Tabitha's POV
Right after I realized that Derek had woken up, he yanked me hard, and I found myself crashing into his arms.
Frowning, I instinctively wanted to push him away, but then I heard him mumble in a hoarse voice, "Don't go."
Because of the ray of sunlight, I could vaguely see his tearful puppy eyes, looking incredibly pitiful.
I let out a soft sigh, and despite myself, I stayed curled up against him.
Crystal woke up in my mind.
Seemed she sensed something, too. I could tell she was comfy and pleasant.
And it totally messed with my head.
A special scent was starting to swirl around my nose.
I knew it was mate-exclusive.
Derek was overjoyed and held me even tighter.
The scorching heat coming from his body enveloped me completely, making me feel quite uneasy.
It had been ages since we were this close. Even though we used to be lovers, I was kinda at a loss.
"Would you mind loosening a bit? I'm suffocating," I whispered.
Yet instead of doing that, Derek held me even tighter.
He kept murmuring, "Tabitha, I was wrong. I mean it. Please. Don't leave me."
No kidding. I would have been shocked even if it were in the past.
Derek was the high and mighty Alpha. How could he consider himself wrong?
Now, however, he was like a helpless kid, constantly saying sorry and begging me not to leave him.
Just when I was about to say something, I felt Derek's fingers slip into my shirt.
"What the hell are you doing?" I gasped.
Derek flipped on top of me, wearing a navy blue pajama with a few buttons undone.
A large area of his skin was exposed in the air, and I could see the wound on his chest.
Turned out he was hurt worse than I thought.
The wound had healed but formed a winding scar across his chest.
I gave up reprimanding him and reached out to stroke the scar.
If I hadn't jumped into the sea that day, he'd have killed himself.
It was true that Derek was a real jerk sometimes, but when I got kidnapped, he was willing to trade his life for mine.
But he was also the one to blame for all my suffering.
Honestly, I couldn't even find the right words to describe our relationship.
My cool fingers grazed over that scar, and his already warm body felt like it was on fire from my touch.
"Does it hurt?"
"Yes," said Derek, aggrieved like a kid who was mistreated. "It hurts even more when I think about you."
When our eyes locked, I noticed he had a blush creeping into his cheeks.
His face was pale, so that flush stood out.
A few strands of his messy hair covering his forehead were sticking up, making him look cute and innocent instead of that bossy Alpha from the ship that day.
He was no different from a bullied little boy.
I saw him like this once, only once. It was the day after he got drunk.
On that day, he looked as innocent and naive as a little boy, just like he was now.
Overwhelmed, I turned my face away and said, "Get off me. I have something to say to you."
"No!" he sounded like a defiant kid, all stubborn.
Then he reached out and turned my face back to him.
Before I could even process what was happening, he slammed his lips onto mine.
I became breathless because of his fiery kiss, my heart beating like a drum.
Crystal was getting excited in my head.
She was totally reacting to Derek's scent. I could feel her anticipation and longing.
She seemed to be telling me she wanted to bond with Derek's wolf on a deeper level.
As Derek deepened his kiss, his arms wrapped tighter around me, like he wanted to merge us into one.
Crystal let out a low whimper in my mind, expressing a longing for such intimacy.
My body responded involuntarily to Derek's kiss, my arms wrapping around his neck, pulling him in closer.
Crystal leaped in my head, egging me on, telling me not to resist this intense feeling.
Even when we were on the ship that day, he only grazed my lips.
By the time I realized this wasn't right, I was already caught in his snare, unable to break free.
Derek clung to me like some vine in a jungle, not giving me a moment to catch my breath.
Perhaps Derek felt guilty towards me and had a lot of concerns when he was clear-minded.
Now, Leo got the upper hand, and Derek had lost all his sanity. His instincts were taking charge.
The strong scent exclusive to mates made me unable to push him away.
We had rejected each other.
Even though I knew Derek was my second chance mate, I never wanted him to claim or mark me.
Trying my best to resist that mate pull, I said, "Derek, snap out of it. Do you have any idea what you're doing?"
He lifted my hands above my head, easily overpowering my attempts to break free.
His kiss became more passionate as he gently caressed my back. I quivered under his touch.
I could feel our heartbeats syncing up, which made a deep connection spark in me.
Sweat was dripping down his forehead as he rasped, his voice utterly hoarse, "I've never been more clear-headed. I told you that we'd have kids. And I'm making it happen."
Kids?
I didn't know why he was so obsessed with this. Right now, all I wanted was to bolt.
"Let go, Derek. Don't make me hate you."
"If hatred can make us bond, then go ahead. Hate me."