THE ALPHA WHO KNELT

Chapter 10

Ronan POV

She walked away with a practiced sway to her hips, and I watched her go, not with temptation, but with a growing sense of irritation. This was the last thing I needed another she-wolf making a play, complicating a situation I considered handled.

The next four months were simple, in my mind. Vivica understood the arrangement. She was an adult; she knew the score, knew my future was with Elara. Our time together was a practical necessity, an outlet for my Alpha needs until my mate was of age. It was clean, uncomplicated. But lately, it felt like every unmated she-wolf in the territory saw the impending deadline as an open invitation. vesper, taryn... they were turning my life into a constant political game I had no patience for, stirring up drama where there didn't need to be any.

Four months. I just had to get through the next four months, and all of this would be over.

The training grounds were busy when I arrived, with warriors sparring in pairs and the younger wolves practicing basic combat forms under Damien's supervision. My Beta looked up as I approached, his dark eyes taking in my expression with the sharp attention of someone who'd known me since childhood.

"Rough morning?" he asked.

"vesper wants to show me her herb garden plans," I said dryly.

Damien snorted. "I'm sure she does. Let me guess private tour, just the two of you, probably after dinner when the lighting is all romantic?"

"Something like that." "And taryn?"

"Offered to help with border patrol. Very enthusiastically."

"Of course she did." Damien called out a correction to one of the younger wolves, then turned back to me. "You know this is only going to get worse as we get closer to Elara's birthday, right?"

I did know that. The pack gossip had been increasing steadily over the past few months, with everyone speculating about whether I'd go through with the mating or choose someone else. The fact that I'd been seen around the pack with various she-wolves over the years hadn't helped matters.

I needed to get on top of the gossip so it didn’t get back to Elara. "I never promised them anything," I said defensively.

"You didn't have to. You gave them hope just by paying attention to them." Damien blocked a training sword with his own, the clash of metal ringing across the field. "These she-wolves see an opportunity, Ronan. You're an unmated Alpha with a deadline approaching, and they think they can change your mind."

"They can't."

"Then maybe you should stop acting like they can."

The criticism hit home because it was fair. I had been sending mixed signals, enjoying the attention and competition without considering the consequences. When beautiful women threw themselves at me, it was easier to indulge than to think about what it meant for the seventeen-year-old waiting in the Alpha house.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Damien set down his practice sword and turned to face me fully. "It means maybe it's time to start acting like a mated Alpha instead of a man whore.."

"I am acting like"

"Are you?” Damien cut me off, his voice dangerously low. "Because a mated Alpha protects his mate's heart, not just her body. He doesn't let other wolves circle her like sharks smelling blood in the water. When's the last time you spent time alone with Elara?" Damien continued. "Real time, not just pack business or formal dinners. When's the last time you took her somewhere, just the two of you?"

I opened my mouth to answer and realized I couldn't. When was the last time? Months, at least. Maybe longer.

"She's seventeen," I said finally. "What am I supposed to do, take her on dates?"

"Yes, you i***t. That's exactly what you're supposed to do." Damien's voice was sharp with frustration. "She's going to be your mate in four months. Your Luna. The mother of your children. Don't you think you should know something about her besides what's in her training reports?"

The words hit like a punch to the gut because they were true. I knew Elara was intelligent, dedicated, and kind. I knew she worked hard at her Luna training and that Mom was proud of her progress. But what did I know about her as a person? What did she like to do in her spare time?

What made her laugh? What did she dream about? "The pack expects" I started.

"The pack expects their Alpha to know his mate," Damien cut me off. "Right now, half of them are wondering if you even like her, and the other half are taking bets on whether you'll reject her for someone else."

"I would never reject her."

"Then prove it. Stop giving every unmated she-wolf in the territory reason to think they have a chance, and start acting like you want the mate the Moon Goddess gave you."

Before I could respond, a commotion near the lodge caught our attention. Vivica was striding across the courtyard with determination, her black hair flowing behind her like a banner. She'd been notably absent from the morning's she-wolf parade, but I should have known she wouldn't stay away for long.

"Speaking of complications," Damien muttered.

Vivica had been my most frequent companion over the years, the she-wolf I turned to when I needed adult conversation and physical satisfaction. At twenty-six now, she was beautiful, experienced, and had never made any secret of her belief that she'd make a better Luna than a teenage girl with no real-world experience.

"Ronan," she called out as she approached. "I need to speak with you.

Privately."

Damien shot me a warning look. "I'll be here when you're done," he said pointedly.

Vivica led me away from the training grounds to a quiet spot near the forest edge. She was dressed more formally than usual, in a way that emphasized her curves and reminded me of all the evenings we'd spent together.

"I heard some interesting news this morning," she began without preamble.

I raised my eyebrow in question.

"Vesper is telling anyone who'll listen that you're considering your options before Elara's birthday." Vivica's blue eyes were hard as steel.

"And Taryn is volunteering for every assignment that might get her alone time with you."

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling a headache building. "It's just pack gossip, Vivica. You know how these things get blown out of proportion."

"Is it?" She stepped closer, close enough that I could smell her familiar perfume.

"From where I'm standing, it looks like every unmated she-wolf in the pack is making a play for the Luna position."

Tell me something I didn’t know. I hated it, but Damien was right. I only had myself to blame. "What does that have to do with you?"

Her smile was sharp as a blade. "It means it's time for me to stop being subtle about what I want."

"Vivica"

"No, let me finish." She placed her hand on my chest, fingers splaying over my heart. "I've been patient, Ronan. I've been discreet. I've let you work through whatever guilt or obligation you feel toward that girl. But we're down to four months now, and I'm done waiting." "She's my mate," I said automatically.

"She's a child who was assigned to you when she was thirteen years old," Vivica countered. "That's not the same thing as choosing someone because you love them."

The word 'love' hung between us like a challenge. Did I love Elara? I honestly didn't know. I felt protective of her, responsible for her, but love? How could I love someone I barely knew? Love will come, Ranger growled. Love will come when you stop being stupid and spend time with your mate. I want to spend time with Sapphire.

"I want you, Ronan," Vivica continued, her voice dropping to the husky tone that had always been my weakness. "I want to be your Luna, your partner, your equal. I want to give you strong children and help you build an empire that will last for generations."

She was offering everything an Alpha should want. Partnership, passion, a future built on choice rather than mystical bonds and pack obligations. For a moment, I let myself imagine it. A life with someone who'd chosen me as much as I'd chosen her. But the reality was I wanted my fated mate.

"You could reject her," Vivica said softly. "It's been done before.

Alphas who realized their true mate was someone else entirely." "The Moon Goddess…”

"The Moon Goddess gives us free will for a reason. She doesn't force us to accept bonds that don't serve us or our packs." Vivica's hand moved up to cup my cheek. "Think about it, Ronan. Think about what kind of Luna you want beside you. Someone who chose this life, or someone who had it thrust upon her before she was old enough to understand what it meant."

Before I could respond, she pressed a quick kiss to my lips and walked away, leaving me standing alone at the forest edge.