Lethal Temptation (by Michelle Ray) novel Chapter 271

271 The Truth Between Us

Lucian

“If you truly believed Alaric would attack Mooncrest,” Mara said, her voice sharp and trembling, “you wouldn’t leave me behind to defend it. Not after asking me to promise I wouldn’t shift.” Her eyes locked onto mine, blazing. “What do you take me for, Lucian? Just say it, that you’ve already decided everything, that you don’t need our help. It would sting less than this.”

Her words hit hard.

The room fell silent.

I stood, jaw tight, then turned to Rowan and Denis. “Make sure the troops start moving to Neev immediately. Denis, stay behind if necessary, you’re still Delta, but we need all the strength we can get on the ground.”

Then I took Mara by the hand, firm, but not forceful, and led her out of the room. This wasn’t something we could hash out in front of the others. We needed our own space, away from the strategy boards and biting

stares.

I didn’t take her all the way to our wing. We stopped at one of the rooms in the right corridor. I shut the door behind us and turned to face her.

She stood with her arms crossed, her face tight with frustration, the scowl carved deep into her expression. I couldn’t blame her. She was a warrior. She was built for battle. Of course she wanted to be

there.

I stepped toward her, slowly, until the wall stopped her retreat. I leaned in, resting my forehead against hers. My chest pressed gently against hers, no space left between us. I closed my eyes and breathed her in, her strength, her fury, her fire. My mate.

“I need you to let me win this one, Mara,” I said, barely above a whisper.

She didn’t answer.

“I need you safe. You and the baby.” My voice cracked. “If anything happened to you in Neev… I wouldn’t survive it. I wouldn’t forgive myself.”

She pulled away.

I didn’t fight her distance. Not yet. But when she turned, I stepped behind her, wrapped my arms around her waist, and pressed my lips gently to the mark on her neck.

“Please,” I murmured. “Be here. Hold the line at Mooncrest. Let me have a reason to come home.”

She turned to face me. Her eyes weren’t just angry now, they were wounded. Aching.

“What about me, Lucian?” she asked. “What about what I need? I want my revenge too. That man tried to

271 The Truth Between Us

Clam

kill us. He lied, manipulated, destroyed everything we believed in. We blamed your father, and all along, it was him. A monster in disguise.”

Her voice cracked, but she didn’t break. “Martha and I gathered an army for this. Do not insult our strength. Do not pretend this is just your fight. We brought together three hundred and nine women, fighters, survivors, who want Alaric’s head as badly as you do. They deserve to stand in that arena. So do I.

I pulled her close again, wrapping her in the only armor I had left, my body, my warmth, my heart.

“You’re right,” I whispered. “But so am I.”

“Please, Mara,” I said, voice low but steady. “I need you here. I need you to hold Mooncrest.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but I stepped closer, gently reaching for her hands.

“If they attack, which I doubt, but if they do… I trust the women to make them bleed for every inch they

take. You’ve trained them too well. But that’s not all.” I swallowed hard. “There are bunkers beneath the

city. If the worst happens, if we fall, I need you and Richard to escape.”

I finally said what I hadn’t been brave enough to voice before.

Her eyes met mine. Wide. Shining. Her breath hitched, and then the tears came.

“So now you’re telling me the truth,” she whispered. “Now I understand.”

Tears slipped down her cheeks, one after another. But she didn’t look away.

“I’ll stay,” she said. “If that’s what will give you peace of mind. I’ll hold this ground for you. But Lucian,” she stepped closer, jabbing a finger into my chest, “don’t you dare die on me. Don’t you even think about it. If you do, I’ll never forgive you.”

I knew why she wanted to go. Not just because she was a fighter. Not just for vengeance. She wanted to

protect me. She wanted to make sure we won.

But both of us knew, no matter how hard we planned, no matter how strong we were, some things would

always be out of our hands. Fate would have the final word.

“Mara,” I breathed her name like a vow.

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