Lethal Temptation (by Michelle Ray) novel Chapter 282

282 The Ambush-1

Lucian

The fight dragged on-merciless and primal. One hour and forty-five minutes of blood, growls, and bone-deep pain. Neither man-neither wolf-was backing down.

They were coated in each other’s blood. Both limping. Both heaving for air. Their movements had slowed, but the rage hadn’t dulled. If anything, it had sharpened with every wound.

Then-finally-my father barreled into Alaric’s side with a burst of raw force, knocking him down with a

vicious thud.

Before Alaric could recover, my father clamped his jaws around his hind leg and yanked. The crack of

bone echoed through the field like a shot.

My chest swelled. That sound-gods, that sound-I knew it had changed the tide.

Alaric staggered to his feet, barely upright, his leg mangled. He could have tapped out. Should have. But

he didn’t.

He wanted to die.

He growled a broken, defiant snarl-and lunged.

My father was caught off guard and stumbled, falling backward onto his back. Belly up.

My heart dropped.

In wolf form, it was the most vulnerable position imaginable-exposed and defenseless. And he was

weakened. Too slow to flip himself over in time.

I saw Alaric rear back, building momentum. Then he leapt, teeth bared, aiming to land directly on my

father’s midsection-crushing him, pinning him, finishing it. His throat was wide open, the perfect angle for

a killing bite.

I wanted to scream. My body tensed, frozen. I was seconds away from losing him.

But my father-through the pain, through the exhaustion-moved.

He rolled just enough, wincing with the effort, and Alaric missed his mark.

He landed hard, the full weight of his body crashing onto the dirt. A sickening crack followed. Alaric yelped in pain-his leg had twisted beneath him, the same one my father had nearly torn apart moments before.

He didn’t just miss. He hurt himself in the fall.

I exhaled shakily, fists clenched. My father was still alive. Still in this.

Alaric had made a critical mistake.

And the end was finally within reach.

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<282 The Ambush 1

My father had barely gotten back on his feet, limping toward Alaric with a pained whimper, when the gunshot cracked through the air.

Then everything exploded into chaos.

Screams erupted from the crowd as panic set in. People scattered in every direction. A second later, the sky split open with the shriek of a missile, and the helicopter was blown out of the air in a fireball-

broadcast silenced.

Then we saw them.

Dozens-no, hundreds-of heavily armed men flooding the field from all sides.

These weren’t ours.

We shifted instantly. Fur and teeth and claws emerged from skin in a rush. We moved to defend ourselves, but the gunfire was already cutting through the field.

I took three bullets to the side and shoulder before I got to cover. My body shuddered, then started forcing the rounds out. They weren’t silver. Thank the goddess.

They wouldn’t kill us, but they’d slow us down-and that was all the enemy needed.

The pain flared sharp and hot, but I forced myself to my feet. The others were already in combat, some still shifting, others dodging gunfire. It was too fast. Too many.

This wasn’t a rogue hit squad. This was an ambush.

-They’re too many, I linked, panic threading through my thoughts. Our men won’t hold them. How the hell did Alaric sneak this many into Neev?

My mark burned. I felt the same flare through the bonds of my soldiers-agitation, anger, pain. They were holding the line, but the tide was overwhelming.

My three hundred weren’t enough. I should’ve brought more. Ashould’ve known.

Our soldiers returned fire with silver rounds-precision shots, efficient-but the flood of enemies didn’t stop. Eventually, they ran out of ammo and were forced to shift too, joining the fight tooth and claw.

The battlefield turned feral.

Still, they came.

Still, we were outnumbered.

-The Alpha of Neev double-crossed us, my father’s voice cracked through the link, strained and low. The

se aren’t mercenaries. Most of them… are Neevian soldiers.

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<232 The Ambush-2

Clan

282 The Ambush-2

The betrayal hit harder than any bullet.

That bastard. He smiled in our faces. Welcomed us with empty hands while his knife was already aimed at our backs.

I saw red.

-Hold the line, I linked to my soldiers. Do not let them reach the elders. Form a perimeter. Push them back.

And then I dove into the fray, teeth bared, ready to kill.

Because now, this wasn’t just a fight.

It was war.

-Darian, Rowan. Get Father out. Now! I linked, voice sharp with urgency.

They didn’t argue. They didn’t have to. They moved, flanking our father, shielding him as best they could. He resisted at first-I saw it-but even he knew this wasn’t about pride anymore. It was survival.

I turned back to the battlefield and let go.

I fought like a rabid wolf.

My body tore through the enemy like instinct had taken over. I didn’t think-I couldn’t. There was no room for doubt. Only rage. Controlled fury.

There was a very real chance I wouldn’t survive. That I’d die here with my men. That my blood would soak into Neev’s dirt-betrayed, cornered, and outnumbered.

But I wasn’t going down alone.

I was angry. Furious that I hadn’t seen the signs. That I’d trusted Neev for even a second. That I might never see Mara again. Never hold our unborn child. Never speak to Richard.

We were dead men.

And I was going to make every one of these traitors bleed for it.

Then, out of nowhere, a massive wolf slammed into me-full force-knocking the wind out of my chest and sending me sprawling across the dirt.

I scrambled to my feet, blood rushing in my ears. I turned-ready to kill-and froze for a second.

Ighor.

-Why? I linked, my voice a snarl.

He growled in response, his fury matching mine.

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282 The Ambush 2

-You think we’re fools, Nighthorn? His voice came through the link, venomous and sharp. My father may

be weak enough to forgive, but I’m not. Your father nearly destroyed our territory for a crime we didn’t commit, and now you want peace? You refuse to fund our military, you cut off our weapons, while Mooncrest stockpiles like a war is coming.

He circled me, muscles tense.

-You and that bitch Luna of yours are selfish. You don’t deserve to lead this island. I don’t care for Alaric, but we have a common enemy-you.

-Today, the Nighthorn line ends. I know your son carries no Alpha mark. Your bitch, and your brother’s bitch-they’ll be easy kills.

The second he said it-bitch-my blood snapped.

He’d crossed a line he couldn’t walk back from.

My growl erupted from deep in my chest, and I lunged at him with everything I had.

Our wolves collided in mid-air, fangs bared, claws slashing.

This wasn’t a fight anymore.

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