TEMPORARY MATES PERMANENT CRAVINGS novel Chapter 192

One hundred and ninety two

Lisa POV

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Franklin arrived before dinner with Alpha Kieran. My heart lurched as I realized that somewhere in my subconscious, I had missed seeing his face. He looked exhausted but managed to give me a side hug and hand me a bag of cupcakes glazed with my favorite icing.

“Is it me, or are you glowing even more in Alpha Kieran’s pack?” he said, making me roll my eyes.

“Good evening to you too,” I said, grabbing his arm and wanting us to sit down and talk, but he excused himself to Alpha Kieran’s study while I assisted my mom and Katherine in preparing boiled dinner, a dish comprised of boiled potatoes, cabbage, turnips, carrots, onions, and often ham.

He returned to the dining room and reached straight for the glass pitcher near the center of the table, pouring himself water. I watched him eat fast, like someone who hadn’t eaten anything all day.

Mom dished out some more for him.

“I had coffee all day,” he said, gobbling with his mouth.full.

James snorted quietly. The two had also grown some brotherly rapport.

“How was the court hearing?” I asked, tired of waiting for someone to bring it up, which didn’t seem likely anytime soon.

Franklin looked at me.

“Desmond tried to turn the hearing into mutual deception. He implied Nadia manipulated him emotionally too and wanted the council to believe they both made mistakes equally.”

“That idiot,” Kieran muttered.

Franklin rubbed his forehead.

“He also implied Nadia entertained other men besides me during their relationship. Nadia almost walked out during the proceedings. Her lawyer had to stop her.”

“And Cameron?” I asked.

Franklin looked mildly irritated.

“Functional enough to attend and pretend nothing is wrong.

After dinner, I stayed curled into the corner of the couch, listening to all of them. Every conversation in this house circled back to Cameron and Evangeline.

James grabbed the remote from the coffee table and turned on the television absentmindedly. The news channel appeared, and Evangeline’s face filled the screen.

“Turn that up,” I said.

The banner beneath the reporter read:

ALLEGED SURROGACY SCANDAL CONNECTED TO WILDFANG ALPHA HOUSE

The sound of my heartbeat thrashed in my ears. Everyone grew silent. The female anchor spoke calmly while photographs flashed across the screen behind her.

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Ine hundred and ninety twa

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“Sources close to the Alpha Council claim the arrangement began as a private surrogacy agreement connected to Alpha Cameron and his mate, Lady Evangeline.’

Another picture appeared. Evangeline stood beside Cameron, smiling softly during some charity event.

“Anonymous legal insiders connected to the ongoing Alpha family disputes allege emotional boundaries between the surrogate and the Alpha deteriorated during the pregnancy process.”

Mom reached for the remote.

“Lisa, you do not need to watch this.”

I pulled the remote from her hand.

“No. Leave it.”

The anchor continued.

“While details remain unconfirmed publicly, several commentators question how a surrogate gained enough emotional access to destabilize a fated mating between the Alpha and his mate.”

Another panel appeared beside the anchor. Three commentators sat discussing the situation.

One older woman shook her head.

“A mating bond is sacred. If there was emotional involvement here, then boundaries failed long before the pregnancy.”

A man beside her nodded.

“The real concern is whether emotional manipulation occurred intentionally.

James scoffed loudly.

“These bastards are talking about Lisa like she committed treason. Did she force herself on Cameron?”

The third commentator looked less certain.

“We also do not know the surrogate’s version of events,” she said carefully. “Everything currently comes from anonymous leaks and speculation.”

The older woman barely let her finish.

“Lady Evangeline has spent years serving our territory publicly. Hospital donations, pack charities, and female advocacy programs. People know her character already.”

Another photograph appeared on screen.

Evangeline holding flowers beside sick children at a hospital event.

Another one at a food drive.

Another beside Cameron during a winter ceremony.

The network knew exactly what they were doing.

“Sources close to the family claim Lady Evangeline welcomed the surrogate warmly into the household initially,” the anchor continued. One source alleges she even begged the surrogate privately not to destroy her union.’

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Alpha Kieran cursed under his breath. Even Harry joined us in the living room, stunned.

The terrifying part was how believable it sounded. The commentators kept talking over one another afterward.

“People sympathize with Lady Evangeline because she’s visibly ill. She remained publicly composed despite humiliation. The surrogate allegedly fled contractual supervision a few days ago. There are also legal concerns regarding custody rights if the agreement terms were breached.”

My mouth fell open.

When on this green earth had I ever thought about or even maliciously claimed the child as mine?

Mom tried to hold my hand, but I pulled away.

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re angry.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I said sharply. “Look at what they’re saying, throwing the blame at me as if I seduced him with black magic.”

Franklin looked toward the television coldly.

“This leak came through the hearing channels. The court proceeding was private. Somebody wanted the public narrative established quickly.”

The anchor continued speaking while more footage played behind her.

“Though no official statements have been released from the Alpha household, public sympathy currently leans heavily toward Lady Evangeline.”

Of course it did.

She looked graceful and elegant in every picture.

I suddenly understood something horrifying about institutions. People trusted presentation first. Truth came much later, if it came at all.

James grabbed the remote angrily.

“I’m turning this garbage off.”

The television went silent.

The room stayed tense afterward. Franklin looked at me.

“This is strategic,” he said. “They’re isolating you socially before anything else happens.”

Mom crossed her arms.

“But why? She has never claimed the baby as hers, neither has she asked for any relationship with Cameron. She just wants to give birth to the baby and move on with her life. And now look at how they’re trying to taint her name with this surrogate narrative. Let’s even combine that with the fact that Luna Catherine from her birth pack isn’t any better.”

Alpha Kieran tried to calm my mom down, but she wasn’t having it.

I stared at the blank television screen, and despite it being off, I could still replay everything in my head.

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handed and kinety two

Runaway surrogate.

Emotionally unstable surrogate.

Manipulative surrogate.

The agenda was for strangers to discuss my pregnancy on television.

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