Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 201: The Zacharia Name Doesn’t Scare Me

Chapter 201: The Zacharia Name Doesn’t Scare Me

Nina’s face tightened like she’d just bitten into a rotten meat. This was not what she expected from Riona.

She’d heard all the juicy gossip about the Hybrid’s reputation—an apple never falls far from the tree—but she’d figured Riona would at least flinch in front of her.

After all, Nina’s name carried weight, didn’t it?

Apparently not. It turned out Nina didn’t know Riona at all. Riona was fearless, especially now. With no Florian around to protect and nobody she loved being held hostage, she had exactly zero reasons to hold back.

Instead, she had a long list of reasons to be pissed. First, these pompous werewolves had stormed into Wintertooth like it was their backyard.

Oh, and let’s not forget they waited until Thorin wasn’t around—so brave, right? A real masterclass in cowardice. Then there was Barmin threatening kids. Big guy, bigger jerk.

Worse still, they had dragged Trudy, Zane, and Charna into this mess.

The thought of Trudy’s lifeless body flashed through Riona’s mind, threatening to overwhelm her. For a moment, she almost lost herself, but she forced the image away, focusing sharply on the now.

"This is just embarrassing. Do you actually think you’re clever? Betraying your own niece when he’s not around to stop you? What’s next, kicking puppies? Stealing candy from babies?" Riona snapped.

Her hands shook—not from fear, but pure, unrelenting rage. She held it back for now, her eyes locked on Nina. Before she let her fury take over, before she destroyed her, Riona needed to make sure Nina fully understood why she was about to die.

Riona hissed and stepped forward, but Barmin and another knight tightened their grip on her arms, halting her advance toward the throne.

"Coward!" she spat through gritted teeth, her voice sharp with fury.

"Don’t even think about it," Barmin warned in a low and icy voice.

Riona whipped her head toward him, her eyes blazing. "Oh, don’t even think about it? Really? That’s your big, bad line? Let me jog your memory, Barmin. You said—and I quote—that you’d leave Wintertooth alone if I came with you. You promised, didn’t you? Or has your memory started to fade already? Senility kicking in after just a few hours, Barmin?"

Barmin said nothing, opting for the mysterious, brooding act. He didn’t have a clue what the half-vampire was accusing him of, but he wasn’t about to explain himself.

Let her stew in her own fury—it was honestly more entertaining, and he knew it would break her down faster. Bonus points if it made her even more furious and more susceptible to go along with Nina’s plans.

Riona’s voice rose, cutting through the heavy air. "How dare you drag innocent werewolves into this?! They have nothing to do with me, genius! You’ll be answering to Thorin for this, mark my words. And trust me, he won’t be feeling generous when he gets to you."

She still remembered how Thorin had jumped to Trudy’s defense over a silly misunderstanding. Thorin hadn’t laid a finger on Riona because of the whole love and Blood Moon child thingy, but she was pretty sure Barmin would get the full fireworks if it came to that.

"Betray? That’s an odd choice of words, don’t you think? I doubt it applies here. Small-minded Hybrids like you can’t possibly understand the bigger picture," Nina said.

Nina looked down on Riona—partly because she was literally perched on a ridiculously high throne, and partly because undermining Riona was clearly her favorite pastime.

"Thorin is just a kid," Nina began. Technically, Thorin wasn’t a kid anymore, but compared to Nina Zacharia, he might as well have been in diapers. He doesn’t know right from wrong yet—but don’t worry, he’ll figure it out eventually. Until then, I’ll make the smart choices for him."

Riona thrashed against Barmin’s grip, her fury burning hotter with every word. She believed in Thorin and couldn’t stomach someone who called herself his aunt being so oblivious to his abilities.

"How dare you?!" Riona snapped. "Thorin earned his place! He’s a rightful Alpha! Do you even know he’s the youngest werewolf to ever achieve that? Or have you been hiding in a cave so long you’ve lost touch with reality?"

Nina burst out laughing, not even slightly offended. Instead, she looked at Riona like a parent watching a child throw a tantrum. Riona’s fiery eyes reminded her of someone else, someone equally entertaining in their naivety.

"You really are your father’s child," Nina said, smirking. "Naive, stubborn, and too easy to read. No need for a paternity test—it’s practically written all over your face."

She chuckled again, wiping an imaginary tear as though Riona was the funniest thing she’d seen all week.

Clearing her throat and adjusting her posture, Nina continued, "As for Thorin, he wouldn’t have come close to that Alpha title without the Zacharia blood running through his veins. He might wish he could reject his identity, but it’s inescapable. He’ll always be one of us, whether he likes it or not."

"To hell with your family!" Riona snapped. "You’ve got the world’s most twisted idea of what a family even is. My uncle is a thousand times better than you—and that’s on his bad days!"

There had always been unanswered questions about her parents’s deaths, and Riona had harbored suspicions about King Valentin. But her doubts about her uncle had started to fade the moment he risked everything to protect her from Elder Alfred and let her go.

Wait a second. Her uncle had always been her number-one suspect because he stood to gain the most from her mother’s death.

But now, listening to Nina’s self-centered monologue, Riona couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe dear old King Valentin wasn’t the only one who benefitted from what happened to her parents.

"Ah, sweet, clueless child," Nina said with a mocking smile. "You sound just like your father. He loved giving me those long-winded lectures about family. Brave man, that one. Oh yes, very brave. And look where all that courage got him."

Nina’s smirk faltered as her thoughts wandered. Her jaw tightened, and her teeth ground together as if the memory itself was a bitter pill she couldn’t swallow.

Then, as if on cue, she slammed her fist onto the armrest, sending a dramatic thud through the room. "That darn Remus!" she roared. "The nerve! Hiding my sister from me! My sister! How dare he keep her away from me!"

She glared at Riona, looking as though the very memory had personally offended her to the depths of her soul. It was the kind of theatrical outburst Riona might have found hilarious if she weren’t so angry.