LOGINDerek's POV
Tabitha instinctively rested her hand on her belly, but then she quickly pulled it back, as if fearing that I would notice something.She had no idea that this move just made it all the more suspicious.As an Alpha, my observation skills were sharper than most, especially when it came to my mate, even though she was my ex-mate.I walked closer to her, sensing her nerves.I could tell her heartbeat was racing and her breath hitched, as these were the physioThe Holmes family's reach was longer than she had ever anticipated.Or maybe she was just overthinking it.Cyrus might only want to talk with her because of Algernon's condition, right?Taking a deep, stabilizing breath to calm the rising knot of anxiety in her chest, Tabitha turned and walked into the kitchen.Her knife moved in a steady, practiced rhythm, reducing the vegetables on the cutting board to even, paper-thin slices. But her mind was miles away, trapped in a loop, replaying the exact look Cyrus had given her moments ago.Her focus slipped for a fraction of a second. The blade veered."Ow—"Sharp pain flared as the steel bit into the side of her index finger. Crimson swelled instantly, heavy droplets spilling over her skin and staining the wooden board."Are you okay?"A shadow fell over her. He was there beside her in a blur, moving with the terrifying, unnatural speed.Before Tabitha could even
"Your siblings are studying abroad right now. Once I bring them back, our whole family will have a meal together," Tabitha said.Kyrian's eyes lit up instantly. "For real?""Yeah. Pinky promise."With Tabitha's assurance, genuine joy finally spread across his face.As he watched the helicopter lift off into the sky, he didn't cry like he did the last time. Because he knew they were bound to reunite again.And Tabitha looked so much healthier than before. He guessed her illness had to be truly behind her now.On the helicopter ride back, Tabitha asked Derek, "Aren't you gonna say anything to him?"He replied calmly, "Between men, one look says it all."Tabitha rolled her eyes. "You're one hell of a father."The next morning, Tabitha had a courier deliver the ointment to Rosemary before driving back to the Holmes' estate.The place had been unusually quiet these past two days.Misha had been completely tied u
Kyrian seemed a bit slight compared to Derek's battle-hardened physique. But his baby fat had long since vanished, replaced by firm, lean muscles forged through relentless field training.With a frown, he instinctively tried to pull away.Just then, a voice he hadn't heard in over three years—a voice so achingly familiar—sounded next to his ear, soft as a sigh. "Congratulations."He froze in place, his eyes widening as he thought, "I must've misheard. Totally. How could this masked stranger possibly be—"Tabitha slowly released him. Her gaze fell on the blood seeping from his forearm, and her expression immediately darkened. "You're hurt?"Still too stunned to process what was happening, Kyrian answered mechanically, "It's nothing serious.""Even a small wound can get infected if you ignore it. Come with me. I'll bandage it." Without giving him a chance to refuse, Tabitha grabbed his wrist and dragged him into the infirmary
Listening to the cold, automated notice that the phone had been turned off, Austin stood frozen in the empty hallway, his fingers tightening around his cell.Outside the window, the wind whipped freezing flurries against the glass, giving off a faint, rhythmic rattling.The storm in his heart had broken loose, and there was absolutely no going back to normal now.The next morning.Tabitha slowly blinked her eyes open inside a warm embrace, running straight into a pair of dark gold pupils.There was no telling how long Derek had been awake. He was propped up on one elbow, quietly staring down at her, his predatory eyes swimming with a rare, heavy tenderness."You're not busy today?" Tabitha asked lazily, rolling over with a voice still husky from sleep."I knew you had the day off, so I cleared my schedule early," Derek said, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on her brow, his nose brushing against her messy hair. "You awake?""M
The heavy snow that had been weighing down the branches finally gave way, coming down with a soft swoosh and dumping freezing chunks of slush all over his shoulders and hair.Austin snapped out of it, only to realize he had been standing frozen on the curb for God knows how long.He couldn't even remember how he walked back inside.The lights in the hallway were a blinding, clinical white. Looking into the elevator's mirror, the reflection of his eyes swam with a chaotic storm of emotions that even he couldn't begin to unpack.Meanwhile, the exact second Tabitha stepped through her front door, she was pulled into a burning embrace.Derek wrapped his arms around her from behind, his hot breath brushing against the shell of her ear, his voice dropping into a low, gravelly whisper. "Out playing with your food again?"Tabitha reached up to unclip her earrings, turning around in his arms to loop them around his neck. She tipped up on her toes to
Tabitha watched the crushing disappointment flash across her face, the corner of her mouth twitching imperceptibly.After a beat, she spoke in a measured, casual tone. "But then again... I've been traveling the world for years. A while back, I got hurt while passing through a remote area and stumbled upon a custom scar-removal ointment. The results were honestly unreal.""Really?!" Rosemary snapped her head back around, a manic light reigniting in her dull eyes.Tabitha didn't rush to answer. She smoothly rolled up her left sleeve, exposing her inner wrist. Under the light, the skin looked smooth, porcelain, and completely flawless. "Look. I used to have a pretty nasty scar from a bullet wound right here."She lightly tapped a spot on her wrist. "Take a close look. Can you even tell it was there now?"Rosemary squinted, leaning in close. She had to strain her eyes under the light just to catch a glimpse of a faint, microscopic trace.The heart that had been dead for years instantly st
Third person's POVDerek ret
Third person's POVDerek loo
Third person's POVDerek returned to the main bedroom and casually turned on the shower. Before the water could heat up, he stepped in.The cold water splashed on his body, but it was not as cold as the chill in his heart.He recalled the night two years ago when Tabitha was tied up in the bathroom by
Derek's POVI stared at him,







