TEMPORARY MATES PERMANENT CRAVINGS novel Chapter 100

One hundred

Lisa

Cameron 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 with my face. I stared at the floor tiles, then dragged my gaze back to him anyway.

The first thing I noticed was the dark circles under his eyes. He walked past me without saying anything and went straight to my mom. We were here for her, so it made sense.

“How are you feeling, Susan?”

He pulled a chair closer and leaned toward her. My mom straightened in the examination bed, her hands already reaching for him. She grabbed his hand and held on.

“I can see. I can actually see clearly. All thanks to you, Alpha.”

Her grip tightened around his fingers. “I thought I would never get this back.”

He smiled.

The doctor stepped in with a tablet, running through recovery timelines and temporary glasses while Cameron listened without interrupting. I stood near the counter, flipping through a stack of papers so it looked like I wasn’t tracking every movement he made.

Missing him had crawled under my skin, and seeing him again made it worse.

His attention shifted, and his eyes landed on me. His eyes moved from my face down to my waist and back up, like he was checking what had changed. Heat climbed up my neck before I could stop it. I shifted my weight and looked down at the chart the doctor left on the table.

My mom told him she would have to travel back for the final divorce hearing, her fingers picking at the hospital blanket while she spoke.

Cameron nodded and Kieran spoke.

“Susan, if you need help with the divorce, my legal team can step in. He won’t be able to manipulate anything. Honestly, he should be punished for what he’s done.”

My mom pressed her lips together. “I appreciate the offer, but I would prefer to handle it myself.”

“As you wish. If you change your mind, the offer stands.”

I looked between them, confused. Refusing help that could protect her made no sense, but I kept my mouth shut.

They went over follow-up visits, medication schedules, and when she would need to come back. The conversation ran out of steam. No one spoke, and the room went quiet except for the monitor humming.

Cameron turned toward me. “Can we talk?”

My fingers curled into my palms. I nodded and pushed the door open.

The hallway outside felt calmer than the waiting area. A nurse walked past, pushing a cart, the wheels squeaking against the tiled floor, then disappeared around the corner.

We were alone.

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One hundred

+15 Bgnus

I leaned back against the wall and crossed my arms tight over my chest.

Cameron stopped in front of me, close enough that his cologne reached me. My fingers dug into my arms just to keep from reaching for him.

All the confidence I built over the past days cracked the second he stood this close. Awareness hit me hard, the same pull I had tried to bury.

“You look alright.” His eyes moved over my face. “Is the nurse doing her job?”

I gave a small nod. “She’s fine.”

Neither of us spoke.

“How is Evangeline? Is everything okay with her now that I’m out of the house?”

His eyes moved away from mine toward the floor. “We’re working on things. Making sure your pregnancy stays safe and helping her recover.”

Of course. I should have expected a diplomatic answer. Did I really expect him to erase his life with his mate? It

He had a ‘we’ with her.

I didn’t belong in that sentence.

“I want to go out.”

His forehead creased. “Out where?”

“To see my friends. I can’t stay locked inside that house. I’m losing my mind there.”

“You’re not locked inside. You’re free to go around the compound. There’s a pool and-”

“Cameron, please.” I let out a breath that sounded more like a laugh. “It feels like prison. I’m not asking to disappear. You can send guards. I know you will anyway.”

He shoved a hand into his pocket and looked down the hall. “Twice a week. Maximum security.”

I gave another nod. “Thank you.”

His gaze dropped toward my stomach. The fabric of my tank top clung there. There was nothing to see yet, but his attention made me feel exposed anyway.

“How does it… feel?”

I looked down at my stomach and smiled. “The baby’s probably the size of a bean.” I pointed at it.

I hadn’t felt anything yet. No movement, no proof. Just the knowledge that my life was already changing.

His eyes stayed there, then lifted back to mine.

Neither of us spoke.

I pushed the words out before I could change my mind. “You not calling… is that helping your bond with Evangeline?”

He sighed.

“I didn’t stay away because of her.”

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“Then why?”

“Because of me.”

He didn’t explain, but I understood. He was trying not to fall into something with me.

There was nothing left to say.

“I should get back to my mom.”

His mouth opened, then closed again. “Take care of yourself. If you need anything, tell Franklin.”

I nodded and walked away. If I stayed there, I would have cried.

When I reached the waiting area, I slowed. My mom and Alpha Kieran were talking. She leaned toward him, laughing.

It felt like I was interrupting something private, so I didn’t go to them. I turned down the opposite side of the hallway instead.

Being near Cameron had wound me up so tight I couldn’t settle. Seeing him again had undone everything I thought I had under control. Distance had been easier. Being close to him was dangerous.

I stayed down the hall, staring at the scaffed floor tiles, until I trusted myself to walk back into that room.

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