The Princess's Revenge Chapter 97

Valencia's POV

"A dragon?" I stared at Delphine. "That's impossible."

"Luna, we all saw it," Ryan said gently. "You jumped from the wall, and then... you shifted."

My stomach twisted. The nightmare I'd just woken from flashed through my mind - fire, screaming, burning bodies. The images were already getting fuzzy, but they matched what Delphine was saying too perfectly.

"No." I shook my head. "That can't be right."

"Maybe the shift affected your memory?" Ryan suggested.

I pressed my fingers against my temples. The headache was getting worse. Could the dream have been real? Was I seeing through the dragon's eyes?

No. I couldn't think about this.

"Wait." I looked at Delphine. "You said Elton's army retreated?"

"Yes. Right after the dragon - after you - burned half their forces."

"And then what happened?"

"About thirty minutes after they ran, Alpha Soren's reinforcements arrived," Delphine said. "They're at the pack now, distributing supplies."

Relief washed through me. At least we had help now.

The snow was falling harder now, thick flakes that stuck to everything. We walked out of the trees and onto the main road. Four horses were waiting there, their breath steaming in the air.

"We brought extras," Ryan explained. "Wasn't sure what condition you'd be in."

I climbed onto one of the horses. My body moved automatically, even though my mind was spinning. A dragon. They thought I'd turned into a dragon.

As we rode toward the castle, I couldn't shake the feeling of dread in my chest. There had been signs, hadn't there? The scales on my neck when Amara attacked. The fire immunity. The dragon eyes and claws.

But turning into a dragon? That was insane. If I could do that, why hadn't it happened during all those years as a slave? Why hadn't I shifted and killed the people who hurt me?

"Luna?" Echo's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I smiled.

We reached the castle courtyard, and I slid off the horse. Timothy appeared immediately, taking the reins from me.

"Luna! Thank the gods you're safe," he said.

"Thanks, Timothy."

The courtyard was chaos.

Snow fell steadily, covering everything in white, but nobody seemed to care about the cold. Warriors I didn't recognize were everywhere - unloading supplies from wagons, carrying sacks of grain, hauling wooden crates. They wore different colors than our pack, dark green and silver instead of our black and gray.

"Soren's men," I said quietly.

"Yes, Luna," Timothy confirmed. "They arrived with twenty wagons of supplies. Food, medicine, weapons."

I watched two warriors struggling with a particularly heavy crate. One of them slipped on the icy ground, nearly dropping it. They both laughed, not seeming bothered by the near-disaster.

"Where's that grain going?" someone shouted.

"Storage room's full! We haven’t had time to sort it out yet. Stack it in the hall for now!"

"The hall? Are you insane?"

"You got a better idea?"

The smell of cooking meat hit me. In the corner of the courtyard, someone had set up a makeshift kitchen. Three large fires burned, with pots suspended over them. Steam rose into the snowy air. A group of servants and warriors clustered around, some stirring the pots, others chopping vegetables on wooden boards balanced on barrels.

"Why are they cooking outside?" I asked.

"Our kitchen can't handle feeding this many people," Timothy explained. "Alpha Soren brought so many warriors with him."

Logan had mentioned Soren was an ally, but I hadn't expected this level of support.

"I need to go," I told Delphine and the others. "Logan's waiting."

"Of course," Delphine said. "We'll be in the kitchen if you need us."

I started toward the castle entrance. Echo fell into step beside me. We entered the castle, and the warmth hit me immediately. Servants rushed past us carrying linens, medical supplies, buckets of water. Everyone looked exhausted.

"Excuse me, Luna!" A servant nearly ran into me, arms full of bandages.

"It's fine," I said, stepping aside.

We climbed to the fourth. My heart started racing. The door to his room was slightly open. I could hear voices inside.

"—need to send scouts immediately," someone was saying. A smooth, calm voice I didn't recognize.

"I agree." That was Elias. "But we should wait until—"

"Valencia!" Logan's voice was weak. How did he know I was there? I hadn't even entered yet.

I pushed the door open wider and stepped inside. Logan was propped up against several pillows, his chest wrapped in white bandages that were already spotted with blood. His neck had thick padding around it. His face was so pale it scared me.

"Valencia." His voice was barely above a whisper.

I rushed to the bed, my eyes burning with tears I refused to let fall. "Logan."

The man sitting on the edge of the bed stood up smoothly. "Please, sit here," he said, gesturing to where he'd been.

I barely looked at him. All I could see was Logan. I sat down and reached for his hand. It was cold.

His gray eyes moved to my throat, and I watched them widen with shock. For a moment, he just stared, his breathing becoming slightly more labored. Then his voice filled my mind through our bond.

Valencia... your collar. It's gone. How is that possible?

I was grateful he'd chosen to speak through the mind link instead of out loud. Having everyone in the room stare at my neck again would have been mortifying. I squeezed his cold hand gently.

I don't know, I replied through our link. I woke up in Whisper Valley this morning and it was just... gone. I can't remember anything after jumping from the wall.

"You're freezing." To keep our mind link concealed from others, I said.

His eyes searched my face intensely. Whisper Valley? You were unconscious there?

"You're here." He squeezed my fingers weakly. "I was worried. When they couldn't find you..."

I don't remember anything. Just waking up naked on the ground with no collar. I paused, studying his pale features. Logan, what happened after I fell? How did you survive? There were so many of them.

"I'm okay. I'm fine." I leaned forward and pressed my forehead against his shoulder, careful not to touch the bandages. "I thought you were dead. I saw that wolf at your throat and I thought—"

We'll talk about this later. Logan responded in mind link.

"Shh." His hand came up to stroke my hair. "I'm here. We're both here."

"Don't ever do that again," I whispered against his skin. "Don't you dare ride out alone like that. I can't—" My voice broke.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"You're an idiot."

"I know that too."

I pulled back just enough to look at his face. His gray eyes were soft, focused entirely on me despite the pain he must be feeling.

"How bad is it?" I asked.

"I'll heal." He touched my cheek with his free hand. "Dr. Vance says a few days."

"A few days my ass," Dr. Vance muttered from somewhere behind me. I caught a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "A week at least, if you actually rest."

Someone chuckled. A warm, pleasant sound. "Young love. Always so dramatic about separations."

I finally looked at the man who'd given me his seat. He was tall, maybe in his early thirties, with sandy brown hair that fell just past his collar. His face was handsome in a gentle way - high cheekbones, a straight nose, and green eyes. He wore a dark green doublet with silver threading, expensive but not flashy. Everything about him screamed wealth and education.

"Soren," Logan said. "This is Valencia. Val, this is Alpha Soren of Redstone Canyon Pack."

Soren extended his hand toward me. Not the typical male greeting of clasping forearms, but offering a handshake like I was his equal. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you properly, Luna Valencia."

I took his hand. His grip was firm but not crushing. "Thank you for coming. For the supplies and warriors."

"Logan is my brother. This is the least I could do." He smiled, and it reached his eyes. "Besides, I've been curious about the woman who tamed the Beast of the North."

"I haven't tamed anyone..."

Logan snorted, then winced at the movement.

"Don't move," I scolded him.

"See?" Soren laughed. "Already giving orders. You'll make an excellent Luna."

Heat crept up my neck. This was Alpha Soren. I'd seen him at Marcus's funeral, standing with the other Alphas. He'd been there when Logan claimed me. When Elton had made his threats. Soren had been the one to step between them, to defuse the situation.

My stomach twisted. Did he remember me from that day? The slave about to be sacrificed? Would he bring it up?

"That bastard Elton," he said, his refined demeanor cracking slightly. "Showing up with siege weapons like some kind of conquering hero. The man has always been a coward hiding behind numbers." Before I could respond, Soren's expression turned serious.

"You know him well?" I asked.

"Unfortunately." Soren's jaw tightened. "He's been trying to expand his territory for years. Using any excuse to justify his aggression." He looked at Logan. "When I got your letter warning me about his movements, I knew he'd try something like this."

Logan nodded weakly. "Thank you for coming so quickly."

"The supplies I brought should last your pack at least two weeks," Soren continued, his voice warming again. "And I'll keep sending more throughout the winter. No one in Cliffwatch will go hungry, I promise you that."

My heart swelled with gratitude, but something nagged at me. This level of generosity seemed beyond simple brotherhood. The amount of resources Soren was providing must cost a fortune. What Alpha would drain their own pack's supplies like this, even for a close ally?

"Now," Soren said, settling back into his chair, "I'm curious about something. How exactly did you manage to drive off five hundred warriors with your weak forces?"

The room went silent. The tension was suddenly so thick I could barely breathe.

I felt my heart rate spike. Did he know? Had someone told him about the dragon? About me?

Dr. Vance, who had been quietly organizing his medical supplies in the corner, finally spoke up. "It was Alpha Logan's bravery. He rode out alone and fought magnificently."

Soren's green eyes shifted to the doctor, studying him carefully. "Yes, I heard about that. Very heroic." He paused, letting the silence stretch before continuing in an almost casual tone. "Though I also heard something else. A roar that shook the ground. Something that sounded almost like... a dragon's call?"

My pulse hammered in my throat. I forced myself to stay still, to keep my expression neutral, but I could feel sweat beading on my palms.

Dr. Vance's silence was deafening. He stood frozen, clearly unsure how to respond.

It was Logan who broke the tension. "It was a dragon," he said simply. "A red dragon appeared out of nowhere and saved us."

My mind raced. Doesn't he know? Haven't they told him I might be the dragon?

Soren's eyes widened with genuine shock. "A dragon? Truly?"

Logan nodded slowly. "I was surrounded, about to die, when it appeared. But I don't think it meant to help us specifically. I was probably too small for it to even notice properly. It breathed fire on Elton's army and then flew east without pursuing them. Just... disappeared."

My heart was pounding so hard I was sure everyone could hear it. I kept my hands clasped tightly in my lap, trying to appear calm.

Soren's brow furrowed deeply as he processed this information. He was quiet for a long moment, clearly turning something over in his mind. Finally, he spoke in a low voice. "Perhaps we should discuss the details you mentioned in your letter? Privately?"

The dismissal was polite but clear.

Dr. Vance immediately bowed. "Of course, Alpha Soren." He gathered his medical bag and headed for the door.

Elias followed suit. "I'll check on the supply distribution, Alpha."

I stood as well, my legs feeling unsteady. As much as I wanted to stay—I was Luna now, after all—I knew demanding to be included would be overstepping.

"I should go too," I said softly, not quite meeting anyone's eyes.

I turned toward the door, but couldn't resist one last glance at Logan. His gray eyes met mine, soft and warm despite his pain. The gentle look made my chest tighten.

I followed Dr. Vance and Elias out, pulling the heavy door closed behind me with a quiet click.