The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate

The physics chamber was tucked away in the quiet corner of the castle. As Leonardo and Esme walked towards it, they passed by a couple of maids who were busy washing clothes in the courtyard near a running tap.

The four maids paused in their duty, their eyes glued on the pair, and one out of the four of them softly whispered, "Isn’t she the daughter of the Montague family, the late Alpha warrior of the therondia pack, uhm.. What was his name again?"

The maiden scratched her head with her wet hand, trying to gauge her memory, but the head maid – a middle-aged woman with keen eyes – intervened, her arms folded across her chest. "His name is Damon Montague," she replied, startling the four gossiping maidens who became aware of her presence.

"That girl is his wolf-less daughter, and in a few days, she will be our queen, once her pack’s mourning period is over, or sooner if his Majesty chooses to rush it. At the end of the day, the king went for a cursed wolf." The head maid expressed her suspicion, and it was a palpable feeling amongst five of them.

"I suppose being a Montague female has its advantages, even without a wolf," another maid, who had her hair tied in a neat bun, chimed in. "She’s lucky the king still wants to marry her, considering her mate already rejected her during her pack’s annual moon ceremony. It’s quite pathetic, if you ask me."

"She was born weak as well," another maid butted in. The head maid’s voice finally cut through the growing gossip.

"Enough chattering, back to work, all of you! The king will be returning from his meeting soon and there’s still so much to be done." The servants swiftly resume their duties, their whispers and giggles replaced by the sound of scrubbing and rinsing.

Esme and Leonardo strolled through a narrowed path that wound its way behind the palace, leading them to a tower. They came to a stop before a sturdy, wooden door, which Leonardo pushed open with a gentle creek. The inside greeted them with an eerie stillness, and they entered, closing the door behind them.

With a deft touch, Leonardo drew back the curtains, revealing tall, narrow windows that allowed natural light to flood the room, banishing the earlier eeriness.

Esme’s eyes grew wide as she glided towards the workbench, her heels clicking against the smooth stone floor. The room suddenly felt alive, and Esme was drawn to the familiar, yet fascinating instruments that lay before her.

"This is a treasure trove," she breathed, her fingers tracing the contours of jars and scales. Her eyes widened at the array of instruments used for grinding herbs and mixing concoction. "Look at these mortars and pestles – I’ve never seen so many sizes like these ones. Back in the pack house, I was limited to just one."

Esme’s enthusiasm propelled her towards the shelves lining the walls, where rows of labeled glass jars and ceramic pots were kept. Woven baskets held an impressive collection of dried herbs, roots and powders, and the names of each of them were written on the basket and jars.

Leonardo could tell this was the distraction she needed. He gestured towards the stairs leading up the tower and said, "That takes you to the dispensary. When you’re out of ingredients, the dispensary is filled with ingredients, so you won’t run short of anything."

He casted her an inquisitive glance, "Are you an apothecary in disguise or..." freewēbnoveℓ.com

Esme carefully set her bag down on the spotless table, and she shook her head. "Far from it, but this setup is perfect. The tower looks like it’s been well-maintained, not a speck of dust in sight." She ran her fingers along the tables and chairs.

After settling down, she meticulously cleaned three vials and poured the blood into them, sealing each one carefully before arranging them on the table.

Leonardo sighed as he watched her move about, his patience wearing thin when she eventually sat down back on a chair, and then he asked, "Are you finally going to fill me in?"

Esme turned to Leonardo, and she gestured for him to sit on the chair beside her. He quietly did, and she began, "As you already know by now, these blood samples are the reason I tagged along to the fortress. I had a hunch, and I needed to verify its possibility after discovering something in the middle of my research."

"What possibility?" Leonardo pressed.

Esme’s eyes sparkled with intensity, and she uttered gently, "I’ve been studying demon cells before the trip. I believe they might be transmittable, and I want to know if they have any effects on the recipients."

Leonard’s expression was skeptical, "oh?"

"Listen, I’ve poured over books on the subjects. I learned about it while digging up histories of the demon shifter who was put to sleep, and I ended up learning more about them in general. At first I considered it a random theory of mine but if this is true, it could be significant in some way." She trailed off, her mind racing with the possibilities.

Leonardo nodded solemnly, pondering over what she just told him, and he asked, "but what’s the point of pursuing demon cells, even if they do exist? Plus, it’s a curse." his tone remained measured, and Esme gave him a stern look.

"Knowledge is power, Leonardo." She faced the table, setting the instruments she’ll need to begin her little experiment. "For centuries, we’ve been driven by instinct, slaughtering demon shifters without a second thought. But what if we took a step back and tried to understand them instead? What if gathering the right information could be the key to eradicating them once and for all? This could be the first step for us to truly understand how they work." Her words were laced with determination, and her eyes burned with a spark that left no doubt about her commitment to this pursuit.

Leonardo pressed his lips into a thin line, and he carefully ventured, "but what if, just like humans, there are good demons out there, somewhere?"

"No," Esme’s response was unequivocal, and Leonardo noticed the flash of pain in her eyes, her grief still embedded in them. "They’re all monsters, and that’s all they’ll ever be. It’s their nature, and I won’t rest until every last one of them is eradicated."

Esme was startled when something warm ran down her cheek, and she gently wiped it away with a finger. It was her tears.

Composing herself, she turned to Leonardo. "Will you help me?"

Leonardo blinked, taken aback by the sudden request. "Me? Why me?"

"Cause I know I can make this work with your help. I told you my plan, so are you going to assist me or not?"

"You should really inform the king about all of this before—"

Esme’s headshake was decisive. "Not yet. Once I have proof of my theory, I’ll share it with him. For now, this stays between us."