Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 45: Wilted Flowers

Chapter 45: Wilted Flowers

How did Thorin learn about Riona’s true identity? It wasn’t Thorin who uncovered it on his own; it was Puck who found out. He had always been good at that kind of thing, seeing the concealed, and finding the hidden.

When Thorin ordered Puck to investigate Riona’s background, he found more than what Thorin had assumed he would find.

Initially, Riona’s remarkable strength and her defiant demeanor was what piqued his interest. It prompted him to wonder about where her exceptional abilities originated from.

He speculated that her prowess might stem from superior parental lineage, assuming this to be the extent of what Puck would uncover.

However, Puck, being the good search dog that he was, gave Thorin more than what he asked for.

Thorin turned to see the windows, whose curtains were pulled back, revealing the magnificent darkness of the night. Moonlight and stars shone through the glass, casting an eerie glow on the floor.

"This is truly a vampire’s castle," he remarked. "It’s more fascinating at night."

The walk through this hallway felt somehow familiar yet unfamiliar to Thorin. He had gone through this path before. Twice.

Once when he was still unaware of where it would lead him, and the other time when Puck had guided him to the answer to his curiosity.

He glanced at Riona, who said nothing. Her eyes were wide open, staring straight ahead into the emptiness, vigilant, as if a monster lurked there, ready to lunge at her.

Right now, Riona probably felt the same way he had when Puck first took him there. She didn’t show it, but Thorin was sure she must be feeling anxious about this.

After all, Riona had agreed to follow him, which was very uncharacteristic of her. The usual Riona would sneer and depart, always having the last word.

Thorin tried to slow his pace to ensure Riona’s shorter legs could keep up with his long strides. Watching her skirt flutter as she moved made him imagine her as a wife, the one thing she dreaded the most.

When she declared that she didn’t want to be anybody’s wife, Thorin almost blurted out jokes, as he always did. But he refrained from doing so, because he remembered his mother.

She had once been one of the strongest Lunas in the pack. Everyone had thought she would become the greatest Luna of her era once she married the strongest Alpha.

However, things didn’t always go as people expected.

Instead of marrying her Alpha mate, Thorin’s mother ran away with a rogue werewolf from the Wintertooth pack. She lost her glorious days when she became pregnant with Thorin.

Even after giving birth, she became domesticated. Although she convinced Thorin and his father that she was content with her life, Thorin’s father had never been able to lift the guilt of robbing Thorin’s mother of her bright future.

If only they hadn’t fallen in love with each other...

If only he hadn’t taken her away from her pack...

If only he hadn’t pursued a Luna who had been betrothed to another Alpha...

His parents had married for love, but look at what it had cost them—a life of regret and unfulfilled potential.

If Thorin’s mother had married the strongest Alpha as she should have, she would have led her own pack. Her spark wouldn’t have dimmed with constant running and aimless living.

Thorin clenched his fists, his jaw tensing up.

Riona could end up like Thorin’s mother if he insisted on marrying her while she craved only freedom. Someone like Riona should never be bound by anything. She should live freely as she wished and soar high to explore the world.

Moreover, this marriage wasn’t even based on love. It was driven by Thorin’s selfish desires, and such a marriage would extinguish Riona’s spark. She would be unhappy by his side, and eventually, she would wither like a flower kept in the dark for too long.

The thought of bearing the immense guilt of obstructing someone’s future terrified him. That’s why Thorin couldn’t pressure her into accepting his proposal.

Maybe getting close to her was a bad idea. He should have kept his distance and remained oblivious to her deepest desire.

It would have been easier to manipulate her if he didn’t know how much she cared about her brother. Things would be so much simpler if he could negotiate the marriage with King Valentin without meddling in Riona’s personal affairs.

But Thorin was reckless. He had delved too deep, and now he was beginning to waver. If only there were a way to enlist the help of the Blood Moon child without involving marriage.

Perhaps Riona would willingly trade favors. The problem was, Thorin still didn’t know exactly how the Blood Moon child could enhance his powers.

But if he hesitated now, what if another Alpha discovered Riona was the Blood Moon child and seized her before he could?

What if he wasn’t the destined Alpha in the prophecy?

"This is..." Riona muttered as they stopped in front of a wall. The wall was decorated with an elegant drape bearing the symbol of the Kingdom of Eira. In the center hung a portrait of King Valentin with Lady Maris and Princess Lisbeth.

Riona furrowed her brow, visibly upset. "What the hell are you doing, Alpha? Your jokes have gone too far. I can’t forgive you for this."

She was shaking, clearly feeling the depth of betrayal for giving Thorin a chance to prove himself.

"It is here," he said.

Riona turned to the wall. Seeing Thorin’s conviction, she began to doubt her own senses. Had she seen something wrong? But it was just a wall. To vampires, it appeared as just that—a wall—but werewolves knew better.

"Did you know your king always takes a longer route to his office when I’m with him? It is to avoid this place. He knows he can’t deceive a werewolf’s scent ability," Thorin explained.

He placed his palm on the wall and leaned against it. Soon, the wall moved backward.

"A secret chamber!" Riona exclaimed, covering her mouth in surprise.

Thorin wore his signature smug expression, pleased to demonstrate his sincerity to Riona. "I only walked through this hallway when I was lost because someone left me stranded in the middle of this vast castle."

It was obvious that he was referring to Riona, but she was too absorbed in the secret chamber to hear him.

"I never knew there was a place like this here, and I’ve lived in this palace for years!" Riona muttered.

"Of course, you wouldn’t know. Your uncle made great efforts to conceal it from everyone, but particularly from you."

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