Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 73: A Dangerous Fall

Chapter 73: A Dangerous Fall

"WHAT?! Flo!" Riona rushed out the door, or so she tried. She was violently thrown back into the room, landing hard on the floor, but she crawled back to the door.

She banged on the invisible shield, in tears. "Let me out! Please...! Let me out! I need to see my brother. I won’t run away. I promise."

Thorin creased his brow at the sight. He broke through the guards and entered the room. Sir Orlo spoke with the guards, giving Thorin special permission due to the urgency of the situation.

"Let him. I’ll watch over them. You can return to your post," Sir Orlo told the guards.

The Alpha werewolf crouched down and pulled Riona into his embrace.

With tears streaming down her face, she clung to Thorin’s sleeve. "How is he? Is he alright? What happened?"

Thorin glanced warily at Sir Orlo. He didn’t know if he could trust Riona’s teacher. He would have asked for privacy if he could. However, they were in the middle of a lesson, and Sir Orlo had the authority to deny him a private moment with Riona.

"He fell down the stairs. It was quite a high fall." Thorin pursed his lips, considering how much information to divulge to the distraught Riona. He continued, "A physician has examined him. He broke his leg and fractured his arm."

Based on Puck’s quick investigation, it was revealed that Florian was pushed down the stairs. It was no accident. Thorin purposefully kept this fact to himself for now, surmising that Riona was not in a state to handle that information well.

"Oh, no... Poor Florian. No..." Riona’s voice trembled with anguish.

Thorin searched for some good news to comfort her. "He’s still unconscious, but his breathing is steady."

She clutched his coat and wailed, "I want to see him."

"I know." Thorin wrapped his arms around her, patting her head. "I know. I’ll find a way."

Thorin’s visit had been impulsive. Upon hearing about Florian, he had rushed to see Riona, momentarily forgetting she was imprisoned.

Leaving her in this condition pained him deeply. He wondered if it would have been better for Riona not to know about it until the matter was resolved.

However, what if... what if Florian didn’t make it?

Vampires were immortal, but it was almost ironic how easily they could die, just like humans. Not every vampire had the ability to heal themselves, and even those who did had varying degrees of healing.

Florian was young, which might explain the slow progress of his self-healing, if he possessed any ability at all.

With Riona locked up, Thorin took it upon himself to be responsible for Florian. He gritted his teeth and whispered a promise he hoped he could keep, "I’ll make sure he’s alive."

He helped Riona to her feet and exited the room. Before disappearing, he glanced back, worried. Riona clutched her skirt tightly, her lips trembling, and her eyebrows furrowed in distress. Tears still rolled down her cheeks as he walked away.

His steps were firm and determined as he strode towards the king’s office. The king’s nephew was injured—would the king do nothing?

Thorin stood at the door to the king’s office. The lone wolf wore an expression of defiance, ready to face the king one-on-one if necessary.

"I’d like to speak with His Majesty. This is an urgent matter that cannot wait. Announce my presence!" he ordered the guards.

The Royal Guards were built differently. As they were tasked with the security of the royal family and important nobles, they must be prepared to face any enemy targeting the monarch.

However, even these trained guards were taken aback by the Alpha’s deadly aura. He looked like he could kill each and everyone in the royal palace if someone so much as to touch him in the wrong place.

"Wait here," one of the guards said. He knocked on the door before entering. Shortly after, he opened the door and said, "Come in, Alpha."

Thorin cared little for manners and courtesy; there was something more pressing than mere pleasantries.

"Thorin," King Valentin greeted him, putting down the quill in his hand. He gave Thorin a slight smile before returning to his signature stoic expression. "What is the urgent matter you wish to discuss?"

"Your nephew, Florian, fell down the stairs yesterday, and he’s still unconscious. He broke his leg and fractured his arm. Could you assign a physician with magical abilities to heal his broken bones?"

Thorin knew it wasn’t his place to make such a request for the king’s nephew. But if he didn’t, who else would? Florian was as forsaken as Riona in this place.

King Valentin said nothing for a while, lost in thought, then asked, "How did it happen?"

As Thorin had expected, the king’s question about how the fall happened indicated his suspicion. He was more interested in the nature of the accident than in discussing Florian’s recovery.

"I don’t know the details, but there is a possibility that it wasn’t purely an accident," Thorin said truthfully, watching the king’s expression to see if he knew more.

King Valentin pursed his lips. That reaction told Thorin the king might know something, but he didn’t reveal more, leaving Thorin at an impasse.

"Thank you for informing me, Thorin. I’ll send someone to attend to the boy. Has Riona heard of it?"

It was surprising that King Valentin cared about Riona at all. Thorin hadn’t expected her name to be brought up. "Yes, I told her about the incident."

"Alright. Is there anything else you wish to discuss with me?" King Valentin said, politely signaling the end of the conversation.

"Yes, Riona is worried about her brother. I understand she’s still under punishment, but can you let her meet Florian? She deserves to know his condition as his sister," Thorin negotiated, trying to secure a way for Riona to see Florian, just as she wished.

King Valentin thought for a moment before replying, "You need not worry about that. I’ll handle it myself. Anything else?"

The Alpha bowed and said, "Nothing more, Your Majesty. I’ll accompany Florian for the time being."

Thorin left the king’s office, his plan in motion. As soon as he stepped out, he moved slowly, perking his ears to eavesdrop with his excellent canine hearing. If the king was worried about Florian and knew what might have happened, he would discuss it with his aide right after Thorin left.

And that was exactly what happened.

"I highly doubt it’s just an accident. The timing is uncanny. It happened right after my decision for Riona to join the Royal Guard. Do you think the nobles are behind this?" the king asked in a wary tone.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.