The Alpha Detour: I Said Yes to Someone New

In Mason's eyes, I never measured up to Serena.

Even when my skin grafts were rejected and it felt like ants were eating me alive, he dismissed my pain as nothing more than an itch, then left me behind to go comfort Serena for her "headache".

Any time I said no to anything, he shot back that I wasn't fit to be a Luna.

He even turned our engagement ring into an accessory for Serena's gown.

On my birthday, he left while I was still making a wish so he could fix Serena's plumbing.

He forgot our anniversary and then bought plane tickets and took Serena to the coast.

All of it paraded through my mind, clear as day. I should have let go a long time ago.

As I walked out, I heard him disparaging me. "She's being ridiculous! Serena, don't bother with her."

That night, he texted me.

"Cora, don't be mad. You're about to be Luna. Try to be reasonable."

I stared at the screen for a long time.

Fine. I would be reasonable. If he didn't want me in his life, I'd grant his wish.

On the day of the ceremony, I put on the wedding dress—although not the random one I grabbed at the shop.

Just before I left, Mason called me. "Serena forgot her bracelet. I'm taking her home to get it. You head to the venue first," he said anxiously.

"Okay," I said calmly.

My calm made him hesitate. "Are you upset?"

"No."

Though a tangle of feelings stirred in him, his mind was on Serena, so he hung up without pushing it further.

Between sniffles, Serena said, "I'm sorry. It's my fault, but that bracelet really matters to me."

"It's okay," Mason soothed. "It's not your fault."

Thinking back to how oddly calm I'd sounded, he felt a flicker of unease. He drove distractedly and ran several red lights.

The ceremony was set for dusk, yet the sun slipped away, and I still hadn't appeared.

Mason and Serena rushed to Firefly Grove. When Mason didn't see me, his expression sharpened with panic.

The worst possibility hit him. Maybe I didn't know he'd changed the venue.

He dialed my number again and again, but every attempt went straight to voicemail.

His hands began to shake, and sweat tracked down his temples.

At last, the call connected.

"Cora, where are you?" he blurted. "We're about to start."

At Moonlight Bay, I watched the moon spread a silver road across the water. It was beautiful.

"My ceremony is about to start too," I said softly.