Knotting His Rejected Breeder

The timber planks of South River Bridge were slick with river spray and damp midnight air, holding the deep chill of four in the morning. Below the stone arches, the BloodMoon River didn’t roar so much as slap relentlessly against the granite piers, a steady, cold rushing noise that filled the dark ravine.

Around them, the perimeter was quiet again.

Helena had wandered back toward the ruined tollhouse, leaning her back against the collapsed stone wall, while Ramon stood five paces off, sullenly nursing his bruised forearm and staring at the wet gravel.

Destiny hadn’t moved from the spot where her father had vanished into the shadows of the pine forest. Her hands were stuffed deep into the pockets of her heavy coat, her shoulders hunched against the wind coming off the water.

Dane stepped up beside her, his breath pluming white in the air.

"Don’t worry," he said quietly, his voice low enough that it didn’t travel down the span. "Henrik will watch over him."

Destiny turned her head slightly, her bloodshot eyes scanning the dark treeline.

"Henrik left?"

"Five minutes ago. Right after Marcus started down the lower path." Dane slipped a hand into his own tunic pocket, feeling the bone-deep tiredness settling into his joints. "I told him to keep thirty paces back and stay downwind. I trust Henrik to protect him—or at least keep him from doing something stupid."

Destiny let out a small, bitter breath that turned to fog. She shifted her weight, her hip resting lightly against Dane’s side.

For several seconds, neither of them spoke.

The river filled the silence between them.

"You woke up this morning warning me not to wish you a happy birthday," she murmured, staring down at the mud on her boots. "Dreading turning another year older. You said something was going to go wrong."

Dane’s jaw relaxed, a faint, tired smile touching the corner of his mouth as he looked down at her.

"It really did turn out to be one big catastrophe, didn’t it?"

"It’s not funny, Dane."

"Not all of it was catastrophic," he said easily, bumping his shoulder gently against hers. "I still have you. My succession stone got healed and our mate bond was accepted. And honestly? I’m kind of happy Aurora got bit."

Destiny frowned and turned to face him fully.

"Dane."

"I’m serious." His tone turned pragmatic. "If we actually manage to save her with the stone, she leaves us alone. Vance takes her home, her people clear out of our guest houses, and we finally get our territory back."

"If we do," Destiny replied.

Her voice dropped as she pulled her hand out of her pocket, her fingers still wrapped in the pale cloth covering the Heart Stone.

"What if we end up with more problems than solutions? What if the stone doesn’t work? What if Vance decides we failed her anyway?"

She looked up at his face.

"It would appear since we met, we’ve not had one normal day," Dane said softly.

Destiny gave a short, bitter laugh.

"Meaning you had normal days before you met me? Thanks for letting me know how you feel."

Dane blinked, caught off guard.

"No—that’s not what I meant at all—"

"It’s okay, Dane. Don’t explain."

She turned on her heel and walked away, her boots crunching sharply on the wet gravel as she headed toward the southern approach.

"Destiny, wait. Please."

Dane took two quick strides after her.

Before he could catch up, heavy, rapid footfalls sounded from the main road.

A scout came running out from beneath the canopy of pines, his boots splashing through the mud as he sprinted toward the bridge. He stopped near the stone arch, bent over at the waist, hands on his knees as he gasped for air.

"Alpha!" the scout called, his voice hoarse.

Dane turned as the scout reached him.

"Kaelen," Dane said, stepping forward. "Take a breath. What did you find?"

Kaelen swallowed hard, wiping cold sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. "The lower ditch by Harlan’s field. She made it past the river, Alpha. Harlan’s dog started barking, and when he came out on the porch with a lantern, he saw her crouching at the wood-edge."

Ramon straightened up from the stone wall, his tiredness instantly vanishing. "Did she attack the house?"

"No," Kaelen gasped, looking between Dane and Ramon. "Harlan’s little girl came to the door. Harlan told her to get inside, and the moment the child turned back, Aurora just... backed into the trees and ran. She had the farmer’s family at her mercy, Alpha, but she didn’t cross the field."

Helena stepped out from the shadow of the tollhouse, her eyes fixed on the scout. Destiny stopped her retreat a few paces away, lingering near the edge of the road to listen.

"Where is she now?" Ramon asked. "If she’s injured, why haven’t the watchers brought her down?"

"Garth and Torren are on her trail, but they won’t go in close," Kaelen admitted, his voice dropping. "She’s limping badly, but nobody wants to risk getting bitten by a cursed Lycan—not for Aurora. They’re just keeping eyes on her from a distance."

Ramon let out a heavy breath, wiping his wet face with his sleeve. "Well... I guess we aren’t going to bed anytime soon."

"Lead the way," Dane said. He turned to Helena. "Take two men and cut across the upper ridge. Find Henrik, bring him up to speed on this new line, and tell him to keep Marcus back."

Helena gave a single, firm nod and immediately turned toward the treeline.

"Alpha, there’s one more thing," Kaelen added, stepping closer to Dane. "Garth tracked her prints down the narrow path past the field. She wasn’t just wandering or running blind. She was following something."

Dane’s eyes narrowed. "What kind of sign?"

"We don’t know yet," Kaelen said, his voice quiet against the rush of the river below. "But they all were. At least three or four other wolves all heading in the same direction. But Garth saw them through the timber—they’re too big for wild runners, Alpha. They were standing in the treeline waiting for her. When she caught up to them, they didn’t fight. They turned together and led her south."