Tabitha's POV
My gut-wrenching wails echoed through the whole villa.
Spike ran over here as fast as he could after taking out a guy who bolted from my room, but he was still too late.
When he saw the blood gushing from Joanna's chest, he howled in pain.
Yet, being professionally trained, he couldn't stop his mission however devastated he felt.
Seeing Austin totally unscathed, Spike lunged at him, and they were locked in a brutal brawl.
I dropped my gun, my head buzzing like crazy, and everything around me blurred into a sea of red.
Joanna weakly collapsed beside me, blood slowly soaking into the bracelet on her wrist.
The pendant that I once praised was now stained crimson, lying forever on the ground with her.
I knelt there, tears streaming down my face like a waterfall. I wanted to press my hands against her wound, but blood kept pouring out uncontrollably.
"Joanna, hang in there! The doctor is coming!
"Joanna, please stay with me. You gotta live! You have to be okay!
"You'd promised you would take care of my pups once I gave birth, and we agreed to travel around the world. You can't leave me now!
"Joanna..." I fumbled to wipe away my tears, completely unaware that the blood on my hands had stained my face.
"Tabitha! Get outta here! It's not safe!" a werewolf guard's voice came, but all I could think about was Joanna.
"Where's the doctor? Get someone over here!"
"She's gone, Tabitha. We can't stay here any longer. Let's go."
More and more assassins were flooding in as gunfire erupted around us. One of the werewolf guards called Spencer piped up, "Tabitha, sorry, but I have to do this."
He bent down and lifted me up in his arms.
"Joanna..."
Joanna was looking in the direction I was leaving before she died, her eyes locked onto mine.
Tears mixed with blood blurred my vision. How could I leave Joanna behind like this? She'd be cold and scared.
The babies in my belly were also awakened by the chaos, constantly tumbling and turning inside me.
Slowly, I regained my sanity. I still had my pups!
Joanna sacrificed her life to protect me and my pups. I couldn't let her die for nothing!
So I stopped struggling and let Spencer carry me as fast as he could.
Once the war started, there was no turning back.
Explosions and gunshots blasted around us while Spencer who was holding me in his arms kept running without looking back. A couple of guys followed close behind us for protection.
Someone held an umbrella over me. Yet, it was a downpour and Spencer ran too fast. So the slanting raindrops still soaked through me.
I was only wearing a thin nightgown. Being blown by the wind and drenched by the rain, I shivered uncontrollably.
I wasn't sure if it was from cold or pure emotional overload.
"Don't be afraid, Tabitha. We're almost there." I was put into an armored SUV that had been modified for safety. Alice and the driver were already set to get us outta here.
"Tabitha, sit tight!"
Gunshots rang out behind me, and I wanted to turn around and take a look. However, Alice wrapped a blanket around me tightly while holding me close, saying, "Don't look back! Just focus ahead!"
I knew there would definitely be casualties, and a deep sense of guilt washed over me.
These people had been by my side for nearly half a year, and each one of them became familiar with me.
Some were barely older than me, feeling like my siblings in some ways.
But now, they were fighting for my sake. Tears silently streamed down my face as I clutched Alice's arm with both hands.
Joanna's face before she died flashed repeatedly in front of my eyes.
"Tabitha, calm down and stop crying! You can't get too emotional, or it'll trigger premature labor. You're only six months along! If you go into early labor now, there's a fat chance the pups will survive. For the sake of them, you must stay strong!"
I was devastated as I whispered in my heart, 'Joanna, may you rest in peace in the embrace of the Moon Goddess.'