The Princess's Revenge Chapter 139

Valencia’s POV

My heart clenched with emotion.

I lowered my body to the ground and carefully, so carefully, used one claw to lift Logan. I placed him on my back, between my shoulder blades where the scales formed a natural saddle.

He was safe there. Protected.

Then I raised my head and looked at the warriors surrounding us.

They'd hurt my mate. They'd tried to kill him.

Rage burned through me. I opened my jaws and roared. It shook the ground beneath us. The castle walls trembled. Windows in nearby buildings shattered, glass raining down onto the streets.

The roar echoed across King's Fang, so loud that people in the farthest corners of the city must have heard it.

Warriors dropped their weapons. Some fell to their knees, covering their ears. Others simply ran, fleeing in blind panic.

"Stand your ground!" Elton screamed. "It's just an animal! Kill it! Kill them both!"

But his voice sounded tiny after my roar. Weak. Pathetic.

The warriors didn't listen. They scattered, running for any exit they could find. Their training and discipline shattered in the face of true dragon fury.

"Cowards!" Elton's face turned purple with rage. "Get back here! That's an order!"

I turned my attention to him. My lips pulled back, revealing teeth the size of swords.

Elton's rage faltered. His face went from purple to white in an instant.

"Stay back," he said. His voice shook. "I'm warning you. I'll—I'll—"

I didn't care what he would do.

I spread my wings. They caught the air, creating a powerful downdraft that sent the remaining warriors flying backward. Tables and weapons scattered across the courtyard.

Then I pushed off with my powerful back legs and launched myself into the air.

My wings beat once. Twice. Each movement carried us higher and higher above the castle.

"No!" Elton's scream faded below us. "Come back here! I'll kill you! I'll destroy Cliffwatch Pack! I'll hunt you down! Do you hear me? I'll make you pay for this!"

His threats meant nothing. He was an ant shouting at the sky.

I climbed higher, my wings carrying Logan and me up into the night. The castle grew smaller beneath us. The torches became tiny points of light.

But as we rose, I looked down at King's Fang spread out below me.

The rage hadn't left. It still burned in my chest like a furnace. They deserved punishment.

I felt heat building in my chest. It started small, like a spark. But it grew rapidly, fed by my fury and pain.

The heat intensified. My chest began to glow from the inside, red light shining through the gaps between my scales.

No, a tiny voice in my mind said. These are innocent people. Not all of them are Elton's warriors.

But the dragon didn't care about innocence. The dragon only knew rage and vengeance.

The heat reached a peak. My jaws opened wide.

Fire erupted from my mouth.

Not a small flame. A massive torrent of red-orange fire that lit up the entire night sky. It poured from my jaws like a river, cascading down onto the castle below.

The flames hit the courtyard first. Stone melted under the intense heat. The bodies of fallen warriors were consumed instantly, turned to ash in seconds.

The fire spread across the castle grounds. Buildings caught and blazed. The walls themselves began to glow red-hot.

Screams rose from below. People running. People dying.

Stop! that tiny voice screamed in my mind. Valencia, stop! This isn't you!

But I couldn't stop. The dragon's rage controlled me now. My head swept from side to side, painting the entire castle complex with fire.

The main tower began to collapse. Stone cracked and crumbled under the heat. The roof caved in with a tremendous crash.

More screams. More death.

Fire consumed everything. The courtyard was a sea of flames. The castle was an inferno. Even the surrounding buildings had caught, spreading the destruction into the city itself.

Finally, the fire stopped. My chest was empty, the rage momentarily satisfied.

I looked down at what I'd done.

King's Fang burned. Smoke rose in massive columns, blotting out the stars. The castle—the ancient seat of power in Valdoria—was reduced to ruins. Walls had collapsed. Towers had fallen. Everything was fire and destruction.

Horror washed over me. What had I done? How many people had I killed?

Logan, I thought desperately. Logan, I'm sorry. I couldn't control it.

But Logan didn't respond. He lay unconscious on my back, barely breathing.

I had to get him home. I had to get him to Dr. Vance before it was too late.

I turned north and flew. My massive wings beat steadily, carrying us away from the burning city. Away from the destruction I'd caused.

The wind rushed past my scales. Below, the landscape was dark except for the orange glow of King's Fang behind us.

The first light of dawn painted the sky in shades of pink and gold as Cliffwatch Pack finally came into view. My wings ached from hours of flying. My whole body felt like it was on fire. The transformation had drained me more than I'd ever experienced before.

But none of that mattered. Logan was still unconscious on my back. I could barely feel his breathing through our bond. He was slipping away.

I had to get him to Dr. Vance. Now.

As I descended toward the pack, I saw movement below. Guards on the walls were pointing up at me. Then I heard it—the alarm bells.

They were ringing throughout the entire pack. Loud and urgent. Warning everyone of danger.

Of course they were afraid. They saw a massive red dragon approaching. They didn't know it was me.

I flew lower, heading straight for the castle courtyard. It was the largest open space in the pack. The only place big enough for me to land.

More people were rushing out of buildings now. Warriors grabbing weapons. Servants looking up in fear. Everyone gathering in the courtyard to face whatever threat was coming.

I could see their faces as I descended. The shock. The terror. Some people were backing away. Others stood frozen in place.

My massive claws touched the ground. The impact shook the earth. My wings folded against my sides as I settled my weight.

Complete silence.

Hundreds of eyes stared at me. I could feel their fear.

I saw Dr. Vance near the front of the crowd. His face was pale. Elias stood beside him, his hand on his sword. Delphine was there too, her mouth open in shock.

Echo and Maya clutched each other. Nestor and Kael stood with the other servants, their expressions showing pure disbelief.

And Kai. My brother stood near the castle entrance. For the first time since I'd found him, his face showed real emotion. His blue eyes were wide with shock. He stared at me like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

I had to shift back. I had to show them it was me.

But first, Logan.

I lowered my body carefully and used one claw to gently lift Logan from my back. I placed him on the ground as softly as I could. His body looked so small and broken lying there on the stones.

Then I began to shift.

The transformation hurt. My body was exhausted. The dragon didn't want to let go. But I forced it, pulling my human form back.

My scales retracted. My body shrank. My wings dissolved. The red glow faded from my skin.

Within seconds, I was human again. Naked. Covered in dirt and blood. My legs gave out and I collapsed beside Logan.

The silence continued. No one moved. No one spoke.

I looked up at the crowd. There was no hiding it anymore. They'd all watched me transform from dragon to human right in front of them.

"Please," I said. My voice came out weak and desperate. "Please, someone help him. He's dying."

Dr. Vance was the first to move. He pushed through the crowd and ran toward us. He dropped to his knees beside Logan and immediately began examining him. His hands moved quickly, checking pulse, breathing, wounds.

"Goddess," Dr. Vance whispered. "There are so many wounds. He's lost too much blood."

"Can you save him?" I asked. Tears were streaming down my face. "Please, Dr. Vance. Please tell me you can save him."

"I'll do everything I can," he said. Then he turned and shouted, "Elias! Get four warriors here now! We need to carry Alpha Logan to the stone house immediately!"

Elias nodded and called out names. "Ryan! Bastian! Thomas! Lennon! Now!"

The warriors rushed forward. They looked uncertain, glancing at me nervously. But they followed orders.

"Carefully," Dr. Vance instructed as they lifted Logan. "Don't jostle him. His injuries are severe."

They carried Logan toward the castle. Dr. Vance walked beside them, his hand on Logan's wrist, constantly monitoring his pulse.

I tried to stand but my legs wouldn't support me. I was shaking all over. The exhaustion from the transformation was catching up to me.

"Valencia." It was Delphine's voice.

I looked up. She was standing a few feet away, holding a cloak. Her face showed shock and fear, but also concern.

"Here," she said softly. She came closer and wrapped the cloak around my shoulders, covering my naked body.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"Can you walk?" she asked.

I tried again. This time Delphine put her arm around me, helping me to my feet. My legs trembled with every step.

The crowd parted as we walked through them. Everyone stared. But no one spoke. No one said a word. We made our way to the stone house. Dr. Vance was already working on Logan. Lucian and Macsen were assisting him, bringing supplies and following his rapid-fire instructions.

Logan lay on the examination table. His skin was deathly pale. Blood covered almost every inch of his body. The wounds were everywhere—chest, arms, legs, back. So many wounds I couldn't count them.

"Is he going to live?" I asked.

Dr. Vance didn't look up from his work. "I don't know yet. The next few hours will be critical. He needs blood. He needs fluids. And these wounds need to be cleaned and closed."

He paused and glanced at me briefly.

"Luna, you should rest. You look like you're about to collapse."

"I'm not leaving him," I said firmly.

Delphine guided me to a chair against the wall. I sank into it gratefully. My whole body ached. My eyes felt heavy.

But I couldn't sleep. I had to know if Logan would survive.