The Alpha Detour: I Said Yes to Someone New

A week before the marking ceremony, my fiance, Alpha Mason Wallace, suddenly switches the venue to Firefly Grove.

His friends tease him. "You changed the venue just because Serena wants to see fireflies? And you didn't even tell Cora? What if she shows up at an empty site?

"Besides, Cora's the one who picked Moonlight Bay. Do you really think she'll go along with this?"

Mason says casually, "She burned her skin saving me. She won't fight me over a venue change. Besides, she planned every detail herself. She'll notice the update."

I stand outside the doorway, listening in silence. Then, I slip away without a word.

When the day finally comes, Mason calls from Firefly Grove, panic in his voice. "The ceremony's about to start. Where are you?"

I stare at the shimmer on Moonlight Bay and answer calmly, "I'm already here. My ceremony is about to start too."

A week before our marking ceremony, my fiance, Alpha Mason Wallace, changed the venue from Moonlight Bay to Firefly Grove because of a single comment from his childhood sweetheart, Serena Lowell.

When the day came, I went to Moonlight Bay alone and began my ceremony by myself.

…

Moonlight Bay was where Mason and I had first met, and where I nearly died for him. It held meaning for both of us. I never thought he would change the venue so casually, just because of Serena.

I stood frozen outside the private room, listening to Mason with his friends. My teeth chattered from the shaking, and I pressed my hand to my mouth to stop the sob from slipping out.

One of his friends tried to talk sense into him. "This is a big deal. You should at least talk it over with Cora. If she finds out you changed it without telling her, she'll lose it."

Mason sighed. "That's exactly why I didn't tell her. You know how Cora gets. She's about to be my Luna and still fusses over everything. If I told her, I'd have to waste the whole night soothing her.

"Besides, Cora loves me. She let herself get burned just to save me. Compared to that, changing a venue is nothing. She'll agree."

The group burst into laughter, praising his charm and marveling at how deeply I devoted myself to him.

Someone finally said what they were all thinking. "Come on, Mason. We know you chose Firefly Grove because Serena wanted to see the fireflies, right?"

Another chimed in, snickering. "No wonder you changed it for Serena. She's gorgeous and comes from a rich family. Honestly, we thought she'd be the one you married. Why stick with Cora? She wasn't much to look at before, and now she's scarred."

Mason's face went cold. "Enough! Like it or not, Cora is my future Luna. Watch your mouths! If she hears that, I won't spare you!"

They all nodded in a hurry.

Just then, Mason's phone rang. Seeing Serena's name flash on the screen, his friends exchanged