Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 220: The Breaking Point

Chapter 220: The Breaking Point

"W-what...?"

She heard it the first time, but the words felt like a cruel joke. There must be something wrong with her. Right. Even though she was a half-werewolf, and werewolves were supposed to have excellent hearing, hers must have been defective.

Florian stood taller, his posture cold and distant, as if he was pulling away from her very presence.

"I said no," he repeated, his voice sharp, final, and unyielding. There was no room for argument, no space for hope.

"B-but... Flo..."

How could you live without me? Am I nothing to you anymore? Is it really so easy for you to let me go?

The words burned in her chest, but she couldn’t find the strength to speak them. Instead, all she could do was blink, her confusion growing into something much heavier.

She scoffed weakly, pressing her hand to her forehead as if she could push away the pain, but it only deepened.

Florian glared at her, showing no concern for how she felt. "Go back to your filthy beast friends. You’re one of them now. When you’re Thorin’s Luna, you’ll be a real werewolf."

I chose you, Florian. Always you. Above everything, above myself.

"I will never go back there. Those... monsters think they’re better than everyone else."

Her heart broke with each word he spoke, but he didn’t seem to care. The distance between them felt endless now.

"Every time I remember how they lick their hands after ripping apart raw meat, it makes me sick. Go. Go be with them, if you want to sink that low. But don’t drag me into your filth!" he spat, his voice filled with disgust.

"Wintertooth is... no more," Riona choked out, her voice barely a whisper.

She had hoped—no, begged in her heart—to see even the slightest flicker of sympathy in Florian’s eyes. But deep down, she knew it was a hopeless wish. It felt like asking the impossible.

But Florian’s reaction was anything but what she imagined.

"Ha!" His eyes widened in mock surprise, and then—without warning—he burst into a maniacal laugh. It was a sound so cruel that Riona couldn’t believe it came from him.

She stared at him, stunned, as if he had completely lost his mind.

How could he laugh? How could he be so cold? Clenching her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms, her body shaking with rage, she finally snapped, trembling with disbelief and pain,

"Why are you laughing? He was like your brother! Thorin has done nothing but be good to you, and you laugh at his pain?!"

Florian’s laughter died instantly, but his face remained unshaken. There was no hint of remorse, no softness in his eyes. It was as though her words didn’t reach him at all.

Instead, he crossed his arms with an air of cold detachment, his gaze piercing through her.

"Is that so?" he asked, giving her a knowing look, as though he was trying to catch her in a lie. "Tell me then, how did Wintertooth meet its end? Isn’t that on you?"

He was right. He had hit her where it hurt the most, though for different reasons.

Florian believed Wintertooth’s downfall was the fault of Thorin’s family, and in his mind, that was Riona’s burden to bear.

But for Riona, the pain was far more personal—the fire in the woods, the one she had caused when her emotions spiraled out of control.

No matter the truth behind it, Florian’s words struck her to the core. They were still true. All she could do was lower her head, the weight of her guilt pressing down on her.

She bit her lip, choking down the pain she knew she deserved, feeling it settle like a weight in her chest.

"You have no right to lecture me about morals," Florian spat, his voice cold, venomous. "You never showed me any. Did you forget? You used to charge ahead without a second thought, tearing down anyone who dared to stand in your way. Remember how you lashed out at everyone, convinced they were looking down on me?"

Riona knew the moments he was referring to. Yes, she had been reckless, impulsive, doing things her way without thinking. But every time, it had been for him. To protect him.

"What? Are you really justifying your actions by saying you did them for me?" Florian sneered.

The bitterness in his voice shattered her. She never knew that Florian’s words could be so full of hate. For so long, he had been the one who thanked her, the one who seemed grateful for her protection, for the way she had fought for him.

Had it all been a lie? Had he never meant a single word of it? The doubt gnawed at her, leaving her hollow inside.

"That’s not him. Don’t take it to heart. That demon must have twisted his mind, filling it with lies and making him say those things to you," the ancestor said gently, trying to offer comfort.

She knew, deep down, that Florian—the real Florian would never say such things. But still... that damn demon had used Florian’s voice, his face, even his mannerisms. It was as if the very essence of him had been replaced, and it left Riona feeling hollow.

She glanced at King Valentin’s face, his expression weary, distant, as though he had completely given up on Florian. Behind him, Lady Maris stood like a shadow, her face mirroring his disillusionment.

Had they too endured Florian’s cruel words?

"Listen, are you looking down on me?" Florian’s voice cut through her thoughts, his words sharp, dragging her attention back to him with force.

"No! Of course not!" Riona’s response came out louder than she intended, desperate to make him understand.

"Then tell me," he pressed, his tone mocking, "Why do you think I can’t live without you? You think I’m so helpless that I need you to survive, don’t you? You think I’m so useless that I need to be protected every second of my life."

"No!" she cried, but the words felt like a weak defense.

"Then leave me alone!" His words were venomous, barely contained. "Stop holding me back! Let me live my life the way I want to!"

Riona’s lips trembled, her vision blurring as if the world itself was falling apart. Her legs gave way, but she fought to stay standing. She couldn’t collapse, not now.

"Don’t listen to him!" the ancestor screamed. "You have to destroy that demon! Save your brother!"

Riona could barely form the words. "...save... help you..." she muttered.

Florian’s eyes turned cold, his gaze like ice, and it felt as if he could hear the ancestor’s words. His expression darkened, and hints of anger began to show.

"I don’t need you," he sneered, his voice filled with disdain. "And frankly, I don’t even want you near me. You just get in the way of everything I could be. Can’t you see? You’ve done everything for me, and now look at me. I can’t even do anything for myself because of you."

The words landed like daggers, each one deeper than the last. Riona’s tears fell, silently, as they hit the cold stone floor, freezing almost instantly. The bitter cold of the air couldn’t compare to the frostbite of his words.

"Do you think I stay silent because I was bullied? No, sister. It’s because of you. Your presence, your protection, it made me weak. You stifled my true potential."

That was it. The final blow. The last shred of strength she had vanished. Her legs gave out completely, and she crumpled to the ground, shaking.

"Now that you understand, leave. And never come back for me," he said, leaving her alone in her broken world.