Derek's POV The moon's round orb shone high in the sky, casting its velvety light on the Black Thorn Pack's turf. It was bedtime, but I couldn't sleep, my mind in turmoil. As long as I closed my eyes, Tabitha's face would haunt me. Her stubborn look, the agony in her eyes... Every detail was etched in my mind. I gotta admit, restoring her rights as Luna was quite a relief, even if it was just to chill Leo out. After staying up all night, I got up early the next morning, spending the whole day dealing with pack biz. Hopefully, it'd distract myself from all the mess inside my head. My phone kept ringing, but the sight of Daphne's name killed my urge to pick up. After a while, I heard a knock at the door. "Come in," I grunted, rubbing at my forehead. Then the door swung open and in walked Daphne. Not expecting her presence, I asked with a frown, "What are you doing here?" She walked over, grumbling, "I rang you up a few times, but you didn't answer. Got a bit worri
Tabitha's POV The guy's kiss on the back of my hand gave me goosebumps. Then I realized, even though I had given up on Derek, I still couldn't stand other guys getting close to me. Having no vibes to chill at the club, I left with Gloria. We came on foot, so we decided to walk back, too. The cool night breeze was like a balm for all the drama. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Alvin. "Good evening, Luna Tabitha. Alpha Derek asked me to inform you that the reject ceremony's set for tomorrow morning at the Council of Elders," came Alvin's apologetic voice. The news took me by surprise. But soon, I figured out why. Since I felt pain due to Derek's intimacy with Daphne, he must've felt the same when that guy kissed my hand just now. As someone with a big ego, he surely couldn't stand it. With a wry smile, I paused my tracks a sec before answering, "Got it. Thanks." "What's wrong?" Gloria asked with concern when she saw me hang up the phone. I shook my head and smile
Tabitha's POV Right now, the big deal for me was to chase down the beef between my dad and Elena before my health further deteriorated. I gotta arrange everything first. So, I took a cab back to the Alpha Villa of the Black Thorn Pack, the place that belonged to me and Derek. Derek decked out everything in the house, so moving house just meant grabbing a few key bits of mine. The only thing I couldn't let go of was the nursery that I personally designed. I didn't want Daphne's baby to move in there when she became Luna. So I took down all the decorations. It took only a few hours to erase what took sleepless nights to build. Standing at the doorway of the villa, I recalled how thrilled I was first coming up here. How naïve. Back then, I never saw it coming that one day Derek and I would end up like this. Snapping back to reality, I decided to call someone to pick me up. Alvin and Rolf followed Derek to 32 Seaside Avenue, so they weren't available. The other member
Derek's POV Kyrian's disappearance almost drove me insane, so I had to tell Tabitha to put off the rejection ceremony. Watching her lose control in anger, I had to release the Alpha aura to calm her down. Holding her, I suddenly realized she'd lost a lot of weight. What had I done to the mate I used to love wholeheartedly? Was this really what I wanted? But then, the image of Elena's cold, lifeless body popped up in my mind. My guilt immediately vanished, and I resolutely pushed Tabitha away. Hearing her talk about splitting up, all disappointed, Leo wailed with pain inside me again. But Kyrian's missing got me too wrapped up to dwell on that agony. After Tabitha disappeared from my sight, I headed toward the car, instructing, "Alvin, let's go!" Going a few miles, I finally couldn't put up with Alvin's slow driving, so I told Rolf to take his place. Finally, we arrived at 32 Seaside Avenue after half an hour. I barged in, and before I could say anything, Daphne rush
Derek's POV "Alpha Derek, are we going back to the Council of Elders?" asked Rolf after we left 32 Seaside Avenue. I glanced back and said, "Nah, we're heading back to the pack." With that, I got in the car. Before closing the car door, I heard Rolf muttering, "Aren't they supposed to hold the feet; rejection ceremony today? We didn't waste a lot of time here. Maybe we'll be able to catch up with Tabitha..." To my surprise, postponing the rejection ceremony was a relief to me. But I was too cowardly to think why. "Where's Tabitha?" I asked. Alvin immediately replied, "She should be with Gloria now." It made sense since Gloria was her bestie. To keep tabs on all of Tabitha's moves, I had Alvin follow Gloria on social media. Alvin fished out his phone while speaking and scrolled to Gloria's latest I*******m post, where I spotted Tabitha beside her straight away. The two seemed to be celebrating something, as Gloria captioned it with "A new beginning." My grip on the
Tabitha's POV I hung up the phone and took a taxi to the hospital where Orson was. Sitting in the backseat, I watched as the view outside the window raced past me. For the first time in ages, I was craving to stay alive. Not just for Dad but for the Silver Moon Pack too. Just as I was lost in thought, my phone rang. It was Alvin. "What's up, Alvin?" I asked calmly. "Luna, Alpha Derek wants you to come back to the pack immediately," Alvin said respectfully. "I can't. Got something to do." "But..." He paused for a second. "Alpha Derek needs you back for the rejection ceremony." "He can leave me at will but I gotta go when he needs me? What am I, his pet?" I cut him off. "Tell him that I'll come back after I'm done here. Leave me alone before that." Then I hung up before Alvin could say anything in reply. A few hours ago, I would've returned to Black Thorn Pack in a heartbeat. But now, I had more important things to do. "Orson, I need your help." Orson sat down
Tabitha's POV To my surprise, the person I missed the most till this point was still Derek. Memories came flooding back, overwhelming me. I recalled us running together in the moonlight after we shifted. Back then, we had just confirmed we were each other's mates, all thrilled. Even after all this time, his face that night was etched in my mind. And after he marked me, he was so gentle and considerate, taking care of me like no one else. Our love used to be the envy of all. And we had thought it would last forever. But now, he was with someone else, even having a kid of their own. I had to remind myself again and again of his betrayal and ruthlessness, trying my best to forget about the good old days. In intense pain, I gritted my teeth and told myself that I gotta hang tough. There were truths not yet dug up, so I couldn't just die. The cold moonlight shone on my wound, the skin beneath my fur warming up. As time passed, the pain turned numb. By dawn, I shifted b
Tabitha's POV Stunned, I asked, "What are you talking about?" Derek's face twisted with madness. "I used to think divorce would be the best punishment for you, but I've changed my mind," he hissed, his voice icy and piercing. Had it been half a month back, I'd have been over the moon if Derek refused to divorce me. Yet now, I had already learned the truth, so it only disgusted me even more. "Let go! Derek, I want a divorce. Now!" I yelled. He lifted me up easily, ignoring my request. "Let me down, Derek. Have you lost your damn mind?!" I roared at him, hoping to bring him to his senses. But he remained unmoved. Being weak, I couldn't resist him at all. A deep sense of despair overwhelmed me. He put me in the back seat of his car, and I asked with difficulty, "Derek, what the heck do you want?" "I want you to pay for what John did! So no way am I letting you date another guy at will," Derek hissed with an evil grin. His cruel words shattered my heart into a million p
Third person's POVPhoebe was gagged, and she stared at Derek with wide eyes.Obviously, she found it hard to believe. After all, she was an elder!"Phoebe!" Ambrose quickly pulled the towel out of her mouth.Phoebe instinctively was about to continue crying, yet Derek's cold gaze silenced her at once. She then pointed at Zander on the ground and said, "Save Zander first."Ambrose knew that it
Third person's POVTabitha was already suffering from excruciating pain. And then she was aggravated and verbally insulted by Zander, which made her so pissed off.Derek's hug made her feel like an abandoned puppy finally seeing its owner.She reached out and hugged him, saying, feeling utterly aggrieved, "Finally, you're back."Derek gently caressed her face. Though she had makeup on her face, he could tell at a glance that something was off with her expression.
Third person's POVAt that moment, a group of people clad in suits and polished leather shoes made a sudden appearance at the entrance, swiftly drawing the crowd's gaze.Rolf and Alvin had noticeable cuts on their faces, but they stood behind Derek with solemn expressions and respectful attitudes.Derek stood tall and imposing, a fresh scar marring his brow, yet it did nothing to soften his icy demeanor. His commanding presence was as intense as a force of nature, crashing over like a tidal wave.
Third person's POVZander never expected that someone would actually record this scene and expose it without any regard for the prestige of the Greenwood family.Orson's recording ripped off his fig leaf right on the spot.The dreams of all the hopeful young ladies present were shattered. This seemingly virtuous man turned out to be such a beast behind the scenes.Andrea couldn't hold back anymore. Her short temper flared up instantly.
Third person's POV"Dad, there are so many people around. Don't make a scene, or we'll be a laughing stock."Zander chimed in at the right moment, "Grandpa, since you don't seem to like me much, my mom and I won't stay here to be a nuisance. Just hope you won't regret this later. Mom, let's go."This statement was obviously a threat.Ambrose grabbed both of their hands. "Today, as long as I'm here, I won't let you leave. Dad, the whole thing started because of her. Is it rea
Third person's POVZander's words made even the eloquent Ambrose turn to look at him. "What did you say?""Dad, Derek was caught in the explosion, and there's been no sign of him since. It's highly likely that he's passed away," Zander said, delivering the harsh truth in the gentlest tone possible.Everyone present was stunned. Although Derek had been based in Seattle for years, his status and position were unquestionable.If he were dead now, wouldn't all the family fortune
Third person's POVPhoebe was crying so hard she could barely catch her breath. Between sobs, she said, "Ambrose, I thought that once you divorced, if I raised Zander well and managed the household, your father would eventually see my sincerity. But after all these years, we're still outsiders. Let's just go. We're not welcome here."Ambrose was brimming with anger at Phoebe's instigation, even though Andrea hadn't said anything yet.As he helped Zander up, he blurted out, "Why are you leaving? If anyone should be leaving, it's them!"
Third person's POVThe dinner party was going pretty smoothly, but now the atmosphere had suddenly gotten tense.Tabitha was cramping so badly that she couldn't even speak.Her face was as pale as a sheet, and her body slightly trembled. She tightly clutched her stomach with one hand, trying to ease the excruciating pain.Andrea was sitting on the sidelines, planning to enjoy the spectacle, since she didn't have much fondness for Phoebe and Zander.
Tabitha's POVUpon hearing this familiar voice, I instinctively furrowed my brow.It was Zander again.I lifted my head and looked at him with annoyance. "What?"This guy was wearing a white suit today, and coupled with his handsome appearance, he appeared to be a charming gentleman in the eyes of others.But only I knew that beneath his seemingly glamorous appearance, there was a malicious he