All Chapters of TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS : Chapter 151 - Chapter 160

214 Chapters

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

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

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

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

One hundred and fifty six

Cameron POVThe endless line of idling cars stretched ahead, and the AC blasted cold but unevenly. The peak hour let in blaring horns, and a sensory attack built, invading my ears despite the windows being wound up.The rearview mirror twisted, forcing eye contact with Franklin’s concerned stare. I looked away, trying to settle my thoughts into something that made sense.Something about the way I had just handled that situation sat wrong.The image of that doctor came back without effort. Him sitting close to her. Close enough to make it look like a doctor doing his job.It had not crossed any line I could point to. That was the problem. I had reacted like it had.Lisa’s voice cut through the replay in my head.You don’t get to decide who interacts with me.She was right. I had not walked in on anything inappropriate, yet I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with his presence.I shifted in my seat and focused back on the road, but the irritation stayed, directed at myself.Something

One hundred and fifty seven

Cameron POVThe gated entrance, with security cameras, blinked red as the car drove down the winding asphalt drive, the garage doors yawning open automatically. I cut the engine, sitting there for some minutes before getting out.The petal-soft flower stems brushed my fingers in a hurried grab, and I picked up the box of chocolate, as well as the apology card, and headed upstairs.I knocked on Evangeline's door. No response, but her door was unlocked. I pushed it open and stepped inside.She was asleep, her face peaceful, her breaths rising and falling steadily.I watched her, the failure from last night pausing in the face of that stillness.I walked over and looked at her, leaned down, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.The warmth of her skin and her lotion had once turned me on.Now, I felt nothing.I straightened and placed the flowers, the note, and the chocolate beside her. An apology, even if I couldn’t put it into words that made sense.She didn’t stir.I stood there a moment

One hundred and fifty eight

Lisa POVI woke up to the mattress dipping behind me.My heart gave a skip, fluttering with ridiculous joy even as I kept my eyes half-closed and my breathing steady.Cameron.Relief came in fast, and I hated how strong it felt. I hated how my body lit up at the mere scent of him, his cologne and that underlying musk that always made my thighs press together.Stupid hormones.This pregnancy had turned me into someone who craved him constantly, even when I told myself I didn’t need anyone, least of all the man who’d put this baby in me.“Couldn’t stay away?” I asked, keeping my voice steady.“I didn’t try very hard,” he replied.That pulled something out of me I wasn’t ready to deal with. I turned then, finally looking at him. He looked like he hadn’t slept much, and for some reason, that made this worse instead of better.His arm slipped around my thickened waist, then he caressed my stomach, and then my breasts, which were now fuller and more sensitive.I felt the heat of his bare ch

One hundred and fifty nine

Lisa POVI woke up to an empty space beside me.I turned my head before I could stop myself. The sheets were disturbed, still carrying the shape of where he had been. I already knew he wouldn’t be there, but my body checked anyway, as if it needed proof.He was gone.I stayed there for a while, staring at the empty side, letting the silence settle in. Then I shifted into his spot, pressing my face into the pillow. His scent lingered, and it pulled an emotion I refused to name. Last night hadn’t been imagined. It hadn’t been one-sided either. That made it worse.My hand moved across the sheets until it brushed against paper. I picked it up and unfolded it.I enjoyed last night.Cameron.I read it again, then let out a breath. A smile formed before I could stop it. It sat there, then I caught myself.He enjoyed it.So did I.Yet, that didn’t change anything.I folded the note and placed it on the bedside table, then lay back. The warmth from earlier was gone, replaced with an awareness

One hundred and sixty

CAMERON POVI stood by the window in my study, taking a phone call on a territory dispute report from my gamma that was beginning to irk me.“Handle it,” I said. “I don’t want delays.”“Yes, Alpha.”We were wrapping up when Franklin and Evangeline's voices carried from the hallway. From my half-open door, I saw Evangeline passing a pouch made of banana leaves to him.“You think Desmond would poison me?” Evangeline asked in the tired tone that meant she either just woke up or her medication was making her drowsy.“I think we verify anything that comes from him,” Franklin replied. “It’s wise that Alpha Cameron wants it tested before you use it.”“Goodness. I didn’t even think of that. If there's anything odd about it, it means we finally have something to hold against him.”Franklin nodded. “That’s the idea. I’ll take it to the lab.”Evangeline thanked him and left. Franklin’s gaze followed her back as she walked away. He wore a frown and straightened when he noticed my presence. I had

One hundred and sixty one

Cameron POVI typed the message, deleted it, then typed it again.Luna Catherine wasn’t someone I spoke to carelessly, and I wasn’t about to start now. The words needed to hold weight without sounding like an accusation. There was a line between authority and insult, and crossing it would create problems I didn’t need.I read it one more time before sending it.Luna Catherine,Lisa is under your protection while she’s in your territory. The child has already gone through distress once. I expect the environment around her to reflect that reality. You understand what’s at stake, and where responsibility sits. Let’s get through this without complications.I hit send and set the phone down.I didn’t mention it to Evangeline. There was no reason to as bringing it into the open would only turn it into something else.Voices echoed faintly from the hallway. I followed the sound to the corridor to see Evangeline arguing with the cook as she wanted to handle dinner alone.“You don’t need to do

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