Tabitha's POV Shortly after I hung up the phone, a black car rolled up next to me. Two tall, strong men got out. One was Beta Alvin, and the other was Gamma Rolf. Both were members of the Black Thorn Pack. "Luna Tabitha." Alvin nodded at me, as politely as he always did. It had been quite some time since I was addressed as Luna. Lump in my throat, I asked, "Beta Alvin, I just came out from a friend's place. Can you take me back to the Black Thorn Pack?" They looked puzzled as if wondering why I didn't turn to Derek. "I guess you've heard that Alpha Derek and I are about to have the rejection ceremony soon. I wanna stay in peace with him until then," I quickly added. When I reigned the Black Thorn Pack as Luna, I got along well with Alvin and Rolf. So after hearing my explanation, Alvin immediately agreed. "Let's go then." "Can we swing by 32 Seaside Avenue first? I've left something there, and I wanna take it back." That was where Derek put Daphne, and it used to be
Tabitha's POV "That's right." I went straight to the point, and he was faster at it. "You jerk!" I felt desperate, tears streaming down my face. "How could you treat me like this? And how on earth did the werewolves of the Silver Moon Pack offend you?" Derek remarked, his tone icy, "Tabitha, if you wanna know the answer, go ask your dear father what he's done." "What did he do? Just fucking tell me!" I shouted hysterically. Derek stood there, looking nonchalant. "Go ask him yourself." "So, marrying me was never about love?" I asked, sobbing. I tried to find some trace of warmth in his eyes but I failed. "That's right. I plotted to get close to you from the very beginning. It's all about revenge." "You hate me?" "Exactly. Tabitha, it's what you gotta go through for being John's daughter. I want y'all to live in agony forever to atone for your sins!" With that, I heard a painful whimper from Crystal. She was trembling, getting even weaker. And my wound started h
Tabitha's POV 200,000 dollars was a small fortune. Now that I had it, I didn't have to worry about Dad's medical bills for quite some time. According to the werewolf's agreement, after Derek rejected me, he would have to pay me alimony, which could be used to repay the money. After paying the bills, I finally felt relieved. Stepping outta the hospital, I barely took two steps before my world started spinning. It seemed that there had been too much to take in on a single night. And the running just now drained my last bit of energy. After taking two wobbly steps, I blacked out. When I woke up again, I found myself in a ward. I was put on a drip, the cold liquid slowly seeping into my blue veins. And my wound had also been bandaged. The clock showed that it was already the next afternoon. Before I could say anything, Orson's gentle voice sounded. "As soon as I got here this morning, someone told me you fainted at the entrance last night. If I had known this, I wouldn'
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
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
Third person's POVHedwig couldn't speak, but she was wise beyond her years—quiet, helpful, and already versed in basic healing.Derek wished he could play with her, but time was slipping through his fingers. After eating the fruit she'd given him, he picked up his pen again.All night, he didn't rest.He could feel the life Hedwig had breathed into him fading. His senses were dulling again.But the will was done. Now, he only wanted to write letters—to Tabitha, to his kids, Kyrian, Helios and Ayla.The poison was moving faster than it should've. Every letter cost him energy, accelerating the venom's grip.First, he wrote to Kyrian. "Be a good man. Lead the pack with your heart, not just your claws."Derek's chest ached. He'd failed Kyrian, leaving him to shoulder the pack's weight alone.But love? That never faded.Next, his mother.The letter was short—"Take care of Kyrian. If Tabitha ev
Third person's POVAt the mention of the word "will," Rolf's face, which had been tense for days, crumpled. His eyes instantly reddened."Alpha Derek, you don't need a will! You're gonna be fine, you hear me?!"But at this moment, Derek became calm. "I don't have much time left. It took me a lot of effort to get to this camp. Even if I leave, it would take a day. What's the point of leaving if she comes back right after I go? It's better to stay here. If she doesn't come back in the end, I at least need to settle things, I can't just die without any explanation.""Alpha Derek...""Alvin, go get it," Derek said.Alvin's eyes welled up. "Alright."Alban, with red eyes, said, "I'm sorry, kid. I couldn't help you this time.""Dr. Weaver, I'm already grateful to you. You're right, there are some things beyond our control. I guess this is just my fate."In just two days, Derek had gone from a healthy man to someone whose organ