The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate

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In the morning the following day, as the carriage rolled to a stop before them, Finnian turned to his sister with a reluctant frown. "Do we really have to go?" he asked, his voice tinged with hesitation.

He and his friends were already prepared to depart for the Damned as planned, yet from the expression on both Finnian and Lucas’s faces, it was clear neither was eager to leave just yet.

Esme met his gaze with gentle insistence. "You have to go," she reminded him. "You’re the one who chose to attend this academy, Finn. You can’t afford to slack off any longer, and the same goes for you too, Luca."

Simon, who had been nodding along in silent agreement, finally spoke up. "Your sister’s right," he said matter-of-factly. "We’re already behind on the academy’s new curriculum, and I would have caught up on my own if someone hadn’t eaten my books." He shot a pointed glare at Luca, whose only response was to blink like a startled deer.

With a resigned shake of his head, Simon continued, his tone softer. "Look, if we actually want to catch up, we need to focus and return. If you think about it, we never intended to stay this long in the North. We can’t let ourselves be so easily distracted."

"See? Simon is absolutely right," Esme affirmed, siding with him. Her words made the boy flush with embarrassment, and he averted his gaze, his fingers tightening at his side.

"The rest of us will return soon, but I still have unfinished matters to attend to here first. In the meantime, look after your friends, and the three of you should always stick together. No matter what happens, I will be reassured knowing you three will be there for one another, promise me that."

She paused for a moment, searching their faces for understanding. "If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask Neville once you arrive."

Finnian simply let out a huff, crossing his arms in reluctant acceptance. He hesitated for a moment before muttering. "Fine. But we’ll be waiting for all of you."

With that, he inclined his head in a brief bow before stepping into the carriage. Luca and Simon followed suit, exchanging glances before settling inside. Esme took a step back, watching as the carriage doors closed, and the wheels creaking forward.

They weren’t traveling alone— several of the Damned warriors rode behind them on horseback, and they nodded their heads in silent reassurance at Esme before starting their journey. As Esme stood there, her heart clenched in a way she hadn’t expected. Now that they were leaving, she could no longer deny how much she would miss them, whilst a silent prayer formed in her mind, hoping they would reach the Damned safely.

"They will be safe."

Esme flinched at the sudden voice behind her. Turning around, her breath caught as she realized it was Donovan. He was watching the carriage disappear down the road, and his expression was as calm as ever.

"Kangee is more than enough for high surveillance," he continued, his voice smooth yet resolute. "And the warriors will ensure their safety should anything happen. You don’t need to worry about them." He then tilted his head slightly as his focus shifted to her. "But... there is something else that demands your attention."

Esme’s heartbeat stuttered. "Pardon?" Her voice came softer than she intended as she locked eyes with him. "What do you mean?"

As Esme returned to the main hall, her breath hitched once more, and her pupils dilated at the sight before her. Dahmer’s body was sprawled across the stone floor, motionless. Four guards encircled him, their faces grim, but from the stillness of Dahmer’s form, he might as well be pronounced dead.

"What– what happened to him?" Esme asked as she took a step closer, her gaze locked onto Dahmer’s lifeless figure.

Donovan approached silently, lowering himself beside the body. He pressed two fingers against Dahmer’s throat, seeking any lingering pulse, any sign of breath, but there was nothing. Just the cold, unyielding stillness of death.

"Found him like this," he finally answered, taking his hand away. "But what are you going to—"

Before he could finish, Esme suddenly moved. With a swift, precise motion, she reached for the sword hanging at Orion’s waist, unsheathing it in one fluid motion. With no hesitation, no second thought, she drove the blade straight into Dahmer’s chest.

The sound of steel piercing flesh was sharp in the hush of the hall. The guards instantly recoiled, undeniably stunned by what she just did. Donovan’s lips parted slightly, his usually unreadable expression betraying a flicker of disbelief as Esmeray twisted the blade deeper, a cold glint in her blue eyes.

"If he’s dead," she said, her voice sounding eerily calm, "then we should make sure he stays that way."

With that, she wrenched the sword free and handed it back to Orion, who hesitated before receiving his sword back. She looked as if she had merely wiped her hands clean of an inconvenience, and this brutal side of her intimidated them for some reason.

"Find someone to run a test on him, then cremate the body, and get someone to clean this up," she pointed at the bloodstain on the floor, her tone almost dismissive. "That’s all that matters for now. I have a meeting with the king, and that is far more important to me than wasting my time deciding what to do with a dead man. Just take him away."

At her orders, two of the warriors stepped forward to carry Dahmer’s body away, while Orion and Atticus followed.

"I find it amusing," Donovan mused, straightening to his full height. He watched as Esme moved to take a seat. "I had the same thought in mind, but you acted on it first." His tone carried no resentment, only pure intrigue.

As Esme settled, he added. "Are you sure you don’t want me to accompany you when you meet Lennox? I’ll be as quiet as possible. You won’t even know I’m there."

Esme shook her head regardless, but he could see the appreciation gleaming in her eyes. "No need. Besides, I need you here to keep everything in order while I’m away. Everything will be fine, I promise."

A thought suddenly struck her. "Before I forget, Althea was looking for you earlier, but you weren’t around. Did you get a chance to see her?"

Donovan lowered himself onto the armrest of her chair, his posture relaxed yet watchful. "I did," he confirmed with a slight nod. "But she was already asleep. I was going to wake her up, but then Acheron mentioned something about how she’s been struggling with sleep lately. I didn’t want to disturb her."

Hearing this, Esme let out a quiet breath of relief. "That’s good. It means the medicine is helping. You should have seen her earlier today. She looked nothing like the cheerful Althea we know. It took her a while before she finally opened up about the dreams she’s been having, but she didn’t spill the details to me." frёeωebɳovel.com

"Dreams.." Donovan hummed softly. "The curse does this now and then," he said, his voice edged with quiet knowing. "Dreams that show up like nightmares. I’d suggest she return to the Damned so Neville can tend to her properly, but I doubt she’ll listen. She inherited her sister’s stubbornness."

Esme closed her eyes briefly, sinking further into the chair. "There’s already too much happening. The true bearer’s sudden silence is another thing. Who knows what he’s planning."

Esme’s mind suddenly drifted back to the heated conversation she had with her aunt. She had initially thought about keeping it to herself, to bury the doubts before they took root. But if she confronted Donovan about it, what if he assumes that she doesn’t trust him enough?

"Esme."

Donovan’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. She blinked, meeting his gaze as he continued. "Leonardo and I have decided to travel to the shores of Mariana."

"The shores of Mariana?" Her brows knitted in confusion. "That’s in the neighboring realm, isn’t it? But that place is swarming with mages. Why do you want to go there?"

"You know my father used to be sick," he uttered in a steady tone. "So ill that he sought out someone, anyone who could heal him. I don’t know how he managed to get that far, but desperation makes men reckless. If dark magic was the price he had to pay, cursing everyone including his own children, I don’t doubt he was willing to pay it."

Esme studied Donovan carefully, and she asked softly. "But if you go there, what exactly are you hoping to find?"

Donovan’s jaw tightened slightly. "Since my father isn’t the true bearer, at least not in the way we initially believed, I have a theory. What if he didn’t go there alone? I doubt he knew the exact place to seek out the ones who transformed him. Someone must have led him there, convinced him somehow, and that someone could be the true bearer. If it turns out that my theory is correct, then the mages who started it all must know more than we do, and most importantly, how to put an end to it."

Esme noticed the strange glow in his eyes as he kept talking. "The attacks happening so far are clearly a message. The true bearer has an army beyond what we can counter on our own, and he’s making us know that with each step we take. What’s worse is the fact that he can pass his curse to anyone he chooses, turning them into extension of himself. I’m pretty sure there are more people like Alpha Thadius out there who are secretly under him. So we need to move carefully."

There was something unsettling in his voice– something that didn’t quite belong to him alone. A deeper resonance lurked beneath his words, an eerie undertone, and it took a moment for Esme to realize that it was his Alpha’s voice speaking alongside his own.

Now why did that have to sound so unnecessarily attractive during a serious conversation??