Tabitha's POV
Standing in front of Noah's painting, I could feel his unpolished spirit strongly.
In the past, he could already create stunning works using black and white only.
And now, the addition of colors enhanced his work even greatly.
Staring at his painting, I felt relieved and happy.
"It's perfect," I said. Then I encouraged him, "Given more opportunities to learn, I'm sure you're gonna be something."
Noah lifted his head, his eyes sparkling.
"I learn from the best, Tabitha. You'll stay here, right?"
Feeling bitter, I answered hesitantly, "Yeah."
Actually, I had no idea how long I could stay here.
Derek's shadow and the unknown risks hung over my head like a sword that might fall at any moment.
Noah said with concern, "Tabitha, you look terrible. And you've been moping these days. Are you worried about Kyrian?"
Shaking my head gently, I said, "Not at all. Why should I? He eats well and sleeps well, and there are a bunch of people serving him every day."
Nothing happened in the following days, and there were no intruders at all.
Gradually, I was slightly relieved.
The island was hidden in the middle of the sea. It wasn't even on any map.
At least it would take Derek sometime before he found me.
I found meaning here. Every day, I taught the kids to read and Noah to paint, and occasionally, I would mend fishing nets with Julia.
The werewolf elders on the island often mended fishing nets, which was part of my learning.
Lucian often went out fishing with the people from the village. Sometimes it would take them days before going back.
Their boats were always filled with all kinds of fish every time.
In the glow of the setting sun, I noticed something wrong with his hand.
"You're hurt?" I asked nervously.
He subconsciously hid his hand behind his back, his voice deep. "I'm fine."
I didn't buy it. I pulled his hand in front of me.
He was a werewolf. Thanks to his great self-healing ability, he recovered faster than the ordinary.
But this time, the injury to his hand seemed worse than usual.
Seeing the wound on his palm, I was very upset. "It looks serious. How could you be fine?
"Come with me." I took out the first aid kit I had prepared.
Under the setting sun, we sat by the door, and I patiently bandaged his wound.
The golden light shone on his mask, adding a touch of warmth to him.
I reminded him in a soft voice, "Even werewolves should keep their wounds clean. We don't want any infection, right?"
Lucian nodded. "I know."
I keenly noticed a note of unease in his voice, which was rare.
"Be more careful." I put away the first aid kit and realized he was still staring at the bandaged wound. "What's wrong? I did something wrong?"
"No. Not at all." Lucian raised his head. The setting sun made his eyes shine warmly, and he sounded gentle somehow. "No one's ever bandaged for me before you."
I looked away in silence, my heart mixed with complex feelings.
Suddenly, he grabbed my hand.
"What are you doing?" I asked, surprised.
"I want you to have something in return."
He pulled me into a tree house in the woods where Noah had brought me a few days earlier.
He swept away the fallen leaves and led me into an underground secret base.
The underground was pitch black, but we were werewolves, so we could see clearly even in the darkness thanks to our night vision.
Still, Lucian lit the oil lamp, and the gentle light instantly illuminated the entire base.
Perhaps he wanted me to be in a familiar and comforting environment.
I was shocked when I saw the weapons hanging on the wall. "These are all yours?"
He nodded and then put a small pistol in my hand.
"It's a world full of unknowns. You've gotta protect yourself."
Taking the pistol, I felt its weight and potential power.
Lucian noticed that my hand gripping the handle was trembling slightly. "No need to be nervous, Tabitha. It's not gonna hurt you. It's here for your protection."
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. "I know. I'm just not used to it yet."
Lucian nodded in understanding and then began to teach me how to hold it and use it correctly.
"You have to know it before you shoot, or you might get hurt."
I was puzzled. "We're werewolves. Why do we need to practice shooting? We have superhuman strength and speed, right?"
He put the pistol down and glanced at me deeply.
Then he said, "Tabitha, while we're superior in many ways, there are certain enemies that even werewolves are hard to fight. Besides, in some cases, firearms can provide advantages that we don't have."
I nodded and started to study earnestly.
Soon, I learned how to disassemble and assemble. Seeing that, he was surprised.
"Impressive, Tabitha. Good job. Now, time for some practical training."
He took me to the shooting range. "See that bullseye? Aim and pull the trigger."