My Mate Killed Me For My Sister, I Became Luna Of His Enemy Chapter 02

My Mate Killed Me For My Sister, I Became Luna Of His Enemy Chapter 02 The Contract
Bella’s POV Silas slammed the door behind him. I flinched. My heart was slamming against my ribs. I was borderline panicking. I couldn’t sign the contract. I was too sick. I slumped down onto my bed and pulled out the medical report. I swiped at the tears on my cheek. I’d memorized the report weeks ago. I didn’t need to read it to know what it said. But I sat on the edge of my bed and unfolded it anyway with shaky hands. Patient: Bella Alder. Age: 24. Diagnosis: Viscusos Syndrome, Stage Two. I could still hear the doctor’s words. “It’s a rare illness, Bella,” he’d said. “Let untreated, it weakens the immune system and causes organ failure.” “Organ failure?” “Yes. It will be very painful. Especially towards the end.” “How long do I have?” I’d asked him. He sighed. “Without treatment? Six to eight months.” I blinked. Six to eight months. That’s all I had left. I was going to die. “I’m so sorry.” Dr. Callum’s voice had been gentle. He was a good man, our pack doctor. A gray beard, soft-spoken. He’d handed me the report and a tissue at the same time. The world fell out from under me. “Is there anything I can do?” My bottom lip quivered. “There is a treatment,” he’d said. He leaned forward. “There’s a specialist in the Southern territories. Her name is Dr. Wendell. She’s an expert on rare diseases. She knows a lot about Viscusos. With treatment, the success rate is high, Bella.” He paused. “But?” I’d asked. Because there’s always a but. “It’s expensive.” He looked at me over his glasses. “The herbs alone cost more than most families see in a decade. And Dr. Wendell’s fees…well, you would need Alpha-level resources.” Alpha-level resources. Meaning Silas. I’d left the doctor’s office feeling lower than I ever had. I was sick. I had a rare illness. And without treatment, I was going to die. Silas thought I was lying. I’d waited for a quiet evening, after dinner, when the packhouse was calm. Silas was in his study, the fire low. He was reading border reports. “What do you want?” he asked when he saw me cowering in the doorway. “I need to talk to you about something.” “I’m busy.” He waved his hand in the air. “It’s important,” I told him. He looked up me and rolled his eyes. “Fine,” he sighed. “What?” My hands were trembling, but I kept my voice steady. “I’m sick, Silas. I have…Viscusos. There’s a treatment, but it’s…it’s very expensive. I wouldn’t ask unless…” “What’s Viscusos?” he asked. But before I could explain, Madison swept into the room. “There you are,” she said, her voice thick as honey. “I’ve been looking all over for you.” Madison was wearing one of her silk robes. It fell open in the front as she walked, showing a glimpse of her milky white breast. She was sexy as hell, her lips red and plump. Her hair cascaded over one shoulder. Silas watched her cross the room. His eyes were full of lust. He never looked at me that way. “Bella,” she said. “What are you doing in here? It’s late. Shouldn’t you be in your own bedroom?” “Bella claims she’s sick,” Silas said. Madison tossed her head back and laughed. “Is that so?” she said. She perched on the arm of Silas’s chair. She rested one hand on his shoulder. “She says it’s serious,” Silas told Bella. “Oh, Silas,” she rolled her eyes. “Bella’s not sick. You know how she is. She always does this.” Madison pressed her lips together. “When we were twelve, I sprained my wrist during combat training. And suddenly Bella had ‘Wolf pox’. She drew tiny little dots all over her body with a red pen. Do you remember that, Bella?” It was true. I had. But only because I was desperate for attention. My parents showered Madison with love. She was the center of everything. I just wanted my parents to love me. The way they loved Madison. Just for once. “She does it for attention,” Madison said. “Don’t believe her. She’s trying to manipulate you. She wants you to feel sorry for her.” “That’s not true,” I started. But Silas stopped me with a look. “I can’t justify spending pack funds on unverified claims,” he’d said. His tone was formal. Final. He wasn’t going to help me. “But Silas, without treatment…I’ll…” “That’s enough.” He snapped at me. Madison smiled at me over his head. Her smile said, ‘I win’. She stroked the back of Silas’ neck. “Come to bed, love,” she whispered seductively. “It’s late. And I’m lonely.” She pouted as she traced her finger along her collarbone. I left. They didn’t want me there. Silas wasn’t going to listen. And he certainly wasn’t going to give me any money. I decided not to bring it up again. That had been two weeks ago. But now he wanted me to do a Rebirth Ritual. I was already so exhausted by my sickness. What could I do though? It was Alpha’s orders. I folded the report and slid it back into the drawer. Then I looked at the wizard’s contract. The paper buzzed with ancient magic. “Sign it or I’ll reject you.” Silas’s words rang through my head. It would hurt, the ritual. I knew that much. Anything involving the wolf bond hurt. But maybe… I pressed the contract to my chest and closed my eyes. I was going to die anyway. If I signed the contract, then Silas wouldn’t be so mad at me. My wolf, Snow, growled. She shook her head, her fur bristled. She didn’t like the contract. She began pacing inside of me. “Ssshh,” I soothed her. What did it matter if I signed the contract or not? I had six months left to live. I meant nothing to Silas. All he cared about was Madison. Maybe, if I did this, he’d like me a little more. I grabbed a pen. I pressed it to the signature line at the bottom of the contract. The moment the pen touched the paper, I felt a pulse. It rose up through the page and wrapped around my hand like a vine. I took a deep breath. I signed my name.