Chapter 2

"Good! I'll start making arrangements right away," Vivian's mom said.

After cutting off the mind link, Vivian saw Damien being helped out by the elder after receiving his punishment.

The moment he saw the tear stains on Vivian's face, a flicker of panic crossed his eyes. "When did you get here?"

"When you were being punished."

Damien sighed in relief. Guilt filled his eyes as he took her hand. "I'm sorry. It's still a bad stick this year. Vivian, can you wait one more year? Next year, I'll definitely draw a good one and mark you."

'Next year? Next year, you'll still switch it to a bad one,' Vivian thought.

Vivian dug her nails into her palm to stop herself from questioning him.

She said nothing.

On the way to the healer's den, Damien leaned against her like he always did. His tone was soft and coaxing. "Vivian, can you help me apply the ointment later?"

When they were kids, every time he got hurt, he would act like this. She would always tear up before carefully tending to his wounds.

But now, looking at his vulnerable expression, she felt nothing but irony.

The elder glanced at them through the rearview mirror and joked, "Damien, you better work hard and bring this shewolf home. No one waits forever. If one day she decides she doesn't want you anymore, you'll be left with no tears to cry."

Damien sounded fully confident. "That's impossible. Vivian only loves me. She'll definitely wait for me."

'No, Damien. You're wrong.'

Vivian still had pride left.

She would never love a werewolf whose heart still held another shewolf.

When they arrived at the healer's den, Vivian had just finished applying his ointment when Damien pulled her into his arms. "Let me kiss you, okay? When I was being punished, you were all I could think about."

She felt his warm breath approaching. Vivian was about to pull away when the ward door was pushed open.

Denise barged in. The moment she saw Damien's back wrapped in gauze, her eyes turned red. She pointed at Vivian and started screaming hysterically.

"Four years of bad sticks proves you're not meant to be together! Why can't you just give up marking her?

"Do you have any idea how much it hurts me every time I see you get injured?"

Tears brimmed in her eyes. She was nearly begging. "Can't you be with someone else? Even if it's not me. I just don't want you to keep getting hurt!"

Damien's expression darkened instantly. His voice turned cold. "Denise, you're just my Beta. Who gave you the right to interfere in my personal life? I've told you before. I only love Vivian. I will only ever take her as my mate in this lifetime!"

Denise's face turned pale. She staggered backward. She then ran out crying.

Damien lowered his head to look at Vivian. His expression softened again. "Don't take what she said to heart. I only love you."

Vivian pulled herself out of his arms and looked down at her wrist. There was a clear red line around it.

Damien probably didn't even realize it himself. While his words to Denise were cold and firm, the hand gripping Vivian's wrist had tightened subconsciously.

In the past, he would never have let Vivian get hurt in the slightest.

Vivian's eyes stung, but she forced her voice to stay calm. "When did Denise become your Beta?"

Damien froze for a moment. He then replied impatiently, "The elders chose her last month. I had no reason to refuse."

Such a clumsy lie.

There was no way the elders would decide a position as important as Beta without his approval.

Sensing her silence, Damien quickly added, "As soon as she makes a mistake, I'll fire her. I've been sick of her ever since our school days."

Listening to one lie after another, Vivian felt like her heart had been dunked into icy water.

He said he only loved her, but he kept switching the sticks year after year.

He said he was sick of Denise, but he did everything he could to keep her by his side.