Forged in the Flames
Chapter 89

Chapter 89

Forged In The Flames By Karima Sa’ad Usman

Chapter 89 Gabriel’s Pain (Nikolas POV)

Bane followed deep into the woods, tracing Gabriel by his scent. I was worried I did not know his wolfhad much strength until I saw the bruised tree barks and broken branches he left in his wake as hepushed through the forest.

Maybe I should have held my tongue and not told him anything. But how could I when I knew Fredrickcould use it to his advantage?

“We have to compel him to stop,” Bane said, realising we might have to keep running like this all night.I had to go home. I had a battle to prepare for and things to do. This was not good.

I could understand Gabriel’s pain, but he had to save it for the battlefield. I ran a bit when I still did nothave his wolf in sight. I stopped in the woods, and Bane tried to feel for Gabriel.

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It took a while, but we finally connected with the angry alpha wolf.

I felt his rage; it was intense; it burned with hatred, anger, resentment and a need for vengeance.

It was the emotions of a wolf ready to do damage.

I would say that it had a thirst for its enemy’s blood. Gabriel had crossed a bridge, one I knew he reallycrossed. This had pushed him over the edge.

As much as I knew compulsion was disrespectful, from alpha to alpha, it was necessary because Iwanted him to be in his senses.

Gathering my strength, I sent my energy with the firm command, “Stop!” I felt him halt.

Not wanting to lose him, I hurriedly followed his scent until I could see his wolf.

He was frozen on the spot, teeth bare, growling at me like a rabid wolf ready to attack its enemy. I knewit was necessary to exert my dominance, so I howled at the moon and looked at this wolf.

I howled again and looked at him, wanting him to obey.

By the third time, Gabriel’s wolf howled, making a soul-ripping painful sound that expressed the painlevel in his heart, spirit and soul.

He howled and howled and then rested on the ground. I watched him shift back to his human form, andGabriel began to sob.

He was folded on the ground fetus style. And while he wept, he repeated the exact words over andover again.

“Why… why… Why me?” he repeated those words and wept bitterly.

He must have bottled up a lot in his gentle soul, and the news I gave him had taken him to his breakingpoint. Had I known this would be the outcome, I would have found more skilful ways of telling him.

“It is not your fault Gabriel,” I linked him, and he continued to weep.

“The goddess must have cursed me,” he said, still crying.

“First, it was Giles, then Mathias; I had to mourn Gwendolyn too. I mourned her. I buried her. I believedshe was dead. We had a service for her; we said goodbye. I hoped to see her in the next life. Alianawas all I had, and I had accepted it only to replace out that just as my daughter was taken from me, so wasmy wife,” he said in tears.

The last part hurt me really bad because he was telling the truth. I had forcefully taken his daughterfrom him to punish him for a crime I thought he had committed. I disgraced him and disgraced her,making sure she had no honour and, in truth, they had not wronged me.

I had acted like Fredrick.

Was I sick like my mother and her brother? Had their blood corrupted me and affected me mentally?

Gabriel’s words pierced deep, even though I knew he did not mean any harm, but it pierced deep.

I let him weep there.

I wasn’t controlling him anymore, so he could run again if he wanted to, but he chose to remain.

“How was she when you saw her. Is he treating her well? Is she suffering?” He asked, and I did nothave an absolute answer to that because I had only seen her once, and that was when she served myfood.

“He made her serve me food. She looked well- kept. The only thing that showed that she was a slavewas the brand at the back of her neck and her collar,” I linked him, and he wept.

“Gwen will never agree to be a slave; she must have held on because she was hopeful.” He said andsat up and looked at my wolf.

“We have to kill that bastard. We have to end him,” He said, and I nodded.

“That is the plan,” I linked to him.

“I just wanted you to know Gwen is alive. Once we kill him, she will be free from their forced bond. Ineed you to be wise and set your emotions aside, Gabriel. Do you think you can do that?” I linked withhim, and he looked at me for a while before nodding.

“I will follow you, Nikolas. I will follow you into battle. You have proven to be a leader, and yourintentions are good. I want to see you succeed and correct all the wrongs that those people caused. Iwill follow you because even if you do not agree, I take you as my son. The son I never had,” he said,and his words t*ouched my soul.

I could indeed agree because he had spared my mother for my sake. He held the pack together for mysake. He was the father of my fated and now my adviser, leading me in the right direction. He was afather figure, and I was blessed to have him.

“Always,” I linked him back and howled at the moon.

Gabriel shifted to his wolf, Jack, and we returned to the palace.

There was a new confidence and determination about him. He suddenly had a purpose, and I couldfeel it.

A sudden need to live, to survive and to win.

He must have loved Gwendolyn so much because she had awakened something new inside him,which would help with the war.

When I knew we were approaching the palace, I asked him for a favour.

“Gabriel, I would like you to help secure my mother in a place where she would not have contact withanyone. I also want her wolf bound with silver. Do you think you have the mental capacity to do that?” Ilinked him, and he howled, which signalled a yes.

“Thank you so much. It will be nice to do it tonight before she causes trouble for us,” I linked him.

“I will advise we do it in the morning, so I can figure out the best place to keep her and how best toensure she is secured and safe from others,” he linked me, and I could understand his reasons. Theywere valid, too, so I agreed. “Have you told Aliana about her mother?” He finally asked.

“No, I wanted to tell you first. I plan to tell her soon.” I confessed.

“She will be overjoyed. If anyone believes in you completely, it’s Aliana. You can never go wrong in hereyes, your highness. I am glad the feeling is mutual between you two, or it would have been a heartwrecking, unrequited love,” he confessed. I would have laughed if I were in my human form, but Banewas limited in that regard. The best I could do was howl.

We finally arrived where we had shifted and ran into the woods. My clothes were still on the floor, so Ireturned to my human form and wore my shorts. Holding the rest of my clothes in my hands. Gabrielremained in wolf form because he had shredded his clothes during his sudden transformation.

He howled, and I ran my f*inger on his head.

“Good night Gabriel, you need the rest,” I said, and he howled and moved along, heading towards thegate that would lead to the inner compound where his home was.

As I watched him move. I was glad to see that he was relaxed. We had dealt with a problematicsituation and emerged better for it.