Chapter 3 I Will Never Forgive You
Ariel clutched her chest tightly, pain surging through her body until she could hardly breathe.
The mark on her neck burned like it was being stabbed by a thousand needles—the bitter sting of betrayal.
Even before she knew Damon was cheating, the mate mark had already started to give off an inexplicable, scorching ache.
She thought she was sick—until the truth came to light.
From that moment on, every time she witnessed another betrayal, the mark would erupt in unbearable pain.
But Damon didn’t notice anything. His eyes stayed glued to his phone as he flirted with Isabelle from afar.
Ariel forced a bitter smile and slowly straightened up.
The Damon she once knew would have noticed something was wrong in an instant. He would’ve been crying with worry by now.
“Damon, let’s go home,” she said quietly, hiding her emotions.
On the ride back to the pack, Ariel leaned against the window, watching the scenery blur past in silence.
“Ariel… did I do something wrong?”
Damon finally sensed something was off. He put down his phone, still warm from the heated chat, and asked cautiously.
“No,” she replied. “I was just thinking about a show I watched today.”
Damon relaxed, smiling as he picked up the topic. “What show?”
Ariel turned her head slowly and looked him in the eye. “The male lead used to love the female lead deeply… but later, he changed. He kept lying to her…”
She studied his face carefully, watching every tiny shift in his expression. “Damon, if you ever stopped loving me…”
“Never!”
He cut her off before she could finish, like the idea itself was intolerable. “Ariel, you’re the love of my life. Even if every werewolf in the world turned their back on their mates, I wouldn’t. I can’t live without you.”
The mark on her neck burned again.
Ariel lowered her eyes, concealing the mockery within them.
He can’t live without me… yet he still went out to taste other women.
She was about to speak again when his phone rang.
Seeing his hesitation, Ariel’s lips curved with a flash of coldness. She pushed him lightly. “Answer it.”
Only then did Damon obediently take the call. Whatever was said on the other end, his face shifted—first calm, then his pupils shrank, and his expression turned strange.
His throat bobbed slightly as he hung up and turned to her.
“Ariel, there’s an issue with the patrol team. I need to go handle it. I’ll have my beta come get you, alright?”
“No need. I can get home on my own.”
After she got out of the car, Damon drove off.
But she didn’t go home.
Instead, she flagged down a cab. “Follow that car.”
The driver didn’t ask questions and pulled onto the road, trailing behind at a steady distance.
Eventually, Damon’s car stopped in front of a house.
A female werewolf in a bunny maid costume opened the door. The moment she saw Damon step out, she ran into his arms, smiling.
They hadn’t even hugged properly before their lips collided in a hungry kiss.
After a long moment of tangled tongues and panting breaths, Isabelle pulled away and teasingly tugged on his tie. “Master, I prepared a special surprise for you. Wanna see?”
She tapped a finger lightly against his Adam’s apple.
Damon’s throat bobbed again as he gripped her hand tightly. “It’s a thirty-minute drive—I made it here in fifteen. What do you think?”
“Car. Now,” Isabelle giggled, pulling him toward it.
The two of them got in, and before long, the vehicle began to rock—slow at first, then harder, faster…
No one knew Ariel was standing not far away, watching everything.
She had expected this. She thought she’d be prepared.
But seeing it with her own eyes still felt like a knife ripping through her chest.
It was as if a hook had been jammed into her heart and yanked violently. The mate mark burned like fire, like her neck was about to snap in half.
Ariel gasped for air, her breaths ragged, her tears spilling uncontrollably.
Back when they were dating, Damon had always treated her with reverence. Even in moments of passion, he restrained himself and refused to touch her.
He said the first time was sacred. It had to wait until their Mating Ceremony night—that was the only way it would be perfect.
He courted her for three years. They dated for three more. Finally, they made it to the night of the Ceremony.
That night, Alpha Damon—who could command armies in battle—was so nervous he could barely function. As soon as he took off her clothes, his ears turned beet red.
He had treasured her so deeply. Every move he made had been cautious, considerate. When he claimed her, he cried from how overwhelmed he felt.
Again and again, he whispered in her ear, “Ariel, you’re finally mine. I love you. I’ll love you forever.”
She truly believed then that she was cherished. She thought maybe… no one in the world could ever love her more than Damon did.
Damon loves only Ariel. He said that himself.
And now, he was the one who shattered that promise.
The female driver up front glanced at Ariel’s tear-streaked face, let out a long sigh, and handed her a tissue.
“Male werewolves are all like this. Can’t control their lust. Even when they’ve got a mate, they still go fool around…”
She sighed again. “Don’t be too sad. I couldn’t see his face clearly, but I bet he’s handsome. Just grit your teeth and forgive him this once. Pretend you didn’t see anything. I mean… no one loves like Alpha Damon.”
Ariel froze. Then, gripping the tissue, she rasped, her voice hoarse but unwavering, “No. I won’t forgive.”
Damon, I will never forgive you.
When she got home, she tore through her things and gathered every gift Damon had ever given her.
Even the priceless “Ariel” necklace.
Then she made a phone call.
“Is this the asset broker? I want to sell everything. All proceeds should go to the Female Werewolf Foundation—help those who want a divorce but are stuck because of kids or finances.”
In just an hour, she had shipped it all out.
Then she began packing her bags.
She was halfway through when a large brown wolf charged in at lightning speed.
It burst in like a storm, fur soaked, cold and dripping.
Then it shifted into human form.
Damon stood there, panting, eyes filled with panic. His voice trembled as he asked, “Ariel… why did you sell the ‘Ariel’ necklace?”
