Derek's POV
I clearly felt Tabitha's coldness towards me. If it were in the past, I wouldn't think twice about forcefully taking her away.
But after I learned the truth, all I wanted was to make it up to her. I couldn't even muster up a cold stare at her, not to mention scolding her.
"Tabitha, I know you're feeling upset because of what you've been through lately. Don't worry, I swear I'll get John back soon. He's gonna be fine," I comforted her.
Tabitha just turned her back to me, icily snarling, "Is getting him back gonna solve everything? If we don't find the mastermind behind this, he'll just end up in danger again. You promised me you'd make things right. When is it gonna happen?"
Had it been before, I could've given her a solid answer. But right now, I was so overwhelmed by feelings of guilt that I couldn't even look her in the eye.
How was I gonna tell Tabitha that it was Elena who hurt her and her family?
"We can't keep this from her," Leo kept urging me in my mind.
I fell silent, at a loss for what to do.
Whenever I tried to be honest with Tabitha, Elena's scarred arms would pop up in my head.
I wasn't ready to deal with this mess just yet. I had to wait until I figured out a way that wouldn't disappoint Tabitha.
"I will tell her, but not now," I responded to my wolf in my mind.
"You've forgotten one thing," Leo shot back. "When you decided to hide it from Tabitha, you were already ruining the last chance to patch things up with her."
My heart sank. But still, I didn't change my mind.
I would make things right for Tabitha, but only after I had the full story.
I licked my dry lips and answered in a low voice, "Tabitha, this isn't as simple as you think. Since I have promised you, I won't go back on my word. All you need to do is be patient. Just come home with me and get some rest now, okay?"
Tabitha shot me a sarcastic smile. "I will be staying in the hospital with my mom these days. I'm not going anywhere."
Seeing her so determined, I heaved a sigh.
I had a ton on my plate and couldn't stick around all the time.
Both of us were exhausted, so there was no point continuing this conversation.
"You can stay if you want. I'll tell Rolf to come here, just in case something comes up."
"Just in case anything comes up? Do you think I, an Alpha wolf, can't even protect myself? It's just your another excuse to keep an eye on me," she snapped.
I wanted to explain, but she spoke before I could say anything.
"Whatever."
I could feel something off, but I didn't dare to ask.
I was afraid it would push her further away.
Since she didn't wanna keep talking to me, I had to find an excuse to leave.
"Alright, I have some things to take care of. I'll come back later. Let me know if you want anything to eat, and I'll tell Rolf to buy it on his way here. Don't wear yourself out."
Tabitha just shot me a glance, a flicker of hatred in her eyes.
I wanted to confirm if I saw it right, but she had already turned around.
"Why's Tabitha acting like this towards me?" I wondered.
Leo's voice sounded in my mind, calm and deep. "She seems to have a lot on her mind, Derek. Maybe Holly's condition makes her feel hopeless."
Yeah, with all the chaos lately, it made sense she'd be feeling low.
And I was caught up in my own mess, so I couldn't stay by her side.
I left the hospital and jumped in the car, flopping down in the back seat.
Alvin noticed my stressed-out pose and asked, "How's it going with Tabitha?"
"Holly has little time left. So she's feeling blue."
I rubbed my temples, ordering, "Keep an eye on Klein and make sure he doesn't hang out with Tabitha again."
"Rest assured, Alpha Derek. I've looked into it. Klein's heading back to his home country tomorrow. So it's unlikely for him to have anything going on with Tabitha. He's probably just grateful Tabitha saved him."
"Don't forget, he's still single," I replied, feeling wary.
Alvin turned the steering wheel, catching my eyes in the rearview mirror. "So, you really not gonna tell Tabitha about Elena?"