***[POV: Not This Guy Again]***
I slam my fist into the tree trunk again, feeling the bark scrape against my knuckles. The pain is almost welco. Sothing real to focus on besides the constant, nagging pull. Right there above my chest that won’t fucking go away.
Almost a week. It’s stung there since she ran, and I’m still here marked like I’m so lovesick pup while she’s out there free.
The hunters we sent past the river found nothing but cold trails until the boundaries. Looping and constant paths like so damn butterfly made them.
The ’formal request’ to neighboring packs yielded jackshit so far. She’s like a ghost - a ghost that haunts . A witch that tricked .
My father’s disappointnt for everything going this sideways is bad enough. The glances from the others in the pack are worse. Kyle’s pity makes want to rip sothing apart.
If his mom wouldn’t poison in my sleep, it would be him. I drive my fist into the tree again, harder this ti.
"Soone’s having anger issues."
Chad’s snarky voice makes clench my jaw. I don’t even turn around.
"Fuck off."
"I would, but then I’d have to keep this interesting little bit of news to myself - and where’s the fun in that?"
Sothing in his tone makes pause. I turn slowly, keeping my face from looking too needy even as my pulse quickens.
"What news?"
The asshole leans against a different nearby tree. That smug half-smile on his face makes want to shift and lunge for his throat.
"Oh, just sothing about our little runaway."
He’s scrolling through his phone like whatever he has to say isn’t important enough to look up for. To look at for. I’m across the space between us before I even realize I’ve moved, grabbing the front of his shirt.
"Talk. Now."
He doesn’t even flinch, just raises an eyebrow at my hand on his chest. I release him with a shove, hating that he got to react.
"Fine, since you asked so nicely."
He brushes off his shirt where I grabbed it. Knowing he’d love to see stuck in confinent again for attacking the family of pack leadership.
"Rember Victoria Whitecrest? From that city gala last year? The one you said you liked the look of from the pictures I took?"
"What about her?"
"Well, her cousin is Trina - a Cloudtail - that is trying to get pregnant with her mate and having trouble. Apparently, she ran into soone interesting at the sa won’s clinic."
"Get to the point."
"You’re no fun at all."
Chad sighs dramatically before glancing at that damn phone again.
"Fine. It was Helene. And get this - she wasn’t there for like, a girl check-up. She was confirming a pregnancy."
The words hit like a car. My vision blurs for a second, and I feel fur prickling along my forearms as my control slips. I growl as I force myself back.
"...Bullshit."
"Nope. Got it straight from Victoria on the ssage board. Well, not straight. One of her other cousins who knows Trina was told-"
He suddenly waves his hand dismissively after starting to babble.
"Whatever, the point is, it’s confird. Soone overheard her talking to the receptionist when she ca in. Your ex is knocked up, and the timing ans it’s yours. Lucky, right?"
I struggle to process what I’m hearing. A child. My child? Growing inside the bitch who ran from . Who has been missing for a week and apparently was in Vossden the whole ti.
"Show ."
Chad rolls his eyes but turns his phone toward . A ssage thread with photos - that Victoria with so woman I vaguely recognize.
Further down it ntions the [pregnant Duskpaw rogue] and how she’d made a scene at the clinic with so Pineheart woman. The details sound nothing like Helene, other than black hair and gray eyes.
"When did you get this?
I demand, noticing the tistamp on these were days ago. He shrugs... but sothing about that casualness feels off. Like he always does. Like talking to a reptile.
"Saw it just this morning. Do you think I just sit around reading the chick gossip ones all day? Victoria just posted a link to it as proof, in that interpack leadership group soone started."
Still, I narrow my eyes. He’s too relaxed about this. Like he’s been waiting for the right mont to drop it on since then.
"You expect to believe you just happened to see this?"
"Believe whatever you want. I thought you’d want to know your old property is walking around carrying your offspring. Keep punching trees here for all I care."
My property. My offspring. The words stir sothing primal inside. I’d been focusing so much on the humiliation of her leaving.
I hadn’t... even considered this possibility. She actually got pregnant from the one fucking ti that we did it before the full moon?
My head spins on what to do. By Duskpaw pack law, a child conceived during a mate bond belongs to the father. Regardless of the bond’s status at birth.
"We need to go to the Alpha with this."
"Thought you’d say that. Had my dad already set up a eting in a bit. Was gonna go alone, but better with you around."
Chad pockets his phone with a smirk. Then mumbles like he thinks I won’t hear him.
"...This should be interesting."
⧖ ☾ ❄ ☽ ⧖
The Alpha’s private quarters always sll like leather and woodsmoke. Keeping at least a small fire going in his cabin almost throughout the year. He sits behind his desk like usual.
Fingers steepled. Face unreadable as I finish explaining what I’d just been told myself.
"You’re certain of this information?"
He asks with eyes flickering to Chad. Instead of trusting what I said.
"That’s what the social network says. No question who the father is from us. This one told about their big night a while back in too much detail. That she’d begged for a child. And it also helps that opinion would be on our side with this proof."
He shakes his phone for emphasis and I hate how articulate Chad sounds, how he takes over my fucking mont. But I swallow my pride. This is too important.
"By pack law, that child is mine. I have rights to my offspring, and I demand we take action."
The Alpha studies for a long mont. I force myself not to fidget under his gaze. I’ve never challenged him directly, yet, but I’ve seen it done by others.
"The Ricoat have already refused to let us track her in their territory as our rogue once. What makes you think that she-wolf Alpha will hand over a pregnant female with how she is?"
"Because this isn’t just about small pack politics of a rogue anymore. This is about bloodlines. Do you think any other pack would be quiet in this situation?"
Our old Alpha’s eyes narrow and I know I’ve hit the right note. Our pack has always been obsessed with keeping our heritage purer than most. Our ways.
"You want to force the return on the grounds of it being for the sake of a child."
"For the sake of our pack’s future."
"He’s right, that’s Duskpaw blood she’s carrying. Might be different if she got pregnant after going rogue, but how few children are there going to be by the next conclaves? Can we afford to wave even a single one off?"
Chad backs my play and sends a hidden thumbs up. The Alpha leans forward in his chair and a small familiar smile crosses his face. He’d found an excuse to fight.
"Perhaps an ultimatum to the Ricoat Alpha is in order, then. Not a nice request this ti. A demand sent in duplicate to the council."
Pride rolls in my chest. Even if I plan to take his position soday, he’s still our Alpha. And he’s finally taking this seriously.
"I’ll draft it imdiately with your fathers. Return in an hour or two and we’ll discuss who to send as ssenger."
As we leave, I can’t help the smirk that tugs on my face even stronger than that broken pull.
Let’s see how that high-and-mighty Kyrie Voss responds to this.
Let’s see if she’s still so willing to harbor a rogue when she learns what Helene is carrying.
She was mine. The child is mine. And I’m going to make damn sure everyone knows it.
⧖ ☾ ❄ ☽ ⧖
A thunderstorm that left the village drenched rolled through the whole region yesterday morning. Another was visible out closer to the city, from the hilltop I sat on. Where I was called to and handed a... computer tablet.
"...This can’t be right."
I stare in disbelief at the official response from the Ricoat pack. Sent back quickly, through the private network - with a note that says the official paper version was on the way.
"A rejected mate’s child is as much a rogue as the woman herself. This is my stance. As such, tell the father that both of them are in better hands now. If he steps into my lands, I will deal with him personally."
The Alpha reads it aloud again, from mory. His voice grew harder with each word. Like contained violence.
"Who does she THINK SHE IS? That’s MY fucking child!"
I snarl and shift myself. But the Alpha speaks quietly. Dangerously.
"She’s mocking us. Challenging us directly. I won’t let it go quietly this ti."
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