The Alpha Detour: I Said Yes to Someone New

The next day, Mason and I drove to the bridal shop to choose a wedding dress. The ride was silent the whole way.

At a red light, Mason tapped the steering wheel, glancing at me and then away.

I kept my face turned to the window.

Finally, he broke the silence. "The flowers are crazy this summer. I bet the forest looks even better."

When I didn't respond, he added, "They say Firefly Grove is swarming with fireflies this year. Couples who mark each other there will get the Moon Goddess's sweetest blessing."

"Oh," I said.

Awkwardness crept in. He tried again. "The marking only happens once. Don't you want a place that means more?"

I frowned.

The place where we first met, where I nearly lost my life, meant less to him than a spot Serena mentioned offhand.

"I can't think of a place that means more than Moonlight Bay," I said.

He gave a stiff nod. "You're right."

I turned to him and asked, "Anything else you want to tell me?"

It was the last door I was willing to open for him, one final chance to be honest.

His fingers tightened on the wheel. "No. You handle things well. I trust you."

The cold settled in my chest. He still wouldn't say it.

From this moment on, nothing he said would matter.

When we reached the bridal shop, I went straight to the racks.

Mason hovered and wouldn't stop talking. "Cora, look at this one. Imagine fireflies drifting around you. It would be stunning!"

Just then, a familiar voice floated over my shoulder. "Mason, are you helping Cora choose a wedding dress?"

Serena stepped into view, all bright eyes and surprise. "What a coincidence! Cora, you're here too."

A saleswoman hurried over with a smile. "Miss, are you shopping for a gown?"

Serena lifted her chin. "Mason already hired the top designer to make my gown. It's one of a kind, with the Blue Moonstone as the centerpiece."

Mason cleared his throat, signaling Serena to be quiet.

I pretended not to hear. I picked a simple dress from the rack and handed it to the saleswoman. "This one. Please box it."

"Would you like to try it on?" she asked.

"No. I have another appointment."

Serena immediately put on her innocent act. "Are you upset because I'm here? I can leave."

Mason caught her wrist. "No! Don't go!"

Then, he turned to me. "Can you stop being so petty? You're about to be Luna. Enough with the attitude!"

He held her by the shoulders as if claiming her for himself.

"I'm buried in pack work all day and come home to your moods. You're not the sun! People don't have to orbit you!"

Serena murmured, "Mason, take it easy. Cora's still healing."

He snapped without thinking. "She did that to herself!"

The words landed harder than the fire ever had.