Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 32: Too Hot to Handle

Chapter 32: Too Hot to Handle

For someone with that much power and potential, Thorin thought Riona was really naive.

When Riona came up with the suggestion of a wish for the winner, he thought she would ask for a more substantial request. He was disappointed to learn that her suggestion was pretty trivial.

Recalculation of the Nightwarden Trials result? He understood that she was confident in herself–in her performance, and it was justified.

However, her wording left a lot of room for more sabotaging. Riona could’ve phrased it better, like demanding to be in the Nightwarden no matter what.

An unconditional inclusion as a Nightwatch Novice would definitely secure her position.

Princess Lisbeth, on the other hand, seemed to know what she was doing. Her decision was in sharp contrast with Riona’s reckless choice. It seemed as though the princess had anticipated Riona’s suggestion and deliberated thoroughly before voicing the wish.

Taking away Riona’s name and rights in the Kingdom of Eira was a big deal. It meant she couldn’t be the kingdom’s heir anymore.

Of course, if Riona didn’t know her true identity, she might agree to it without realizing the repercussions, and that was probably what happened here.

But Thorin worried that stripping Riona of her name and rights might backfire on him later. It could cause problems down the road.

He didn’t need Riona’s status now, but it was reassuring to think he might leverage it in the future. Yet, without her status, Thorin feared his ability to deal with vampires would be severely compromised when the time came.

There was a significant concern relating to Alsvaldur’s ongoing massive expansion. Added to the challenges, there were internal issues with other packs.

Thorin realized that he urgently needed as much help as possible to guard Wintertooth.

Zane, seated to his left, leaned in and whispered, "Is the king involved in this?"

Thorin turned to see the king’s fixed gaze on Riona before humming in contemplation. His brow furrowed as he weighed the possibility.

Eventually, he nodded. "He may be. What do you think could be the reason?"

The Tetha covered his mouth with his hand to avoid any lip-reading from the vampire’s side and maintain the discretion of their conversation.

"You’re determined to marry that girl, who likely doesn’t grasp her importance to the kingdom. Meanwhile, the princess still pursues you. That only suggests one thing: King Valentin is uneasy about your union with Riona," Zane explained his theory.

"That only means Riona is a much bigger threat to King Valentin than we originally thought," Thorin remarked, a smirk slowly spreading across his face. "It’s all the more reason why I couldn’t choose somebody else. It must be her."

"But if she loses here–" began the elder, before Thorin cut him off.

"She won’t. Riona will never lose," Thorin asserted firmly.

Zane pursed his lips, unable to share Thorin’s confidence as he had never witnessed Riona’s power up close, unlike Thorin who had seen it twice already.

"I know how much you believe in her, but if–"

"There is no ’if’, Zane. She will win. That’s it. There is no other option for her but winning."

Just as Thorin finished that sentence, Lisbeth suddenly unleashed a storm of blue ice colder than the winter snow, causing the nobles present to scramble off the bench, screaming for their lives.

"You said she will never lose," Zane sighed. His tone was heavy with doubt. "Today may be her first."

Thorin tensed. Deep down, his faith in Riona was still unwavering. He believed someone with her power wouldn’t succumb to a mere storm of ice. She was simply caught off guard.

"Come on, Thorin. Why are you still standing there? We need to leave before the ice gets you," urged Puck.

But Thorin hesitated, unwilling to miss the opportunity to witness Riona in action once more. He was convinced she would escape the icy prison, and he had to witness it firsthand.

"I’ll stay. Something will happen soon," he declared, taking a deep breath and crossing his arms in anticipation.

"Are you crazy? Do you not remember what happened in Umbra Grounds? What if the princess destroys the palace just like Riona burned everything to the ground?"

No matter how loudly Puck screamed at Thorin, the Alpha werewolf remained unmoved. His scolding fell on deaf ears.

A few feet away, the king stood, gently clasping Lady Maris’s cheek before kissing her.

"I’ll follow after you, my dear. But I still have some matters to attend to here. I can’t allow Lisbeth to be catastrophic," the king said to his mistress.

King Valentin’s eyes were devoid of his signature glare. It was both surprising and eerie to see such affection in his gaze. Thorin tore his eyes away from the lovebirds and noticed the sheet of ice creeping closer to the audience bench.

Puck and Zane continued their efforts to extract Thorin from the premises, but the Alpha werewolf had made up his mind. Once he decided on something, he didn’t back down.

In the end, the Howl and the Tetha left him to face the consequences of his decision—even if it meant becoming a furry ice sculpture.

But Thorin wasn’t about to be frozen. He gathered his energy and warmed his entire body, from head to toe. The warmth of a werewolf’s power could burn through a forest of ice.

As the ice drew near, Thorin prepared to release just enough heat to escape the impending ice prison.

His focus was divided between tracking the encroaching ice and monitoring Riona’s condition inside the icy shell. From the outside, it seemed like Riona couldn’t move at all, but Thorin saw a bright red light emanating from within.

Thorin had to admit that, despite his belief in her, he grew increasingly worried that Riona might not be able to retaliate this time. But his fears proved unfounded.

Thorin’s breath quickened as the light intensified, spreading throughout the ice prison. Suddenly, the ice exploded, and Riona floated in the air. Her eyes were deep red, just like the first time she went rogue.

The energy she used to destroy the ice radiated outward, igniting everything the ice had touched. Even Lisbeth, who was now engulfed in flames. She screamed and frantically tried to extinguish the fire.

"Arrggh!"

Riona turned to Lisbeth and lunged, her arms outstretched, ready to strangle her. She landed on top of Lisbeth, engulfing her in flames, and was poised to deliver the final blow—one that would surely claim a life or two.

"Enough!" King Valentin’s voice thundered. In that instant, Riona collapsed, and the flames surrounding her vanished.

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