Tabitha's POV
I know very well that crying was bad for my pups. Yet, after everything that just went down, how could I possibly chill out?
Alice was patting my back, trying to calm me down while saying softly, "Don't worry. John's been transferred, and he's fine. You're fine too, and that's a stroke of luck."
A stroke of luck? But I just lost a good friend!
The car was zooming down the mountain. At this speed, we'd hit the highway in a dozen minutes.
The rain was pouring like crazy. The wipers were working overtime, but still, it couldn't keep up with the deluge.
The fog in the mountains was thick as soup, and with such heavy rain and strong winds, driving was a total nightmare.
Everyone's heart was racing. Even my pups had been kicking up a storm in my belly for a while now.
I repeatedly rubbed my belly to soothe them, whispering through my tears, "Pups, you have to be good. Don't make a fuss. I'm here. I'll protect you."
Under my constant persuasion, they seemed to really get it, stopping making a fuss. My belly finally settled.
Alice let out a sigh, saying, "Tabitha, don't worry. We'll be going down the mountain in a few minutes, and then we can..."
Before she could finish her words, a glaring high beam suddenly lit up the night as a massive truck came barreling around the bend.
There was no time to dodge right now. Those assassins had already had it all planned out.
We were getting sandwiched, and there was no way out.
Alice shouted as she firmly held onto me, preventing any impact.
The sound of screeching brakes echoed on the mountain road. If we crashed into the truck, that SUV would be toast.
Even if it didn't, with such an impact, my pups would die in my belly.
In the worst-case scenario, I would be gone too.
With how fast we were going and the slick roads from the rain, this sudden brake made the steering wheel malfunction. So the SUV shot right over the guardrail.
Damn it! Just when I thought the day couldn't get any worse!
The sea was right below us. If the car fell into the sea, all of us inside would undoubtedly die!
My body tilted sideways due to inertia, but even at this moment, Alice refused to give up on me.
She shielded me with her body, firmly preventing my belly from being hit.
With a loud bang, the SUV plunged into the sea.
Luckily, Spencer, who had undergone professional training, shifted and opened the car door mid-air.
If we sank underwater, it would be impossible to push open the car door due to the immense resistance.
Spencer tightly held onto the handrail, preventing himself from falling into the sea.
As the SUV slowly sank beneath the waves, he quickly swam to the back seat and brought me out.
Alice, being a good swimmer and an excellent pack doctor, kept calm under pressure and followed us out.
I could only move one arm, so Spencer told me to wrap it around his neck.
I wasn't a fool. I knew panicking wouldn't help right now. So I kept calm and tried not to make things harder for anyone else.
As long as I didn't flail around and relaxed my body, I wouldn't sink further below water.
After holding my breath for about half a minute, I finally broke the surface thanks to Spencer pulling me up.
I gasped greedily for fresh air like I hadn't breathed in ages.
"Tabitha, hang in there. Just three more minutes until we reach shore!"
"Okay." My belly had already started to ache, and I was freaking out. But I knew panicking wouldn't do any good to me or my pups, so I forced myself to stay calm.
Three minutes. I just needed to hold on for three minutes.
As pain shot through my lower belly more intensely with each second, I bit down hard on my lip, trying not to scream.
"Tabitha, what's wrong?" asked Spencer.
"I think ... my water broke!"
Crystal was on pins and needles in my heart, muttering, "You must hold on, girl."