Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 129: Tangled Trouble

Chapter 129: Tangled Trouble

Florian was relieved that the terrifying incident hadn’t been real—at least, he hoped it wasn’t. His mind was a blur. He couldn’t tell what was real anymore.

But did it even matter? He was scared out of his mind. All he wanted right now was to disappear. Without a second thought, Florian ran.

His heart pounded in his ears as he ran, unsure when Riona might turn dangerous again, or when Puck would fall lifeless at his hands once more.

He couldn’t afford to wait and find out. While things still seemed normal, he had to get away.

He stumbled through unfamiliar corridors, having never gone out of his room before. But stopping wasn’t an option—he pressed on, his breath ragged, eyes darting for an escape.

Every time a werewolf crossed his path, Florian skidded, turning on his heels, blindly choosing another route.

It took him far longer to retrace his steps back than it had to reach the beach, every second dragging like an eternity.

When he finally made it back, he wasted no time. He barricaded the door with anything he could find—chairs, desks, even his bed—stacking them high in a desperate frenzy.

Only when he felt safe did he collapse to the floor, curling up tightly, and hugging his head as fear overwhelmed him.

***

Florian had effectively become a hermit since the incident, refusing to set foot outside his room. Riona, for once, decided to hold off on dragging him out again—probably a wise move, given recent events.

Lately, his strange behavior had her thinking back to that night. What exactly had gone wrong? Oh yeah, she had totally forced him to the beach against his will. Minor detail.

She’d kept attacking him, but honestly, she was sure she was going easy on him. He should’ve been able to handle it! Then, of course, the werewolves showed up. Maybe that’s what caused him to freak out like a firecracker.

In hindsight, maybe—just maybe—she’d rushed things. "Wow, I’m such an idiot," she grumbled, stomping her foot like she could kick herself into the past.

As Riona scolded herself, she clicked her tongue in frustration.

"Of course, he freaked out! Duh. Who wouldn’t? I mean, I struggled to adapt too... actually, I’m still struggling. So, yeah, genius move there, Riona. Top marks!"

Riona was feeling pretty guilty, but on top of that, she was worried about her brother. Locking himself away in his room forever couldn’t be great for his health, right?

Her brilliant solution was to visit him every day—totally unaware that she was probably making things worse.

"Flo?" she called from behind the door, knocking softly. After finding the door blocked the first time he locked himself in, she’d learned not to just barge in like she owned the place. Lesson learned.

So now, she made a promise: no entering unless Florian gave the okay. Respecting his ’privacy’ and all that.

"Can I come in?" she asked sweetly, like this time might magically be different.

But the answer was always the same.

"No." His voice sounded like a tired whisper, but it was clear: absolutely no chance. "Go away!"

Riona sighed. Clearly, her daily visits were doing wonders for his mental health.

With her head hanging low, Riona walked away from Florian’s room, feeling like she’d just been kicked out of her own house. Thorin met her halfway, his face full of worry—like he was about to break some bad news.

"How’s he doing?" Thorin asked.

"I don’t know. He still didn’t let me in," she replied.

"I have no idea. He still won’t let me in," Riona said with a sigh. She shrugged like it was no big deal, though she was actually disappointed.

"He’s probably still in shock. I mean, it hasn’t been long since he woke up. Let’s just give him more time," Thorin suggested, all wise and patient as if he had all the answers.

"Yeah, you’re probably right," Riona agreed without a fight, which honestly was more shocking than Florian locking the door in the first place.

Thorin, trying not to look like he’d just won the lottery, gave her a nod, resisting the urge to break into a happy dance right there.

"How are you holding up?" Thorin asked, suddenly turning all soft and sweet. Sure, he was worried about Florian, but he wasn’t blind to how Riona was doing either.

"Hm? Oh. Me? I’m fine," she mumbled in that classic, totally-not-fine tone.

Thorin raised an eyebrow. Yeah, he wasn’t buying it. He threw an arm over her shoulder, fully expecting her to toss it off like she usually did.

To his shock, she didn’t. She just stood there, silent, like maybe today wasn’t the day for wrestling off his sympathy.

"Hey, don’t stress too much about Florian. He’ll come around eventually," Thorin said, trying to be reassuring. Then, with a grin, he added, "Now, how about a spar? Bet you’re super rusty by now, huh?"

Finally, her face lit up a little. She knew exactly what he was doing but appreciated the effort. With a smirk, she replied, "Just don’t start crying when you lose, deal?"

Thorin burst into laughter, giving Riona an exaggerated look of disbelief. "Whoa, really? Wanna bet on that?"

Riona crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks like an annoyed squirrel, which Thorin secretly found way too cute.

"A bet? Really? What are you, a little kid?" she mocked, though clearly enjoying the banter.

Thorin resisted the urge to pinch her cheeks, barely, and instead cleared his throat, grinning. "What’s the matter? Scared?"

"Me? Scared of you?" Riona snorted like the idea was the funniest joke she’d heard all week. "Don’t make me laugh. Fine, I’m in. What’s on the line?"

"The winner gets a wish," Thorin blurted out before quickly swallowing the rest of what nearly slipped out—something along the lines of kissing her.

Yeah, that would be... a little too much, even for him.

"Deal!" she said. "You can’t back out now."

"Hmph! As if I would!" Thorin scoffed, trying to sound confident.

Moments later, Thorin caught himself regretting everything. In the middle of their epic battle, they somehow got all tangled up, and now his nose was practically glued to Riona’s neck.

The sweet smell from her skin was driving him nuts. He wanted to scream, "Help! Someone save me!" He was one step away from taking a bite out of her neck like it was the world’s most tempting snack.

But honestly? It looked way too tempting to pass up. He stretched his mouth wide and approached her delicate skin.

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