The Princess's Revenge Chapter 130

Valencia's POV

Logan's face grew darker with each line he read. His jaw tightened. His grip on the letter made the paper crinkle.

My heart was pounding. "Logan, what does it say?"

He didn't answer immediately. His gray eyes scanned the page again, as if he couldn't believe what he was reading.

"Logan, please. You're scaring me."

He looked up at me. His expression was grim. "It's the truth about what happened three years ago."

Ryan and Bastian had gone quiet. Logan's voice was low. "Three years ago, Nolan learned that Elton was poisoning Winston. Not quickly. Slowly. A toxin that gradually drained his life force over time."

My breath caught. "What?"

"Nolan tried to use the information as leverage," Logan continued. "He offered Elton a deal. But Elton pretended to accept. Then he sent three assassins instead. Xander, Amara, and Torin."

"The assassins demanded Elton give them a written order," Logan said. "They were afraid Elton would kill them after the job was done to cover his tracks. Elton agreed."

Logan's voice grew harder. "Before Nolan died, he told the assassins everything. When they returned to Elton, he tried to silence them permanently. Torin died in the fight. Xander and Amara escaped and fled to Cliffwatch Pack."

"But what was the point of poisoning Winston?"

Logan looked back at the letter. "Winston had chosen Soren as his heir. Elton couldn't challenge that directly. So he created a plan. Poison Winston slowly. Frame Soren for the murder. Then launch a coup and claim he was avenging his father's death. Make himself look like the righteous son."

The pieces fell into place in my mind. It was evil.

"Amara kept the written order from Elton," Logan said. "She's had it this whole time. She says she's going after Dorian now to avenge Xander. But she wanted us to know the truth about Winston before it's too late."

I stared at him. "Before it's too late. She means Winston is still being poisoned." My mind was racing. This changed everything.

But Logan just sat there. His face had gone pale. His hands gripped the letter so tightly his knuckles were white.

I could feel his emotions through the bond. Pain. Anger. Confusion. All churning together like a storm.

"Logan," I said softly.

He didn't respond. He just stared at the letter.

Ryan cleared his throat awkwardly. "Alpha, what do you want us to do?"

Logan didn't answer.

I stood up and put my hand on his shoulder. "Logan, we need to talk. Privately."

He looked up at me. His gray eyes were full of conflict.

"Please," I said gently.

He nodded and stood. We left the dining hall quickly. Ryan and Bastian watched us go but didn't speak.

We went back to our guest room. Logan closed the door and locked it.

For a long moment, he just stood there, staring at nothing.

"Logan?"

He turned away from me. His voice was barely a whisper. "He was never a father to me."

My chest tightened. I walked closer to him.

"Why should I risk everything to save him?" Logan's voice grew louder, more bitter. "He called me a bastard. He treated me like I was nothing. My mother died because of him. Her life was miserable because of him."

I reached out and touched his arm gently. He was trembling slightly.

"I understand," I said softly. "You have every right to feel that way."

"Then why do I feel like this?" His voice cracked. "Why does this hurt so much? I should be glad. I should want him to die."

I moved in front of him so he had to look at me. "Because you're not like him, Logan. You're nothing like him."

His eyes met mine. They were filled with pain.

"It's okay to be angry," I said. "It's okay to hate what he did to you and your mother. But Logan, you're a good man. A better man than he ever was. And that's why this hurts."

He closed his eyes. "I don't know what to do."

I took both his hands in mine. "Then let me help you think this through."

He opened his eyes and looked at me.

"Right now, you're feeling too much," I said calmly. "So let's look at this logically. What happens if we do nothing?"

Logan was silent.

"If Elton's plan succeeds and Winston dies, Elton becomes king," I continued. "He'll frame Soren. He'll start a civil war. And then he'll come after you because you're his greatest rival."

"He's already trying to destroy me," Logan said quietly.

"Exactly," I said. "So this isn't about saving Winston. This is about stopping Elton before he can destroy everything you've built."

Logan's breathing was still uneven, but I could see him starting to think more clearly.

"Aldric is still in the dungeons, Rhodes is somewhere in King's Fang. Elton is a psycho," I said. "If he controls King's Fang, he'll kill many innocent people. Not just his enemies. Anyone who gets in his way."

Logan nodded slowly.

"And there's something else," I said gently. "If you let Winston die when you could have saved him, you'll regret it. Not because he was a good father. But because you'll wonder for the rest of your life if you made the right choice."

He looked at me for a long moment. "How did you get so wise?"

"I'm not wise," I said. "I just know you. And I know you couldn't live with that kind of regret."

Logan pulled me close and held me tight. I could feel his emotions through the bond starting to settle. The pain was still there, but the confusion was fading.

Finally, he pulled back and looked at me. "You're right. We have to go to King's Fang."

Relief flooded through me.

"But Valencia," he said seriously. "This is dangerous. More dangerous than anything we've faced before. You should go back to Cliffwatch with Kai. Ryan and Bastian can escort you."

I shook my head immediately. "No."

"Val—"

"I'm coming with you," I said firmly. "We're in this together."

"You could get killed."

"So could you," I shot back. "Logan, I'm not leaving you. We're partners. Mates. Whatever you face, I face it with you."

He studied my face for a long moment. I could feel his emotions through the bond. Worry. Fear. But also something else. Respect.

Finally, he nodded slowly. "Together."

That one word meant everything. He wasn't ordering me to safety anymore. He wasn't treating me like someone who needed protection. He was accepting me as an equal partner.

My chest felt tight with emotion. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him.

He held me close. "Thank you. For seeing me clearly when I can't see myself," he said.

I kissed him softly. "That's what mates do. We help each other."

He kissed me back, then rested his forehead against mine. "What would I do without you?"

"You'll never have to find out," I promised.

"We need to talk to Soren," he said. "We'll need his support if we're going to King's Fang."

"Do you think he'll help?"

Logan's expression grew grim. "Let's find out."