Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 289: Terms and Conditions Apply

Chapter 289: Terms and Conditions Apply

"Don’t you dare say her name with that filthy mouth!" Nina snapped, raising a finger as if she was moments away from using it to claw Kaan’s face off. Her disgust was palpable—just the mere mention of her sister from his lips was enough to make her want to throw him out on the spot.

But she didn’t. And that told Kaan everything he needed to know.

Oh, she cared. She really cared. And nothing was more fun to a manipulator than poking at someone’s emotional wounds like a kid prodding a hornet’s nest. Time to twist the knife.

Kaan leaned in slightly, voice silkier than it had any right to be. "I can bring her back to you. Don’t you want her back?"

It was a lie, of course. A massive, bold-faced, say-it-with-a-straight-face kind of lie. But Nina didn’t need to know that.

In Kaan’s mind, the plan was simple: find Daciana, track down the rogue she ran off with, kill said rogue, and return Daciana to Nina like some kind of warped, villainous reunion gift. Boom. Lie becomes truth. He could already picture it—clean, efficient, flawless.

Reality, of course, had a way of making things much less convenient. But for now, the simulation running in Kaan’s head was going great.

"She was brainwashed by that good-for-nothing furry beast, wasn’t she?" he hissed, his words slithering right into Nina’s most vulnerable thoughts. Because, really, why fight against someone’s delusions when you can just feed them?

And Nina wanted to believe that.

For years, she had refused to accept that Daciana had left of her own free will. No way. That would mean accepting that her sister chose some nameless, insignificant werewolf over her family. And that was not happening. No, it had to be manipulation. A trick. A deception.

Her silence was telling. Jaw clenched, eyes burning, she said nothing—but she was listening. That was all Kaan needed.

His mentor’s voice echoed in his mind, a whisper of guidance from the ultimate manipulator herself—Thessara. She had trained him well. Lies weren’t just words; they were art. And tonight, Kaan was painting a masterpiece.

"She must want to come home," Kaan murmured, his voice slithering into Nina’s ears like a poisoned lullaby. "Deep down, she misses you. She misses her family. But leaving that mangy mutt is another story. Because what if he kills their baby once she does?"

He said it exactly the way Thessara had whispered it to him—like a knife sliding between the ribs.

Nina’s jaw clenched so hard Kaan was half expecting to hear a snap. Her fists curled, her nails digging into her palms like she was mentally stabbing him.

A baby? She didn’t know Daciana had a child with the rogue. How much did this insufferable bloodsucker know?

She fought to keep her face neutral, but Kaan had seen this game before. He practically invented it. Oh, she was interested. She wanted details. And that was all the encouragement he needed.

Time to lay it on thicker.

"And what if she’s not staying away because she wants to?" Kaan continued. "What if she’s trapped? What if she fears what he’ll do? Not to her, but to their poor, defenseless, fuzzy little bundle of joy?"

He let that sit for a beat before twisting the knife.

"And imagine—just imagine—if something happened to that precious baby. Do you really think she’d be angry at him?" He let out a slow, exaggerated sigh. "No, no, Nina. She’d be angry at you. Her family. The people who were supposed to save her."

Cue dramatic pause.

"This isn’t about abandoning you, Nina. Maybe she has no choice. But I?" He placed a dramatic hand over his cold, dead heart. "I can help her."

Total nonsense, obviously.

In fact, Kaan knew Daciana was happy. She and the rogue had built a life together, bouncing from town to town to stay ahead of the Zacharias. They lived mostly among humans, where it was easier to hide.

If you had enough gold, humans would sell out their own neighbors before you even finished jingling the coins. Morality? Loyalty? Please. Rent was due, and people had priorities. That’s why finding them was laughably easy—at least for Kaan, who actually considered looking among humans.

Nina, on the other hand, was too proud to even entertain the idea that werewolves would willingly live among humans.

And just like that, Kaan had her exactly where he wanted. She was invested. Hook, line, and sinking in regret. She didn’t want to trust him, but at this point, what choice did she have?

"You’ll bring her back," Nina said, arms crossed. It wasn’t a request.

Kaan smiled, a slow, knowing grin. "Of course. As long as you hold up your end of the bargain. I’m not running a charity—I expect results. But don’t worry, I keep my word."

Nina let out a slow, measured breath. It took everything in her not to roll her eyes. "Fine. I’ll do it. I’ll kill him, and you’ll do what you promised. But let’s get one thing straight—I don’t work for you. This is a trade, nothing more. Nothing less. And if you try to screw me over, I promise you, you’ll regret it."

She wasn’t bluffing. She never bluffed. But, oh, Kaan wasn’t losing sleep over her threats. He had his own plans. If he got ahead of her—killed Remus first—the deal was off. Simple. Besides, if it ever came to a fight, he was sure he could take her down.

Which, in hindsight, was adorable.

Back then, Nina was a seasoned mercenary. Kaan, on the other hand, had never fought a real battle in his life. His experience consisted of well-organized sparring matches with people who probably apologized after landing a hit. He had never actually killed anyone.

By the time their inevitable showdown arrived, Kaan wasn’t just ready—he was prepared. Ruthless. Dangerous. Nina wouldn’t even see it coming.

But that was a problem for future Nina.

For now, Kaan simply strolled out of the Zacharia mansion, having just struck a deal with the most infamous mercenary to ever walk the earth. A solid day’s work.

Now, it was time for his own little scavenger hunt. The rules were simple: whoever got to Remus first won. Oh, how Kaan loved the challenge!

What he didn’t love (or even remotely notice) was the fact that while he was busy playing assassin tag, the real Blood Moon child, Lacy, was standing on the edge of disaster. And Kaan had absolutely no idea. Not a clue. He had no part in it. No clue how close she was to her doom and he was to his.