MOONBOUND Beauty under a curse

Testing

---

*CHAPTER SEVEN: TESTING*

- ANA POV*

Day 1 of 6.

The lab was in the dungeon. Of course it was.

Cold tables. Knives. Glass vials. And him.

Lucian stood across from me. White shirt. Sleeves rolled up.

He looked like he hadn’t slept.

_‘He didn’t,’_ Lucas whispered. _‘He was up all night reading.’_

"We’re going to test it," he said. No greeting.

"Small cut. See if your blood reacts to mine. See if it helps without..."

He didn’t finish.

_Without killing me._

A healer stood by with bandages.

Lucian picked up a blade. Held it out to me. Handle first.

"You do it," he said. "On me."

My hands shook. "Why me?"

"Because if it goes wrong, I need to be the one who gets hurt."

_‘LUCY IS SO STUPID AND HEROIC,’_ Lucas wailed.

I made a tiny cut on his palm.

His blood was dark red. Mine welled up from a pinprick.

The healer mixed them on glass.

Nothing happened.

Then his cut started closing. Slow.

And my scars burned. Like ice.

Lucian’s eyes shot to my arms.

"Does it hurt?"

I nodded.

He cursed. "Stop. That’s enough."

He grabbed a cloth and pressed it to his own hand.

Didn’t look at me.

But his other hand?

It was clenched so tight his knuckles were white.

LUCIAN POV*

It worked.

Her blood healed me.

And it hurt her.

_‘STOP,’_ Lucas was screaming. _‘STOP THE TESTS.’_

"I’m fine," I said. To the healer. To her.

Lie.

I watched her scars glow faint silver, then fade.

She was pale. Tired.

And she still looked at me like I was the monster.

"That’s enough for today," I said. Voice rough.

"Tomorrow we try—"

"No."

Her voice was quiet but firm.

"No more if it hurts me."

I should’ve argued. I’m the Alpha.

Instead I nodded.

"Fine."

She left.

I stared at my palm. The cut was gone.

Her blood was on the glass.

_‘You can’t use her,’_ Lucas said quietly.

_‘I know,’_ I answered.

_‘Then what are we going to do in 5 days?’_

I didn’t have an answer.

---

*End of Chapter 7*

---