John's POV
I paced around for a while but didn't see Derek anywhere. And there were no signs of Mark and Holly, either.
As far as I knew, Daphne was Mark's only daughter. How could he not show up when she was getting married today?
I spotted Alpha Justin, though. He looked like he'd aged ten years overnight, and there wasn't a hint of joy on his face. Everything felt off.
After wandering around for a bit, I started feeling worn out. Just when I was about to find a spot to chill for a minute, I heard a woman's voice from the lounge area nearby.
"Daphne, do you think Tabitha will show up?"
The mentioning of Tabitha's name caught my attention.
I followed the direction of the voice, only to find a woman sitting in a wheelchair wearing her wedding dress. She looked just like the bride on the huge poster at the entrance.
So this was the girl Derek was marrying?
How come she would be in a wheelchair? Was she paralyzed?
At first, I had prepared to curse her for being a mistress, but when I saw her confined to a wheelchair, my anger lessened a bit.
Maybe things weren't what they seemed. Could there be any misunderstanding?
I wasn't gonna go after some young girl just like that. So I decided to wait until Derek showed up to get the full scoop.
Daphne looked visibly unwell, and when Tabitha's name was mentioned, she gritted her teeth in rage. "Whether she comes or not, it won't change anything. Lyrique, remember, I'm the rightful Luna of the Black Thorn Pack now."
"Yeah, she and Derek are over," the girl called Lyrique echoed.
Daphne gripped the armrests of her wheelchair tightly, her face twisted with fury. "That little tramp! How dare she tryna seduce Derek after they have rejected each other? I won't let her get away with it!"
"Daphne, chill out. Anyway, Alpha Derek is marrying you, not her. You won. What you need to do now is to rest more and recover as soon as possible. In this way, your parents can rest in peace knowing that you are doing well."
Just as I was about to step in and teach Daphne a lesson on how to be respectful, I heard something that chilled me to the core.
The words "your parents can rest in peace" made my blood run cold.
"What did you just say?" I pressed.
Lyrique and Daphne turned their heads towards me.
Daphne narrowed her eyes as if wondering who I was.
I knew that I looked pretty plain and disheveled, not like an Alpha of a pack at all.
They noticed the mud caked on my shoes and wrinkled their noses like I was a piece of trash.
"Who are you?" asked Lyrique.
I was so emotional that even my voice was trembling. "W-what did you just say about her parents?" I stammered.
"Who let this lowly creature in here? How dare you talk to me like that?" Lyrique shot me a dirty look.
She clearly didn't want to elaborate.
But I had to confirm the news.
Thus, I hurried over to Daphne. My gait felt a bit off, definitely not normal compared to everyone else because I had been in a coma for too long.
Daphne knitted her brows, staring at me quietly.
When I finally reached her side, I asked in a serious tone, "What happened to your mother?"
Hearing my question, she burst into tears. "What does my mom have to do with you? Where did you even come from? How come the guards would let you in here? Get the hell out!"
But I pressed on stubbornly and turned back to Lyrique, "What do you mean by 'rest in peace' just now?"
"Why do you ask? Are you a fool or you're just looking for trouble? Mrs. Sutton passed away two months ago. Are you doing this on purpose just to hurt Daphne?" she spat, glaring at me.