Knotting His Rejected Breeder

Dane left Bloodmoon at first light and already regretted agreeing to the journey.

The convoy stretched farther behind him than he had expected as Dane’s father, Ramon rode near the front with Sonia, Blane and Ivy followed with the elders, Henrik kept pace at Dane’s side. Helena rode with the warrior escort, Hannah had claimed a place in one of the covered wagons and made no secret of her excitement. Servants, supplies, and enough guards to make the whole procession look like a small campaign filled out the rest.

Dane glanced back once and exhaled through his nose.

He had agreed to attend a gathering. Somehow his family had turned it into a military expedition.

Ramon drew his horse alongside after the first hour.

"How many candidates?" Dane asked.

"Several. Frostvale will send at least one. The river territories another. A few from the southern ranges. Families Bloodmoon has competed with for years."

"So I’m not the only one from my pack being paraded in front of a princess."

Ramon gave him a dry look.

"No. You’re simply the one complaining the loudest."

Dane almost smiled despite himself but the expression faded quickly.

"Don’t treat this like a competition," Ramon said.

"What else would you call it?"

"A political gathering where a woman happens to have the final choice."

The distinction mattered more than Dane wanted to admit. He nodded once and let the conversation drop.

Henrik waited until Ramon had fallen back before speaking.

"The only thing I found was, the farm girl have stays in a remote village closer to silvercrest. And the man seen near the farmer’s daughter?"

Dane disliked unfinished threads, and he disliked them more when they involved civilian attacks on open ground.

"Keep looking. Quietly. I don’t want trouble with Silvercrest before we even arrive."

Henrik studied him for a moment.

"Why are you so interested in the girl?"

"I’m not, quit asking me this question. This is probably the second or third time you’re asking me about her. What do I care?."

Henrik rolled his eyes. "Of course."

Dane kept his eyes on the road.

"She was a civilian caught in an attack. That’s all."

Henrik made a small sound that suggested he was not convinced and left it there. The easy familiarity of it settled some of the tension in Dane’s shoulders. At least one person on this road was not measuring him for alliance value.

By midday they encountered another convoy moving in the same direction.

The Frostvale banners were unmistakable. At the head rode Alpha Cassian, polished and composed, the kind of man who treated every public moment like a calculated move. He greeted Ramon first with perfect courtesy, then turned to Dane.

"So you’re the new Alpha of Bloodmoon."

"I am."

Cassian’s smile was pleasant and edged.

"I heard your father stepped down recently."

The test sat in the open between them. Dane did not rise to it.

"He did."

Cassian’s interest sharpened by a fraction.

"Silvercrest will be watching you closely."

"They can watch."

Cassian laughed, short and genuine.

"I think we’re going to enjoy this."

Dane gave no answer, he already knew Cassian would make a point of being memorable. Rivals usually did.

As the day wore on, more noble parties joined the road. Some arrived with long trains of warriors. Others brought gift wagons heavy enough to slow their progress. A few candidates looked barely older than Dane and already carried themselves like men who expected to win. Others looked nervous beneath expensive cloaks. Dane watched them without comment and understood the shape of the gathering more clearly with every new banner.

Everyone wanted this alliance.

Silvercrest was not simply choosing a husband. The princess’s marriage could shift the balance of power across half the continent. That knowledge settled heavier than the travel dust on his clothes.

Hannah provided the only real relief.

From the wagon she catalogued the passing candidates with shameless interest.

"That one is handsome."

Dane did not look.

"I don’t care."

"That one looks rich."

"Hannah."

"I’m helping."

Henrik laughed under his breath. Hannah leaned farther out.

"What if the princess is beautiful?"

Dane finally glanced at her.

"That changes nothing."

"What if she’s clever?"

"Still nothing."

"What if she hates you?"

Dane paused.

"Then we’ll finally agree on something."

Henrik’s laughter this time was open. Even Helena, riding nearby, allowed the corner of her mouth to lift. For a few minutes the road felt less like a political march and more like a family moving together under an inconvenient obligation.

Toward evening the forest thickened. Bloodmoon scouts raised a hand and the entire convoy slowed. One of them reported movement in the trees, careful and sustained enough to suggest deliberate watching rather than wildlife.

Dane’s hand drifted nearer his weapon. Warriors spread along the flanks and searched the undergrowth. They found nothing useful. No clear tracks. No abandoned position. No sign of an ambush waiting ahead.

Ramon rode up beside him.

"We’re close to Silvercrest. Don’t let suspicion turn into recklessness."

Dane nodded. He still kept his awareness stretched wide until the trees began to thin.

Near sunset the forest opened.

Silvercrest rose in the distance behind high stone walls and watchtowers. Silver banners moved along the battlements. Guard formations lined the approach. Noble caravans waited in ordered lines for entry. The scale of it was different from any pack territory Dane had known. This was a royal seat built to remind visitors of power before they ever reached the gates.

Henrik drew level with him.

"Still think this trip is unnecessary?"

Dane looked at the walls, the banners, the long road of competing ambitions stretching toward the entrance.

"Yes."

Henrik smiled.

"Liar."

Dane almost smiled back.

A royal messenger approached their convoy before they fully reached the gates. He bowed first to Ramon, then turned to Dane.

"Alpha Dane of Bloodmoon?"

"Yes."

The messenger held out a sealed letter. His expression was carefully neutral, but discomfort sat underneath it.

"This is for you."

"From whom?"

"From the royal family."

Dane broke the seal and read the first lines. His expression changed before he could stop it.

Henrik noticed immediately.

"What is it?"

Dane looked up slowly.

"The princess has requested to meet me before the official gathering."

Silence settled over the nearest riders.

Hannah leaned forward from the wagon.

"Alone?"

Dane folded the letter once.

"Apparently."

Ahead of them, the royal gates of Silvercrest began to open.

Somewhere inside those walls waited the woman half the continent expected him to marry.

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