Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 105: Love is Blind... And Deaf

Chapter 105: Love is Blind... And Deaf

"You don’t know what it’s like to gulp down disgusting blood!" Riona shouted, but then she shrank back, suddenly aware of how utterly ridiculous she sounded.

"I mean... I didn’t mean to be rude. It just kind of happened. I’m..."

"Hm? I can’t hear you," Thorin said, leaning forward. Despite his sharp hearing, Riona’s last words were mumbled, nearly swallowed back.

Thorin leaned forward. Even with his sharp hearing, Riona’s last word was mumbled, almost swallowed back for him to catch it.

"I’M SORRY!" she yelled, only to lose her courage once more. Lowering her head in remorse, she mumbled, "I didn’t mean to be rude. I just couldn’t help it."

The Alpha sighed. Riona’s pathetic attempt at an apology was almost too pitiful to stay mad at.

Well, many werewolves might still be angry, but Thorin, unwilling to admit his own feelings, convinced himself that everyone in the pack shared his softened stance.

"Alright, I get it. I’ll have a chat with them. I’m sure they won’t mind switching to cooked food from now on," Thorin said, flashing a smile so dazzling it could blind her. Then, he shifted to a flirty grin.

"Thanks."

"Anyway, I’ve put in an order with the Crimson Vitae Workshop. Artificial blood should be arriving any minute now," he informed her, practically beaming.

Riona’s grin stretched widely. "Great!"

Seeing her smile like a pup transforming for the first time made Thorin’s own grin widen, and he exited the room with a self-satisfied giggle.

Outside, Puck was waiting with a look that screamed, ’Seriously, dude? How about a billboard for your emotions?’

Puck kept his snarky comments to himself, knowing full well Thorin would deny everything to the grave.

"She can’t stand the sight of animal blood," Thorin said as if this was a perfectly normal and relatable thing.

Puck’s jaw dropped in disbelief. "A vampire can’t stand the sight of blood? You’re kidding!"

"Not just any blood—fresh blood. We’ve been making her drink it for weeks. I mean, you’d be sick of raw meat if someone shoved it down your throat day after day, wouldn’t you?"

"Did you forget? We’ve been eating nothing but raw meat since we joined Wintertooth," Puck retorted, bewildered.

Thorin chose to ignore Puck’s mocking expression and concluded, "Anyway, that’s settled. We’ll be changing our cuisine from now on. Werewolves should be open to trying new things. It’s about staying with the times, you know?"

"Right. Yeah. Whatever you say," Puck replied, still bemused.

As the two werewolves walked away from Florian’s hut, one was practically skipping with a love-struck grin plastered on his face, while the other trudged along, looking as if he’d just witnessed the most cringe-worthy romance novel come to life.

***

Thorin was the master of reading fake smiles and hollow compliments—he could spot a phony gesture faster than a wolf spots a squirrel.

Being accepted and admired was crucial to him, even if it meant donning a mask and being someone he wasn’t.

But when it came to other people—particularly Riona—his razor-sharp senses turned into a pair of rose-colored glasses. He was so head over heels for her that he genuinely believed everyone else was equally enchanted.

It was a major oversight on his part. Let’s face it, Riona had a haughty demeanor, and she wasn’t exactly the type to grovel for popularity.

By catering to Riona’s wishes without consulting the other pack members, Thorin inadvertently turned them against her.

They didn’t voice their discontent openly, but they were clearly unhappy with the recent changes, especially since Riona never participated even after the meals were cooked.

So, they began talking behind her back.

"Meat’s not supposed to be cooked. It’s like, supposed to be straight from the bone. The raw juiciness is what gives me butterflies in my stomach," one pack member complained.

"I can’t believe Thorin’s going all out like this for her. Who even is she? His fiancee? Seriously? They don’t exactly seem like a match made in werewolf heaven," another chimed in.

The pack nodded along like a synchronized chorus of disapproval.

"Not only do we have to endure this overcooked disaster of a meal, but she’s also skipping out on it? I mean, how ungrateful can you get? Thorin’s practically rolling out the red carpet, and she can’t even muster up the courtesy to show up at dinner."

Riona was heading toward Florian’s hut when she stumbled upon the pack’s gossip fest. The group of werewolves was gathered in the shade of some palm trees.

She was about to stroll over and explain her absence, which was mostly caused by Florian, who had been having more frequent nightmares.

But when she heard one werewolf speak up, Riona’s hand, which had been raised in greeting, fell to her side. She no longer felt the need to explain herself.

"I told you, vampires are so untrustworthy," one of them said.

"Uh-huh. I mean, what was Thorin thinking bringing that snob here? She’s all mysterious and sophisticated, probably just gritting her teeth and plotting our downfall while sipping her fancy blood."

One werewolf interjected, "Didn’t you hear? She’s allergic to blood. Can you imagine? A vampire allergic to blood?" The group erupted into mocking laughter.

"She’s the snob, remember? It’s not really about the blood. If you slapped a designer label on it, she’d be chugging it down even if it came from a moldy sewer rat," another added with a smirk.

After they finished laughing at Riona, who was only a few feet away, one of them concluded, "I bet she’s silently judging us, thinking we’re the biggest joke ever."

Hurt, Riona bit her lower lip.

How ironic, she thought, walking away.

If this were the royal palace, she would have already unleashed her anger in the only way she knew how—an explosive outburst.

But this wasn’t the Kingdom of Eira. This was Wintertooth, and for better or worse, it was the only shelter she had. If the werewolves decided she was too bratty to belong, she’d be out in the cold—literally.

She cursed herself under her breath. Why on earth did she give in when Thorin proposed? Was it that annoyingly handsome face of his? Ugh, no—it couldn’t be that shallow, right?

No, I didn’t have a choice! she mentally insisted.

But deep down, she knew better. Yeah, she had a choice—she just really, really wanted to be with him. Must’ve been that flirty smile that got her tangled up in this mess. Who wouldn’t fall for it, right?

As she waged this internal war, Thorin’s stupidly perfect smile popped into her mind, and her heart skipped a beat.

She immediately blamed it on anger and frustration. Sure, that was part of it. But if she were being honest (which she wasn’t), it wasn’t the whole story.

While Riona was busy spiraling into her emotional turmoil, she completely missed something crucial—someone had actually stood up for her.