LOGINIt took her over two hours of scrubbing with heavy-duty chemicals to clean every inch of the floor. After that, she prepped some high-calorie liquid nutrients for Lucian.Only after confirming he was stable did she finally let out a breath."Next time you take a suicide mission like this, could you give me a heads-up? You scared the hell out of me."Lucian cracked a weak smile. "If I'd actually died on that table, would you have missed me?""Don't be stupid. We might not be blood, but you're the closest thing to a family I've got. I—"She was cut off by the sharp buzz of the video doorbell.The screen lit up, showing someone at the front gate of her hidden villa.Who could be here now?She had zero social life in Seattle and hadn't ordered any food or packages.Tabitha tapped the screen, and a very familiar face appeared.It was Derek.How did he track her down so fast?"It's Derek. I'll go dea
Derek and Bentley walked out of the hallway together.Bentley had that nauseating, polite smile plastered on his face. "I'm curious. In a needle-in-a-stack situation like this, where exactly do you plan on trying your luck?""You seem pretty sure of yourself," Derek countered.Bentley stopped in his tracks. He leaned in close to Derek, his voice a low, mocking whisper. "Derek, luck doesn't stay with you forever. This time, Lady Victory needs a new shoulder to lean on.""We'll see about that." Derek's face remained expressionless, his eyes as cold as a blade.Derek strode out of the hospital, with Rolf and Alvin following close behind. "Alpha Derek, what's the situation?""Check every detail of the attack on Lycan Algernon. There's a leak inside the Royal Family. The whole thing stinks.""You think Bentley planned it?"Derek thought back to Bentley's confident look—he acted like he already had Professor Karl in his back po
Tabitha sped to her private villa.The moment she pushed the door open, the living room looked like a slaughterhouse.Blood had soaked into the expensive light-colored wool rug, and the air was thick with the sharp tang of iron and the decaying scent of a dying werewolf.The injuries were more fatal than she had imagined.Lucian was slumped on the floor, his back against the sofa.His pupils were already starting to dilate; he was clinging to his last breath through pure willpower alone."Sorry... I messed up your rug," he said, a self-deprecating smirk tugging at his lips.Seeing him covered in blood, Tabitha's eyes instantly burned.She rushed forward and knelt beside him. "What the hell did you do? How did you get hurt like this?"Lucian gave a helpless, broken smile. "That's classified. Can't tell you."A few days ago, he had mentioned a high-risk mission.Even though Lucian protected her, he never let
Tabitha found it hilarious. His possessiveness even extended to her makeup skills.She completely stripped away her disguise and washed off the exhaustion of the day.A champagne-colored silk gown was already waiting for her on a gold hanger nearby.After changing, she pinned her long hair up with a diamond clip. The outfit even came with a delicate white lace veil.When she pushed the door open, the main lights were off. A sea of roses filled the room, twinkling with countless tiny fairy lights.Derek stood in the center of the starlight and flowers, holding a small, elegant bouquet of white roses.Tabitha took a few steps forward and stopped. She crossed her arms, looking at him with a half-smile. "Derek, if you're trying to pull some old-fashioned proposal stunt, it's a bit cliché, don't you think?"As soon as she spoke, Derek dropped to one knee. His posture was as reverent as a lead wolf guarding his territory. "Tabitha, I
Daphne lunged forward hysterically, tumbling from her wheelchair into the filthy slush.She reached out with hands that were turning purple from the cold, screaming at the receding taillights in despair. "Derek, come back! Please don't leave me! I'm sorry... I'm so sorry!"Calvin appeared behind her like a ghost lurking in the shadows.He leaned down and scooped up the broken woman. Pressing his lips to her ear, his voice was low and malicious. "Darling, why can't you ever learn?""No! Let me go! Calvin, get your filthy hands off me!"Calvin let out a dark, demonic chuckle. "You don't want me to touch you? Who are you waiting for—Derek? Do you really think you matter as much as a single fingernail of Tabitha's to him? To him, you're just a piece of pack trash. Even if you stripped naked and showed up at his door, he'd think you were too disgusting to look at."Daphne let out a piercing shriek as he ripped away her last shred of dignity
That response was a total slap in the face.The Amber's Eyes Pack was one of the most respected packs. They had elite bloodlines. Who did this doctor think she was?Daphne noticed the woman's sharp tongue didn't spare anyone. Honestly, watching her shut Calvin down gave Daphne a twisted bit of satisfaction.The rest of dinner was awkwardly silent. The only one acting like a normal person was Alpha Elliott.As soon as Tabitha put down her fork, she got up to leave.Alpha Elliott grabbed Derek's hand, insisting he stay for a few drinks.Seeing Tabitha head for the door made the wolf inside Derek restless.He made up some excuse about pack business and brushed the old man off.He chased her outside and caught her just before she reached her car.He grabbed the keys out of her hand, tossed them to Rolf, and shoved her into his SUV."Derek, enough with the—mmph..."Derek didn't let her finish. He pressed his lips hard against hers.Alvin was right there in the front seat. He could see them







