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Two hundred and eighty six
Tanggal publikasi:
2026-07-25 03:01:18
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TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS Two hundred and eighty six
Isabella POVI was packing my sketchbook and everything I'd need to work from home over the weekend when Iris leaned against my desk."You should come with me to the staff lodge," she said. "Most of us who live there usually hang out in the courtyard on Fridays after work. Even people who don't live there stop by sometimes."I wasn't ashamed of Maverick. If someone asked whether I had a child, I'd tell them. I just didn't see the need to bring it up when I wasn't looking for friendships that extended beyond the office. I'd come here to work. That was all. Especially now that Barbara had made it clear she could walk into my room whenever she pleased."I'll pass," I said, zipping up my bag. "Maybe next time.""Oh, come on." Iris folded her arms. "You can't keep disappearing the second work ends. People will think you're stuck-up.""I'm not stuck-up.""Then why do you run home every day?"I smiled without answering.How could I explain that some people could afford to treat work like wor
TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS Two hundred and eighty five
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
TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS Two hundred and eighty four
Isabella POV Lunch came before I realized how much time had passed.I'd spent the entire morning sketching variations of the detachable overskirt Luna Lisa had approved. Emerald hadn't been able to invent busywork for me. Every time she glanced in my direction, Luna Lisa's instructions stood as a barrier, and there wasn't much Emerald could do about that.She still found ways to make her displeasure obvious.By the time I set my pencil down, my shoulders ached."You'll go blind if you keep staring at that page."I looked up to find Iris, the only person in the office who extended a bit of kindness to me."It's lunchtime. Come on.""I'm almost done."She reached over, covered the sketchbook with a folder, and snapped her fingers."The design isn't going anywhere."I groaned."Fine."We headed downstairs to the general dining area, where the aroma of different foods filled the air and conversation blended into a steady hum that made the space feel relaxed. Iris and I went to the servin
TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS Two hundred and eighty three
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
TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS Two hundred and eighty two
Isabella POV I'd barely gotten to the staff wing when the sound of feet came pounding down the hallway."Mama!"Maverick launched himself at me so hard I nearly lost my balance. I laughed and caught him before he could knock us both over. His arms wrapped tightly around my waist while I buried my face in his hair for a moment, breathing in the familiar scent of soap."Someone missed me.""I did!" he declared proudly.I pulled back just enough to look him over. His shirt was covered in fresh oil stains, and there was something orange smeared near the collar that looked suspiciously like tomato sauce."What happened to you?"Before he could invent whatever explanation four-year-olds came up with when they were caught, Grandma Cassidy walked into the hallway with an amused smile."I could've changed him, but I couldn't go into your room without your permission.""I hope he didn't stress you," I said, reaching down to smooth his hair.Grandma Cassidy waved the concern away as though I'd
TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS Two hundred and eighty one
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
TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS One hundred
LisaCameron walked in, and my thoughts scattered so hard I couldn’t even remember why I was standing there. He didn’t belong in this room with fluorescent lights and plastic chairs; he looked like something I had imagined too many nights in a row. I didn’t know where to put my eyes or what to do w
TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS Ninety-Six
CameronI avoided Evangeline for the rest of the evening, not out of pettiness, but because I dreaded saying something that would make things worse.I shut myself in the study and opened my laptop, stacking files across the desk so I had something to focus on. My coffee had gone cold beside the key
TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS 95
CameronThe papers on my desk stopped looking like words; they were blocks of ink and signatures that still needed to exist by morning. My coffee sat untouched beside the files, a thin skin forming on top. Ink stained the side of my finger where the pen kept slipping.Franklin yawned and dragged hi
TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS Ninety four
Lisa The safehouse looked locked down from the outside. It was a narrow duplex with sealed windows and thick curtains pulled shut, the air trapped inside.My mom and I stood in the living room, looking around at furniture that wasn’t ours. A keypad blinked beside the door. Franklin punched in a cod
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