Tabitha's POV
Derek stopped right in front of me, reaching out his hand, whispering, "Come on, be a good girl and follow me."
He sounded so gentle like he was trying to calm a child, but it sent chills down my spine.
Even Joanna sensed that something was wrong and instinctively stood in front of me.
"Alpha Derek, Ms. Hartley has finished her check-up. Let me take her back," she said.
Derek finally shifted his gaze from my face to Joanna's, snapping, "Fuck off."
Obviously, he was pissed. I didn't want to drag Joanna into this mess, so I shook my head at her.
"Just wait for me at the entrance. I need to talk to him."
She looked between me and Derek and then waved her hand before leaving.
Now that just the two of us remained in the hallway, I hurriedly spoke up, "Derek, let's talk about my pups."
He stared at me icily before uttering a chilling sentence, "You're not gonna tell me they are mine, are you?"
"But that's the truth. Don't you remember that day when you had a fever, we..."
Derek scoffed, a mocking smirk creeping across his face.
He lifted my chin with his fingers, remarking, "Tabitha, you could've at least made your lie a little more convincing. Do you think I won't remember it if we had sex?"
I grew anxious, my face turning bright red in embarrassment. "You jerk, didn't you feel anything? It was you who..."
Derek pondered for a moment before snorting.
"Tabitha, do you think I would buy your lies? Using my fever to cover up your betrayal? Tabitha, I'm truly disappointed in you."
I was so anxious that I licked my dry lips. I knew I couldn't afford to argue with him right now. I needed to clear up the misunderstanding as soon as possible.
"Just hear me out. I promised you that in this lifetime, I wouldn't be with anyone but you. Even though I hate you, I would never sleep around. Can you have a little trust in me?"
Derek's fingers brushed softly against my cheek and then slid behind my neck, gently pulling me into his embrace.
In a blink, I found myself wrapped up in his arms.
He whispered softly in my ear, "Tabitha, you also promised to stay in Seattle, but time and time again, you plotted to run away. I wanted to trust you. But how am I supposed to do that when you're carrying someone else's pups?"
I wanted to wriggle free, but he held my waist with his other hand.
Immediately, his scent filled my nose, something I used to love most and find comforting.
Yet now, it just made me all the more terrified. His arms felt like the most dangerous place in the world.
"No, it's not like that. Derek, believe me, they are your pups indeed!"
I was on the verge of tears. "I wanted to keep it from you because I didn't want anything to do with you anymore. I planned to sneak away and give birth, never letting you know about their existence. That's all.
"You're the father. The doctor said we are gonna have twins. Derek, let's not take our hate out on the babies, okay? Whether you believe it or not, they are innocent lives. You know I long for having my own kids more than anyone else. My hand's already maimed. Please let me be, let my kids be, okay?"
Derek's expression remained unchanged. "Tabitha, then what about me? Have you considered my feelings at all?"
"Then just kill me," I said in utter despair.
My words ticked him off, and he started unleashing his Alpha aura.
The immense pressure sent my wolf into a frenzy.