Chapter 173 TURN COAT

Chapter 173 TURN COAT
MALIA’S POV:
My blood boils with a white-hot fury the second my eyes lock onto Kieran…
That treacherous, manipulative bastard!
I glower at him and my chest starts to heave with rage so intense it turns my vision red! I still remember all those months of soft words, all those promises of a future… all those lies about my father and brother being dead… just for him to turn me into his pawn!! I never thought he would manipulate me like that… I trusted him!
Kieran suddenly lunges forward with terrifying speed and snatches Laena around the neck! She had been in front, herding the women towards the tunnels… Now she was in his clutches!
Laena screams as he hauls her back violently against his chest, locking his arm around her throat and Lucien instantly reacts, pulling me tightly behind his massive frame while a deep, ground-shaking growl rumbles from his chest. “You…” he snarls, glowering at Kieran with his silver eyes turning crimson almost immediately!
Meanwhile, the invading werewolf army starts to spread out across the grand hall in a tight formation with their blessed silver blades and loaded crossbows raised…
All around us, the werewolf breeders remain frozen in sheer confusion… Though some of their faces start to light up with frantic hope, believing this is a glorious rescue mission by the Kade Pack’s Alpha… My eyes sweep over the crowd and land right on Sophie and Sapphire huddled in a corner. Sophie looks worried and her eyes dart nervously between the guards and the strange weapons.
But Sapphire... The bitch is practically beaming!
Another wave of rage crashes through me as I see the sheer joy on Sapphire's face upon seeing Kieran… She’s another traitor! All this time… She was carrying my Fiance’s baby while lying straight to my face just like he did… and now she looks at him like he’s some kind of hero?!
I watch as three Lycan guards near the front charge the front line of invaders and almost immediately, a shower of black arrows flies through the air, striking all three guards in the chest. In less than a second, their bodies burst into clouds of black dust that scatter onto the floor!
The remaining Lycan guards exchange looks and start to back away slowly… 
Kieran’s amber eyes flick across the room, past the dust and the cowering guards, until they land directly on me… Then on Lucien’s large hand tightly gripping mine. 
I shoot him a glare and his jaw clenches but his amber eyes narrow into venomous slits… In his right hand, he is holding a double-tipped spear forged from the same dark, gleaming metal as the rest and he raises it swiftly, pressing the lethal silver tip just inches from Laena’s trembling neck!!!
No….
“Stop!” A scream rips from my throat as panic for her surges through me and Lucien’s entire body goes completely rigid beside me… His grip on my hand tightens to a near-crushing intensity. 
“Harm her and I’ll have your head on a spike for the crows to feast on!!!” He growls.
Kieran lift a brow at that and he takes a step forward with a frightened Laena still in his grip… His voice rings out across the hall, sounding colder than I’ve ever heard it. "The terror you Lycans have inflicted on us for years comes to an end today! We will recover everything you have taken from us, and you will pay for every single life you have destroyed!"
His gaze flickers back to me briefly before shifting again to Lucien. "Release all the captive women immediately! Then Surrender… or her blood is on your hands!" He lifts the knife higher on her neck and Laena whimpers…
Lucien takes a step forward, shielding me completely as he glares down at Kieran with pure disdain. "Hold your tongue, mutt… Who gave a dog like you permission to raise his voice in my hall?"
Kieran’s eyes flash with anger and he presses the spear tip even closer until a tiny bead of dark red blood appears on Laena’s skin! "Careful, Beast… I hold this girl’s life in my hand. And my weapons are obviously far more powerful than anything your arrogant race has ever seen… This is the end of the tyrannical reign of you Lycans! I can obliterate every single Lycan in this room with a single order!” 
Lucien lets out a dark, menacing laugh that makes even the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. 
"Power?" he drawls. "You think these poisoned trinkets make you powerful?"
I watch as a flicker of genuine doubt crosses Kieran’s face but he seems to make up his mind because his eyes suddenly turns cold. “She dies then….” he says and shifts his grip to drive the double-tipped spear straight through Laena’s throat!
Nooooooo!!!!!!!!
Then, the air rips apart…
In a fraction of a second, Lucien explodes into his full, towering Lycan form! His massive frame expands with pitch black fur bursting across his back and razor-sharp claws snapping out! His piercing crimson eyes start to glow like twin suns and the sudden, crushing weight of his dominant aura hits the room so hard that several werewolf soldiers actually recoil in terror, stumbling backwards!!!
Before the blade can even graze Laena’s skin, a blur of dark shadow streaks across the room! 
Kaesar… Lucien’s Lycan, moves with speed that defies nature itself! He lunges forward with his massive clawed hand shooting out and he grabs the blessed silver spear right in mid-air!
The blessed silver sizzles violently against his skin, burning his flesh, but Lucien doesn't even flinch! He grips the thick metal firmly, and right in front of a stunned Kieran, he snaps the spear in half with his bare hands!!!
With a fluid, terrifying motion, he spins and hurls the broken metal halves like javelins and the sharp ends impale two werewolf soldiers behind Kieran simultaneously, pinning them to the stone wall and they explode into dust!!!
The other Werewolves with crossbows panic and start to fire arrows at Lucien! But with a flick of his massive, powerful paw, he swats the arrows away and even catches some in mid-air!!!
Kieran’s eyes widen in sheer shock and most of the soldiers behind him back away in fear. Kieran tries to use Laena as a shield but Lucien grabs her and shoves Laena hard toward Viktor, snatching Kieran by the throat in the same breath!!!
He lifts the Kade Alpha completely off his feet with one hand, slamming his body against a stone pillar! 
Kieran gasps violently for air with his legs dangling uselessly as Lucien’s sharp black claws dig deep into his skin, drawing fresh blood… Lucien leans his snout down and snarls right into Kieran’s pale face.
"What were you saying again... Mutt?!”
A surge of fierce, triumphant joy explodes in my chest! YES!!!
He did it! Maybe Lucien’s immunity to the new blessed silver is stronger! The weapon was forged from his blood afterall , and his body was naturally more resilient than other lycans!
Beside us, Viktor, Hylos, and Loki also burst into their massive Lycan forms with loud, terrifying roars! Their dark, towering figures line up beside Lucien with their fangs bared and their crimson eyes glowing as they snarl at the invading army…
The werewolf soldiers back away in utter terror, with their weapons shaking uncontrollably… They all glance at their Alpha choking in Lucien’s lethal grip, then look at the three towering Lycan beasts now advancing on them… They might have new powerful arrows, but they are still vastly outmatched by the unbridled monsters that were the Purebloods… Their tactical ambush obviously didn't account for a beast like Kaesar… What good were arrows when he could just catch them in mid-air?!!
They are going to lose!
A flicker of relief washes over my guilt and for the first time since stealing Lucien's blood, I allow myself to breathe...… I betrayed him, but it didn’t end as bad as I thought. He still won! Now I just hope he will forgive me when I come clean… Maybe somehow... Maybe I could still fix this!
"How pathetic..."
A slurred deep voice whispers right behind my ear and my heart drops into my stomach… Every muscle in my body freezes solid!
Before I can even turn my head, a rough, calloused hand wraps violently around my collarbone, yanking me backwards into a solid chest and a second later, the cold edge of a silver blade presses firmly against the pulse point on my neck!!!
What the hell?!!!!!
I gasp and my hands instantly fly up to grip the attacker’s forearm but he is too strong! “Let me go!!!”
The sudden noise cuts through the grand hall and Lucien turns his head towards me, and I watch his glowing red eyes widen at the attacker.
"Valir?!" Lucien growls and a sound of utter rage rips from his throat. "What the hell are you doing?!"
Valir?! Shit!!! I knew he wasn’t to be trusted… what the fuck does he want with me?
Valir’s grip on the silver knife tightens until the sharp metal digs into my soft skin… His breath is hot against my ear as he also grips me tighter.
“I am simply taking back what is rightfully mine... Brother.” Valir snarls, his voice is dripping with pure venom now.
"I should’ve known that the new weapons would not fully work on a freakshow like you," Valir drawls darkly and his other hand reaches up to slowly to stroke a strand of my hair away from my face. “Thankfully I prepared a backup plan... And what other guaranteed pawn is there to use than your only weakness? Your sweet ‘Little Mate’…”
What the hell is he on about?!
I pull furiously against his grip, trying to elbow his ribs, but his arm is like an iron bar crushed against my throat. "Let me go, you bastard!!!” I choke out.
Lucien lets out a snarl and takes a threatening step forward…
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you!” Valir snaps, pressing the silver blade deeper into my neck and I feel a tiny drop of warm blood trickle down my skin… Even though it’s ordinary silver and it doesn’t burn me, it still fucking hurts. “No sudden movements from any of you or I’ll slit her throat wide open right here! I’m much faster at slitting throats than the werewolf Mutt... you know that better than anyone, Brother… I’d like to think you still want your precious mate breathing?"
Lucien stops dead in his tracks and his eyes flicker to mine… His jaw tightens so hard, the muscles bulge under his fur, but he doesn’t move again.
Viktor’s deep voice chimes in next. ”What is this madness, Valir?! What are you getting at?! Is this your idea of a tantrum?! Now is not the time for this!"
"SHUT UP!!!” Valir snarls with his eyes wild and unhinged as he glares at his brothers. "Shut your damn mouth and do what I tell you or this bitch dies!“
He drags me back a few steps, using me as a human shield while keeping the deadly knife glued to my artery.
“Now let the Kade Alpha go!" Valir commands loudly. "Shift and kneel in surrender right now... or I paint this floor with her blood!"
"Valir, What the hell is your problem, Man?” Loki growls and takes a step forward.
"I SAID KNEEL!!!!!” Valir roars, pressing the blade hard enough that I let out a sharp cry of pain!!!
Lucien’s hands bunch into fists and Kieran starts to wheeze as Lucien’s grip on his neck tightens even more!
Lucien’s chest is heaving with suppressed fury now and his entire body tenses as he seems to be waging a war within himself… He looks at the tears of pure terror filling my eyes, and I watch his resolve shatter completely…
Slowly, Lucien opens his massive clawed hand and Kieran drops to the stone floor in a heap, gasping frantically for air and clutching his bruised throat as he coughs.
Lucien shifts back into his human form and glares at Valir but his eyes flicker again to the knife at my throat and I watch in horror as he slowly lowers himself to his knees before Valir!
Viktor, Hylos, and Loki exchange furious looks, but seeing the knife pressed against my bleeding neck and Lucien already kneeling, they have no choice… One by one, the three brothers also shift back and drop to their knees beside Lucien.
Valir seems satisfied at that and he chuckles under his breath… “What a sight… Never thought I’d see the day. My brothers finally acknowledging their rightful places… Beneath me!”
“You’ve had your fun, Psycho…” Loki growls. “Now let her go, In case you haven’t noticed we’re in the middle of being ambushed by fucking Werewolves?”
“Oh I noticed alright…” Valir drawls smugly and nods at Kieran.
Wait… What????
Kieran slowly pushes himself up from the floor and his eyes are burning with lethal hatred as he glares at the kneeling Lycan King… He reaches down and picks up a silver sword from a fallen soldier. Then, holding his neck, Kieran and his entire army slowly back away from the kneeling brothers...
...and walk straight over to stand side-by-side with Valir!!!