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 POVLucian seemed to anticipate her question and said, "Go ahead.""The time we've spent together is short. If initially, you helped me look for people out of consideration for Julia and the others on the island, then what about later? You secretly protected me, took care of my children, and even helped me escape without any complaints. We're not even friends, yet you risked your life for these actions. There must be a reason."Lucian had somehow produced a tactical dagger, the blade gleaming coldly.At this moment, he seemed not only mysterious but also like a venomous blade."Why don't you take a guess?" His voice was deep, sending a chill down Tabitha's spine in the night."I don't know, but there's no such thing as unreasoned kindness. Lucian, what do you truly want?"When they first met, Tabitha had offered to pay child support, but he refused."I'm the kind of person who lives day by day, having seen enough of life and death. Julia saved me back then, and I stayed
Third person's POV"Whatever issues you two have, they're none of my concern, but you shouldn't meddle in my affairs." Leopold stared coldly down at Derek from his height.Seeing the tension between the two, Carson stopped watching the commotion and said, "Enough. Your reckless behavior won't help you see your true feelings. This isn't Derek's fault. If Gloria didn't want to leave, no one could take her. Instead of blaming your brother, think about why she's determined to leave you."Leopold slumped in dejection and said, "Why? I gave her so much money. She loved money, yet she still left me.""Are you really that dense? If a woman can be bought off with money, she doesn't truly love you. Her choice to leave despite not seeking money might mean she genuinely loves you. You've treated her as a plaything, making it hard for her to face such a relationship, so she left," said Carson.In matters of the heart, bystanders often see more clearly than thos
Third person's POV"I can offer advice on other matters, but I'm truly at a loss here. I was once a mother, and I wouldn't want to harm that little life either," Gloria said.At that moment, Jasper's voice came through, "This child probably can't be kept. If Tabitha is to take my medicine for six months, and if she's pregnant, I can't guarantee the child will be born healthy. It might result in birth defects. Ending the child's life now would spare it a lifetime of suffering."This was the same dilemma she had faced before, but back then, she had a reason to keep the child.But now...Tabitha yearned to reach higher and farther. The pregnancy felt like another shackle binding her, holding her back."Tabitha, you've had a relapse. You know your body can't withstand chemotherapy again in the near term. Life is precious, but your health is paramount. Don't you agree?" Jasper said."Jasper, I know you mean well, but..." Tabitha replied.
Third person's POV"Tabitha, I need to find a place to give you a check-up before I can give you the medicine. Are you available recently?" Jasper asked.Tabitha was hesitant. Jasper noticed her unease."Tabitha, is there something on your mind?"Tabitha bit her lip and said, "I... might be pregnant."Jasper's eyes fell on the twins by Tabitha's side.His lips twitched, "You mean you're pregnant again?"Tabitha felt a surge of helplessness. Except for Kyrian, who she had conceived intentionally, the twins were accidentally conceived when Derek had a high fever and was not thinking clearly, and this time was even more absurd...The doctor had said it was hard for her to conceive, yet she had become pregnant these two times."I've been feeling nauseous lately, just like my morning sickness before. I'm worried...""Alright, let's get an ultrasound first. This town can do ultrasounds, but not MRIs. We'll confirm the p
Third person's POVTabitha shook her head repeatedly, "No, it's not possible, I can't be pregnant!"Seeing Tabitha's look of shock and fear, Gloria sensed that things were more complicated than they seemed."Tabitha, don't worry. Maybe it's just the nausea from our overnight journey. The doctor did say it's hard for you to conceive. Don't scare yourself," Gloria comforted her.Tabitha's palms were sweaty as she kept thinking about what to do if she really was carrying Wilmot's child.She didn't like Wilmot at all. That night had just been an accident.During their journey, Tabitha was unusually quiet.They passed through several islands along the way but couldn't find anywhere that sold pregnancy tests.Tabitha grew increasingly anxious as her nausea worsened.Even Gloria began to worry that Tabitha's illness might have relapsed, as neither pregnancy nor a relapse would be good news.Tabitha knew that if her illne
Third person's POVRolf was extremely anxious and would have chased after them if not for the distance."This can't go on. Our people can't fire to stop them, and with one in the sky and one at sea, it's easy to run into danger."Derek hadn't planned to stop Tabitha, so he could only watch helplessly as Lucian docked the boat on a small island."This island is covered in dense forests, making it unsuitable for helicopter landings," noted Derek, who then ordered, "Use rope ladders to ascend the trees, and keep another helicopter on standby. Lucian must be prepared."As soon as Lucian reached the shore, he quickly took the two children from Tabitha's arms and urged, "Come on, follow me!"Tabitha and Gloria followed Lucian into a pre-dug tunnel."Even though they can't find us for now, we can't hide forever. Once they surround the island, we'll be trapped," said Tabitha.Wiping sweat from his forehead, Lucian whispered, "If my gue
Third person's POVAyla suddenly reached out and removed Lucian's mask, giving him a light kiss on the cheek, "Lucian..."This was the first time Tabitha saw Lucian's face. She had expected some birthmark or scar, but his face was clean, with sharp features and striking good looks.Oddly, Tabitha felt he resembled Derek a bit.Lucian quickly put his mask back on and said, "Let's go, to avoid further trouble."Tabitha snapped out of her daze, thinking it must have been the poor night light, and held Gloria's hand as they boarded the speedboat.Unbeknownst to her, the island had numerous cameras and small, insect-like HD capture devices hidden in trees and bushes, which could move flexibly and transmit Tabitha's and the children's movements to Derek.Derek had already received information about Tabitha and Gloria's planned escape.Now, Derek watched the fleeing figures on the screen.Alvin asked worriedly, "Alpha Derek, ar
Third person's POVGloria specially came to see Leopold off before his departure.In front of the helicopter, she put her arms around his waist, looking reluctant to part."When will you come to see me?" she asked."Missing me already? Last night didn't satisfy you?" Alpha Leopold teased with a smile.Gloria wondered how such a refined face could utter such words.After being with Leopold for so long, she knew he was different from Derek, who was rule-abiding and secretly passionate.When Leopold was in the mood, he could even place his hand on her thigh under the table while discussing business."Will you miss me?" Gloria asked suddenly.Leopold thought she was just being affectionate and stroked her nose. "I'll miss you the most at night," he said.His answer was never what she wanted to hear.Gloria smiled and said, "Then I won't miss you. It's too tiring."Leopold was about to say something else
Third person's POVIn this game of love, whoever falls for real first is the loser, and she lost.So every word and glance from Leopold felt like a sharp thorn.They had clearly defined their relationship long ago. She couldn't blame others, only herself for breaking the rules.Talking about money yet falling in love was like cheating in a card game."Why are you looking at me like that? If you think the money is insufficient, I can add more.""It's already quite a lot."Gloria suddenly smiled and sat on Leopold's lap, hugging his neck as usual.She was more certain than ever that leaving was the best way to end this relationship.Before that, she mustn't let Leopold sense her intentions.Gloria's eyes flickered with coquettishness as she said in a soft voice, "Triple the amount, and I want it now.""Little money-grubber." Leopold gave her a light peck on the nose and took out his phone to transfer the mone