Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 206: The Rescue Gamble

Chapter 206: The Rescue Gamble

Trudy had lost a lot of blood. Her eyes were shut, but her heartbeat was still there—weak but steady. Charna let out a small sigh of relief, only for Zane to cut it short.

"She won’t last much longer if we don’t get her help," he said grimly.

The obvious choice was to get Trudy back to Wintertooth as quickly as possible so their medic could treat her. Time was running out. But before they could move, Trudy tugged weakly at Charna’s shirt.

"Trudy!" Charna gasped, startled. Had she regained consciousness? Or had she been awake the whole time, just too weak to show it? Charna leaned closer. "What is it? Don’t worry—we’re getting you to safety. You’ll be okay."

"Quick, let’s move!" Zane interrupted, already forming a plan. He figured they’d take turns carrying Trudy to conserve everyone’s exhausted energy for the trip back to Wintertooth.

But Trudy shook her head, her movements faint and slow. "Riona..." she whispered.

"Riona?" Charna repeated, her chest tightening. She knew what Trudy was asking, but she didn’t have the answer Trudy wanted. Charna glanced at Zane, hoping he’d step in.

Zane met Trudy’s eyes and answered bluntly, "The Zachs have her. But she’s strong. She’ll find a way out. Right now, you need to focus on yourself."

Trudy’s head moved again, weakly but firmly. "No," she croaked.

"What do you mean, no? You need treatment right now!" Charna yelled at Trudy, so shocked by Trudy’s refusal that she briefly forgot she was talking to a patient.

"Charna’s right," Zane added, his voice calm but firm. "You can’t keep going. You almost died back there." He wanted her to stop fighting and let herself be helped.

But Trudy was stubborn. Loyalty ran deep in her veins, and leaving a friend behind wasn’t an option for her. She had adopted the fangless vampire as her friend now, and no amount of logic—or impending death—was going to stop her.

Still clutching Charna’s shirt like a life raft, Trudy wheezed out a single, determined word: "Sa...ve..."

Zane let out a frustrated sigh. This patient wasn’t making things any easier. "Trudy, you’re hurt. Like, seriously hurt. I know we came here to save Riona, but you require saving too. And this rescue mission is over. You’re not exactly helping by, you know, dying."

Trudy groaned again, the sound halfway between pain and sheer defiance. Every move clearly hurt, but she just wouldn’t quit. "Rio...na... fr...iend..."

Charna sighed, realizing there was no convincing Trudy otherwise. Reluctantly, she gave in and turned to Zane. "Fine. Send someone to take her back to Wintertooth. We’ll keep going with the mission. How about that, Trudy?"

Trudy, looking like she’d been through twelve rounds with a grizzly bear, managed the world’s faintest smile. It was the kind of smile that said, I win, before her energy gave out and the expression disappeared entirely.

Zane noticed how Charna’s compromise seemed to nudge Trudy toward finally accepting the help she desperately needed. With a nod, he agreed. "Alright. Let’s do that."

Without wasting time, Zane turned to Arthur, the team’s resident speedy-but-dim werewolf. Arthur was strong, fast, and as reliable as an untrained puppy.

"Arthur," Zane said, "you’re taking her back to Wintertooth. Don’t stop. Not for rain, not for darkness, not for wild animals, not even for—actually, just don’t stop, period. Got it?"

He locked eyes with Arthur, making sure the instructions sunk in. Arthur gave an enthusiastic nod, but Zane wasn’t entirely sure if it was from understanding the gravity of the task or just because he liked the sound of running fast.

Either way, Trudy was finally getting the help she needed.

After the young werewolf sped off with Trudy, Zane turned his attention to the rest of the team. He quickly assigned a group to scout the area for any signs of movement or trouble. With that settled, he and Charna moved aside to discuss their next steps.

"Do you think the Zachs will kill Riona?" Charna asked, concerned. It was the thought that had been haunting her since the capture.

Zane shook his head. "I seriously doubt it. If they wanted her dead, they would’ve done it already. But they didn’t—they took her alive. That means something."

Charna frowned, trying to piece it together. "So, what’s their goal?"

"The only reason they’d keep her alive," Zane said, his tone grim, "is leverage. Nina Zacharia isn’t stupid. She knows the only way to control Thorin is through Riona. Nothing else works on him."

Charna sighed, her jaw tightening. "So Riona’s just a bargaining chip now."

"Unfortunately, yeah," Zane muttered. "And if we don’t act fast, Nina’s going to use her to pull Thorin right into her trap."

"So, what’s the plan? Do we just kick down the door, grab Riona’s hand, and stroll out?" Charna asked, throwing up her hands. "Because that sounds super realistic."

Zane paused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "No, we need to let Thorin know Riona’s here. If he’s aware, he’ll definitely join the rescue. He’s stronger than any of us, and with Puck on his side, we could really use the backup."

Charna nodded in agreement but raised an eyebrow. "And what about Wintertooth? Should we tell him about the mess back there after the attack?"

"That can wait," Zane said firmly. The last thing he needed was Thorin losing focus because of bad news. "He’ll find out soon enough when he gets back. Right now, we need him clear-headed and ready to fight, not stressing over Wintertooth’s condition."

"Zane! Charna!" The scout group returned, their faces grim and their steps heavy. They looked so dejected it was clear they weren’t about to deliver anything remotely positive.

One of them finally spoke, shaking his head. "Too many guards. The place is crawling with them. We can’t get anywhere near the castle with our numbers."

"And they’re not just any guards," another scout added, his tone laced with frustration. "These are knights—serious ones. They all look strong, well-trained, and way out of our league."

The group collectively sighed, radiating the kind of defeat you’d expect from people who just realized their plan was basically suicide.

"Great!" Charna exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "Now what do we do?"

Zane scrambled to come up with a solution, but his brain was running on empty. Just as he was about to admit defeat, something totally unexpected happened.

BOOM.

The ground shook with the sound of a massive explosion coming from somewhere in the castle. Charna whipped around, eyes wide. "What the hell was that?"

Zane grinned, his eyes lighting up. "Our chance."

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