Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 113: The Moon’s Chill Factor

Chapter 113: The Moon’s Chill Factor

Thorin considered denying it but paused, finding no reason to do so. "I believe that’s a private matter. Anyway, Riona’s strong, and she could be a real asset to our pack—assuming the members can pry open their minds. Can I trust you with that? They hang on your every word."

That’s brutal, Charna thought, her heart sank. You know exactly how I feel about you, and yet you’re asking me to play cheerleader for your new fling? How could you be so cruel?

She bit down on her lower lip, battling the tears threatening to make an appearance. Her body trembled, not sure whether it wanted to scream, cry, or both. This was too much—way too much.

Just as she was about to unload all her pent-up feelings on Thorin, the door swung open.

"Oh, sorry. Did we come at a bad time?" Zane hesitated, stopping in the doorway.

Puck, standing behind him, craned his neck to peer over Zane’s shoulder. He glanced between Thorin and Charna, quickly reading the tension in the room. The Howl and the Theta exchanged a look, understanding the situation without words.

Yep, it was definitely about Riona.

"No, you’re just in time. Charna was about to head out. Right, Charna? Or do you have anything else you’d like to say?" Thorin asked.

He knew full well there was no chance Charna could voice her true feelings—her jealousy, her not-so-secret intentions, or her desire to be his Luna—with Puck and Zane standing there, ready to eavesdrop on every word.

Charna clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, and took a deep breath. "No," she muttered, forcing the word out.

"Fantastic. I’m expecting great results. And if you need anything else from me, you know where the door is," Thorin added. His words were polite but a firm push out the door.

Charna spun on her heel. Her straight, dark hair swirled dramatically as she stormed out. As she passed Puck and Zane, tears slipped down her cheeks—because of course, betraying the emotion she tried to hold back.

"Whoa, Thorin! That was ice cold," Puck remarked, shaking his head. "I get that you don’t want to give her false hope, and you’re all ’my heart belongs to another,’ but—"

"Not now, Puck," Thorin interrupted, already at the end of his patience.

Why did everyone keep acting like he was the star of some tragic love story with Riona? He was too tired to deal with this nonsense.

Zane gave Puck a subtle elbow jab, a silent signal to zip it.

"So, you called us," Zane said, shifting the conversation.

"Yeah, there’s something I want to go over. Something important we might’ve missed," Thorin replied as he moved from the desk to the couch like he was about to reveal some ancient secret.

The other werewolves followed, settling in beside each other as they braced for what sounded like a serious conversation.

"Do you remember what happened during Riona’s escape?" Thorin asked, directing their thoughts back to that chaotic day before diving into the main issue.

"Uh, vaguely," Puck admitted. "I mean, I blacked out at one point, so most of it is a blur. But I do recall the general theme: fighting, protecting, and a whole lot of running for our lives. You know, the usual."

"Alright," Thorin said, dismissing Puck’s testimony with a wave of his hand. The question had only been a setup for what he really wanted to discuss.

Leaning forward with a conspiratorial air, Thorin continued, "So, Riona’s over there struggling to control her Moon power, but she had to use it to break the shield, right? And then—get this—I touched her because I was, you know, concerned or whatever. But suddenly, things got weird."

He straightened up, touching his arms to his chest as if to physically recall the sensation.

"It was cold—so cold I thought I’d freeze solid. But the cold wasn’t just around me—it was inside me, like she was using me as a human icebox. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, I felt like I was being electrocuted, and something sharp exploded inside me. Pain everywhere. But apparently, my magical touch helped her."

He paused, taking a deep breath after pouring so much energy into his explanation.

"What do you think happened? Is it possible that I’ve already been granted the power of the Moon by the Blood Moon child?"

The room went dead silent. Zane, the Theta in the group, was supposed to be the wise one, the guru with all the answers.

Naturally, Puck and Thorin turned to him, expecting some ancient wisdom. But even Zane had never crossed paths with a Blood Moon child in his long life.

"We need to consult someone who’s an expert on this," Zane finally said, breaking the awkward silence.

The last known werewolf to have any contact with a Blood Moon child was Remus, but Zane had only heard whispers and rumors about him.

Even the history books seemed to have taken a creative writing approach when it came to Remus’s true connection with the Blood Moon child—if they mentioned it at all.

***

It was pitch dark. Florian couldn’t see a thing, and he couldn’t feel a thing. It was as if he were floating in some endless void. His feet didn’t touch the ground, and no matter how wildly he flailed his arms, he was in an infinite nothingness.

The air was cold, and Florian tried to swim through the emptiness, but there seemed to be no end in sight.

Where was he? He desperately wanted to see, to turn on the lights. And where was his sister?

I’m scared. Riona, where are you?

Given that he’d been mute for as long as he could remember, he assumed these thoughts were trapped in his head forever. But no, he had a voice.

He had a voice. He cleared his throat, feeling the unfamiliar sensation of movement inside it, and tried speaking out loud.

"Hello? Riona?"

The sound of his own voice echoed back at him, and Florian was momentarily stunned.

This had to be a dream, right? How else could he explain being able to speak in a place where everything else felt so unreal?

"Pfftt!!!"

"Who’s there? What’s that noise?" Florian shouted, his voice echoing in the darkness as he spun around, trying to locate the source of the unsettling chuckle.

A shiver of fear tickled his spine. His eyes brimmed with tears, and he was on the verge of a full-on meltdown, but he stubbornly clutched his fists like they were his last line of defense.

"Come out and face me!" he demanded, mimicking Riona’s authoritative tone. It made him feel like he wasn’t completely alone and let him pretend his sister was right there with him.

The voice emerged from the shadows, heavy with malice and dripping with dark amusement.

"Oh, how pitiful. How long will you remain a feeble, trembling wretch? Do you not yearn for true power? I can grant it to you—if you dare to embrace the darkness within."

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