Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate-Chapter 282: Puppet Master or Just a Pretty Puppet?

"Ugh!" Nina struggled to rise, gritting her teeth as pain flared through her body. But she wouldn’t stay down. She turned sharply, sprang to her feet, and charged at the emperor once more—hands raised like a beast ready to tear into its prey.

Too bad Emperor Kaan was about as rippable as a steel wall.

"Oh, does that hurt?" he drawled, faux sympathy dripping from his voice. The smirk on his face made it clear—he wasn’t even trying to be convincing.

Nina spat thick, red blood onto the ground, gripping her stomach like she was holding in her own intestines. Honestly, it felt like she might be. But she wasn’t about to show it. Showing pain was the fastest way to losing, and she’d rather die than give him the satisfaction.

Instead, she sneered, her expression all but screaming, Oh, I see what you’re doing, you smug little jerk.

"You’re immortal, but you’re not numb to pain. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten what it feels like to be slammed into a wall. Want a reminder? I’ll be happy to oblige."

Without waiting for his royal response, she swung again—fists flying, fueled purely by spite and the undeniable urge to make him hurt for once.

For a moment, it almost worked. Almost.

Unfortunately, Emperor Kaan wanted her to think that. He was playing along, like a cat letting a mouse believe it had a shot at escape. freewebnoveℓ.com

In reality, her movements were slower—both from her earlier injuries and the fresh wound he’d gifted her. She was running on sheer determination, and as impressive as that was, it didn’t magically make her his equal.

Not even close.

He dodged every strike with ease—until one finally grazed him. Not enough to hurt, but enough to leave a mark. Nina’s claws skimmed across his arm, not drawing blood, but definitely ruining his outfit.

"Well, looks like I’ll have to increase the compensation amount," Emperor Kaan muttered, almost to himself, though loud enough for Nina to hear.

Nina wiped the blood from the corner of her lips, every nerve in her body screaming in protest. She could feel the damage—her insides were practically jelly at this point. If she pushed any further, she might actually drop dead right here and now.

But would that stop her? Absolutely not. Giving up wasn’t even in Nina’s vocabulary.

She lifted her head, eyes blazing. "I always knew you weren’t the genius everyone claims you are." The words dripped with venom, each syllable sharpened to cut. If she couldn’t wound his body, she’d go for his pride. "You’re not the perfect golden child you like to think you are."

Emperor Kaan stared at her like she’d just started speaking in riddles—or like he was trying to figure out if she’d hit her head too hard. What was this crazy werewolf thinking? Had the injuries scrambled her brain, or was she always this unhinged?

Noticing the unspoken question in his gaze, Nina smirked. She knew exactly what he was thinking. And she was about to make it worse.

She hadn’t planned on revealing this particular secret—not to protect him, and certainly not to use as blackmail. No, she had kept it to herself because exposing it meant inviting an even bigger problem.

But hey, if she was already on death’s doorstep, might as well knock.

"You do realize you didn’t accomplish all those big, shiny achievements on your own, right, Kaan?" She didn’t bother with formalities—werewolves didn’t care for royal titles, and she sure as hell wasn’t about to start now.

Emperor Kaan’s eyebrow arched, his curiosity sharpening.

She tilted her head, her grin all teeth. "She helped you, didn’t she? That Nightblight woman?"

Boom. Direct hit.

For the first time, the ever-composed Emperor Kaan flinched. His eyes widened, and for the briefest moment, his lips twitched—just enough to betray him before he schooled his face back into neutrality.

Normally, his poker face was legendary. He could out-bluff the gods themselves. But now it was slipping—like a poorly tied mask threatening to fall right off.

And Nina? Oh, she was enjoying this.

"How did I know? Oh, I have my sources," Nina said, flashing a smug grin.

In reality, she’d just picked up scraps of gossip, half-baked rumors, and a few well-placed observations. No one had outright told her that some mysterious Nightblight woman had been the one secretly propping up the mighty Emperor Kaan.

But judging by the way he tensed up?

She was dead right.

"I was right, wasn’t I?" she pressed, her voice dripping with mockery. "You’re nothing. A fraud, pretending to be someone important. Just imagine, Kaan—what if the world found out? Their beloved emperor, their envied superior ruler, was never the mastermind. That all this time, someone else fed you the answers, handed you power, and made you look like the one wielding it."

She had suspected it. But now, seeing the cracks forming in his usually unreadable face, she knew she’d hit the mark.

She leaned in slightly, voice dropping to a whisper, just for the final twist of the knife.

"You might be a great puppet master. But isn’t it ironic? You’re the most pitiful puppet of all."

That did it.

Emperor Kaan’s entire face snapped. Gone was the smug arrogance, the effortless control. He didn’t even bother pretending anymore. For the first time, he let his true self show: the raw, ugly bitterness he had buried even from himself.

His fists clenched, his eyes darkened, and in just a few strides, he closed the distance between them.

"That bitch came to me!" he spat, his voice laced with fury. "She chose me!"

BAM!

His palm met Nina’s face with a brutal smack. But this wasn’t the usual, calculated cruelty. He didn’t pause to savor her pain, didn’t wait for her reaction.

He was too caught up in his own unraveling.

"She entered my life," he raged, fists curling against his chest, "and told me I was destined for something greater!"

His posture twisted, his body curling like some tragic stage actor mid-monologue—pure, dramatic agony.

"You’re wrong."

Emperor Kaan straightened, shaking his head as if trying to silence a voice only he could hear. His expression flickered—denial, desperation, something close to panic.

"No, you’re wrong. I’m not useless. I’m great. I’m powerful."

He stretched out his hands, staring at his palms as if they alone could prove the truth. He could feel the power coursing through him, pulsing in his veins like liquid fire. It was his. It had always been his.

No one had given him this strength. No one had made him.

With a snarl, he lifted an arm and unleashed a blast of raw energy straight at Nina. She barely had time to react before the force slammed into her, sending her skidding across the broken ground.

Kaan smirked, watching the carnage. There. Proof. Nina was a crumpled mess, and he was still standing. What else did he need?

His power was real. Her words were nothing but pathetic, desperate lies.

"See? I am powerful. It’s me. It’s always been me."

In a flash, he closed the distance between them, grabbing her by the head and slamming it into the cracked floor. The already cracked ground, courtesy of Riona’s earlier explosion, took another beating.

He leaned in close, his breath hot against her ear. "You’re just too stupid to see the truth."

Nina, barely conscious, fought to keep her one good eye open. The other was swollen shut, blood trickling down her face from where the jagged ground had cut her.

She wanted to speak, to throw one last taunt in his face—Oh wow, you can punch people—what a unique and special little snowflake you are.

But her strength was slipping. And honestly, she was tired.

Kaan kicked her onto her back, forcing her to face him. He needed her to see him. He needed to know that she knew he was a big, scary, all-powerful emperor and not some loser who got gifted his throne like a rich kid with a trust fund.

He loomed over her, eyes wild, chest rising and falling with ragged breaths.

"You were lying!"

Those were the last words Nina heard before everything went dark.