Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 120: A Vampire’s Dream

Chapter 120: A Vampire’s Dream

King Valentin blinked, certain he’d misheard. Maybe his hearing had taken a sudden turn for the worse, or perhaps Emperor Kaan had spoken so quickly that the words hadn’t quite registered.

"Pardon?" the king asked, still dazed by what he thought he’d heard.

Emperor Kaan’s smile remained fixed in place, like some smug trophy for successfully catching the king off guard. But when he repeated the words, they were, unfortunately, the same.

"I’m proposing marriage to your niece. As her parents are no longer in the picture, and you’re her legal guardian, that’s why I’ve come," the emperor clarified smoothly.

King Valentin’s mind raced. Why on earth would the emperor want to marry Riona?

His first thought was the unification scheme. Perhaps Emperor Kaan had sniffed out King Valentin’s impending rejection.

After all, King Valentin was one of the few vampire kings who hadn’t rushed to lick the empire’s boots after hearing about the whole expansion idea.

A marriage would force the Kingdom of Eira into a closer relationship with the empire. King Valentin would have to provide assistance whenever the empire felt like it, regardless of Eira not being part of the empire itself.

It seemed like the only reasonable explanation.

"I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but why Riona?" King Valentin asked, knowing he wasn’t ready for whatever nonsense was about to come his way.

"Why, you ask? Because I am simply infatuated with her, of course," Emperor Kaan replied smoothly, delivering what had to be the worst lie King Valentin had ever heard. It was almost impressive—almost.

It was, hands down, the worst lie ever told to King Valentin’s face—and he’d heard young bats try to explain why the blood candy jar was empty.

To begin with, Emperor Kaan had never even laid eyes on Riona. Before ascending to power, he had been holed up in his palace, never bothering to step beyond its luxurious walls.

Meanwhile, the farthest Riona had ever ventured was the academy, which sat just a few miles outside the royal palace gates.

So unless they’d been sending love letters by bat mail, there was absolutely no chance for these two to have crossed paths.

The idea that this emperor was somehow head-over-heels for a girl he’d never met, who had been treated worse than a servant in some distant kingdom, was beyond absurd. Impossible, even.

Despite the sheer absurdity of the emperor’s claim, King Valentin couldn’t just shoot back with, "You’re lying," even though he was dying to.

Still, there was no way in all the realms of the undead that he’d ever let Emperor Kaan get his hands on Riona.

As much as Valentin disliked werewolves, he’d rather toss Riona into the middle of a snarling pack than let her end up in Emperor Kaan’s bed.

The emperor reeked of hidden agendas, and Valentin was certain there was something deeply sinister behind this proposal, even if he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what.

Werewolves, on the other hand, weren’t driven by the same insatiable greed that vampires had perfected over centuries. They mostly kept to their packs, living in relative peace—unless someone was foolish enough to stir up trouble.

The Zacharias clan was the exception, naturally. They were the one group of werewolves who’d taken a page straight out of the vampire handbook: all about the oligarchy, luxury, and an unhealthy obsession with status.

"Isn’t it just so typical for a man to want the woman he admires by his side? I swear I’ll cherish her forever. You don’t need to worry about her at all. I’ll give her everything. Whatever I have will be hers," Emperor Kaan declared with an overly sincere tone.

King Valentin nearly choked on his own laughter. The whole thing was so absurd it had circled back to not even being funny. Really, the situation should be reversed—whatever belonged to Riona should be his by default.

Then a thought hit him like a bolt from the blue. What if Emperor Kaan knew about Riona’s birthright? What if the emperor learned that she was the rightful heir to the throne?

That would certainly explain the bizarre behavior. If the ultimate leader of the Kingdom of Eira was his wife, it would be like having Eira wrapped up in a neat little bow and handed to him on a silver platter.

"Of course, Your Majesty," King Valentin replied.

The king’s calm demeanor was a striking contrast to what Emperor Kaan might have expected. He raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Clearly, he’d been expecting a dramatic scene—perhaps King Valentin tossing a tantrum or making a fierce stand to keep his niece out of the discussion.

"I understand your sentiment. I, too, have a lady who holds a special place in my heart," King Valentin continued, placing a hand over his heart with exaggeration. "Though I must say, it’s quite unfortunate."

King Valentin couldn’t help but feel a wave of relief at having let Riona escape with the werewolves. Without that intervention, he’d be in a rather sticky situation now.

As it stood, with Riona conveniently out of the royal palace, he didn’t need to make up excuses to keep her away from the emperor. He recalled with a smirk how much of a chore it had been to keep Thorin from marrying Riona under the pretext of an alliance.

"My beloved niece has left the kingdom," King Valentin said, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I’m afraid you’re a bit too late to catch her."

"In fact, she’s found romance with a rather charming, furry gentleman. Despite my objections, she decided to run off with him. Really, it’s probably best to let go of someone whose heart belongs to another," he added with a chuckle.

Emperor Kaan remained stone-faced. If he was upset, he was certainly hiding it well—his poker face was calmer than a marble statue.

"I see," Emperor Kaan replied coolly. "So my vision was accurate. I did indeed spot your niece during her... adventurous departure. As you mentioned, there was a certain handsome individual among the group."

So that’s how he recognized her, King Valentin thought.

But if Emperor Kaan knew Riona wasn’t around, why was he still proposing? What on earth did he actually want?

King Valentin felt frustrated at not being able to discover the emperor’s motives. Without a clear read of his opponent’s thoughts, he was left in a vulnerable position, unable to anticipate Emperor Kaan’s next move.

"It was love at first sight," Emperor Kaan said, staring off into the void with a dreamy look. "I imagined how wonderful life would be with her by my side."

His dreamy stare made King Valentin shiver as if he were peering into a distant and unsettling future.

"Well, if that’s how it is, I suppose there’s nothing to be done," Emperor Kaan continued, maintaining a nonchalant tone. "I assume you have no interest in joining my empire, then?"

Without waiting for a reply, Emperor Kaan continued, "That’s perfectly fine. Unification is just one of my little pipe dreams. I envision a utopia where vampires live in peace and prosperity. But don’t worry, I won’t impose it on you."

Leaning back with a smirk, Emperor Kaan added, "By the way, someone popped by recently trying to convince me to vote for your dethronement."

King Valentin stiffened, his eyes narrowing.

"He made me a rather tempting offer," Emperor Kaan said, his grin widening. "He promised me your kingdom in exchange for my