Alle Kapitel von TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS : Kapitel 311 – Kapitel 320

Wesley POVMy pride and whatever self-control I had finally caught up with me as the adrenaline drained away, leaving nothing but a restless aftertaste.The scent of grapes lingered inside the car as I wondered how she could run off like that.She'd kissed me back. She'd wanted me as much as I wanted her, yet she'd bolted as though I'd done something unforgivable.I tapped the steering wheel, trying to bleed off my frustration.Worse still, I was irritated with myself. I'd followed her into the hallway, asked a woman who had arrived with another man to leave with me, and somehow I was the one left sitting alone in a parking lot wondering what had gone wrong.I stayed in the car until I steadied myself, breathing the way we'd been taught at the Alpha Academy. By the time I checked my reflection in the rearview mirror and smoothed my hair back into place, the mask was back where it belonged. I locked the car and headed inside.Back at the booth, there was no sign of Emma, Charlie, or Ba

Isabella POV The taxi pulled away, leaving me standing outside my father's familiar white duplex.It had only been a month since I last stood outside this house, yet my chest tightened as though years had passed. The freshly cut lawn looked the same, and the flower beds were perfectly trimmed as the groundskeeper pushed the mower across the lawn without sparing me a glance.The house looked respectable from the outside, but inside, it had been hell.The memories I'd spent weeks trying to bury rose in my throat like bile.I was the bastard, the child who should never have been born.The whore's daughter.They started calling me those names when I was still small enough to believe adults always told the truth. Then Beatrice and Barbara ate proper meals while I picked through cold, greasy leftovers. Sometimes there weren't even leftovers. If Stepmother Gwen decided I'd been too visible that day, I simply didn't eat.My sisters' old clothes became mine after they'd been worn nearly to ra

Isabella POV By half past ten, the sound of printers jamming, phones ringing, and the Accounting Department running at full tilt had become part of my daily life. Payday was only two days away, and payroll preparations had swallowed the entire office. Reports passed between departments, approval requests piled up by the minute, and everyone seemed buried beneath deadlines.Even Harrison, who always liked to chat with us in the morning, had his face practically glued to his monitor while stacks of files surrounded his desk. Somewhere along the way, I'd settled into the rhythm of the office. I was no longer the frightened newcomer trying to prove I belonged. I did my work, kept my head down, and avoided attention.Emma had sent me for another cup of coffee because, according to her, three hours of sleep wasn't enough to survive payroll week, and she was far too busy to leave her desk herself. I'd barely dropped off the coffee and headed for my desk when my phone vibrated inside my pock

Isabella POVThe relief on Harrison's face as he dropped into the chair beside my desk made me hide a smile. He looked like someone who had just won the lottery."He approved it," he said, still sounding like he couldn't believe it himself. "He said, GOOD JOB. The same report he rejected twice."I smiled into my coffee. "See? I told you it would work out."Harrison kept shaking his head. "It was like someone swapped him overnight. I swear that fucker is bipolar. It's like he has a switch in his head."I pretended to share his confusion, but my thoughts drifted elsewhere. All I could think about was Wesley's hands, the softness of his lips, and my body wanting more.I hid the smile threatening to betray me behind my mug."Let's just hope he never remembers I exist again," Harrison muttered, making me chuckle.That was the beginning of my ravenous desire for Wesley's touch.I found reasons to pass by his office, and he too always found reasons to send cues that he was free, pulling me b

Isabella POV "Guess we can stop pretending now."Wesley's words made me nudge him, silently begging him not to make this worse. But Wesley, in his usual fashion, didn't seem to care.With Harrison standing there, the covered plate still in his hands, I didn't know what to say, except that I had somehow turned everything into a tangled mess. How could I explain that the future Alpha was my mate? That he was the man I couldn't stop thinking about? That we'd already been kissing long before Wesley singled Harrison out?"Good evening, Alpha Wesley."Harrison straightened and cleared his throat. His voice stayed level.He held the plate toward me."I brought you some food."I reached for it, but my hands shook so badly the plate almost slipped."Thank you," I whispered.He nodded and walked away. Wesley wore a knowing grin as Harrison's footsteps faded down the corridor."Why does he look so shocked? Didn't see that coming, did he?"I closed my eyes and dragged in a breath. Wesley raised