TEMPORARY MATES PERMANENT CRAVINGS novel Chapter 150

The camera cut to a decorated space in the alpha house. Blue and gold filled the frame. Balloons and ribbons were everywhere. Guests moved through the room in formal dress. Evangeline stood at the center, holding a small pair of shoes. She smiled as someone spoke to her off-camera. Cameron, Franklin, and Nadia were all there. Even Luna Catherine was present.

“She organized this?” my mother asked.

“Alpha Cameron’s mate, Lady Evangeline, has chosen to host a private celebration ahead of the expected arrival,” the commentator’s voice filled the room.

The camera cut to a view of the nursery. I rested my hand against my stomach. The image stayed fixed for a long time. It made sense that the surrogate was not invited. Still, seeing it prepared and public shifted something in my mind. I turned off the television. The silence came back immediately.

“Honey, this might sound harsh, but that is how things will be,” my mother continued. “Once the child is born, everything moves on without you.”

“I know.”

“You say that, but knowing and understanding are not the same thing. Try not to attach your emotions to the baby.”

I looked at the blank screen. “It makes sense they did not invite me,” I mumbled. “It is not my child. I am just a borrowed womb.”

“You need to think beyond this,” my mother said. “This contract ends. Then what?”

“I will figure it out.”

“You do not have time to wait until it ends,” she said. “You need a plan before that.”

I looked away. Dr. Harry spoke from across the room. “She is not wrong to try,” he said. “Detachment reduces long -term complications. Separation can trigger instability if not managed properly.”

“That is comforting,” I said.

“It is hard,” he said. “But you must prepare for the mental framing. Understand the outcome before it happens.”

My mother agreed. “You will disappear from their lives. You need to be ready for that.”

“You can still have a full life after this,” Harry said.

I looked at him. “You think I am just going to walk away from this and be fine?”

“No,” he said. “I think it will affect you. But I also think it does not define everything that comes after. You should not be treated as disposable.” He paused. “Do you want to go out for a bit? A drive. A change of environment.” 2

“Maybe some other time.”

Later, I ran a bath. The water filled the tub slowly. Steam rose and blurred the edges of the room. I stepped in and lowered myself into it, letting the heat settle around me. I kept my eyes away from my body. I leaned back and closed my eyes.

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+15 8chus

150

Lisa

My phone rang while I was still in the living room. I glanced at the screen and smiled when I saw Sasha’s name,

I picked up.

“You finally remembered I exist,” I said.

Sasha laughed on the other end. “Please. You’ve been the one acting like a government official. I called you three times yesterday. And Cora has been worried about you. She returned to Silver Creek last week and wanted to be sure you’re okay.”

My heart warmed. I leaned back into the couch. “I’ve been meaning to go to the nursery anyway.”

“And what about Packfest? It’s so sad you’re not here. You and I haven’t missed it in the last five years straight. Sp sad your absence is breaking the streak.”

Shoot, the festival.

The idea of going settled in my head.

“Maybe I wasn’t planning to miss it,” I said.

Sasha squealed. “Look at you wanting to pull a surprise on me. Well, I’m glad. At least come home and breathe normal air.”

Normal didn’t fit my life anymore, but I understood what she meant.

“You’ve been locked up in that place for too long, literally scheduling your day around medical check-ins and hydration charts. And what the hell is a hydration chart anyway?”

I laughed.

“I’m so excited that I will see you. Call me when you’re on your way.

The idea kept settling in my head even minutes after the call ended. My mom had said to distract myself and detach myself from this pregnancy. Going to the festival was far from a solution, but at least I could breathe, just

as Sasha said.

“I want to visit Cora at the nursery. Sasha said she’s back. And I want to travel back home for PackFest.”

My mom was peeling an orange and stopped. “We can arrange you going to the nursery, but you can’t travel yet.”

“It’s just a few days,” I said. “I won’t even stay long. I’ll be careful. It’s not like I’m going somewhere dangerous.’

“It’s not about danger,” she replied. “It’s about everything going on around you.”

I folded my arms loosely. “You told me to take my mind off things.”

“That doesn’t mean you leave the pack in this condition.”

“What condition, Mom? I’m pregnant, not sick. You want me to sit here and wait for everything to happen to me.”

She shook her head. “I want you to be smart.”

“I am being smart. This is exactly what you told me to do. Detach. Focus on something else. This is something else. Thinking about what could be or what could not be all day, it’s not helping me or the baby.”

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+15 Bonus

She didn’t answer immediately.

“You won’t just be walking around unnoticed,” she said. “People will see you.”

“So what?” I asked. “As if they don’t know where I am. Nothing is going to happen.”

She let out a slow breath. “I don’t like it.”

“Fine,” I said and pulled out my phone. I opened Franklin’s contact and typed quickly.

I want to go to the nursery. Sasha said Cora is back. Also thinking about attending my pack’s festival. Let me know if that’s an issue.

I sent it before I could rethink it.

A few minutes later, my phone buzzed.

Nursery is fine. I’ll inform the guards. Festival needs Cameron’s approval.

I stared at the message and typed back.

Noted.

I locked the phone and set it aside.

“What did he say?” my mom asked.

“I can go to the nursery. The festival needs permission. And I’m still going.”

“Lisa.”

“I’m not asking for permission for everything.”

“This is not the time to start experimenting with independence. You’re not thinking this through.”

“I am,” I replied. “I just don’t agree with you.”

I had not realized how far away I had drifted from normalcy until now. This didn’t feel like rebellion. It felt like adjustment. Small, controlled decisions.

Choosing when to follow instructions and when to ignore them.

Not everything needed to be filtered through someone else.

A smile formed on Cora’s face as she spotted me approaching the nursery. Some of the children were playing outside when I arrived. One of them spotted me first.

“Lisa!”

The others turned at once. A few of them ran toward me, stopping short when they got close enough to notice what had changed.

“Why is your belly round?” one of them said.

“She’s pregnant!” A girl with a gap tooth beamed. “Just like my mama.”

Cora shook her head, amused.

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“Very observant, Nina.”

+15 Bonus

Cora hugged me and looked me over. “You look good.”

“I could say the same for you. You are glowing,” I said.

A blush appeared on her cheeks.

“You’re showing,” she said as we walked inside. “Tell me everything I’ve missed.”

I knew it was about to be a long day of her grilling me with questions, but coming here was positively uplifting didn’t even have to stay away in the first place. When I finally left, it made me feel lighter.

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