Chapter 269

　　Tabitha's POV 　　Gloria came rushing over, breathing heavily, and shoved the folic acid into my hands. "Don't forget to put this into the vitamin bottle." 　　I gratefully accepted it, feeling touched by her thoughtfulness. "Thanks," I murmured. 　　"C'mon, we're BFF. You better deliver a healthy baby." She patted my shoulder, her voice bubbling with excitement for the new life on the way. 　　I nodded, yet suddenly felt a bit worried. "Did anyone see it?" I asked. 　　"Chill, I'm quick on my feet. This packaging is colorful and misleading. Alpha Leopold hasn't even found his mate yet. I guess he has no idea what this is," she confidently replied. 　　I didn't have much of an impression of that guy, so I guessed he didn't know Derek. Finally, I breathed a sigh of relief. 　　"Good. Don't always work overtime. Remember to have some rest," I reminded her. 　　"Sure, you gotta take good care of yourself too. Once I'm on break, I'll swing by to see you. If you need anything, just give me a call. Don't worry about bothering me. I'll always have your back," she said, making me feel touched. 　　"Okay," I replied briefly, sharing a smile with her as I put the folic acid into the vitamin bottle and left the hospital. 　　Thinking about my unborn pup, I couldn't help smiling. 　　Even the sky outside looked brighter to me. 　　I bought some pastries and juice that I liked on the street, feeling cheerful as I headed home. 　　While enjoying the food, I whispered to my unborn baby, "Hey, little one, this is my favorite juice. Do you like it? 　　"And this mousse cake is amazing too. When you come to this world, I'll buy it for you. 　　"Are you a boy or a girl? Will you hate sweet stuff?" 　　My mind was buzzing with anticipation for the future. 　　I was feeling a bit queasy before, but snagging some sweets really helped settle that down. 　　Seemed my pup's taste was quite similar to mine, as I didn't feel nauseous at all. 　　Lying in bed, the more I thought about it, the more I pictured this cute little pup with a sweet smile. 　　I even started to feel like it was worthwhile to live in this world. 　　Just then, a cold voice snapped me back to reality. "What's so funny? You look way too happy." 　　I shivered uncontrollably. Just now, I was so immersed in my own fantasy that I didn't even notice Derek approaching. 　　I hadn't even had the chance to wipe the smile off my face. 　　I glanced at him, feeling a bit guilty even though he should be the one feeling that way. 　　"What's it to you? Am I not allowed to smile now?" I retorted, with my usual stubbornness in my tone. 　　I didn't know if I was being paranoid, but I felt like Derek's gaze towards me had become more inquisitive. 　　"Where did you go today?" he asked. 　　I was even angrier because of his question. "Didn't you send pack guards to keep an eye on me? Why don't you ask them? Why do you have to question me? And why should I tell you? Do I not even have the right to go out? You shouldn't have broken my hand. You should have broken my legs so that I can never leave the house for the rest of my life!" 　　I was so pissed. 　　In the past, if I spoke like this, Derek would have tried to calm me down, but this time, he simply replied, "I'd love to, actually." 　　I froze, looking up at Derek, only to meet his cold and possessive stare, like a predator was eyeing its prey. 　　I got chills running down my spine. An uneasy feeling began to spread in my chest. 　　"Crystal, does he sense something?" I couldn't help but ask my wolf in my mind. 　　"I don't know. Ever since I shut down Leo's advances, it's been ages since he reached out to me," Crystal responded. 　　I took a step back. 　　Then I snapped, "Well, suit yourself. After all, it's not the first time you've hurt me." 　　I tried to steady myself, responding to him with the same attitude I used to.