Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate-Chapter 140: The Power of Love, Minus the Power

Finding this witch was like tracking down a unicorn, and getting to Hoas was a workout in itself. None of the werewolves were about to let their sweat and sore feet go to waste now.

Thorin dug into his bosom—because where else would you keep your cash?—and pulled out a hefty bag of coins. He dropped it on the table with a flourish. "A hundred coins."

Elenwen’s eyes widened so much they almost popped out. The jingle of the coins was like music to her ears. She reached for it like a kid reaching for candy, but Thorin yanked it back.

"Hold your horses," he said. "You answer our questions first. If we’re happy with your answers, you get the whole bag. If not, you only get the thirty coins you initially asked for."

The old lady’s eyebrows knitted together as if trying to decode a riddle. Zane jumped in, trying to sweeten the deal. "You heard the clink. We’ve got more than enough to cover the thirty coins in that bag."

Elenwen weighed her options, clicking her tongue like she was savoring the taste of the deal. After a dramatic pause, she finally said, "Fine, do it your way."

She figured it was a win-win: answer the questions right and get a bonus, or settle for the measly thirty coins if she didn’t. Either way, she was getting something out of this circus.

"First things first," Thorin began, "how did you know we’re here for the Blood Moon child?"

Elenwen looked genuinely offended as if they’d suggested she didn’t know her own age. She huffed and replied, "What do you take me for, kid? I’ve got knowledge that’s older than my great-great-grandmothers. I’ve had so many nosy folks asking about the Blood Moon child, I’ve lost count."

So it wasn’t just about Riona, then. There must have been countless people poking around about the previous Blood Moon child.

"I recognize those eyes," Elenwen continued, "the kind that’s hungry for forbidden knowledge. Specifically about the Blood Moon child."

Thorin pressed on, "In your recent life, who else has come to ask you about the Blood Moon child?"

Elenwen paused for what seemed like an eternity. Thorin wondered if she was about to make something up. Finally, she said, "No one."

Puck was skeptical and jumped in. "Why the dramatic pause if it’s a no?"

The witch grabbed her cane and gave Puck’s hand a playful thwap, like she was swatting a fly.

"I’m ancient, dear. My brain’s a cluttered attic of half-forgotten facts. Can’t an old lady take a moment to sort through her dusty memories? I thought you wanted the truth!"

"Forgive us. We didn’t know how it works," Zane said, trying to salvage the situation and Elenwen’s mood.

He was worried the witch might decide the gold wasn’t worth putting up with a bunch of disrespectful werewolves.

"Don’t you dare lie to my face!" Elenwen shot back, her eyes narrowing like she’d just caught them trying to swap out their gold for glitter.

"He’s one of the top information trackers, and you’re telling me he doesn’t know I’ve got generations of knowledge packed in here?" She tapped her temple dramatically.

Ignoring the scolding, Thorin pushed on. "My third question: did I, by any chance, get any of the Blood Moon child’s power during our little physical interaction when she was letting loose?"

"Oh, that little episode?" Elenwen replied as if she’d been waiting for the topic to come up. "You mean when you felt like you were being struck by a lightning storm and nearly lost your mind?"

Thorin nodded, adding, "Exactly. It was so intense, I thought I was going to explode."

She raised an eyebrow, amused. "Well, that’s quite the dramatic description. But no, not exactly. More like, ’not fully.’"

Thorin frowned. "What do you mean?"

Elenwen waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, I know what you’re after. The prophecy. All the werewolves are practically losing their minds over it. But let’s get one thing straight: prophecies aren’t perfect. They’re full of possibilities and come with zero guarantees."

The werewolves leaned in, their ears practically twitching with anticipation. They were hanging on her every word now, desperate for any bit of information.

Elenwen smirked and continued, "Sure, sometimes prophecies actually do hit the mark. Like with that halfling’s father. He got lucky because the Blood Moon child is his sister."

She must have been talking about Remus, the only werewolf known to have received the Blood Moon child’s blessing.

"They had this unbreakable sibling bond—basically, they were already in sync. It made things a lot easier. Kinda like having a cheat code for life," she said.

It finally clicked. No one had understood how Remus had gotten the power, and Thorin’s lack of knowledge hadn’t exactly set him up for success either. But now, the puzzle pieces were falling into place.

The witch raised an eyebrow, practically reading Thorin’s mind.

"Look, it’s all about bonding, okay? You want that Blood Moon power? Then you better bond like your lives depend on it. No bond, no power. End of story."

She rolled her eyes as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I swear, werewolves these days think they can just shake hands and boom, instant cosmic power. Try actually connecting with people first."

"Uh... by connect, do you mean... like... uh..." Thorin fumbled for the right word. No, he knew the word. He just didn’t want to say it.

Puck cut straight to the point. "Does he have to bed the halfling to get the power?" he asked, running out of patience.

Thorin nearly choked. Bed the halfling? Absolutely not! He wasn’t some crude beast. He was thinking of something far more noble—like love! You know, being lovers, getting married, starting a family. The whole romantic package.

Okay, yes, marriage usually involved sharing a bed, but that wasn’t the main point!

Well... fine, maybe it was a little important. Especially since Thorin couldn’t stop imagining pressing his lips against Riona’s neck, tasting her plump lips, and spending the whole night tangled up together, but—

"Focus, lover boy," Elenwen interrupted his reverie, rolling her eyes. "I get it—you’re head over heels for her."

"I’m not—!" Thorin’s face flushed a deep red, but Elenwen barely batted an eyelash. She could see right through him, and unfortunately, so could everyone else.

He shot a nervous glance at Puck and Zane, praying they wouldn’t make this worse—as if they hadn’t already known for ages.

"And you’re on the right track," Elenwen continued. "But this bond has to go both ways. Your one-sided puppy love is only helping her, not you."

Thorin blinked in disbelief. "One-sided? That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? It’s more like—"

"Please," Elenwen cut him off with a knowing look. "She’s a wild one, isn’t she? Your hopeless crush is what’s keeping her grounded. Once she actually likes you back—if that ever happens—you’ll get a nice little taste of that power too. So good luck with that."

Thorin could barely process what he was hearing. So... all this time, his feelings had been helping Riona? And to get the power, she had to feel the same way? Great. Just great.