Derek's POV
I fixed my eyes Elena, who was barely hanging on in my arms.
Even though she was seriously injured, she had this smug grin on her face, like she just won a major battle.
"Derek, I won," she whispered, and then she just passed out in my hold.
My wolf Leo howled in my mind, "Fool! Look at the mess you've made!"
Leo's blame was like a knife slicing right into my soul.
I murmured to myself, 'I think I might've lost Tabitha for good.
'How could I be such a jerk to pull the trigger?
'I personally pushed her away. That bullet shattered everything between us...'
I left Elena to Alvin and walked to the edge of the cliff.
Klein and Jasper hurried onto the speedboat, and thanks to my keen hearing, I could hear their conversation loud and clear.
Jasper freaked out when he saw Tabitha injured, frantically dealing with her wounds while Klein just sighed, looking defeated.
"Tabitha, your wrist!" Jasper exclaimed, his voice filled with concern and compassion. "I remember you dream of becoming a doctor. What are you gonna do with your life if this causes permanent damage?"
He sighed while patching her up.
Tabitha lay on the boat, her lips curling into a bitter smile.
She used to be so passionate about becoming a top-notch doctor. Yet I crushed her dreams and made her settle for being my Luna and a dutiful housewife.
And now, I hurt her hand, completely derailing her life plans.
Just thinking about what I did to her shattered my heart, leaving me breathless.
That pain spread from my chest all the way through my body, escalating from a dull throb to unbearable anguish.
"Forget it," Tabitha said, closing her eyes. "I'm never gonna be one anyway."
Klein gave a deep sigh as he watched her in despair.
"Tabitha, hang in there, we need to get that bullet out," he comforted, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Okay." Tabitha opened her eyes again, her voice calm but with a slight tremor as she whispered, "My hand's broken, right?"
Jasper fell silent for a moment before firmly reassuring, "I'll do my best to stop that from happening."
I stood at the cliff, watching the boat whisk Tabitha away.
Jasper, standing on the boat, angrily shouted at me, "You bastard! How could you let Tabitha go through this pain?"
His eyes were ablaze with anger and hatred, his words hitting me like a ton of bricks, reminding me of the unforgivable mistake I'd made.
His voice echoed across the sea, so loud that I couldn't act like I didn't hear it.
With Klein's help, Tabitha finally got out of Seattle.
I didn't stop them as I knew how powerful Klein was, and I was too guilty to even face Tabitha.
Elena wasn't fatally hurt, but she was too weak to recover like an average patient.
Once I settled her into the hospital, night had fallen.
I sat blankly on the steps, chain-smoking, my fingers trembling uncontrollably.
Alvin, who stood behind me, tried to comfort me. "Alpha Derek, it's over."
Yeah, it was over.
It had been five hours and three minutes since I shot Tabitha.
Even after all that time, my hands were still trembling.
She was my mate, my Luna, the girl I swore to protect for the rest of my life. How could I do that to her?
"Alpha, don't beat yourself up. Elena's Beta Zack's baby girl and Randall's sister. In such a critical moment, you didn't have any better options," Alvin continued to console me.
I exhaled a puff of smoke, forcing a bitter smile as I murmured, "I shot Tabitha. I actually shot her. She'll never forgive me for this."
"Alpha Derek, Elena woke up," a nurse informed me.
I flicked the cigarette ash off my clothes and got up, heading towards Elena's ward.
As I saw how frail Elena was by her bed, I felt mixed feelings surging within.
Noticing me, she gave me a bright smile. "Alpha Derek, you came just in time. Thank you for saving me."
Her smile just doubled down on my guilt.