Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate-Chapter 147: Unshaken, Unbothered, and Totally Ready to Win

The pups went wild. They rolled around, stormed toward Riona, and shrieked as if they were in the misery of an overdose of fun.

They tugged at Riona’s sleeves and skirt, bounced off her shoulders, and even tried to use her head as a trampoline, all while pestering her to spill her secrets.

Riona, feeling like the coolest vampire on the block, casually brushed a non-existent speck of dust off her nose with a smug grin.

"Sorry, kiddos, but that’s a top-secret vampire-only trick. However, I might be able to teach you some other killer moves if you’re nice."

She had completely forgotten her earlier plan to smash anything in sight to blow off steam. Just minutes ago, she had sworn not to follow Thorin’s plan of sharing her fighting techniques.

But the pups’ adoration was like a mood booster shot straight to her ego. Suddenly, all her destructive impulses seemed to vanish, replaced by a warm, fuzzy feeling of self-satisfaction.

Riona had the pups line up, ready to dish out her next set of instructions. But before she could get started, Morgan, with her usual flair for drama, decided to make a scene.

"What’s going on, Thorin? Are you out of your mind? You’re letting a vampire teach the pups? Next thing you know, they’ll be sprouting fangs and craving blood like her!" she snapped, flailing her arms as if trying to ward off a particularly annoying mosquito.

Riona couldn’t help but burst into laughter, though she managed to suppress a smirk. "Relax, Miss Thin Eyebrows. I don’t even have fangs, so it’s pretty much impossible for me to teach them how to be bloodsuckers."

Morgan immediately went on the defensive, tracing her eyebrows with a finger as if they were some kind of misunderstood art form.

"These are the latest trend! What do you know about fashion and beauty?" she snapped, her eyes darting around like she was looking for a makeup guru to back her up.

Morgan looked like she might burst into tears at any second, but Riona’s sympathy was decidedly on the ’not quite’ side. With a sigh, she turned her back on Morgan and crouched to begin teaching the pups.

"Alright, let’s get this show on the road," Thorin announced, trying to steer things back on track. "Anyone who wants a one-on-one with Riona can come see me. I’ll sort out the schedule."

Morgan, grinding her teeth, couldn’t resist the opportunity to make a scene. "I want to challenge the Snob!" she declared as if it were the grand finale of a reality show.

Thorin’s expression turned as cold and hard as a glacier. He knew exactly who Morgan was referring to, but he wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction of acknowledging it.

With the kind of firmness that could crack concrete, he demanded, "Who is this ’Snob,’ Morgan? Care to enlighten me?"

Morgan sensed Thorin’s barely contained rage, and she looked a bit nervous. But she was not about to back down.

Charna stepped in with a shaky smile, hoping to defuse the situation. "It’s just a silly joke, Thorin. No need to get all worked up—"

"A silly joke?" Thorin spun on her, eyes blazing with a fury that suggested he might spontaneously combust. "So, making fun of people with ridiculous nicknames is your idea of comedy? Delightful."

He then turned his scorching gaze back to Morgan. "Would you prefer I start calling you ’Thin Eyebrows’ instead? I hear it’s all the rage in certain circles."

Riona stiffened, her eyes widening. She had indeed mentally labeled Morgan as Queen Thin Eyebrows, but it had always been a private joke in her head.

Now, it felt like Thorin’s words had accidentally dragged her into an awkward spotlight. She wasn’t sure whether to laugh, cry, or just disappear into the nearest wall.

"Thorin, I think it’s really okay," Riona muttered, her conscience feeling like it was being repeatedly stabbed.

"Of course, it’s not okay!" Thorin exploded, his face looking like it might catch fire.

Riona thought, Oh boy, I need to make sure he can’t read minds. This could get awkward.

"No, really..." she tried to interject, but Thorin was having none of it.

His mission to publicly roast Morgan seemed unshakeable, and Morgan was now visibly shrinking under the collective gaze of her peers. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

Now everyone was pointing fingers at her and calling her a bully, which was ironic given that Riona herself had a quietly simmering vendetta against Morgan—though she kept it to herself.

"Thorin, come on," Puck chimed in, swooping in like a reluctant hero. "Morgan, if you know you’ve messed up, just apologize and quit with the petty stuff. You’re not in kindergarten anymore."

Morgan squirmed, clearly torn between her stubborn pride and the realization she was cornered. She shuffled over to Riona, squeezing her hands as if she was about to hand over a family heirloom.

Riona cut her off before she could utter a word. "Save it. I’ll take the challenge. I don’t do the whole backing-down thing. If I win, you apologize and stop bugging me with your endless whining. If you win, I’ll do whatever you want."

Riona had a pretty good idea of what Morgan wanted—her to pack her bags and leave Wintertooth. But leaving was about as appealing to her as a root canal, and she was not about to hand Morgan that victory.

But a battle was a battle, no matter where it happened, and Riona had a flawless record.

She was a seasoned fighter, having bested Lisbeth, the princess of Eira, and she was pretty sure nobody here could top that.

She was confident she could hold her ground and keep her spot, while maybe making her stay here a lot less miserable.

Morgan growled, her lips curling in disgust. She’d rather wrestle a pack of angry squirrels than agree with Riona, but it was either this or grovel in apology.

Plus, winning this fight meant she could finally boot the vampire out of Wintertooth—an opportunity she wasn’t about to pass up.

"You heard her. You can’t make me—" Morgan’s bravado trailed off when she noticed Thorin’s face, which had gone from ’mildly irritated’ to ’one bad mood away from transforming into a full-on storm.’

"Calm down, Alpha. I’ll handle this fair and square. We wouldn’t want anyone spreading rumors that you forced her into an apology, would we? You know me—I never lose," Riona said with a grin so wide it might have broken her face.

Yes, that was right. This was Riona, the girl Thorin had a ’special admiration’ for—cough, cough. The reason she had his attention was her strength. And what better way to flaunt that than with a good old-fashioned showdown?

Riona was ready to win and silence all the doubters. After all, in the world of werewolves, strength was the ultimate currency. It’s how they picked their Alphas, and she was about to make a very large deposit.