Knotting His Rejected Breeder

Destiny watched them without speaking. Even though nobody had openly declared her at fault, she was still struggling with internal guilt and it shut her up.

"If you blow the border horns or put the village on lock down, you’ll cause a mass panic," Dane replied quietly.

His voice was low, but it carried an authority that made Ramon freeze instantly.

"You’ll be telling five hundred pack members that a royal Lycan is running wild on our lands. By morning, every armed man in the valley will be hunting in these woods with loaded weapons. Half of them will end up shooting each other in the dark with their untrained combat skills."

Ramon stared at him, his mouth slightly open, his chest heaving under his dress. For a moment, he looked like he was going to argue. But Dane’s firm gaze held him back.

Slowly, the fight drained out of Ramon. His shoulders slumped, leaving him looking battered and exhausted.

Destiny pulled her coat tighter around her chest, her fingers pressing through the thick wool until she felt the hard edge of the Heartstone.

A bloodbath.

Ramon’s panic stirred up her own guilt, turning into a dull, sickening ache in her chest. Aurora was out there, bleeding and losing her mind to a curse. And that curse had come to BloodMoon because she came to BloodMoon. Aurora was cursed because she came here for Destiny, because of political rivalries, broken marriage arrangements, and a web of hatred centered around Destiny herself.

Every cut on Blane’s face, every drop of blood on Ramon’s sleeve... it all felt like her fault.

Dane looked over at her, sensing her mood shift, but before he could speak, the wind turned.

A fresh scent blew across the bridge, cutting right through the damp smell of river mud and sweat.

Cedarwood and dry tobacco.

Destiny’s head snapped toward the shadowy path. She recognized that smell instantly.

Father.

Marcus stepped out from beneath the dark pine trees, walking with a silent, heavy grace that seemed impossible for a man of his status. He carried a bag slung over one of his shoulder.

His eyes locked onto Destiny sharp and unblinking before slowly sweeping over the rest of them.

"Mr Marcus," Ramon grunted, trying to steady his voice. "We... we didn’t expect to see you out on the perimeter."

Marcus didn’t respond immediately. He stopped a few feet from the bridge, his boots crunching softly on the gravel.

"You’re yelling loud enough to wake the dead, Alpha Ramon," Marcus said in a deep, raspy voice that cut right through the roar of the river. "I heard you all the way from the ridge. Aurora is my concern too. As long as she’s out there she poses a great threat to my family. My daughter especially."

"But dad you can’t go out searching for her on your own," Destiny complained bitterly. "We had a search team you could’ve joined."

Marcus shook his head determined to argue. "I hunt best alone. You know this."

Dane stepped forward, subtly positioning himself between Destiny and her father.

"We’re calling off the search until dawn," he informed. "The trail ended at the river."

"Your search ended at the river," Marcus corrected smoothly. He turned his head slightly, looking back into the dark woods behind him. "Mine hasn’t."

Destiny frowned, stepping out from behind Dane’s shoulder.

"What do you mean?"

Marcus looked at her, his gaze cold and calculating, before turning back to Dane.

"Do you really think I’m going to leave my daughter’s fate in the hands of a few border guards and local trackers? I came to inform Destiny that I’ll be crossing the lower river passage. I don’t need tracks on a gravel road, Alpha. I was born a tracker and I know the scent of everything."

"Is mom aware of what you’re planning to do?" Destiny asked, a wave of frustration washing over her.

"She would panic," Marcus said. "I didn’t tell her. That’s why I’m telling you."

Ramon blinked, a look of anger crossing his bruised face.

"This is BloodMoon land, Mr Marcus. You’re part of this family now and your safety—"

"My daughter has a target on her back," Marcus interrupted. "Tell me you wouldn’t do everything in your power if it was you."

His voice dropped low, so cold it felt like it froze the air around them. He hadn’t raised his voice, but Ramon instantly shut his mouth.

"Do not talk to me about your family, Alpha Ramon. If my daughter dies out here, your family won’t mean a thing to us. For years I’ve protected her without needing help and I’ll continue to do so regardless of whatever help you’re offering."

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Dane didn’t back down. He looked Marcus dead in the eye, his body relaxed, though his jaw was set tight.

"Even if you find her first, you won’t be able to hold her. The curse gives her terrifying strength in addition to her regular everyday strength."

"In here I got silver chains and wolfsbane darts, Alpha Dane," Marcus replied, the corner of his mouth twitching with a fake smile. "I know how to handle royal tantrums. Even the violent ones."

He looked past Dane, his eyes resting on the distant outline of something only he could see.

"Besides," Marcus added quietly, "now that Aurora has fled your precious sanctuary, her people have no reason to stay in your home. So, my place is out here where I can be useful."

Dane raised an eyebrow.

"You saw them leaving?"

"They certainly won’t stay warm and comfortable in your guest beds while their princess is hunted like an animal," said with a faint smirk. "You don’t have to kick them out, Alpha. They’re already packing. None of them are leaving Aurora behind. Vance would kill them if they did."

Marcus turned his gaze back to Destiny.

For a split second, the cold look in his eyes softened into something heavier, a dark, ancient expression that made Destiny’s heart race.

"The house from across yours will be empty by morning," Marcus said, turning his back on them and walking into the shadows of the pine forest. "Get some sleep, little silent one. For now, the real hunt begins."

Destiny stood frozen, watching the dark outline of her father’s clothes disappear into the trees, her hand still clutching the Heartstone.