Knotting His Rejected Breeder

Aurora looked at the wolves again, recognizing what had unsettled her from the moment she arrived.

They were strong, but they didn’t look free. Their bodies were still their own, yet something inside them seemed locked away. Their eyes followed her, but there was almost nothing behind them. It reminded Aurora of animals trapped behind iron bars, powerful enough to tear through their cages but unable to understand why they were trapped in the first place.

"Then why am I here?"

The Alpha stood.

"Because you still have a choice."

Aurora’s expression changed, but before she could speak, he added, "You walked away from that farmhouse."

She went rigid.

"You saw that?"

"I felt you stop."

His voice remained calm.

"You were starving. The humans inside were helpless. You could have slaughtered them all, but you didn’t."

"I don’t kill children."

"I know."

He studied her for a moment.

"That restraint is why you’re useful."

Aurora frowned as the Alpha continued.

"We need more Alphas. The packs are already beginning to notice us, and the royal kingdoms won’t be far behind. Once they realize Hollow Death can pass from wolf to wolf, they will hunt down every infected creature they find."

He gestured toward the wolves around them.

"We have enough numbers to survive for now. We don’t have enough power to fight back when the kingdoms come for us."

Aurora’s stomach tightened.

"So you want me to help you build an army?"

"I want you to carry the curse into another pack."

He stepped closer, his voice remaining calm, though something cold lurked beneath it now.

"Starting with your father."

A cold shock ran through Aurora.

"No."

"He commands a massive territory and hundreds of warriors. If you bite him, you give him a choice."

The Alpha’s eyes remained fixed on hers.

"Join us, or become one of us."

"He would kill me before I ever got close."

"Then you will need to become stronger first."

Before Aurora could answer, a violent spasm tore through her chest, forcing her to double over.

The pressure returned without warning, far stronger than before, twisting through her ribs and stomach until she could barely breathe. Her hands dug into her sides as she fought to stay upright, while the Alpha simply stood by and watched.

Aurora forced herself back onto her feet, trembling violently.

"What is happening to me?"

Her voice came out as a wheeze.

"The curse is progressing," he said almost casually. "The longer Hollow Death remains in your blood, the harder it becomes for you to return to your human form."

Aurora looked down at her hands.

Her fingernails had begun to lengthen, their tips darkening as they thickened into curved talons. Pain traveled deep into the bones of her fingers, as though something inside was trying to reshape them.

Her breath caught.

"No."

"Look at yourself. You’re turning into a Lycan permanently."

Her head snapped up.

"What?"

"Every time you surrender to the beast, you lose a little more of the part of yourself that can resist it. Eventually, there will be nothing left to pull you back."

He paused.

"I can slow that progression."

Aurora stared at him.

"But you won’t cure me."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because the same curse destroying your humanity is what makes you useful to us."

Aurora’s breathing became shallow as she finally understood.

He hadn’t brought her here to save her. He had brought her here because he had found something he could use.

"You brought me here to force my hand."

"I brought you here to give you an option."

He gestured toward the dark forest behind her.

"You can walk away right now."

Aurora glanced toward the trees.

"But without me...?"

"Without me to slow the progression, you’ll lose control within days."

Her stomach dropped.

"And if I stay?"

"You help us claim more Alphas."

His gaze hardened.

"You bring your father to his knees. And in return, I give you the time you need to remain yourself."

Aurora slowly turned toward the wolves watching her from every corner of the clearing.

Some stood motionless. Others shifted restlessly in the mud, and a few had collapsed completely, their bodies barely moving as the black veins pulsed beneath their fur.

There was no comfort in their presence and no sense of safety. They were surrounded by others who had suffered the same fate, yet none of them looked free from it.

Aurora looked back at the Alpha.

Her chest still burned, her fingers still ached, and the faint yellow glow in her vision seemed stronger than before.

She didn’t know whether she could trust him, or if she could even trust herself, but she knew one thing.

She wasn’t ready to become one of them.

"I need time."

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

The Alpha studied her.

"You have very little."

"I still need it."

Silence settled over the clearing, and for several seconds, neither of them moved.

Finally, the Alpha gave a slow nod.

"Then take what you have."

Aurora lowered her trembling hands as the pain in her ribs slowly eased, sinking into a dull, agonizing throb.

The pressure inside her chest gradually weakened, leaving behind a dull ache that still reminded her the curse was there. Aurora lowered her trembling hands and drew in a shaky breath, trying to steady herself.

She wondered if she still had time.

Perhaps before any of this happened to her, her father would find her. He would come for her the moment he learned what had happened. And when he did, he would tear this place apart, kill every last one of these cursed wolves, and take her home.

The thought gave her a small measure of confidence.

"My father will find me," she said. "And when he does, he’ll kill every one of you and save me."

The Alpha stared at her for a long moment before shaking his head.

"Your father can’t save you."

Aurora’s confidence faltered.

"What? Do you not know who King Vance is?"

"You still don’t understand." His gaze dropped to the dark veins spreading beneath her skin. "He may be powerful enough to kill us, but he cannot kill what is already inside you. By the time he finds you, Hollow Death will have taken too much."

Aurora looked down at her hands again, watching the faint tremor in her fingers.

She wanted to believe him.

But she wasn’t ready to accept that her father couldn’t save her.

The pressure in her chest had eased, and for the moment, the transformation had stalled. She could still think clearly. She could still make her own decisions. Most importantly, she was still herself.

She was still human.

For now.