Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 161: Welcome Home, Hero

Chapter 161: Welcome Home, Hero

Home sweet home.

Vesper stood before Wintertooth, chest puffed out like he’d just conquered the world.

Little did he know, the Zacharias family—the very powerful family he thought was cheering him on—had given Thorin a not-so-subtle nudge to ’take care of him.’

He thought he’d come out of this victorious, able to boast about visiting the infamous family’s castle and strolling out in one piece. Little did he know, the Zacharias had more plans for him than a cute vacation story.

Before sending him on his way, the Zacharias family had stroked his ego like a cat with a fresh ball of yarn, coaxing him into believing he was basically invincible.

They figured Vesper’s inflated sense of self-importance would do the trick and keep the vampires at bay. Because who wouldn’t be scared off by a guy who thinks he’s the chosen one, right?

Nina Zacharia, in particular, was playing a long game. She knew Thorin wouldn’t have the spine to deal with the vampires directly, not with Daciana’s blood running through his veins.

Her nephew would crumble, just as Daciana had, choosing love over loyalty to his pack. History repeating itself, all too predictably.

And let’s not forget the vampire girl. She was Remus’s daughter. That Remus. If she inherited even a fraction of his strength, then she was a serious threat that needed to be dealt with—quickly and quietly.

But Nina wasn’t about to get her hands dirty. Oh no, that was beneath her. She preferred to kick back on her throne, sipping a nice drink, while everyone else handled the mess.

All the while, she’d sit back and watch the Zacharia name rise to power, just as it was meant to.

Of course, if things ever got serious, Nina wouldn’t hesitate to step in, but she was hoping it wouldn’t come to that.

While Nina Zacharia lounged in her castle like a queen on her throne, Vesper was out there acting like a well-trained puppy.

He made sure everyone knew about his visit to the Zacharias estate, sharing his tale with anyone who showed even a flicker of interest. It was as if announcing his involvement somehow made him feel important, unaware that he was merely a pawn in a much bigger game.

As ridiculous as it seemed, a surprising number of werewolves in Wintertooth were hanging on Vesper’s every word. To them, he was practically the second Alpha—no offense to Puck, of course!

This dynamic became even more pronounced after Riona and Florian showed up with the Alpha, causing a rift within the pack.

Suddenly, it was like the werewolves were split into two camps: those who welcomed the vampire newcomers and those who would rather stake them on a garlic farm.

With Thorin hell-bent on protecting the vampires—despite their impressive track record of colossal screw-ups—those pack members who felt neglected and ignored started flocking to Vesper.

They unloaded their grievances onto him as if he were their personal sounding board.

Believe it or not, Vesper was considered one of the stronger wolves in the pack. A small but fervent group actually believed he had what it took to overthrow Thorin and claim the Alpha title for himself.

They were convinced Vesper was simply choosing not to take action out of respect, not just a lack of battle strategy, strength, or good looks.

"We went on a hunt this morning, and all the animals were dried up," said one disgruntled werewolf.

"We can’t eat them. The meat is tough and tastes worse than old boots," chimed in another, shaking his head in disgust.

Vesper raised an eyebrow, alerted. "Dried? What’s wrong with the river? There’s plenty of water on the beach. Seriously, what’s going on with these animals?"

The werewolves exchanged nervous glances, whispering.

"The animals are dead—no blood in them. Some were still alive—barely, which made them easier to hunt. But without the juicy blood, it’s just not worth it. It’s like chewing on a shoe."

Vesper gritted his teeth, forehead creasing like he was trying to solve a really bad riddle. His fists tightened at his sides as the realization hit him. He could already guess what happened, but he needed confirmation.

"Is it the vampire?" he hissed, his eyes blazing like he was gearing up for an epic showdown. Seriously, if looks could kill, those vampires would be toast.

"We have reason to believe so," replied one werewolf, who then launched into an overly dramatic retelling of the dead pup incident.

Vesper could barely contain himself. Armed with the belief that the Zacharia family had his back, he felt invincible. He could name-drop the Zachs and watch Thorin bolt out of there faster than a cat in a dog park.

Fueled by righteous fury, they marched toward Thorin’s office, Vesper at the helm. They were mad—furious, even.

At last, someone was actually taking their complaints seriously! Unlike the Alpha, who seemed to be on a personal quest to become besties with the vampires rather than boot them out.

Vesper banged on Thorin’s door. He hung back, letting the Alpha make his grand exit first. After all, if he was going to go down in flames, he wanted an audience for the spectacular show!

"Vesper?" Thorin looked surprised to see the werewolf. But instead of asking where Vesper had been (because who cares about that, right?), he simply stared, which stung a little.

But whatever, Vesper wasn’t here for a reunion. He glanced over at the group of werewolves behind him and thought, Look at me, your shiny new hero! Thorin doesn’t care about you, but I do!

"I heard about what happened while I was gone," Vesper began.

If anyone were listening, they might’ve mistaken him for the Alpha, not Thorin. He spoke as if he were ready to demand Thorin’s resignation on the spot.

"That bloodsucker killed a pup," Vesper declared, emphasizing the words like he was trying to get the crowd riled up for a mob. "And did you know? Your lovely little fanged friend has been roaming the woods, sucking the life out of every creature like it’s a buffet!"

His eyes darted past Thorin’s shoulder, catching sight of the vampires in the room. The younger one was handcuffed, while the older one lounged on the bed.

"What are you going to do about this?" Vesper continued, incredulous. "I can’t believe we’re still discussing this! If it were me, I would’ve killed them the same day they decided to snack on our kind."