Ella’s POV +25 Bonus Three weeks later, I found myself descending into the small laboratory beneath the Anthonies‘ home for the fourth time. Both of the doctors were waiting for me there, already geared up in their lab coats and gloves. “What’s all this?” I asked, gesturing to the arrangement of various tools and instruments that I didn’t recognize spread across the metal lab table as I set my bag down and shrugged off my jacke “Ella, please, take a seat.” Tony smiled and wheeled a chair over to the table. I perched on it and took a closer look at the instruments; there was one particularly large needle that made my nerves alight with worry. Anthony cleared his throat. “You don’t need to consent to this, of course.” “We would understand if you didn’t,” Tony added. I frowned, brows drawing together. “What is it? You guys are sort of freaking me out.” The two doctors exchanged looks. Then, Anthony picked up the enormous needle and held it up so I could see it. The metal caught the light, and the needle itself looked far thicker than even the type you’d receive novocaine from at the dentist’s office. “We were analyzing your tests,” Tony said, “and decided that there is one more sample we’d like to retrieve.” “A stem cell sample,” Anthony clarified. I blinked. “You need my… stem cells?” “Like we said, you may decline if you’re not comfortable with this, Anthony said quickly. “But we believe that we may be able to not only discover more about your rebirth using your stem cells” “But also potentially restore your mate bond with Alpha Alexander.” I perked up at that. Ever since the incident at the farmer’s market, the missing mate bond had been eating away at me more than usual–which was really saying something, because it ate away at me quite a lot to begin with. “What makes you think that?” I asked. “Well, it’s all rather complicated,” Tony explained, “but it is possible that stem cell therapy could be utilized to restore your mate bond.” “Essentially, we would attempt to apply the therapy where the bond was damaged,” Anthony continued. noveldrama“Right here,” Tony said, gently pressing his index finger to my chest, right above my heart. Right above where the crystal had lodged itself. My brows shot up. “I didn’t know that there was a physical location where mate bonds resided.” “It’s an experimental theory,” Anthony said. “Therefore, this whole process would be experimental.” “And as for using my stem cells in your research?” I asked. “We’re glad you asked.” Tony grinned. “We’d like to study your stem cells for any indication of your condition, so to speak. Our hope is that, one day, we could use the cells in therapy on other patient’s–perhaps patients with terminal illnesses.” “So you’d use my stem cells to extend people’s lives,” I said. Anthony nodded. “That would be the goal, yes. If you consent, of course.” “What does the procedure entail?” I looked at the needle warily. “That’s the crux of the matter,” Tony replied. “This needle, which as you can see, is quite large, would need to be inserted into the hip bone in order to retrieve the marrow. We’ll give you local anesthetic, of course, but it can still be an uncomfortable process, and you will be quite sore afterwards.” +25 Bonus Honestly, it didn’t really sound all that bad. Even if there was no way to use my stem cells to restore my mate bond, then at least they might be useful for other people. Once, I had had a terminal illness, too. So had Liam. Perhaps our siluations were different from normal people, but I still knew what it was like to think that I only had a finite amount of time left in life. If I could help people in any way, then I would gladly go through with the procedure. “I’ll do it,” I said, nodding. The doctors beamed. With that, they got to work. They had me lay on the exam table and injected my hip with a local anesthetic that began numbing the area quite quickly, and once everything was prepared, they began the procedure. 日 Support 11 CedellaCedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.