Chapter 8
1202 Words
Bella stared at the sterile report in her hands, the healer’s words from the previous night still ringing in her ears.
She had returned to the healing center early the next morning under the pretense of checking on Elias, but the head healer had pulled her aside instead.
“There’s an anomaly in your bloodwork from two nights ago, Luna Isabella. It’s faint—barely detectable—but it carries traces of an ancient lunar signature. Not common in adopted bloodlines. We’ll need more tests to be sure.”
Bella’s fingers trembled slightly as she folded the paper. Ancient lunar signature? She had always been told her birth parents were ordinary wolves from a minor pack. The switched-at-birth story with Serena had explained some gaps, but this… this felt like another layer of lies unraveling.
“Could it be related to Elias’s condition?” she asked quietly.
The healer hesitated. “Possibly. His affliction involves unstable moon essence. Your sample reacted strangely when cross-checked. We’ll run compatibility panels discreetly.”
Bella nodded, mind racing. If she carried something that could help the boy, would that change anything? Or would it just make her more valuable as a “blood bag,” as Luna Helena had coldly implied?
She pushed the thoughts aside and entered Elias’s ward. The boy was sitting up, color slightly better in his cheeks. “Seventh Sister! You look tired. Did Brother Damien keep you up fighting again?”
“Something like that,” Bella murmured, forcing a smile as she adjusted his pillows. “How are you feeling today?”
“Better when you’re here.” Elias grabbed her hand.
“Promise you won’t leave the pack forever? Even if you divorce Brother, you can still be my sister, right? Mom and the elders are acting weird lately. They keep whispering about ‘securing the bloodline’ and looking at old scrolls.”
Bella’s heart clenched. She brushed his hair back gently. “I’ll always be here for you, little moon. No matter what.”
At that moment, the door clicked open. Damien entered, his powerful presence instantly filling the room. His obsidian eyes scanned Bella from head to toe, lingering on the faint shadows under her eyes and the way she favored her injured foot. For a split second, something almost like regret flickered across his face before the mask of cold authority returned. She wondered inwardly, why was he always visiting when she was as well visiting?
“Elias,” he said gruffly, but his gaze stayed on Bella. “The healers say you need rest. No more secret phone calls.”
Elias pouted. “But Seventh Sister needs someone to fight for her! You’re too slow, Brother.”
Damien ignored the jab and stepped closer to Bella. The air between them crackled with unresolved tension—pine, moonlight, and the ghost of their last explosive encounter. “We need to talk. Privately.”
Bella stiffened. “There’s nothing left to say, Alpha. The papers are ready. Sign them, and we can both move on.”
His jaw tightened. Before he could respond, Serena’s voice floated in from the hallway, sweet and concerned.
“Damien? I brought some nourishing broth for Elias. The pup needs me to stay calm, so I thought a family visit…”
She entered carrying a tray, her smile faltering slightly at the sight of Bella. The moonstone collar gleamed on her wrist like a taunt. “Sister Bella, you’re here again. How devoted. But shouldn’t you be resting after… everything?”
The implication hung heavy. Bella felt nauseous again—the same wave from the other night. She pressed a hand to her stomach instinctively.
Damien noticed. His eyes narrowed. “Isabella?”
“It’s nothing,” she said quickly, stepping back. “I should go. Ethan mentioned new treatment options for my brother. I need to review them.”
At the mention of Ethan’s name, Damien’s aura surged violently. The room’s temperature seemed to drop. “Stormfang is getting bold. Interfering in Blackwood matters.”
“He’s helping,” Bella shot back, voice steady despite the fear and exhaustion. “Unlike some who only take.”
Serena placed a gentle hand on Damien’s arm. “Darling, don’t strain yourself. The healers said stress isn’t good for the pup as well you.”
Elias’s eyes widened. “Pup? Brother, is Aunty Serena having a baby? What about Seventh Sister?”
The innocent question sliced through the tension like a claw. Bella turned away, unable to watch Damien’s reaction. She murmured a quick goodbye to Elias and slipped out, ignoring Damien’s commanding call of her name.
Later that afternoon, Bella met Ethan at a quiet café near the dance conservatory. He slid a folder across the table, his expression warm and reassuring.
“The Celestial Troupe confirmed your audition slot. Your lunar dance reels impressed them—especially the one from last year’s solstice performance. As for your brother… the new protocol has a 40% higher success rate for waking vegetative patients. My pack’s resources are at your disposal, no strings attached.”
Bella traced the edge of the folder. “Why are you doing all this, Ethan?”
He leaned forward, silver glasses catching the light. “Because…I-I kinda see you, Bella. Not as a discarded Luna or a scandal…but as a brilliant, resilient wolf who deserves her own destiny. When you’re ready, Stormfang would welcome you with open arms.”
The offer was tempting—safety, respect, a chance to breathe. But her wolf stirred uneasily, still tethered to the Blackwood bond she had never fully completed. Before she could reply, her phone buzzed. Unknown number again. She answered cautiously.
“Luna Isabella? This is Healer Prime. The additional tests… the lunar signature in your blood. It’s not just ancient. It’s showing early signs of a mating bond resonance. Extremely rare. We need to speak immediately.”
Bella’s breath caught. Mating bond resonance? With whom? Damien had always insisted their bond was forced and incomplete.
Across town, in the CEO’s office at Blackwood Global, Damien slammed a file onto his desk. Chen stood rigidly before him.
“Alpha, the irregularities in Young Elias’s tests point to possible external interference—perhaps tampered suppressants. And Luna Isabella’s blood… it reacted as if responding to the Alpha’s own essence. Almost like a fated pull awakening. The scandal four years ago… we’re re-examining the wine and security logs.”
Damien’s hands clenched, knuckles white. The memory of that night—waking to Bella in his bed, the betrayal he had believed—cracked slightly for the first time. What if…
Serena entered without knocking, her face a picture of worry. “Damien, the pup is craving your presence again. And I heard rumors about Isabella leaving. You can’t let her embarrass the pack like this.”
Damien’s wolf howled internally, torn between duty, rage, and a growing, painful doubt. That night, as Bella prepared for bed at Lena’s, another wave of nausea hit her. She rushed to the bathroom, retching.
When she straightened, staring at her reflection, a faint glow pulsed at her collarbone—the spot where Damien’s partial mating mark lay dormant.
- Writer
