Lethal Temptation (by Michelle Ray) novel Chapter 52

52 Recent Developments

Mara

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“Recent developments have forced me to review certain matters,” Alpha Vander said, adjusting in

his seat.

I hated this part of my mornings-the overly formal breakfasts that felt more like council meetings than family gatherings. Always polished. Always tense. Never warm.

He looked around the table, clearing his throat like he was building toward something heavy.

“First, I want to commend Darian for his effort at the border. We don’t always win every battle, and I recognize that mission was difficult. But you stood your ground.”

Darian nodded slightly, not proud-just enduring.

“I also want to thank Mara,” he continued, “for being a true soldier and standing by her Alpha.”

I held his gaze but said nothing. I didn’t need applause. I hadn’t done it for Darian-I did it because

it was my job.

“And Lucian,” he said, turning to my husband, his tone softening. “Thank you for saving their lives

and defeating the intruders.”

Lucian gave a silent nod, stiff, almost annoyed. He hated praise-especially from his father. I nearly

smiled, but the mood at the table was too thick to indulge.

Vander exhaled. “I’ve made this decision not for politics or personal comfort, but for the future of

our country and our pack. Because I don’t want to lose any of you.”

He paused, eyes sweeping the table.

“The subject I’m about to raise has long been a source of tension in this house… and in our pack.”

He turned toward Martha. She straightened in her seat, visibly bracing herself.

“The goddess gives order for a reason,” he said. “And every time we try to bend that order, we pay the price.”

Then he dropped it.

“I will be relieving Darian of his Alpha status and returning it to Lucian-the rightful heir.”

The room went dead silent.

Then came the explosion.

Martha slammed her hands on the table and shot to her feet.

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“How dare you, Vander!” she screamed, her voice sharp and raw with fury. “How dare you humiliate my son like this? What will he have now? You’ve got no money to give him, and now you want to take the command too?”

She was shaking. Not from surprise-but rage. The kind that had been simmering for years, finally boiling over.

But Alpha Vander didn’t flinch.

“Someone once told me,” he said, his tone cutting through the chaos, “that a pack is not an object.

It is not something to gift. It is made up of lives. And the Alpha’s duty is to protect those lives-no

matter the cost.”

He looked around the table again.

“The Key Mark we carry is not about power. It is about trust-a burden entrusted to us by the goddess herself. And unlike other marks, the Key Mark can be taken away. That’s what makes it

sacred.”

His eyes landed on Darian.

“Darian is an Alpha, yes-but not a strong one. That is why he will serve as Lucian’s Beta. So his older brother can protect him. As it should have always been.”

Then he turned to Martha-his voice low, final.

“This is not punishment. This is protection.”

Martha seethed but forced herself back into her seat, trembling with rage but too cornered to lash out further. Vander sighed and leaned back.

The table was quiet again.

But it wasn’t peace.

It was the kind of silence that follows a storm-and warns of another one still coming.

“As for inheritance,” Alpha Vander continued, his valce firm but steady, “all I have is this mansion. My sons will share it equally-each taking one wing

He turned to Darian.

“Darian, it would be wise to begin building something for yourself. A business you can rely on, something you can grow and pass on to your family. As you know, Steel Corp belonged to Natasha -my first mate. Lucian’s mother. We have lived off her legacy for years. And now that Lucian has taken over, we should not expect more than what we already receive.”

The words hung heavily in the air.

“Just as I cannot take your mother’s things and hand them to Lucian, I cannot take his mother’s

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things and hand them to you. If Steel Corp were mine, I would divide it as I’ve divided this home. But it isn’t. I hope you understand, son.”

Darian nodded without hesitation. “I do.” His expression was calm, unreadable-maybe even

relieved.

But, of course, Martha couldn’t leave it at that.

“Since Lucian will be Alpha,” she said sharply, her tone laced with entitlement, “he shouldn’t have a problem with his little brother working at the company to help him run things.”

It wasn’t a question. It was a demand disguised as diplomacy.

Vander shook his head slowly. “That’s not a decision for you to make.”

He turned to her, his voice turning cool. “Your behavior, and the way you’ve treated Lucian, have

created a fracture between the brothers. We need boundaries now-not blurred lines.”

He looked at the rest of us, then continued.

“And let me be very clear-I have no authority over Steel Corp. Lucian’s generosity in hiring Lacy was just that: generosity. And it would be wise not to abuse it.”

Then, shockingly, his gaze fixed on Martha, sharp and unwavering.

“I’ve seen how Lacy has been behaving around Lucian. Flirtation. Disrespect. Ignoring his marriage

and bond. It ends now. Martha, I’m asking you to warn your niece. Lucian is a married and fully

mated man. We all see the mark on Mara’s neck.”

I blinked, startled. I hadn’t expected him to call it out so plainly. But I was quietly grateful that he

did.

Then Vander shifted focus again, the weight of leadership settling back onto his shoulders.

“Because of these new developments, both Rowan and Mara will no longer serve in the army. Rowan’s return will depend on Lucian’s evaluation. But Mara-”

He looked directly at me, something flickering behind his eyes. Not anger, but sadness. Maybe

guilt.

“-as Luna, your path now lies with leadership. When Lucian fully takes on the Alpha position, the responsibility of running Steel Corp will fall to you.”

He exhaled, the tension of the morning catching up with him, and looked between the two of us- me and Lucian. For the first time, he looked less like an Alpha, and more like a father who knew

he’d broken things that couldn’t be fixed.

There was disappointment in his eyes. Heartache, too. A quiet acknowledgment that all of this- every part of it-could have been handled differently, if only he had made better choices sooner.

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< 53 The Blow