Chapter Twenty Nine
ISABELLA
+25 BONUS
I always knew I wouldn’t live a long life; I knew all I had was months, and at some point, I stopped caring; I stopped fearing death, I accepted it.
That had changed since Thane came into my life. He made me see that there was more to life, things I was missing out on and all of a sudden, my fear for death returned. I didn’t want to die.
I watched him through the tiny window as he chopped down a tree for wood.
He was going to be brokenhearted when he discovered the truth. I should tell him; I owed him that, and yet I couldn’t. I couldn’t because I feared he would leave me.
Thane caught me staring and abandoned the axe; he walked into the house, easily finding me.
“Checking me out as always?”
“Yes.” I answered truthfully, there was no need to deny it.
“You look a bit… frail. Have you been eating well?” He asked, and I nodded. I tried to keep calm; if Thane detected any signs of unease, he would investigate further. It was hard trying to hide things from a man as smart as Thane.
I couldn’t believe he noticed. Yes, I was getting quite frail; it was the sickness, but I couldn’t tell him that, so I had to lie.
For the past few days I had made sure I was always in clothes too big for my size; I always outdid myself when using makeup. Once, I didn’t believe I needed it, but now, I watched my skin gradually lose its shine. Thane never complained; he didn’t mind the fact that I kept on caking my face with makeup twice a day, but he never failed to remind me how beautiful I was.
I stood before the mirror, applying another round of makeup to my face; I oiled my skin. Before picking up a brush, I gently brushed through my hair. I paused when I noticed multiple strands of my hair on the brush. I passed my hand through my hair once again, only for more hair to fall off.
A silent cry escaped my lips.
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Chapter Twenty Nine
“Bella!” Thane called; of course he must have heard that. I quickly wiped my tears away, messing up my makeup.
“Give me a sec!” I called out, doing my best to keep my voice steady, and it worked.
I quickly threw my hair into a bun.
Thane’s gaze lifted from the piano when I walked into the living space; his brow furrowed, he was about to say something when the knock on the door gave us both a
pause.
“I am not expecting anyone.” I said to him, “Are you?”
“No. Stay inside,” he said as he walked to the door; of course, I followed him, hiding behind his huge form. He threw the door open. “Axel,” he called, and I peeped from his side to see the visitor.
Was Axel related to Thane?
But he never told me anything about having brothers. “Who is that?” I asked.
“It’s Axel, my beta.” Thane let him in. “How did you find me?”
“It wasn’t easy, but I connected the dots, and it led me here. You’ve been missing for a while now, and it’s getting people worried.”
“Axel, this is Bella, my mate.”
“So she made you choose?” Axel asked.
The man was just as smart as Thane if he had arrived at that conclusion so quickly.
“I made the decision; leave her out of this.” Thane defended.
Axel turned his attention to me. “Thane is an Alpha; he doesn’t belong here. You could come with him back to the pack.”
“I can’t.” I responded.
“You can’t do that for him, but yet you make him leave his life behind to be with you? That’s a bit selfish, isn’t it?”
“Axel, that’s enough.” Thane warned, but Axel was right; everything I had asked of Thane was simply me being selfish.
“He is right; I shouldn’t make you choose. You have a whole pack waiting for you, and maybe you should go to them.”
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Chapter Twenty Nime
“I’m not leaving without you.”
“I cannot come with you; I’m sorry.”
“Then we stay here together.”
Axel stared at Thane. “If this is your decision, then who am I to speak against it? What’s your plan for the pack?”
“Take charge,” Thane said to him. “Goodbye… Bella,” Axel said to me; all I could manage was a nod towards him.
Thane hugged me, and I needed that; finally, he pulled away.
“You are burning up, Bella.”
“I just need to rest; I will be fine.” I lied yet again.
Sometimes I wished I didn’t have to lie to him; I wished I could come clean, but the man, Axel, was right: selfish as I was, I wasn’t ready to do anything that would warrant him leaving–not now when he had become the only person I truly cared about and I feared if he knew about my condition, he would leave, afterall he could never have a future with me.
Chapter Thirty
