TEMPORARY MATES PERMANENT CRAVINGS novel Chapter 282

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Two hundred and eighty two

Isabella POV

I’d barely gotten to the staff wing when the sound of feet came pounding down the hallway.

“Mama!”

Maverick launched himself at me so hard I nearly lost my balance. I laughed and caught him before he could knock us both over. His arms wrapped tightly around my waist while I buried my face in his hair for a moment, breathing in the familiar scent of soap.

“Someone missed me.”

“I did!” he declared proudly.

I pulled back just enough to look him over. His shirt was covered in fresh oil stains, and there was something orange smeared near the collar that looked suspiciously like tomato sauce.

“What happened to you?”

Before he could invent whatever explanation four-year-olds came up with when they were caught, Grandma Cassidy walked into the hallway with an amused smile.

“I could’ve changed him, but I couldn’t go into your room without your permission.”

“I hope he didn’t stress you,” I said, reaching down to smooth his hair.

Grandma Cassidy waved the concern away as though I’d asked whether a feather had bruised her.

“Stress me? Child, this house has been too quiet for years. Most of the staff have children old enough to be in the academy, or already grown and working. Then this little whirlwind came along.” She looked down at Maverick with obvious affection. “He reminds me what laughter sounds like.”

Maverick beamed under the praise.

“Just do me one favor tomorrow. Keep a change of clothes in your bag for him. It would save us both

from his creative adventures.”

“I will.”

She smiled. “Now come. You look ready to fall over. Dinner’s still warm.”

The smell of warm broth, roasted beef, and fresh bread filled the kitchen. My stomach chose that exact moment to remind me I’d barely eaten all day.

Grandma Cassidy set a bowl in front of me while Maverick climbed onto the chair beside mine, happily swinging his legs underneath the table. He’d already eaten, but that didn’t stop him from stealing a piece of beef off my plate the moment I looked away.

Grandma Cassidy chuckled as she poured herself a cup of tea.

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She settled opposite me and watched me for a moment before asking, “Was today any less stressful than yesterday?”

I stared down at my food and let out a tired breath.

“Stressful would be mild compared to running around with boxes like a headless chicken, or a woman coming out of nowhere who wouldn’t stop flirting with me.”

She burst out laughing. It was the surprised laugh of someone who’d just heard the most unexpected thing all day.

“Now that,” she said between chuckles, “isn’t a story I was expecting. Did you tell her you weren’t interested?”

“It barely lasted a few minutes. I was stunned.”

She rested her chin lightly on one hand, still smiling.

“So she simply decided she liked you? And you told her you’re straight?”

“I didn’t really get the chance.”

She laughed again.

“Oh, sweetheart.”

I couldn’t help smiling.

“It wasn’t funny, and I should be bothered.”

Because it wasn’t only her.

It was everything.

From the office, to the almost kiss with Wesley, and then to his sister. Nothing about today had made

sense.

Grandma Cassidy seemed to notice the direction of my thoughts, because she didn’t press me any further. Instead of prying, she began talking about herself, telling me how she had been there when Wesley was born and had helped raise him and his sister.

“Are they still close to you?”

She smiled, staring into the distance.

“They might act as though they aren’t, but they wouldn’t hesitate to sneak in an opportunity to come and see me. I watched them grow into the people they are now.”

Her smile softened with memory. “Time has a funny way of slipping through your fingers.”

I found myself wondering what Wesley had been like as a little boy. I pushed the thought away before it could settle.

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Grandma Cassidy stirred her tea absentmindedly.

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“And what about you?” she asked. “You’ve told me a little about Maverick, but not much about the rest of your family.”

I tensed. She must have noticed, because she quickly added, “Only if you feel like talking.”

“My parents are gone.”

“I know. I meant the family you made afterward.”

She was asking about Maverick’s father.

My appetite faded.

“He’s…” I stopped, choosing each word carefully. “Someone I don’t ever want my son growing up around.”

Cassidy didn’t interrupt.

“I just want Maverick to have a normal childhood.”

She reached across the table and gently squeezed my hand.

“We all make mistakes when we’re young.”

I lowered my eyes. If only it had been that simple.

“Don’t spend the rest of your life punishing yourself for yesterday. Your little boy needs the woman sitting in front of me, not the one who keeps looking over her shoulder.”

If she knew the truth, she wouldn’t be saying any of this.

When dinner was over, I thanked her and took Maverick upstairs. He’d somehow managed to find a set of paints while I was washing my plate.

“Maverick.”

He froze, brush still in his hand. A bright blue streak now decorated the wall beside the bed.

I groaned.

“What did I tell you about drawing on walls?”

“I wanted to make a wolf.”

“You can make wolves on paper. This isn’t our house.”

His smile disappeared.

“Do you want us to go back to Grandpa’s house?”

The fear in his eyes hit me immediately, and I regretted saying it. I pulled him into my arms.

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“No.”

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“Good. That’s exactly why we have to be on our best behavior. Luna Lisa was kind enough to let us stay here. We don’t repay kindness by making extra work for people.”

He nodded against my shoulder.

“I’ll be good, Mama.”

Together we cleaned the paint as best we could before getting him washed and changed into his pajamas. By the time I tucked him into bed, his eyelids were already drooping.

The room grew quiet after he fell asleep. Moonlight filtered through the curtains, leaving pale streaks across the floor, but it wasn’t enough to chase away the thoughts circling my head.

I stared at the ceiling.

None of today made any sense.

How could the Moon Goddess tie me to a man who looked me in the eye and acted as though nothing

existed between us?

Every time Wesley came close, the bond stirred so strongly it was almost painful, yet he seemed content to ignore it.

Why pretend it wasn’t there?

Then there was his sister. I’d barely exchanged a few words with Luna Lisa’s daughter, yet she’d looked at me as though she’d discovered the love of her life.

It would’ve been easier to understand if she’d been making a joke, but there hadn’t been anything playful

in her eyes.

One sibling acted as though we were strangers. The other wanted to chase me across the pack.

If I hadn’t lived through it myself, I would’ve sworn someone was making the whole thing up.

I turned onto my side, careful not to wake Maverick.

Grandma Cassidy was the only person in this house I could almost imagine trusting.

She’d been kind to me from the beginning. She had welcomed Maverick without complaint, listened without prying, and never once made me feel like a burden.

But she’d also helped raise Luna Lisa’s children.

She loved them.

If the day ever came when she had to choose between me and them, there wouldn’t be a choice at all, and I couldn’t blame her for that.

My thoughts drifted to Luna Lisa herself. The sensible thing would be to tell her. She was the Luna. She

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was fair. She’d taken Maverick and me into her home without asking for anything in return.

But what exactly would I tell her? That her son was my mate? On what proof?

What if Wesley looked her in the eye and denied everything?

What if he laughed, or decided I was just another woman trying to trap the future Alpha?

Or worse, what if he admitted the attraction but wanted to keep me hidden?

A secret.

Someone to visit behind closed doors while the whole pack celebrated his relationship with another

woman.

I heaved a sigh.

I’d seen that story before.

My mother had lived it. She’d believed promises that never became reality. She’d waited for a man who never truly chose her. By the time she realized the truth, all she’d been left with were heartbreak and

whispers.

I wasn’t going to become her.

This wasn’t only about me anymore.

My son deserved stability, and a home where he didn’t have to wonder whether we’d be forced to leave

tomorrow.

He deserved to grow up without watching his mother wait for a man who would never claim her.

No matter what that bond inside me wanted, Maverick came first.

I woke up hours later to a faint sound near the door. Years of sleeping with one ear open had taught my body to wake before my mind understood why.

I opened my eyes. Someone was standing inside the room.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

I reached for the bedside lamp and switched it on. Warm light flooded the room. A startled yelp escaped me before I could stop it.

Barbara stood near the foot of the bed, perfectly composed, as though walking into another woman’s bedroom in the middle of the night was the most natural thing in the world.

She glanced briefly toward Maverick before looking back at me.

“Keep your voice down,” she said quietly. “Unless you’d like to wake your son.”

I slipped out of bed as carefully as I could, making sure my body stayed between her and Maverick.

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“Get out.”

“I came to do you a favor.”

“I didn’t ask for one.”

“No.” Her smile was thin. “That’s becoming a habit.”

She folded her arms.

“You’ve already crossed paths with people you shouldn’t have. I’m giving you the opportunity to correct that mistake before it becomes irreversible.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I think you do.”

She took one step closer.

“Leave this house.”

I stared at her.

“Go home. Find another job. Another place to stay. Remove yourself from this family.”

My pulse quickened, but I kept my voice low.

“I work here. Luna Lisa offered me this job.”

“And she can offer it to someone else.”

I shook my head.

“I’m not leaving.”

Her gaze hardened.

“You should know better than to underestimate me, Isabella.”

“And you shouldn’t come into people’s bedrooms in the middle of the night.”

“If you think that’s inappropriate, you’re free to complain.”

“I will.”

She scoffed.

“To Luna Lisa? Interesting. Tell me… who do you think she’ll believe?”

I said nothing.

“Her future daughter-in-law, who’s publicly courting her son…” She let the words hang between us. “…or a whore nobody really knows, with no family, no connections, and a past she refuses to talk about?”

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I hated that she’d found the exact place to press.

“I’ve done nothing to you.”

“You’ve existed in the wrong place.”

Anger flared so suddenly that I almost forgot to keep my voice down.

“Maverick starts school before the end of the year. I need this job. I need to save money.”

Barbara’s face remained unreadable.

“I don’t want trouble,” I continued. “Stay away from me, and I’ll stay away from you.”

She studied me for a long moment before shaking her head.

“The line has already been crossed.”

“What line?”

She turned toward the door.

“If you insist on staying around this family, then whatever happens next is something you’ve chosen for yourself.”

The door closed quietly behind her.

I remained exactly where I was, listening to the silence she’d left behind.

My hands were trembling from anger.

What did Wesley even see in a woman like that?

She’d walked into a sleeping child’s room to threaten his mother without a shred of shame.

For one reckless second, I almost wished I’d told her the truth.

Wesley is my mate.

But wishes didn’t feed children. Truth without proof was useless.

I looked over at Maverick. He hadn’t stirred once through the entire exchange.

Slowly, I sat back down on the edge of the bed.

Sleep was no longer possible. Barbara hadn’t come here because of something I’d done. She’d come

because she believed I was a threat.

And if she was willing to sneak into my room in the middle of the night just to deliver a warning, then tonight wasn’t the end of anything.

It was only the beginning.

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Hi, readers! Author here.

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What do you think about Barbara so far? I honestly feel like we’ve created someone even worse than Evangeline.

What do you think she’s really up to? I’d love to hear your theories and see who’s closest to figuring out who she really is.

P

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