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
Tabitha's POV He grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled my head back. "You still haven't answered my question..." His eyes were golden and wild, a sign that he was losing control of the wolf inside him. "What are you gonna do, Derek? Torture me until you get what you want?" I shook my head, even though it stung to do so. He tightened his grip around my hair. "I used to be confused, wondering why you changed all of a sudden. But when I saw that kid who looked just like you, I figured it out—I've been waiting for someone who would never come back. Derek, I'll let you go. Please let me go, too, OK?" I begged. He jerked back as if I had burned him. I could see his arms flexing, his hands balling into fists, his knuckles turning white. He was furious. Then all of a sudden, the study door swung open, and in walked Daphne. Noticing what we were doing, she stepped back, dumbfounded. I struggled to break free from Derek's grip and mocked, "I don't get it. Why wouldn't you
Third person's POVThese hours felt like an eternity to Derek, as if he were trapped in a living hell.Every second was a fierce battle against the searing pain, yet he gritted his teeth and remained conscious despite it all. His mind was filled with the hope of seeing Tabitha the moment the surgery ended.The operating room door slowly creaked open, and Misha rushed forward like a gust of wind, anxiously shouting, "Derek, are you okay?"At this moment, Derek's chin weakly rested on his crossed hands, as if all his strength had been drained in the struggle against the pain.He was drenched in cold sweat from the agony and was on the verge of collapse.But the moment the door opened, he still mustered up his spirit, and his eyes eagerly looked towards the door.The first person he saw was not the concerned Misha but the Tabitha he had always been thinking about.Derek ignored Misha's greeting and said in a weak but affectionate voice, "Tabitha.
Third person's POVTabitha raised her head, ignoring the indifferent gaze around her, straightened her spine and said, "No. I'll wait here."After speaking, she touched her swollen face and silently vowed in her heart that she would definitely return this slap.Tonight's events were too sudden, and Alvin hurriedly dealt with the follow-up matters.In this way, Tabitha was left with only Rolf.Earlier in the car, Tabitha took off her thick jacket, and now she was only wearing a thin sweater.The hospital corridor had no heating, and the piercing cold wind blew in, making people feel chilly.Tabitha stood there, and her thoughts involuntarily drifted back to that night a few years ago. She was also like this at that time, standing alone in the cold wind, anxiously waiting for Derek.Rolf looked at Tabitha's back and felt an inexplicable sense of pity in his heart.Although he was not particularly delicate, seeing Tabitha standing there alon
Third person's POVWhen she went in, she was full of energy and vigor.But now, as she came out, she was so weak that even her lips were pale, and her body was on the verge of collapsing, barely able to stand with the support of others.Both Rolf and Tabitha could see that Misha must have had a blood draw far exceeding the normal amount, which was why she was so weak and feeble.Misha was in such a hurry when she arrived that she didn't even notice Tabitha's presence.It was only now, when Tabitha looked at her with a worried and anxious gaze, that Misha subconsciously shifted her eyes towards Tabitha.With just one glance, Misha recognized the woman in front of her as Tabitha—the person Derek always held dear.Through the tense and busy surgery just now, Misha had roughly understood the course of events.Knowing Derek as she did, with his abilities, he could quickly find cover to protect himself in any dangerous situation.Even if
Third person's POVTabitha clutched Derek's hand tightly, incessantly repeating, "You promised me. You have to survive." It wasn't until Derek was wheeled into the operating room that Tabitha's hand was forcibly released by the medical staff, who said, "Family members wait outside."Before the operating room door closed, Tabitha heard Derek's voice come through, "Tabitha, wait for me."With a "bang," the door shut.Rolf followed by Tabitha's side, trying to comfort her, "Don't worry. The top doctors are all here. Several times before, they pulled Alpha Derek back from the brink of death."In fact, upon learning of Derek's accident, all the department heads had rushed to the operating room in advance, and even the blood he needed had been prepared from the blood bank ahead of time.Although Rolf was trying to comfort Tabitha, he himself couldn't hide his worries.He muttered quietly, "Alpha Derek has lost so much blood, and his blood type is already
Third person's POVGunshots rang out from outside, but Tabitha's mind was no longer receptive. All she could see was the bloodied Derek.Her body was immobilized, and she could only watch helplessly as Derek's blood dripped onto her face, then slid down her chin and into her neck."I, I'm fine," he managed to say, forcing a weak smile and reaching out to gently touch Tabitha's face.His knuckles, already marred by glass shards, were ignored as he wiped the blood from her face."If, if I die, would you shed a tear for me?"Tabitha was in a state of rigidity, unable to associate the battered man before her with Derek.He had always been a god-like figure. How could he be like this?Her lips trembled, wanting to do something, but she couldn't do anything.Just like with Joanna, they had shielded her with their bodies, and she could only watch helplessly as it all unfolded.Tears streamed down her cheeks, "No, you won't die."Soon
Third person's POVDerek finished paying the bill and walked out of the restaurant with Tabitha.At this moment, it was already pitch dark outside, with the streetlights emitting a dim yellow glow that illuminated the swirling white snow.The snow scene looked particularly romantic, but Derek and Tabitha's moods were complex at this moment.Derek drove and took Tabitha to the hospital.Forrest was waiting in the corridor, and upon seeing Tabitha, he quickly greeted her respectfully, saying, "Tabitha, you're here."Tabitha didn't have time for small talk and anxiously asked, "How is Wilmot?""Last night, he had dialysis, and he's still in the intensive care unit, but don't worry, he's out of life-threatening danger," Forrest replied.Tabitha, unable to enter the intensive care unit, could only see a vague outline of a man lying on the hospital bed through the glass.She felt a slight relief in her heart.Subsequently, Tabitha took out
Third person's POV"Tabitha, how long have you known Lucian? Do you understand his background? Or rather, since he is neither a relative nor an acquaintance, why would he help you? There is no such thing as unselfish kindness in this world. Most of it is mixed with interests. Do you think he has ulterior motives towards you?"Tabitha was taken aback by Derek's series of questions and didn't know how to answer for a moment, only able to stammer, "I...""Tabitha, we have known each other for many years and understand each other well. Lucian helped us take care of the children, and we should be grateful to him. But if you want to leave with him, are you sure this is the right path? Think not only for yourself but also for the children. What they really want is a stable life or a wandering one?"Derek's ability to control people's hearts was too strong. With just a few words, he hit Tabitha's soft spot - the children."If it's because of me that you've come to t
Third person's POVBoth of them avoided discussing heavy topics during the meal. It wasn't until after finishing eating that Tabitha picked up a napkin, wiped the corners of her mouth, and then broached the main subject."What are your plans?" Tabitha asked."Tabitha, I've already found some clues about Jasper, but with the news of you being alive spreading, it's not safe to stay in Seattle anymore. I won't insist on you staying by my side, but at least you need to protect yourself and the children's safety. How about going to Hawaii? It's very safe there," Derek said sincerely."Do you want me to hide there for the rest of my life?" Tabitha frowned and questioned."At least for now, until I find out her identity..." Derek explained."As long as I don't show up, she will never reveal herself. Am I supposed to hide forever?" Tabitha interrupted him.Tabitha put down the small spoon in her hand, looked at Derek seriously, and said, "Derek, let's be f
Third person's POVTabitha closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if trying to calm her emotions. After a while, she opened her eyes again and asked, "Were you also involved that night on the boat?""Yes," Derek replied without hesitation."Is Wilmot your man?" Tabitha's voice carried a hint of doubt.Derek paused for a moment, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, before slowly answering, "Yes, I was just too worried about you, so I had him go to protect you.""Then do you know what we..." Tabitha's words were cut short as Derek suddenly slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a stop on the side of the road.He turned to look at Tabitha, his eyes filled with sincerity and urgency, and said, "Tabitha, I am very clear about what happened that night. He was there to help you."Tabitha did not believe Derek's words. Her eyes were filled with anger and disappointment as she shouted, "Wilmot disappeared as soon as he came back. Forrest told me last night that he was dying. Was that y