The Princess's Revenge Chapter 39

Logan’s POV

I found myself on the third floor without realizing it. The great hall buzzed with activity. Servants moved between tables, clearing away breakfast dishes and sweeping the stone floors.

I spotted Gamma Xander. He sat at the head table with four of his warriors, his voice carrying across the hall as he gestured dramatically with a piece of roasted chicken.

"The rogue was twice my size," Xander was saying, his chest puffed out with pride. "But I took him down with one clean strike to the throat. Blood everywhere."

His warriors nodded appreciatively, hanging on every word. One of them laughed. "You should have seen Xander fight, absolutely brutal."

"That's why Alpha Logan keeps me close," Xander continued, taking a long drink from his cup. "He knows I can handle the dangerous missions."

As I walked toward him, Xander caught sight of me and his arrogant smile vanished, replaced by wide-eyed panic. He scrambled to his feet so quickly he knocked over his chair.

"Alpha Logan!" he gasped. "I... we were just..."

The four warriors at his table turned to look at me, their expressions shifting from relaxed amusement to terrified respect. They all stood immediately, their chairs scraping against the stone floor.

"Alpha," one of them said quickly, bowing his head.

I gestured toward the warriors with a slight nod. "Leave us."

"Yes, Alpha," they replied in unison. They gathered their weapons and left the hall quickly.

Xander stood alone by the table, his hands shaking slightly.

"Sit," I commanded.

Xander dropped back into his chair immediately. I walked to the table and took the seat across from him. For a long moment, I said nothing, just studied his face. Sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Alpha," he began nervously, "if this is about what I was saying -"

"It's not," I interrupted.

Relief flickered across his features, but the tension remained. "Then... what can I do for you, Alpha?"

I leaned forward, fixing him with my most serious expression. "I'm leaving the pack house today. I need you to watch over Valencia while I'm gone."

Xander's mouth fell open in shock. "Valencia? The... the slave?"

"My girl," I corrected, my voice turning cold. "And you will treat her with the respect she deserves."

"Of course, Alpha," Xander said quickly, though confusion was clear in his eyes. "But... watch over her? What exactly does that mean?"

"It means," I said in cold voice, "that if anything happens to her - I will hold you personally responsible."

The color drained from Xander's face completely. "Alpha, I don't understand. Why would anything happen to her?"

I stood up slowly, placing both hands on the table and leaning toward him. "Listen to me very carefully, Xander. Valencia's death equals your death. Do you understand me?"

"I..." Xander swallowed hard. "Yes, Alpha. I understand."

"I don't care what you have to do," I continued, my voice dropping to a whisper. "I don't care who you have to kill, what orders you have to disobey. Her safety is your only priority. If she gets so much as a scratch while I'm gone, I will make you suffer in ways you can't imagine."

Xander's hands were shaking openly now. "Alpha, please tell me - where are you going? How long will you be away?"

I straightened up, considering how much to tell him. "Border problems," I said finally. "Could be days, could be weeks."

"Alpha," Xander said carefully, "is this connected to the attacks? Last night?"

"Possibly," I said.

Xander nodded gravely. "I'll protect her with my life, Alpha. I swear it."

"Good." I reached out and gripped his shoulder firmly. "You're a good warrior, Xander. Don't let me down."

"I won't, Alpha. I promise."

I left the hall and went downstairs to the second floor, my mind racing. I couldn't alert Dorian to my suspicions. If he really was the traitor, I needed him to think everything was normal while I investigated the Eagle's Beak situation.

The twins' room was near the end of the corridor. I knocked once on their door.

"Come in," came Clarence's voice.

I opened the door to find both twins sitting at a small table, sharing what looked like the remains of breakfast. They looked up in surprise when they saw me.

"Alpha Logan," Elias said, standing quickly. "Is everything alright?"

"Sit," I said, closing the door behind me. "Both of you. We need to talk."

Clarence and Elias exchanged worried glances but remained seated. I pulled up a chair and sat across from them.

"I need you both to listen carefully," I began, my voice low. "What I'm about to tell you cannot leave this room."

Clarence and Elias nodded immediately, their expressions growing more serious.

"The rogues we captured gave us information," I continued. "Aldermere is planning a major attack. Five hundred elite troops are crossing the Grey River in three days."

"Five hundred?" Elias whispered, his face going pale. "That's a full invasion force."

"Where?" Clarence asked, leaning forward.

"Eagle's Beak," I replied grimly. "They know it's our weakest defensive position."