Sally's POVThough it was a long time ago, the pain still feels as raw as ever.I spent six months in the hospital, during which Derek vanished completely from my life.Even when I threatened to drop out of school, Derek merely responded with "Do as you wish", followed by him blocking me.I wept day and night and vengefully married Baldwin Blair, who was twenty years older than me.After I los
Derek's POVSitting in the car, I closed my eyes to rest. Sensing the heavy silence, Spike asked, "Alpha Derek, did you have a falling out?""It's not so much a falling out as it is unfinished business," I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "That woman is completely out of her mind. Even after all these years, she's only gotten worse. If I'd known how things would turn out, I wouldn't have been so soft-hearted and helped her back then."Ten years ago, I happened to pass through a mountain village and saw Sally in distress.
Derek's POVI sat in the main seat without saying a word.Usually, just one look from me could make people tremble with fear, but today everyone was accusing me relentlessly as if they had been as bold as leopards."Derek, I have always recognized your abilities. When Alpha Elliott handed over the company to you, we all agreed wholeheartedly. You didn't disappoint us and managed the company very well. But this time, you made such a big mistake. In just one day, the group's hard-earned business empire and good reputation were destroyed, except for the stock price. As a leader, you have to give us an explanation."
Derek's POVMy fingers tapped absently on the table as if their rhythm held some hidden significance.I thought, 'Look, they're finally showing their true colors.'As soon as Barclay said that, the gaze of everyone in the conference room instantly focused on him.Some people showed a look of sudden realization, while others had faces full of anger and doubt.And I, who was at the center of thi
Derek's POVDuring the short break, I was extremely busy. Alvin and Rolf were not around, so I had to handle many things myself.Spike was temporarily brought over by me. Considering the shareholder vote in half an hour, he wasn't afraid."I really feel it's not worth it, Alpha Derek. You have been wholeheartedly devoted to the company for these years so that the Greenwood Group is able to develop so well. These people are actually repaying kindness with enmity," Spike said angrily.
Derek's POVWe were half-brothers, sharing the same father. Only one of us experienced our father's love and had a childhood filled with parental care.As for me, I grew up without any affection, yet I came to control the Black Thorn Pack and eighty percent of the Greenwood Group's assets.We were born on the same day, at the same time, both as premature infants. I arrived just five minutes before him, yet our lives took drastically different paths.Ambrose stayed outside th
Derek's POVMy grandfather was very strict with me, but he also always protected me well.My grandfather never revealed the whole truth to me. He simply said that my father couldn't fully assume the role of Alpha due to some critical issues, so he concentrated on preparing me for the position instead.Back then, I innocently believed my father was genuinely occupied with the pack's matters.I had no idea that he had another family and other lovers outside.I always assumed that everyone was as loyal to their mate as the werewolf world I was familiar with dictated, where mates shared a profound and unbreakable bond.When I was still oblivious to many things, that little boy Zander seemed to know me inside out.That time, Zander and the other kids smeared cake on me.My face, arms, neck, and body, none of them were spared.Their mocking laughter filled my ears, but I turned a deaf ear and just stared at Ambrose.I thought he would pick me up tenderly or stop other kids from teasing me.
Derek's POVThe vote hadn't even started yet, but there was already a tense undercurrent between Zander and me.The senior executives around us seemed to have made a pact, dividing into two groups and taking their respective sides.Although Zander was a bastard, he had all of Ambrose's love.After my father founded a new enterprise and joined a new pack, Zander was also a legitimate potential successor to the Alpha of the Black Thorn Pack.Unfortunately, my grandfather, Alpha Elliott, did not acknowledge this grandson and even rejected his own son.He even went so far as to erase Ambrose's name from the family tree.Of course, the grudge between Zander and me was a matter of the Greenwood family, so naturally, others wouldn't want to get involved.But now that it concerned the future of the Greenwood Group, these executives were starting to take sides.As for this power struggle between the illegitimate and legitimate heirs, everyone else was keeping their distance, afraid that the fa
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
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