"Isn't it because I missed you? Tabitha, same as always tonight, okay?"
"Forget it. I've got a patient to tend to."
"What patient could be more important than me?" His voice carried a whine.
Derek ground his molars. "Same as always"—what on earth did that mean?
He'd steeled himself countless times for the possibility that Tabitha had moved on, but now, confronted with reality, he knew heartache like never before.
It mirrored the icy dread he'd felt when Tabitha had misunderstood him with Daphne years ago.
"God, I'm such an idiot," he cursed inwardly.
The thought of Tabitha in another man's arms sent rage and grief surging through him.
Hedwig's bell caught Jasper's attention. He'd been jogging toward them cheerfully but froze when he spotted the man beside her.
Pointing at Derek, he asked Tabitha, "Is this the patient you mentioned?"
"Long story," Tabitha said.
Judging by Tabitha's glance, Jasper dropped the matter. Derek knew he had to keep up appearances.
"Vanessa, we have guests?"
Jasper sneered, "Seems like I'm the guest here."
Pretending confusion, Derek said, "This gentleman seems hostile. Do we know each other?"
Tabitha cut in coldly, "You don't. What do you want?"
Hedwig gestured, prompting Tabitha to ask, "Eye pain?"
"Mm, it hurt after you left. I had Hedwig guide me here."
Tabitha frowned, "Follow me." After a few steps, she realized Derek couldn't see and returned to lead him to her room.
Jasper watched the two interact, a flash of malice crossing his eyes.
Once inside, Tabitha said, "Sit."
Derek sat as instructed, the bed creaking under his weight. Tabitha stood before him, carefully unwinding the bandages from his eyes. She wiped away residual medicine with a warm towel.
"Open your eyes."
Derek obeyed.
"Can you see light?" She waved a hand before his face.
Derek shook his head, "I can only see vague shapes, it's still very blurry." He was telling the truth—his vision was indeed hazy.
"Still hurts?"
"A little."
Tabitha administered another eye drop and soothed his eyes with her breath.
The cool medicinal liquid, mingled with her warm breath, brought a tingling sensation to Derek. The pain in his eyes subsided, and the throbbing in his temples eased as well.
But what struck him most was her proximity—the sound of her faint breathing, the lavender scent in her hair.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and his fingers clenched the sheet, nails digging in. He feared losing control, feared embracing her and pouring out four years of pent-up longing and regret.
Tabitha paused after a while. "Better?"
"Much. Thanks."
Relieved, Tabitha exhaled.
"Do I still need to go back to the cave?"
"Not tonight. Rest here. Your eyes need time. Don't wander—there are venomous creatures about."
Derek nodded, casually asking, "That guy… your husband?"
Tabitha scrutinized him for seconds that stretched into an eternity.
Had he been anyone else, she'd have suspected he was probing.
"You don't need to know. Rest well."
With that, she left, leaving Derek alone.
Jasper's "same as always" stung like a splinter in his heart.
Imagining Tabitha and Jasper together, Derek's fists clenched until the knuckles turned white.Spike's voice broke the silence. "Alpha Derek, need anything?"
Derek's eyes blazed with barely contained fury. "Dig up Jasper's last six months. Every move."
Spike sensed the intense aura surrounding Derek and quickly shut the door, kneeling close with a loyal undertone, "I'll handle it immediately."
Derek slid down the wall, sitting on the bed's edge, nails digging into his palms. The searing images—Tabitha smiling up at Jasper, their fingers brushing—tormented him.
"Stay calm," he warned himself, knuckles whitening with effort.
If Tabitha and Jasper were intimate, rash action would only drive her away. If their relationship was still ambiguous, premature hostility might alert Jasper. He had to tread carefully.