TEMPORARY MATES PERMANENT CRAVINGS novel Chapter 49

Forty-Nine
Lisa POV
I stood in front of the mirror in my room, looking at the navy dress hanging from the closet door. The ball was only hours away and I felt nothing.
I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to walk into a room full of Lycans, and I definitely didn’t want to spend the night watching Cameron play the devoted mate beside Evangeline.
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But I didn’t have a choice. I would go, smile, behave, and prove I was worth the money they were paying me.
That’s what good hired wombs did.
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The fitting that morning had been quick. The seamstress adjusted the waist and hem, stepped back, and declared the dress perfect. I stood there while she worked, trying not to think about Cameron paying for it.
Trying not to remember the way he’d laughed when I charged him for sex outside the schedule.
Or the way he’d kissed me afterward.
I turned away from the mirror and forced my mind somewhere safer.
At ten that morning I had an appointment with the fertility specialist, a woman named Mara who handled conception protocols and fertility enhancement for high-profile clients.
Her office sat in a private medical building where patients could enter and leave without drawing attention.
Mara was middle-aged with steel-gray hair pulled into a tight bun and the calm efficiency of someone who had heard every uncomfortable question imaginable.
She gestured toward the chair across from her desk. “Please sit.”
I sat while she opened my file on her computer and reviewed the information.
“You’ve been actively trying to conceive for about four weeks,” she said. “Intercourse has been consistent during your fertile window. The Alpha has successfully knotted multiple times. And yet there’s been no pregnancy.”
Hearing it laid out like that made the whole situation feel clinical and embarrassing.
“Yes.”
“Are you concerned?”
“Should I be?”
“Not yet.” Mara leaned back slightly. “Some women conceive immediately. Others take months. There’s no fixed timeline.”
“But there are ways to increase the chances?”
“There are.” She reached for a notebook and began writing. “I’m recommending three herbal supplements. Maca root, red clover, and fenugreek. Traditional remedies that help regulate hormones and improve fertility.”
She handed me the paper.
“Fair warning,” she added. “They taste terrible. Take them morning and evening.”
“Okay.”
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She watched me for a moment before continuing.
“There is also the conception ritual.”
I looked up. “The what?”
“For gender selection. The Alpha wants a male heir, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Then we can increase the likelihood through timing and positioning.” She pulled out a chart marked with moon phases and symbols I didn’t recognize. “Male conception is most favorable during the waxing moon, ideally three days before the full moon. Directional positioning also matters. Intercourse facing north increases the probability of male offspring.”
I stared at her.
“You want me to have sex facing north.”
“It’s an old practice tied to pack medicine and lunar cycles. I can’t guarantee results, but many families follow it.” She handed me a printed guide. “This includes the recommended timing and positioning for the next few months.”
I took the paper and looked down at it.
Herbs. Moon phases. Compass directions.
None of it made sense.
Then again, I was a werewolf sleeping with a Lycan Alpha while his sick mate supervised the arrangement. My life had already left the realm of normal logic.
“The sooner this is over, the better,” I muttered.
Mara’s expression softened.
“I know this is difficult. Try to remember you’re doing something brave.”
I didn’t feel brave.
I felt like a test subject someone was trying to optimize.
Still, I accepted the supplements and the guide and thanked her before leaving.
Later that afternoon a message arrived asking me to report to Evangeline’s sitting room.
The request came from Luna Catherine.
My stomach tightened as I read it.
I knew Catherine and her husband would attend the ball, and I knew I would have to face them eventually. I had
hoped for more time to prepare.
Apparently I wasn’t getting it.
I changed into a simple dress, pulled my hair back, and walked to Evangeline’s quarters.
Luna Catherine sat beside Evangeline on the sofa when I entered. Their heads leaned together in quiet conversation, the picture of maternal affection.
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Forty Nine
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Both women looked up.
“Lisa,” Catherine said warmly as she stood. “Come in, dear. It’s so good to see you.”
She crossed the room and took my hands, squeezing them with genuine affection.
The gesture made guilt settle heavier in my chest.
This woman had chosen me. She trusted me to carry her daughter’s child.
And I was developing feelings for her daughter’s mate.
“Hello, Luna,” I said. “It’s good to see you.”
“How are you?” she asked, studying my face. “Are they treating you well?”
“Yes, my lady. Everyone has been very kind.”
It wasn’t entirely a lie.
Franklin had been kind. The nursery staff had been kind. Even several pack members from the morning run had welcomed me.
“Please sit,” Catherine said, gesturing to the chair across from them.
I sat while Evangeline watched me with the same soft smile she always wore, the one that somehow made me feel both guilty and defensive.
“We’re glad you could join us,” Evangeline said. “Mother wanted to check that everything is going smoothly.”
“Everything is fine.”
“And you’re comfortable?” Catherine asked. “You have everything you need?”
“Yes. The estate is beautiful. Alpha Cameron has been-“I hesitated before finishing. “Fair.”
Catherine’s eyes sharpened slightly.
“Fair,” she repeated.
“I mean professional about the arrangement.”
“As he should be.” Catherine leaned back. “Lisa, I want to make sure you understand something. What you’re doing for my daughter and this family is a job. A very generous one, but still a job.”
“I understand.”
“Do you?” Her voice remained gentle, but the warning underneath was clear. “Sometimes in situations like this, proximity creates the illusion of intimacy. I wouldn’t want you misunderstanding the nature of your relationship with Cameron.”
Heat crept up my neck.
“I know exactly what I am to him,” I said.
“Good.” Catherine smiled. “Because Evangeline is Cameron’s soulmate. The Moon Goddess chose them for each other. No arrangement changes that.”
“I understand, Luna.”
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“We’re grateful for what you’re doing,” she continued. “And we want you to be happy here. But boundaries are important for everyone involved.”
The quiet reprimand felt worse than open criticism.
“Of course. I would never-
A knock cut me off.
>>
The door opened and Alpha Marcus stepped inside with an easy smile.
“There’s my favorite daughter,” he said, looking at Evangeline.
And behind him came Kade.
My stomach tightened the moment I saw him.
He looked exactly the same. Tall, handsome, carrying the easy confidence of someone who had rarely been denied anything.
His gaze landed on me immediately.
“Lisa,” he said.
“Hello, Kade,” I replied.
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