Derek's POV
I pinched the bridge of my nose, lowered my head, and said in a low voice, "I never wanna hurt her again, neither physically nor mentally.""But finally, you've got a chance to cut things off with Miss Sutton. I'm afraid there will never be such a good reason again," suggested Alvin.In others' eyes, it seemed obvious what I should do, as Mark's offer would only do me good. But I didn't say yes.On the contrary, I turned him down at the risk of offending him."It's never the Amber's Eye Pack that forces me to be together with Daphne."It's my promise to Randall. I promised him I'd take care of Daphne for him.""Alpha Derek...""Enough. I want you to do something for me. Tabitha can't wait to be back, and I don't have time to deal with them slowly."Alvin gave a reluctant nod. "Yes, Alpha Derek."I looked out the window at the pitch-black night, thinking, 'Tabitha, I'd make things right for you and get back what was yours.Tabitha's POVSitting in the helicopter, I heard nothing except for the rotor roar outside the window. The cabin was dead quiet.Perhaps feeling uneasy because of the silence, Mark finally spoke up, "I don't get it. Blood ritual is one of the traditions of us werewolves. We have strong self-healing abilities, so losing a bit of blood isn't a big deal."Besides, Holly is your mom. Is giving her a hand that difficult for you?"Hearing his words, I couldn't help but sneer.Crystal growled in my mind, "They've hurt us!""Yes. I won't forget that," I replied inwardly, kinda reminding myself too.Then I turned and looked at Mark, scoffing, "Will you be this forgiving towards a werewolf who wants you dead?"Mark froze.I continued, "The second Holly chose to save Daphne instead of me, she's no longer my mom. As I said, I owe her nothing now."Mark opened his mouth as if trying to say something.But I turned away, ignoring him completel
Tabitha's POV"Isn't it obvious? A woman like you doesn't deserve his love at all. I want you to see with your own eyes how he pushes you from heaven straight to hell.""To frame me, you went as far as killing Elena?! She didn't do anything wrong. Who gave you the right to end her life?!" I spat, fuming.The woman's eyes flickered.Although Crystal had been put to sleep, I could feel her wolf getting restless."You're so noisy. You know what? I changed my mind," she snorted.She put away the blade and took out another syringe she had prepared."Look, this is a newly developed poison. Just one milliliter, and you'll bite the dust. Don't worry. It won't hurt much. In less than 30 seconds, you'll kiss the world goodbye for good."You ought to feel lucky. You're the first ever werewolf who has the privilege to test this wolfsbane potion," she said, looking down at me.Wolfsbane potion? It reminded me of the wolfsbane smeared on my abdominal w
Derek's POVI was now in a forested suburb of Seattle.This place was once set for development, but after the locals moved out, nothing ever got built.Over time, it just turned into a ghost town—totally abandoned.In the pouring rain, I saw some old rundown buildings and a couple of crows standing on old power poles.I didn't come here for travel, obviously. I was leading the shifters of my pack and the mercenary squad I sponsored to the den of Poison and Wolf Shadow.Gunfire was blasting away, totally wrecking the peace in these woods.Unbeknownst to them, we had this base surrounded.In the quiet forest, flames were flickering everywhere.The shifters of the Black Thorn Pack had been through the Gamma's hardcore training. On the contrary, while those rogues from Poison and Wolf Shadow were shifters as well, they were mainly engaged in research.They had little experience in combat.Soon, they scattered and fled.Th
Derek's POVI was already soaked by the heavy rain, but Rolf still held the umbrella over my head."Alpha Derek, it's raining hard. Besides, Tabitha is with Mr. Sutton. Shall we go back?"I lowered my head and slowly said, "Dig up the coffin."Rolf replied out of habit, "OK."He was stunned for a whole five seconds before he realized what he had heard. "What?"With a loud sound, the thunder rumbled through the sky as the lightning shone on everything. I grabbed the edge of the tombstone as I exerted more strength, saying word by word, "I said, dig up the coffin."Rolf stuttered."A-Alpha Derek, really? It's in the middle of the night. It's a bit ... inappropriate, don't you think?"I didn't bother to explain to him. Rolf was never as clever as Alvin."Get someone to dig the grave and open the coffin. Now!" I ordered with authority."Got it." Rolf jumped into action immediately.I wasn't gonna wait and do nothing. When my me
Derek's POV Alvin obviously didn't believe it. "No way! We've run a test. How could that be?" "This time, the tissue was extracted from the bone of the body. You saw the results yourself. They're not related at all. The report back then was tampered with." Alvin was shocked. "If she's not Elena, who is she?" "We haven't seen Elena in years. We decided it was Elena just because of her face as well as the DNA report." Rolf thought for a while and added, "Maybe she didn't look like Elena at all. She went through plastic surgery to change her looks just to fool us." I sat aside, listening to their conversation while saying nothing. Rolf glanced at me. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "So, we've got good news and bad news. The good news is that Elena isn't dead. She's been taking care of Alpha Derek all these years disguised as a janitor. "The bad news is that Alpha Derek thought she was dead and has taken it out on the Silver Moon Pack and Tabitha." My mind was in turmoil.
Tabitha's POV"Mark, you look serious. It ... didn't work?"He sighed and then handed me the paper bag. "See for yourself."I didn't know what he meant. Something told me it wasn't just about the effect of the potion.Did he know my wound wouldn't heal?Even so, he didn't have to look so stern.Puzzled, I slowly opened the paper bag. There were two reports inside, and the first was the results of the treatment.Sure enough, the potion made from my blood did not work.That made sense.After all, that treatment method was very ancient and lacked practice.I already knew the result from the look on Mark's face.Then I picked up the second report, which was a DNA test report.I frowned, not knowing why he would conduct this test.But as my eyes slid down the page and spotted my name and Holly's name, I was dumbfounded.The results showed that we weren't a match!I was so caught up in Elena's stuff that I never ev
Tabitha's POVI looked up and glanced at Mark, who had pulled a long face and said nothing.Then I shifted my gaze to Holly. She was still immersed in her own memories without noticing our expressions."I've never paid attention to your performance in school, and I've never cared about what you liked. I was away for years, and I've never called you. Not even once. I left you behind while you were so little. I bet you hate me, right?""I..." I sniffed, hesitating whether to tell her the truth.Mark sighed, "Holly, calm down. What I'm about to say is very important."I wiped away my tears and reached out to dry Holly's face.Holly blinked in confusion. "What is it exactly?"Mark said concisely, "The bad news is that the potion made with Tabitha's blood didn't work.""I see. I was prepared for that," she replied, not looking fazed.Mark continued, "And the good news is, Tabitha isn't your daughter. Your biological daughter is out there
Tabitha's POVThe storm had subsided a lot today, and it seemed the clouds were dispersing.I dialed Jasper's number, wanting to ask him about Matthew.In fact, whether John was my dad or not didn't matter. He had been nothing but good to me and given me all the fatherly love I needed.Perhaps even my biological dad wouldn't treat me as well as John did.Sadly, the call wouldn't get through, which made me a bit uneasy.Last night, that woman mentioned something about Matthew wanting to get revenge on Derek, and now I couldn't reach Jasper? It didn't seem like a coincidence.My fingers hovered over Derek's number, but after a long time, I still didn't press the call button.I had no evidence to prove Elena wasn't dead, and I knew him well enough to know he might blow up before I even finished talking.Forget it. I'd go confront him after I snagged solid proof.I ordered a plate of spaghetti. After drinking half a cup of coffee and pay
Third person's POVThough he was just a child and didn't fully understand what had happened between Tabitha and Derek, he knew one thing—he loved Tabitha and wanted her to be happy."If this makes you happy, I don't mind. I'm just scared... scared you'll leave me," Kyrian said, his voice trembling slightly."Silly boy, didn't I tell you? You and your siblings are my most precious treasures. I love you so much, and I'll visit you often," Tabitha said gently.Then, she noticed the cord around Kyrian's neck and gently pulled it out. It was the small lock she'd designed for him years ago."I made this for you. It's engraved with my hopes for you, 'May you grow up happy and healthy every day.'"Kyrian reached out his hand. "Mom, you can't lie to me. You have to come see me again."Their fingers hooked together in a pinky promise, and Tabitha smiled softly."Okay, I promise. When you're a little older, we'll live together, alri
Third person's POVIn such a short time, Kyrian had already figured out his place in Tabitha's heart. He knew exactly where her soft spots were and used his natural childlike tears as a "weapon" to try to keep her from leaving.Though this might not make Tabitha happy, she couldn't bring herself to refuse him.What parent could say no to a child crying for candy?Especially when that child was the one she owed so much to, the one she wanted to give the entire world to.But he didn't want the world. He just wanted Tabitha to stay."I..." Tabitha started to speak, but Kyrian cut her off."Mom, I love you so much, and you love me, and my siblings too. I already don't have a complete family. Do you want my siblings to grow up without a dad, only imagining what he looks like, envying other kids' happy families? Mom, haven't you heard? A happy, complete childhood can heal a person for life, but an incomplete one takes a lifetime to heal."
Third person's POV"Back then was back then. Now is now. But I promise you, no matter what happens, I'll always love you," Tabitha said softly, gently stroking Kyrian's head. Her hand brushed through his soft fur, the warmth of a mother's love flowing through her touch.Kyrian's voice was small, tinged with hope. "Mom, can you spare a little love for Dad? He's actually kind of pitiful."His eyes showed sympathy for Derek. In his heart, both his parents were his greatest loves, and he longed for a complete family."There are plenty of people in this world who love your dad. He doesn't need mine," Tabitha replied, her tone carrying a hint of stubbornness. Despite her lingering feelings for Derek, the pain of the past made it hard for her to forgive."But to Dad, you're like oxygen to a fish. A fish can't live without oxygen," Kyrian said, snuggling closer to Tabitha.He pressed his body against hers, as if clinging to her love would make it st
Third person's POVKyrian obediently climbed over and was immediately pulled into Tabitha's embrace.From here, they could see the beautiful scenery outside. Kyrian realized that the training grounds looked completely different from this angle—probably because his mother was by his side.Tabitha smiled softly, her voice warm. "I chose your name. You were born with all my love.""Mom, you must have loved Dad a lot back then," Kyrian said, looking up with curious eyes."Yes, very much," Tabitha admitted honestly. "No matter how I feel about your dad now, you are my precious child, born after seven months of carrying you. Your dad took you away, and I didn't even know you existed. That's why I missed so many years of your life. But you need to know, I thought about you every single day. There wasn't a moment when I didn't miss you or wonder about you. I love you more than anyone in the world."Kyrian's mood brightened, a happy smile sprea
Third person's POVKyrian watched nervously as Tabitha cleaned and dressed his wounds.He didn't dare breathe too loudly, his eyes glued to her every move. His gaze was filled with dependence and longing.Every now and then, he'd glance quickly at Derek, his eyes questioning, desperate for reassurance that this wasn't a dream."Dad, is Mom really back?" His voice trembled, carrying the fragility and hope unique to a child.Derek reached out and gently tapped his nose. "Silly boy, she's really here."Kyrian's tense body relaxed slightly, and a shy smile crept onto his face.When Tabitha applied the ointment a little too firmly, he winced but stayed silent.His hands gripped the hem of his shirt, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. He was afraid that if he cried out in pain, Tabitha might leave.In his heart, he thought, As long as Mom stays, this pain is nothing.Kyrian had always been well-behaved, but n
Third person's POVAzazel was furious.To be honest, he hadn't planned to take things this far with Kyrian.He showed Kyrian some respect, but deep down, he knew most of the children here were orphans with no one to rely on.He'd been provoking Kyrian because he refused to fall in line. After all this time, Kyrian still wouldn't listen to him.Azazel had wanted to teach him a lesson and assert his dominance in front of the others.But Kyrian was tougher than he'd expected. Instead of backing down, he even fought back with a fierce determination that burned in his eyes.What's wrong with him? Why won't he give up?"You're dead, brat," Azazel snarled, raising his fist to deliver a crushing blow to Kyrian's head."Stop!"Kyrian closed his eyes, bracing for the impact his small body couldn't possibly withstand. But the blow never came.A hand shot out, gripping Azazel's wrist.Everyone turned to see Tabitha, breathless from running.Thankfully, she'd made it in time.What she didn't know
Third person's POVKyrian had barely taken a few bites when a tall boy walked over and flipped his tray onto the floor, sneering, "Go on, eat that."Tabitha's fists clenched in anger. "How can they bully him like this? He's already struggling!"Derek held her back. "Tabitha, don't act rashly. This place isn't just about physical training for him."Tabitha frowned. "Then what else is he here for?"Derek explained, "For people like us, growing up means training alongside peers who'll become your most trusted allies—like Alvin and Rolf. These are the people who'd take a bullet for you on the battlefield. If Kyrian grows up sheltered, handed a team of strangers, do you think they'd truly respect or protect him? One wrong move, and he could end up dead."Tabitha's anger began to fade. "What are you saying?"Derek's tone grew serious. "He's not just training his body. He's learning to lead, to earn the loyalty of these kids. They'll b
Third person's POVThe car slowly emerged from the underground garage, breaking through the darkness into the open air.The streets were adorned with mistletoe trees, people bustling about in preparation for Christmas."It's been years since we celebrated together," Derek said suddenly, his voice tinged with nostalgia."Yeah." In those days when survival was all that mattered, Tabitha hadn't had the luxury of thinking about holidays."It's the last day of the year. Where are you taking me?" Tabitha glanced at Derek."You'll see."The car wound its way out of the city, into the countryside. Snowflakes danced in the air, painting the world in white.The road grew steeper, the landscape wilder. Soon, there were no buildings in sight—just endless trees and snow.Tabitha gripped the armrest as the car jolted over uneven terrain. After what felt like hours, they reached a remote valley deep in the mountains. Even their p
Third person's POVTabitha had been his most promising student. As a freshman, she'd become his assistant, shadowing him in clinics and even observing surgeries.He had placed his highest hopes in her, demanding perfection during her training.To him, Tabitha was a once-in-a-generation talent—he was merely her starting point, not her ceiling.Dr. Fairbanks had been both a mentor and father figure to her. And she had let him down."Is Dr. Fairbanks… doing alright?" Tabitha asked quietly.Alban's voice turned cold. "No. He says he once had a student who made him proud—until she threw away her future for a man."Tears welled up in Tabitha's eyes.She still remembered the day she submitted her withdrawal letter. Dr. Fairbanks rushed to the school, still wearing his surgical scrubs with a scalpel clutched in his hand.At first, he thought something catastrophic had happened—had her family gone bankrup