Knotting His Rejected Breeder

SONIA’S POV

I wandered slowly through the garden paths after Ivy left, one hand resting protectively on the curve of my belly while the other brushed against the soft leaves of flowering bushes.

A cluster of birds caught my attention, fluttering and hopping around the branches of an old oak tree. I stopped, tilting my head as I watched them. Their cheerful chirps filled the air as they darted between each other, almost like they were deep in conversation.

One would tilt its head, another would respond with a rapid trill, and they moved together with such effortless understanding. A wide grin spread across my face, the kind that made my cheeks ache. Clear communication. No hidden meanings. No room for painful misunderstandings. If only people could be that simple.

With some effort, I tore my gaze away and continued walking, my steps slower and more deliberate now that my balance had shifted with the growing weight of the baby. But I couldn’t shake Ivy’s words. They clung to me like morning dew on petals, refusing to evaporate.

A small part of me kept turning over the possibility that everything I believed about Ramon might have been built on a lie. The more I replayed how conveniently that letter had found its way from my father’s hands to mine, the more suspicion gnawed at me.

Could my father really have forged something so cruel just to drive me away from Ramon and straight into Alpha Liam’s arms? What would he gain from it? I understood his dislike for Ramon—everyone in our circle knew the tension between them. But would he risk such a blatant deception, knowing the truth might eventually surface?

I shook my head, confusion tightening like a knot in my chest. I wanted to believe my father was above something so low and manipulative. He was my father, after all.

Yet the more I examined it, the more the pieces fit in ugly ways. He hadn’t sent anyone after me. Five months, and not a single search party or message. That silence spoke louder than any words. I hated doubting the man who had raised me, but looking deeper, the love he showed me had always felt... conditional.

Like overcompensation for his own failures. He couldn’t save my mother, and I looked so much like her. Maybe protecting me was his way of making amends with her ghost. But a real protector wouldn’t leave his pregnant daughter missing without lifting a finger.

Nothing made sense anymore. The deeper I dug, the more tangled my thoughts became.

I spotted a wooden bench ahead, nestled under the shade of a willow tree, and started toward it, eager to rest my aching feet and back. That was when I felt it, a presence behind me, quiet but unmistakable.

I whirled around as quickly as my pregnant body would allow, heart pounding. There stood Seth, looking every bit as shocked as I felt.

"Seth?" My eyes widened, taking in his familiar face, the tension in his shoulders, the way his gaze immediately dropped to my rounded stomach.

"If I didn’t love you so much, I would be dragging you back to Silverpaw this—" His words died as his eyes stayed fixed on my belly.

"Seth, I promise I can ex—" I started, but stopped myself mid-sentence. This was exactly why I had left in the first place. Always explaining. Always justifying. For once, I wanted someone else to do the explaining.

I cleared my throat and lifted my chin, forcing a brave front even as my pulse raced. "How are you here right now? Who told you I was here?"

"I followed Jed," he said, his voice low and steady. "He’s been acting suspicious lately. I’ve been tailing him for weeks. Twice it led me here. At first I thought he was hiding some princess he’d gotten pregnant. Never imagined it would be you."

"Don’t talk to me in that judgmental tone," I shot back, my voice sharper than I intended, defensive walls slamming up instantly.

"Then tell me why you’re here. And why you’re pregnant."

"What do you mean by that last question?" I fired back, irritation flaring hot in my chest. "Why does anyone get pregnant?"

"You’re not just anyone, Sonia. You’re my sister. I’ve looked out for you since before you took your first breath."

"Well, I’m sorry you feel so entitled to know every detail of my life," I retorted. "I didn’t realize I was supposed to bare my soul to you like some kind of god."

I knew I was being defensive. I knew I was lashing out and hurting him. But the words kept spilling out. If I pushed hard enough first, maybe I could avoid the sting of his disappointment.

Seth crossed his arms, unmoved. "You can get defensive and annoying all you want. I’m not leaving until you tell me what the hell is going on."

I glared at him, but he only raised an eyebrow, daring me to keep shutting him out. With a heavy sigh of resignation, I finally gave in. "Fine. Come with me, and I’ll tell you everything."

A few minutes later, we sat together on the shaded porch in front of the house. The wooden bench creaked softly under our weight as I poured out the whole story, every painful detail, every fear, every decision that had led me here.

Seth listened without interrupting, his expression shifting from shock to concern to quiet anger on my behalf. I had missed him more than I realized. As close as Jed and I had grown these past months, it didn’t compare to the deep, steady bond I shared with Seth.

"So you’re carrying Ramon’s child and he doesn’t know," he summarized when I finished, "but he does know Lorena’s child isn’t his, because Ivy told you?"

I managed a small, tired smile. He had summed it up neatly. "Yeah. I think that covers it."

"What do you plan on doing now?" he asked gently. "Just have this child and raise it alone?"

"Yes," I shrugged, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "Why not? Don’t you think I can handle it?"

"Sonia, I still see you as my little sister. You can’t raise a baby all by yourself."

"I definitely can!" I argued fiercely, my hand instinctively moving to cradle my belly.

"Fine," he conceded, though doubt lingered in his eyes. "But why don’t you want Ramon to know about his child? Don’t you think he deserves to know?"

"Same reason Father hasn’t bothered looking for me, even though he knows I’m missing," I said bitterly. "I guess we’re not supposed to question the decisions of our parents, right?"

"Sonia," he said softly.

"What? It’s true. Jed told me how indifferent Father has been. What kind of father acts like that?" My voice cracked slightly. "I’m questioning a lot of things lately, Seth. The whole idea of ’father’ is starting to feel like a lie."

He stayed quiet. I wondered if my words had struck a nerve—maybe he had his own doubts too.

"Seth?" I called, pulling him back.

"Yes?"

"Do you think Father is capable of forging that letter? The one the spy supposedly stole?"

He let out a long, heavy sigh. That sound told me everything I needed to know.

"I can’t tell you what Father did or didn’t do," he said carefully. "But I can tell you I’m worried about you. You should have never hidden this from me. I understand why you did it, but... it’s me, Sonia."

He was trying to steer the conversation away, and that only made my suspicions stronger.

"Well, I did it, and I have no regrets," I said firmly. "I’ve been happy here. Jed has helped me more than I can say. Now that you know, if you want to help me, I’d welcome it. But no one is controlling my life anymore, Seth. Not my brothers, and definitely not Father. Is that understood?"

He raised both hands in surrender, a reluctant smile breaking through. "Understood."

"Good." I nodded, a quiet surge of pride warming my chest. For the first time in a long while, I felt like I was finally standing on my own.