Lethal Temptation

06 I Don’t Like You Either 2

Mara

Lucian was stronger than Darian. That much was clear. Where Darian led with loyalty, Lucian ruled with intimidation. His presence filled the air like a storm. And for a moment, just a moment, I felt what it would be like to be tied to this man. Not protected. Not cherished. Owned.

Lucian dropped his hand, clenched it into a fist instead.

Good.

I’d struck the nerve I wanted.

And I wouldn’t stop there.

“We are not equals,” Lucian said coldly, his voice like ice cracking beneath pressure. “You better watch your mouth, Thornridge, or this arrangement will turn ugly real fast.”

He dropped back onto the bench like he owned the space, like even sitting was a statement of dominance. I stayed standing, watching him from above, refusing to shrink.

“I came here only to lay down a few ground rules,” he continued. “First, you will never be my mate. So don’t expect affection, don’t ask for loyalty, and don’t even think about what mates are ‘entitled’ to. I already have someone. Someone I actually care about.”

I laughed—just once, dry and sharp.

“You mean the one who threatened me in my own driveway?” I said. “Tell your little girlfriend that as long as she keeps her claws to herself and stays out of my way, we’ll have no problems. I don’t care what you two do behind closed doors.”

He went quiet.

I could tell he didn’t like my answer. It wasn’t what he expected. But it was the truth, and I wasn’t here to coddle his ego.

“In public, we’ll play the part for my father,” he said, voice dropping lower. “Behind closed doors, we’re strangers. You stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours.”

“Fine by me,” I said flatly. “As long as you don’t try to bully me, we won’t have a problem. If your father really did buyme, then this is a contract. And once Darian becomes Alpha, you’ll release me.”

He chuckled then—low and bitter.

“You still don’t get it, do you? That will never happen, Mara. I’ll have to claim you eventually. A full binding. For show. For politics. For my father. You’ll be mine—publicly, legally, permanently.”

Something twisted in my chest at those words. A phantom ache. I flinched without meaning to, but I didn’t let him see more than that.

“What about your girlfriend?” I asked quietly.

“She understands,” he replied, surprisingly calm. “I’ll never be Alpha, and I don’t want the job. We’ll find our way around this. She’ll still have my heart. She’ll have my children.”

I stared at him, trying to understand how a person could speak of love and cruelty in the same breath.

“I guess you’ve got your future mapped out,” I said. “Good for you. But what about me?”

He blinked, caught off guard. His tone lost its bite. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you’ve got the girl. The family plan. The political cover. What about my life? My future?” I asked, voice low but unshaking.

He looked at me for a long second. Then gave a dismissive shrug.

“You’ll figure it out. If you meet someone, fine. Screw whoever you want. Just don’t get pregnant and embarrass me. Keep your mess private.”

I stared at him, stunned.

He wasn’t done.

“I’m sure you already have a few boyfriends on the side. Maybe some officials from the academy you spread your legs for—because no woman’s ever made it as Gamma before. So whatever you did to get there, just keep doing it. That’s the only way you’ll hold onto that title. If someone stronger comes along, you’re out.”

I didn’t answer.

Because I didn’t need to.

Let him think what he wanted. Let him imagine a version of me that matched his twisted assumptions.

I wasn’t going to defend my body, my choices, or my worth to him.

But inside, something cracked.

I’d waited. Saved myself. Dreamed of Darian—not for lust, but for love. And now I was bound to a man who assumed the worst of me. Who would use me as a shield, a pawn, and nothing more.

And yet I didn’t cry.

Not anymore.

The tears were done.

Now, there was only fire.

“Well,” Lucian said, brushing imaginary dust from his pants like the conversation was just business. “Since everything’s ironed out, I guess we won’t have issues living as husband and wife.”

I gave him a nod. Flat. Numb. Resigned.

“Do we sleep in the same room?” I asked, not because I wanted to—but because I needed to know what kind of hell I’d be walking into.

He shook his head.

“Not exactly. My room has a conjoined space. You’ll sleep in the one I’m not using.”

A connected room. No door. No barrier. Just a wall, maybe some air, and all the silence in the world between us.

“I’ve fixed it up for you,” he added. “Just don’t expect luxury. It’s the poorer wing of the mansion. My father doesn’t dote on me the way he does on Darian.”

I almost laughed.

The poorer wing? I would’ve gladly slept in a shed if it meant not sharing space with the man who thought I’d slept my way into the Gamma rank.

“I don’t care about the room,” I said simply.

And I didn’t.

What I cared about was distance. Physical, emotional, spiritual. As much as I could carve out for myself in a life I never asked for.

We headed back into the house. Alpha Vander stood, looking pleased with himself—like a man who had just orchestrated a perfect deal, unaware—or perhaps entirely aware—of the people he was crushing in the process.

“Ah, I see the lovebirds have come to an understanding,” he said with a smug grin. “I suppose I’ll see you both at the wedding.”

My father stepped forward to shake his hand. “Thank you, Alpha. We are honoured.”

Alpha Vander turned to him with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Aiden, Arya—you’ve raised a strong, beautiful daughter. I originally wanted her for Darian, you know. She’s Luna material, no doubt about it. But in the end, I knew she’d have more impact on Lucian’s life.”

Every word scraped against me like sandpaper.

“Darian is already gentle,” he went on. “Lucian needs someone like Mara. Someone sweet, with a steady hand. She’ll soften him. She’s perfect.”

And that was the moment I felt it—self-loathing. Deep, hot, gnawing.

I should’ve seen it sooner. This wasn’t about love or bonds or the Universe’s will. I’d been chosen because I was safe. A tool. A soothing balm they could apply to their most volatile son.

I should’ve been reckless. Cold. Difficult. A bad girl. Maybe then I would’ve been considered for Darian. Maybe then, I would’ve stood a chance.

But Lucian—he didn’t let his father get away with it.

“It’s not about what you want, Father,” he said suddenly. His voice wasn’t loud, but it cut clean through the room.

Alpha Vander turned to him slowly, like a man used to obedience.

“Don’t lie to them,” Lucian continued. “This wasn’t your idea. This was Martha’s doing. Luna Martha didn’t want Darian choosing Mara. She didn’t want him with a Thornridge—didn’t want him marrying middle-class. She wants a girl with money. Status. This whole thing? It’s her fix. Her solution.”

The air in the room turned sharp.

Lucian kept going.

“You’re not doing this to help me,” he said. “You’re doing it to ruin me—and Mara. All to clear the path for Darian to marry someone Martha approves of. You paid them off. That’s not honor. That’s manipulation.”

Then he turned and walked out without another word.

And I stood there—stunned.

Not because I was angry at what he said.

But because it was true.

So painfully, clearly true.

Luna Martha didn’t want me in her family. I wasn’t polished enough. Rich enough. Enough of anything, really. And Darian… he never even had a chance to fight it.

I never had a chance at him.

No matter how hard I trained, no matter how loyal I was, no matter how much I loved him quietly from a distance—I never stood a chance.

Lucian was many things—cold, cruel, arrogant—but in that moment, I saw something else too: honesty.

Brutal, unfiltered honesty.

And it told me exactly where I stood in this twisted legacy of power, names, and politics.

I was never meant to have a voice.