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."

"Caterina, do you really think this little drama of yours will work?"

I had just stepped out of Rocco's office building when Scarlett's mind-link invaded my thoughts.

"Damon? Please. You really think Rocco will ever let you go?"

Her mental voice dripped with smug satisfaction.

"He's furious. Probably already planning how he's going to charm his way back into your bed. What do you think his excuse will be this time? An apology? Another empty promise?"

I didn't respond, simply reinforcing my mental shields.

But she was right.

Rocco wouldn't let go easily.

This time, however, it wasn't up to him.

The neon lights of the city blurred past the car window. Pedestrians hurried along the streets, each with a place to go, a place to belong.

And I was about to leave this city for good.

Three days until my flight.

It was midnight when I finally returned to the empty den.

A light was on in the living room.

Rocco was on the sofa, looking exhausted. His suit was wrinkled, his hair a mess, his eyes bloodshot.

"Caterina." He stood, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. "I'm sorry. I was out of line earlier."

He walked toward me, his steps cautious, as if afraid of startling a wounded animal.

"I was just so scared of losing you." A tremor entered his voice. "Don't you know that, Caterina? You're my whole world."

It was the first time I had ever heard Rocco sound so humble, so apologetic.

"Our anniversary is just a few days away," he said, stopping a few feet from me, carefully watching my expression. "What do you want to do? We could go to the Maldives, or Iceland to see the northern lights like you've always wanted. I promise, no interruptions. We can even turn off our phones."

"Whatever you want," I said, my voice flat.

"Caterina, I promise, I've dealt with the situation with Scar," he said, stepping closer, reaching for my hand. "She won't…"

"Okay."

I cut him off. The atmosphere in the room turned instantly awkward.

Rocco was clearly unprepared for my placid reaction. He'd expected tears, shouting, a dramatic reunion—none of which he got.

I was like a polite stranger, distant and cold.

"I'm going to take a shower," I said, walking around him toward the bathroom.

"Caterina," he called out from behind me, his voice laced with an undeniable anxiety. "Are you… okay? You seem…"

I turned to look at him, at the man who once made my heart race, the man I would have given up everything for, and I managed a small, tired smile.

"I'm fine."

In the bathroom, the hot water cascaded from the showerhead. I had turned the temperature up so high it nearly scalded my skin.

I hoped the heat could wash away the lingering scent of him, wash away the emptiness and numbness in my heart.

But it was useless.

When I came out of the bathroom, Rocco was no longer in the living room.

He was standing in front of the closet, staring.

It had once been full of my clothes. Now, only a few of my old, out-of-season coats remained.

"Where are your clothes?" he asked, turning to me, his eyes filled with confusion.

"I cleaned some things out. Donated what didn't fit anymore," I said calmly, walking to the vanity.

His gaze darted around the room, searching for more signs of change.

But I had been meticulous, leaving only the bare essentials.

"Caterina." He walked toward me and opened his arms.

I didn't pull away.

His embrace was warm, his chest broad, his Alpha scent familiar and safe. But I felt none of the familiar thrill.

"I love you," he whispered in my ear. "You are my only Luna."

Those were the words I had once longed to hear more than anything.

Rocco held me tight, trying to feel a response through our Mate Bond.

But my body remained stiff and cold, offering no warmth in return. He couldn't feel the love and affection he expected from me, only a deep, unbreachable distance.

He frowned, the dull ache that had started in his chest the day he signed the paper beginning to throb again.

At that moment, my mental shields were slammed with a violent force.

A flood of images and memories poured into my mind—

Private mind-links between Rocco and Scarlett stretching back six years—a dense, sickening tapestry of deceit.

【Rocco: Caterina made your favorite blueberry scones again today. I think of you every time I eat them.】

【Scarlett: Really? I miss the breakfasts you used to make for me.】

【Rocco: Caterina's wolf form really does look like yours, especially the eyes. Sometimes I close my eyes and pretend it's you I'm holding.】

Frame after frame of their private mind-links exploded in my head—

Rocco, picturing Scarlett's face while we were intimate.

Rocco, mentally entwined with her while he held me.

And he even secretly mind-linking her even during our own Mate Bond ceremony.

For six years, I had been her stand-in.

Tears blurred my vision, but I forced them back.

I slammed my mental shields into place, blocking her out completely.

Enough.

This pain ends now.

"Caterina?" Rocco noticed my distress. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I said, pulling away from his embrace. "Just tired."

"Get some rest," he said gently. "I'll take you to a movie tomorrow, just like we used to."

I nodded, moving mechanically toward the window.

He was still chattering on behind me, making plans. "The day after, we can go to the beach. I've already booked the presidential suite at that seaside hotel. Remember? The one we stayed at on our first trip…"

I was nearly asleep when the bedroom door was thrown open with a violent slam.

Rocco stood in the doorway, his face, so gentle just moments before, now dark and terrifying.

He was holding a crumpled piece of paper he'd fished out of the trash.

It was the draft of my request to the Elders, covered in my scribbled notes about the procedures and reasons for removing a mate mark.

"Caterina," he said, his voice a low, dangerous growl. "Explain this. Why were you petitioning the Elders to remove our mate mark?"