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Twenty-Two
publish date:
2026-01-20 19:56:17
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TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS One hundred and fifty five
Lisa POVMy eyes snapped open as my body shoved me out of sleep. A sharp pressure in my belly told me I had to pee. I sat up, feet on the cool floor, waiting for my balance before standing.Halfway to the bathroom, something inside shifted, pressed outward, then stopped, like testing the waters. It made me stop moving. My hand flew to my stomach. I waited, and at the same time, my mind raced to worst-case scenarios.Was the baby okay?It came again, clearer this time. A little push from inside.I needed backup. Waking Mom felt bad, considering she slept late, but it was better than lying awake spiraling. I padded into the hall, past the dim wall lights, to her door.Her voice cut through. “Lisa?”“I’m coming in,” I said, pushing the door open.She sat up, eyes sharp on me. “What happened?” I could hear the nervousness in her voice.“I felt something move low in my belly, like a push. It wasn’t painful.”The nervous look disappeared, followed by a tired smile. She patted the bed by her
TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS One hundred and fifty four
EvangelineStanding close enough to the main hall, I watched Cameron and Desmond and struggled to catch the sound.Desmond answered, then Nadia's name slipped through clearly.Another fragment reached me.“…you don’t get to—”Then silence again.I didn’t need the rest. I knew Desmond well enough to fill in what he would say when cornered. The fool would make it messy. That was always the problem with him. I had warned him not to give Cameron anything to hold, and yet he still stood there, talking back.A part of me wanted to cut him out entirely or replace him, but that part of me understood that Desmond was already inside that circle. He had access and proximity. Replacing him would take time I did not have.Everything at this stage depended on control, and Cameron was the center of that control. I needed him contained long enough for the process to complete. Dominion required stability, not disruption.I crossed into the living room and adjusted the space just enough to look like I
TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS One hundred and fifty three
Lisa POVThe clothing store was quieter than I expected for that time of day. I moved past a section of fitted tops and paused in front of a mirror to check my reflection, as most of my clothes no longer sat the way they used to.I picked up another top and held it against my body. The hem barely reached where I needed it to.“I think I need to change everything,” I said. “I'm so fat.”My mom glanced at me from where she stood, flipping through a row of dresses. “You’re not fat, honey. You're carrying a baby. Getting bigger is expected.”“I know,” I grumbled. “It’s just inconvenient.”She picked out a piece and held it up. “Try this.”I took it from her and checked the cut. It would work. Not my usual style, but it would work. I added it to the small pile in my hand and moved along the rack again.“Mom, I have an idea,” I said.“That usually means I won’t like it,” she replied.“While I go to the festival, you can go spend some time with Alpha Kieran,” I said. “You keep staying around
TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS One hundred and fifty two
Cameron POVLisa’s calm gaze rested on me as I watched her mother’s retreating figure. She excused herself to go upstairs for a nap, and I couldn’t be more relieved.“You don’t need to go to the festival,” I said. “You can watch it on TV.”“That sounds like a command,” she replied.“It’s not.”“Good,” she said. “Because I don’t take those from you anymore.”Her feistiness was new and interesting. I’d heard pregnancy hormones could make a woman bold. I didn’t mind this side of her, stating things as she saw them and damning the consequences.I moved closer. She didn’t step back.“That’s open to review. You can’t make decisions without telling me,” I said.“I’m bored to death,” she said. “You built a structure around me and expected me to stay inside it. I’m reminding you that I don’t have to.”“That structure protects you.”“It protects your version of things,” she said.I held her gaze and reached for her, closing the distance between us. We stood close enough that the thought of kiss
TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS One hundred and fifty one
Lisa POVCameron’s silver jeep occupied the front drive. The guards stood at the perimeter, their usual casual stance abandoned for rigid vigilance. I stepped out of my car and ignored the weight pressing against my chest.Voices drifted from the dining room. I walked toward the entrance and stopped in the doorway. Cameron sat at the head of the table, across from my mother. Fine china sat before them. They both looked toward me as I crossed the threshold.“There she is,” my mother said. “Just at the right time. How was your stay at the nursery?”I moved to the table and pulled out a chair. I sat down and ignored her question. She pushed a plate toward me. The scent of coconut fish curry and warm rice rose into the air.“You should eat,” she said. “I made your favorite.”Cameron kept his focus on me. He reached for a small velvet box resting near his water glass.“I got you something,” he said.I took the box and flipped the lid open. A glass bottle sat nestled in silk. The glass was
TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS 150
LisaMy phone rang while I was still in the living room. I glanced at the screen and smiled when I saw Sasha’s name.I picked up.“You finally remembered I exist,” I said.Sasha laughed on the other end. “Please. You’ve been the one acting like a government official. I called you three times yesterday. And Cora has been worried about you. She returned to Silver Creek last week and wanted to be sure you're okay.”My heart warmed. I leaned back into the couch. “I’ve been meaning to go to the nursery anyway.”“And what about Packfest? It's so sad you're not here. You and I haven't missed it in the last five years straight. So sad your absence is breaking the streak.”Shoot, the festival.The idea of going settled in my head.“Maybe I wasn’t planning to miss it,” I said.Sasha squealed. “Look at you wanting to pull a surprise on me. Well, I'm glad. At least come home and breathe normal air.”Normal didn’t fit my life anymore, but I understood what she meant.“You’ve been locked up in that
TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS One hundred and forty
Lisa POVI almost rolled my eyes at the young doctor. He stood just outside my door, finishing a phone call and tossing around clipped medical terms.He couldn’t have been more than twenty-six. There was a rough charm to him, the kind you’d expect in a crowded club, not a specialist who works for a
TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS One hundred and thirty
Franklin POVThe ceiling fan in the doctor’s office hummed at a frequency that vibrated inside my skull. Dr. Aris rubbed the bridge of his nose, his skin sallow under the harsh light. He slid Lisa's results toward me. The paper felt heavy, the ink crisp and undeniable.“Will this affect the baby?” I
TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS One hundred and twenty nine
Lisa POV She’s awake.My mother’s voice was the first thing I heard when I woke up. It came from somewhere near the foot of the bed, low and steady, the way she spoke when she was trying to hold everything together.The doctor walked in. A stethoscope dangled around his neck and a thick file sat cl
TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS One hundred and twenty eight
Evangeline POVCameron slept in the chair beside my bed. His head rested against the high back with his neck bent at an angle that would ache later. One arm hung over the side and his fingers brushed the floor. I watched him with a smile. My lips curved up on their own while I studied the slow rise
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