Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate-Chapter 335: Break the Curse, Not the Bones

Had the knights not been brainwashed just weeks earlier, Ulysses’ sharp question might have snapped some of them back to their senses.

But their minds had been wired to trust the emperor without question. Emperor Kaan had etched a single truth into their consciousness: the enemy—the elders and the vampires of Eira—could not be trusted.

Now, nothing could shake their loyalty. They wouldn’t budge.

"They’re trying to mess with your minds!" one of the veteran knights shouted, desperate to keep his comrades loyal.

Ulysses glanced at Madam Silvia, who slowly shook her head. "It’s no use," she said. "They can’t hear us."

It wasn’t just the two of them trying to break through Emperor Kaan’s lies. Even Griswold—the aggressive one, the one everyone assumed would strike down any vampire without hesitation—was trying to reason with the knights of Asvaldur.

None of it worked.

The awakened knights roared their battle cries, rallying their brothers to fight. Their morale was unshakable. They stood tall, confident—like men who hadn’t just crawled out of a paralyzing nightmare.

They believed, with unwavering conviction, that they were serving justice by destroying the incoming enemies.

Understanding the elders’ true intentions—and being as morally grounded as he was—Sir Kai also stepped forward to reason with the Asvaldur knights. Sir Orlo joined him, hoping his wisdom might cut through the fog of their delusion and draw them back to reality.

Meanwhile, Riona’s thoughts were elsewhere.

Her eyes kept drifting toward the castle. From her perspective, it was already swallowed whole by the creeping dark mist. In truth, a few parts of the structure remained untouched—but only just.

The devouring was not yet complete. But it would be. Very soon.

Lost in thoughts of her brother and whatever horrors were unfolding inside the castle, Riona barely noticed something whip past her face—so close it nearly struck her nose. But it missed. Just barely.

While her focus was elsewhere, a woken vampire had locked onto her and fired a burst of energy. Thorin, watching from a distance, saw it in time. He lunged, crashing into the attacker and knocking him off aim. The energy blast went wide.

"Riona, are you alright?" Thorin shouted, subduing the vampire on the ground. Then, when he saw that the knight was raising his hand at Riona, Thorin punched the vampire’s arm, breaking his bones.

"Riona, are you alright?" Thorin shouted as he wrestled the vampire to the ground.

He spotted the knight trying to raise his arm again—and drove his fist straight into it, snapping the bone with a sickening crack. The vampire screamed.

To be sure the threat was neutralized, Thorin crushed the other arm too. The vampire would eventually recover—regeneration was in their nature—but Thorin hoped it would take long enough to keep Riona safe in the meantime.

Riona opened her mouth to respond, but something behind her made her instincts flare. She shifted quickly to the right, catching a glimpse of movement from the corner of her eye. Without hesitation, she spun, grabbed the figure by the shoulder, and shoved them hard in the chest.

It was another Asvaldur vampire—this one still lost in the nightmare. A noblewoman.

The vampire slammed to the ground, and a cascade of rubble collapsed over her midsection. Riona was certain her internal organs were crushed. But the vampire’s limbs still flailed wildly, animated not by consciousness, but by the poison mist that had turned them all into hollow, soulless puppets.

Riona...

She spun around. Someone had just called her—she was sure of it. But Thorin was busy fending off a fresh wave of vampires, and Puck was too far for his voice to sound that clear in her ear.

Riona...

There it was again.

Heart pounding, Riona scanned her surroundings, shoving aside any vampire that lunged at her—whether still lost in the nightmare or fully awake.

Help me...

Her brow furrowed. Now she understood.

It wasn’t the voice of someone who had come with her to Asvaldur. No—it belonged to someone already here. Someone who had been waiting for her.

It was Florian.

"Flo! Florian!" Riona shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos as she fought her way through the crowd of vampires. They clawed at her from every direction, but with a single sweep of her arm, she sent them flying. Still, they kept coming—relentless and hungry.

From above, Emperor Kaan watched the scene unfold. With a simple motion of his hand, he redirected the tide. More vampires turned their attention toward Riona. The possessed ones abandoned their previous targets and surged toward her like a wave drawn by command.

The sudden shift sent a jolt through Thorin. Alarmed, the Alpha leapt into action, landing beside her in a blur, shielding her from a blind spot she hadn’t noticed. At the same time, Puck fought his way toward the center, carving a path through the chaos. His efforts paid off—more Eiran vampires began flooding in behind him to support Riona.

Lisbeth, bloodied and bruised, staggered toward Riona, her breath ragged but her eyes burning with fire.

"Go," she said. "Find your brother. Save him—and kill that demon. We’ll handle these cockroaches."

A surge of gratitude washed over Riona. She gave a firm nod and turned to run—but Lisbeth grabbed her arm.

"Oh—and Riona," she added, voice low and full of spite, "make it hurt. I can’t take my revenge myself... so don’t let it be too comfortable for him."

Riona’s lips curled into a fierce smile. "Don’t you know me by now? I’m not exactly known for being benevolent."

She launched herself toward the castle, a blur of motion, and landed squarely in the courtyard. It had taken a monumental effort from her comrades to get her there.

Every fighter from Eira—especially those who knew Riona personally—held the line, forming an unbreakable wall around the gate. They fought tooth and nail, shielding her path from the possessed Asvaldur vampires trying to break through.

Inside the castle gate, a few of the emperor’s puppets waited, but they were no real threat. Riona—or the werewolves at her side—could drive them away with ease.

What truly gnawed at her was something else entirely.

Riona, help me...

"I’m coming, Florian," she whispered, her voice tight with emotion. "I swear I’m coming for you."

She didn’t know if he could hear her. Didn’t know if the words would reach him. But she hoped. She hoped they would carry her promise through whatever darkness held him.

They crossed the threshold.

As Riona stepped onto the castle floor, her foot sank into the swirling dark mist—and vanished. The fog curled around her like something alive, swallowing the tips of her boots as if trying to claim her.

She took a steadying breath, heart pounding, and moved forward. One step... then another.

And just like that, she disappeared into the darkness.