TEMPORARY MATES PERMANENT CRAVINGS novel Chapter 66

Sixty-Six
CAMERON POV
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I kept my distance from Lisa and stopped going near her room or looking for reasons to see her. It was the only way to steady things with Evangeline and keep the house from turning into a war zone.
Evangeline stayed close to me during meals and followed me through the house as if monitoring alone could change things. Her behavior made everything feel staged, and I started to notice how often she treated the situation like something she needed to win.
At breakfast, she brought up her recovery.
“The healers said there’s real hope. If this works, we can go back to how things were. I can be your mate again and do everything I couldn’t before.”
“I want you to get better, my love. That’s what matters.
She stopped eating.
“You’re holding something back, and I know what it is. This is about her. It’s always about her now.”
“Eva, stop.”
“It’s Lisa, right? Admit it. You like her.”
“I’m not having this conversation.”
“Of course you’re not. That would mean saying it out loud.”
I stood and left before it could go further. She followed me with accusations I did not answer.
When I looked at her, I saw someone I knew and someone I did not. The version of her that used to steady me had been replaced by someone who pushed and demanded and turned everything into proof of loyalty.
“I’m sorry,” she said later. “I’m scared you’ll forget me when I’m gone.”
“That’s not going to happen. Stop pushing this narrative. It’s not healthy.”
That evening, I helped her get ready for bed. She sat in the vanity while I unfastened her dress and set it aside. I brushed her hair and watched her through the mirror while she studied my face.
“Stay with me tonight. Make love to me. I miss you. I miss what we had.”
I kissed her and tried to move past the smell, but it hit me harder. My wolf reacted before I could stop it, and there was no way to ignore it anymore.
“I can’t.”
“Why not.”
“Your scent has changed. I can’t get close to you like that when it’s there.”
Her face went still. She pressed her hands against the table and tried to steady herself.
“How long have you been forcing yourself to be near me.”
“It’s not like that.”
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“Who else knows.”
“Your mother. I asked her if it could be treated.”
She broke then, not holding anything back, and when I reached for her, she pushed me away.
“Don’t touch me. Just leave.”
I tried again and she screamed at me to leave.
The next morning, I walked into the kitchen and heard the staff speaking about Lisa as if she had hurt them personally. I stepped forward and stopped the conversation.
“Would any of you like to explain what I just heard?”
No one answered.
“Who hired her for this role?”
“You did, Alpha.”
“Good. So if you have a problem with the arrangement, your problem is with me. Not her.”
They kept their eyes down.
“She gets the same respect as anyone else in this house. If you can’t manage that, you can leave.”
That got their attention.
“Are we clear?”
They answered at once.
Lisa stood behind the counter. She turned to leave.
“Lisa. Wait.”
She stopped but did not face me.
“How is your mother?”
“She’s stable.”
“I’m glad.”
She turned then, but kept distance between us.
“I don’t want Evangeline to see us talking. I’ll send updates about my mother.”
She left before I could respond.
I waited for that message longer than I should have. I checked my phone between meetings, between reports, between everything I was supposed to be focused on.
Nothing came.
By the evening, I sent a message.
No response.
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I sent another.
Still nothing.
That was when it hit me. I had a territory to manage and a pack that depended on me, and I was waiting on a reply that was not coming.
I put the phone away and forced myself back into work.
Later that day, I met with Dr. Gregory. Franklin had arranged it after searching for other options.
He reviewed Evangeline’s file and explained the new treatment.
“There is a protocol we are testing. It requires consistent treatment and full cooperation from the patient. We need to assess what can still be treated.”
“When can you start?”
“Next month.”
“I’ll bring her.”
I left the meeting with something I had not had in a while.
If this worked, everything might shift again. If her condition improved, the distance between us might close. If that happened, maybe I could stop dividing myself between what I had and what I could not control.
That was the only direction that made sense.
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