"Father, I accept the marriage alliance with the Blackwood Pack."

Silence stretched on his end of the link before he finally replied, "Caterina, are you certain?"

"I am."

I didn't tell him the real reason.

Last night, a heart-shattering agony ripped through our Mate Bond, through that damned bond, I saw everything—

My mate, Alpha Rocco, was in the cabin on his private hunting grounds, pinning his childhood sweetheart, Scarlett, against the wall and kissing her with a desperate frenzy.

I confronted Scarlett directly at the pack meeting, a flicker of triumph flashed in her eyes before she feigned innocence. "Caterina, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Just then, Rocco's voice boomed through the open mind-link, echoing in the minds of everyone present. "Caterina, as the Luna of the pack, you shouldn’t cause a scene like this. Scarlett is just a friend. "

In that moment, my heart died completely. He was my Alpha, my husband—the man I had spent years helping rise to power.

I severed my mind-link with Rocco. The pain of the forced disconnection was so intense I could barely stand, but I straightened my spine and sent my reply. "I'll be home in two weeks."

Go home and marry the most powerful Alpha in North America.

They say he is cold and ruthless, unmoved by any she-wolf.

Perfect.

I don't need love. I just need an Alpha strong enough to help me secure the Silver Moon Pack.

And as for Rocco?

The Moon Goddess gave us a destiny, and he shattered it with his own hands. Now, I will seize my own.

This time, I would reject the mate bond with my husband. I would walk away from the Alpha I once loved so fiercely I defied my own family for him, erase every trace of my past, and enter a political marriage with a more powerful Alpha I had never even met.

"Flight confirmed. February 14th, 11:55 PM departure."

Staring at the flight information on my phone, I picked up a marker and circled the date on the wall calendar.

The ink bled deep, a dark red period marking the end of this disastrous mistake.

Fourteen days until I leave.

I suddenly remembered something Beta Marcus had once mentioned offhandedly. "The Alpha says your wolf form reminds him of Scarlett, especially your eyes."

At the time, I thought it was a stroke of luck, being similar to the woman he could never forget. I thought it would be enough to keep him by my side.

Looking back now, I realize that in his heart, I was never me.

How foolish.

A sharp pain seized my chest, every word a silver bullet to the heart.

I took a deep-violet potion from the refrigerator.

The voice of Sage, the pack witch, echoed in my memory: "This will ease the pain of a breaking Mate Bond, but it's a temporary fix, not a cure. True relief only comes from severing the bond completely."

I downed it in one gulp.

The bitter liquid slid down my throat, and the tearing pain in my chest subsided slightly. But I knew it was only for a moment.

Time to start packing.

Every dress in the closet, every perfume on the vanity, every design portfolio on the bookshelf—everything that was mine had to go.

I would leave no trace behind.

As I was packing, my phone chimed.

An Instagram notification popped up: 【Scarlett_Moon has a new post】

I tapped it and saw a photo of Scarlett showing off a new tattoo on her arm.

It was an intricate wolf totem, encircled by a moon and dotted with stars.

My blood ran cold.

That totem was identical to the unique mark on Rocco's chest, the one that represented our eternal Mate Bond.

Only true mates received such a mark—a symbol of blended souls, a lifelong promise.

And now, she had tattooed it onto her own skin.

And Rocco had allowed it.

I put down my phone and called the pack's tattoo artist.

"Luna Caterina? It's so late. Is everything alright?" Samuel, the artist, sounded exhausted.

"Samuel, I need to book an appointment for a tattoo removal."

"Removal? What are you having removed?"

I glanced in the mirror at the wolf totem on my left shoulder blade, the sacred mark that had blossomed on my skin when our Mate Bond formed six years ago.

"My mate mark. I need it gone."

The other end of the line went quiet for a few seconds.

"Caterina, are you sure? Removing a mate mark means—"

"I know," I said, my voice so calm it was foreign even to my own ears. "Just do as I ask."

"As soon as possible."

After hanging up, I went back to packing. Books, jewelry, skincare, and all the decorative pieces I had so carefully chosen for this den.

Every single item was a reminder of how desperately I had wanted to build a home with him.

Now, it was all going into boxes, as if it had never existed.

I looked around the den that had once been so full of love.

Our photos still hung on the wall, and the moonflower candle I'd made by hand still sat on the table.

Everything was in its place, but its owner's heart was dead.

I took out my phone, thinking of sending Rocco a message.

But the chat history showed his last seen status: seven days ago.

Seven days.

Rocco hadn't come home in a week.

I sat in the empty living room, staring at the circled date on the wall. Twelve days until my flight.

My phone screen lit up with a message from Rocco's assistant: "Luna Caterina, the Alpha has an important meeting today and may be home late."

Late? Or not at all?

I put my phone away and picked up the rejection agreement I'd prepared.

If he wouldn't come home, I would go to him.

It was time to end this.

As I stepped out of the elevator, the receptionist at Rocco's company greeted me with a professional smile. "Luna Caterina, perfect timing! The Alpha arranged a spectacular light show on the building for your anniversary."

I paused.

Anniversary?

The anniversary of our Mate Bond was indeed approaching, but it was also the day I was set to leave.

"It's so romantic!" another colleague chimed in. "The whole neighborhood is taking pictures."

"Wow, this is unbelievably romantic!" a young woman exclaimed, recording a video. "I heard the CEO of this building arranged it to celebrate his anniversary with his love."

I stopped and looked up at the cascade of brilliant lights.

Three days ago, I might have been moved.

Now, the dazzling display was nothing but a mocking decoration.

I looked at my reflection in the window—my pale face, my tightly pressed lips, and the exhaustion I couldn't hide in my eyes.

The signs of the breaking bond were already showing.

Ding.

The elevator doors opened, and I walked straight toward Rocco's office, clutching the document in my hand.

On the surface, it was a simple Pack Asset Authorization Form, meant to quell the recent rumors about our relationship.

In reality, it was a key step in the Rejection ritual, blessed by the Moon Goddess herself.

Every letter on the document had been enchanted by Sage with ancient runes. The moment Rocco signed it, our Mate Bond would begin to fracture, breaking completely on the next full moon.

I stood before his office door and took a deep breath.

Then I pushed it open.

I never expected the "gift" he had waiting for me.

The scene inside made me freeze.

Scarlett was curled up on the black leather sofa, dressed in a cream-colored knit sweater, its collar open just enough to reveal her delicate collarbones.

Her face was as pale as porcelain. One hand was pressed to her chest while the other hung limply over the side of the sofa. She looked so fragile she might shatter at a touch.

Rocco was kneeling beside her, his large frame protectively shielding her.

He was stroking her hair, a potent, soothing Alpha aura radiating from him, warm and dense.

"It's okay, Scar," he murmured, his voice low and gentle, as if coaxing a child. "The malicious auras of those lesser wolves can't get to you. I'm here. No one can hurt you."

His voice was tender, but it made me want to vomit.

"Rocco," I said, my voice calmer than I'd expected.

His head snapped toward me, his face twisting into a flash of annoyance, like someone interrupted during something vital.

"Caterina? What are you doing here?"

He didn't stand up. He didn't even take his hand from Scarlett's hair.

"There's a document that needs your signature," I said, holding out the disguised agreement, my tone strictly professional.

At that, Scarlett lifted her head, her eyes wide and watery like a frightened fawn's. "Luna, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bother you two." Her voice trembled with what sounded like genuine apology.

"Downstairs… a few wolves from other packs were emitting hostile auras, and my wolf was frightened. I tried to bear it and not bother Rocco, but…"

Tears welled in her eyes and began to fall.

If I didn't know the truth, I might have been fooled by her innocent act.

"You see, Caterina?" Rocco finally stood, though he stayed by Scarlett's side, his gaze fixed on me with disapproval. "Scar is so fragile. Can't you be more considerate? Is this really the time to talk about work?"

His tone was thick with accusation, as if I had interrupted some sacred moment.

I looked at him, remembering how he had used the excuse of "taking care" of Scarlett to stay away from home for a week.

"This authorization is important," I said calmly. "I just need your signature."

Rocco took the document and, without even glancing at the first page, flipped straight to the end to find the signature line.

He was in too much of a hurry to comfort his childhood sweetheart to waste another second on paperwork.

His pen flew across the paper, the dark blue ink leaving his swift, confident signature.

The instant the ink touched the paper, a sudden, ice-cold pain shot through his chest.

"Ah—" Rocco gasped, the pen slipping from his fingers and clattering to the floor. He instinctively clutched his chest, his face turning deathly pale.

I felt the same tearing sensation, as if a silver blade had been dragged across my very soul.

But I was prepared. I bit the inside of my cheek, using the sharp sting to suppress the groan that threatened to escape.

"What is it, Rocco?" Scarlett shot up from the sofa, grabbing his arm in concern.

Rocco's brow was furrowed, sweat beading on his forehead. "It's nothing…" he panted. "I probably just over-exerted my Alpha power calming you down."

He chalked the strange, sharp pain up to power expenditure.

He had no idea it was the first sign of our Mate Bond beginning to break.

I took back the signed document. "If you're alright, I'll be going."

"Wait," Rocco called out, the lingering pain in his chest shortening his temper.

"Caterina, stop being so cold all the time."

He drew himself up, his voice laced with an Alpha's unshakeable command. "As my Luna, you should be more considerate of your Alpha," he commanded.

I turned back for one last look at the man who was once my world.

He was rubbing his chest with a frown while Scarlett fretted over him, the two of them overlapping into a perfect picture.

And I was, as always, the one who didn't belong.

"I will be, Alpha."

My voice was placid, but my heart was a wasteland.

In twelve days, it would all be over.

At two in the morning, Scarlett sent me photos.

The first: Rocco on one knee in the plaza below his office building, holding a bouquet of white roses and gazing up lovingly at the building's facade.

The second: A silhouette of them running in the moonlight, her in a white dress, him chasing after her.

The third: A candid shot from that very afternoon, of them embracing in his office.

I put down my phone and walked to the window.

In the distance, the commercial tower was still ablaze with light, the show still playing on a loop.

So that was it.

What my colleagues thought was an "anniversary surprise" was actually Rocco's public declaration of love for Scarlett.

I picked up my phone and replied: "Congratulations."

Then I blocked her number.

Eight days until my flight.

The next morning, I received a mass message from Rocco's assistant: "The Alpha is participating in a five-day, inter-pack hunting competition. He'll be out of contact."

Five days.

Just enough time for me to handle everything.

I called a moving company immediately.

"You want everything moved?" one of the movers asked.

"Everything that's mine," I said, pointing to the boxes I had already packed. "This is all of it."

Six years of a relationship, all packed away into a dozen cardboard boxes.

The irony was bitter.

"What about the furniture and decorations?" the mover asked, gesturing to the loveseat and the photos on the wall.

I glanced at the pieces I had once so carefully chosen, each one a vessel for my hopes for our home.

"Leave them."

Those things belonged to "us." Now that "we" no longer existed, they were meaningless.

After the moving truck drove away, I stood in the empty den for one last look.

Then I closed the door and walked away without looking back.

For the next few days, I stayed in a hotel downtown, taking care of my affairs.

Separating bank accounts, changing insurance beneficiaries, terminating contracts.

On the fourth day, I was in my father's study discussing the final details of the marriage alliance when I got a call from Jessica, the receptionist at Rocco's company.

"Luna Caterina, a package arrived for you, but since you weren't home, the courier brought it to the office," Jessica said, her voice bright with excitement. "It's a huge, beautiful box!"

I frowned. "What is it?"

"It has the Blackwood Pack's crest on it. It must be something important. The Alpha isn't here, so we didn't dare do anything with it."

The Blackwood Pack?

It must be the ceremonial gown for the new Luna.

"I understand. Thank you."

After hanging up, a sense of dread washed over me.

If Rocco saw that gown…

Sure enough, that afternoon, I received a furious call from him.

"Caterina!"

He was practically roaring, his Alpha's rage so potent I could feel it through the phone.

"Get your ass to my office. Now."

I could hear the sound of things shattering in the background. It sounded like he was destroying his office.

I glanced at my watch. Four days until my flight.

"Fine. I'm on my way."

I threw the door to Rocco's office open with a resounding crash.

He stood with his back to me, staring out the floor-to-ceiling window, radiating a dangerous aura.

On his desk, the exquisite white box had been torn open. Inside, the Luna's ceremonial gown lay in a cascade of deep blue silk and silver embroidery, its patterns of moons and stars glittering in the light.

It was a gown worn only for the most sacred of Luna coronation ceremonies.

"What is this? A Luna gown?" Rocco turned slowly, his eyes blazing with fury. "Don't play dumb, Caterina. Who is he? What Alpha do you think could possibly replace me?"

I remained calm. "That has nothing to do with you."

"Nothing to do with me?" He sneered. "Then who are you wearing it for? That Damon?"

The name seemed to push him over the edge. He strode toward me, each step heavy with an Alpha's absolute authority. "You think finding a replacement will threaten me? Caterina, you are so naive."

"I'm telling you," he seethed, "he would never take another Alpha's marked woman. Not even if you were standing naked in front of him!"

I didn't answer. I just watched him.

Even now, this man thought everything I was doing was just a desperate attempt to win him back.

"Who do you think you are?" Rocco advanced on me, his Alpha presence pressing down like a physical weight. "Without my permission, without the Elders' blessing, you will never be with another man! You belong to me!"

His voice dropped to a low growl. "You think you can play games with me, Caterina? You are way out of your league."