Five

Cameron's pov 

This charade had been exactly what I’d expected. A near failure.

I’d sat through three she-wolves reciting rehearsed answers about duty, honor, and commitment to pack alliances.

Fake, all of it.

Until Lisa walked in.

Luna Catherine had told me she worked as her personal shopper and that she knew her family well. I wasn’t sure why Catherine had flagged this particular girl, but the final decision had still been mine.

My twin, Nadia, glanced up from where she stood by the window. She’d insisted on being present for the interviews, claiming she wanted to meet the woman who’d be carrying my child. I’d agreed only because arguing with Nadia when she was determined was pointless.

I was tired, irritated, and ready to make a decision so I could return to actual problems. The rogue attacks were escalating. My cousin was growing bolder in his challenge for leadership. And then there was my mate’s deteriorating health.

I pushed that thought away when Lisa walked in.

She was dressed more simply than the rest. Beautiful. Fresh-faced, minimal makeup. Her file said she’d just turned twenty last month. Beta father. Omega mother. Light auburn hair pulled back in a bun. Hazel eyes. She wore a green dress that looked understated beside the others. She was nervous but trying to hide it.

When I asked why she’d volunteered, I expected another variation of what the others had said.

Instead, her honesty and bluntness cut sharp through my thoughts. She was only interested in the money. Nothing else.

Nadia had been surprised, even saying it through the mind link. My beta, Franklin, had twitched his mouth.

Lisa didn’t apologize or backtrack. The flicker of interest grew. Honesty was rare, and I liked it.

Nadia immediately knew I was going to choose her.

She’s barely the most qualified out of all of them. I think you should choose Brianna Castellan. She’d sit better in this arrangement.

I wondered why my sister couldn’t see past the delusion.

“Brianna would expect something from this arrangement. Political leverage or a connection to my pack. She’d see an opportunity, not an end date.”

“And Lisa doesn’t?” Nadia asked, letting out a snort.

“She volunteered because she’s desperate,” I said. “I can work with that. At least she wouldn’t fall apart when I’m cold to her. The others would either cry or scheme. She’ll just handle it.”

Nadia crossed her arms.

“Why do I have a feeling Eva isn’t going to like this?”

I looked away. “She doesn’t have a say in this decision.”

“She’s your mate, Cameron,” Nadia said when we were finally alone. “Of course she has a say. How do you expect her to react when everyone she trusts is doing this behind her back? Her mother, Luna Catherine, already agreed to the idea in principle. Then there’s you, her mate, and me, her best friend.”

“I’m doing this to buy her time to heal without the elders forcing my hand,” I said. “It’s better this way. And I know she’s your best friend, but this is a practical decision. Not one born out of a desire to sleep with another woman.”

“I know. But you need to tell her about the arrangement,” Nadia said.

“I can’t. Not yet. Her parents believe this is the best path forward.”

The truth was, I was dreading that conversation.

My mate’s wolf had been getting worse, draining her physical strength by the day. I’d tried healers of every kind, but there were barely any answers. Everyone circled the same truth. Binding her to pregnancy would break what little stability she had left.

“What if she heals sooner than expected?” Nadia asked.

I shrugged. “Then the contract ends and Lisa goes home.”

She paused. “And if she doesn’t heal at all?”

I didn’t answer. That was the question that kept me up at night.

“Inform Luna Catherine that I’ve chosen Lisa.”

---

That night, Kade, my mate’s younger brother, asked to speak with me. He looked agitated from upstairs, and I gestured for my beta to let him up.

As he climbed the stairs, I realized I’d underestimated how agitated he was. The future Alpha of Crescent Falls looked furious. We’d known each other for years, since my mate and Nadia became friends as children. I’d never liked him much. Too arrogant. Too careless with the people around him.

“Alpha Cameron,” he said tightly. “Thank you for seeing me. I’ll be direct.”

I didn’t respond. I turned and lit a cigar.

“I’m asking you to reconsider your choice.”

“Excuse me?” I said around the cigar.

“The girl you picked. Lisa. She’s not suited for this. She’s going to be out of her depth in your world and—”

“And you care because?”

He muttered under his breath, looking like he wanted to punch me but knowing he couldn’t.

I leaned back in my chair. There was something underneath it all. I could already tell.

“Is she your fuck buddy?”

He stared at me like I’d said something scandalous, though everyone knew his reputation.

“No. Not really.” He hesitated. “We had something. I screwed it up. That doesn’t mean I want to see her thrown into something she can’t handle.”

“She volunteered.”

“Because she’s desperate, and I don’t know why. But I know her. She’s not built for Lycan politics. Not built for someone like you.”

I let out a slow puff of smoke.

“I don’t need your permission. I don’t care about your history with Lisa or your concerns about her well-being. She signed up for this. She understood the terms. She’s bound to my pack for the next year.”

“You don’t get it,” Kade snapped. “She’s not property. I really care about her.”

“If you cared so much, you should’ve thought about that before you screwed things up.”

His hands clenched. For a moment, I thought he might swing.

“I’m asking you to pick someone else.”

“I don’t care what you’re asking. This conversation is over.” I turned away. “Lisa leaves with me tomorrow. If you want to say goodbye, do it tonight.”

He stood there a moment longer, then left without another word.

Franklin let out a low whistle. “That was cold.”

“He’s not wrong. She’s going to struggle.”

“Then she’ll figure it out or she won’t.” I walked away. It wasn’t my problem.

---

Later that night, my mate called from the hospital. I didn’t know how to begin breaking this to her. After some encouragement from Nadia, I answered.

Her voice came through weak and tired.

“Cameron. I heard you visited my father’s pack.”

“I did.”

There was movement on her end.

“You’re really going through with this contract.”

“My love—”

“I can’t believe this,” she said, her voice shaking. I shut my eyes.

“It’s temporary. I wouldn’t ask you to go through a pregnancy in your condition.”

She sniffed. “Who did you choose?”

“Her name is Lisa. Beta father. Omega mother. Your mother knows her family.”

Another long silence.

“Who made the final decision?”

“I did.”

“Why her?” she asked. “What did she have that the others didn’t?”

“Stop this, Evangeline,” I said quietly. “I don’t have feelings for her. This is a contract. You and I share a bond illness and pack pressure can’t erase.”

She went quiet, then asked when I was coming back.

“Tomorrow.”

“I want to meet her.”

I closed my eyes.

“Please, Cameron. I need to see who you chose.”

“Fine. Tomorrow.”

We said goodbye. I ended the call and sat in the dark, exhaustion settling into my bones.

This was necessary. Temporary. A solution to multiple problems.

I needed to remember that Lisa was a means to an end. Nothing more.