Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate-Chapter 132: Locked Mysteries

"Do you feel that?" Emperor Kaan murmured, his voice low as if trying to catch something in the air.

"Feel what, Your Majesty?"

The aide glanced around nervously, then closed his eyes, trying to sense what the emperor meant. But nothing came to him—his powers were far too weak to catch something so subtle.

Emperor Kaan’s eyes fell on a large tapestry showing ravens, the symbol of the Kingdom of Eira. He extended his hand. His fingertips brushed over the rough fabric as he scowled.

"There’s something here," he said. He stepped closer, inspecting the tapestry more carefully. It was more than mere decoration—that much was certain. He could feel it.

Without hesitation, the emperor seized the edge of the tapestry and ripped it from the wall. Dust billowed as the fabric crumpled to the floor, revealing a hidden door.

"A door? Why would they hide a door?" the aide blurted out, surprised.

Emperor Kaan pressed against the door and tried to push it open, but it wouldn’t budge. He heard the soft clink of steel—it was locked. Odd. The lock seemed to be on the inside. Could someone be living behind the door?

He narrowed his eyes, thinking. He could easily force the door open with his power, but such an act would send the wrong message. It would be seen as a clear act of aggression and could spark conflict between his empire and this kingdom.

King Valentin had been cold and distant from the start. If Emperor Kaan resorted to violence within these walls, his entire plan could fall apart.

No, he needed official permission to investigate whatever was hidden behind this door. He was an emperor—his request must be respected.

"Arrange an audience with the king," he ordered, then turned to leave. He paused halfway across the room with his sharp eyes flicking back to the fallen tapestry, now crumpled on the floor.

"And fix that," he added coldly. "We don’t need the entire palace knowing we’re aware of it."

He couldn’t be sure if King Valentin knew of the hidden door behind the tapestry. Hidden rooms were hardly unusual in places like this, where power and secrecy often coexisted.

But this door was different—it radiated an unsettling aura.

If it were just another hidden room, Emperor Kaan might not have cared. But he sensed something ominous coming from it. There were signs of dark magic. Someone, perhaps even the king, had used it in that room.

Dark magic always leaves traces, even if they’re faint. Not every vampire can detect them, as shown by the emperor’s aide’s ignorance.

But Emperor Kaan was no ordinary vampire. His power ran deep, enabling him to sense even the faintest remnants of dark magic.

And if his suspicions were correct—if those dark forces were still at play—he couldn’t afford to stand idle.

***

It couldn’t be helped that Charna’s relationship with Riona had not improved.

For starters, Riona tended to view all werewolves the same, except for the group that brought her to Wintertooth. This attitude created a barrier that kept vampires like Charna from breaking into Riona’s tight-knit circle.

On the other hand, Charna hesitated to approach Riona directly, partly because she still had feelings for Thorin.

Despite knowing she should move on and accepting that hope was futile, years of emotions don’t vanish overnight. Charna was trying to let go, but it was a slow process. freewebnøvel.coɱ

Charna knocked on Riona’s door but got no response after several attempts. Deciding Riona wasn’t in her room, Charna thought of where else she might be.

She headed to Florian’s room and found Riona sitting right outside his door. Charna stepped onto the left side of the path to let Riona know she was coming.

When Riona noticed Charna’s approach, she looked up.

"Is he still not answering the door?" Charna asked, trying to sound casual.

Sensing no immediate threat, Riona’s tense shoulders relaxed. Although she didn’t like werewolves, Charna was the one she’d choose to interact with if she had to.

"Yeah," Riona said shortly, then looked down at her toes. The sun was high, and she was shaded by the tall palm trees lined up in front of the huts.

Charna took a deep breath, readying herself. "Um... there’s a big hunt coming up. It’s where we all go to a specific forest and hunt game."

She noticed Riona’s lack of interest and wasn’t sure if Riona was even listening, but continued anyway. "The game will provide enough food for us through the entire winter next month."

Riona’s expression remained unchanged. Charna added, "Perhaps you don’t know yet, but winter here lasts a month, and it’s quite harsh. The animals are gone, and the plants are dead."

Taking another deep breath, Charna finally got to the point. "I’m inviting you and your brother to join the hunt."

Riona leaned back, pulled her hood over her face, and tilted her chin up. "He won’t even open his door for me. What makes you think he’ll be thrilled to join your little treasure hunt?"

Her frustration was clear, and Charna couldn’t blame her. But she was caught in a difficult position.

"I get that it’s tough," Charna said, "but we all have to join in the hunt. It’s essential for us to work together as a community to build our homes and our lives."

Riona wasn’t clueless. She might ignore the snide comments and gossip behind her back, but she knew exactly what people were saying.

To the werewolves, she was a textbook snob, a fact they made abundantly clear with the delightful nickname they’d given her.

When Thorin insisted she make an effort, it just underscored how spectacularly she had been failing at the whole blending-in thing.

With a dramatic sigh—because nothing was more thrilling than forced social obligations—she silently cursed the overly enthusiastic werewolves.

"Alright. No promises, though," she declared as if agreeing to join the circus.

"Fantastic! See you later, then. Let me know if you’re running out of blood. I’ll place another order. And hey, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can join us for dinner. We do have a few non-raw options, believe it or not."

It was a real shame, Riona thought. Under different circumstances, she and Charna might have been friends. As it was, Charna was a friendship goldmine compared to Lisbeth.