Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 29: Dancing with Danger

Chapter 29: Dancing with Danger

The room fell into stunned silence as if someone had hit the pause button on the entire banquet. Nobody had anticipated such a dramatic entrance, especially from someone who wasn’t even supposed to be the star of the show.

As everyone stood there with their jaws practically on the floor, King Valentin took slow, deliberate steps toward her, glaring.

Meanwhile, Riona stood there like a statue, a perfect replica of her stance during her fight with Number One in the Umbra Grounds arena.

It was Riona–she was volatile and violent.

Shouldn’t she have caused a scene by now? Shouldn’t she be unleashing a verbal storm on everyone, starting with the princess?

Thorin was convinced she’d come to settle the score with Princess Lisbeth, ready to throw her down.

But no, she remained frozen. Something was definitely off.

Thorin’s mind raced with indecision. Should he intervene?

The thought of drawing attention to himself in such a public setting made him hesitate. After all, there were scores of eyes fixed upon the spectacle.

Being so blatantly obvious could fire back at him. Thorin found himself caught in a suffocating dilemma.

On one hand, staying silent might spare him from judgmental stares, but it would also mean forfeiting a chance to forge a connection with Riona.

On the other hand, stepping forward meant subjecting himself to the gossip mill of the nobility.

He had worked tirelessly to keep his interest in Riona on the down-low. The king and his council members wouldn’t dare breathe a single word about it because they found it humiliating.

And now, faced with this unexpected predicament, he had to decide whether to stick to the shadows or step into the spotlight.

Which risk was he willing to take?

Thorin took a deep breath and put on his heroic mask. Before King Valentin got any closer to Riona, he approached Riona and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Just the person I’ve been waiting for. Now, if you’ll excuse us, Your Majesty, but I have my first dance to attend to. Lucky for me, my dance partner is already here."

Thorin’s smile was as convincing as a werewolf wearing sheep’s clothing–it looked out of place and slightly ridiculous.

His heart pounded like crazy, and his hands were sweaty, but he proceeded, determined not to reveal his inner turmoil. He clung to Riona’s shoulder as support, steering her towards the dance floor

"Of course. Enjoy your first dance. I trust the music will be to your liking."

As they moved, Thorin couldn’t help but feel the weight of judgmental stares upon him. King Valentin’s pause only intensified the scrutiny, prompting Thorin to mentally count the disapproving looks aimed his way.

It was Riona’s strength that captivated Thorin at first. However, her status as an outcast had turned her into the kingdom’s very own black sheep.

Instead of applause for her resilience, she was condemned as a renegade.

Thorin planned to whisk Riona away to Wintertooth once King Valentin accepted his terms in the negotiation. Among his kin, Riona would come as a new person, admired for her strength, not shunned for being different.

Didn’t it sound like a win-win situation? Riona would finally find a place where she belonged, while Thorin would save his face.

Yet, even as he entertained these thoughts, a pang of guilt gnawed at him. It felt degrading as if he was embarrassed about being seen with her simply because she was an outcast.

The notion left a bitter taste in his mouth.

But try as he might, Thorin couldn’t shake the whispers behind his back. Despite his facade of nonchalance, the gossip still pricked at his pride.

In an ideal world, Thorin would be marrying the princess, the shining star of Eira. The both of them would be the epitome of perfection, worshipped by both werewolves and vampires. Marrying her would only elevate his status.

Thorin sighed heavily. Why did fate have to throw Riona into the mix? Why did she have to be the Blood Moon child?

Ouch! A sharp pain in his shin snapped him out of his swirling thoughts. Confused, he tried to refocus, but before he could, another attack struck.

Furrowing his brow, Thorin wondered if Riona did it on purpose, but she looked like she struggled enough with her steps. She was so focused on her movements that it would be impossible for her to harm him on purpose.

If he were to be honest with himself, he found her antics rather amusing. Despite her penchant for colorful language and her sharp wit, there was something undeniably intriguing about her.

Moreover, it was fun teasing her because of her big reactions. With Riona, Thorin felt like he could let loose and be himself without fear of judgment.

Or perhaps, more accurately, she simply didn’t care enough about him to bother with judgment.

"Ouch! That’s the fifth time you’ve kicked my shin. I mean, how did you manage to do that?" Thorin chuckled. Now he couldn’t return to his thoughts at all.

"I, uh..." Riona mumbled. Her cheeks flushed red.

"Let me guess. You’re more into the kind of dances that involve dodging attacks?" Thorin teased.

Riona shot him a glare, but she didn’t look as annoyed as usual. "Well, excuse me for not taking dance lessons seriously. I was too busy perfecting my combat moves."

He laughed, sincerely amused. "Just try to follow my lead, alright? Pretend we’re in a fight. Maybe that will help."

"Yeah. Sure. Just remember, if I bite you, it’s purely accidental."

Thorin sighed in relief as Riona’s assault on his shins finally ceased. While her occasional missteps were a minor inconvenience, they didn’t exactly bring tears to his eyes.

But then came her playful jab, delivered with a mischievous grin. "Hey, Alpha, I think your girlfriend is jealous."

Thorin opened his mouth to protest, to deny any notion of a girlfriend, but his words were cut short as Riona unexpectedly pressed herself against him. His heart skipped a beat, and his cheeks ignited with a fierce blush.

Call him old-fashioned or simply flustered, but any man his age would struggle to maintain composure after such an intimate encounter. Frozen in place, he could only watch helplessly as Riona’s words pierced through the awkward silence.

"Dear Dark Lord, for real, Alpha? Are you seriously... blushing? Ew, gross!"

Thorin’s pride took a hit. His cheeks turned crimson. Yet, amidst the turmoil, he couldn’t help but find her adorable despite her rudeness.

"This isn’t... I mean..." Thorin stammered. Why did she seem so enchanting all of a sudden? And was it just him, or did he actually see a faint halo of flowers hovering around her head? Perhaps he was losing his mind after all.