Third person's POV
Alpha Elliott wasn't feeling well. After sipping some herbal concoction prepared by the pack's doctor, he felt a bit better.
He thought to himself, Derek was not a greenhorn. He had always been experienced in such matters. Alpha Elliott trusted that Derek would find a way out.
But... every time Alpha Elliott closed his eyes, he could envision the scene of the sky filled with flames, a reminder of how powerless humans are in the face of such massive disasters.
It was like when an avalanche comes, and no amount of martial prowess can change the outcome.
The butler, noticing the fatigue on his face, quickly urged, "Alpha Elliott, don't worry too much. The fire at the site hasn't been extinguished yet, and there are harmful gases everywhere. Our people have already gone to look for Derek, and we'll have news soon."
Alpha Elliott leaned back in his rattan chair, hands resting on his forehead, "If Derek really met his end there, how would I face Erin in the future? I swore to the Moon Goddess that I would take good care of him."
The butler stood by, looking at the graying hair of Alpha Elliott. For a moment, he felt as if Alpha Elliott had truly aged.
He sighed, "Derek is a lucky man. He'll be fine."
***
Tabitha returned to her room in a daze. The moment she closed the door, she slid down against it.
She kept replaying Derek's every move in her mind, the deep affection in his eyes when he looked at her, the warmth of his embrace that enveloped her.
Her eyes felt a bit sore, and warm liquid splashed onto her arm.
Tabitha touched her cheek. Were those tears?
Her heart ached so much. Did she worry about Derek that much?
It was only at this moment that she realized Derek might be far more important to her than she had imagined.
The scariest part was that she was worried but couldn't do anything.
Tabitha felt like a trapped beast. She didn't know what had happened in the past, nor did she know where her enemies were.
This state of helplessness was overwhelming. She held her head, and her mind was all in a mess.
It shouldn't be like this. If the target was her, why involve others?
Where are you, Derek?
Tabitha dialed the number she knew by heart over and over again.
It was still unreachable. What should she do, and what could she do?
Tabitha opened her phone and found only a few contacts, and none of them were reachable now.
It seemed like she had everything, but upon reflection, Tabitha realized she had nothing.
She had no family, no friends. When Derek, who had always protected her, left her world, all she had was her own body.
She didn't want to cry, but the tears just wouldn't stop.
Was it just an illusion that she never loved Derek all along?
Had she actually fallen deeply in love with him?
Her phone on the ground suddenly rang. With tears streaming down her face, Tabitha answered immediately, "Mom, how is it going?"
From the other end of the line came the sound of howling wind. It was unclear where Andrea was, and her voice mingled with the strong wind.
"There's no news yet. Have you been crying?" Andrea's voice sounded icy.
Tabitha quickly wiped away her tears, "Mom, I'm very worried about Derek. Is there anything I can do?"
"Take care of yourself. If there's any news, I'll let you know. For now, no news is the best news, right?"
"Okay."
"You get some rest. I've got this." After comforting Tabitha, Andrea hung up the phone in a hurry.
At that moment, she was in a helicopter, overlooking the fire that had not yet been extinguished. The firelight illuminated the edge of the sea, casting a bright glow.