This Mate Bond? I'm Done

I went home in a daze. As soon as I got in, I crawled under the blanket and cried until I finally drifted into a sleep.

When I woke up, I checked my phone. Joe had tried calling me a dozen times. I was about to call him back when the bedroom door burst open.

The moment Joe saw me, the tension in his face melted. He pulled me, blanket and all, into his arms, nuzzled the top of my head, and said, "You were out cold. I kept calling, but you didn't hear a thing."

A gentle smile played on his lips, his whole face glowing with affection. "Come on, get up. I went hunting in the woods and brought back an elk. I saved its heart for you."

I stared at him in stunned silence, my eyes filling with tears.

Would Joe finally tell me the truth? I knew he had his reasons. If he just came clean, I'd still forgive him.

But instead, he frowned and grabbed my phone right off the nightstand.

"You saw the news this morning, didn't you? It's all lies. Don't believe any of it!"

Then, his tone shifted, gentler now, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a moonstone ring.

"I promised your dad I'd look after Nora. That engagement story isn't real. You're my true mate. One week from now, we'll have our mate-bonding ceremony."

Joe slid the ring onto my finger, then gave a satisfied nod.

Right then, there was a bunch of noise downstairs. He froze, like something had just clicked, then glanced over at me, a little unsure.

"Anna, you know Nora just got back to the pack, and she's got a pup with her. She hasn't been able to find a place to stay. I told her she could crash here for a bit until she gets settled."

Before I could say anything, he was already on his feet and headed out.

Still in a daze, I drifted out of the room and saw the maids rushing around, dragging in bags.

Joe and Nora were downstairs in the main hall, standing close. He had a five-year-old boy pup in his arms. The three of them were smiling and chatting like they'd been a family forever.

"Clear out the master bedroom upstairs. The other rooms are too cramped. Nora needs the space with her pup," Joe said.

Without a second thought, he told the maids to clear out the master bedroom and move all of Nora's things inside.

I felt like I'd been punched in the chest. I couldn't even breathe.

That room was supposed to be ours. I'd spent three years picking out everything in there. I'd poured my heart into that room, building it piece by piece into the future I'd dreamed of.

I'd even told Joe that no one was allowed in, not even us, until after our mate-bonding ceremony.

"I hid all our memories in that room. We'll go through them together after the mate-bonding ceremony," I'd told him.

But we never got that far. Joe had them cleared out before we even had the chance.

I must've looked upset, because Nora glanced at me, and her smile slowly faltered into a nervous frown.

"Do you not want me here, Anna? I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd mind. I'll leave now."

She snatched her pup from Joe and wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

Joe caught her, his voice firm. "You're leaving just like that? Where would you even go? Relax, you're staying."

After calming Nora down, he came over looking kind of drained. "Anna, she's got a pup to look after. Just let her stay for now, okay? She won't bother you, I swear."

I opened my mouth, then closed it again. Finally, I just nodded and murmured, "Sure. Let her stay."

If Joe had already forgotten the promise we made, there was no use bringing it up again. I turned away, swallowing the lump in my throat as I made my way back to my room.

"Anna, wait…" he called out.