The Princess's Revenge Chapter 45

Valencia's POV

I was rushing down the corridor when I nearly collided with someone stumbling along the wall. My heart stopped when I saw who it was.

Xander.

He was using the stone wall for support, his face gray with exhaustion. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his usual arrogant confidence was completely gone. When he saw me, his eyes widened.

"You," he gasped, his voice weak but still carrying authority. "Help me."

I stared at him in shock. By the looks of it, he's been poisoned by wolfsbane too.

"Help me get to the stone house," he continued, his breathing labored. "Dr. Vance. Need Dr. Vance. Antidote."

My mind raced. Time was running out. I was really worried about Alpha Logan, but the thing was, I had no idea where Dorian was right now, and I needed allies who could fight, and I definitely couldn't take on Dorian alone. I remembered how Xander had challenged Dorian about interrogating the prisoners. Maybe he wasn't on Dorian's side after all.

I had to take the gamble.

"Here," I said, moving to his side and letting him lean his weight against me. "Put your arm around my shoulders."

"Hurry up," he breathed, his arm heavy across my back.

We started moving slowly toward the stairs. Xander's legs were shaking, and I could feel how much effort each step cost him.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Probably wolfsbane," he said between gasps. "The symptoms match perfectly. Can't feel my wolf anymore, getting weaker by the minute."

I helped him down the first few steps, his weight making me struggle. "Do you have any idea who could have done this?"

"No clue," Xander replied, his breathing labored. "But if it's mass poisoning like this, it was probably the breakfast. Someone poisoned the morning meal."

I felt shocked. I hadn't expected Xander to be so perceptive. He wasn't as thoughtless as he appeared on the surface.

I wanted to tell him that I suspected Dorian, that I thought the Beta was the traitor. But I held back. I needed final confirmation first. If Dr. Vance could confirm that the wine in my cup was poisoned, then I would have solid evidence.

"That makes sense," I said carefully.

As we descended the stairs, my grip on the wooden cup tightened. Each step sent small ripples through the wine, and I tried desperately to keep it steady.

"Careful," Xander gasped, his weight heavy against my shoulder. "Don't trip and kill us both."

Just as we reached the landing, my foot caught on an uneven stone. I stumbled forward, and the cup tilted sharply. Red wine splashed across Xander's chest, soaking through his tunic.

"Fucking hell!" he snarled, looking down at the stain spreading across his clothes. "Throw that damn thing away! You're spilling it everywhere!"

"No!" I said quickly, pulling the cup closer to my chest. "I can't throw it away."

Xander's eyes flashed with irritation despite his weakened state. "Why the fuck not? It's just wine."

"This wine might be poisoned," I said, my voice dropping to a whisper. "I need to bring it to Dr. Vance to test it."

Xander's entire body went rigid against me. Even in his weakened condition, his eyes sharpened with sudden alertness. "Poisoned? What are you talking about?"

My heart hammered against my ribs. "I'm not certain yet," I replied carefully. "It's just a suspicion."

"Do you have any idea who might have done it?" Xander's voice was deadly quiet now, all traces of his earlier complaints forgotten.

I forced myself to meet his piercing gaze. "I can't be sure of anything right now."

Xander studied my face intently. "You do have someone in mind, don't you?"

I swallowed hard. "No. I really don't know."

"Bullshit," he said bluntly. "I can see it in your eyes. You suspect someone specific."

Before I could respond, Xander's expression darkened with sudden anger. "Where the fuck is Dorian anyway? He's supposed to be managing the pack while Alpha Logan is gone, but I haven't seen him anywhere."

My stomach clenched. "I haven't seen him either."

"Of course you haven't," Xander muttered bitterly. "The bastard always disappears when there's real work to be done. Always has some excuse." Xander's jaw clenched with frustration. "I need to find him. This morning when I was doing my patrol rounds, I discovered something very strange."

"What kind of strange?"

"The sentries and patrol guards who were killed last night," Xander continued, his voice growing more urgent. "Their bodies were found in the wrong positions. They had all moved away from their assigned posts before they died."

My blood turned to ice. "What do you mean?"

"The guards were supposed to be stationed at specific points around the castle perimeter," Xander explained. "But every single body was found several yards away from where they should have been. Like they had been called away from their positions just before the attack."

Horror crashed over me as the implications sank in. "Someone called them away on purpose?"

"Exactly," Xander said grimly. "The rogues didn't just get lucky - they had inside help. Someone cleared the way for them. I wanted to discuss this with Dorian," Xander continued. "Get his thoughts on who might have did this. But I can't find the bastard anywhere."

I remembered the scene where Alpha Logan was questioning that female rogue. Alpha Logan had to have picked up on it too. Everything seemed to point to Dorian now. My hands were getting clammy - I just need one more solid piece of evidence to nail this down.

"What are you thinking about?" Xander asked suddenly, his sharp eyes fixed on my face.

"Nothing," I said quickly. "I'm just tired. I didn't get much sleep last night."

Xander's expression hardened. "Don't lie to me. I can see your mind working. You know something, don't you?"

"I don't know anything," I insisted. "I'm just trying to process everything that's happened."

"You're a terrible liar," Xander said bluntly. "But fine. Keep your secrets for now. Just help me get to Dr. Vance so we can figure out what's really going on."

We continued down the stairs in tense silence. Each step was becoming more difficult for Xander as the wolfsbane continued to sap his strength.

By the time we reached the stone house, Xander was barely conscious. The sight that greeted us inside made my heart sink to my stomach.

The sounds of agony filled the air. Wounded pack members who had been recovering were now writhing in pain on their beds. But worse than that, the people who had been helping them were now collapsed on the floor.

"Oh my moon goddess," I whispered.

I helped Xander to a chair near the entrance, then set the wine cup carefully on a nearby table. He slumped forward immediately, barely able to hold himself upright.

"Delphine!" I called out, rushing to her side.

She looked up at me with glazed eyes, her face pale as death. "Valencia," she whispered. "I feel so weak. Like something is draining the life out of me."

"It's wolfsbane poisoning," I said, kneeling beside her. "How long have you been feeling like this?"

"Maybe twenty minutes," she replied, her voice barely audible. "It started suddenly. One moment I was fine, and the next..." She swayed dangerously, and I had to catch her before she fell over.

"Where's Dr. Vance?" I asked.

Delphine's trembling hand pointed toward the grinding stone. "Over there. He collapsed about ten minutes ago. Valencia, you need to check on him."

I squeezed her hand gently. "Stay here. Try to rest. I'll help him."

I made my way across the room, stepping carefully around the collapsed servants. Dr. Vance was lying on his side beside the stone table, his breathing shallow and labored.

"Dr. Vance," I said, kneeling beside him. "Can you hear me?"

His eyes fluttered open, focusing on me with difficulty. "Valencia," he gasped. "Good. You're not affected."

"Dr. Vance, what's happening? Is this wolfsbane?" I said quickly.

"Yes," he replied weakly. "Classic symptoms. Can't feel my wolf anymore. Getting weaker by the minute. Someone poisoned us."

"Where's the antidote?" I asked urgently. "You must have some stored here."