Tabitha's POV
I picked up dead branches and dried firewood quickly. Suddenly, I felt a churn in my stomach.
"What's wrong?" Lucian, who was gutting the fish, strode toward me.
He squatted on the ground and looked at me.
I retched a bit was all. Stroking my stomach, I said awkwardly, "Nothing. I'm just feeling a bit uncomfortable."
"Does it hurt a lot?"
A drop of water fell on my cheek. I looked up into Lucian's concerned eyes beneath the mask.
Water droplets kept dripping down along his hair ends.
Only then did I suddenly realize that I was almost entirely held in his arms.
I felt myself surrounded by the heat of his body mixed with steam, and somehow, things got weird.
Even though we didn't touch physically, being so close to him made me a bit uneasy.
Seemed he realized the same thing. He stepped away at once.
After that, I said, "No. I'm just feeling a bit nauseous."
On this small island, words traveled quickly.
Knowing that I was under the weather, Julia came to my cabin to check on me. "What's wrong, Tabitha? Are you sick?"
I shook my head.
"I'll go fix something light for you. Lucian, why don't you go to the nearby islands and get her some milk?"
"I'll join you, Lucian." Aiden wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and went out together with Lucian.
Lucian left hurriedly with the noisy Aiden. Julia held my hand and said, "Don't worry. The islands nearby may not be particularly rich in resources, but we can always manage to get some supplies."
I looked at the sky. It was a fine and warm day with a gentle sea breeze, yet I was inexplicably very uneasy, overwhelmed by my instincts that something big was about to happen.
The cherry tree on the hillside had already had some flower buds and would bloom in a few days.
Noah said that when the sea breeze blew, the entire island would be surrounded by cherry blossoms.
And those moonlit nights would be even more romantic. Hanging a small lamp under the cherry tree while enjoying the moon was a scene to remember.
I fantasized about how great it would be all day long. Yet now, I wasn't in the mood at all.
I closed my eyes, trying to find some peace in my mind.
Just then, Crystal talked to me, her voice calm and profound, "You're uneasy, Tabitha."
"I don't know how to explain, Crystal," I responded. "I just have a bad feeling. It's like dark clouds are looming over my head, and I can't even breathe."
"Trust your instincts." Crystal's voice was full of wisdom. "There's often more to them than meets the eye. And prepare for the storm that may come, whether it comes from nature or from deep within."
I took a deep breath and then opened my eyes.
Julia made me some soup. She blew on it before handing it to me.
"Eat it while it's warm. Having a kid or not, your body always comes first. I know you may not have any appetite, but just eat some, OK?"
"Thanks, Julia." I took a few sips, still nervous as hell.
In the next second, I heard the sounds of helicopter propellers circling in the sky.
Apparently, Noah noticed the helicopters, too. "Tabitha, look! There're so many helicopters."
My heart skipped a beat, and the plate in my hand fell to the floor.
I muttered while holding the door frame, "He's here. He's here..."
Though I spent some peaceful time here, a voice inside me was always telling me that this day would come sooner or later.
Noah grabbed my hand and ran into the woods without hesitation.
"Chill, Tabitha. They're here. So what? They can't say for sure that you're here, right? Hide. We've already talked to everyone. No one's gonna give you away. I'm sure they'll leave after finding nothing."
He kept soothing me, but I was even more uneasy.
It was Derek, the man who hated unexpected appearances the most.
If he had been looking for me, he could have dispersed the helicopters to the surrounding islands, which would have saved him more time. However, those helicopters came here at the same time.
It meant he was confident to find me here. If I hid, would I cause trouble to those werewolves here?
While I was struggling, the helicopters hovering in the sky had found the landing spot.
"Stop looking, Tabitha. Go hide in the mountains. Don't worry. They won't find you here."
I hid in the cabin and took out the binoculars to observe the situation.
The unexpected appearance of those helicopters attracted everyone's attention. The helicopters landed one after another on a relatively flat ground.
The cabin doors opened. Alvin and Rolf, wearing sunglasses, stepped out of one of the helicopters and checked out the surroundings, and then the pack guards showed up in neat rows.
Alvin stayed by the cabin door after he was certain there was no danger around.
My heart sank. Was Derek here?
While I was worrying, in the next second, I saw a small, tender hand reaching out from the cabin door.
Then I saw Derek. He was tall and slender in a black wool coat, and in his arms was Kyrian in a black and white puppy jumpsuit.
I finally knew why Derek was so certain that he could find me here.
Although Kyrian couldn't speak, he wasn't stupid. He had lived here for a week, and of course, he was familiar with here!
In fact, Derek didn't have to waste his time searching those islands one after another at all. All he had to do was find the island that stirred Kyrian the most.
For example, Kyrian was excitedly waving his arms and legs before getting off the helicopter while shouting non-stop.
It was the most solid proof that I was here.