The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate

A handful of warriors, who were yet to shift, immediately rushed to Dahmer’s aid. He was in such a bad state that his body lay broken and battered from Donovan’s brutal attack. Internal bleeding threatened to claim his life, and he wasn’t healing fast enough to stop it.

"One of his ribs is shattered," a warrior observed, anguish written on his face. "He’s hemorrhaging badly — we can’t tend to him properly here. We need to get him out of here, now!" The urgency in his voice was palpable, and the warriors knew they had to act fast. Fortunately, they made sure they brought a skilled healer with them on this journey, and they immediately took Dahmer to one of the awaiting carriages.

As the chaos unfolded outside, Leonardo’s eyes darted away from the window, his expression tense with alarm.

"We need to leave, now," he urged, his tone low and urgent.

He swiftly took Esme away from the window, and as they hastened upstairs, the shattering of glass echoed through the hallway, as if someone had broken into the fortress using the window.

"What was that?" Esme didn’t stop moving as she asked, and Leonardo scanned the area.

"He’s breached the fortress, run!" And with that, the two of them took to their heels. They quickly entered a nearby room and locked the door, the sound of it shutting offered a faint comfort, but for how long? Esme’s hands flew to her mouth as she hid away in a corner, the sound of heavy boots outside coming to a halt at the door. She struggled to stifle a cry as the heavy door was kicked open, the wood groaning under the force of Donovan’s kick.

When the dust settled, the figure strode in, his presence commanding the room. His ears were attuned to the heartbeats close by, and just when he turned his head to a certain hideout — the same hideout where Esme had hid herself, someone’s hurried footsteps distracted him from checking. Despite being aware that the person was stalking towards him, Donovan remained motionless, his attention fixed on some invisible points ahead.

"You’re the one they call Donovan." Leonardo’s voice was tinged with a hint of wariness, his eyes drinking in the sight of the human demon. For a moment, his gaze held a flicker of something almost like admiration, but it was fleeting. "I’ve been... wanting to meet you for a long time now, Donovan," he continued. "But will you listen to what I have to say?" as he spoke, he relaxed slightly, his posture easing as he realized Donovan was not immediately hostile towards him.

However, the demon’s reply was a low, dispassionate whisper. "Two heartbeats."

His attention shifted away from Leonardo, homing in on the impulse that resonated the second closest to him. "Unfortunately for you, you’re of no consequence to me, little shifter, or whatever it is you call your kind. That in turn, makes your words meaningless. You should have stayed hidden." with a fluid motion, Donovan reached for a star blade in his belt, its deadly intent clear. But before he could make a strike, a sudden, fierce cry made him halt.

"Get away from him!"

Esme’s impulsive rush towards Donovan caught him off guard, and she struck him with a wooden plank she had snatched up while he was distracted by Leonardo. The wood splintered, shattered upon impact as they met his back, but to Esme’s dismay, the figure remained unmoving, unfazed. He turned his head in her direction, and Esme stumbled back. Her face drained of all colors as she realized her reckless mistake had drawn his attention squarely onto her.

Just as Leonardo was about to swoop in, Donovan’s hand shot out, grasping him by the neck in an iron-like grip. A swift, ruthless blow sent Leonardo crashing to the floor, unconscious.

"Leonardo!" Esme’s anguished cry echoed through the room, and she was unable to go to him. She took a step back, her eyes fixed on the demon as he began to stalk towards her. His movements were slow and deliberate, as if he savored the fear that coursed through her vein with each slow, menacing pace.

Esme’s desperate retreat was halted when she lost her footing to something behind her, and it sent her tumbling to the ground.

Her heart was already at her throat when the demon loomed over her, and she struggled to scramble away. However, he crouched on one knee and grasped her wrist, pulling her back to face him, his fingers closing around her chin so she’d look at him. The thoughts that ran through Esme’s head was the horror of him taking a bite out of her, or eating her flesh as the tales said, but instead of that, his lips parted to speak.

"It was you, wasn’t it?" He asked, tilting his head slightly, his voice low and hypnotic. Esme couldn’t see his eyes since it was shielded by a blindfold, and she marveled at how he navigated everything she just witnessed without sight. His question sounded nonsensical, but his voice stirred a faint memory, a whisper of recognition that her brain couldn’t quite comprehend exactly where she heard it from.

"Are you... going to eat me?" Esme wasn’t sure what made her ask such a bold thing, but a shiver went down her spine when he smirked at her question. It was a wicked, entrancing sight, and it radiated an aura of danger and seduction. Without warning, he leaned in, his lips brushing against hers in a kiss that sent shivers down her spine.

"...!!!..."

Esme’s eyes were wide open in shock, her pupils dilating as if they might pop out from their sockets. His lips were cool, soft, and strangely alluring, but they brought no comfort. Unexpectedly, he bit down on her bottom lip, deliberately drawing blood, and Esme’s whimper of pain was all she could manage. He then pulled back, his head turning to the direction of the window, where he moved to make his exit.

"That will suffice, for now." He murmured before taking a leap. Esme watched, stunned as he vanished without a trace. She could not bring herself to stand up as her legs seemed to have lost their strength, and when she felt her lips, the wound he left had healed.

Was their encounter just a dream, a nightmare, or a dark reality? He didn’t kill her?

Esme was snapped back to reality when she heard Leonardo groan on the floor, waking up from his unconsciousness.

He looked around before meeting Esme’s frozen stare. "Is he gone? Did you get him?"