All Chapters of TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS : Chapter 281 - Chapter 290

Wesley POVMy intercom buzzed, interrupting us. I pressed the button."Yes?""Alpha Cameron has asked everyone to proceed to the council conference room. The meeting is about to begin."I pushed myself to my feet and reached for my suit jacket. Barbara stood as well. She stepped closer and straightened my collar before smoothing the front of the jacket. Together, we left my office and headed toward the council floor.Long before we reached the conference room, I could already hear the voices filtering into the corridor.The meeting hadn't started yet. It was waiting for me. Meetings like this usually ended one way: with a headache, and today's felt determined to prove me right.The moment Barbara and I stepped into the conference room, the conversations softened before picking up again in quieter tones.That was what happened whenever the future Alpha walked into a room full of people who were busy deciding whether he deserved the title.I swept my gaze across the long oval table out

Isabella POV I jerked awake, my heart pounding so hard I had to press a hand against my chest.My eyes flew to my son, and then to the bedroom door. I had locked it, but I still listened for footsteps or movement. There was no sound other than my uneven breathing.I reached for my phone on the nightstand. 6:07 a.m.The last time I checked the time, it was 4:35 a.m. I'd been lying awake, convinced Barbara wasn't done with me.An hour and a half of sleep felt like five minutes.I turned toward the other side of the bed. Maverick was still asleep, hugging his stuffed wolf beneath the blanket, oblivious to his crazy aunt's attempt to sneak up on us.A lock only worked against people who respected doors. Barbara didn't.The memory of her standing calmly at the foot of my bed made my stomach tighten all over again. She'd walked into a sleeping child's room just to threaten his mother.I didn't even want to imagine what she would have done to us if I were a deep sleeper. Barbara could be vi

Wesley POVI stared at the opposite wall and my teeth chattered as Grandma Cassidy swabbed cold antiseptic across my lower back.Another treatment.Another reminder that something inside me was broken.Three women from the chapter house stood around the room. Joanna, their leader, held a syringe up to the light, turning it slightly as she checked the contents. Beside the bed sat the same leather strap Dad insisted on bringing every fortnight. On the metal trolley rested a basin, gauze, sealed vials, and neatly arranged instruments.I tried to slow my breathing, but every visit ended the same way. My body knew what was coming long before she touched me.Dad moved to my right shoulder. Uncle Franklin took hold of my legs. Mom stood close enough to wipe my face the moment it began.Grandma Cassidy remained beside Joanna, quietly preparing the next vial while Anita and Aunt Nadia waited near the wall.Emma wasn't here.She hadn't been able to make herself come back after the first time. S

Isabella's POV“Ah, there you are," Grandma Cassidy said, smiling.I had already taken half a step back, hoping I could leave as quietly as I'd come in, but it was too late as Wesley looked up, and our eyes met.The bond hit me so hard my breath caught. It crashed into me like a breeze. Every instinct inside me screamed to close the distance between us and breathe him in until the ache eased.Instead, I looked away."You're later than usual," Grandma Cassidy said, completely unaware of the battle unfolding inside me. "Not that I had anything to worry about. Maverick had already found company. He spent almost the whole afternoon playing with one of the workers' little girls. That woman has another baby every time I turn around."I forced a smile."I stopped by the staff lodge for a while. I apologize for coming in late," I said, waiting for her to hand me the key to my room, which had been given to her in case she needed something for Maverick."What are you apologizing for?" she said

Wesley POV The weekend usually followed the same routine. One of the two nights was always reserved for dinner at my parents' house, and no matter how busy life became, everyone somehow found their way back here.Even Charlie had made it, despite carrying the responsibilities of an Alpha while trying to oversee the construction of new oil rigs.Being my uncle despite being a year younger had inflated his ego, and the idiot never let me forget it, insisting I address him with the respect an uncle was owed. It had become our tradition over the years. He'd pull the "I'm your uncle" card whenever it suited him, I'd remind him I was older, and we'd spend the next few minutes roasting each other while everyone else laughed like they hadn't heard the same argument a hundred times before.From the corridor, I watched the dining room gradually fill.Mom moved around the table, making sure every glass was filled and every dish was exactly where she wanted it. Tonight wasn't just family anymore