The Princess's Revenge Chapter 142

Valencia’s POV

The next morning, I pushed open the door of stone house. Dr. Vance looked up from his desk where he was writing notes. Dark circles shadowed his eyes. He'd barely slept since we returned.

"Luna," he said quietly. "You're up early."

"How is he?"

Dr. Vance set down his quill and stood. "Come see for yourself."

I followed him to the back room where Logan lay on the examination table. Someone had moved him to a proper bed now. Clean white bandages covered his chest, arms, and legs. His face was still pale, but not the deathly white from before.

I walked to his bedside and took his hand. It was warm. That was good. Through our bond, I could feel him—faint but steady, like a candle flame that refused to go out.

"His wounds are healing," Dr. Vance said from behind me. "Slower than I'd like, but healing. The Lycan blood in him is helping. A normal wolf would have died from those injuries."

"When will he wake up?"

"I don't know. His body needs time to repair itself. Could be today. Could be a week."

I nodded, still holding Logan's hand. "Thank you for everything you've done."

"I'm just doing my job, Luna."

A knock sounded at the door. Dr. Vance went to answer it.

"Gamma Elias is here to see you, Luna," he called.

I squeezed Logan's hand one more time, then left the room. Elias’s expression was serious.

"Luna," he said. "We need to talk."

"What's wrong?"

"Everything." Elias ran a hand through his hair. "Yesterday afternoon, we received another raven from King's Fang. The message claimed that Soren poisoned Alpha King Winston and that Alpha Logan was his accomplice. It said they're both traitors to the kingdom."

My stomach dropped. "Elton is spreading his lies."

"The pack doesn't know what to believe," Elias continued. "They saw you transform into a dragon. They know Alpha Logan is dying. Now they're hearing that their Alpha is a traitor. They're scared and confused."

"Where are they now?"

"In the courtyard. About half the pack gathered there this morning. They're talking, whispering. Some are afraid. Some are angry. They need answers, Luna. They need direction."

I closed my eyes for a moment. This was what I'd been dreading. Standing in front of the pack without Logan. Leading when I barely knew how to lead myself.

"Take me to them," I said.

We left the stone house and walked toward the courtyard. The morning air was cold. Frost covered the ground and made our breath visible.

As we approached the courtyard, I could hear the murmur of worried voices.

We rounded the corner and I saw them. At least two hundred pack members crowded into the courtyard. Warriors, servants, families with children. All of them talking in small groups.

When they saw me, the talking stopped. Everyone turned to stare.

I saw Delphine near the front. She gave me an encouraging nod. Beside her stood Nestor and Kael. Echo and Maya were there too. All my friends, showing their support.

But I also saw the fear in other faces. Some people stepped back as I walked past them.

Elias moved to stand beside me. His voice was low but firm. "Luna, the pack needs you to stand up. They need to know what happens next."

I looked at the crowd. Hundreds of eyes watching me.

"I think you should call a full pack meeting," Elias said. "In the great hall. Tell them everything. Give them the truth."

I took a deep breath. I stepped forward and raised my voice. "Everyone, please gather in the great hall. I need to speak with all of you."

The crowd shifted. People looked at each other uncertainly.

"Please," I said again. "I know you're scared. I know you have questions. Come to the great hall and I'll answer them."

Slowly, people began to move. They filed toward the castle entrance. I walked with them, Elias at my side.

Delphine appeared next to me. "You can do this," she whispered.

"I hope so."

We entered the great hall. Long wooden tables filled most of the space, but people pushed them aside to make room.

More pack members arrived. Word must have spread quickly because soon the hall was packed. I saw Dr. Vance slip in through a side door. Even Kai was there, leaning against a wall with his usual blank expression.

When everyone had settled, Elias called for silence. "Your Luna will speak now. Give her your attention and respect."

The hall grew quiet. So quiet I could hear my own heartbeat.

I stood at the front of the hall, facing hundreds of people. My legs felt weak. My mouth was dry.

But I thought of Logan lying unconscious in the stone house. I thought of what he would do if he were here.

He would be honest. He would be strong.

"Thank you for coming," I began. My voice shook slightly. "I know the past few days have been frightening and confusing. I know you have questions about what happened at King's Fang. About what I am. About what this means for Cliffwatch Pack."

I paused and looked around the room.

"I'm going to tell you everything. The truth. All of it."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd, but people stayed quiet enough to listen.

"First, about me," I said. "Yes, I can transform into a dragon. You all saw it. I'm not going to lie about it or hide it anymore."

A woman near the front spoke up. "Are you from the Ogden family? The dragon royal family of Aldermere?"

"No," I said clearly. "I have no connection to the Ogden bloodline. I don't know where my dragon ability comes from. I don't know why I have it."

"What happened at King's Fang?" someone else called out. "Why did the Alpha go there?"

I took another deep breath. This was the hard part.

"We went to King's Fang because we learned that Alpha King Winston was being poisoned. We went to try to save him and to stop a plot against the kingdom."

The murmuring grew louder. I raised my voice.

"Elton has been poisoning his own father for years. He did this so he could take the throne. But he needed someone to blame for Winston's death. So he framed Soren."

"That's what the raven message said," a man shouted. "It said Soren was the poisoner."

"The message lied," I said firmly. "Elton wrote that message. Elton controls King's Fang now. He's spreading lies to turn the kingdom against Soren and against Alpha Logan."

"Why would he target our Alpha?" a warrior asked.

"Because Logan is his biggest threat," I explained. "Logan is strong. He's respected. Elton has always been jealous of him. Always hated him. By framing Logan as Soren's accomplice, Elton removes his greatest rival."

The crowd was listening now. "When Logan and I arrived at King's Fang, it was a trap," I continued. "Elton knew we were coming. He had guards waiting. He locked us in the dungeons and tried to kill us with arrows. Hundreds of arrows."

I could feel tears threatening but I pushed them back.

"Logan protected me. He took every arrow meant for me. The warriors we brought with us from Soren's pack died in that dungeon. All ten of them. Good men. Brave men. They died trying to help us escape."

People were staring at me with wide eyes now.

"Logan was dying. Bleeding from a hundred wounds. So I called on the dragon power inside me. I shifted into the red dragon. I put Logan on my back and we flew away from King's Fang. "

I looked around the room, meeting as many eyes as I could. Gasps and shocked whispers filled the hall.

I stepped forward slightly. "Now Elton controls the capital. He's telling the entire kingdom that Soren and Logan are traitors. He's painting us as villains. And soon, he'll send armies here to destroy Cliffwatch Pack."

Fear rippled through the crowd. I could see it in their faces.

"So I'm going to be honest with you about what we're facing," I said. "Alpha Logan is unconscious. He's alive, but he can't lead right now. Our ally Soren has been framed for murder. The enemy controls King's Fang and has the power to turn other packs against us. And to the north, Aldermere's king Winston Ashwood is gathering armies. He wants to invade Valdoria and he'll see this chaos as an opportunity."

The hall fell silent again. I let that sink in for a moment.