Chapter 11 The Silver Wolf

Valencia’s POV

I jolted awake to find daylight already streaming through the window. My eyes immediately flew to the bed—Logan was gone.

Fear gripped me instantly. I'd overslept. This makeshift bed had been far too comfortable, lulling me into a deeper sleep than I'd had in years.

I pushed myself up quickly, bracing for the sharp pain from yesterday's beating. But the agony I expected never came. My ribs felt tender, but not broken. The cuts and bruises that should have left me barely able to move were already fading.

I touched my face gingerly—the swelling had gone down significantly. I could open both eyes now. Even the deep bruises on my arms had lightened to a dull yellow.

This was one of my peculiarities—one of the few advantages of whatever strange constitution I possessed. My body healed unnaturally fast. That, and my inability to feel cold. Small mercies for a wolfless girl.

A burst of noise from outside pulled my attention. Raised voices. The sound of many footsteps on stone. Commotion.

My heart began to race. I rushed to the window, pressing myself against the frame to peer down into the courtyard below. Guards were rushing back and forth near the entrance to the dungeons, their faces grim. More people were gathering—slaves, warriors, even some of the visiting Alphas' entourages.

My stomach dropped. The dungeons. Where Logan had left those two bodies last night.

They found them.

My hands trembled as I gripped the window sill. Now Alpha Logan would have to answer for what he'd done. I couldn't just hide up here while Logan faced consequences for my sake. I made my way to the door. The hallway outside was empty, but I could hear more activity coming from the lower floors.

As I descended the main staircase, I caught fragments of conversation from servants rushing past.

"—both of them, throats cut clean—"

"—Luna Kestrel is furious—"

"—calling all the Alphas to the great hall—"

My heart hammered against ribs. I reached the ground floor and pressed myself into an alcove near the entrance to the great hall. The massive wooden doors stood open, and I could see figures gathering inside.

Luna Kestrel sat at the head of the long table, her face pale and drawn. She'd aged ten years overnight. Soren stood near the window, his expression thoughtful. Elton was already positioned prominently, his Beta Zephyr at his shoulder.

And Logan. He stood apart from the others, his posture relaxed, his face completely impassive. Luna Kestrel's voice rang out, sharp with grief and fury. "Last night, two bodies were discovered in the dungeons. One was Elijah, a slave of this pack. The other..." Her voice cracked slightly. "The other has been identified as belonging to Emerald Grove Pack."

A murmur rippled through the assembled Alphas and their people.

"Both men," Luna Kestrel continued, "had their throats cut. Clean kills. The work of a trained warrior." Her red-rimmed eyes swept the room. "I have just lost my son. And now, during what should be a time of sacred mourning, there is murder within my walls. This is an insult to Mistmarsh Pack!"

The silence that followed was suffocating. I pressed harder against the wall, making myself as small as possible while still maintaining a view of the proceedings.

Elton stepped forward, his face arranged in an expression of deep concern. "Luna Kestrel, this is terrible. Simply terrible." His voice dripped with sympathy. "That someone would dare commit such violence during this sacred period of mourning... it's unthinkable."

He turned to address the room, his gaze sweeping over each Alpha present. "I propose a thorough investigation. The killer must be found and punished. Not only for the sake of justice, but out of respect for the dead. We cannot allow such dishonor to stand."

My breath caught. He was setting a trap.

Soren remained silent, but I noticed his gaze moving between Logan and me—or rather, where I was hidden. Could he see me? His green eyes seemed to linger on my hiding spot for just a moment too long before moving on.

"I suggest," Elton continued, his voice growing stronger, "that we bring in trackers. Let them examine the scene, identify the scent of the killer. The truth must not be buried."

Several heads nodded in agreement. Luna Kestrel looked like she might actually agree to the suggestion.

My fingers dug into the stone wall. Terror gripped me. Logan's scent would be all over that dungeon. The moment trackers got down there, they'd know. And then what? Would he deny it? Try to fabricate some story? Would he throw me under the carriage to save himself?

Just as Luna Kestrel opened her mouth to speak, Logan's cold voice cut through the tension.

"That won't be necessary."

Every head turned toward him. The room fell into absolute silence.

Logan's expression remained completely neutral. "I killed them."

The words hung in the air like a death sentence. I stopped breathing.

Luna Kestrel's eyes widened. "You... what?"

"I killed them both," Logan repeated, his tone utterly casual. "Last night, after I left the council meeting, I heard sounds coming from the dungeons. When I investigated, I found those two men beating and attempting to sexually assault my property."

His gray eyes swept the room with chilling calm. "So I killed them. It's that simple."

The silence shattered into chaos. Multiple voices erupted at once, but Elton's cut through them all.

"Logan..." His voice trembled. "You're saying... you killed them?"

He moved toward Luna Kestrel, his face painful. "Luna, that unidentified body... that was one of my scouts. I sent him to patrol the castle grounds last night, to ensure everyone's safety after the rogue attack."

His voice broke convincingly. "He was a loyal warrior. He had a wife. Two children." Elton turned to face Logan, and I could see tears forming in his eyes. "Logan, how could you..."

The atmosphere in the room shifted immediately. This was no longer a simple murder investigation. This was a potential conflict between two packs, two Alphas.

I felt sick. Elton was good—too good. He'd transformed himself from suspicious instigator to grieving Alpha in seconds. And the assembled witnesses were eating it up.

But then Logan laughed. It wasn't a warm sound. It was cold, mocking.

"A loyal warrior?" Logan reached into his shirt and pulled out a piece of torn fabric, throwing it onto the table with casual contempt. "A scout, you said? Then perhaps you can explain this insignia."

Soren moved forward, picking up the fabric to examine it. His eyebrows rose. "This is... the mark of Emerald Grove's inner guard. Not something a simple scout would wear."

Logan's voice remained utterly calm. "Inner guard, Elton. Not a scout. Not a patrol. Your personal, elite inner guard. So I have to ask—what exactly was your inner guardsman doing in Mistmarsh's dungeons?"

Elton's face flushed red. "I... I was simply trying to ensure adequate security measures. After the rogue attack, I thought—"

"Then why," Logan interrupted smoothly, "was your inner guardsman in the dungeons with one of Mistmarsh's slaves? And why, of all the slaves in this castle, did they choose to target the one who belongs to me?"

He turned to address Luna Kestrel directly. "I suggest you investigate this Elijah thoroughly. Check if he's had any contact with people from Emerald Grove Pack. Check if he's received any unusual payments."

Logan's tone dripped with sarcasm. "I suspect you'll find that your pack has already been infiltrated, Luna Kestrel."

My heart was racing. He wasn't just defending himself—he was turning this around completely, making Elton the suspect.

Logan continued. "When I arrived at the dungeons, I didn't just find them committing assault. I found this."

He produced a small leather pouch and tossed it onto the table. Silver coins spilled out—far more than any slave should possess.

"This was in Elijah's possession. Where does a slave get this much money? Unless, of course, someone hired him to do a job."

Logan's gray eyes locked onto Elton. "And last night, your inner guardsman just happened to be with him. How would you like Luna Kestrel to interpret that coincidence?"

Elton's face had gone from red to white. I could see him struggling, trying to find some explanation that would make sense.

"This... this must be a misunderstanding," Elton stammered. "My guardsman was probably just investigating suspicious activity—"

"Then why didn't he report it?" Soren's voice was mild, almost curious, but the question was devastating. "Why would he join forces with this Elijah instead of alerting the proper authorities?"

Luna Kestrel's expression had grown darker as she processed Logan's accusations.

Logan pressed his advantage, his voice cold and analytical. "Here's what I believe happened: Elton planted operatives in Mistmarsh Pack. He bought the loyalty of certain individuals—like Elijah. Last night, they discovered I'd brought back a slave. They wanted to test how much I valued her. If I cared about her, she could become leverage against me. Unfortunately for them, they underestimated my awareness. I smelled blood. I arrived in time to witness everything."

Logan's gaze swept across every face in the room. "So yes, I killed them. Not murder—I was eliminating spies who had infiltrated a supposedly allied pack, and punishing men who were committing assault. That's not a crime. That's justice."

The silence that followed was thick with tension. I could barely believe what I was witnessing. Logan had taken what should have been his moment of vulnerability and transformed it into an attack on Elton. Every piece of evidence, every argument, had been carefully constructed to shift blame away from himself.

Luna Kestrel sat very still for a long moment. Her eyes moved between Logan and Elton, calculating. Finally, she spoke, her voice heavy with exhaustion and suspicion.

"If... if what you say is true, Logan, then Elijah deserved his fate. And Elton's man being in my dungeons requires a very convincing explanation."

"Luna Kestrel, you can't possibly believe his one-sided account—" Elton began desperately.

"I will investigate Elijah," Luna Kestrel cut him off. "If I find evidence that he betrayed this pack, then Logan's actions were justified."

Elton's jaw clenched. He managed to force out smile. "Of course. The truth is what matters most. I'm certain your investigation will clear up any... misunderstandings."

But the look he shot Logan was pure venom. I could see the hatred burning in his eyes.

Luna Kestrel raised her hand, signaling an end to the discussion. "This matter is suspended pending investigation. Everyone may return to their quarters."

Logan gave a slight nod and turned to leave. As he passed through the doorway, his eyes found mine in my hiding spot. Then he was gone.

I waited until most of the others had dispersed before carefully leaving from my hiding place. I started making my way back toward the stairs, keeping to the shadows out of habit. But before I could reach them, a voice stopped me.

"Little slave."

I turned to find Elton blocking the corridor. Logan had already disappeared around the corner. We were alone.

Terror shot through me. I took an instinctive step backward, but Elton moved forward, matching my retreat.

"You know something interesting?" His voice was soft. "Logan has never cared about anything or anyone enough to make an enemy over them. But today, he crossed me. For you."

He kept advancing, and I kept backing up until my shoulders hit the cold stone wall. "That tells me you're important to him. Very important."

My heart hammered against my ribs. I tried to slide sideways, but Elton's hand shot out, palm flat against the wall, blocking my escape.

"I'm going to find out exactly who you are," he continued, his face now inches from mine. "What makes you so special. And then..." His smile was cruel. "Then I'm going to make Logan regret everything he did today."

He reached toward my face, his fingers aiming for my chin in a gesture of possession and threat.

But his hand never made contact.

A larger hand—calloused and strong—clamped around Elton's wrist.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Logan's voice was so cold, it seemed to drop the temperature in the corridor by several degrees. I hadn't even heard him approach.

Elton's head whipped around, his eyes widening with shock and fury. But Logan's grip was unyielding, his gray eyes boring into Elton with lethal intensity.

"Touch her once," Logan said quietly, "and I'll remove your hand. Permanently."

The two Alphas stared at each other, the air between them crackling with barely restrained violence. Elton's Beta, Zephyr, appeared at the end of the corridor, his hand moving toward his weapon. But a warning growl from Logan—made him freeze.

"For a slave?" Elton finally managed, his voice strained. "You're threatening an Alpha over a slave? Logan, you've changed."

Logan released Elton's wrist with a sharp motion. He moved between us, positioning himself as a physical barrier.

"I'm protecting my property," Logan said. "Anyone who damages what belongs to me will pay the price. That's not personal, Elton. That's principle."

He reached back without looking, his hand finding my wrist and pulling me forward. "Come."

I didn't resist. I let him lead me away, his grip firm but not painful. Logan's pace was quick, almost punishing. I had to half-run to keep up. We climbed the stairs, went down one corridor, then another, until we finally reached the guest room.

He pulled me inside and shut the door firmly behind us.

Only then did he release my wrist.

I stood there, breathing hard, my heart still racing from the confrontation with Elton. Logan moved to the window, his back to me, his shoulders tense.

The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken words.

"Why?" The question burst out of me before I could stop it.

Logan didn't turn around. "Why what?"

"Why did you do all that? Admit to killing them, turn it around on Elton, defend me in the hallway..." My voice cracked slightly. "You've made an enemy for life. He'll never stop coming after you now."

Logan's laugh was bitter. "He was already my enemy. One more reason won't change anything."

"But—"

"Enough." He finally turned to face me, and the intensity in his gray eyes made my breath catch. "You're mine. My property. No one damages what belongs to me. It's that simple."

I didn’t feel offended by being called property. Slaves are inherently property. But the way he said it was something almost like... protection.

Logan's voice got softer. "We're leaving. Now."

"Now?" I blinked in surprise. "But I thought—"

"The roads should be clear by now. The longer we stay here, the more opportunities Elton has to cause trouble." He moved toward his sword, checking the blade with practiced efficiency. "And I've had enough of this place."

He glanced at me, his gray eyes sweeping over my form. "You have nothing to pack anyway. Let's go."

Before I could respond, he strode to the door and held it open, waiting. It wasn't a request.

He set a brisk pace through the corridors, and I had to quicken my steps to keep up. Servants pressed themselves against the walls as we passed, their eyes downcast. We descended the main staircase and headed toward the back of the castle. The stables loomed ahead, and I could already hear the restless movements of horses within.