TEMPORARY MATES PERMANENT CRAVINGS novel Chapter 76

Seventy-Six

Lisa

My mother was shaking so hard that the chair beneath her rattled, and the sound sent a jolt of panic straight through me. It was the same look she used to get when she sensed something bad before it happened.

We weren’t supposed to be here in the first place, and I could feel that resentment sitting in the room with us.

“Mom, what’s wrong?”

Her face drained of color, and her breaths came short and uneven, like she couldn’t pull in enough air.

“Are you okay?”

She looked at me, still shaking, and I’squeezed her hand, rubbing my thumb over her knuckles.

“I’m fine,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

I knew her too well for that. Her fingers were still locked around mine, and she hadn’t stopped shaking.

I looked toward Cameron, who was watching us from across the room, then to the man beside him, a middle-aged stranger with salt-and-pepper hair whose eyes were fixed on my mother. A cold thought crept in. Maybe she knew him. Maybe this wasn’t the first time they’d seen each other.

Nadia’s eyes were already narrowed with irritation. The room was crowded enough that no one focused on us for long, conversations overlapping and pulling attention elsewhere. Even while we were eating, my mother’s fork kept shaking. Whatever had shaken her hadn’t passed.

After dinner, conversations split apart, people drifting into smaller groups around the room.

Cameron’s cousin, Matthias, approached me, and my shoulders tightened as I tried to figure out why he was coming over.

“Lisa, aren’t you…?” he said, sipping his drink.

I nodded and kept my expression polite, because pushing back would only make things worse. I glanced around to make sure Cameron wasn’t nearby. He was still speaking quietly with Alpha Kieran.

“You’re the surrogate, right?”

My spine stiffened before I could stop it.

“I’m fulfilling a contract, yes.”

He smiled in a way that didn’t reach his eyes. “Must be strange living here and being part of all this.”

I couldn’t tell what he was trying to get at. Cameron would want me careful here, not saying anything that made him look exposed.

The defensiveness hit fast, and I didn’t try to push it down.

“It’s a temporary situation,” I said.

He smiled sharply. “Is it? These arrangements have a way of becoming more permanent than anyone plans.”

“”Not in my case,” I said. “Lady Evangeline is my sister, and I’m here because they asked me to be. When the baby comes, I’ll step aside.”

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Seventy Sh

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He took another sip of his drink and relaxed, smiling like this was just casual conversation.

“I can’t imagine carrying a child and handing it over,” he said. “That kind of bond starts early.”

His eyes dropped to my stomach and stayed there a second too long.

“I’m sure it has started growing now.”

Something cold settled in my gut, and I knew I didn’t like him. He was fishing for something, and I wasn’t going to give it to him.

Across the room, I caught Cameron’s eye. He was already shifting like he was about to move.

“Excuse me,” I said to Matthias. “I should check on my mother.”

“Of course.” He stepped back. “It was nice talking to you, Lisa.”

I walked away before Cameron could reach us and ask why I’d been talking to his cousin. I found my mother in the upstairs living room, staring out the window.

“Mom, you’ve been acting strange all night. Are you okay?”

When she looked at me and I saw the tears, panic hit hard and I rushed to her side.

“Mom, you shouldn’t be crying. Your eyes…”

She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand and forced a small smile.

“The doctors didn’t say I couldn’t cry,” she said. “If anything, it probably helps.”

“Then why are you crying?” I asked, sitting on the edge of the chair beside her.

She took my hand and squeezed it hard.

“Lisa, something just happened.”

My heart started pounding as I tried to figure out what was wrong. For a split second, I wondered if something had happened to her eyes again.

“Wait. Is it Dad?” I asked, already feeling irritated at the thought.

She shook her head.

“That man with Cameron?”

I nodded, waiting for her to explain.

“I felt something,” she said. “Something sharp when he looked at me.”

It still didn’t make sense, and she must have seen it on my face.

“I think… I think we share a bond. A mate bond.”

My hand flew to my mouth. “Mom… what?”

Tears spilled down her face, fast and unchecked. I sat there stunned, trying to understand if this was good news or a disaster. It felt unreal.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

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“One hundred percent,” she said. “But I don’t want it.”

I looked at her.

“Your father hurt me deeply. Our divorce isn’t even finalized yet. I’m recovering from surgery, healing from thirty years of a bad marriage, and still figuring out who I am without being someone’s wife. And now the Moon Goddess decides to do this.”

She looked at me, her voice breaking. “The timing is cruel.”

“I know,” I said, leaning in and wrapping my arms around her. “Please stop crying, Mom.”

She hugged me back. “We’ll figure this out.”

“I don’t want it,” she said again. “I don’t want to give my heart to anyone.

I didn’t know what to think anymore. This was supposed to be something good. Almost poetic, even. The man was an Alpha. I’d heard enough in the conversation earlier, seen the respect Cameron showed him.

“I need to leave,” she said, trying to stand.

“Mom, please don’t blame yourself,” I said, helping her steady herself. “Just calm down. I’ll talk to Cameron. We’ll figure this out.”

Footsteps sounded on the stairs. We both looked up and saw Cameron and Alpha Kieran coming toward us. My mother straightened immediately, turned, and started for the room.

“Please wait,” the Alpha said.

Cameron and I stood there, unsure what to do.

“Wait,” the Alpha added. “Let me explain.”

“There’s nothing to explain,” my mother said, stopping out of courtesy more than patience. She wasn’t someone who snapped easily. “I can’t do this. Not now. Not ever.”

She turned to face him, and a wave of sympathy hit me so hard it hurt.

“I just got out of a bad relationship,” she said. “I’m not jumping into another one just because some cosmic force says I should.”

Cameron gave me a look, silently asking me to calm her. I moved to her side and rubbed her back as she clung to me, shaking. Her eyes kept darting toward the Alpha, and I could feel the fear in her body.

“I understand,” the Alpha said quietly.

He stood there for a few long seconds. I could tell this wasn’t easy for him either. Then my mother turned and went into the room.

I stayed where I was, unsure what to say. “I’m sorry,” was all I managed.

He looked at me, then forced his gaze away from the doorway. “It’s not your fault.”

I hadn’t expected that. I gave a small, sad smile.

“If someone had told me that accepting an invitation from Cameron would lead me to my mate, I wouldn’t have believed them,” he said, sliding his hands into his pockets. He sounded like he was trying to keep things light. ” She doesn’t have to do anything she doesn’t want to do. Bond or no bond, the choice is hers.’

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Seventy Sh

+15 Bchus

“Of course,” I said softly.

He turned and walked away.

“Is he going to be okay?” I asked Cameron.

He shrugged. “Seems the Moon Goddess is enjoying complicating people’s lives these days.’

The way he said it made my skin prickle. I had the uneasy feeling he wasn’t just talking about them, but about us

too.

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