Tabitha's POV
I felt I had sunk into a deep ocean, my mind bobbing in and out of the water.
This surreal feeling got me confused. I didn't even know if I was in a dream or reality.
I lost the remote to my own body—caught up in the chilly seawater one sec, the next basking in some cozy sunbeams.
Amidst this chaos, I caught sight of a blurry figure. It was my wolf, Crystal, treading all slow and heavy like she was trying to lead me somewhere.
Sensing her weariness and pain, I was devastated.
I wanted to catch up, to comfort her a bit, but no matter how hard I tried, I could only stagger on, my legs feeling like lead.
"Crystal," I called out in my heart.
But she didn't even turn her head.
Just as I was about to drop to my knees in this never-ending dream, a soft glow lit up before me.
Then, a beautiful lady in a white dress walked out.
She looked so kind, her eyes brimming with empathy and wisdom.
Though I had never seen her, I knew she was the Moon Goddess, the guardian of werewolves.
She fixed me with a sympathetic gaze, saying, "Tabitha, your child didn't leave you."
"Dear Moon Goddess, you mean... my baby's still alive?" I couldn't help exclaiming.
My heart started pounding because of the news, a wild strength pumping through me.
I felt that I was powering back up.
The Moon Goddess gave no reply, just cracking a smile.
With a wave of her hand, a brown wolf pup ran out from behind her.
Its eyes were clear and bright, brimming with life and buzz.
It hopped over to me, rubbing its furry body against me as if telling me to give it a hug.
I scooped it up in my arms, feeling its warm body and rapid breath, my tears streaming down my face before I realized it.
"Is this really my pup? It's alive?" I asked while looking up at the Moon Goddess.
She didn't answer me, either, only beaming a warm smile at me.
Then, her figure faded away.
The pup was still squirming and wriggling in my arms, sharing its joy and excitement with me by softly licking my cheek.
I stroke its fur again and again to convince myself it was real, my heart loaded with feelings I could hardly explain.
But before I could savor the joy, the pup suddenly jumped out of my arms and ran forward.
Panicked, I reached out to stop it. But my effort ended in vain.
In despair, I snapped awake, only to find myself lying on the cold hospital bed. Turned out everything just now was nothing but a dream.
Just then, I felt a child in my arms, the exact same feeling I got in my dream. 'So what happened just now was real? Or I'm still dreaming?' I wondered inwardly. Then, I pinched my thigh. Grimacing from the pain, I finally confirmed that I did wake up.
Thrilled, I sat up from the bed, hoisting the kid up.
"Sweetie, you really came back?" I exclaimed as I looked closer. Then, I saw a familiar chubby face—Kyrian.
He was looking at me with his big eyes, his saliva about to dribble onto my face.
Suddenly, a big hand swooped in, wiping the drool with a tissue.
Startled, I cocked my head and met Derek's gaze.
I froze on the spot, thinking, 'No way. Since when did Derek get so gentle? Man, am I dead or somethin'?'
Instinctively, I muttered the last sentence out loud.
Hearing my question, Derek asked coldly with a frown, "You're that eager to die?"
"Yeah, then I'll be relieved," I replied as I pinched Kyrian's squishy cheek, my heart melting because of the softness. "It'll even bring me to my baby. So why not?"
I lay back down on the bed, and Kyrian kept climbing onto me, drooling and babbling "Mommy."
The word brought a lump to my throat, tears welling up in my eyes.
Although Kyrian was Daphne's child, I couldn't bring myself to loathe him.
His affection towards me reminded me of that brown wolf pup.
As a toddler, Kyrian could only speak a few simple words. And I'd never heard him call Daphne Mommy.
But strangely, he had called me that more than once.
I couldn't help holding him tight in my arms like he was the baby I once carried.
He wrapped his little arms around my neck, his chubby face rubbing against mine as if trying to comfort me.
I could no longer hold back my tears. "How I wish you were my child," I sobbed.
Kyrian smiled and murmured, "Mommy."
Then, his saliva dripping on my neck snapped me back to reality.
I turned around, and there was Derek, standing right next to my bed, his face deadpan as usual. There was a hit of worry in his eyes, something I had never seen for quite some time. 'That's new,' I thought to myself.
"How are you feeling? Any discomfort?" he asked.
Meeting Derek's gaze, I tried my best to regain my composure. I didn't want him to see me in this sorry state.
Recalling how he tied me up for punishment before I passed out, I let out a bitter laugh.
"Shame that I'm still alive," I sneered.