Knotting His Rejected Breeder

Dane had been Alpha for less than two days and already wanted to throw the title into the river.

The morning started with three separate requests before he had even finished breakfast. A border captain wanted permission to increase patrols along the northern boundary because unfamiliar wolves had been seen crossing at night.

An elder wanted a private word about trade routes, and a visiting messenger from a minor pack stood in the hall with an expensive bottle of wine and a smile that made it obvious he expected something in return.

Dane listened to all of them, gave short answers, and tried not to show how quickly the constant demands were wearing him down.

By the time the last messenger left, his breakfast was cold.

He stared at the untouched food for a few seconds before pushing the plate away. He had lost his appetite somewhere between the border report and the merchant’s request for special treatment.

He needed somewhere quiet.

The training grounds were the first place that came to mind.

At least a training post could not ask him for anything.

Dane struck it hard enough to make the wooden frame shake.

Again and again. His shoulders burned and his palms began to ache, but he welcomed the discomfort. It gave him something simple to focus on. Hit the post. Breathe. Hit it again. There were no elders waiting for an answer and no merchants trying to convince him that their problem was more important than everyone else’s.

"You’re going to break the post."

Henrik’s voice came from behind him.

Dane struck it again before lowering the practice blade. "That’s the idea."

Henrik folded his arms. "It’s a training post. It didn’t do anything to you."

Dane dragged a hand through his hair. Sweat had soaked the back of his shirt, and his breathing was heavier than he wanted it to be.

"It was available."

Henrik stared at him for a moment. "That’s the worst excuse you’ve ever given me."

Dane looked at him.

"You’ve known me my entire life. You know I’ve given you worse."

"True."

Henrik pushed away from the fence and walked closer.

"You’ve been out here for almost an hour."

"I know."

"You skipped breakfast."

"I ate."

"You moved the food around your plate."

Dane frowned. "Were you watching me eat?"

"I was sitting across from you."

"That sounds creepy."

Henrik laughed. "You’re welcome."

Dane shook his head, but the corner of his mouth lifted despite himself.

That was Henrik.

No matter how bad the day became, he always seemed to know when Dane needed someone to make things feel normal again.

They had grown up together. They had fought over stupid things, trained together, gotten into trouble together, and covered for each other more times than either of their parents probably knew.

Now Henrik was his Beta.

But to Dane, he was still the same person who had once pushed him into a pond because he refused to admit he was afraid of water.

Dane looked down at the practice blade. "Everyone wants something."

Henrik’s expression became more serious.

"That’s because you’re Alpha now."

"Yesterday it was congratulations. Today it’s resources. Tomorrow it’ll be alliances I haven’t even been asked about yet."

"That’s the job."

"I know."

Dane exhaled and rubbed the back of his neck. "I just didn’t expect it to feel this constant."

Henrik leaned against the fence again. "Your father made it look easier than it was. You watched the results, not the hours behind them."

Dane looked at him. "You sound like him."

"Someone has to keep you from embarrassing yourself."

Dane gave him a tired look. "You’re very comforting."

"I try."

Before Dane could answer, a familiar voice came from behind them.

"There you are."

Hannah approached with a piece of bread in one hand, still eating as she walked. She looked far too pleased with herself for someone who had no official responsibilities that morning.

"Mother’s looking for you," she said. "Also, the southern merchants sent another letter."

Dane sighed. "Of course they did."

Hannah took another bite. "And you look terrible."

"Thank you."

"You’re welcome." She smiled innocently.

"Being Alpha is supposed to be impressive. You’re making it look like a punishment."

"It feels like one."

Hannah grinned. "Good. Keeps you humble. We wouldn’t want you becoming arrogant on top of everything else."

Henrik made a quiet sound that might have been a laugh.

Dane turned toward him. "Don’t encourage her."

"I didn’t say anything."

"You didn’t have to."

Hannah laughed as she turned toward the main house.

"Come on. Before Mother sends someone else to find you."

Dane picked up the towel hanging beside the training post and followed them.

They walked back toward the main house together, with Hannah talking about the summit and Henrik occasionally answering her. Dane listened without saying much, enjoying the normality of it.

Then they reached the main hall and the atmosphere changed almost immediately.

Servants moved around them carrying trays and folded clothes. Warriors straightened when Dane passed. A few lowered their heads respectfully.

Dane nodded once and kept walking. The gestures still felt strange.

Yesterday, some of those same warriors had slapped his shoulder and called him Dane.

Now they called him Alpha. He wasn’t sure which one felt more natural anymore.

Henrik noticed his expression. "You’ll get used to it."

Dane glanced at him. "That’s what everyone keeps telling me."

"Because it’s true."

"What if I don’t want to get used to it?"

Henrik looked at him for a moment. "Then you’ll have to find a way to live with it anyway."

Dane gave him a dry smile. "You really are terrible at comforting people."

"I told you, I’m your Beta. Comfort isn’t in my job description."

"You’ve been my brother for twenty-two years."

"And?"

"That should count for something."

"It does. That’s why I’m still here." Dane laughed quietly.

The sound surprised him. He hadn’t realized how badly he needed it.

Ramon was waiting in the smaller study, the one he still used even though the Alpha’s office now belonged to Dane. He looked up from a set of papers when they entered and gestured for Dane to sit.

Hannah stayed near the door, clearly intending to listen.

Henrik remained standing beside the wall.

"You’re leaving tomorrow for the Continental Trade Summit," Ramon said without preamble. "You’ll represent Bloodmoon fully. No one will be there to correct you if you misspeak."

"I know."

Ramon looked directly at him. "Do you?"

Dane met his father’s eyes. "I’m aware of the responsibility."

Ramon studied him for a moment before setting the papers aside.

"You’re aware of the title. Understanding the responsibility is different."

Dane remained quiet.

Ramon leaned back in his chair. "An Alpha doesn’t need everyone to love him. He needs them to trust him. Love is unstable. Trust lasts longer if you earn it properly."

The words landed harder than Dane expected.

He thought about the warriors in the hall and the way they now watched him. He thought about the elders who had already started testing him and the merchants who had already started looking for ways to gain something from him.

"And if the trust breaks?" Dane asked.

Ramon’s expression remained serious. "Then you rebuild it."

"And if you can’t?"

"Then you fail."

The room became quiet.

Hannah made a face from the doorway.

"You two are very cheerful this morning."

Ramon’s mouth twitched. "Realism is useful before a summit."

"That’s one word for it."

Dane almost smiled. They spent the next hour going over the practical details of the summit, including which packs would attend, which old tensions were still simmering beneath polite conversations, which merchants were worth speaking to, and which ones were only interested in getting something from Bloodmoon.

Dane listened carefully, he already knew most of it, but hearing it from Ramon made everything feel more serious.

When they finished, Ramon stood and placed a hand briefly on Dane’s shoulder.

"You don’t have to be me."

Dane looked at him.

"You only have to be steady."

Dane didn’t answer immediately, his father wasn’t usually affectionate, especially not in front of other people, so the simple gesture caught him off guard.

He nodded once. "I’ll try."

Ramon gave his shoulder a brief squeeze. "That is enough."

The rest of the day moved too quickly.

There was packing to finish, final reports to read, and a short meeting with the healers about the cracked sacred stone. They still had no explanation for it, and every attempt to examine it seemed to raise more questions.

By evening, Dane was exhausted.

Sonia found him near the staircase and immediately reached for his travel cloak.

"Hold still."

Dane obeyed while she adjusted the collar.

"You’ll write if anything feels wrong," she said.

"I’ll be fine."

"That isn’t what I asked."

Dane looked at her. He knew that tone and it made him softened. "I’ll write."

"Good."

She touched his cheek briefly before walking away.

Dane watched her leave.

For a moment, he forgot about the title, he was simply her son again.

That feeling disappeared when Hannah appeared around the corner. "I’m coming with you."

Dane stared at her. "No."

"Yes."

"Hannah."

"Dane."

Henrik appeared behind her. "She already packed."

Dane looked at him in disbelief. "You knew?"

"For hours."

"And you didn’t tell me?"

Henrik shrugged. "You would have said no."

"I am saying no."

Hannah smiled. "Too late."

Dane looked between the two of them. "You’re both impossible."

Henrik grinned. "You love us anyway."

Dane shook his head. "Unfortunately."

Hannah laughed.

Helena would also join them as part of the warrior escort. By the time the sun disappeared, the small Bloodmoon party was ready to leave at first light.

Later that night, Dane stood alone on the balcony outside his room. The courtyard below was quiet. For the first time all day, nobody was waiting for him to make a decision.

He rested his hands against the stone railing and looked across the dark grounds.

The Alpha band sat cool against his wrist.

He still wasn’t used to it, he wasn’t sure he ever would be.

Somewhere in the healer’s keeping, the cracked sacred stone still refused to explain itself. And tomorrow, he would leave Bloodmoon.

The thought should have excited him. Instead, he felt a strange knot in his stomach.

He had spent his entire life watching his father handle meetings like this. Now it was his turn.

He wondered if Ramon had felt this uncertain when he first became Alpha.

Probably.

The thought made him breathe a little easier.

"You should sleep." Henrik’s voice came from the doorway.

Dane smiled faintly without turning around.

"I knew you’d come back."

"I forgot something."

"What?"

"My favorite idiot."

Dane finally turned around. "You’re talking about yourself?"

"No."

Henrik walked toward him. "You."

Dane laughed under his breath. "Very funny."

Henrik came to stand beside him at the railing. For a while, neither of them spoke.

They had spent enough years together that silence never felt awkward.

Henrik looked at the Alpha band on Dane’s wrist. "You really hate it, don’t you?"

Dane’s smile disappeared. "I don’t hate being Alpha."

"That’s not what I asked."

Dane looked down at his hands. "No."

Henrik waited.

Dane finally admitted, "I’m scared I’ll make the wrong decision."

Henrik turned toward him. "You’re allowed to be scared."

Dane looked at him. "You’re the first person who’s said that."

"Because everyone else is too busy telling you to be strong."

Dane swallowed.

Henrik gave his shoulder a light shove. "You don’t have to know everything, Dane. You just have to know when to ask for help."

Dane looked at him for a long moment. "Whatever happens at the summit, you won’t let me walk into something stupid alone?"

Henrik smiled. "Never."

"That sounds like a promise."

"It is."

Dane nodded. He believed him. That was the thing about Henrik, He had been beside Dane long before the title, and Dane knew he would still be there long after the title stopped feeling new.

Tomorrow they would leave Bloodmoon for a summit filled with Alphas, merchants, elders, and families who would be watching his every move.

Dane had only been Alpha for two days.

Already, people were deciding what his future should look like.

He looked toward the dark horizon, he had no idea what waited for him beyond Bloodmoon’s borders.

But one thing was certain.

He wasn’t going to Silvercrest looking for a wife, he was going because Bloodmoon needed him to.

Whatever happened after that, he would deal with it when the time came.

For now, he wanted one quiet night before everyone started asking something from him again.

He closed his eyes.

Tomorrow would come soon enough.

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