Chapter 2

Ivy's POV

I bled out on the floor, staring wide-eyed at the girl I'd once thought of as a sister.

Greed and rage twisted her face until she looked uglier than those stinking mushrooms.

It wasn't until the last second of my life that I understood. She never cared how disgusting that thing was, or what it was doing to her body. All she cared about was becoming a viscountess.

I snap out of the memory and look at Bella, still lost in her own little world. I take a step back and cross my arms.

She doesn't want anyone stopping her, so this time around, I'm not going to bother. I'm going to watch that mushroom of hers grow and thrive.

"Ivy, what are you spacing out for?" Bella turns her head, annoyed that I haven't reacted yet, practically glowing with the need to show off. "Smell it. Isn't there something intoxicating about it? Something classy?"

I take a deep breath and put on the most sincere smile I can manage.

"Oh my god, Bella. This smell, it's like something straight out of heaven. I swear, I've never smelled anything this rich, this powerful, in my whole life."

Bella's eyes light up instantly. She lifts her chin, pleased with herself. "Of course. You think regular people like you could understand Lord Lucas's taste?"

Beside her, another friend stares at me with wide eyes, like she's wondering if something's wrong with my nose.

Then a sharp ringtone cuts through the room.

Bella lets out a shriek and lunges for the table like she's been electrocuted, snatching up her phone. She clears her throat, and just like that, the smugness on her face flips into a voice so sweet it's cringeworthy.

"Hello? Is that you, Lord Lucas? Oh, you finally called me." Bella's voice comes out dripping with sugar, and paired with that thing on her back reeking like a sewage backup, the whole scene is completely absurd.

A low, lazy male voice comes through the phone. "Bella, my little treasure. How's the Moonlight Bloom on your back coming along? Remember, forty days, not one more, not one less. Not a drop of water on it. Once it blooms red spores, you'll be my most precious bride."

"Don't worry, my lord!" Bella trembles with excitement. "I take such good care of it every day. I haven't showered once, haven't let a single drop of water near it. Honestly, every breath I take right now is for your Bloom."

"Good. I can't wait for the day we finally meet."

Bella hangs up and turns to look at me, her eyes shining with barely contained glee and superiority. "Did you hear that, Ivy? Lord Lucas said if I keep this up, I'm going to be a viscountess. The rest of you Omegas can just sit here in the dirt and be jealous."

At that moment, another friend, who just came to, leans weakly against the wall, pinching her nose, her face crumpled. "Bella, I'm begging you, can you just wipe it down a little? Even just the edges? This smell is actually going to kill someone. None of us can even eat."

"Shut up!" Bella shrieks like a cat whose tail just got stepped on. "Shower? Wipe it down? Absolutely not! Did you forget what Lord Lucas said? Forty days! Not one day less! Are you trying to sabotage me? You want to steal my spot and marry into money yourself?"

The friend shrinks back, trembling, tears welling up in her eyes.

I step forward and pull her back.

"Bella, don't be mad, she just doesn't get it. She has no idea what an incredible transformation you're going through right now. This isn't a bad smell, this is the smell of money, the smell of power, the smell of climbing out of this life for good. You can't wash it, not one drop of water. If you shower now, you'll be throwing away everything you've worked for. You'll be the one who destroys your own future."

Bella pauses, then looks at me with something like admiration. "See, Ivy actually gets it. Not like some people around here who can't see past their own nose."

"Of course I get it." My smile stretches even wider. I even step around behind her, ignoring the very real risk of getting my nose knocked out permanently, and point at that gooey mass of mushrooms.

"Look at that color, look how full it's grown. It's basically a work of art. Actually, so it doesn't get crushed while you're sleeping tonight, what if I go into town and pick up some soft wool fabric? I could make you a little cover for it. That'll help it grow even better."