TEMPORARY MATES PERMANENT CRAVINGS novel Chapter 325

Three hundred and twenty-five

Isabella POV

I woke to an empty bed.

At first, I couldn’t place where I was. Then my memories surfaced, little by little, until I realized I was at Wesley’s house.

I stared at the ceiling, a small smile tugging at my lips. My hand slid across the mattress. It was still warm, which meant Wesley hadn’t been gone long.

I pushed myself out of bed, and everything that had happened yesterday rushed back to me. The way he touched me, the way he kissed me, the way he made love to me. The crazy turn of events. Each memory pulled another smile from me.

The shower was running in the bathroom.

My mind wondered if I should join him. He was the one who had told me yesterday to ask for whatever I wanted and he would give it to me. If I wanted him, all I had to do was ask.

But it was a weekday. And although I was still in heat, I could feel it beginning to subside. I had already learned that being with my mate settled it, and within three days, I would probably feel like myself again.

So, with the little self-control I had left, I reined myself in. I should wait.

Wesley stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist.

My gaze traveled over him, and I bit my lower lip.

What was happening to me?

I was turning into a slut.

“Morning,” he said, stopping when his eyes landed on me.

“Good morning.”

He crossed the room, bent toward me, and pressed a kiss to my neck. My arms slipped around him.

“You need to prepare for work.”

He sighed against my neck.

“I wish I didn’t have to go snd shut out the whole world,.” He pulled back enough to meet my eyes. “But if

I don’t show up today, they’ll start wondering where I am.”

I smiled.

“You better not stay late because of me.”

His eyes held mine for a moment before a smile tugged at his mouth.

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“How about we have a little fun this morning?” he asked. “Then I can go to work satisfied.”

The temptation tugged at me, but I held firm. I didn’t want him arriving at work late, especially knowing how busy Wesley could be.

“Maybe when you come back,” I said. “Or I’ll have to sneak my way out and go home.”

“Fine. I’ll go.” Reluctance lingered in his voice, but then he added casually, “Let me fix you something to

eat before I leave.”

“I can take care of myself.”

He insisted on making the toast himself. We ate breakfast together, and when he was ready to leave, he reminded me to call him if I needed anything, then he drove away.

I stood at the downstairs window and watched his car until it disappeared from view.

The moment it vanished, the silence of the house settled around me.

Of course, I knew there would be cameras somewhere, but that didn’t change the feeling. He had left me alone in his house without questioning what I might do or suspecting me of anything. That alone told me

how much he trusted me.

I stayed downstairs for a bit before wandering through the house.

His study held documents alongside personal items like books, most of them bookmarked. His gym equipment carried signs of use. A family photograph hung in the hallway leading to another room downstairs, and I stopped in front of it.

It showed Alpha Cameron, Luna Lisa, Wesley, and Anita when Wesley and Anita were younger. Wesley looked deep into his teenage years, and Anita seemed around the same age. Their clothes made it

obvious.

Wesley wore a loose shirt with a wide collar and jeans that sat low on his hips, while Anita wore a fitted top with a short skirt and boots. Their clothes gave the photograph the feel of a snapshot from another

time.

Another photograph showed Wesley and Luna Lisa. Then I came across an oil painting of Wesley and Grandma Cassidy as adults. I studied their faces, a smile slowly spreading across mine.

Then a question surfaced.

Why couldn’t his wolf recognize my scent?

I also remembered mentioning running together and the way he had become distracted.

I was going to have to tell him sooner or later. I also needed to tell someone who could help me

understand this. How could he not feel the bond and yet be this attracted to me? Maybe there was an error somewhere.

But who would believe me?

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By now, it would look as though I was trying to take advantage of Wesley’s feelings for me by lying to him. The thought twisted my stomach.

I wandered through the house with nowhere in particular to go. Without Wesley there, the rooms seemed to stretch around me, and the silence grew heavier. I didn’t know how to stay alone.

I checked the doors, making sure nobody was nearby, before stepping outside. I moved farther from the house and into the woods, then shifted into my brown wolf.

My paws sank into the damp soil as I ran, picking up speed along a narrow path that curved around the back of the property. The trees crowded closer together farther in, forcing me to weave between them. Leaves clung to my fur, and small branches scraped against my legs.

My breathing grew heavier, heat building beneath my fur from the exertion. I pushed myself harder, determined to burn off the rest of the heat still lingering in my body.

I finally slowed near a patch of grass and dropped onto it, my chest rising and falling as I caught my breath. Once my breathing steadied, I got up, ran another lap, then shifted back and headed to the house

for water.

My muscles ached, but the exhaustion felt clean rather than restless.

After washing my hair and showering, I crawled into bed, intending to rest.

Sleep claimed me instead.

I woke with my hair tangled and my throat dry, still blinking away sleep when the doorbell rang

downstairs.

I gasped and reached for my phone. Wesley had said nobody was visiting, so I couldn’t just open the

door.

Then I saw the messages he had sent me.

*I’m on my way.*

*Coming home with lunch.*

There were a couple more messages, and I knew it had to be him.

I let out a relieved sigh and headed downstairs. He had already let himself in.

“It’s only two pm,” I said when I saw him. “You left the house at 11am.”

“I’m done for the day. Nothing interesting enough to keep me there.”

I scoffed and took the container of soup from him, carrying it to the kitchen. Wesley followed me.

“What did you do while I was gone?”

“I went outside. Ran in the woods in my wolf form. It was refreshing.”

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His smile shifted slightly.

“Lucky you,” he said. “You don’t have to do all that preparation before you shift.”

What did he mean by preparation?

“Does preparation have anything to do with you being Alpha?”

He looked at me, then reached for his glass. “My wolf has a habit of choosing the worst possible time to cooperate.”

I stared at him. I had never heard anyone describe a wolf that way.

“So your wolf doesn’t push you to shift whenever it wants?”

His mouth twitched. “I’m not blessed with that kind of free time.”

I watched him, still trying to make sense of it.

“I’d like to see your wolf.”

His eyebrows lifted.

“I keep imagining what he looks like. Probably huge. Black fur, fierce eyes, maybe red or yellow. Something that looks like it belongs to an Alpha.”

He managed another smile.

“So how come running in the woods made you sleep like a log?”

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