Chapter 4

"Can I have a kiss?" Denise's eyes lit up with hope as she looked at him cautiously.

Damien fell silent.

He neither agreed nor refused.

Denise stood on her tiptoes. She was testing the waters as she leaned toward his cheek.

Damien's whole body tensed. Instinctively, he lifted his hand, only to slowly lower it again a few seconds later.

Denise's lips brushed against the corner of his mouth.

Just as she was about to pull away, Damien's hand suddenly cupped the back of her head, and he kissed her fiercely on the lips.

Denise quickly responded by wrapping her arms around his neck.

Although Vivian had already decided to let go, the scene before her still struck her wolf spirit like a heavy blow.

All color drained from her face. She could barely stand.

This was what it felt like to watch the werewolf she loved be intimate with another shewolf.

Almost masochistically, she forced herself to keep watching the two werewolves who were lost in their kiss. She let the pain spread through her entire body.

If she felt enough pain, it might stop hurting.

Thirty minutes later, Damien finally returned to the restaurant. Denise followed right behind him.

As if nothing had happened, he wrapped an arm around Vivian and said gently, "I gave Denise a harsh lesson just now. I've brought her here to apologize to you in person."

Denise apologized readily. "I'm sorry, Vivian. This was all my negligence. Please forgive me, considering Damien has already disciplined me."

She emphasized the word 'disciplined.'

Damien's expression stiffened for a moment before turning cold. "You've apologized. Now get lost!"

Denise shot him a wounded look. She then turned around and left with reddened eyes.

Damien's gaze followed her involuntarily. Only when he noticed Vivian watching him calmly did he force himself to look away.

"No one will disturb us now. I'll spend the whole day with you."

Vivian looked at him for a long time.

It was the same place and the same time, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't reconcile the man in front of her with the boy who had blushed as he confessed to her ten years ago.

Back then, she meant the world to him.

Now, another shewolf had taken a place in his heart.

Vivian closed her eyes briefly. Just as she was about to tell him she was going to the southern territory to become Keith's mate, there was a sudden cry from outside.

It was Denise's voice.

Damien shot to his feet. The panic on his face was impossible to hide. He only said 'I'll go check' before running off.

He left in such a hurry that he didn't hear Vivian's softly uttered words.

"I'm going to become a Luna, but the Alpha won't be you."

A moment later, Denise reached out to her via mind-link.

"You think Damien scolded me because he dislikes me? Let me tell you. He kissed me at the door.

"When I hurt my ankle earlier, he didn't even care about the anniversary. He insisted on taking me to the healer's den. I'm clearly more important to him than you are!"

Through the window, Vivian watched the familiar car drive away into the distance. She laughed at herself.

Having once experienced Damien's wholehearted love, how could she not recognize the truth?

It was just that she had already chosen to let go. Who mattered more in his heart no longer concerned her.

Vivian returned home and packed her luggage.

Damien, who had said he would be 'right back,' was gone for the entire afternoon.

It wasn't until late at night that he contacted her via mind-link.

"Denise hurt her ankle. As Alpha, I had no choice but to take her to the healer's den. We'll make up the anniversary in a few days, okay? Don't be mad."

She didn't reply. She blocked him directly.

Soon after, her mother's voice came through.

"The marking ceremony has been arranged. The invitations have also been sent. All you need to do is come back and be a beautiful, happy shewolf."

Vivian cut off the mind link and drove toward the southern territory.

From now on, she would start a new life. It was one that belonged entirely to her.

In that new happy life, there would be no Damien.