The Princess's Revenge Chapter 108

Valencia’s POV

Logan's hand dropped, and the world exploded into motion.

Amara didn't hesitate for even a heartbeat. She shifted. Gray fur rippled across her frame as bones cracked and reformed. Within seconds, a massive gray wolf stood there.

A collective intake of breath rose from the crowd. Even though everyone had expected this, seeing Amara in her wolf form was still impressive.

I drew the Dragon Claw dagger from my belt, the familiar weight of it steady in my hand. This was the weapon that had saved my life before. I prayed it would do so again.

Amara's wolf form circled me slowly, her paws making no sound on the sand. She was testing me, looking for weakness, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Her lips pulled back to reveal fangs as long as my fingers.

Then she attacked.

The gray wolf launched herself at me with explosive speed. I barely had time to raise my dagger before she was on me, her massive weight slamming into my chest. I managed to get the blade up between us, but the impact sent me staggering backward.

Her claws raked across my arm, tearing through the fabric of my sleeve and drawing blood. The pain was sharp and immediate. I twisted away from her snapping jaws, slashing with my dagger, but she was too fast. She danced back out of range, then came at me again from a different angle.

I tried to keep up with her movements, but she was like fighting a storm. Every time I thought I had her positioned where I wanted her, she would flow around my defenses and strike from somewhere else. Her wolf form gave her advantages I couldn't match—speed and strength.

Within minutes, I was bleeding from a dozen small wounds. None of them were serious individually, but together they were wearing me down. My breathing was already becoming labored, and sweat stung my eyes despite the cold night air.

*Valencia!* Logan's mental voice crashed into my mind, heavy with concern and barely controlled panic. *Are you all right?*

I couldn't spare the concentration to answer him properly. Amara was pressing her advantage, coming at me in a series of lightning-fast attacks that kept me constantly on the defensive.

She lunged for my throat, and I threw myself sideways to avoid her fangs. As I rolled, her claws caught my leg just above the knee. Pain shot through me like fire, and I felt warm blood soaking into my pants.

The crowd gasped. Some people were shouting encouragement, but their voices seemed to come from very far away. All my focus had to be on the gray wolf circling me, looking for another opening.

I limped backward, trying to put some distance between us, but she wasn't going to give me time to recover. She could sense that I was hurt, and like any predator, she was moving in for the kill.

I closed my eyes for just a fraction of a second, reaching deep inside myself for that powerful presence. The dragon stirred, responding to my desperation.

Heat flowed down my arms and up into my jaw. When I opened my eyes, I felt the familiar sensation of my fingernails extending into razor-sharp dragon claws. At the same time, I felt my canine teeth lengthen and sharpen into dragon fangs.

Amara's wolf form skidded to a halt, her eyes widening with shock. She had not expected this. A murmur of amazement rippled through the watching crowd.

"Impossible," someone whispered.

But I didn't have time to enjoy their surprise. Amara recovered quickly from her shock, and her expression shifted from amazement to fury. If anything, seeing my abilities only made her more determined to destroy me.

She came at me again, but this time I was ready. When her claws met mine, the sound was like metal striking stone. My dragon claws were harder than her wolf claws, and when we clashed, sparks actually flew.

Amara was weakening—I could see it in the way she moved. Her injuries from whatever had happened to her before were clearly not fully healed. But she was still incredibly dangerous, and her attacks remained precise and deadly.

She kept going for my throat, my heart, my major arteries. There was no mercy in her assault. I had to stay completely focused. One moment of distraction, one small mistake, and those fangs would find my throat. My world narrowed down to nothing but the gray wolf in front of me, her movements, her breathing, the subtle shifts in her weight that telegraphed her next attack.

We fought in deadly silence except for the sounds of claws on claws, the soft thuds of bodies hitting the sand, and our labored breathing. The crowd had gone completely quiet, watching in fascination and horror as we tore into each other.

Then I saw my opening.

Amara came at me with a powerful swipe of her right front paw, putting all her remaining strength behind it. But she was tired, and the movement was just a fraction of a second slower than it should have been. Instead of dodging, I met her attack head-on.

My dragon claws caught her wolf claws at the perfect angle. There was a sickening crack, and Amara's wolf form let out a howl of pain and rage. When she pulled back, I could see that several of her claws were broken, dark blood dripping onto the sand.

The crowd erupted in gasps and shouts. No one had expected to see Amara injured like that.

But breaking her claws only made her more desperate. She threw back her head and howled, a sound full of fury and pain that echoed off the castle walls. Then she launched herself at me in a reckless assault.

We fought with the desperate intensity of two creatures who knew that only one of us would walk away. Every exchange drew more blood. My arms were covered in cuts from her fangs. Her gray fur was matted with blood from my claws.

Neither of us had any energy left for defense. We were both running purely on adrenaline, trading blow for blow, wound for wound.

Amara's wolf form began to shimmer. She was too weak to maintain her shifted state any longer. The shift rippled across her body, and suddenly she was human again, collapsed naked on the sand.

She was covered in cuts and bruises, her auburn hair matted with sweat and blood. But even in her weakened state, her eyes still burned with determination. She wasn't finished yet.

I let my own partial shift fade, my claws and fangs returning to normal. I was exhausted beyond description, barely able to stand. Every muscle in my body ached, and I could feel blood trickling from dozens of small wounds.

But I still had one advantage left.

With shaking hands, I reached for the sling. I had been saving this for exactly this moment. The paralysis darts were still tucked safely in the small pouch beside it.

Amara saw what I was doing, and her eyes widened with understanding. She tried to push herself up from the sand, but her body wouldn't obey her commands.

I loaded one of the paralysis darts into the sling and aimed it at her chest. My hands were trembling from exhaustion, but I forced them steady.

"Do you yield?" I asked, my voice hoarse and barely above a whisper.

The crowd had gone completely silent. Everyone was holding their breath, waiting to see how this would end.

Amara looked up at me, her eyes defiant even in defeat. For a moment, I thought she might actually surrender. But then her expression hardened, and I knew she would never give up.

Instead of answering, she let out a roar of fury and lunged for a sword that had fallen near the edge of the circle during our fight. Even naked and bleeding, she was still trying to kill me.

I released the sling. The paralysis dart flew true, striking her in the shoulder. She jerked backward, her hand falling away from the sword's hilt.

But one dart might not be enough. I quickly loaded a second dart and fired again. This one caught her in the chest.

The effect was almost immediate. Amara's body went rigid, then collapsed completely onto the sand. She was still conscious, still breathing, but she couldn't move.

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. People were shouting my name, celebrating my victory. But all I could hear was the sound of my own ragged breathing.

I had won. Somehow, impossibly, I had won.

I walked slowly toward Amara's motionless form, every step sending pain shooting through my injured leg. The crowd watched, wondering what I would do now that I had defeated my challenger.

When I reached her, I looked down at her naked, paralyzed body. Her eyes were still alert, still watching me with a mixture of fury.

Without hesitation, I pulled off my outer tunic and draped it over her, covering her nakedness. She deserved to keep her dignity.

The crowd's applause became thunderous. They understood what I was doing, and they approved.

I looked up toward the platform where Logan stood. His gray eyes were bright with pride and joy, and the smile on his face was radiant.

*You did it,* his mental voice whispered in my mind, full of love and admiration. *My brave, incredible mate. You did it.*

Logan jumped down from the platform and ran to me, ignoring the formal protocols. He swept me up in his arms, holding me tight against his chest.

I collapsed against him, finally allowing myself to feel the full extent of my exhaustion. The adrenaline was fading, and pain was beginning to replace it. But none of that mattered now.

I had proven myself. The nightmare that had been hanging over my head was finally over.

I took a deep, shuddering breath and let myself relax in Logan's arms. For the first time, I felt truly safe.

The crowd continued to cheer around us, but all I could focus on was the steady beat of Logan's heart against my ear and the warmth of his arms around me.