Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate-Chapter 266: Not a Puppet, Never a Tool

Uncle Warren hadn’t expected his story to be this riveting. Sure, Thorin was mildly intrigued by the mystery of who wiped an entire werewolf family off the map, but what really got his attention was the mention of the vampire emperor.

"Do you know him?" Uncle Warren asked, his voice laced with suspicion. Doubt began to creep into his mind.

What if his nephew had been working with the emperor to take down the Zachs? It wasn’t the craziest theory—after all, the Zacharia had plenty of juicy gossip about Thorin’s little vampire romance, how he’d smuggled his undead sweetheart and her brother into his sanctuary.

"Know him?" Thorin scoffed so hard he almost choked. "Oh sure, we grab coffee every Sunday and braid each other’s hair."

He rolled his eyes. "Are you serious? That delicate little leech? It’s an insult to even suggest I associate with him."

Then his irritation morphed into alarm. "He’s up to something shady with Riona. I knew he was sketchy! I knew he was pulling some weird vampire nonsense!"

He turned sharply to Puck, his concern mounting. "Do you think she’ll be all right?"

Puck, who had seen this brand of melodrama before, remained unfazed. "She’ll be fine. She’s recovering with the Strays." Then his expression darkened. "What I’m really worried about is Florian. I have a bad feeling the emperor has plans for him—or worse, he’ll use him for his own gain."

"What’s going on?" Uncle Warren asked, looking around like he had just walked into the middle of a scandal.

While Thorin was too tangled up in his own jealousy to think straight, Puck was focused on the bigger picture—on what this all meant for the world.

"Why did he show up at your castle? And what was he doing with Nina?" Puck pressed.

A memory flickered in his mind—hazy but definitely suspicious. A ridiculously over-the-top golden carriage had rolled into the royal palace of Eira just as he and Riona were leaving.

And because the universe loved dramatic callbacks, that same carriage had later appeared in the forest of the Strays, out of which stepped Emperor Kaan, looking as shady as ever.

Whatever he had been up to with Nina, was it tied to Riona? To the whole ’Blood Moon child’ situation? To the actual demon possessing Florian? Because if so, maybe—just maybe—sending the emperor back to Eira ahead of them was a spectacularly bad idea.

***

Warren Zacharia wasn’t entirely lying. While everyone else was busting their asses cleaning up, he had, in fact, tried to help—just in the most efficient way possible.

What he hadn’t mentioned to his nephew or the ever-snarky Howl was that his search for physicians had been conducted from a very comfortable distance.

Meaning, he had rounded up a group of able-bodied werewolves, handed them the task, and called it leadership. Frankly, it was far more efficient than running around town himself.

With that sorted, he took on the all-important role of supervisor—which was when he saw him.

The emperor.

Waltzing into the castle like he was gracing them with his presence.

Alone.

Which was both staggeringly bold and impressively condescending. A single vampire strolling into the stronghold of the most powerful werewolf family? Oh, the disrespect.

Most people quaked at the mere sight of the dark gates of the Zacharia estate. Yet this silver-haired bloodsucker strutted in as if the werewolves were nothing more than decorative inconveniences—things to step over on his way to whatever arrogant nonsense he had planned.

No fear. No hesitation. Just pure, unbothered arrogance.

"The hell is a vampire doing here?"

Sullivan stepped forward, blocking his path, looking like he was seconds away from punching this pretty vampire. His veins bulged, his jaw was clenched so tight it could shatter a boulder, and his fists were ready. A true warrior. A protector of his kin.

...Completely unaware that he was hilariously outmatched.

"Your fellow vampire caused this mess, and you have the nerve to show your face here?" Sullivan practically spat, barely stopping himself from doing so literally.

The emperor, unfazed, took a slow, deliberate look around—hands clasped behind his back, every inch of him casually disrespectful. Then, just when the silence stretched long enough to sting, he smirked.

"She spared you," he said smoothly. "You might want to keep that in mind."

"What did you just say?!"

Sullivan lunged forward, fully prepared to introduce his fist to the emperor’s very punchable face. But before he could land a hit, a hand shot out and caught his wrist mid-air.

"You really don’t want to do that, Brother," Nina said calmly.

Despite the way Sullivan was practically vibrating with rage, breathing hotly against her neck like an angry bull, she barely acknowledged him.

Instead, she moved past him and strode into the shattered hall with an air of effortless grace—as if it hadn’t just been reduced to rubble, as if the shattered columns and debris were just part of the decor.

"Let’s talk inside."

She positioned herself by the door while the emperor, smug as ever, stepped into the chamber without hesitation. Before following, Nina paused, her fingers tightening around the handle as she locked eyes with Sullivan.

"Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t even think about it." Her voice left no room for argument. "Help the others. I’ll handle this. Trust me."

With that, she stepped inside, pulling the door shut behind her.

Now, at least this chamber had a door, so technically, they had privacy.

Technically.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t that soundproof. Because sometime during their oh-so-secret conversation, Warren happened to pass by—and heard voices from inside.

To be clear, he hadn’t meant to eavesdrop.

One, because nothing good ever came from it. If Nina found out, his survival rate would plummet instantly. Two, because he had no desire to get sucked into yet another complicated mess.

So, really, he was all set to walk away.

Until he heard that.

"I only did it because you said you could bring Daciana back to life!"

And just like that, minding his own business was no longer an option.

Inside, Nina’s voice was sharp, unwavering. "This isn’t a partnership. And I have never been your puppet or some tool for you to get what you want. Never was. Never will be."

"But you never actually accomplished anything I told you to," the vampire shot back.

"You requested, not told," Nina corrected with a dry smile. "I don’t work for you." She tilted her head, considering it for a moment. "Well, I almost did—twice. And yet, you so kindly interfered."

The emperor remained calm, his tone unchanged. "I did not interfere the second time."

Nina raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So you’re admitting you killed Remus and that vampire princess, then?"