The Princess's Revenge Chapter 35

Valencia’s POV

Alpha Logan's hand squeezed mine gently. "Dorian has never been the same since. He used to be more... warm. More trusting. But after losing his family, he became harder. More suspicious of everyone."

"Including you?" I asked.

"Sometimes I think so," Alpha Logan admitted. "The attack happened because I wasn't careful enough about security. A spy shouldn't have been able to get so close to our pack. Dorian has never said it directly, but I think he blames me for what happened to his family."

"I'm so sorry," I said. "For all of you."

Alpha Logan nodded grimly. "It's why I've been patient with him, even when his behavior seemed strange. I thought if I gave him time, he would heal. But maybe I was wrong. Maybe his pain made him vulnerable to corruption."

The dented doors of the armory appeared ahead of us, and I could see five or six servants already working to clean the blood stains and debris.

When they noticed Alpha Logan holding my hand, their faces showed clear surprise. They quickly looked down and returned to their work, but I could feel their judgment. Heat flooded my cheeks with embarrassment. I tried to pull my hand away from Alpha Logan's, but his grip tightened.

"Don't," he said quietly. "They need to understand that you're under my protection."

I tried to ignore the servants' glances, but it was difficult. Every time one of them looked up, I felt exposed and uncomfortable. I knew they were probably wondering what kind of spell I had cast over their Alpha.

Alpha Logan seemed to notice my discomfort. His free hand moved to my back, patting it gently in a gesture of comfort. The simple touch sent warmth through my chest.

I knew this was his way of reassuring me. My heart swelled with gratitude for his understanding. "Why can't you just replace Dorian as Beta?" I asked carefully.

Alpha Logan sighed heavily, again. "There's no one in the pack who can replace Dorian as Beta. With Aldermere's army starting to stir at the border, I need to focus on defending our territory. Pack matters have to be handled by Dorian."

My heart sank. "But what about Gamma Xander and Gamma Amara? Couldn't one of them—"

He shook his head firmly. "Their situation is complicated."

The way he said it told me he didn't want to discuss it further. I nodded, understanding that some topics were off-limits.

Alpha Logan pulled me closer to the stone wall beside the armory. He released his hold on me and pressed his hand against a specific stone brick in front of him. The wall began to rumble and shift, revealing a stone staircase that descended about thirty feet into darkness. Iron torch brackets were mounted on both sides of the narrow passage.

I gasped in amazement.

"This castle has many secrets," Alpha Logan said simply. He stepped into the passage first, his boots echoing off the stone steps. "Stay close."

I followed him down the stairs, my heart racing. The air grew thin as we descended, and I could smell dampness and something stench.

"Valencia," Alpha Logan said suddenly, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "How exactly did you kill those rogues tonight?"

His question caught me completely off guard. I stumbled slightly on the next step, my hand reaching out to steady myself against the cold stone wall.

"I..." I started, then stopped. How could I explain something I didn't understand myself?

"Tell me," he said, his voice gentler now. "What happened when you fought them?"

I took a deep breath, trying to remember the exact moment everything had changed. "I was trapped," I said quietly. "The rogue had me pinned down, and another one was coming for me. I thought I was going to die."

The torchlight flickered across his face, highlighting the intensity in his gray eyes. "And then?" he prompted.

"I got angry," I continued. "Not just scared - furious. I didn't want to die. I felt this... this rage exploding inside me. It was like fire in my veins."

I looked up at him, seeing something shift in his expression. "Then suddenly I had strength I'd never felt before. I could move faster, fight harder. It was like something inside me woke up."

Alpha Logan's eyes widened with shock. He stared at me intently, as if he was seeing me for the first time.

"Valencia," he said slowly, his voice filled with amazement. "You might not be wolfless."

The words hit me like a physical blow. I felt my knees go weak, and I had to grab the stone wall to keep from falling.

"What?" I whispered.

"The power you felt - that surge of strength and speed," Alpha Logan continued, his voice growing more certain. "That's probably wolf power."

My heart hammered against my ribs. "But I can't shift. I've never felt a wolf inside me."

"That doesn't mean she's not there," Alpha Logan said. "Sometimes wolves go dormant. They sleep so deeply that their human doesn't even know they exist."

I stared at him in complete shock. "Really?"

"Yes," he said firmly. "The strength you described - that was your wolf lending you her power. I can't determine yet what caused her to sleep, but she's definitely there."

Tears gathered in my eyes as the full meaning of his words sank in. If I had a wolf, if I wasn't truly wolfless...

"I could be complete," I whispered, my voice breaking with emotion. The hope that flooded through me was almost overwhelming. I remembered my adoptive parents told me I was abandoned in a stable when I was born, they said I was wolfless from birth.

I felt like I couldn't breathe. My whole life, I had accepted that I was nothing. But if Alpha Logan was right...

"Can you help me?" I asked desperately. "Can you help me wake her up?"

Alpha Logan's expression softened completely. "I promise you, Valencia. I'll find out what happened to your wolf. I'll help you awaken her."

The tears were flowing freely now. I couldn't stop them. After years of believing I was worthless, suddenly there was hope. Without thinking, I stood on my tiptoes and threw my arms around his neck. The motion was pure instinct, driven by overwhelming gratitude and joy.

Alpha Logan's arms wrapped around me immediately, pulling me tight against his chest. One of his hands moved to my back, patting me gently as I cried against his shoulder.

"Thank you," I sobbed. "Thank you for believing in me."

"You don't need to thank me," he said softly. "You're stronger than you know, Valencia. You always have been."

I pulled back slightly to look at his face, my heart racing as I processed everything he had told me.