I settled into the villa quietly.

At first, Joe wouldn't stop calling. He went on and on about how tough things were for him, how he couldn't visit me yet. He asked me to hang in there and said he'd be by to get me soon.

But the calls started coming less and less. Then two whole days passed without a single word from him. Little by little, I got used to life without Joe.

I started counting down on my fingers. Just one more day, and I'd be free of the pack, boarding the ship to the northern grasslands.

But the day before I was set to leave, Joe and Nora were trending on local news again.

The headlines read things like "The Alpha and the Chief Healer's Love Story", "The Luna Launches Major Healing Center in the Fangtooth Pack", and "Grand Mate-Bonding Ceremony Held for Chief Healer Nora and Alpha Joe".

The clip showed Joe inside the brand-new healing center, cradling Nora's pup and standing together with her.

The comments under the news hit like a punch to the gut.

"The Alpha and the Chief Healer? They're perfect together!"

"Their pup is adorable! He looks just like the Alpha!"

"Their love story is so beautiful. I actually cried!"

"Right? Their mate-bonding ceremony is tomorrow. We have to go! I heard it's going to be huge and gorgeous. The Luna is living the dream!"

I scrolled through them one by one, each line cutting deeper than the last. Next thing I knew, I was crying.

Joe and I were together for ten years. And after all that, he gave the mate-bonding ceremony I'd waited ten years for to Nora, of all people—the one I'd always gotten along with the worst.

After Mom died, Dad ended up with Nora's mother. They acted sweet when Dad was around, but behind his back, the way they looked at me was always full of judgment and disgust.

Nora kept trying to get on his good side—talking trash about me, setting me up, calling me a liar over and over. It worked. Eventually, Dad started to hate me.

Back then, when everything felt dark and lonely, Joe was the only person who treated me like I mattered. And now, even he had given everything I once had to someone else.

I was just about to put my phone down when Nora messaged me.

"Did you see the news? The whole pack's celebrating me and Joe. What do you even have left to compete with? If you have any sense, you'll leave now. Or you're going to wish you had!"

I wiped my tears and didn't reply. I was leaving tomorrow anyway.

Nora must've gotten mad when I didn't answer. She started flooding my phone with photos of her and Joe. In every shot, he was looking straight at the camera, eyes all soft and full of love.

Then she sent one last message.

"Just wait. People who don't listen always pay the price!"

A sick feeling hit me out of nowhere.

The very next second, someone kicked the front door open. A bunch of Rogues crept in, peeking through the busted frame.

Scared out of my mind, I ran into the bedroom. I shut the door and leaned back against it, feeling my strength draining away. Slowly, my legs gave out, and I sank to the floor.

With shaky hands, I tried calling Joe, but it kept going to a busy signal. I kept calling, over and over, while the noises behind me got closer until they stopped right outside my door. My back was drenched in sweat.

Finally, on the last try, Joe picked up.

"Joe, my villa's being—"

But before I could finish, Joe cut me off, sounding rushed and annoyed.

"Anna, didn't I tell you not to call right now? I'm with Nora. We're being interviewed for her healing center, and it's a big deal! Just behave, okay? We'll talk later!"

"No, Joe. Please listen—"

I was crying, trying to explain, but he hung up on me. I called again, but his phone was already off.

I felt my heart sink.

And at that exact moment, the bedroom door burst open. The Rogues rushed in and knocked me to the floor.

When Joe picked up the call, he was in the middle of escorting Nora through the newly opened healing center. Reporters crowded around, all trying to get an interview with the two of them.

He hung up in a hurry and turned off his phone so I wouldn't keep calling.

"I'll talk to her once this is all over. Anna's sweet. She'll get it," he thought.

Then he wrapped an arm around Nora, pulling her close so she wouldn't get pushed around.

"Alpha Joe, is it true you and Chief Healer Nora are having your mate-bonding ceremony tomorrow? Will it be open to the public? A bunch of pack members are dying to be there."

Joe stiffened. The ceremony hadn't even been made public yet. How did the reporters find out?

Nora tugged on his sleeve, guilt written all over her face as she murmured, "I think Anna might've said something, Joe. She once bragged to me that she was going to have a mate-bonding ceremony with you and told me to stop dreaming.

"I didn't think she'd actually go to the media. Is she trying to put you on the spot and make me look bad?"

Nora ducked her head, eyes brimming with tears.

A sharp-eyed reporter spotted it instantly and went in for the kill. "Alpha, are you trying to keep the mate-bonding ceremony under wraps? Chief Healer Nora looks really upset."

Joe felt a spark of annoyance at me. He had said to keep the ceremony quiet. Why couldn't I just trust him? Didn't he deserve that much after everything we've been through over the past ten years?

Then, as if moved by a sudden need to get back at me, he told the reporters, "Not at all. Everyone's invited to the mate-bonding ceremony with Nora. Beta Oscar will send out invites to the ballroom later today."

After the interview ended, a wave of regret swept over Joe. He didn't know how to explain things to me, or whether I'd feel hurt after seeing the news segment.

He was about to call me when Nora grabbed his arm. "Joe, you shouldn't have said that to the press. Anna's pissed. She just texted me, calling me all sorts of names…"

She sniffled, her eyes red-rimmed and misty. "You should go talk to her to clear the air. Tomorrow, I'll step aside and give her her spot back. And I'll tell the reporters it was all on me. None of this had anything to do with you or Anna."

Nora wiped her tears, her voice laced with reluctance. "Joe, you've already done more than enough for me. Now that the healing center's up and running, I'll figure things out on my own.

"I'll be fine without your protection… and if I'm not, so what? At worst, I might get a little hate. It's not a big deal. Anna's the one who really matters. You should go to her!"

Joe started to step forward but stopped himself. "It's fine. Now that everything's out in the open, there's no switching mates for the ceremony tomorrow. I'll talk to Anna later. Once things cool down, we'll break the mate bond."

Nora's eyes flashed coldly, but she managed a smile. "Sure. Whatever you need, I'm on board."

…

The mate-bonding ceremony was held in the most luxurious ballroom in the entire pack. The place was already packed before things even got started.

Joe was restless, glancing at his phone repeatedly. He hadn't been able to get in touch with me since powering it back on yesterday, and a tight, uneasy feeling had been gnawing at him ever since.

While juggling last-minute details for the ceremony, he found time to shoot me a text.

"Anna, you shouldn't have tipped off the reporters. Now, Nora's stuck in a tough spot. We've got no choice but to go through with the ceremony for now. Stay at the villa for now. I'll come find you soon."

But even as the ceremony began, there was still no response from me.

Just as Joe took Nora's hand and stepped onto the stage, Oscar came charging in, pale and out of breath.

"Alpha Joe! A bunch of Rogues took over Anna's villa. She's gone!"