All Chapters of Runaway Luna is Hiding the Alpha's Heir: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

RuelleSix years later...“Ren!”My voice echoed through the barren woods as I hurried up the hill.The land surrounding Frostvale village in Rain City remained cold throughout most of the year. Nothing grew beyond thin grass, thorny bushes, and the crooked pine trees scattered across the rocky ground. Even during summer, frost covered the soil in the early mornings.At the top of the hill, one of those trees grew dangerously close to the edge of a cliff.And my five-year-old son was sitting on its highest branch.His legs swung lazily beneath him as he watched the sun disappear beyond the mountains. The sky had turned a vivid shade of scarlet, streaked with crimson and gold against the gray clouds.“Ren!”Ren finally turned toward me.The distant expression on his face disappeared when he saw me, replaced by a bright smile.“Mama!”My relief lasted only a second before irritation replaced it.“What are you doing up there?”“Watching the sunset.”“I can see that. Come down.”Ren looked

RuelleThe moment I saw Pierce standing inside my house, I knew he had not come to reclaim me as his wife. There was no way he came all the way across the continent just for the so-called marriage we had.We had spent only one night together. Before our wedding, we had never even met.I had always believed he married me because the alliance benefited his family. The Ashcrofts wanted influence over Estia’s lands, while my parents needed the protection of the Blackthorn Pack.Whatever happened between Pierce and me that night did not change what our marriage had been.A bargain.Which meant there could only be one reason he had traveled across the world to find me.Ren.The thought sent panic rushing through my body. Werewolves valued blood ties, so he must have come here for his son, thinking he had all the right to take him. The hell I would allow that!I tightened my hold around my son, pulling him closer against my side. I had spent almost six years keeping him hidden from Crescent C

RuellePierce claimed he wanted to give Ren a better life. He spoke of protection, comfort, and everything I had supposedly failed to provide.But how could I hand my son to a man I didn’t trust? “You and your family already used me once.”His amber eyes darkened, which made my chest tighten, but I didn’t stop.“I may have been young and painfully naive when we married, but I understood what happened afterward. Your father used my examination record to blackmail my family. He demanded Estia’s western herb fields and control of the trade road into Crescent City.” I gave him a tired smile. “You knew about it, didn’t you?”The wind cut through my coat, numbing my fingers and making my body tremble. I curled my hands into fists so he wouldn’t mistake the cold for fear.“If you ever saw me as your wife, if you had even the smallest amount of respect for me, you wouldn’t have stood aside while your father turned our marriage into dirty business transaction.”For several seconds, Pierce said

Ruelle“Are you certain this will work?”Pierce’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re still worried I’m tricking you?”“I’m making sure there isn’t a loophole.” I kept my bleeding palm pressed against his. “I won’t leave anything to chance where Ren is concerned.”A blood oath depended on the identities of the people entering it. Elle Rowe was legally mine, but Ruelle Holt was the name I had been born with. The last thing I wanted was to discover too late that Pierce could escape the oath because I had given him the wrong one.He raised an eyebrow. “Then use both.”I hesitated. The crimson particles circling our hands continued to glow, casting faint red light over Pierce’s face. His skin remained unbearably warm against mine, and the contact stirred something that felt deeper than the magic of the oath.His eyes burned as they watched me, lethal and predatory in many ways. But unlike the first night I’d seen him, they were now much more intense. And I felt a strange pull to get closer to

RuelleOnce Ren finished eating, I brought him into the bedroom and pulled out the warmest clothes he owned.Pierce had given us one hour. One hour to pack our lives, explain everything to my son, and leave the only home he had ever known. The arrogant beast could have at least given us until morning.After helping Ren wear thicker clothes, I turned toward the narrow wardrobe and chose a dark wool dress. Most of my clothes were worn from years of working in the greenhouses, but my long coat hid the faded fabric.After tying my ginger hair, I studied myself in the mirror.Elle Rowe stared back at me. Her cheeks were thinner than Ruelle Holt’s had been. Her hands were rough, and shadows rested beneath her blue eyes. She looked nothing like the sheltered bride Pierce had married.I should have found comfort in that.Instead, the thought of returning to Crescent City made my carefully constructed identity feel dangerously fragile.I packed Ren’s birth record, my savings, several clothes,