I stumbled back home, shut the door, and sank onto the couch, crying until my throat was hoarse.

When I first suggested holding our marking ceremony at Moonlight Bay, Mason looked at me with a soft smile and said, "Sure."

I thought he understood why I chose it. It was where we first met, the night rogues attacked.

I had thrown myself in front of him when the fire swept through the clearing, taking the blow in his place. The scars on my skin were the price I still carried.

At the hospital, he held my hand and wept. He stayed by my side for three sleepless nights and promised me a lifetime of happiness.

It turned out those promises fell apart the first time they were tested.

I was still crying when my phone rang. Mason called from somewhere loud, music and laughter spilling through the line.

"I'm not coming home tonight," he said.

Before I could answer, the line went dead.

Sometime after midnight, my best friend, Fiona Olsen, woke me with another call.

She'd sent a screenshot of Mason's social media. In the photo, Serena slumped tipsy against his chest while his hand circled her waist.

Someone commented, "Mason, you're about to get marked. Don't cross the line."

Mason didn't explain. He simply replied, "If Cora can't take this, she shouldn't be Luna."

He had hidden the post from me. He knew it would upset me, but he did it anyway.

Fiona said angrily, "He's still flirting with another woman when he's about to be marked. Cora, you shouldn't make him your mate."

"I got it," I said expressionlessly and then ended the call.

I'd already made up my mind. I was done with him.

A few days later, I went to the hospital for my skin graft.

The doctor blinked when I walked in alone. "No one with you?"

I nodded. "I'm fine. I can handle it."

I spent those observation days by myself. And Mason never once called.

One afternoon, I stepped into the corridor and saw Mason guiding Serena by the elbow.

He spoke gently. "The doctor found nothing. You're fine."

Serena leaned against him and said weakly, "My head still hurts. Do you think he was lying?"

"I'll take you home," he said patiently. "I'm clearing everything for the next few days to stay by your side."

I watched their backs recede and let out a cold laugh.

When I finally returned to our place, the apartment sat hollow and quiet. Mason didn't come back until the third day.

He froze when he saw me, guilt flashing and vanishing as he straightened. "I've been swamped. Pack business hasn't stopped."

I scoffed. "Maybe wash off the perfume before you say that."

He flinched.

"And your pocket," I added. "You still have Serena's medical chart."

"You followed me?" His eyes went bloodshot in a blink.

"I didn't follow you," I said calmly. "You took her to the same hospital where I had my follow-up."

Some of his anger ebbed away. "You... You had your follow-up?"

"Yeah. I told you, but you didn't remember," I replied.

He scoffed. "It looks like you're healing fine without me."

"Right," I said. "I'm not a delicate little thing."

Something in him snapped. He jabbed a finger at me and barked, "What is your problem? Serena has no one in this city. She got sick, so I took care of her. You're about to be Luna. If you're this petty, how am I supposed to trust you to run the pack with me?"

I looked down and let out a bitter laugh. "I don't have anyone in this pack either."

I had crossed borders to join his pack, worked for him without complaint, and staked everything on the hope that he was the kind of man who could make me happy.

His expression tightened as he muttered, "You're different. You have me..."

Just then, his phone rang. Serena's muffled sobs spilled through the speaker.

The anger vanished from Mason's face, replaced by nothing but worry and fear. "Don't cry. What happened?"

"The power went out. I'm scared..."

"It's okay. I'm coming," he said hurriedly.

He grabbed his coat, yanked open the door, then paused long enough to look back at me. "If you touch Serena because you're jealous, don't blame me for how I respond."

He left without another word.

I had better things to do than waste time on Serena.

I checked the countdown on my screen. There were just three days left before the ceremony.

I messaged the coordinator and went over every detail. Everything seemed to be on track.

Three nights from now, the moonlight over the bay would be lovelier than ever.

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.

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.