacksmith told me he would marry and care for me when Nikolas dumped me. He said he didn’t care that Nikolas marked me with his scent.

He appreciates all that Nikolas has done for them because of me and told me to remember his promise. His name was Oliver Greenford. He was a handsome man, about twenty-five, and he looked like he meant every word. I knew there would be no need because I trusted Nikolas, and I was hopeful. But if it all ended, I planned to never replace him.

We had a wonderful time.

I ate some street food, and when it was almost sunset, we got on a Cycle Rickshaw and headed back to the palace.

I hoped I had not overstayed.

We arrived when it was dark. I walked past my father’s house and saw he was home, but there was no way I could go in to see him.

It would have to wait until Saturday when I was authorised to see him. The three of us hurried into the palace.

I was heading up the stairs when I heard Gezel announce that the queen was passing.

I looked for a hiding place, but it was too late because the woman had seen me.

Our eyes locked briefly, and I immediately bowed my head.

“Is that the w*hor*e?” She asked Gezel, and I heard Gezel answer her.

“Yes, your majesty,” I wanted to laugh, but I held my tongue.

The illusion of the woman being a queen was hilarious. She was technically a nobody until Nikolas officially becomes king, but Gezel was willing to massage her ego.

I heard her approaching, and her scent became strong, and soon I saw her feet before me.

“Kneel slave,” She said with rage and contempt, and I knew I was the one she was talking to.

“The three of you! Now!” she yelled, and I knelt. I did not want to be seen disobeying the ‘queen.’

She lifted my chin and looked at my face. There was rage in her eyes. I believed she was reliving her past.

“You might have charmed my son with your looks and fake affection, but I will expose you for what you are. I will have you out of his life in no time. My son will not fall as his father did,” She said and raised her hand to slap me when I heard someone growl at the staircase. It wasn’t Nikolas.

“With all due respect, you are not allowed to do that, your Majesty. Aliana answers only to Alpha Nikolas. If you have a problem with her, I advise you to take it up with your son,” I heard Qusack’s voice say, and I looked in the direction of the voice. He was looking at me.

“The three of you should return to your rooms,” he said, and I saw the woman ball her fist in anger while we all stood up.

I looked at Gezel, fighting the urge to smile, and she looked scared; she knew I would report her to Nikolas, and the punishment that would follow would be severe.

“I am watching you, Nowak,” Isabelle said, and I regretted helping the woman. She did not seem like a good person at all.

I hurried up the stairs and entered Nikolas’s room. He was going through a letter whilst sitting on the couch. He put it down, looked at me, and smiled.

“Had fun?” He asked me, and I went to him.

I tried to kiss him on his forehead, and he drew me to sit on his lap and then kissed me passionately on the lips.

“I am glad you had fun,” He said, breaking the kiss, and I giggled.

Ania knocked and brought the bags of the things I got from the market and left immediately. Her cheeks were coloured, and I knew why.

“You went shopping?” Nikolas asked me. I bobbed my head slowly.

“Lisa had some money and said we should check out the market, so we went. Most of the things were given to me by the traders as gifts,” I said, and he smiled.

“Next time, take money from the dresser. Do not go out empty-handed again,” he said, and I nodded.

“Also, when next you have a run-in with my mother, disobey and link me immediately. Qusack told me what she did. I won’t tolerate it. I want you to be at peace, but on no account should you ever kneel again. Greet her and move along; if she has issues, tell her to take it up with Qusack or me. I know what she is trying to do.

Do not worry, Little wolf,” he said, and I was surprised he would side with me that easily. Maybe it won’t be a bumpy ride after all.