Tabitha's POV
"Tabitha," Spike said, sounding pretty bummed out. "It's not that I couldn't win her heart over. It's that her eyes were only on that guy. How could she see anyone else?"That made sense to me. After all, when I was in love with Derek back then, I ignored everyone else, no matter what they did or said to me. Now, I didn't even remember what those people who confessed their love for me looked like."Don't be discouraged. Sooner or later, you'll find your mate.""Nah, I quit.""You guys are so stubborn." I rubbed my forehead."Tabitha, it looks like it's going to rain soon. Don't go out tonight, in case you slip and fall on the slippery path in the yard.""I see." I continued with my tea. The babies seemed quite active at the moment, so I planned to take a small walk in the room before I went to sleep.It poured heavily all night long, accompanied by the sound of thunder. I didn't sleep well the whole night.The next day, theSpike's POVI put away my phone, wondering why Tabitha would suddenly ask that.Did she discover something?Feeling worried, I personally went to the surveillance room. The villa was located halfway up the mountain, and cameras were installed along the way.If there were any vehicles coming, they would be spotted at the foot of the mountain, and we would monitor them in real time.We were in a remote affluent neighborhood, so normally, people wouldn't come here. A few hikers might break in occasionally, yet they would be discouraged halfway through their trek.All along, only our own vehicles would come to deliver various supplies. We never saw any outsiders.I scanned the feeds for a while but didn't see anything off.When my gaze shifted downwards, however, I noticed that a few screens on the bottom row went all blank.These screens were connected with cameras installed on the steep cliff. Coupled with the rising water level and heavy r
Tabitha's POVI covered myself with a blanket, and the thunder outside was driving me nuts.I pressed my ears shut, desperate to fall asleep as soon as possible. However, the more I tried, the harder it got, and I always felt a chill down my back.Suddenly, Crystal woke up in my head, constantly reminding me, "Run, Tabitha! Get out of here!""What's going on?" I couldn't help but ask her.But she didn't give me a clear response.Run? But where could I go? And why should I run?I had already called Spike, and he told me everything was fine. Besides, there were so many people patrolling around the villa 24/7. If something was off, they'd catch it right away.Shaking my head, I figured I must have been overthinking, as I even started to hear things that weren't there.After tossing and turning for a while, I still couldn't fall asleep. So, I reached for the gun that Lucian had left me six months ago.This thing should keep me safe, righ
Tabitha's POVSomeone came charging at me. Even though he was wearing a waterproof suit and goggles, I could totally recognize him from just his jawline.It was Austin!I wanted to shout out and ask him what the hell he was doing and who he really was.But before I could say anything, he raised a gun and aimed it directly at me.No chit-chat, no warning—he was coming straight for me.At that moment, he seemed like a grim reaper crawling out from hell, totally different from the decent man Joanna had told me about.He was soaked by the heavy rain from head to toe, and rainwater dripped off his slick outfit, soaking into the wool carpet in the hallway.As he pulled the trigger, Joanna suddenly jumped in front of me.I heard a dull thud as the bullet hit flesh.Blood sprayed from Joanna's body like a horror movie scene. The next second, Joanna, who had been blocking in front of me, crumpled to the ground."Joanna!"But A
Tabitha's POVMy 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 wit
Tabitha'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
Rolf was so focused on escaping that he barely had time to marvel at the spectacle unfolding before him."If this isn't a nightmare, I don't know what is", he thought, sprinting for his life.He knew if he fell, he'd be bitten to death by the venomous snakes.Never in his life had Rolf run so fast. He sprinted in the direction of the sound, desperation lending him strength.Up ahead, perched in a peach tree like a guardian angel, sat Hedwig.Her tiny fingers danced over a bamboo flute, its melody ringing in the charged air.To Rolf and Misha, however, the "ding-dong" notes felt like a death knell tolling ever closer.Snakes swarmed from all directions like a rising tide. Rolf knew if this kept up, they'd both end up as snake fodder.Panic clawed at his throat. Without a word to Misha, he unceremoniously dumped her onto the ground.Misha was still disoriented when she was roughly thrown to the ground. Before she could rea
"Agreed," Alvin replied. The memory of Hedwig's earlier glare at Misha sent a shiver down his spine.He had a foreboding that Misha might already be in Hedwig's crosshairs.Given that this was Hedwig's home turf, Alvin worried their group might not stand a chance in a confrontation.This added a layer of anxiety to an already tense situation.Meanwhile, Tabitha remained fast asleep, a serene smile playing on her lips.After a short play with the fawn, a pigeon flew in from outside the cave and landed on Hedwig's shoulder, cooing softly. Hedwig paused at the sound, glancing at Tabitha still lost in slumber.With a moment of hesitation, she quietly rose and tiptoed away, not wanting to disturb Tabitha's rest.Misha, who had always sailed through life with ease, had encountered her greatest challenge in the form of unrequited love.Ever since Derek had rescued her, she had vowed to marry him when she grew up.Throughout her
Hedwig nodded understandingly, her face lighting up with innocent joy.She carefully lowered herself onto the lawn and gently pressed a sweet kiss to Tabitha's cheek, her movements as delicate as a butterfly's wings.Her movements were incredibly gentle, for fear of disturbing Tabitha.Then, she sat quietly by the pool, watching butterflies dance around them—a scene so serene it could have been plucked from a masterpiece painting.Tabitha's exhaustion overwhelmed her, her eyelids growing heavier by the second until she drifted into a deep sleep by the pool's edge.Her long, silk-like hair cascaded down, and without her mask, her porcelain skin glowed.Compared to before, she seemed even more beautiful now, like a sleeping fairy, radiating an enchanting charm.Hedwig stayed by her side without disturbing Tabitha, quietly gathering herbs nearby with focused and skillful movements.The forest creatures adored her—a faw
Misha watched Tabitha and Alma walk away, her anger flaring up again.She glared at the back of Tabitha's head and instinctively touched her red cheek.Growing up, she had never been treated like this. The humiliation filled her heart with resentment."Once Derek's poison is neutralized, I'll make them pay", she vowed silently.Alban, seeing the hatred in Misha's eyes, felt a chill.He knew Misha's background—her family's influence was no secret. He'd brought her here out of concern for Derek's blood type.Having watched Misha and Derek grow up, he was well aware of their temperaments.Given Misha's current state, he feared she would cause more trouble.So, he tried to persuade her again, "Look, things are under control here. It's not proper for a young lady like you to stay. I'll have someone escort you out.""I'm not leaving, Dr. Weaver. I'm staying to take care of Derek!" Misha said stubbornly, turning her head
Misha's eyes welled up the moment she saw Derek awake. She lunged toward him, crying, "I've been so worried!"Derek sidestepped her embrace instinctively and said coolly, "I'm fine. I've delayed you long enough. I need to stay for treatment; you should head back."Misha's jaw dropped in shock.Misha had traveled so far and gone through so much, only to hear Derek tell her to leave as soon as he woke up."I need to care for you—your eyesight's impaired. I've already taken leave," she pleaded."You'll be fine. Rolf and Alvin are here. It's not convenient for you, a young woman, to stay," Derek insisted.Misha stamped her foot in frustration. "What's inconvenient about it? You're not married, and neither am I. Remember when we were on missions together? We took care of each other then, didn't we?"Alma happened to pass by and overhear the conversation, finally realizing that Misha had been the one making advances all along.
Derek jolted awake after an hour of sleep.In a daze, sensing someone beside him, he instinctively pulled them into his arms, exclaiming, "Tabitha, you came for me."Alvin sighed, "Alpha Derek, it's me."Derek fumbled blindly in the air, urgency lacing his voice, "Where's Tabitha? Where did she go?""You were dreaming again," Alvin explained patiently."A dream?" Derek frowned, confusion washing over him.But why did the dream feel so real? So real that he could almost feel the give of Tabitha's skin, recall the touch of her body, and even remember the warmth of her flesh. Her voice still seemed to linger in his ears."Tabitha's probably miles away. She couldn't be here," Alvin added.Derek's heart sank, the joy from moments ago replaced by emptiness. It felt as though he'd found his most precious treasure, only to realize it was just a dream.He bowed his head, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "Right, how could I rea
At Derek's words, Tabitha was suddenly reminded of his words from years ago, when he had said the person in his dreams was her.She couldn't help but wonder what exactly this scoundrel had done to her in his dreams."Tabitha, hold me," Derek pleaded like a petulant child.Tabitha recalled the early days of their marriage. Back then, Derek was reticent and self-absorbed in bed, rarely showing any emotion or expressing his feelings.She often doubted whether he even liked her, if not for the fact that his actions left her bedridden the next day.Derek had locked all his emotions in an airtight box, allowing no one to peek inside.But over the years, their dynamics had done a complete turnaround.Now, Tabitha buried her feelings deep within, becoming cold and distant, while Derek had transformed into someone unrecognizably vulnerable and open.At this moment, Derek was like an overly affectionate, enthusiastic dog, intimately fami
Tabitha was deeply focused on listening to Derek's heartbeat. Irritated by his question, she simply hushed him with a "Shh" and said, "Don't talk." Her attention was entirely on his heart rate. She had no intention of being distracted by others.After finishing with his heartbeat, Tabitha gently pried open Derek's eyelids for a closer look.His pupils were dull and lifeless, making it impossible to assess the internal damage with the naked eye.It seemed that only after administering the antidote and conducting a professional examination outside could they determine the extent of the eye damage.Tabitha silently resolved that if they could just detoxify him, there would be hope for the gradual recovery of his other organs.At Tabitha's "Shh," Derek obediently fell silent.Despite feeling as though he were in a dream, he cherished this fleeting moment, thinking that even an extra minute with Tabitha would give him more memories to hold onto i
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