TEMPORARY MATES PERMANENT CRAVINGS novel Chapter 8

Eight

The house felt empty when we returned to pack our things. My mother paced the length of the living room, her hands twisting the fabric of her sweater.

“If Kade’s proposal is real, maybe you should think about it, Lisa. It would be a safe path. You would stay here, in the pack.”

I shook my head and continued folding a stack of plain cotton shirts. “He had three years to say those words, Mom. Why tonight? Why only after he saw another man’s name on my contract?”

She let out a sigh and sat on the edge of the sofa. “It just seems like a safer option than going to a Lycan estate alone.”

“No.” I stopped folding and met her eyes. “I do not believe in love anymore.”

The honesty of the statement felt cold in the room.

“If this contract is what buys my freedom and your safety, then that is the only choice that matters.”

“I just want you to be safe,” she whispered. “I don’t want to spend the rest of my life regretting that I didn’t stop you from walking into that house.”

“You won’t,” I said. I sat beside her and took her hand. “I promise you.”

The next morning, a black SUV pulled up in front of our house. Its paint, glearning like a mirror, reflected the cracks in our driveway and the peeling gray paint on the porch. Next to it, the entire street looked shabby.

Luna Catherine had sent a brief message the night before:

A driver will pick you up at 8:00.

I was on the sidewalk at 7:55.

The driver got out. He was a giant, probably over six feet tall, with a shaved head that caught the morning sun. His shoulders were so broad they blocked my view of the house across the street. Despite his size, he gave me a confident nod. A dimple appeared on his cheek when he saw me.

I recognized him: Alpha Cameron’s Beta.

“Good morning, Lisa. I’m Franklin, Congratulations on your selection. Alpha asked me to come and get you personally.”

He spoke in a calm voice. My throat tightened. I managed to nod, the words failing me.

My mother stood in the doorway. Her arms were crossed at her waist, and she clutched her thin robe against the morning chill. She looked smaller, as if the stress of the past twelve

Bight hours had physically emaciated her. James was nowhere to be found. He had slammed his bedroom door twenty minutes earlier, shouting that he wouldn’t stand there and watch me dn’t stand t walk into a cage.

Franklin looked at the two dented suitcases at my feet.

“Is that all you have?”

“That’s all,” I replied.

He lifted them as if they weighed nothing and slid them into the trunk. He walked around the car and opened the back door for me, waiting with a respect that struck me as odd. He was treating me like a VIP, not like a young girl who had just sold a year of her life.

The car’s interior was fragrant with the scent of fine leather and a sweet smell of cleaning product.

My mother walked down the driveway. When she reached the window, she leaned forward. Her eyes narrowed, her good eye straining to take in the details of my face as if she wanted to etch the image into her memory.

“You call me every day,” she said. “I don’t care what they tell you or how busy your schedule is. Every day, Lisa.”

“I will, Mom.”

“And if it gets worse,” she continued, gripping the doorframe, “if he hurts you or they treat you like a servant…”

“I know. I’ll report to Luna Catherine.”

It was a lie, and we both knew it. I wasn’t going to risk breaking my contract for a few bruises or a hurtful word.

She leaned toward me and hugged me. “My brave girl,” she whispered into my hair. “My stubborn, brave girl.”

I held her for one second too long. If I opened my mouth to say goodbye, I knew I’d break down.

I looked up. The woods gave way to manicured lands stretching as far as the eye could see. Huge brass gates blocked the road, guarded by uniformed men, rifles slung over their shoulders. A guard stepped forward, spotted Franklin, and gestured for the gates to be opened.

The car drove past.

I leaned out the window. This wasn’t a village. It was a city. Tall buildings of glass and steel rose in the distance. The streets were wide and crowded with cars and hurried pedestrians.

“Silver Creek has over three thousand Lycans,” Franklin said, a hint of pride in his voice.” We’re one of the largest packs in the region. Alpha Cameron has been leading us for four years. He is the youngest Alpha in our history to attain this position.”

I nodded.

The road began to climb a steep hill. We drove past properties until the car turned onto a winding stone driveway.

The Alpha’s mansion stood at the top of the hill. It was a gray stone structure with clean, modern lines. Three stories high, it was flanked by long wings.

“You’ll be staying in the east wing,” Franklin explained as the car slowed. “You have private quarters: a bedroom, a living room, and a bathroom. You’ll find everything you need there.”

He glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “Alpha cameron has his private quarters in the west wing. Your meetings with him will be scheduled and added to your calendar.”

“Understood,” I replied.

The car stopped in front of the wide staircase. A few uniformed servants stood near the entrance. At the top of the steps, Alpha Cameron waited.

He wore a dark shirt, his hands clasped behind his back. His sister stood beside him, her face impassive.

He seemed even more imposing in the daylight. Tall and massive, his presence commanded attention. He watched me cross the sidewalk.

Franklin opened the door and stepped back.

“Ready?”

I looked up. Ready wasn’t the right word. I was just a passenger in a life I had sold. I walked toward the steps.