TEMPORARY MATES PERMANENT CRAVINGS novel Chapter 201

Two hundred and one

Nadia POV

“I’m tired of hearing that Alpha Kieran is handling it,” I said. “Every day we wait, Cameron gets worse.”

Franklin stood near the kitchen counter pouring oats into a bowl. The silence that followed irritated me more than if he had argued back.

“Lucas searched everything he could,” he said.

I folded my arms and huffed. Franklin set the spoon down.

“Nadia, I’m terrified too. But fear is not the same thing as strategy.”

“Well, Congratulations. You and the oracle should start a support group together, and maybe label me insane for overthinking”

“You’re not insane,” he said. “I know something is wrong with Cameron. I felt it before any of you admitted it out loud.”

That softened me, though not enough.

“If Matthias noticed it too, then this isn’t paranoia anymore.”

Franklin nodded.m”I know.”

He moved around the counter and pulled me into a hug from behind.

“I trust Cameron,” he murmured against my neck. “Even if something is happening to him, I still trust him to fight it.”

I closed my eyes.

“And thank the goddess Harry recorded that ultrasound,” Franklin continued. “At least we know something still reaches him.”

He pulled away.

“He hasn’t called me since last night. I want to check the Alpha house.”

“I’m coming too,” I said.

We drove to the Alpha house, and the moment we walked inside, I knew Cameron and Evangeline weren’t home. The house was too relaxed. Staff moved around casually, talking louder than usual. Even the guards looked loose. Nobody carried that stiff alertness the house usually had whenever we were around.The moment they noticed us, conversations died down and everybody scattered back into their duties so fast it almost looked rehearsed.

Franklin checked the study while I searched upstairs. I stopped one of the housemaids near the staircase.

“Where’s the Alpha?”

“Alpha Cameron and Lady Evangeline left very early this morning.”

My stomach dropped.

“How early?”

“Around four-thirty.”

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Franklin appeared behind me. We exchanged a look. I grabbed my phone immediately and called Cameron. No answer. I tried Evangeline next. Nothing.

Panic started rising fast enough that pacing became impossible to stop.

“Calm down,” Franklin said quietly.

“Don’t tell me to calm down. She took him somewhere.”

Franklin stayed silent.

“What if they finally moved him fully into whatever this thing is?”

Even Franklin looked unsettled now.

“I’ll check the road surveillance if they don’t return soon.”

The words barely registered because headlights suddenly swept across the front entrance. A car pulled through the gates. Cameron stepped out first, and Evangeline came out after him.

Nothing looked wrong.

That was the problem. Cameron wasn’t disoriented or exhausted. He adjusted his coat while handing his keys to one of the guards, calm enough that anybody else would have assumed everything was fine.

He looked toward us.

“Where have you been?” he asked me and smiled afterward, the familiar dimple appeared against his cheek.

My chest tightened. Something was horribly wrong. The smile looked correct but emotion behind it didn’t.

“Where were you?” I asked.

“With me,” Evangeline answered smoothly before Cameron could.

She looked exhausted beneath the makeup. Her eyes looked strained, but there was confidence in her now that had not existed before.

“I wasn’t talking to you.”

Evangeline moved closer to Cameron. His hand settled lightly against her back.

“Surely the Alpha doesn’t need permission to leave his own house,” she replied.

“You disappeared before sunrise,” I snapped. “Neither of you answered your phones.”

“Oh.” Cameron blinked. “I forgot.”

Franklin stiffened beside me. Even Cameron’s voice sounded too delayed now.

“Cameron,” I said carefully, stepping closer. “Come talk to me privately.”

“Anything you need to say can be said here,” Evangeline said smugly. “You don’t get to isolate my mate every time you decide he’s behaving incorrectly.”

My temper snapped.

“What did you do to him?”

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Cameron rubbed his forehead.

“Nadia, please stop shouting.”

That calm tone frightened me more than anger would have.

“You’re not fine,” I cried out. “Look at yourself.”

“I am fine.”

“No, you’re not.”

Evangeline huffed under her breath. “All of you keep insisting something is wrong with him while making him worse every single day.”

“Stop it Evangeline,” Franklin said. “nobody here wants to fight you.”

“Really?” she replied coldly. “Because ever since that surrogate entered our lives, everybody suddenly acts like I’m poisoning my own mate.”

Cameron’s face shifted slightly at the word surrogate.

“Nadia,” Cameron said slowly, “I need you to stop involving yourself in my bond with Eva.”

I gasped. Franklin stared at him in disbelief.

“You don’t mean that,” I said quietly.

“I do.”

Eyangeline watched me, waiting.

“You…witch! You think I can’t see what’s happening?”

She rolled her eyes.

“Call me whatever you want, we all know you’re terrified that your brother finally stopped letting you control him.”

I stepped toward her but Franklin caught my arm before I reached her.

“Nadia, please stop.”

“She’s lying! She has done something to him!”

Cameron moved fast enough and positioned himself directly between us and Evangeline. The room went silent.

My throat tightened painfully. Cameron looked at me like I was the threat.

“Nobody is touching my mate,” he warned, and right before us, he kissed Evangeline.

He kissed her like nothing else mattered, and she kissed him back without hesitation. Franklin held me behind him while Cameron pulled away.

Evangeline looked at us afterward. Her face held no nervousness or attempts to seem misunderstood. She looked ready.

“So what happens now?” she asked lightly. “Aren’t you happy that we’re finally fixing things?”

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She looked up at him and smiled. “I honestly thought Nadia would be the happiest person here.”

Cameron looked at me, and even though he wasn’t openly laughing yet, amusement kept crossing his face strangely. That terrified me more than shouting would have.

“Cameron, she’s dangerous,” I said, trying to pull away from Franklin. “You need help. Please come with us.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Nadia.” Cameron rubbed his forehead. “Stop.”

“Tell me where you went this morning! You disappeared before sunrise. Neither of you answered your phones You always answer Franklin.”

“I forgot my phone.”

“You’ve been forgetting everything lately.”

That detached gaze settled on me again.

“Does forgetting my phone suddenly mean I joined some secret organization?”

“You already did.”

Silence filled the room as I turned toward Evangeline.

“I know about Desmond. I know he belongs to the same group as you. And I know you’ve both been operating around Cameron for years.”

Evangeline’s smile disappeared so quickly most people would have missed it before she forced it back again.

“You have to believe me, Cameron. Matthias told me everything,” I said.

Cameron laughed this time.

“Matthias? That’s actually funny. The whole world knows Matthias wants me publicly humiliated, and now suddenly he’s your trusted source?”

“He warned me because something is wrong with you!”

“No,” Evangeline cut in coldly. “He warned you because he hates Cameron enough to spread lies about his mate. Tell me why everyone is suddenly so invested in convincing Cameron he’s unstable.”

“Because he is unstable,” Franklin said.

Cameron glared at him. Franklin didn’t back down.

“You don’t even sound like yourself anymore.”

“All of you keep saying that,” Evangeline replied. “Meanwhile, none of you notice how much pressure you’re putting him under every single day.”

“You manipulated him, you bitch!” I snapped.

“And what exactly did I manipulate?” she shot back. “My mate loving me and defending me in our own home?”

“You’ve been lying to him for years, convincing everyone Cameron’s emotional numbness around you was normal,” I continued. “Now suddenly he feels something for another woman, and we’re all supposed to pretend that doesn’t mean your bond is wrong?”

Franklin looked shocked beside me. Even Cameron went still.

4/5

“You’re going too far,” Franklin muttered under his breath.

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“No, I’m finally saying it out loud. She pretended to be sick for sympathy. She kept him trapped inside a bond that never made sense. Why is she terrified of cleansing rituals? Why won’t she let the oracle examine their bond properly?”

Real anger crossed Evangeline’s face before she looked toward Cameron.

“Tell them to leave.”

I laughed. “You’ve lost your bloody mind.”

“I want them out,” Evangeline repeated. “I’m tired of being insulted inside my own home.”

“You can’t do that,” Franklin said sharply. “You’re isolating him.”

“Tell them to leave.”

Cameron looked between all of us.

He looked between us long enough for hope to start crawling back into my chest, then he looked at me.

“You should go.”

The force behind his words knocked the air out of me

“Cameron,” I whispered.

“She’s my mate. I’m done allowing you to disrespect her.”

“You cannot be serious.”

“I am serious. No more accusations or attempts to interfere in my marriage.”

Franklin stared at him in disbelief.

“Cameron…”

“I mean it.”

Then Evangeline smiled beside him with the satisfaction of someone who had just won.

“You heard the Alpha,” she said. “Leave.”

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