TEMPORARY MATES PERMANENT CRAVINGS novel Chapter 132

Onehunaid and thirty two

+15 Bonus

One hundred and thirty two

Cameron POV

The stack of consent forms felt thick under my hand. I picked up the black pen provided by the hospital and looked at the first signature line.

The medical jargon blurred into a sea of gray text. I turned the page. My name went down where the red arrows pointed. Each stroke of the pen felt heavy. I moved to the next page and signed again. With every signature, I felt the weight of Evangeline’s life shifting onto my shoulders.

Lisa’s voice echoed in my mind. It was a persistent sound that I could not shake.

I looked toward the bed where Evangeline lay. She was pale. Her breathing was shallow. It made no sense to me. Franklin and Lisa were tossing around accusations that did not fit the woman in front of me.

I knew her. She was my mate.

She had been insecure lately. But insecurity was a far cry from murder.

The nurse stood by the bed with a digital tablet. She did not look up from the screen as she asked about the patient’s medical history.

“She has been sick all her life,” Luna Catherine said. Her voice was firm.

At the exact same time, I spoke. “The symptoms started three years ago.”

The nurse stopped typing. She looked at me, then at Catherine, then back at the tablet. Her eyebrows pulled together in a brief moment of confusion. I shifted my weight and looked directly at Catherine.

“All her life?” I asked. “Is that some mistake?”

Catherine did not blink. “No, of course not. She has never been a particularly strong child. For this specific condition, you are correct about the timeline. That is when the acute symptoms began.”

She continued speaking as if the contradiction carried no weight. She moved on to a detail about allergies. The nurse nodded and tapped the screen. The moment passed. I felt a sudden urge to stop the process and demand a list of every childhood illness, but the surgical team was already moving into the room. They checked the monitors and unlocked the wheels of the bed. I stepped back to give them space. I told myself the questions could

wait.

My phone vibrated on the plastic table. The screen lit up with Franklin’s name. I grabbed it and stepped into the quiet alcove of the waiting area.

“Has the surgery started?” Franklin asked. His voice was muffled by background noise.

“They are about 40 move her in,” I said.

The sound of his voice tightened the muscles in my neck. I could not hold back the irritation anymore.

“Why are you still pushing these theories?” I asked. “Why are you telling people Evangeline poisoned Lisa?”

Franklin let out a long breath. “Seriously, Cameron, do you not see the signs? Just because you refuse to believe it does not mean it is impossible.”

“Stop it,” I snapped. I kept my voice low, but the edge was there. “You are filling Lisa’s head with trash. You are dragging the whole pack into this. Accusing my mate of this while she is going under the knife is something I cannot understand. She is fighting for her life.”

1/2

Line hundred and thirty two

+15 Bcnus

“I did not put the idea in Lisa’s head,” Franklin said. He sounded annoyingly calm. “Lisa said what she said because of what she felt. I observed the facts. People are allowed to draw conclusions when the timing is this perfect.”

I let out a short laugh. It felt dry in my throat. “Conclusions based on what? Suspicion? A hunch? That is enough for you to point fingers at the Alpha’s mate?”

“It is enough to ask questions,” Franklin replied. “And it is enough for me to keep digging until I find the source.

“Then dig quietly,” I said. “Make sure every single thing you find has solid evidence attached to it. Do not starta/ fire where there is no wood. You haven’t caught her doing anything.”

“I get that,” Franklin said. “But while we wait for your version of proof, Lisa is the one paying the price.”

My chest felt tight, like a band of iron was winding around my ribs. I looked through the glass at the nurses prepped in blue scrubs.

“I know she might lose the baby,” I said. “But I am not jumping to conclusions. fam not tearing a person down based on a feeling. Do not think for one second that you care more for Lisa than I do. Your hunches are not enough to condemn her.”

A silence followed. I could hear the faint hum of the hospital ventilation system.

“At the end of the day, this has gone too far,” Franklin said. “Lisa did not end up in that hospital bed by accident.”

“And you think I don’t have the most to lose here?” I whispered harshly. “That child is mine. My entire future is tied to that baby more than anyone else’s. If something happens, I am the one who loses a legacy. So as much as you want me to vilify her, I will not do it without a reason.”

“I have to go,” I said.

“Cameron-”

י

I pressed the red button and ended the call. I leaned my head against the cool glass of the window. My reflection looked tired. When I moved my gaze toward the end of the hallway, I saw a figure standing by the vending machines.

It was Kade. Evangeline’s brother. He stood perfectly still, watching me with a strange intensity. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets. He looked like he was about to speak, his mouth opening just a fraction. Then he stopped. He shook his head slowly. He turned and walked away toward the elevators without saying a word.

P

Comments

Support

G

Share