TEMPORARY MATES PERMANENT CRAVINGS novel Chapter 353

Three hundred and fifty-three

Isabella POV

We returned to Emma’s office, where she and Anita wanted to discuss Barbara and everything connected to my relationship with Wesley.

“Barbara is hurt, but she’ll get over it. I don’t think she’ll do anything,” Anita said.

Emma wasn’t convinced.

“You said the same thing about yourself.”

Anita gasped, then laughed. “I was allowed my period of delusion.”

“As for Barbara, I didn’t know she liked Wesley that much. I knew she was attached to him while they grieved Beatrice, but I didn’: realize she hoped the fake relationship would become real.”

“It’s Wesley’s fault,” Emma said. “If he’d told someone, at least he’d have had a witness when this started. Typical Wesley, thinking he can handle everything himself.”

She leaned back.

“There’s something about Barbara that has never sat right with me.”

Anita groaned. “You’ve always said that.”

“Because I feel it here.” Emma pointed to her chest. “I understand that she lost her sister and needed support, but look at what she’s doing now. If we’re going to protect Isabella, we need to make sure this ends well.”

Anita fell silent.

I watched them, knowing the sooner I told Grandma Cassidy the truth, the sooner we could stop guessing what Barbara might do. She clearly wasn’t willing to let this go.

“Why don’t we tell Barbara that Isabella is Wesley’s mate?”

My heart skipped.

Emma’s eyes widened. “Why would we do that when Wesley doesn’t even know yet? What if Barbara tells him?”

Anita shrugged. “She already knows about his condition. Beatrice knew too. Wesley wouldn’t have kept that from her. They were close enough for her to know everything else.”

“If Barbara knows what Wesley has to live with and still wants him, maybe finding out Isabella is his mate will make her back off. She’ll know Isabella isn’t some random woman Wesley picked up. She’s the person he’s been looking for all his life.”

Emma shook her head. “I know she’s up to something. Barbara was trying to fill a space that wasn’t hers.”

Anita looked at her.

“Think about your relationship with Beatrice. You were her best friend and devastated when she died. Barbara stepped into that space almost immediately.”

Anita said nothing.

“She started doing the things Beatrice did. Her hobbies, the things she liked, the words she used, even her mannerisms. She kept saying she needed emotional support because she’d lost her sister. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was trying to replace Beatrice.” 1

I watched Anita absorb that. She looked drained.

Three hand and fifty three

“Whatever we have to do, I don’t want this to escalate. I need a vacation. A long one.”

Emma sighed. “Add me to the tab.

+15 Bonus

Grandma Cassidy and I met in a rustic-themed restaurant, where wooden tables and warm lighting gave the place a quiet, homely feel. She was already seated at a table and waved me over. I joined her.

She smiled. “I heard about what happened with Anita. It’s a relief that you’ve both cleared the air.”

I nodded, but I had come to tell her something else.

The waiter arrived, and we ordered our food. While we waited, I decided to bring up Barbara.

“Barbara isn’t taking it lightly.”

Grandma Cassidy waved a hand. “That desperate girl should be the least of your worries.”

“I think it’s the opposite.” I adjusted in my seat. “We should all be worried about what Barbara is capable of doing.”

“This is bigger than Wesley and their fake relationship.”

“Is it?”

“That’s why I needed to see you. Barbara is my sister.”

Her gaze met mine and held. My heart began pounding, but she didn’t look surprised.

“Do you know about this?” I asked. “Was it revealed to you somehow? You belong to a sect, after all.”

Grandma Cassidy laughed. “No. I had no idea.”

She leaned closer.

“But remember the night Gwen came to threaten you while you were still living at the Alpha House?”

I nodded.

“Someone overheard her. They didn’t hear the whole conversation, only enough to know she intended to make your life difficult if you didn’t leave. So learning that you’re her stepdaughter doesn’t surprise me.”

My mouth fell open.

“I understand you, Isabella,” she said. “The way you react, the things you withhold, all of it. I’m not going to blame you for keeping things like this to yourself. But you’ve also held yourself back and suffered unnecessarily.”

I sighed. “I know. That’s why I’m telling you now.”

“Of course it helps. It gives us more than enough reason to question what your family has been doing to you. They treated you like a bastard, perhaps worse than a servant. That’s a serious failure of family responsibility, especially from a family so concerned with its reputation.”

Our food arrived, and we stopped talking until the waiter left. I had little appetite.

“Alpha Cameron and Luna Lisa won’t tolerate that,” Grandma Cassidy said. “If Gwen and your father try to turn this into a scandal, you have evidence that they’ve mistreated you, don’t you?”

“I have lots of recordings.”

“Good. Very good.” She smiled. “You also have me as a witness to what Gwen threatened. You need to tell Alpha Cameron and Luna Lisa everything. Wesley too, eventually.”

Three honged and fifty three

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“About that…” I sighed. “Won’t he find it difficult to accept that Beatrice was my sister?”

“He will,” she said, nodding “But the truth won’t become easier by hiding it.”

She wagged a finger at me. “I hope that’s the last secret.”

I lowered my gaze.

“Isabella,” she said, her tone warning.

“I have one more.”

“Oh, goddess.” She groaned. “Please don’t tell me these secrets are going to keep arriving one after another.”

I lifted my gaze.

“I know who Maverick’s father is.”

Her expression changed.

“Who?”

“He’s an Alpha. His name is Desmond.”

Grandma Cassidy went silent.

“Desmond?” she repeated. “He’s the Alpha who assaulted you?”

I nodded.

“You told us you didn’t know his face.”

“I lied.”

“Oh, Isabella.” She groaned. “You keep making things more complicated.”

“I was afraid.” My voice broke. “I’ve been running from him, and I didn’t know what else to do.”

She sighed. Neither of us touched our food.

“This is twisted, Isabella. We need to start pulling it apart, but not all at once.”

I watched her.

“Let Wesley find out about the bond first. Alpha Cameron and Luna Lisa will deal with Henry and Gwen. And this Alpha Desmond has a lot to answer for.”

She reached across the table and took my hand.

“Thankfully, we’ve got Alpha Cameron by your side. He’s also connected to Kieran, who was the regional Alpha before he

retired. I’m sure they can handle Desmond.”

She squeezed my hand gently.

“You’ve carried enough. We’ll deal with them one problem at a time.”

I managed a nod.

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Three hundred and fifty four

Wesley POV

By Friday evening, I had almost forgotten what it felt like to spend a full day without worrying about my wolf. It had been two fortnights since the last time I spiraled. No injections, restraints, or anyone having to beat the rage out of me before I hurt myself or someone else.

I didn’t know what to make of it. I wanted to believe I was finally getting better, but I refused to trust it. I had spent too many years watching my body betray me to believe stability could become normal simply because it had lasted this long.

I finished signing the documents for the land allocations and stretched my fingers, easing the tension from holding the pen. It was almost seven, and the office had emptied around me. I planned to stop by Joanna’s before going home to rest. My family would be celebrating my birthday tomorrow, and I knew they’d expect me to be there.

I was shutting my laptop when someone walked into my office.

I looked up, and my mouth fell open.

Barbara stood by the door, drenched. Rain soaked her hair and clothes, and she shivered as she stared at me. How the hell had she gotten into the building without my authorization?

“Barbara, what are you doing here?”

She looked at me with red-rimmed eyes.

“You weren’t taking my calls. I needed to speak to you.”

Did she have to make everything so complicated?

I walked to the bathroom and returned with a towel, holding it out to her.

“Dry yourself.”

She took it and pressed it to her hair while I returned to my seat.

“You could have waited until tomorrow or sent me a message. You didn’t have to come here in the rain.”

“I needed to see you.”

She lowered the towel.

“I came to apologize for everything.”

I remained silent.

“I know I handled things badly. I was hurt, Wesley. I didn’t know how to deal with losing you, and I said things I shouldn’t have.”

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