Knotting His Rejected Breeder

SONIA’S POV

Just before dawn, I was wide awake in my room, heart pounding as I stared at the ceiling.

A soft rapt on my door broke the silence.

"Who is that?" I called, my voice barely above a whisper as I sat up, clutching the blanket to my chest.

"It’s Jed," I heard him whisper from the other side.

Slowly, I walked to the door, my bare feet cold against the stone floor, and opened it up for him.

"Are you ready?" He asked, his eyes scanning the hallway behind him before stepping inside.

"Wait, what? That soon?"

I mean I had packed up with the intention of leaving anytime soon. I just didn’t know it would be this soon. My stomach twisted with a mix of fear and excitement, the reality of the moment hitting me like a cold wave.

"Well, are you ready or not?"

"I am!" I quickly responded, my voice steadier than I felt.

It was now or never. If I didn’t go with him now, only the moon goddess knew when I would ever have this opportunity again. The thought of staying, of raising my child under my father’s control, made my skin crawl.

"Good. Grab your bags and hand them over to me. Whatever you do, ensure you stick behind me, alright?"

I nodded, my hands trembling slightly as I lifted the packed bag from the corner of the room. The weight felt heavier than it should have, a symbol of everything I was leaving behind.

"And please, for both our sakes, try to be as quiet as possible."

I nodded affirmatively again, my throat tight with nerves.

"Lastly, the hard part is making it out of the castle, and the pack. Are you prepared?"

"Not really, but I’ll do whatever it takes to be successful." The words came out stronger than I expected, a quiet resolve blooming in my chest despite the fear.

"Great, then let’s go."

We walked into the hallway, without him giving me the chance to stare at my room one more time. The door clicked shut behind us, the sound final and heavy in the quiet corridor. I didn’t know if I’d ever return to it, but I was grateful for the memories it provided me with—the safe haven it had been through so many difficult nights.

Much to our luck, there weren’t a whole lot of guards patrolling. The torches flickered low along the walls, casting long shadows that danced across the stone floors. My heart hammered in my chest with every step, the sound of my own breathing loud in my ears.

Something told me Jed had something to do with that, but I couldn’t explain how he could have done that. His connections, his quiet influence in the pack, were proving more valuable than I had realized.

We made it outside the castle, and that was when the real hassle began. The night air was cool and crisp, the distant sounds of the forest alive with nocturnal life. All the possible places we could have gone through had at least three wolf guards blocking them. Their silhouettes were dark against the moonlight, their postures alert and ready.

I turned to Jed as we went to the last path that also had guards blocking them. My hands were clammy, my pulse racing as panic began to creep in.

He silenced me with his eyes, and I obeyed him, biting my lip to keep from speaking.

He closed his eyes, and I began wondering what he was doing.

I was already giving up on succeeding. We couldn’t get past the guards without them raising the alarm. The fear of being caught, of my father discovering my plans, made my stomach churn.

I was still wallowing in self pity, when I felt his hand dragging me.

"What are you doing?" I whispered, but he silenced me again, his grip firm but gentle on my arm.

We ran into the open, and much to my surprise, there weren’t any of the guards I had just seen rallied together there. The path was clear, the moonlight illuminating the way ahead like a silent blessing.

"Don’t ask, just run!"

I nodded, and held on to my belly, as we began to run. The ground was uneven under my feet, roots and stones threatening to trip me with every step. My lungs burned, the cold night air sharp in my throat, but I pushed forward, the need to protect my child driving me on.

We ran so hard, I could feel my lungs at the verge of collapsing. Sweat beaded on my forehead despite the chill, my legs aching with the effort.

But we finally stopped when we made it to the forest path. The trees closed in around us, their branches forming a natural canopy overhead. The scent of pine and damp earth was stronger here, grounding me as I caught my breath.

My eyes went to Jed, and I felt immensely sorry for him. He was carrying my bag, whilst simultaneously holding my hand. His breathing was ragged, his face glistening with sweat, but he didn’t complain.

It couldn’t be easy for him. I was going to suggest helping him, when he suddenly continued walking.

I forged ahead with him, waiting to hear it would soon be over, but no such reassurance came. The path twisted and turned, the forest alive with the sounds of night creatures rustling in the underbrush.

We must have taken about ten turns. I just couldn’t remember, and I was too tired to even try to remember. My legs felt like lead, each step heavier than the last, but I kept moving, one foot in front of the other.

I was about to give up, when we made one more turn, and arrived at a spot.

"Finally!" Jed breathed out, and let go of my hand. His shoulders sagged with relief, the tension easing from his posture.

I opened my eyes to see what had him so relieved, and almost jumped for joy when I found a car. The vehicle was tucked away in a small clearing, its dark paint blending with the shadows of the trees.

"He really brought the car," I heard Jed say, and wondered who this ’he’ he was talking about was.

He turned to me, and smiled. "You’re tired, right?" He asked, his voice softer now, concern clear in his eyes.

"And hungry. Why am I suddenly always hungry? I couldn’t stand the sight of food just a few days ago." The words tumbled out, a mix of exhaustion and the strange cravings that had become my new normal.

"It’s your pregnancy cravings, Sonia. Same thing my girl has."

"You really love her, don’t you?"

I loved the way his eyes sparkled every time he talked about her. The warmth in his expression was genuine, a quiet happiness that made my chest ache with longing for something similar.

If only Ramon could look at me with just a little bit of adoration.

As soon as that ugly, desperate thought formed, I sent it back to the gulag where it deserved to be. The memory of his cold indifference still stung, a sharp reminder of why I was running.

"She’s great." He shrugged, trying to downplay just how much he liked her.

I walked over to him, and ruffled his hair.

"Stop it, Sonia!" He laughed, swatting my hand away playfully.

"Look at us. The two last children of the great Ferins. How did we turn out so rebellious?" I asked, the words carrying a mix of wonder and sadness.

"Because we’re not just the youngest, but also the coolest."

"I can agree with that," I said, laughing. The sound felt good, a small release of the tension that had been building inside me.

"Anyway, I knew you would be hungry. I couldn’t have a hungry woman whining whilst I’m driving, so I brought you something delicious."

He reached into his hoodie pockets, and when his hands were coming out again, he was holding on to something wrapped. The scent hit me first, warm and sweet, making my stomach rumble.

From the other pocket, he brought out a bottle of water.

"Thank you!" I almost broke into a dance, when he handed it over to me. The relief was immediate, the small kindness bringing tears to my eyes.

"Enjoy yourself." He laughed at my reaction, as he grabbed my bag, and took it to the boot.

I quickly unwrapped whatever was beneath the food wrap. The smell hit me first, and next thing I knew, I was staring at freshly baked cinnamon pie. The warm, spicy aroma filled the air, making my mouth water.

"Who did this?" I asked, my voice filled with suspicion as I took the first bite.

"Get in the car, Sonia," he replied, ignoring my question as he climbed into the driver’s seat.

Well, it wasn’t like I could do anything to thank whoever had made it. I shrugged, and went into the car, but with a mouth dancing with a bit of the pie, of course. The flavors exploded on my tongue, sweet and comforting, a small piece of normalcy in the chaos.

"You like it?" He asked, starting the car. The engine hummed to life, the sound low and steady as he pulled away from the clearing.

"I love it! You know what, Jed, I used to think you were not only immature, but could also sometimes jerky. Could fatherhood have changed you so much, already?" I gasped teasingly, taking another bite.

He laughed, and shook his head. "You better pray we don’t run into more Silverpaw guards."

"We won’t."

"And how do you know that?" he asked, turning the car around as the forest path opened up ahead.

"Just because." I shrugged, and took another bite off my pie.