TEMPORARY MATES PERMANENT CRAVINGS novel Chapter 344

Three hundred and forty four

Isabella POV

“Keep your phone handy and text me every step,” Iris said, following me downstairs. “Anything weird, tell me right away.”

“Of course.” I wrapped a scarf around my head before stepping out and slid into the backseat of the waiting car without looking at anyone in the lobby.

The driver was pleasant, but unease stayed with me the entire ride. About twenty minutes in, I considered texting Wesley to tell him what was happening. But this was about the bond. I couldn’t give him something he could turn into a dozen questions.

We drove for nearly an hour, past where the city thinned into open road, until I wasn’t sure I’d be home that night.

We stopped at a gate so high and heavily fenced that I could see nothing beyond it except a red roof. Grandma Cassidy appeared and knocked on the tinted window, signaling the driver to let me out.

“Glad you made it,” she said, taking my arm.

“Where is this place?” I whispered as she led me through the gate.

A bulky, bald-headed man searched my bag and took my phone. My mouth fell open as I turned to Grandma Cassidy.

“It’s policy,” she explained.

I didn’t have the nerve to argue.

I wondered what kind of place this was as she tapped my shoulder and urged me forward.

The first thing I noticed was the greenery. Herbs grew in neat rows, and the air smelled of fresh leaves and damp earth.

Beyond them stood a two-story stone building with a red roof. Behind it was a larger building, more like a boarding house.

We passed through a reception area where women in matching shades of blue and green moved about. Some gathered in quiet conversation, while others sat alone. It had the unmistakable feeling of somewhere people lived, not merely visited.

A huge insignia of a wilted rose hung on the reception wall.

Grandma Cassidy walked fast enough that I had to hurry to keep up, even as I took everything in. She led me into an office furnished with nothing but a desk, a chair behind it, and two chairs facing it.

She pointed to one for me, then sat beside me.

“I know you have questions,” she said.

I nodded, making her smile.

“Well, this place is a sect, if you want to call it that.”

“A sect,” I repeated.

She nodded. “There’s more to things than what you can see on the surface.”

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Her words sounded strange, but I stayed silent, waiting for her to explain.

“The women here are called the Daughters,” she said. “We’re closer to a family than anything else, tightly knit. I’m a member, as is Luna Lisa.”

“Oh.” It was all I managed.

She continued.

“And you’re here because of Wesley’s bond. We need to formally investigate its legitimacy.”

I nodded as she studied me.

“I need you to understand what this means before we go any further.” She held my gaze. “The fact that Wesley can’t feel it may have a reason behind it. If the test comes back true, that doesn’t mean everything is suddenly resolved. It’s not a matter of congratulations, you’re his mate, off you go. We have to account for the risks.”/

I frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“I expected that.”

“I’m already braced for the obvious,” I said. “People might object because I’m not from Wesley’s pack, because I don’t have a family behind me, or because I have a son and everything I’ve been through. If that’s what you’re warning me about.”

She shook her head.

“No, Isabella. It’s not just that. This isn’t about Wesley as a man who likes you enough to fight his family. It’s about Wesley’s wolf.”

Something in her voice made my stomach drop.

“Wesley has a condition,” she said.

My heart began to race.

“What do you mean?”

She sighed. “I can’t tell you everything. That’s not mine to share. But it’s why he can’t feel this bond with you. And there’s a real possibility his wolf may never recognize you as it should.”

She paused.

“Which means the bond itself could put you in danger. And Wesley may reject it outright to keep you safe.”

I sat there with my mouth slightly open, trying and failing to make sense of her words. It felt like she was circling the truth instead of saying it.

The door opened before I could ask another question.

A woman entered, older than Grandma Cassidy, but carrying herself with a straightness that made her seem anything but frail. She was dressed head to toe in white, her hair completely silver.

Something clicked into place when I saw her. Before I’d left the Alpha House, I’d once seen a group of women dressed exactly like this through my window, gathered around Wesley and performing what looked like a rite. I hadn’t understood it then, and I understood it even less now. Except that it clearly hadn’t been nothing.

The woman and Grandma Cassidy spoke quietly for a moment, heads bent together. Then she crossed to me, took

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both my hands, and smiled.

“My girl,” she said. “I honestly can’t believe this is happening.”

She seemed even more excited than Grandma Cassidy.

“I’m Joanna. We’re going to formally investigate the legitimacy of the bond.”

I managed a nod. “What does that involve?”

She smiled.

“You’ll need to shift for us. We’ll take some blood and perform a few rites, if you’re comfortable with that.” Her eyes moved over me. “Are you pregnant, by any chance?”

I shook my head.

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