Tabitha's POV
So, Lucian was a mercenary?
And what was the deal with all those weapons he was hiding on the island?
After Alvin quickly recounted what I had experienced, Derek rushed over to me.
"Are you hurt?"
I shook my head. "No, after I heard the bullet, I hid in another room. His goal was probably just to escort Elena out, so he didn't fire again."
"Those people might have laid something here in the house. Once they set it off, we wouldn't even have the time to escape.
"It's no longer safe here. Alvin, relocate Tabitha ASAP."
"It's all set, Alpha." Alvin then turned to me, "Let's go."
"I..."
"I know what you wanna say, Tabitha. We'll talk later. For now, I can only tell you that these people have a complicated background. If they are really after you, it will be tricky," Derek said with a serious tone.
"But don't worry. At least, for now, you're safe. Their main goal is getting Elena out of here. In the next couple of days, I'll find another safe place for you. Alvin, take Tabitha back."
Just as I was about to leave, I realized something odd: he had been hiding his hand behind his back all the time.
My gaze dropped to the carpet, only to find a pool of blood.
"You got hurt," I said.
Derek looked away. "It's nothing serious."
I yanked his hand out and saw a nasty cut from some sharp blade across his palm, from where blood was gushing out.
Noticing that, Alvin immediately exclaimed, "Doctor!"
"Alright, I'm fine. You should leave now," urged Derek.
I glanced at the wound in his palm, the image of him shooting my wrist that day floating into my mind. It stung at first, but soon, I regained my composure.
What did his injury have to do with me?
He was like a stranger to me now.
My wolf reminded me, "Don't go soft. Don't give him any chance to hurt you ever again."
I nodded, walking away decisively without looking back.
Derek's POV
Eyeing my injured hand, Rolf turned to Alvin. "Look, that's quite serious, yet Tabitha showed no concern. Back in the day, she was always worried about Alpha Derek. A mild cold, a headache, or even a sting of the mosquito would freak her out. Yet now? She just left without saying anything."
Alvin sighed, "Yeah, exactly. She's changed a lot. Looks like she's..."
Rolf chimed in, "She's over Alpha now."
As I listened to their conversation, I couldn't help but feel bitter.
My fists clenched as I ordered, word by word, "Send her away. Ensure her safety at any cost."
Rolf heaved a sigh. "Got it. But what are you going to do about your wedding tomorrow?"
"Nothing more than the planned. I'm not their target anyway."
Daphne was already maimed, and it was more than easy to kill her, yet she was still alive. That only meant she had no value anymore.
As for Elena, despite lurking around me disguised as a cleaning lady, she never showed any intention to harm me.
Every scheme was related to the Silver Moon Pack. That was to say, John and Tabitha were the targets rather than me.
I hid Tabitha and John well recently. They never showed up in public, so no one could track them down.
Looked like I gotta find her a secure hideout ASAP so that she and the babies would not be in any danger.
I casually wrapped my palm with gauze and said, "Let's go in and take a look at her room."
Then, I took out the bullet lodged in the wardrobe. "Take it back for analysis and testing."
"Got it," replied Alvin.
The room still looked just like it did before Elena left, with everything neatly arranged except for the bed.
I sat on the edge of it, thinking about my conversations with Elena these days. I'd tried talking to her, even mentioning our shared childhood memories.
Yet no matter how hard I tried, she remained untouched, seldom saying anything as if I wasn't even there.
Rome wasn't built in a day. Given how much pain she'd been through both physically and emotionally, I wanted to take it slow.
I held the illusion that one day, I would break through those walls she'd built up around herself and make her open up to me. Yet, I overestimated myself.
Finally, my mind drifted to the part when she left. She told me in a cold, raspy voice, her silhouette stubborn, "I can't go back. Just leave. I don't wanna hurt you. Just pretend I've never existed."