Claiming His Queen by Goode, Ella (ebook reader for manga TXT) 📗

doesn't fear death. She’s told me many times there are things scarier than death. I’m guessing one of those things would be something happening to me.

Mom reaches into her shirt and pulls out a pen. She uncaps it to expose a needle. “You could do the wedding. Then tonight when he tries to take you to bed you use this on him. It will work within seconds, but you must be quick to strike.”

“I can’t kill anyone.” I take a step back.

“And I can’t let you marry that man without an out. I will kill him now or you can kill him later. Those are the only options, amoureux.”

“You’d die!” I hiss.

“Not before he does.” This is nuts. “I’ll come for you tonight. Take it.” She steps closer to me. I hold my hand out and take the poison pen. I know I won’t be able to use it, but I can’t let my mom walk out of here on a suicide mission. I slip it into my dress for safe keeping.

A knock sounds at the door before it swings open. “It’s time.” Aidon holds his hand out for me to take, motioning for my mother to go first. He keeps a tight hold on me as we make our way back to his office.

When the doors open, I see Kailler and a few of Aidon’s men standing around with the priest. The door falls closed behind us.

“You’re shaking.” Aidon looks down at me.

“Can you blame her?” It happens so fast. My mom pulls out a gun, aiming it at Aidon. Everyone else does the same, but their guns are trained on my mom.

“Please don’t hurt her,” I beg Aidon, stepping in front of him. He tries to pull me behind him.

“Do you really want your daughter to watch you die?”

“I got her into this mess. I won’t ruin her life to save my own.” They’re both fighting over me. A tug of war game that is going to rip me in half. Without thinking, I reach into the top of my dress and pull out the pen.

“What are you doing, Cora?”

I pull the top of it off, letting it fall to the floor as I bring it up to my own neck.

“What the fuck is that? Did you give her that?” Rage like I’ve never seen fills Aidon’s eyes. “Give it to me, Cora.”

I step back out of Aidon’s reach.

“Tell them to put their guns down.”

“Cora.” Mom snaps my name.

“Everyone, guns down,” Aidon barks. Everyone follows Aidon’s order, including my mom. “You’re shaking. You’re going to accidentally poke yourself.”

“Promise you won’t kill my mom and I'll marry you.”

“Deal,” he snaps instantly, holding his hand out. “Give it to me.” I slowly start to lower it away from my neck. Aidon moves faster than me, swiping it out of my hand and tossing it to the floor before he pins me to the wall. “Don’t you ever do that again. Do you hear me?”

“Let her go,” I hear my mom say.

“Never.” Aidon’s eyes stare into mine. This is so not the time to be getting turned on, but I can’t help my body's response to him, to the emotion I see on his face. He cares about me. I lick my lips. Aidon’s eyes drop there.

I tilt my head back, offering him my mouth. He takes it. The kiss is hard and almost punishing. I love it. I can feel his emotions in it. My fingers dig into his suit jacket, wanting him closer. For a moment I forget we’re in a room with other people. He pulls back from the kiss, dropping his forehead on to mine.

“What have you done to me?” He says it so low only I can hear him. I don’t think it’s really a question. “Are you ready now?” I nod my head. He takes my hand again.

“I’m going to marry him,” I tell my mom.

“Do you still not believe she is my daughter?” she asks Aidon.

“I believe you. You were willing to die for her.”

“Would you do the same?”

“Without hesitation.”

She stares at him for a moment. “There is one more thing you need to know.”

“Out with it. I should be married by now.” I have to fight a smile. I love the fact that he’s in a hurry to get us married.

“It’s about her father.” The mention of him not only snags Aidon’s attention but mine as well. Never once has she told me who my father is. “Her father is Jason Chu.”

Chapter 16Aidon

Silence descends like a blanket, suffocating and hot. A couple of the crew can’t keep their gasps of shock quiet. I’d like to fold, too, but I can’t. Not with all these lives on the line. I haul a stunned Cora up to my side and turn to the priest.

“You can begin.”

“That’s all you have to say about this information?” Karin demands.

“He’s dead. What does it matter?” I glare at the priest. “Start the ceremony.”

Beside me, Cora is shaking, and whether it’s the shock of her parentage or the wedding itself or a post-adrenaline hangover from foolishly sticking the poison pen to her neck, I don’t know. I’ll sort it out later, once she’s no longer a Vieth.

“The ceremony,” I growl when I realize the priest has still not started. “Now.”

My words are accompanied by the cocking of a handgun. Good Kailler, still on my side for some things. The priest hurries through the vows. “Do you, Aidon Katsaros, take Cora Amber Vieth to be your wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better—”

“I do. Move on.” I don’t need all these words, and I’m certain they are unnecessary for the marriage to be binding.

He clears his throat and turns to Cora. “Do you, Cora Vieth, take Aidon Katsaros to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish, till death do you