All Chapters of TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS : Chapter 241 - Chapter 250

252 Chapters

Two hundred and forty two

Lisa POVMom laughed as I dropped my backpack on the bed, then stepped forward and wrapped me in a warm hug."All I want is a hot bath to wash away the chapter house and everything I saw inside it," I said.She pulled back to look at me, then knelt to help me slide off my sandals. My feet were swollen, leaving deep red marks across my skin. I let out a long sigh the moment they were free.The bathroom filled with steam while I soaked until the heat reached my bones. When I finally climbed out, the heavy weight of the past few days felt smaller. I changed into an oversized shirt and loose shorts before climbing onto the bed. The mattress dipped under my weight, and I let out a soft groan."I missed this," I murmured as Mom lifted my legs onto her lap and started rubbing my tired feet."I figured you would," Mom said, keeping her strokes steady. "Pregnancy and narrow beds don't mix well."I closed my eyes and smiled, breathing in the familiar scent of home. My eyelids grew heavy as I cu

Two hundred and forty three

Cameron POV The pack run reminded me that I was still an Alpha. Wolves spread across the training grounds before disappearing into the forest, where dominant ones tested each other through races and tactical maneuvers while younger wolves struggled to control their speed. I stayed close enough to guide them without running at my full speed. An Alpha did not need to prove he was the fastest every morning; the forest already knew who led it, and my howl rolled through the trees only when the pack needed direction.By the time we returned to the pack house, Franklin stayed nearby, watching for another episode. None came. I felt useful instead of broken, meaning the fools who had started whispering after my recent absences had nothing to criticize this morning.Inside, I stood beneath a hot shower until the scent of damp earth and sweat disappeared down the drain. Washing the forest away meant leaving the Alpha outside, and by the time I pulled on a T-shirt and sweatpants, I had become j

Two hundred and forty four

Lisa's POV“I have been assigned to your birth pack.”Cassidy’s voice over the phone made my heart beat faster. They were following leads.I looked at the wall."Is that even safe? Luna Catherine is part of the Meridian. She is powerful enough to make things worse.""We can't just fold our arms," Cassidy said. "We need to find out what is anchoring the false bond between Evangeline and Cameron. Until we do, we're merely guessing."I stayed silent."So what will you do when you get there?"A quiet chuckle colored her voice. The wariness I'd heard every other time was gone, leaving behind an ease that made me smile. She was making an effort to ease my nerves, even if she'd rather chew stones than admit it."I'm going to observe first," she said. "Perhaps I'll pretend I got lost.""Please be careful. I don't want anything happening to you because of me.""That's my job. I agreed to be your sponsor."I understood the word sponsor as her commitment to keeping me alive long enough to have t

Two hundred and forty five

Lisa POV My heart slammed against my ribs.Tell Cassidy Cameron was here and I couldn't make it to the chapter house... or sneak out and hope he never noticed.If I told her, she'd think I was choosing Cameron over them and that I couldn't function without him. If I slipped out instead, Cameron might notice and ask questions. Sooner or later, he'd find out about the chapter house.I couldn't let that happen.He was downstairs with Alpha Kieran when I pulled out my phone and sent Cassidy a message.Cameron showed up out of nowhere. He's staying the night, so I can't make it to the chapter house.Her reply came almost immediately.Stay home.I stared at the message until another notification lit up my screen.Don't give him a reason to notice anything different. Your job tonight is to act exactly as you always would.I let out a relieved sigh and slipped my phone into my pocket, then I headed downstairs.Alpha Kieran looked up as I walked in. He cleared his throat. "Cameron will stay i

Two hundred and forty six

Kade POVThese days, dinner at my parents' house felt like everyone was waiting for someone else to say the wrong thing. Whoever did became the target.Not that I minded showing up. The food alone made it worth it.I watched Dad carve the roast. He set the biggest slice on Mom's plate before serving himself."The vegetables are overcooked," she muttered. "I don't know why the staff suddenly can't follow simple instructions.""They taste fine," I said. I took another bite. They were good."They're not."Dad nodded and cut into his meat without another word.I reached for my drink and watched Mom over the rim of the glass.It wasn't about the vegetables.Lately, nothing seemed to please her. The staff. The guards. The weather. Somebody always disappointed her.Dad took every complaint without argument.Sometimes I wondered what had happened to him.He'd led the pack for years. People still called him Alpha. They still stood when he walked into a room. But when it came time to make a dec

Two hundred and forty seven

Lisa POV Six days laterJoanna took my phone and spread the image apart with her fingers. Kade's messages filled the screen. He'd sent photos of a carved bone key. It matched the kind of key that should've opened the strange door in his mother's room.It hadn't.Joanna read his latest messages where he informed me his mother had barely been home and the maid said she'd started leaving at strange hours.Cassidy and I watched Joanna study the photos and scroll through the messages."Any clue what that is?" Cassidy asked when a hum escaped Joanna's lips.Joanna lifted a finger without looking up."Has he spoken with his sister?" She asked me."She insists she's fine."Joanna kept reading, then she handed the phone back."What do you think?" I asked."Another thread."She slid a stack of photocopied pages across the table."Cameron's beta has logged every hallucination Cameron reported. Dates, times and estimated duration. The attacks are becoming less frequent.""Could it be a blood anc

Two hundred and forty eight

Lisa POV The corridor opened into a chamber surrounded by rows of steps. Hundreds of women filled the room. Even with that many people, nobody raised their voice. I noticed the ribbons stitched into their crimson sashes.Most of the older women wore black, the younger wore silver.Victoria spotted me and waved. I waved back."Go sit with her," Cassidy said. "I'll come back for you."I watched her leave before making my way over."Lucky you," Victoria whispered. "They're breaking protocol because of you."I frowned. "What do you mean?""You should still be under observation," she said with a chuckle. "I've been here a month, and my initiation isn't even happening anytime soon.""Oh."She smiled."No hard feelings. You've made quite an impression.""I'm not sure that's a good thing.""Depends how you look at it. At least your man hasn't deteriorated into Dominion, spat in your face, and almost killed you."I looked down at my hands."I'm just a surrogate," I said.The words sounded wea

Two hundred and forty nine

Evangeline POV The silence from everyone, including my handler, unsettled me. The Meridian had lost faith in my ability to bring Cameron to Dominion, but that had never stopped them from dragging me into meetings held in different locations at odd hours of the night. Now days had passed without a single message.I reached out to my handler myself. We sat across from each other in the coffee shop where we usually met. I slid a folder across the table, every report from the last seven days arranged inside."We're making progress," I said with a smile. "His episodes are getting worse. He depends on me again."She didn't touch the folder.I glanced at it, then back at her."His sister and friends think he's getting better, but he isn't."She kept staring at me."I've also noticed...""Stop."Her voice stayed flat."The Meridian doesn't measure effort. It measures results.""I know.""Do you?" She raised a brow. "Months have passed. Your target is still resisting, and you're sitting here

Two hundred and fifty

Evangeline POV The pounding headache I woke up to the next morning eclipsed anything I had ever experienced. It felt as though someone had packed my skull with bricks. Even lifting my head took effort. Memories from the night before crashed into me. I sniffed my hands, then my clothes. The smell was gone. I dragged myself out of bed and stood in front of the mirror. My face had returned to normal, but the scratches across my face and arms remained. I traced one with my fingertips. It had happened. I had clawed at my own skin. Heat climbed into my chest as everything came back. I needed to see my mother.I grabbed the first dress I found. It looked decent enough. I brushed my hair, got into my car, and drove straight to my parents' house.My mother was in the middle of her usual morning meeting with the trade union. I walked in without knocking."We need to talk. Now."Every head turned toward me. A few faces showed surprise."Honey, we're having a meeting. Go upstairs and wait.""No.

Two hundred and fifty one

Evangeline POV "Are you at least going to give me an inkling of what is going on?" Kade said after settling into the passenger seat. He waited for me to speak. "What has she dragged you into?"My stomach tightened. I kept my eyes on the windshield."Do you need my help?" he asked. "Do you need saving?"A laugh almost slipped out.If only it were that simple.I looked at him and shook my head."Well, I don't believe you."I shrugged."Whether you like it or not, I'm helping you. This isn't you."I looked away.The last thing I wanted was for my brother to get involved. We weren't particularly close, but I'd rather die than watch him cross paths with the people who had used me and thrown me away."I'll be fine," I said. "Don't worry about me.""That's not how siblings work."Silence filled the car. My fingers traced the steering wheel."Is this about Cameron? Or politics?"I said nothing."Fine. Give me something. Is there anyone hurting you? Is there something I should be looking for?

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