Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 211: Pride Before the Fall

Chapter 211: Pride Before the Fall

Everyone who could hear him gasped—because, honestly, drama this juicy didn’t happen every day.

The Trial of Claim was the ultimate challenge—a brutal test to determine who was truly worthy of the Alpha title.

The stakes were simple: if the current Alpha lost, he’d be exiled as a rogue. If the challenger lost, it meant death. There was no compromise, no mercy, no second chances.

"No! What are you doing?!" Morgan grabbed for Vesper’s wrist, but the werewolf shook him off, too driven by desperation to think clearly.

"Let me do this, Morgan," Vesper said, sounding as if he were a martyr. "I can’t take this humiliation. I’ve given so much to this pack. What was I expecting? Recognition? Praise? No. I only did what I thought was right for my pack."

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Thorin asked, cutting off Vesper’s pitiful monologue before it got worse.

Thorin didn’t care if Vesper turned to dust at this point. He’d already been incredibly kind with the whole banishment offer, but no, Vesper wanted the deluxe self-destruct package.

Vesper planted his feet firmly and raised his chin. "Yes. I’d rather die than live with shame."

"Vesper, stop!" Morgan shouted, desperate. She couldn’t handle losing another friend—not when her circle was already smaller than a wolf pack on a diet.

Charna had ditched her to cozy up with a vampire, and Thorin had traded his brain for some tragically sappy love story. Now Vesper was all she had left, and he was charging straight toward his own doom.

"Leave it, Morgan!" Vesper barked, shaking off her concern. "I’ve decided, and there’s no going back."

He spun dramatically toward Thorin, ready to deliver his best angsty speech. "You know what? I used to admire you—thought you were amazing, the perfect Alpha, a role model."

I even considered letting Charna go for you, he thought bitterly, but he kept that to himself.

"But you’ve ruined that image. You chose to abuse your power, siding with a Hybrid over your own pack—over your own kind! We’re the ones who stood by you through everything. Not her!"

At this point, it wasn’t just drama; it was a full-blown soap opera with bonus claws and fangs. Thorin sighed, exasperated but not entirely unsympathetic.

He got it—change was hard, especially for someone who clung to grudges like a dog to a bone. But still, none of it excused the chaos Vesper was stirring.

"Enough talk," Thorin said, cutting through the air of drama. "Let’s settle this."

The Trial of Claim demanded at least three witnesses from different affiliations, ensuring fairness in case things turned ugly—which they almost certainly would.

Morgan, obviously rooting for Vesper, was one witness, and Puck, probably wishing he was somewhere else, stood for Thorin.

Puck let out a long, weary sigh as the realization hit: he’d have to be the one to facilitate this ridiculous trial.

"Fantastic," he muttered under his breath. "Let’s just pretend our home isn’t in ruins and hold a pride-fueled showdown like we’ve got all the time in the world for nonsense."

It was peak stupidity. While everyone else was busting their tails trying to rebuild the pack’s home, Vesper had decided that his fragile ego was the most pressing issue. But Puck knew better than to fight it.

As much as he wanted to tell everyone to grow up and get back to work, this wasn’t optional.

Thorin couldn’t dodge the challenge without undermining the pack’s faith in him—or worse, looking like he was scared. And an Alpha who seemed afraid might as well step down voluntarily.

Reluctantly, Puck looked around for someone neutral to act as a witness.

After all, the trial needed a referee who wouldn’t immediately pick sides. He eventually dragged an elderly woman into the mess—though she didn’t go quietly.

She tried to talk some sense into Vesper, but it was like reasoning with a brick wall. Vesper was way past the point of no return. Backing out now would just add another layer of shame to his mountain of bad decisions.

Finally, the stage was set. Thorin and Vesper squared off on the empty beach, the salty breeze doing its best to make the moment feel more epic than it actually was.

Puck crossed his arms, unimpressed. Great. Two grown wolves are about to beat each other senseless while the rest of us try to scrape our lives back together. Peak priorities, right here.

Vesper made the first move, launching himself into the air and landing just in front of Thorin with his fist aimed to strike. But Thorin saw it coming from miles away.

With a single, effortless step, Thorin sidestepped the punch, grabbed Vesper’s wrist mid-swing, and yanked him forward, sending him crashing into the sand.

Growling, Vesper sprang back to his feet, claws bared. This time, he came at Thorin with everything he had. His swipes were fast, and for a moment, it almost looked like he might land a hit.

Almost. Thorin shifted to the side at the last second, delivering a solid blow to Vesper’s stomach in return.

What followed wasn’t much of a fight—more like a one-sided sparring session. Vesper threw every punch, swipe, and kick he could muster.

Thorin dodged them all with unnerving ease, countering with precise strikes that sent Vesper staggering every time.

The gap in their skills was painfully obvious. Thorin didn’t even need to tap into the power granted by the Blood Moon child. At this rate, he was toying with Vesper.

"Vesper, stop this already!" Morgan shouted. "Have you forgotten? He became Alpha at thirteen! Do you even realize how much stronger he’s gotten since then?"

Vesper, panting and wiping blood from his split lip, managed to glare back at her as he dragged himself to his feet. "Shut up! I’m not some doormat to be walked on and tossed aside! I won’t let myself be used and thrown away just because I’m not convenient anymore!"

Thorin let out a long, tired sigh. "That’s what Nina was doing to you, Vesper. Why can’t you see that? I’m not your enemy, and neither is Riona. What’s wrong with having a vampire around? Has she ever harmed you?"

Vesper froze, the words hitting harder than any punch Thorin had landed. He winced, searching for a retort but coming up empty.

Thorin pressed on. "The one who came here to destroy your home—our home—was Nina Zacharia, not Riona. She’s the threat, not us. Open your eyes and face the truth!"

But it was too late for words to undo what had been set in motion. The Trial of Claim wasn’t just a fight—it was a law of their kind, unbreakable once begun. Even if Vesper wanted to stop now, the Trial wouldn’t end until one of them fell.

Realizing, at last, that victory was slipping further out of reach, Vesper’s desperation hit its peak. With nothing left to lose, he lunged for one final, reckless attack with his words.

"What do you know, Thorin? You think you’re untouchable, don’t you? But let me tell you something—you won’t even end up with that Hybrid. Do you really think she’d want to be with a man who helped destroy her family?"

Thorin froze mid-step, his eyes narrowing. "Pardon?"

"Don’t play dumb. I know your aunt killed Remus and his wife. You may not have swung the blade yourself, but don’t kid yourself—you’re part of the same legacy. You and your family ruined her life!"

Just as Vesper gathered his last bit of strength to land a powerful blow, Riona appeared, charging at him and slamming him into the ground.

"You prick!" she yelled.