Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 218: New Light on Old Shadows

Chapter 218: New Light on Old Shadows

Riona couldn’t stop crying as she moved farther from Wintertooth. The warm night slowly turned cold, reminding her of the time she had escaped with the werewolves.

Back then, they were badly injured, which slowed their travel. She had to drink fresh animal blood to survive, but it caused trouble later. The Wintertooth werewolves saw her refusal to drink it as a rejection of their culture.

The memories were a blurry mess, and honestly, when it happened, it sucked. But now that she looked back on it, she missed it. She missed those moments with Thorin—the first and only boyfriend she’d ever had.

At least she could proudly brag that she had once dated the hottest Alpha alive.

Still, Riona didn’t have time to dwell on the love that had come and gone. It had been short, but she was grateful for it. It had brought her happiness, even if only for a little while.

Now she had bigger things to deal with—like saving Florian.

"And the world. Don’t forget about the world," the ancestor chimed in because, of course, he couldn’t resist.

"Urgh! Stop reading my mind!" Riona snapped, wishing she could glare at him. But, of course, he didn’t even have a physical body.

"I didn’t have to. It’s written all over your face," the ancestor said smugly, proving that even ancient spirits could be annoying, especially when they wouldn’t leave you alone.

Riona let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "Can’t I just have some alone time to cry about my breakup? Most teenagers lock themselves in their rooms for weeks after something this catasthrophic, you know. It’s normal."

"No, you can’t," the ancestor said bluntly. "First of all, you’re not a teenager. You’re forty-four. Thanks, vampire age. Second, I’m not leaving you alone. I need to make sure you’re saving the world, not just your brother."

Riona threw up her hands. "It’s the same thing! Saving my brother is saving the world. We’re talking about getting rid of that hideous Glagaz thing, aren’t we?"

"Ol’gaz," the Fallen One corrected, his tone dripping with irritation. "At least get the name right. And yes, that’s the priority. Let’s focus."

Riona growled, thoroughly annoyed by the fact that this annoying ancestor was probably going to haunt her until she finished the job. Great.

A spectral babysitter. Just what every grown woman needed. She hated feeling watched, hated being followed—and she especially hated knowing she couldn’t throw a shoe at him to make him leave.

For all his snark and icy tone, the Fallen One actually sympathized with her pain. He got it. Love was hard to find in such a brutal world, even more so if you were a Blood Moon child with an embedded volcano that could erupt at any moment.

But he pushed the memory aside, not wanting to think about what had happened to the last Blood Moon child. Remus’s sister. Riona’s aunt. Another tragedy was written in the family’s cursed history.

Without any injuries and an unconscious young vampire in tow, the journey to the Kingdom of Eira felt like a breeze.

Riona couldn’t understand why vampires still bothered with carriages. Flying or jumping would’ve been a hundred times faster—seriously, who needed wheels when you had wings or supernatural legs?

She hid from the sunlight during the day, but thankfully, it only took her less than a week to get there. When she finally stood in front of the gate, a strange sensation washed over her.

Something was off. The west tower of the palace—the one that was supposed to be the tallest, most important part of the place—was just... gone.

But, eh, not her problem. Maybe it exploded or got struck by lightning. Not her circus, not her monkeys.

The guards stopped her from passing through the gate. Well, Riona wasn’t exactly planning to waltz in there anyway. She’d been dying to escape that royal palace, not return to it. As long as they handed over Florian, she’d grab him and leave so fast they’d think she was a ghost.

"Where is Florian?" Riona demanded, her voice sharp. "Where. Is. My. Brother? Give him back, and I’ll leave. Simple as that. No one needs to get hurt. Win-win, right?"

The guards laughed, not taking her seriously. Honestly, who could blame them? Riona looked like a young adult who’d skipped breakfast, not a powerhouse of destruction. They probably thought she was just some random girl who had wandered in.

"Florian! Come out now!" Riona went for the loud approach—because why not? She bellowed his name from outside the gate like he was a naughty kid who needed to be dragged out of hiding. "We should leave. Don’t make me come in there and get you. It’s really not worth it, trust me."

The guards were not thrilled with her antics. They moved to stop her, but Riona wasn’t having it. They were probably new, not recognizing who she was and messing with her. Big mistake.

They attacked, and she easily fended them off—tossing in a few cheeky counterattacks just for fun.

The guards weren’t happy about it. They tried to stop her, but she resisted. They started to attack, and she had to defend herself—and added one or two counterattacks while she was at it.

"Behind you!" the ancestor warned her.

"I KNOW!" Riona yelled back. "I’m an amazing fighter. Don’t interrupt my moment!" She snapped, but since the ancestor was invisible, the guards were left utterly baffled, wondering if she was losing her mind—or talking to herself.

With a swift motion, Riona effortlessly tossed the guards blocking her way aside, sending them crashing into the gate.

Free from any immediate resistance, she was now in the courtyard. But, of course, more guards spotted her and quickly swarmed to stop her from going any further into the palace.

She sighed. The last thing she wanted was to destroy the Royal Guards—they were practically her comrades, had she accepted King Valentin’s offer.

Just as she was thinking about her uncle, he appeared. "Speak of the devil," she muttered under her breath.

"Don’t say that so lightly," the Fallen One grumbled, popping in just to lecture her. "There’s an actual devil in that building, and it’s not your king."

King Valentin raised a hand, halting the guards before they could attack Riona. He looked... different. His face aged a thousand years in a heartbeat as if the stress had caught up with him all at once.

"You’re here for Florian," he stated, his tone more of a declaration than a question.

After he let her escape last time, Riona had ruled out the idea that her uncle could’ve been behind her parents’ deaths. And now, with no fear clouding her judgment, she started to view him a little differently.

"He doesn’t want to meet you," he said.