TEMPORARY MATES PERMANENT CRAVINGS novel Chapter 341

Three hundred and forty one

Barbara POV

“In the meantime, we can lay our grievances before Luna Lisa and Alpha Cameron,” mom said. “I’ll call Luna myself and tell her what that girl has done while making sure the Alpha family doesn’t look too closely and discover she’s connected to us.”

I nodded, knowing that if that happened, our family would be the ones people whispered about, breeding illegitimate children and hiding them like something shameful.

“I don’t plan on exposing anything,” I said. “We just need to be tactical. There’s more than one way to burn a house down without anyone seeing you holding the match.”

“That’s my girl.” She smiled and kissed my forehead. “Leave it to me. I’ll call Luna Lisa. As for Isabella, she’s as good as gone.”

I smiled back, letting her believe she was the one in control.

My father returned home later that day, and I trusted my mother to make sure the entire house heard her grievances about Isabella, especially how bringing her back while she was pregnant with Maverick had been a terrible mistake.

Dad listened in silence. Then, without a word, he went upstairs, leaving Mom and me exchanging glances.

“Did he even hear a word I said?” she asked.

I shrugged.

He eventually returned downstairs. I could tell he was exhausted from his trip, but I had no sympathy to spare for anyone’s personal problems. Isabella was ruining everything, and she had to be stopped.

“We must wait until Luna Lisa invites us for a meeting,” he said.

“And what about Isabella?” Mom snapped. “Can’t you call her to order? Or do the decent thing and send her away?”

He said nothing, and I knew then that I couldn’t count on Dad to do anything to push Isabella away.

Luckily, we didn’t have to wait long. That night, Luna Lisa sent Mom a message asking to see us the next day.

Around three the following afternoon, we got ready to go to the Alpha House.

“Barbara, dear, control your temper before we walk in there,” Dad said. “Nobody believes a woman who’s screaming.”

“Oh, right,” I said sweetly. “It’s not my fault you couldn’t keep it in your pants. If you’d been faithful to Mom, none of this would be happening, and nobody would be taking my man from me.”

He let out a dry laugh.

“Barbara, anyone could have taken Wesley. This has nothing to do with my past. Maybe he’s simply having second thoughts. Everything between you happened so fast. It shocked everyone when you decided to court. Maybe he sees Beatrice in you, and it’s confusing him.”

“That’s enough,” Mom said, adjusting her coat as if she were heading to a high-society function.

“I’m only saying what’s true.”

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“You’re making things worse, George. Instead of helping us get that bastard out of the pack, you’re acting like she’s the one who needs protecting.”

My father sighed and rubbed his temple.

“I can’t send her back to her mother’s people with the child’s father still searching for them. What I can do is offer the family agreeïtient again. If she signs, she gives up any right to be near Wesley or his family.”

I nearly screamed at how foolish he sounded, but bit back every word.

“She refused it once. And now that Wesley is standing before everyone, claiming he’s courting her, you think a piece of paper will stop this?”

“Let’s just go,” Mom said, reaching for the door.

My dad said nothing for the rest of the ride. I had never hated him more than I did in that moment. He was so slow and sluggish about everything that mattered. Maybe he simply didn’t care as much because I wasn’t Beatrice.

I swallowed my anger and followed them out of the car.

We waited in the Alpha House sitting room until a maid came to tell us the Alpha and Luna were ready for us upstairs.

Luna Lisa rose the moment we entered, pulling me into a hug before I had even cleared the doorway.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, with the same gentle warmth she always carried. “I know this has been distressing for you.”

I let myself cry into her shoulder.

“People will talk. They’ll mock me for the rest of my life for getting dumped by Wesley.”

She sighed and rubbed my back.

“There’s no problem without a solution. Now that you’re here, I’m sure we can sort out whatever happened.”

Alpha Cameron entered behind her, greeting my father first and asking about his trip. They exchanged small talk that had nothing to do with why we were there. Then he turned to me with a faint smile.

“Barbara, dear. Everyone will have a chance to speak, and we’ll get to the truth. Your parents are good people, and my wife and I have already given our blessing. I imagine my son simply has something to say for himself. He’s never been spontaneous when it comes to relationships. Beatrice’s death was hard on him, harder than most of us realized.”

I sat there, hatred tightening in my chest as I listened to him paint his son as a man who had never hurt anyone.

Luna Lisa suggested lunch while we waited. We went downstairs, where my parents and the Alpha and Luna made polite conversation, all of them pretending nothing was wrong.

Anita arrived halfway through and didn’t greet anyone at the table.

“Someone’s not in a good mood,” Mom said with a small laugh. “These young ones.” She glanced at Luna Lisa.” If we’d behaved like this at their age, our parents would have skinned us alive.”

“That’s exactly why we have to adjust to them instead,” Luna Lisa replied.

I texted Anita under the table.

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This is messed up.

Blame Wesley, she wrote back.

I sighed, took a sip of water, and replied.

I don’t think he’s doing this on his own. That girl put something on him.

She sent back an eye roll.

Alpha Cameron leaned toward her and said something. She barely responded.

Then Wesley walked in, and the entire room shifted around him, as it always did. He didn’t look troubled. Charlie followed behind him, and when his eyes met mine, he looked away almost immediately.

“Sorry I’m late,” Wesley said. “I had to stop by the mines.”

Then he looked at me. “Hello, Barbara.”

I didn’t answer.

We were nearly finished eating when Wesley said he was hungry and would join us upstairs shortly.

My father stood and shook his hand as if nothing was wrong. I had to look away before he saw my face.

Upstairs, once it was just the two families, Alpha Cameron asked what had happened. Had we fought? Was there an argument?

“We never had problems,” I said, letting my voice go thin. “Not once.”

Then, before I could stop myself, I added, “She’s the same girl causing problems between Anita and Wesley.”

Luna Lisa’s frown appeared instantly.

“What do you mean?”

Anita had sat stiff and silent the entire time, never telling her parents anything. I watched her realize that I had just taken that choice from her.

“It’s not my story to tell,” I said.

Both parents turned to her.

This time, her frown was dark.

“Wesley knew I liked her,” she said flatly. “He slept with her anyway. They had the nerve to tell me at the gala.”

The disappointment on Luna Lisa’s face was immediate.

“This same girl,” she said, her voice hardening. “I don’t understand why she keeps turning up in the middle of every disaster we’ve had lately.”

Mom sighed.

“It’s a bad sign, my lady. I heard you took her in, but letting someone like that get close to your family is rarely wise. It’s a good thing she isn’t after Alpha Cameron, considering how women like that operate. They break up marriages to get what they want.”

Alpha Cameron gave a short laugh.

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“Why would she be after me when my wife is my fated mate? Do I look like a man with eyes for anyone else?”

Dad looked away. Mom flushed.

“I didn’t mean it that way, Alpha. I only meant that some women will use whatever means necessary to get what they want.”

They were still talking when Wesley came upstairs, and his mother turned on him before he had even fully entered the room.

“Wesley, what is wrong with you? It’s not enough that you’ve hurt Barbara. Now you’re hurting your own sister over the same girl.”

Wesley’s eyes lifted, and I knew that look. He was tired of the conversation.

“I know I messed up with Anita,” he said. “But Barbara needs to be checked. Something is seriously wrong with her.”

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