Tabitha's POV
My gut-wrenching wails echoed through the whole villa.Spike ran over here as fast as he could after taking out a guy who bolted from my room, but he was still too late.When he saw the blood gushing from Joanna's chest, he howled in pain.Yet, being professionally trained, he couldn't stop his mission however devastated he felt.Seeing Austin totally unscathed, Spike lunged at him, and they were locked in a brutal brawl.I dropped my gun, my head buzzing like crazy, and everything around me blurred into a sea of red.Joanna weakly collapsed beside me, blood slowly soaking into the bracelet on her wrist.The pendant that I once praised was now stained crimson, lying forever on the ground with her.I knelt there, tears streaming down my face like a waterfall. I wanted to press my hands against her wound, but blood kept pouring out uncontrollably."Joanna, hang in there! The doctor is coming!"Joanna, please stay witTabitha's POVI know very well that crying was bad for my pups. Yet, after everything that just went down, how could I possibly chill out?Alice was patting my back, trying to calm me down while saying softly, "Don't worry. John's been transferred, and he's fine. You're fine too, and that's a stroke of luck."A stroke of luck? But I just lost a good friend!The car was zooming down the mountain. At this speed, we'd hit the highway in a dozen minutes.The rain was pouring like crazy. The wipers were working overtime, but still, it couldn't keep up with the deluge.The fog in the mountains was thick as soup, and with such heavy rain and strong winds, driving was a total nightmare.Everyone's heart was racing. Even my pups had been kicking up a storm in my belly for a while now.I repeatedly rubbed my belly to soothe them, whispering through my tears, "Pups, you have to be good. Don't make a fuss. I'm here. I'll protect you."Under my consta
Tabitha's POVAs soon as those words left my mouth, even Alice behind me panicked. "Tabitha, seriously? You sure?""I had a premature birth before, and it feels just like this.""Tabitha, hold me tight."Spencer didn't dare slack off for a second and quickly swam us to the shore.After struggling to drag me up, he pulled out an emergency light from his pocket.I was soaked through, and even I couldn't tell if it was seawater or amniotic fluid.Alice had a serious look on her face as she said, "Let me take a look."Her face went pale as soon as she took a glance at my private part. "Oh no, Tabitha, your water broke, and there's blood!"If it's just the water breaking, it means you're going into premature labor. And I can handle that just fine. But now, there's blood. Things are getting tricky."I'm not sure if it's ruptured capillaries causing the bleeding or if it's the pups' blood. If it's the latter, we are in deep trouble."M
Tabitha's POVAfter I finished saying so, I threw the phone aside and did what Alice told me to do."Tabitha, in this situation, I can't do the surgery for you. You have to rely on yourself and give birth to the pups as soon as possible. Otherwise, they will die due to lacking oxygen. Just push hard, your cervix is dilated."I felt a baby's head descending. Without the protection of amniotic fluid, both babies were moving around in my belly.They were like stranded fish on the beach, struggling, just like me."Babies, you must hold on. Daddy will come soon. Everything will be fine. I'm here with you. I'll never give up on you, and you can't give up either."I had been through this once, but now again, I felt even more fear and pain.My whole body was trembling crazily. I wasn't sure if it was because of fear or my low body temperature.It was the worst delivery condition for any pregnant woman. I was in so much pain and I felt suffocated.
Third person's POV"What... What did you say?""Maybe they were suffocated when they came out. Tabitha, don't be sad. You are only six months pregnant, even if you delivered them successfully, it was unlikely for them to survive."Now the most important thing is your health. You're still young. You will have other children.""No, I don't believe it. They won't just die like this. I've carried them for so long and went through so much difficulty, I...""Tabitha, the killers are coming. We must leave now.""No, no way! I won't leave my babies behind."Alice couldn't care less about that. Her job was to protect Tabitha and then her babies.If they were all in danger at the same time, she must save Tabitha first."Tabitha, I'm sorry."Alice quickly carried Tabitha on her back. Tabitha looked at her babies lying on the clothes without signs of life. Mixed with rain, her tears streamed down uncontrollably."No! My babies!"Alice
Tabitha's POV"Tabitha, don't overthink it. Just hold on a little longer. Alpha Derek will be here soon. This is our mission. No matter what happens, we will protect you!""Thank you, Dr. Evans. I really appreciate your care over the past few months."Alice appeared very uneasy after hearing my words."Tabitha, don't give up. We will get out. I promise.""Get out? Where can we possibly go?"I looked up at the dark sky, and the cold rain mercilessly pattered on my face."Actually, I know that my dad can't live much longer. He lives until now thanks to instruments and medication. He has long lost the will to live.""Tabitha...""Dr. Evans, my friend used to say that I was like the sun, shining in brightness. But later, the light on me gradually faded, and I was enveloped by darkness. I walked a long time in the mud."Back then, I rolled and crawled, struggling desperately. I refused to give up and didn't believe in fate. Even a faint g
Tabitha's POVI plunged into darkness, running frantically alone."Where are my children?" I couldn't help wondering.I had only one thought in my mind. That was, to find my children quickly so that they wouldn't be afraid.I ran tirelessly for a long, long time, and suddenly a light appeared before my eyes. I found myself standing in a meadow.At the end of the meadow, there was a rainbow bridge, and the other side was enveloped in clouds and mist. Would my children be there?Gradually, a figure appeared on the other side of the rainbow bridge. That was Joanna.She was wearing the dress she wore when she went to pick up her crush at the airport that day, looking very beautiful. As usual, she waved at me."Joanna!"I was overjoyed and ran towards the rainbow bridge without hesitation. Just as my foot was about to step on it, I suddenly heard two baby voices."Mom!"I turned around and saw two adorable kids. The boy looked like D
Tabitha's POVMy whole mental world just crashed down, and the loss of my pups was the last straw that broke me.I was so hyped for the baby to come, and now I was just crushed beyond belief.Tears and blood mixed together as I squatted on the bed, yanking at my hair. "Derek, you shouldn't have saved me! Living is just too damn hard!"I couldn't even figure out why I was still breathing.I felt like a walking disaster, bringing nothing but bad luck to everyone around me.Derek once again dragged me into his arms. "Do you want to know why I saved you? Well, I'll tell you now."He knelt down to help put my shoes and socks on before scooping me up in his arms."Where are you taking me?""You will know soon," Derek said as he carried me into one of the wards. It was a room for three, with patients wrapped in bandages, and some even in casts.Spike probably needed to use the bathroom. With his leg injured, he could only get around with cr
Tabitha's POVLevel B3. The elevator doors slid open, and a blast of cold air hit me right in the face.Derek removed his coat and draped it over me; it was colder here than it had been above.This was my first time in a place like this, and it was unlike anything I'd seen in films or on TV.The corridor lights were very bright, but as the excessively bright incandescent light shone on the walls, this place appeared even more desolate.An elderly man stood by the entrance to the morgue, having been instructed by his superior to wait for our arrival."Alpha Derek, Tabitha, the body's been prepped for viewing, but it's still a corpse—so brace yourselves."I said in a hoarse voice, "Open the door."As soon as it swung open, I saw a body covered with a white sheet.Derek explained quietly, "I've kept this under wraps for now; her family doesn't know yet."I walked towards the body step by step. I had been asleep for three days.
Derek clung to Tabitha like a koala to a tree trunk, refusing to let go.His voice was urgent and filled with longing as he declared, "Tabitha, you have no idea how long I've been searching for you! Every day, every night, your image haunted my thoughts. I was such a fool. If I had known you would vanish completely, I never would have let you go."Tabitha's heart skipped a beat at his words.Recalling her departure, she realized how strange it had been—how smoothly she had left.Back then, Tabitha had barely left when someone came chasing after her. Had Derek known of her plan from the start?If he had wanted to stop her, he could have nipped her plan in the bud."Why did you let me go, then?" she asked.Derek, lost in the joy of their reunion, poured out his feelings unreservedly. "I've always felt guilty for the wrongs I did you. I wanted to make amends."Tabitha gazed into Derek's eyes, noticing the red marks on his face.Despite his usual handsomeness, these marks added an air of
Third person's POVThis was why Tabitha had chosen Alvin over Rolf.She adjusted her waterlogged mask, now nearly peeling off, and swiftly exited the scene.Rolf muttered behind her, "Alpha Derek, don't go around hugging people. What if she gets clingy? Tabitha's still out there—what if she sees this and makes you wait another decade?"Derek remained silent."But seriously," Rolf continued, "the doctor's build and height are identical to Tabitha's. Just the face is different."Derek seized on this. "What did you say?""I said she looks like Tabitha, except for the face. Alpha Derek, don't get carried away—it's not like Tabitha to pop up just because you're poisoned. You've looked for her for three and a half years with no luck."Derek rubbed his temples, chalking it up to longing-induced hallucinations.Tabitha retreated to her room, exhausted from the sleepless night of brewing and changing medicines.
Third person's POVDerek loosened his grip slightly, allowing her to breathe. "Sorry, I can't see. No idea what's going on," he muttered."You're in a tub. No dialysis here—just using heat to sweat out the wolfsbane. I was checking your condition," Tabitha explained, her tone flat.Derek realized his mistake. "Apologies.""Now that you're more lucid, let's do a quick check-up. How do you feel?""Body's burning. Blind as a bat. Hearing's there but muffled, ringing in the ears. Headache, chest tightness, shortness of breath, weak limbs...""Your entire body's under toxin attack. Recovery will take time. Don't stress. You're in good shape—should bounce back faster. Can you stand? Let me see your condition."The tub's dark liquid hid Derek's nudity, so Tabitha didn't push him to move.Derek suddenly realized something. "Wait, I'm naked?""Yep."Silence.His face twisted in discomfort."I'm a
Third person's POV"Are you serious?" Tabitha frowned. "This is life or death. Do you want him to die?""You don't get it," Alvin said quickly. "That woman isn't really Alpha Derek's fiancée. She made it up to convince Mrs. Atkinson to help. Derek's got someone else—someone he loves. If he finds out she fed him the medicine, he'll lose it.""So what? It's just medicine. I can't exactly summon his 'someone else' here," Tabitha muttered."Everything else is negotiable, but Alpha Derek's stubborn about this. He's loved Tabitha his whole life. He won't let another woman touch him intimately. I can't make that call for him. Any other ideas?"Tabitha froze. Tabitha? She hadn't heard that name in years."Since he loves Tabitha so much, where is she? Why isn't she here?""Tabitha left over three years ago. Derek's searched everywhere but couldn't find her. This time, he got distracted because someone hired a Tabitha look-alike. T
Third person's POVAlvin froze, panic rising. "Sorry, Alpha Derek's delirious," he blurted, terrified of offending Doctor Venessa."Get his clothes off and put him in the tub," Tabitha instructed, turning away to sort herbs."Fully?" Alvin asked, unsure."Fully," Tabitha confirmed, her voice flat.Alvin hesitated, then stripped Derek bare.Tabitha's mind flashed with memories of Derek's body—the same one she'd once known intimately.Compared to when she'd left, Derek's physique was more muscular.When she'd gripped his waist earlier, she'd distinctly felt the elasticity and definition of his muscles.Now, with his clothes removed, several new scars were visible across his chest.She'd watched him from afar over the years, always avoiding contact, always ensuring she remained invisible to him.Several times over the years, Derek had nearly crossed paths with Tabitha during missions. Each time, she deli
Third person's POVTabitha was used to Alvin calling her by name. Hearing him call her "doctor" made her wince."Use a different name," she said."May I know your name, Doctor?""Vanessa."Wait, what?Alvin nearly choked. "You're Vanessa? The all-around physician?"An "all-around physician" was a rarity—doctors usually specialized.But Vanessa wasn't just rare. She was legendary.Alvin had first heard her name last year when she became one of the few surgeons capable of performing interdental artificial cornea surgery.The procedure was so complex it required collaboration across dental, ophthalmological, and radiological fields.Yet Vanessa, a twenty-something newcomer, pulled it off.Media swarmed, patients flocked—but she vanished.Then came a high-risk heart surgery, again under her name.Another worldwide sensation.Reporters chased shadows. She remained elusive,
Third person's POVA cold female voice cut through the tension, "One more tear and you're out. You're deafening."Misha's open mouth froze mid-sob, the comical expression plastered on her face.She glanced around, finally noticing the unfamiliar woman in the room. "Who is she?" she demanded."This is the miracle doctor who can save Alpha Derek. Show some respect," Rolf warned, wary of Misha's infamous temper flaring up again.Despite her pride, Misha's love for Derek was genuine.She quickly composed herself. "Of course, Doctor. I entrust my Derek to you," she said, the possessive words slipping out before she could catch them.Rolf's eyebrow twitched. Since when was Derek "hers"?Alma appeared in the doorway. "You're back.""Yes," the woman replied, her tone neutral."Let me introduce everyone. These folks are here for treatment. The young man's poisoned—Nine-Heart Wolfsbane, nearly dead. The hysterical one
Third person's POVRolf's eyes were red and puffy from crying. "What's Alpha Derek trying to do?" he blubbered."Let him have this one last moment of freedom," Alvin said, holding Rolf back.The mountain wind chilled their tears, but Derek couldn't feel it anymore.His knees shook with every movement, each step draining what little strength he had left.Still, he didn't give up, gritting his teeth and forcing one foot in front of the other.The child stood bathed in sunlight—just a few steps away, and he could hold her.What should've been a quick stride took dozens of seconds, maybe longer.Hedwig stood with her back to him, pigeons swirling around her. A speckled one landed on her finger, cooing.Hedwig's eyes lit up—her mom was back!She spun around to see Derek lurching toward her, unsteady and lifeless yet driven by sheer will.He reached out, fingers trembling, when his body swayed dangero
Third person's POVWhy did it have to be Derek?Alvin's fists tightened as he stared at the horizon. Derek had lived with a clear conscience—except for Tabitha. He didn't deserve this end.But Alvin wasn't a healer. All he could do was watch as Derek's breaths grew shallower, his skin paler.The bell tinkled again—Hedwig had followed them here.When they finally stopped, Alvin eased Derek against a gnarled pine, its needles pricking Derek's back like needles of ice."This spot's good," Alvin said, voice cracking. "You'll see the sunrise."Derek nodded weakly. "Good."The mountain wind bit through Derek's coat, but it cleared his head a little."Alvin... my biggest regret was letting Daphne's demands tear Tabitha and me apart. If I hadn't blamed her for Silver Moon Pack's problems... none of this would've happened.""Alpha Derek, you had your reasons," Alvin said, though the words felt hollow."R