Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate-Chapter 148: You Don’t Mess with a Hangry Vampire

Riona was in a class all her own. Her moves were slicker, her powers were on another level, and her entire combat style was like watching a master class in ’How to Be Awesome.’

She’d even considered tapping into the Blood Moon’s power, just in case things went south, but it looked like she wouldn’t need the cosmic backup.

Morgan turned out to be even less of a challenge than Sir Orlo, who was basically the library’s resident with no real battle experience.

She might have had strength, but it was the kind of strength that only works if you’ve got a whole squad to back you up. This was a solo gig, and Morgan was left high and dry, with no team to swoop in and save her.

This was Riona’s playground—solo missions where ego really got to stretch its legs. And, as a bonus, she was using the fight as a live demo for the pups on real-world combat techniques.

She fired a tiny red arrow at Morgan, who tried to dodge by stepping back. But Riona was two steps ahead, aiming precisely where Morgan would land.

Turning to the pups, she said, "Remember, kids: Always keep your eyes open. When you’re flying solo, you’re your own best ally. No one else is going to have your back."

The pups nodded like they were attending a very intense preschool class, while their parents hovered in the background, ready to leap in at the first sign of real danger.

Not that there was any—this was more like a masterclass in how to make everyone else feel inadequate.

"You’re werewolves, so you better act like it. Use that sniffer for more than just finding food. Heighten your sense of smell and pick up on an attack before it even happens. It’ll be a game-changer," Riona said with a smirk.

Riona decided to dial it back, ditching her vampiric powers for her regular, overpowered physical abilities. She moved so fast that she practically became the stuff of legends.

The crowd only saw her when she chose to stop, and the frantic head-turning made it clear they had no clue where she’d gone half the time.

Most of the time, everyone just looked wildly confused, heads spinning like they were trying to catch a mosquito in the dark.

"Teamwork’s great and all," Riona said, sounding like she was about to start selling motivational books.

"But there will be moments when you’re completely on your own. So, what do you do? Cry? Give up? Absolutely not. You fight, and you thrive."

When Morgan finally got close enough to throw a punch, it wasn’t because of her skills. Nope, Riona was just feeling generous.

Morgan swung, and Riona barely shifted to the side like she was dodging a light breeze. She reappeared right behind Morgan and jabbed her elbow into Morgan’s neck with all the casualness of someone swatting a fly.

"Strength is cool, sure," Riona added, sounding like she was explaining basic math, "but the real trick is strategy. Spot their weaknesses and hit them where it hurts. Simple stuff."

Morgan dropped to the ground, panting and clutching her shoulder like it was about to fall off. She’d had a close call once, nearly dislocating that joint in a past fight. It worked fine now, but moments like this flared up the old injury.

"How did you... know?" Morgan groaned, like she was simultaneously in pain and annoyed.

Riona gave her a smug grin. "Oh, I don’t know, Morgan. Maybe I pay attention? You should try it sometime."

She approached Morgan, who instinctively threw her good arm over her face like she was bracing for a meteor strike. Classic Morgan, overdramatic as always.

But bulldozing a losing opponent wasn’t Riona’s style—at least, not today.

Instead, she slipped around behind Morgan and placed a hand on her arm. Instantly, warmth spread from Riona’s palm, and Morgan freaked out like a cat trapped in a bathtub, wriggling as if Riona was casting some dark spell.

"Calm down, drama queen. I’m not going to break you. I’m easing your pain." Riona shot the pups a wink, already shifting back into teacher mode.

"Now, kids, this little trick is totally off-limits in friendly matches. But in the real world, where people are actually trying to kill you? Use it all day long. Got it?"

"Yes!" The pups chorused, practically vibrating with enthusiasm at the thought of being future sneaky little combat geniuses.

"Okay, pop quiz: how do you spot someone’s weakness?" Riona asked, raising her arm like a teacher expecting a brilliant response.

And boy, did the pups deliver. Their answers ranged from reasonable to wildly off-base. One pup suggested a lack of smiling was a health issue. Seriously?

By that logic, Uncle Valentin should’ve vanished into dust years ago. The guy’s face hadn’t cracked a smile since the dawn of time, and he was still going strong, no problem.

"The real answer is simple," Riona said, shutting down the nonsense. "You watch them. Pay attention to how they move, where they flinch, and what they try to protect when you strike. Is it their arm? Their leg? If nothing seems off, target their eyes."

To demonstrate, she gently placed her hand over Morgan’s eyes, turning her into a very unwilling crash-test dummy.

"Blinding them gives you the upper hand—unless you’re fighting a werewolf. In that case, go for their sense of smell first. You have a bigger chance to win if your opponent loses their greatest asset."

Morgan, for her part, could only crouch down there, utterly defeated, while the pups nodded eagerly as if they were soaking up the most valuable lesson of their lives.

Riona approached the pups, hands behind her back like she was leading a field trip. Morgan saw her opening.

Sure, jumping now might endanger the children, but victory was worth the risk, right? Without hesitation, she lunged.

But of course, Riona, being Riona, casually spun around just in time. Parents freaked out, frantically trying to scoop their kids to safety, while Riona had already relocated, smirking like she’d done this a thousand times.

Morgan was hurled several feet through the air. Her attempt to strike was not just dodged but completely reversed on her. In a blink, she went from predator to prey, finding herself the one under attack rather than delivering it.

She coughed, pressing her chest to ease the pain. Riona must have hit her there, but she didn’t even realize when it happened.

A neat row of glowing red arrows popped up in front of the pups, forming an emergency barrier—Riona’s version of ’childproofing.’

"Everyone okay?" Riona asked casually.

"Yeah!" the kids screamed in unison, immediately trying to poke the arrows. Their parents, thankfully, swooped in like they had years of experience with terrible ideas.

"Good move, not letting them touch those," Riona said with a grin. "They sting. But feel free to stay behind it—it’ll keep you safe. I’ll clean up my mess later."

That would make a great ending, wouldn’t it? A happy wrap-up like this? But Morgan wasn’t having it.

While Riona was busy with the kids, Morgan quietly got back on her feet and crept toward her from behind, completely out of sight. This time, there was no way Riona could dodge.