Tabitha's POV
Having packed the luggage, Jasper and I left the house.
Standing at the border of the Dawn Vanguard Pack, I stared off into the distance—the direction of the Silver Moon Pack.
"Wanna go and say goodbye?"
"Nah, it's too risky."
If I returned to my pack, Derek would definitely find out.
I slowly withdrew my gaze and murmured my farewell before getting into the car.
When the car slowly drove into the street, I looked out at the familiar views, my mind in turmoil.
Just as we turned a corner, however, I caught a glimpse of Carson, a friend of Derek's.
It just so happened that he was looking in my direction, too. I immediately ducked my head down into the car, avoiding his gaze.
'He didn't see me. He didn't see me,' I prayed inwardly, my heart racing.
After the car drove away, I stole a glance at him through the rearview mirror.
He was still walking in the same direction, his pace steady. Guessed my prayer worked.
'Thank God,' I breathed a sigh of relief.
Jasper, being the meticulous type, had everything planned out perfectly. As soon as getting out of the car, we boarded a cargo ship.
As the sea breeze blew, I looked at the drizzling rain, feeling perturbed somehow.
"What's up?" Jasper asked.
"I don't know. I just feel so uneasy."
Whenever something was about to go down, I always had this feeling. "I have a hunch. We won't be leaving so easily today."
Jasper, however, smiled confidently, "Chill. I've got everything arranged. It's cold out here. Let's go inside."
It was getting dark, and the rain picked up as the huge waves continued to lap against the ship.
I sat in the warm cabin, feeling the weightlessness as the ship bobbed on the water.
I wasn't a fan of such a feeling. It just added to my uneasiness.
I glanced around the room, looking for something to distract myself.
I couldn't help marveling at Jasper's thoughtfulness, though. He had someone decorate the room for me in advance, and it looked almost just like my old one.
Tucker was snoozing in his pet bed.
To lighten me up, the room was lit with soothing scented candles, and classical music was playing in the background.
There were even some snacks laid out. Too bad I didn't have much appetite.
Though I picked up a book, I wasn't in the mood to read it.
After a while, I started to pace around the room like a cat on hot bricks.
All of a sudden, the ship came to a halt, which made me even more uneasy.
I immediately tossed the book aside and went out to see what was going on.
As I stepped out, I ran into Jasper. "Hey, Tabitha," he smiled at me.
"Jasper, what happened?" I asked in a panic.
"Relax, it's all good. No need to be so edgy. If you still have a hard time loosening up, why don't you go take a bath? I've got you some essential oils. Try it out."
I just shook my head. "Why did the ship stop?"
"Nothing to worry about. It's just a routine check. As long as we cooperate, we'll pass through soon enough," he comforted in a gentle tone.
But hearing that didn't ease my nerves.
As I walked onto the deck, I saw a ship approaching. Immediately, I panicked.
My mind flashed back to when Derek came to the island with Kyrian to bring me back.
He showed up so domineeringly, and he didn't hesitate to threaten me with the lives of everyone there.
In order to save them, I had no choice but to promise him that I would never leave Seattle.
But now, I was breaking that promise.
Once again, Derek's gloomy face popped into my head, his cruel words ringing in my ears, "I've told you, you can't run away from me."
Jasper, noticing my expression, rushed to my side.
"You look terrible, Tabitha. What's wrong?"
Thanks to his words, I snapped back to reality. The sea breeze should've been soothing, yet it sent a chill down my spine.
"Jasper," I said with trembling lips. "I regretted it."
"Tabitha, what are you talking about? We're just one step away from freedom. Hang in there. We'll start anew in no time."
I shook my head. "No. It's not like that. He won't let me off. Take me back. I promised him I'd never leave Seattle. If he catches me, he'll take it out on you."
"I've told you already. The coastguards are just carrying out their daily duties. Stop being paranoid, OK? Think about John. You'll get to see him again very soon."
Jasper went on after a pause, "I've had the island thoroughly cleaned. It's so beautiful there. There are so many tulips with different colors. You're definitely gonna love it.
"And you know what? There are many coconut trees lining the roads. We can enjoy the coconut water anytime we want. It tastes so fresh and sweet.
"Plus, the seawater there is so clear. You can see the fish swimming around at a glance. You like diving, don't you? We'll do it as soon as we arrive. Let's go check out those beautiful coral reefs and butterfly fish.
"You and John just need to focus on getting better. No more nightmares and worries. Doesn't it sound wonderful?"
That was literally my dream life.
"Can we really make it there?" I asked with a hesitant look.
"Of course. Have I ever lied to you? Well then, it's windy out here. Let's go inside, OK?"
He walked me back to the room, and I gradually calmed down with his reassurance.
Jasper was right. Derek wasn't omnipotent. How could he possibly know where I was?
Just then, two coastguards, a man and a woman, came aboard.
They whipped out their badges, telling us that they were tracking down a gang of drug smugglers, and asked everyone on board to cooperate.
Then they entered my room.
I quickly lay in bed, covering my face with a blanket.
The female coastguard walked to my bedside, her face expressionless as she commanded, "Ma'am, please pull down the blanket and cooperate with our inspection."