The Princess's Revenge Chapter 109

Valencia’s POV

A week had passed since my challenge with Amara. The wounds on my body had healed completely, leaving no trace of the brutal fight. Even the deeper cuts that should have taken weeks to mend had closed within days, leaving only smooth skin behind.

I stood in front of the mirror, running my fingers over where the worst gashes had been. The dragon healing was incredible.

"Still checking?" Logan's voice came from behind me. He was sitting at his desk, reviewing reports from the border.

"It's just strange," I said, turning to face him. "A week ago I could barely walk. Now I feel better than I did before the fight."

"Dragon blood has its advantages."

I walked over to the window and looked out at the courtyard below. Amara was there, moving through sword forms. Her movements were still slower than before, but she was recovering well. Dr. Vance had said her injuries would take another two weeks to fully heal.

"She's getting stronger," I observed.

Logan came to stand beside me. "Yes. Dr. Vance says she'll make a complete recovery."

Since the challenge, something had shifted in the pack. The tension that had hung over everything like a storm cloud had finally lifted. Warriors greeted me respectfully in the corridors. Servants smiled when they saw me. Even the children in the village had started waving when I passed by.

It felt like everything was finally settling into place. "Valencia," Logan said, pulling me from my thoughts. "Get dressed. We're going hunting."

I looked at him in surprise. "Hunting?"

"You need to learn tracking skills. And I need to get out of this castle before I go insane from paperwork."

An hour later, we were riding through the forest on horseback. The morning sun filtered through the pine branches, creating patterns of light and shadow on the snow-covered ground.

Logan rode slightly ahead of me on his white stallion, his posture relaxed but alert. I followed on a smaller bay mare that Timothy had saddled for me.

"See those tracks?" Logan pointed to marks in the snow near a fallen log. "What made them?"

I studied the prints carefully. "Deer?"

"Good. How many?"

I counted the overlapping tracks. "Three. Maybe four."

"Excellent." Logan's approval made warmth bloom in my chest. "Now, which direction were they traveling?"

I examined the prints more closely, noting how the snow was disturbed. "That way." I pointed east. "Toward the stream."

"Why the stream?"

"Water source. And the vegetation is better there."

Logan smiled. "You're learning fast."

We followed the deer tracks through the forest, Logan teaching me how to read signs in the snow, broken branches, disturbed leaves and the subtle marks. His patience surprised me. The fearsome Beast of the North was actually an excellent teacher.

"Stop," Logan said suddenly, holding up his hand.

I reined in my horse immediately. "What is it?"

"Listen."

I closed my eyes and focused. At first I heard only the wind through the trees and the soft crunch of snow settling. Then, faintly, I caught it—the sound of something moving through brush about fifty yards ahead.

"The deer," I whispered.

Logan nodded and dismounted silently. I followed his lead, tying my horse's reins to a low branch. He handed me a hunting bow and a quiver of arrows.

"Remember what I taught you about breathing," he said quietly. "Slow and steady. Don't hold your breath when you release."

We moved through the forest on foot. Logan moved like a shadow, making no sound despite his size. I tried to copy his movements, placing my feet exactly where he had stepped.

The deer were in a small clearing ahead—four of them, just as I'd guessed. Three does and one young buck. They were pawing at the snow, searching for grass beneath.

Logan gestured for me to take the shot. My heart hammered as I nocked an arrow and drew the bowstring back. The buck was the closest target, maybe thirty yards away.

Breathe, I told myself.

I released the arrow. It flew true, striking the buck in the chest. The animal stumbled, then fell. The does scattered into the forest, their white tails flashing as they disappeared into the trees.

"Perfect shot," Logan said, genuine pride in his voice. "Clean kill. He didn't suffer."

We approached the fallen buck together. I felt a strange mix of emotions—pride in my success, but also sadness for the life I'd taken.

"It's natural to feel that way," Logan said, reading my expression. "Respect for the animal is important. We hunt for food, not for sport."

He showed me how to field dress the kill properly, explaining each step. It was messy work, but necessary. By the time we finished, the sun was already starting to sink toward the western mountains.

"We'll camp here tonight," Logan decided. "I'll show you how to build a proper shelter."

We worked together to construct a lean-to using fallen branches and pine boughs. Logan taught me how to select the right materials, how to angle the roof to shed snow, how to create a barrier against the wind.

"In the wilderness, knowing how to shelter yourself can save your life," he explained. "Weather can change fast in the mountains. You need to be prepared."

Once the shelter was complete, we built a fire pit and gathered wood. Logan showed me how to identify the driest branches, even in snow, and how to arrange kindling for the best airflow.

The fire crackled to life, sending sparks dancing into the darkening sky. We roasted chunks of venison on sharpened sticks, the meat sizzling and dripping fat into the flames. The smell was incredible.

"This tastes better than anything Nestor makes," I said, biting into the tender meat.

Logan chuckled. "Don't let him hear you say that. He'll be heartbroken."

We ate in comfortable silence, watching the fire and listening to the night sounds of the forest. An owl hooted somewhere in the darkness. Small creatures rustled through the underbrush. The wind sighed through the pine branches overhead.

"Thank you for today," I said quietly. "For teaching me all of this."

Logan looked at me, his gray eyes reflecting the firelight. "You're my Luna. You need to know how to survive, how to provide for the pack if necessary. These skills are important."

"I know. But still. Thank you."

He reached over and took my hand, his fingers warm and rough against mine. "You're doing well, Valencia. Better than you know."

The praise made my chest tight with emotion. "I'm trying."

"I know you are."

We sat there for a while longer, finishing our meal and sharing the peace of the wilderness. When the last of the meat was gone, Logan banked the fire and we moved into the shelter.

The lean-to was surprisingly warm, sheltered from the wind and heated by our body warmth. We lay down together on a bed of pine boughs covered with our cloaks. Above us through the opening, stars blazed in an endless black sky.

"Look," I whispered, pointing upward. "I've never seen so many stars."

"In the castle, the stone walls block the view. Out here, you can see the whole sky."

Logan pulled me close against his chest, his arms wrapping around me. "Valencia," he murmured into my hair. "I need to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"I love you. Not just because you're my mate, or because you're strong and brave. I love who you are—your kindness, your determination, the way you care about people others have given up on. You make me want to be better than I am."

Tears pricked at my eyes. "Logan..."

"I know I'm not good at expressing emotions. I know I can be cold and distant. But with you, I feel... different. Like I can finally breathe."

I turned in his arms to face him. His expression was open and vulnerable in a way I'd rarely seen. "I love you too," I whispered. "You saved me when I had given up hope. You saw worth in me when everyone else saw only a slave. You believed in me before I could believe in myself."

Logan's hand came up to cup my face, his thumb brushing away a tear that had escaped. "My fierce, beautiful queen."

He kissed me then, soft and gentle at first, then deeper. His hands moved over my body with reverent care, as if I was something precious that might break. I responded, showing him with my touch what words couldn't express.

Under the vast canopy of stars, surrounded by the peaceful silence of the wilderness, we came together as one. There was just pure love.

Afterward, we lay entwined in the warmth of our makeshift shelter, listening to each other's breathing slow. I felt completely at peace for the first time in as long as I could remember.

I closed my eyes, feeling safe and protected in his arms. The last thing I remembered before sleep took me was the sound of his heartbeat and the gentle crackling of our dying fire.

I woke to bright sunlight streaming through the shelter opening. Logan was already up, tending to a fresh fire and cooking something that smelled amazing.

"Good morning," he said when he saw me stirring. "How did you sleep?"

"Better than I have in weeks." I stretched, working out the slight stiffness from sleeping on the ground. "What are you making?"

"Fish. I caught them in the stream while you were sleeping. And I found some wild onions."

I joined him by the fire, accepting the portion he offered. The fish was perfectly cooked, with the subtle bite of the wild onions complementing it beautifully.

We were halfway through our breakfast when Logan suddenly went still, his expression changing.

"What's wrong?" I asked immediately.

"Dr. Vance is reaching out through the mind link." Logan's eyes grew distant. "He says my fatehr has sent a formal summons. He's calling all the Alphas to King's Fang for an emergency council meeting."

My stomach dropped. "About the dragon?"

"Almost certainly." Logan's jaw tightened. "The attack on Elton's army was witnessed by hundreds of warriors. Word has spread across the entire kingdom by now."

"When does he want you there?"

"The council meeting is scheduled for three days from now."

I watched Logan's face carefully. He looked tense, worried. "You're thinking about refusing the summons."

"If I go, Winston will question me about what happened. He'll want to know about the dragon, where it came from, if I have any information. And Valencia..." He looked at me with genuine fear in his eyes. "If he suspects you're connected to it, if anyone even hints at the possibility, you'll be in terrible danger."

"Logan, you can't refuse a direct summons from the Alpha King. That would be open defiance."

"I don't care. Your safety is more important than politics."

I moved closer to him, taking his hands in mine. "Think about this logically. If you refuse to attend, what message does that send? It makes it look like you have something to hide. Like you're protecting the dragon. That will make people even more suspicious."

"Valencia—"

"Listen to me." I kept my voice calm, even though my own heart was racing with fear. "We can't let fear control our decisions. Yes, this is dangerous. But refusing the summons is worse. It confirms their suspicions without giving you any chance to defend yourself."

Logan closed his eyes, clearly torn between his protective instincts and the logic of my argument. "I can't lose you. I won't."

"You're not going to lose me. We're going to be smart about this. We'll go to King's Fang together. You'll attend the council meeting and answer their questions. And I'll be there beside you, supporting you."

"You want to come with me?"

"Of course. I'm your Luna. Where you go, I go."

Logan opened his eyes and looked at me with an expression I couldn't quite read. "You're braver than I am."

"Logan, we can do this. Together. We've survived everything else that's been thrown at us. We'll survive this too."

He pulled me close, holding me for a long moment, and I could feel the tension gradually leaving his body as he accepted the truth of what I was saying.

"Alright," he said finally. "We'll go to King's Fang."

We packed up our camp efficiently, working together in silence. The peaceful morning now felt heavy with the weight of what lay ahead. The brief respite from worry was over. Reality was calling us back.

I'm back! Due to family reasons, I haven't been able to update for a while, and I sincerely apologize. Starting today, I'm resuming updates. The story is now entering its climax, and various mysteries are about to be revealed. Stay tuned, everyone!