Seduced By Two Alpha Fires

2.

Chapter 2: The Quiet After the Storm

I can still hear his voice echoing in my head, like a haunting lullaby, a reminder of everything I’ve lost. Ronan’s words — “I love you, but I can’t choose you” — repeat over and over, and I can’t escape them. They cut deeper each time, the truth of them sinking in like a blade.

The porch behind me feels colder now. The air has shifted somehow, heavy with things unsaid. I walk aimlessly, trying to shake the numbness creeping into my bones. My legs feel unsteady, as though I might fall if I don’t focus, but no matter how hard I try, the weight of my thoughts pulls me down.

The sun has set, and the world is quiet now, save for the rustling of leaves in the distance. I find myself walking toward the lake, the familiar sound of water lapping against the shore somehow soothing. Maybe it’s because, just like the water, everything feels… out of place.

I step to the edge of the dock, my fingers grazing the wooden railing. I don’t know why I come here, or what I expect to find. Maybe the calmness of the water will somehow wash away the suffocating weight of my heartbreak. But I know it won’t.

I sit down at the edge of the dock, pulling my knees to my chest. The night is quiet, almost too quiet. The only sound is the gentle lapping of the water below. The moon is hidden behind clouds, leaving the world in an eerie half-darkness.

“I thought I’d find you here.”

I don’t have to look to know who it is. The voice is unmistakable, rough and familiar, like a sound from my past that I can’t shake.

I look up to see Mason standing a few feet away, his dark eyes searching mine. He leans against a tree, arms crossed, his presence a solid anchor in the shifting, uncertain night. Mason isn’t like Ronan. He never has been. But somehow, he’s always been there for me, just like Ronan used to be.

“Not in the mood for company, Mason,” I murmur, not bothering to hide the bitterness in my voice.

He steps forward, not put off by my sharp tone. Mason has always been the kind of person who doesn’t back down. He’s the steady type, the one who’s always there when you need him, even when you don’t want him to be.

“Yeah, I figured,” he says with a half-smile, sitting down beside me. He doesn’t push me to talk, doesn’t ask questions. He just sits in silence, his presence a quiet comfort in the storm of my emotions.

We sit there for a long time, neither of us speaking. I can feel the weight of the silence, the tension in the air between us, but it’s different from the silence that hangs in the air between Ronan and me now. Mason isn’t part of the problem, and I’m not sure I’m ready to let him be part of the solution.

“I don’t know what to do,” I finally whisper, more to the water than to him. “Everything feels like it’s slipping away.”

Mason doesn’t answer at first. Instead, he just watches the water with me. I can tell he’s thinking, weighing his words carefully before speaking. It’s one of the things I admire about him—he doesn’t rush into things. He lets them unfold at their own pace.

“You can’t force someone to love you, Lyra,” Mason says softly, his voice laced with a wisdom that feels too old for someone our age. “But you can choose what happens next.”

His words sink in, but they don’t help. Choosing seems so… final. So permanent. What happens if I choose wrong? What happens if I let go and regret it? The idea of letting go of everything I’ve known, everything I thought I wanted, is terrifying.

“I just…” My voice cracks, and I swallow hard to keep from crying. I don’t want to cry, not now. Not with him here, not with anyone. But the tears threaten to spill, and for a moment, I can’t hold them back.

“You don’t have to have all the answers,” Mason says, his tone gentle. “Sometimes, the best thing you can do is take it one step at a time.”

I nod, even though I don’t know if I believe him. One step at a time feels like a mountain to climb. Every decision, every move feels so heavy, like it could change everything, and I don’t know if I’m ready for that.

Mason stays with me for hours, long after the night has fully settled in and the stars are shining brightly above. We don’t talk much more. There’s no need to. I feel his support without the words. He’s the kind of person who shows up when you need him, whether you want him to or not.

When I finally stand, the weight in my chest hasn’t lifted, but it feels a little more bearable. A little more manageable. I glance down at him, and he meets my eyes with a quiet understanding.

“You’ll figure it out,” he says simply.

I don’t know if I will, but I want to believe him.

The next morning, I wake up with the same heaviness in my chest. The night didn’t solve anything. It only made me realize that I can’t escape the truth. Ronan is marrying her. He’s made his choice, and I’m not part of it.

I get dressed, the motions of it mechanical, automatic. It’s like I’m living in someone else’s body, moving through the motions without really being present. I wish I could just disappear, escape this pain, but I know I can’t.

When I step outside, the sun is bright, but the air is still crisp with the remnants of last night’s cool breeze. The world feels normal—too normal. People are laughing, talking, moving around as if nothing has changed. But everything has changed.

I don’t know where to go from here, or what to do. But I know I can’t keep pretending that everything is okay. I can’t keep pretending that this heartbreak isn’t suffocating me, that the weight of Ronan’s choice doesn’t feel like it’s crushing me.

As I make my way to the kitchen, I find the others already there. They don’t look at me the way I want them to—like they understand, like they know. They look at me with pity, with eyes that want to help, but can’t.

I see Mason at the table, a cup of coffee in hand. He looks at me, but says nothing. Instead, he just gives me a small nod, a quiet acknowledgment that he’s here for me, even though I haven’t asked for his help.

I don’t feel like talking. I don’t feel like explaining myself to anyone. But I know I need to say something.

“Ronan’s getting married today,” I say quietly, my voice thick with emotion.

The room goes still. Everyone stops what they’re doing, and all eyes turn to me. I don’t care if they stare. I don’t care if they pity me. I don’t care about anything except the truth that’s burning inside me.

I look at them, my face a mask of calm, but my insides are a whirlwind of emotions.

“I can’t do this,” I whisper. “I can’t pretend like everything’s fine. Not anymore.”

Mason doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t need to. His silent support is enough.