Chapter 111

Agnes

I blinked, staring up at the familiar face smiling down at me. I hadn’t seen Mason in years, not since college, and now I had randomly run into him twice in the past few months after all that time apart.

“Hey, Agnes,” he said with a lazy smile, sticking his hands in his pockets. “I thought I saw you in the restaurant earlier.”

“What are you doing here?” I blurted out before I could stop myself. I instantly bit the inside of my cheek, suddenly feeling rude for that, and said a bit more softly, “Not that it’s not nice to see you, but it’s just…”

“Strange seeing me twice in such quick succession after years of not speaking?” he asked with a low chuckle.

I nodded, the knot in my chest loosening a little. Despite our years apart, it was nice to see that Mason still had his same smooth sense of humor, his lighthearted way of looking at the world and other people. It was comforting, in a strange and unexpected way.

“I’m moving back to Silvermoon,” he finally said, his eyes flicking across my knit dress for a moment before returning to meet my gaze. “I got a new job, and I figured it was time to come home. Actually, I was hoping to run into you.”

My eyebrows shot up. “You were?”

He nodded, then hesitated, dragging one hand through his hair. His eyes darted to the floor, and his mouth opened and closed a couple of times as if he were struggling with what to say. Finally, he said, “I keep thinking about the last time we saw each other. At the charity event.”

The reminder of that night sent an unexpected pang through me. It felt like so long ago now, and looking back, I felt like that version of me was an entirely different person altogether.

That was the first night that Elijah and I stepped out into the world as husband and wife. I still recalled the joy that had overtaken me when he had called me his ‘Luna’ for the first time, the way it seemed to consume my entire night.

And of course, I remembered seeing Mason there, as well as his confession about Ava and how she had meddled in our love all those years ago.

“I… think about it too, sometimes,” I said, which was technically true. Sure, I had other things on my mind since then, but it did come to mind once in a while. And whenever it did, I was overcome with frustration and anger.

Mason and I… I doubted that we would still be together today, even if Ava hadn’t broken us up. We were practically kids then, each other’s first loves. We were different now. I was different. I wasn’t sure if Mason was the type of man I was looking for anymore.

And yet, I couldn’t help but hate Ava just a little bit more after finding out that she had a hand in our breakup. That heartbreak put my life on hold for years. It ruined my self esteem for a long time, and turned me jaded.

That was why, even now, the very thought of it made my blood boil.

There was a brief silence, and I shifted awkwardly, unsure of what to say next. But before I could come up with an excuse to leave, Mason spoke again.

“Hey, I was wondering… would you want to grab coffee sometime? Catch up properly? Have a real conversation about what happened?”

I blinked, caught off guard. “Coffee?”

He nodded. “Now that I’m back in Silvermoon full-time, I’m more available,” he said. “And there are a lot of things I want to say to you.” He took a step closer, and the scent of his cologne overcame me for a moment. “I miss you, Agnes.”

My first instinct was to refuse. I was married now, after all, and even if things between Elijah and I were complicated, it felt wrong to agree to something like this. Even if it was ‘just coffee’.

“I don’t know, Mason,” I said, hesitating. “I’m married now, and—”

But he cut me off, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “Trust me, I recall,” he said. “But… you and Alpha Elijah never had a wedding, did you? You just won the Mate Trial, and that’s how you wound up together?”

I frowned. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Mason shrugged. “I just wonder if you actually love him, or if this is just some kind of political arrangement.”

I swallowed, my mind racing. Did I love Elijah? The question caught me off guard, and I wasn’t sure how to answer. I had deep affection for him, that much was true. We were partners, friends, and after that night we spent together in each other’s arms, we were so much more.

But love? I hadn’t let myself think about that yet. Not really.

The truth was, I was scared. Scared of getting hurt. Scared of letting myself fall for someone who might still be tied to Olivia, someone who might leave me brokenhearted in the end, just like Mason had.

So I’d kept my guard up, telling myself that what we had was enough, even if it wasn’t love. In fact, I tried my best to push the notion away entirely.

But now, faced with Mason’s question, I wasn’t sure what to say.

When I remained silent, Mason’s expression softened, and he reached into his pocket, pulling out a pristine white business card.

“Look,” he said, handing it to me, “I’m not trying to stir up trouble. I just think we should talk. Coffee, nothing more. But there’s something I need to tell you, if you’ll meet up with me.”

I stared at the card in my hands, my mind spinning. What could he possibly need to tell me? And why did it feel like agreeing to coffee would be crossing some invisible line?

“Just consider it, Agnes,” Mason finally said, drawing my attention once more. There was that easy smile again, that smile that reminded me of times that I’d long since buried. “If you decide to accept, I’ll be waiting for your call.”

Before I could answer, he turned on his heel and strode away with all the confidence in the world, leaving me standing in the hallway with the business card still clutched in my hand.

As I watched him go, I couldn’t help but notice the way my heart was pounding in my chest. The whole encounter had left me feeling strange, like I had just done something shameful and dishonest. I wasn’t sure why I felt that way, though; it wasn’t like I actually accepted Mason’s invitation for coffee. I hadn’t agreed to anything. I wasn’t even really planning on it.

And yet, when I finally looked up, I felt my stomach turn to stone, and the card in my hand suddenly felt like a betrayal.

Elijah was standing at the end of the hall, his expression dark and angry. His eyes were fixed on me, and his hands were clenched at his sides. He had seen everything.

My eyes widened.

“Elijah—” I began, taking a step toward him.

But he didn’t give me a chance to explain myself before he turned and walked away.