Chapter 252

　　Derek's POV 　　I led a group of elite shifters and landed on this deserted island. 　　Blood was pumping through my veins like crazy, and I had only one thought in my mind: "I gotta find Tabitha and stop her from donating her kidney!" 　　The island wasn't huge, and my crew had been through countless fights. 　　Thus, before long, we tracked down the OR. 　　I kicked the door open, and there was Tabitha with a fresh cut on her wrist. But fortunately, it wasn't too deep. So I wasn't so late after all. 　　So I wasn't so late after all. 　　"How dare you!" I roared, my eyes ablaze with rage. 　　Alvin and the other shifters charged into the room, their voices steady as rocks. "Drop the scalpel!" 　　Tabitha glared at me, her eyes filled with hatred. "What the hell are you doing here?" 　　I fumbled to stop her bleeding while answering, "To stop you from making a dumb mistake!" 　　As her mate, I could feel her pain as if it was my own. So I grimaced, too. 　　Soon, I carefully cleaned and bandaged the wound on her waist. 　　Without any hesitation, I scooped her up and stormed out, practically dragging her onto the helicopter in a totally rough way. 　　Tabitha struggled in my arms, yelling, "You bastard! Let me go!" 　　She scratched at me with her left hand while her right one hung limply. 　　I glanced at her, a deep sense of guilt washing over me. 　　I didn't stop her, just letting her leave bloody marks on my face, hoping it would make her feel better. 　　"Derek, let go of me! I don't wanna leave with you!" Her voice was rife with despair and anger. 　　I held her tighter, replying, "Tabitha, I won't let you go, absolutely not." 　　I felt torn inside, the thought of possibly never seeing her again ripping me apart. 　　Tabitha wouldn't stop wriggling, and due to my rough behavior, her wound opened up again. 　　Seeing her shirt soaked with blood, I felt like slapping myself across the face. 　　In the end, I had to pull the most low-down trick to calm her down. "If you keep moving, you'll never see your dad again!" 　　I knew it was dirty, but I'd do whatever it took for her. 　　Her body went still under my threat, and she stared at me in disbelief, her eyes filled with despair. "I've already become like this. Why won't you just let me go? If you hate me that much, just kill me for Elena!" 　　Watching tears stream down her cheeks, I felt a severe pang in my heart. "Tabitha, I don't want you dead. I want you to lead a comfy life. I won't hurt you again, I promise," I said as I dried her face. 　　She closed her eyes, refusing to listen to any of my explanations. I could tell she was disgusted, regretting ever falling for a guy like me who brought her nothing but pain. 　　I gently held her hand, whispering, "Sorry, that must hurt like hell." 　　Tabitha slowly opened her eyes, her gaze chilling me to the bone. "Derek, even if I'm on my deathbed, I'll end Elena! You can't protect her forever!" 　　I felt utterly helpless, as it was a conflict we couldn't reconcile. 　　I managed to talk some sense into her, "Tabitha, she's Zack's daughter after all." 　　I knew how plain and selfish that sounded, but I'd tried my best. 　　Then I promised, "Tabitha, I'll keep her in check from now on. I swear I won't let her hurt you again. The few wounds you gave her last time left her severely injured. She's in poor health now." 　　Tabitha didn't argue with me. She just stared coldly at me, her eyes devoid of warmth. "Derek, I don't know why you're wasting your breath. After all that happened, you don't think I'll forgive you and go back to how things were, do you?" 　　Realizing that I might've lost her trust and love forever, I felt devastated. "Tabitha, I didn't mean that. I just wanna make it up to you." 　　But her next words struck fear into my heart. "Make it up to me? How? By taking out my other hand as well?" she spat. 　　I knew I needed to do way more than just talk—I had to show her with my actions, prove my commitment, and show her that I loved and would protect her. 　　I had to make her realize that I wasn't the guy who solely brought her misfortune anymore. I would offer her safety and happiness.