Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 59: When Meddling Leads to More Meddling

Chapter 59: When Meddling Leads to More Meddling

"Yeah, but not in the same way as for you vampires. For us, there is no spiritual meaning. It’s more straightforward, as a Blood Moon triggers heightened transformation."

Thorin wondered what kind of expression Riona was making right now since she kept her face forward almost all the time.

Dang! She smells so good. I gotta refrain myself.

"Not all werewolves enjoy the power boost. I guess there must be specific requirements to experience the enhancement," Thorin continued, trying to distract his mind from Riona and her scent.

Don’t smell her, Thorin! Don’t be crazy about her scent and definitely do not sniff her!!

"Oh! I guess it’s similar to the myths among vampires that those who weren’t the chosen elders to speak with ancestors could still hear the ancestors’ voices, although it’s an extremely rare occurrence," Riona responded.

Thorin leaned backward, feeling dizzy from this closeness. He had noticed it before, but he had brushed it off without much thought. Now that they were riding a horse together, he was forced to inhale Riona’s delicious aroma.

Did I just... use the word delicious?

"Hey, you’ll fall if you lean back too much."

Riona moved her head slightly, but not enough to let Thorin see her face. The tip of her nose and her moving lips slightly protruded from her hair.

Those cherry-red lips were enticing. Thorin stared at them with deep longing. Seconds later, the realization dawned on him, and he felt disgusted with himself.

What the hell was I thinking? She’s just sitting there, innocently trusting me to buy her the best dress, and here I am, lusting over her lips?! I’m not a beast. Ugh, I need to get myself together. She’d hate me if she knew what I was thinking.

It took a lot of effort to get to this point. Thorin knew that he still had a long way to go to have a good relationship with Riona, but at least she was willing to accept his help now.

When they got married, Thorin was determined to treat her well. Despite not bearing any romantic feelings for each other, he should still show respect to his future wife.

Was his determination falling apart now just because of this proximity? The memories of his first dance with Riona and being confined in a small space with her resurfaced in his mind, adding awkwardness to the current situation.

Why must I remember them now?

Thorin involuntarily blushed. This had become some kind of habit ever since he involved himself in Riona’s life. How many times must this happen until he got used to it? Would he ever get used to it?

"Careful!" Riona grabbed Thorin by his waist, who was already half-bending backward.

If his back dropped even more, he would be lying flat on the horse. But Riona’s small hand wrapped around his waist, and her other hand was holding onto the saddle’s horn.

No way! This was a scene that came out of a romance book, but... weren’t the roles reversed? Shouldn’t it be Thorin who supported the damsel by her waist when she was about to fall?

Thorin pursed his lips, ashamed that he was being treated like a weakling, and Riona just had to act heroic like that.

"Seriously, Alpha? What were you dozing off for? I knew it, there’s something bothering you, right? It must be quite bad, seeing how it affected your balancing skills. Or is this your first time riding a horse?"

Riona craned her neck, narrowing the gap between their faces too much. He couldn’t handle it, so he pushed her face away with his large palm.

Clearing his throat to compose himself, Thorin turned to the side and slightly covered his nose. "It’s nothing," he said.

"You’re so bad at lying," she sneered. "Just speak. I won’t say a word to another soul. You know how good I am at keeping secrets. I didn’t even tell Florian about your hobby."

Embarrassed, Thorin almost jumped off the horse. Fortunately, his core muscles were strong enough to hold himself steady despite his messy inner mind.

"It has something to do with my dress, right?" Riona grabbed her skirt and stretched it a little for Thorin to see.

She continued, lowering her head, "Is it because you’re embarrassed if I wear this plain dress when you want me to be your bride? Are you also one of those people who treats their wife as a trophy to be displayed?"

Riona spoke calmly, but somehow, Thorin noticed slight pain and disappointment in her voice. He was taken aback.

It was true that Thorin cared about what other people thought—too much, even. And yes, he couldn’t deny that Riona in that dress would embarrass him as his future wife. If he was serious about the negotiation, he would start turning her into being more presentable.

But she made it sound so bad when Thorin only wanted to make her shine so brightly that no one would look down on her.

Okay, his intentions were not the purest.

However, Thorin sincerely believed that Riona should be the star of the Blood Moon Masquerade, not just because she had a case to fight for, but also because she deserved the spotlight.

She was so much more than what the other vampires made her out to be.

"No," he said spontaneously, half-lying. "I just want you to live up to your full potential, be it your power or your beauty. Moreover, I really can’t bear that dress paired with the mask Florian made."

The mask itself lacked quality, and the decorations were placed sloppily, but both Riona and Thorin found the mask beautiful, more because of who created it than what it looked like.

Riona smiled slightly. "Why do you care so much about Florian?"

"I... uh..." Thorin thought Riona was upset about it. Florian was Riona’s treasure and her only best friend. Her brother was her only reason to endure the hardships she experienced in the palace.

For some people, having someone be kind to their favorite person was not pleasant. Could it apply to Riona as well?

Had he been meddling too much? What if Riona despised her and refused his help from now on because he was being too nosy? What if Thorin lost his chance with the Blood Moon child?

Perhaps he shouldn’t have done this in the first place.

But Thorin couldn’t ignore Florian. That young boy reminded him of himself when he was young—abandoned, unwanted, unloved.