All Chapters of QUEENS DO NOT BEG FOR THRONES : Chapter 61 - Chapter 65

Elouera My heart beat increased, but I kept my face calm and unreadable, still pretending to be the sickly prince. Across the huge, candlelit High Council chamber, Pip’s hand shook as she placed her empty glass on a tray covered with velvet. For a brief moment, her eyes met mine. Her face was turning red, and cold sweat had begun to form on her forehead. The double dose of concentrated Catalyst-7—the deadly poison meant for me was already taking effect in her body. She had no idea what she had swallowed. She probably thought the pills were ordinary medicine for a headache, left behind on the sofa. Ten minutes. That was all the time we might have. If the full dose took effect, Pip’s suppressed Omega nature would suddenly erupt right there on the lower floor of the gallery. Two hundred Alphas were already on edge after the fires the previous night. Their tempers were short, and they were hungry for blood. If Pip lost control and released her Omega pheromones, the Alphas could

Elouera The tall stained glass dome above the High Council chamber didn’t simply break. It shattered completely, sending sharp pieces of glass and lead raining down onto the marble floor like a deadly storm. Vane’s mercenaries had attached a heavy iron grappling hook to the stone platform. The chains groaned under its weight, but the expected group of Black Cell mercenaries never came down. Instead, Vane’s armored figure disappeared into the shadows among the high roof beams, hidden by the thick cloud of glass dust and smoke. It had all been planned. Vane had used himself as a distraction to frighten the remaining guards and throw them into complete panic. In the middle of the huge chamber, everything seemed to slow down. The silence and tension became almost unbearable. I moved back into the deep shadows of a marble pillar near the eastern entrance. The high lace collar of my velvet tunic felt like hot iron against my neck. Beneath it, the golden lines of my mark were glowing

Stirling Vance I had always believed I was a sensible man living in a kingdom full of mad dogs. Callan ruled through his royal status and brutal behavior, while Jace acted like a weapon that had been trained to kill without thinking. But I was different. I thought things through before making a move. Every lord, every agreement, and every betrayal was something I studied carefully until I found a way to use it to my advantage. When I first discovered the truth about the weak, sickly Second Prince, everything changed. I studied the security footage and slowly put the pieces together. Prince Elian wasn’t a boy at all. He was an Omega girl hiding the bloodline of the lost Sunfall family. To me, Elouera was the perfect weapon. She was exactly what I needed to bring down the Empress and protect the Northern House for the next hundred years. I told myself I was only interested in her because of her intelligence. I told myself I admired the brilliant, dangerous mind hidden behind that h