Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate-Chapter 264: A Brilliantly Awful Plan

From that moment on, everything spiraled downward.

Roderick had expected the emperor to use a little cunning, maybe even some morally questionable tactics, to unite the vampire kingdoms. Nothing too crazy—just the usual political backstabbing, a bit of strategic deception, maybe a well-placed bribe or two.

Yet, he had believed the cause to be noble, even benevolent. He had hoped that unification would uplift the less prosperous kingdoms, offering them better living conditions and a brighter future.

In his mind, Kaan’s intentions had been pure, driven by the good of their kind.

It was only natural to assume an emperor would act in the best interest of his people. But Roderick had overlooked one crucial flaw—Kaan’s utter lack of empathy. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

Everything the emperor had ever done had served only his own ambitions. And Roderick, in his naivety, had foolishly believed that for his people, Kaan might be different.

It didn’t take long for Roderick to realize just how wrong he had been.

"Should I send a messenger to Eira and inform them of our intention to meet with the Blood Moon child?" Roderick suggested.

In Roderick’s rational mind—where things like common courtesy and basic diplomacy existed—the obvious course of action was to notify King Valentin of their arrival.

That way, they could prepare the Blood Moon child, sit down like civilized beings, and start discussing how to use their power to, well... fix the world. If all went according to plan, they might even manage to sort things out before another century dragged by.

But of course, Kaan turned to him with a look of utter disbelief, as if Roderick had just suggested they send a chest of gold and a handwritten apology for the inconvenience.

"They might not even know about the Blood Moon child yet. Why should I tell them?" he sneered.

...Was that a real question? Oh, so the great and mighty Kaan is capable of missing the obvious, Roderick mused, now pitying the emperor for the first time in his life.

"An advance notice would ensure smoother negotiations for an alliance, Your Majesty. If we appear unannounced—"

"Alliance?" Kaan cut him off, his voice dripping with disdain. He eyed Roderick the way one might look at a particularly audacious cockroach. "Did I say anything about an alliance?"

"Pardon? But, Your Majesty, a forceful approach could lead to... a war." Roderick carefully picked his words, treading as lightly as possible.

"Forgive me for overstepping, but igniting a war against Eira—" He very intentionally avoided mentioning King Valentin, because bruising Kaan’s ego was about as smart as poking a sleeping dragon. "—would have devastating consequences for our empire."

Kaan, predictably, looked utterly unfazed. "There are many ways to achieve one’s goals, Roderick. Violence is one. Threats are another."

Roderick barely stopped himself from adding, And diplomacy! Diplomacy is a fantastic one too, in case you’ve ever heard of it. But before he could decide whether he valued his life enough to stay silent, Kaan hit him with something far worse.

"The best way, of course, is a political marriage."

Roderick blinked.

Well. That was... definitely not where he thought this was going. He had braced for bloodshed, possibly a dramatic monologue about power, maybe a light bit of arson. But marriage?

"How do you know the Blood Moon child will be female?" Roderick asked. No, that wasn’t even the first question that had been eating away at him. "How do you even know the Blood Moon child is already born—and in Eira?"

A Blood Moon child typically finds out their fate after they hit a certain age—much like discovering the shocking truth of their royal heritage or an ancient family secret.

Of course, some people with way too many connections in the spiritual realms might catch wind of the child’s identity before they do.

Kaan didn’t respond. Instead, he turned to Roderick and smiled. It was a smile so perfect it could’ve belonged to a statue—but Roderick could see the menace lurking beneath it. A smile that said, I know something you don’t, and I’m not sharing.

Roderick’s stomach churned.

"Don’t tell me..."

***

A week had passed, and Riona still hadn’t woken up.

Meanwhile, Warren Zacharia had sent yet another human messenger to demand the exact time Thorin would meet with him. But with Riona still in her indefinite nap, Thorin wasn’t about to make promises he couldn’t keep.

Instead, he decided to meet with his uncle first, dragging Puck along for moral support.

So now, they were standing in front of a tavern. Thorin had his arms crossed, while Puck leaned his back on the wall. Both of them looked chill, despite the attention they attracted. Not because they were werewolves, but more because of Thorin’s handsome face.

And that was how they found themselves standing in front of a tavern.

Thorin stood with his arms crossed, exuding effortless confidence, while Puck leaned lazily against the wall, looking as if he had all the time in the world. They both appeared relaxed—despite the attention they were attracting.

Not because they were werewolves.

No, the real reason was Thorin’s unparalleled good looks.

The Alpha soaked it in, basking in the silent admiration. Yes. Yes, this is how it should be. He was the one whose face was whispered about across the continent, the one whose jawline could probably cut glass.

Not that delicate, pale creature with the annoyingly perfect silver hair. Seriously, what was that about? Did he bathe in liquid stardust? Unfair.

Just as Thorin was deep into this highly important train of thought, a small hand yanked on his shirt, snapping him out of his well-deserved self-appreciation.

"Are you Thorin Zacharia?" a small voice piped up.

Thorin looked down to see a young boy staring up at him, wide-eyed, craning his neck like he was meeting a legend. Which, to be fair, he was.

Thorin smirked. "Are you my uncle’s minion?" he shot back, because why not mess with the kid a little?

The boy, entirely unfazed, simply replied, "He’s waiting for you." Then, with no hesitation, he kept holding onto Thorin’s shirt and attempted to drag him forward.

Thorin, who could have broken free with less effort than it took to blink, chose not to. Instead, he let himself be tugged along by this tiny, fearless human—silently impressed by the sheer audacity.

Meanwhile, Puck was having the time of his life watching a child physically escort the mighty Alpha like an impatient nanny.

***

Thorin hadn’t expected a warm, emotional reunion—but he also hadn’t expected this.

Sitting across from his uncle, he listened in stunned silence as Warren Zacharia unraveled a tale so unbelievable that Thorin was starting to wonder if sleep deprivation had finally caught up with him.

Not just the incident with Riona and after—oh no, that was just the appetizer. The real madness had started long before that.

"And you’re telling me he did all of that? Alone? By himself?" Thorin blurted out, blinking in disbelief.

Because, honestly? He was going to need a moment to process this level of insanity.