Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 158: Ready, Set, Goodbye!

Chapter 158: Ready, Set, Goodbye!

Riona sat on the beach, hugging her knees tightly against her chest, her thin skirt fluttering in the breeze.

Since moving to Wintertooth, she had adopted the locals’ style—thin layers, only adding a hat or extra clothing during the day to protect herself from the sun.

She had completely forgotten the biting chill of Eira’s wind.

This was what she wanted, right?

An escape from the palace of Eira, her uncle’s tight grip, and Lisbeth’s endless, toddler-like tantrums. Just her and Florian, living the good life without having to worry about blood supply.

But hold on—this was not the fantasy she had concocted in her head. It was off, somehow.

In her mind, everything had been perfect: she and Florian together, every day filled with peace and quiet moments shared in harmony.

Instead, here she was, absent-mindedly play with the sand as if the world wasn’t crashing down around them, while her brother was handcuffed with her red aura.

The peaceful escape she imagined was miles away. This was chaos.

A shadow fell over her, and she looked up to see someone beside her—massive, wild hair catching in the wind. It was Trudy.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to sound casual as if the entire pack hadn’t just declared war on her and Florian.

Riona kept her gaze fixed on the sand, resting her chin on her knees. "You know you’ll be an outcast if anyone sees you talking to me, right?"

Trudy shrugged, her confidence level bordering on superhero. "Yeah, but that’s how it’s always been. I wasn’t scared to talk to you before, so why start now? I’m not some emotional vampire."

Riona glanced at her sideways, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Trudy was pretty cool.She had that whole ’stand up for justice’ vibe, like a sidekick in a superhero movie.

Meanwhile, Riona had always been a self-serving vampire, focusing on her own needs and those of her brother.

That was all that mattered. Justice? Morality? They were distant concepts, not for vampires like her.

"Aren’t you afraid of me and my brother?" Riona asked, her voice soft but curious.

Riona had always considered herself fearless. Well, except when it came to her uncle, King Valentin—he had a talent for turning her into a quivering mess faster than a vampire in sunlight. But aside from him, she was pretty much invincible.

Yet today, that invincibility was crumbling. She found herself feeling a fear that was downright alarming—directed at none other than her brother, Florian.

Of course, she still loved him. She’d move mountains for him if it came to that. But this fear was something else entirely, like staring at a stranger who’d stolen Florian’s body and replaced him with a vampire wannabe.

Riona couldn’t quite grasp why she felt this way, and that only added to her anxiety.

Why was her heart racing and her stomach churning at the sight of the one person she loved most? It was a riddle she couldn’t solve, and that uncertainty gnawed at her.

Trudy gave a small, amused huff. "Should I be?"

Riona wasn’t quite sure if Trudy’s words were meant to comfort her or if they were just a strange attempt at humor. After all, she had zero experience in the friendship department.

So, she opted for a smile, finding a surprising warmth in Trudy’s presence, regardless of her intentions.

"Looks like we’ll be leaving this place soon," Riona said, trying to sound optimistic.

Trudy didn’t bat an eye at the news—guess she saw this coming. Florian had literally killed a child; it was pretty much guaranteed he wouldn’t be sticking around.

And there was no way Riona was going to hang out here while her brother got unceremoniously booted into the street.

"You’ve never treated me like I’m different, even though, you know, I totally am," Riona added, her tone lightening.

What she really meant to say was that she appreciated Trudy’s friendship. It was brief, sure, but it meant more to her than a lifetime of royal parties. Even back in the palace, she had never met anyone quite like Trudy.

"You just look different. At the end of the day, we’re all beings who deserve respect," Trudy replied with a shrug.

"The world would fall apart if everyone thought they were superior to everyone else. Like, can you imagine? Total chaos. Next thing you know, we’re all fighting over who gets to sit on the throne of superiority."

Riona chuckled, picturing a ridiculous battle royale of ego and entitlement. It was a relief to share a moment of levity, even in such a serious situation.

She would make a far better Blood Moon child. Why must it be me?

As she brooded over her tragic fate, a certain handsome werewolf came into view, looking as sorry and dejected as a puppy left out in the rain—quite the change from his usual charming grin and playful antics.

Trudy stood up and brushed the sand off her backside, ready to leave. "Where are you going?" Thorin asked, confusion etched on his face.

"Uh, I thought you wanted to talk to her," Trudy replied, raising an eyebrow as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

At this point, every fur-covered creature in Wintertooth had noticed the Alpha’s ridiculously obvious crush on Riona. If Thorin tried to deny it, he’d just end up looking like a fool—again.

"Right. Yes. Totally what I meant to say," he said, fumbling for words like a wolf trying to catch its own tail.

With Trudy gone, Thorin slid into the empty spot beside Riona. He held his tongue until Riona finally broke the ice.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be off doing... you know, Alpha things? And what about Flo? Who’s guarding him?"

Oops. She had just revealed a little too much. Her words made it clear she hadn’t actually asked Thorin to babysit her brother. No, it was more like Riona was trying to keep her brother contained for the pack’s sake.

"Puck and Zane are with him. So no need to worry your pretty little head," Thorin replied, attempting to sound relaxed. "Uh, I’m actually here to talk about something."

"You want me to leave Wintertooth, right? I totally get it. I’ll just pack my bags and sneak out with Florian once things settle down. Or maybe I should just ditch tonight and hit the road?" Riona quipped.