Lethal Temptation (by Michelle Ray) novel Chapter 221

221 Kingdoms Without Kings

Mara

“If she didn’t write it, then who did?” Darian asked.

“The same person who poisoned her,” I replied flatly. “And maybe the young staff member who turned up dead yesterday.”

Vander straightened up, clearly alarmed. “Someone was poisoned at the mansion?”

I nodded. “Yes. And if it isn’t Alaric, it’s Chase. One of them has someone in our house. I think it’s Chase.”

The weight of what I’d just said filled the room like smoke. The silence that followed was thick with unease. We were living with a killer. Eating their food. Breathing the same air.

“I think it’s time we lock down the entire mansion,” I said coldly. “We’ll detain the staff while Rowan scrubs the security footage. No one goes in or out without clearance. Not even delivery runs. I’ll cook my own meals going forward, no one’s talking me out of that.”

Vander didn’t argue. He was staring at Martha, but I could tell he was thinking of Lucian. Of the mission. Of how everything was unraveling.

“Where’s Lacy?” Darian asked suddenly.

“Isn’t she at the mansion?” Vander asked, frowning.

“No,” Darian said, pulling out his phone. “She hasn’t been at the hospital for two days. I thought she was with you.”

“She hasn’t come here,” Vander muttered. “Maybe she’s laying low. Avoiding me.”

Darian’s expression darkened as he made a call. I watched the tension grow in his shoulders.

“She’s not at the mansion,” he said after hanging up. “Jason says her room’s been cleared out. All her belongings are gone.”

Vander gave a cold shrug. “Good riddance. Run away at the first sign of trouble.”

His voice was hollow, like he was trying to mask a deeper wound. But still, I didn’t think Lacy ran. Something about it didn’t sit right. This wasn’t just fear or immaturity. It felt… tactical.

I didn’t say it aloud. Not yet.

Too many pieces were missing.

Vander looked back at Martha. His hand curled into a fist at his side. I knew the pressure was building. The doctors had already asked him to pull the plug. But he couldn’t. Not without Lucian. Not with everything falling apart around him.

And maybe… just maybe… he knew something we didn’t.

< 221 Kingdoms Without Kings

I looked away, my hand resting on my belly.

Our home was fractured.

Our family was unraveling.

And I was running out of time.

Vander looked at me, his eyes drifting to the curve of my belly.

“How are you feeling, Mara?”

I didn’t have the energy to lie. “I’ve had better days.”

Claim

He gave a weak smile, the kind that tried to say more than it ever could. “I’m sorry you’re going through this, especially now. Lucian should be here with you. I still don’t know why he had to chase that bastard

across the sea…”

He trailed off, like the weight of the situation pressed his voice flat. But I saw it, he was building up to something hard. Something he didn’t want to say.

“As long as it has nothing to do with Lucian dying, I can take it,” I said quietly, pushing him to speak.

He gave a sad nod, as if I’d given him permission to open a wound. “These are tough times, Mara. We can’t afford to look fractured. That’s why…” He hesitated, then pressed on. “That’s why I need you to step down as Luna, for now. Let Darian and Tiffany handle the duties. Until Lucian returns.”

He softened his tone, trying to cushion the blow. “You’re carrying his child. That’s your job right now.”

I nodded slowly. I understood, even if it stung. The truth was, I didn’t want the title anymore. Not like this. I didn’t want to make decisions for a pack that felt like it was unraveling by the minute. I wanted to find my

husband. That was it.

“I understand,” I said.

“Will there be an announcement?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

“No. As soon as you agree, it takes effect.”

I gave him a final nod, hugging my arms around myself. It was all slipping out of my control, Lucian, the

pack, the future. Everything.

Darian noticed the shift in me. He stepped forward and hugged me tightly, then pressed a kiss to the top

of my head.

“Be strong, Mara. Be strong for all of us.”

I didn’t answer. I was already somewhere else, in the quiet of my bedroom, begging the fate for one thing

only:

Bring him home.

Darian drove me home and wanted to stay for a bit, but I asked him to leave. I needed to cry, alone.

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< 221 Kingdoms Without Kings

I undressed, lay on the bed, and curled around a pillow like it could hold me together.

“Lucian, where are you?” I whispered through sobs, gripping the pillow until my knuckles went white.

I couldn’t do this anymore.

Claim

I sat up, wiped my tears, and began to pack. My hands trembled, but I didn’t stop. I didn’t care that I had no

plan or protection or backup, I wasn’t waiting another day. I was going to Mistwood. I would find Lucian

myself or die trying.

Rowan had told me their cover names and the hotel they were supposed to stay at. That was enough. I thought about asking him to come with me, but Vander had already said they needed all hands on deck. I

didn’t care. That was their problem now.

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