TEMPORARY MATES PERMANENT CRAVINGS novel Chapter 303

Three hundred and three

Isabella POV

I left the door unlocked because Maverick was still outside.

His laughter drifted through the window as he played. Grandma Cassidy always insisted I shouldn’t keep him cooped up in the bedroom. Most people living here were adults anyway, and she believed he needed every chance to socialize.

I leaned against the door, breathing hard after retreating to the only place that felt safe.

My face burned as the scene replayed in my head.

Grandma Cassidy had walked in at the worst possible moment, just as everything between Wesley and me reached that unbearable point. His kiss swept away every rational thought. I forgot we were in a public space.

I groaned and buried my face in my hands, pure secondhand embarrassment burning through me. She probably saw me as nothing more than a desperate, shameless gold-digging whore, throwing myself at the future Alpha, ready to spread my legs and claw my way into his pack just to secure an easy, free ride for the rest of my worthless life.

This was Wesley’s fault.

If he hadn’t been standing there looking at me with those impossible eyes, with that presence that filled every room he entered, none of this would have happened.

I’d lost control. I’d honestly believed I had a better handle on myself than that.

Unable to settle, I paced.

Now that Grandma Cassidy had seen us, would Wesley finally stop pretending and tell someone about

the bond?

Hope crept into my chest, then died.

He wanted this kept secret.

What hurt most wasn’t that he wanted me. It was that he kept misunderstanding what I was asking for.

Every time I tried to make him acknowledge the bond, he twisted it into me asking for sex. Yes, my body reacted to him. The bond saw to that. Desire wasn’t the point. I needed him to acknowledge the bond.

I lay back and stared at the ceiling, blinking against the sting in my eyes.

It was killing me that he couldn’t say one simple word. Mate. One acknowledgment that I wasn’t imagining it. Instead, he treated everything between us like ordinary attraction.

Even worse, he kept bringing Anita into it, joking about how his sister liked me as though that had anything to do with his silence.

He knew I wasn’t attracted to women. Anita liking me wasn’t a crime, but hearing him hide behind his sister instead of simply being honest felt strangely cruel.

I sat upright.

I’d seen enough manipulation to recognize it when it stared me in the face. If Wesley refused to acknowledge the bond, I would stop giving him the chance to play with my emotions. I’d keep my distance.

If I kept chasing answers, he’d keep dangling bits of affection, letting me hope for more while offering nothing but stolen kisses and lingering looks.

Maybe he expected me to beg. Maybe he thought I’d settle for whatever place he was willing to give me.

Hidden in the shadows while someone else stood beside him.

How stupid I’d been.

I lived in a room attached to his parents’ estate. Wesley was born into wealth, the Alpha bloodline, and a world where every relationship was scrutinized.

Someone like him would never willingly choose someone like me.

And on top of that, I had a son. Most Alphas wouldn’t consider a woman in my position. Maybe this humiliating experience was exactly the reality check I needed. I had to stop hoping for something that would never happen and start protecting myself.

But even then, Wesley didn’t have to be such a coward.

If he didn’t want me, he could have said so.

I blinked back fresh tears and hated myself for crying over someone who couldn’t give me that much honesty.

Maybe the bond-breaking ritual was the answer.

I’d heard how painful it was, how the rejected mate sometimes never truly recovered, and how some people spent the rest of their lives unable to love again.

Maybe that was my future.

Even so, there were things more important than desire.

I’d never completely heal. I’d carry that emptiness for the rest of my life, but at least I’d have my dignity.

At least I wouldn’t keep living on this roller coaster, chasing answers from someone who refused to give them.

His silence was all the answer I needed. I’d quietly withdraw, without drama. I would work harder, focus on Maverick, and build a life where the two of us were enough. I wasn’t some naive girl dazzled by a kiss.

Nothing more.

She reminded me to have a good day at work as though nothing had happened.

That confused me even more.

Had Wesley told her about the bond?

Surely he had.

Her normal behavior suggested he hadn’t, unless he’d told her everything and she’d decided to pretend she knew nothing.

Sometimes this house felt as though everyone carried a secret. Anita liked me. Wesley was hiding the bond. Barbara was a snake the Alpha family still hadn’t recognized. And now I couldn’t even tell what Grandma Cassidy was thinking anymore.

“Bye, Mommy!”

Maverick waved. I smiled and waved back.

The walk across the estate gave me time to shed one version of myself. By the time I reached the staff pickup point, I was Isabella again, the junior staff member in Accounting.

I hoped Harrison wouldn’t be waiting by the bus door. I didn’t have the energy to answer questions about why I looked exhausted.

Thankfully, someone from Reception slipped into the seat Harrison saved for me. I took an empty seat two rows ahead by the window instead.

As the bus pulled away from the estate, I rested my forehead against the cool glass and watched the familiar streets slide past.

By the time we arrived at the administrative building, I’d convinced myself I was fine.

Harrison spotted me as we got off the bus.

“Morning,” he said, then mouthed, “You okay?

I forced a smile and gave him a thumbs-up.

Yesterday’s backlog was still waiting on my desk, and I welcomed the sight of endless paperwork. Filing documents, carrying files between departments, and running errands kept my mind occupied.

I was halfway through delivering a stack of files to another department when someone stopped beside

“Miss Anita is asking for you.”