Den of Alphas

The Runaway Luna

Amelia's Pov

I paced to and fro across my room the morning after, the rustle of my dress echoing in the silence. The gown clung to my body in a way that felt foreign, alien and suffocating. My stepmother, Luna Marissa, had claimed she bought it for me herself, and the servants repeated her words when they entered to dress me in it.

Her parting gift.

That was what she called it and the phrase itself had stung. Ever since my mother died and left me with no one to shield me, I had been at Marissa’s mercy.

She only gave me things when it suited her and most were cheap hand-me-downs from the market, pitiful scraps, though our pack had more than enough wealth to provide for me properly.

It was my mother’s sister who had saved me more times than I could count, secretly sending food, clothes and whispers of womanly knowledge through a trusted maid. Her aid had kept me from starving most times, from walking in rags, from stumbling blindly in ignorance. But even her help had limits. She had spoken against my father the day he brought home his omega mistress and her son. For that defiance, he had banned her from ever stepping foot into his pack again. She obeyed, long before my mother’s death and I was left to the wolves.

I lowered my gaze to the gown I wore now. The embroidery at the hems shimmered faintly, threads glinting gold. The seams looked expensive and extravagant but I wasn’t even sure if they were real or just another mockery from my step mother.

“You will wear this and leave the pack, Amelia. This is my parting gift to you as my son becomes Alpha,” she had said when she entered my room earlier.

And then came the words that cut deeper than the fabric clinging to my skin.

“During your mating ceremony tonight, pray to the Moon Goddess to grant you pups. Especially sons. No man will want a barren woman. Be grateful you’re marrying an Alpha. Don’t curse his lineage the way your mother did your father's.”

I could still hear her voice, sharp and venomous, replaying in my head like a cruel chant. The mockery laced with disgust. The disdain that clung to her every syllable. She had mocked me the same way she had mocked my mother.

I shook my head violently, shoving the words away before they crushed me whole. In a few days, I would be nineteen. Nineteen. And this, this nightmare, was not how I ever imagined spending my birthday. I should have been celebrating victory, celebrating my rightful place as Alpha in waiting. Instead, I was dressed like a sacrifice about to walk into the chains called marriage.

No. I wouldn’t let her voice break me. Not today.

Turning toward the door, my steps steadied. Only one direction filled my mind. I was going to meet him. The man I was being thrown to. My supposed mate.

The son of the Alpha of Obsidian Howl Pack. Lennox.

I had never seen him before, never even heard his name until whispers carried it to me. But if my maidservant’s information was correct, then he was supposed to be kind. Proud and arrogant, as most sons of Alphas were but kind at the core.

And I knew exactly where I would find him.

In the waiting room, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Intending mates weren’t supposed to see each other on the day of the ceremony until the evening, when it officially began. But here I was, walking straight out of my way to see him. The irony wasn’t lost on me but I didn’t care, nor did I mind.

I had a plan. I would strike a deal with him, convince him to reject the ceremony. I’d give him reasons to resent the idea of being tied to me. Perhaps even land him a punch or two. No man would want to claim a woman who raised her fists against him. No man and definitely no Alpha’s son.

But as I reached the door of the room where I’d been told he was waiting, my hand hovered over the knob. I froze. I couldn’t move it, couldn’t push the door open. Because I heard them. The voices on the other side. Words that slammed into me with the force of a blow, nearly knocking me off my feet.

“She is his child and as such, she should be recognized as his only bloodline and heir. I overheard whispers that Marissa lied about her pregnancy. And even if we can’t use that, the girl won the duel. We’ll take her case before the Alpha Council. I’m sure they’ll declare her Alpha after judgment,” an older voice said.

For a moment, I smiled despite myself. I didn’t fully understand what they were discussing, but the thought alone warmed my heart. There were people who weren’t blind to the truth. People who weren’t deaf to justice.

Then the second voice came. His.

“But I’m not interested in her, Father. Nor do I want to take her as my mate. I’ve heard how rowdy she is. Is that the sort of woman you’d want as Luna of our pack?”

The words were a blade but I smiled anyway. Because despite his disdain and view of me, at least his father had recognized the truth that mine had refused to see. It was not as if I wanted to be his mate either.

“You have to consent to this, Lennox,” the older voice pressed. “Their pack is wealthy. We could gain much for ours if this works out.”

I stilled. The smile vanished from my lips. What did he mean by that?

“If she becomes Alpha with our help and mates with you, the two packs will be joined. And like you said, she is unfit to be Luna. Her mother couldn’t give her Alpha a son after years of trying. Do you think I’d let my pack suffer the same ridiculous fate? No. We’ll take the pack through her, and once that’s secure, you may keep her as your kitchen Luna for appearance’s sake while choosing another, worthier she-wolf to be the true Luna of the pack. That’s how these things are done.”

The words slammed into me like a thunderstrike.

A kitchen Luna.

Steal the pack.

My breath hitched. My chest caved. The warmth I had felt seconds ago turned to ice. All this time, I thought, no, I believed they wanted to help me reclaim what was mine, my birthright, my mandate.

But it was all a lie. A trap dressed as salvation.

I tiptoed out of the hallway as fast as I could the second I overheard footsteps approaching the door.

No. I told myself. No, there is no way. There is no way this is happening, and no way I will allow myself to be tied to such a destiny.

I clawed at the overflowing seams of my dress, tearing it apart in rage, leaving a trail of fabric behind me. Next, I yanked off the adornments from my head and neck. All those jewels, all that glitter were useless to me now and meaningless ornaments when I had already decided I would never go through with the mating ceremony.

My legs carried me to the stables, where I collapsed, hiding among the scent of hay and horses. There, I cried my heart out until my sobs echoed through the silence. The tears burned, but the decision was already forming in my chest, unyielding and unshakable. I wasn’t going to live through such a fate. I wasn’t going to be a pawn in people’s games, dressed up in gold only to be shackled in chains.

At first, I wanted to run back to my room, to grab the little money I had been saving over the years. It would have helped me fund an escape far away from this pack. But the moment I thought about it, I stopped myself. It was almost time for the ceremony. By now, servants would already have been sent to fetch me. If I went back to my chambers, I would be caught before I even made it out the door. My only chance was now.

With trembling hands, I ripped the high-heeled shoes from my feet and abandoned them behind me. Turning away from the stables, I let my wolf take over. Fur erupted across my skin, my body shifting and bones cracking until four paws hit the earth.

I leapt out of the pack house through the back and dashed into the wild, each stride fueled by desperation. I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. Every beat of my heart was a drum urging me forward before my disappearance was noticed and the warriors were sent to hunt me down.

There was only one destination in my mind. One place I knew I could run to. And even though my body ached, even though hunger clawed at my stomach, I refused to pause. I refused to hunt. I only pressed harder, sprinting into the night, the moonlight guiding my path, my breaths ragged and heavy as the hours slipped by.

At last, after endless miles and burning lungs, I saw it. The land I had been racing toward. The place I had clung to as my only salvation.

Gathering the last of my strength, I leapt over the fence of their pack and bolted toward the Alpha’s mansion. Instantly, guards gave chase, their howls ringing into the night. I had broken the rules by entering without presenting myself, without being checked at the gates. It was natural for them to pursue me, but I didn’t stop.

By the time I reached the mansion doors, the commotion had drawn the royal family outside. The guards slowed as their Alpha and Luna stepped forward, their presence commanding obedience.

And then i saw her.

My aunt.

She stood beside her mate, regal and strong, but the moment her eyes landed on me, shock shattered her composure. Relief flooded my veins as I finally stumbled to a halt, my body giving in. My wolf receded, leaving me bare and trembling on the cold ground.

“Amelia?” my aunt’s voice broke as she rushed toward me, her cloak tearing from her shoulders to cover my nakedness.

“Yes,” I whispered, though my throat was raw and my strength fading.

Because I had made it. I had escaped. I had reached my aunt’s pack, my only refuge.

But even as I leaned against her warmth, I knew this safety was temporary. My father would already know. He would already suspect. He would know this was the only place I could come. The only place I would dare to run to, if I wanted to escape him.

And so, even in my aunt’s arms, I knew peace would not last.