Chapter 2 Where Love Goes
When morning came, Damon greeted Ariel with his usual good morning kiss.
“Ariel, I missed our Mating Ceremony anniversary yesterday. How about we make it up today? Let’s go to Moonvale Manor—you said before you wanted to see it, right?”
That was the site of the Moonvale mine, where the only Starshard Diamond had ever been found. Ever since the “Ariel” necklace became a symbol of undying love, Damon had seen the opportunity and spent just two days building a manor near the mine to serve as a gemstone trading hub.
It had become a popular destination for werewolves longing for eternal love.
Ariel wasn’t interested and was just about to refuse when Damon, acting completely on his own, had already packed for the outing—including picking out her clothes.
When they arrived at Moonvale Manor, Damon was attentive to her every move.
The moment she so much as pursed her lips, he gently brought a glass of water to them.
Whenever she lingered for a moment at a jewelry stall, he bought whatever she looked at.
Damon didn’t care about the cost of any gem—if she liked it, he bought it.
Some werewolves stared a little too long at Ariel’s beauty and somehow ended up stumbling flat on their faces.
Ariel caught the golden shimmer that flickered in Damon’s eyes under the sun—a clear sign that a high-tier Alpha was activating his power.
Inside the manor, Damon never let go of her hand. Even when she tried to pull away, he held on tighter.
At one point, he even tied a balloon to her purse, joking, “Now you’ll never get lost again.”
Never get lost, huh…?
But where I’m going this time, you’ll never find me.
Damon, you already lost me a long time ago.
They were a striking couple, so gorgeous and seemingly in love that they drew the attention of everyone around. It didn’t take long before someone recognized them.
“Look—that’s Alpha Damon and Luna Ariel! I can’t believe we’re seeing them in person! They’re so sweet together!”
A werewolf girl bounced excitedly in place and dragged her mate over to Ariel.
“Um… could we get a picture with you two? We love you—we’re your biggest shipper fans!”
Ariel saw the excitement on the girl’s face and, not wanting to let her down, agreed.
Damon wasn’t fond of taking pictures, but he was willing to go along with whatever Ariel wanted.
Click. The photo was taken.
The girl beamed. “You two are such a perfect couple. So enviable. Stay happy forever, okay?”
Damon smiled and nodded.
He didn’t notice that Ariel hadn’t said a single word the whole time. Only she knew—there would be no forever for them.
During their lunch break, Damon kept glancing at his phone.
When Ariel gave him a look, he immediately smiled apologetically. “Sorry, Ariel. There’s something I need to handle with the pack. Be good, eat first—I’ll be right with you, okay?”
But in the next second, an image of a luxury castle popped up on his phone screen.
He was lying. He wasn’t handling pack business—he was watching a Facebook livestream.
Ariel curled her lip in quiet disdain and opened Isabelle’s stream on her own phone.
Isabelle was a low-ranking, unknown Omega—but not long ago, Damon had made her the face of the “Ariel” necklace campaign.
People had been speculating how an Omega like her landed such a prime opportunity. They had no idea who was backing her.
That man was Alpha Damon.
At this very moment, Isabelle was standing outside the gates of Moonvale Manor, livestreaming proudly. She held her phone up, voice dripping with smugness.
“Everyone, look—this manor was a gift from my boyfriend. You’re all welcome to come visit anytime!”
Ariel’s hand clenched around her phone, her fingers turning icy and pale. He gave Moonvale Manor to Isabelle?
The comments section exploded with disbelief.
“Yeah right. Moonvale Manor belongs to Alpha Damon. Why would he give it to an Omega like you?”
“Exactly. If he were going to give it to anyone, it would be his Luna, Ariel!”
“Desperate for fame much? You’re not even worthy to shine Luna Ariel’s shoes!”
…
Isabelle bit her lip, looking aggrieved. “I’m not lying! Look—see my name on this?”
She pulled out a deed from her purse. Black ink on white paper—Isabelle’s name.
The stream went wild. Comments flew in by the second.
“What the hell? Did Alpha Damon really give her Moonvale Manor?”
“No way! Someone must’ve bought it off Alpha Damon and gifted it to her!”
“Wow, talk about spoiling your woman. This guy’s almost on Alpha Damon’s level!”
“They say a man’s love shows where his money goes. Why can’t I meet someone like that?”
“Because there are only two perfect men in this world—one is Alpha Damon, and the other is Isabelle’s mystery boyfriend. Who do y’all think loves more—Alpha Damon or Isabelle’s man? Vote 1 for Damon, 2 for mystery man.”
The screen filled with 1s. Damon’s reputation for spoiling his mate was legendary. He hadn’t just spent money—he nearly died for Ariel.
Then suddenly, a user called “Love Isabelle” appeared, dropping ten thousand luxury yacht gifts in one go. Bright, flashy effects flooded the stream, leaving viewers stunned.
The number of watchers skyrocketed from a few hundred thousand to over ten million.
A glowing message scrolled across the screen.
“Of course I love Isabelle more.”
The chat exploded.
“He’s here! The real deal! Filthy rich!”
Isabelle beamed with pride, eyes brimming with smug satisfaction. “See? Told you my boyfriend loves me.”
Ariel’s hands trembled as she gripped her phone. When she looked up again, she saw Damon’s lips curled into a faint smile, his eyes soft and indulgent.
He was “Love Isabelle.”
Her heart felt like it had just been wrung out with brutal force. He’d already let go… but she was still aching.
