All Chapters of The Rogue Queen’s Vengeance : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Raven’s POVMy eyes were blurring with images, still closed and the first thing I felt on my body was pain. My head aches.The aches came from the back of my head. Then I can feel a deep, throbbing ache that hits like my heartbeat.Part of my ribs hurt when I breathe in and out. Then my muscles hurt when I tried to move. It felt like I’d been hit like a mountain with heavy stones.Which, I supposed, wasn’t far from the truth.When I finally opened my eyes, dim light hit my vision. The world spun before it slowly settled into focus. I was in a tent—my tent. The worn leather walls, the faint smell of smoke, the uneven stitching I recognized—all familiar.Then memory slammed back. The cavern. The collapsing ceiling. Aria reached for the Heartstone before everything came down. The massive rock falling toward my head.I should be dead.“You’re awake.”Her voice shot through me like electricity. I turned my head and saw her sitting near the tent entrance.Aria.She looked exhausted—dirt and

Varyn’s POVMarcus arrived on time. His punctuality said more about him than words ever could: desperation wrapped in caution.The old council chambers fit our meeting. Neutral ground, known to everyone, and far enough from Dorian that we could speak without the boy’s ears picking at every whisper. I had been waiting twenty minutes. I used to arrange my thoughts and polish the voice I would show him.Leadership is performance. You hide hunger in a smile and call it care for the pack. Sixty years of practice has taught me that the packs are won by liars who sound like saints. I am excellent at both.The door opened and he stepped in, weary and wary. He kept his hand near the knife in his belt. Good. Suspicion is useful. Trust is dangerous.“Elder Varyn,” he said, the title souring on his tongue. “You said this was urgent.”“Marcus. Thank you for coming.” I motioned to the chair Dorian had used three nights ago. “Sit. There’s much to discuss.”He stayed standing, fingers tight on leathe

Raven’s PovMy wound still throbbed painfully, but I could not rest. Too much depended on me, and too many promises had been broken. Sitting at the rough wooden desk inside my tent, I stared at the blank parchment before me. The words I wanted to write swirled in my head, mixing with my anger. Elder Varyn thought he could use me like a pawn in one of his schemes. He was about to learn that he was wrong.“Are you really going to do this?” Veyra asked in my mind. His voice sounded uneasy. “You are about to threaten an elder who has survived pack politics for sixty years.”“I am not threatening him,” I said, gripping the quill tightly. “I am reminding him of our deal. There is a difference.”“Is there? Because what you are about to write sounds like a threat to me.”I ignored him and began to write, each word sharp and deliberate.Elder Varyn,I am writing to remind you of our agreement, which you seem to have forgotten. Two months ago, you sent me a proposal. You wanted me to disrupt th

Varyn’s PovI had not slept in two days, and it showed. My hands trembled slightly as I poured a third cup of strong tea. In the mirror across from my desk, I saw a weary face staring back at me. My skin was pale, my eyes hollow, and the calm expression I always carried was beginning to crack under the strain.Sixty years of careful planning and control were on the verge of collapsing like a house built on sand. Three problems stood before me, each strong enough to destroy everything I had created.I sat at my desk and spread out the reports that had arrived throughout the night. I forced myself to read them again, though I already knew every word.The first report came from an informant inside Raven’s camp. The rogue king was preparing for war. He was gathering his army and had followed through on his threat, giving forty-eight hours to surrender the Northern Timberlands. His pack was armed, angry, and hungry for revenge.To make matters worse, he had Aria with him, a force too unsta

Dorian’s PovAt dawn, a vital letter from Varyn arrived, hand-delivered by Matthias instead of a standard messenger. The urgency was unmistakable as I opened it, my hands trembling slightly. The contents fueled my anger: it was an exact copy of Raven’s letter, outlining our arrangement word for word. It mentioned the rogue attack during my trial, the promise of the Northern Timberlands, and accused me and Varyn, acting through me—of breaking our agreement.What struck me most was Varyn’s final line:“My dear Dorian, the rogue who tried to kill you now demands your land. Deal with him, and the throne is yours, whether your brother returns or not. I will handle your family matters. I stand by you, the great Iron Alpha. —Varyn”The great Iron Alpha. My title. Varyn was affirming what I was meant to be: a true leader, destined to raise this pack through sheer determination. The rogue who dared threaten me was standing in the way of that destiny.“Matthias,” I said, my voice tight with res