The blood moon rite demands the alpha's knot.
Clement Emerson carries the glowing mark and the fear of rejection. Lachlan Trent is the exiled alpha who can give him the stable bond he needs. Their daily proximity at the gate fuels a hunger for the knot that grows with every touch.
Every preparation session in the caverns ends the same. Lachlan binds Clement with ritual cord, strikes his thighs with the rod, and knots him on the stone floor until they lock together. The ritual deepens each time.
Clement stays for the claim he craves. The rival waits to take everything if they fail.
Lachlan's scaled fingers close around Clement's wrist.
