Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 103: Feast of the Fallen

Chapter 103: Feast of the Fallen

Riona was starting to get a crash course in reality. She had always thought her life at the royal palace was the height of suffering—bullied and treated like a glorified servant.

But now, as she surveyed her current situation, she realized she had been living the high life. Even the artificial blood she’d scorned was a luxury she’d taken for granted.

She struggled to understand how vampires of old could hunt and drink blood directly from humans. She had heard that fresh blood tasted different, and she had hoped it would be an improvement.

Instead, she found it merely different in an unpleasant way.

The raw animal blood she had consumed while fleeing the Kingdom of Eira had a distinctly fishy smell. It was so sweet that it left a bitter aftertaste. It was a bit like drinking liquid garbage, only less appealing.

In contrast, the artificial blood from the Crimson Vitae Workshop was a refined product, as if it had been distilled over thousands of years to eliminate impurities and odors, leaving only a fresh and invigorating substance.

So, when she saw the raw animals laid out on the long table, Riona had to fight the urge to vomit. Clutching her stomach as if it could prevent her from becoming a fountain of vomit, she rushed back to her room.

Knock.

"Riona? Are you alright?" Thorin called from behind the wooden door.

The feast was set up on the beach, with a bonfire crackling near the saltwater. The werewolves preferred to stay close to nature, often choosing locations that immersed them in the natural environment whenever possible.

"Why haven’t you come out? The kids are hosting a feast for us," Thorin said. He assumed Riona had remained in her room since her arrival.

In reality, Riona had visited the beach and been greeted by the sight of animals, large and small, with their stomachs splayed open.

Apparently, to these barbarians, this was what passed for a five-star dining experience. But to Riona, it was nothing short of a stomach-churning horror show.

Even the smell of the animals’ blood made her stomach churn. She considered skipping the feast altogether.

Despite Thorin’s assurances, she knew this celebration was to honor his return, not her arrival.

No one would miss her if she didn’t attend.

"Riona? Are you still breathing in there, or have you already fled for the mountains?" Thorin might throw a joke, but his voice was wrapped with concern as he reached for the doorknob.

Before he could open it, Riona pulled the door open herself. She almost admitted that the sight of the raw animals was making her nauseous but decided against it.

Criticizing someone’s food choices on their home turf? Not exactly diplomatic.

"Just tired from the long journey," she said. "I’ll say hello and then retire to my room if that’s alright with you."

"Of course. They’ll be happy to see you, even if it’s just for a moment," Thorin replied, extending his arm for Riona to hold onto.

They let Florian sleep some more, hoping that he’d wake up soon. She thought about spending the rest of her night to care for him.

His room was nearby—or so she’d been told—but Wintertooth’s layout made the royal palace look like a child’s playhouse.

No neat corridors, no spiraling staircases leading to obvious destinations.

Instead, it was a collection of huts scattered throughout the rainforest, like someone had tossed a handful of dice and decided, "Yes, this is where people will live."

Sigh. I shouldn’t have played around with Thorin when I gave him that tour of the palace. What if he does the same to me as revenge?

Riona’s worry was unfounded as Thorin had completely forgotten about that incident.

His only focus now was showing off Riona to everyone as if she were his prized possession, even though they were no longer legally or spiritually bound, with the contract marriage having fallen through.

Thorin, grinning like a fool, led her to the beach, blissfully unaware of the inner war she was waging. She took deep breaths, steeling herself not to gag or, worse, look horrified.

Great, she thought, of all times to have a delicate stomach.

If she hadn’t been on a diet of fresh animal blood for the past few weeks, maybe she wouldn’t be ready to turn green at the sight of more of it.

Get it together, Riona, she scolded herself. You’ve faced worse than this—like that contract marriage.

"Wow! Look at this spread! Thank you, everyone. You must be over the moon to have a new member joining today," Thorin exclaimed with genuine warmth.

For Thorin, acceptance meant everything. Seeing the pack go to such lengths to secure this abundant feast just to welcome him and Riona filled him with joy.

Riona, on the other hand, felt something flutter in her stomach too, but it wasn’t joy—it was a queasy mix of horror and nausea.

Her smile turned into a grimace, which, thankfully, everyone mistook for her being overwhelmed with emotion. Well, she was overwhelmed, just not in the way they thought.

"What’s with that face, Riona?" Puck teased, trying to lighten the mood.

After spending days together, Puck knew Riona wasn’t easily offended. She was sarcastic and headstrong, the type to fire back with a sharp retort—something the werewolves would find amusing.

But instead of delivering her usual biting remark, Riona’s expression twisted into something unrecognizable.

Was she trying to smile? Was it a grimace? Puck couldn’t tell if she was mocking him or about to sneeze.

"Uh, haha. Long journey," Riona replied awkwardly.

Puck’s attempt at humor fell flat, mostly because Riona wasn’t biting—or maybe she was just too busy trying not to puke.

"Alright, alright, enough teasing her. She’s been through a lot. If you hear her story, you’ll be absolutely blown away. She’s kind of a big deal, you know," Thorin announced.

He spoke with the kind of pride that suggested he was about to launch into an epic saga of his own achievements, wrapping his arm around Riona as if she were a trophy on display.

One of Thorin’s most treasured pastimes was recounting his heroic adventures to the pack members. He loved hearing gasps and admirations from others, who looked up to him.

Thinking that Riona would enjoy the limelight as much as he did, Thorin pushed Riona into the spotlight. What Thorin didn’t realize was that not everyone shared his love for vainglory.

Riona, in particular, had all the enthusiasm of a cat being shoved into a bath. The spotlight was heavy, especially when surrounded by a feast that looked like it had been assembled from the contents of a horror movie.

"I, uh... I’m sorry," Riona muttered. Then, without waiting for a response, she made a swift exit.

Perfect. So much for leaving a lasting impression. She’d bet her fangs it was memorable.

At least this fiasco would be the talk of the pack, even if it wasn’t exactly the kind of buzz she was aiming for.