The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate

Finnian’s pupils narrowed into slits, resembling those of a serpent, and with a chilling calmness, he extracted the pair of scissors from the guard’s chest, showing no sign of remorse regarding what he had done.

He rose from the floor and turned to face Esme, his grip on the scissors tightening. His cold, unfeeling eyes locked onto hers, as if she were a stranger, someone he failed to recognize.

Esme stood paralyzed, a whirlwind of emotion crashing over her – confusion, horror and disbelief. It was clear that he intended to attack her next, and she knew there would be no escape if he succeeded in getting his hands on her. Even then, she could not bring herself to run away from him.

Those blue eyes that once sparkled with joy at the sight of her were now devoid of any warmth, replaced by a predatory hunger. He looked at her as though she were a prey, a helpless victim whose blood he eagerly anticipated to spill. A sadistic smile suddenly curved his small lip, and the scissors were raised.

Esme’s gaze shifted to the scissors, now poised with lethal intent in Finnian’s hand. Before she could react, he lunged at her, the weapon aimed straight for her. At that moment, Esme knew this wasn’t her own Finnian; the Finnian she knew would never try to harm her.

What had they done to her brother?

"FINNIAN!" she shouted, her voice breaking through the tension for the first time. He stopped abruptly in the middle of his attack. "STOP THIS NONSENSE RIGHT NOW!" she commanded, her voice trembling with urgency. Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw him hesitate. His blue eyes flickered at her sudden command, and his grip on the bloodstained scissors tightened until his knuckles turned white.

It was as if an invisible force was holding him back, and her next words seemed to paralyze him completely.

"If you don’t come back to your senses, I’ll leave you forever and go far away to a place where you can never find me. You’ll never see me again. I won’t speak to you, and you might as well consider me dead if that happens!" Her voice was unwavering, filled with a raw, undeniable truth that pierced through Finnian, and that made his eyes widen in shock.

He instinctively clutched the other hand holding the scissors, waging an internal battle as if to stop himself from attacking. His pupils, which had been slits, began to dilate and return to their normal shape as her words reverberated in his mind. He gasped for air, like someone who had just endured a strenuous ordeal, his petrified gaze fixed on the bloodied scissors in his grasp. With a shudder, he released them, letting the weapon clatter to the floor.

Tears streamed down his face as he collapsed to his knees, pleading desperately.

"I... I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, I swear!" His voice cracked as he tried to explain. "It wasn’t me and I don’t understand how it happened, but you won’t abandon me because of it, will you? It said you’d leave, that everyone always leaves! I’m begging you sister, please don’t hate me. I didn’t do it on purpose!" Finnian’s words tumbled out in desperation as he sobbed uncontrollably, his head bowed in despair on the floor.

By now, everyone had arrived at the room, their shock evident as they took in the scene. The guard who had gone to report to the king drew his blade, the metallic sound cutting through the tension like a knife. Finnian flinched in fear at the sight of the extremely sharp weapon, but before he could react, Esme quickly stepped in front of him, shielding him from the accusing eyes that saw him as a monster.

"No harm will come to him," she declared firmly, to everyone’s unexpected surprise. The fact that she still stood protectively beside him, despite witnessing the brutality he unleashed on the guard, left them speechless.

The guard retorted coldly, "But he is a demon! He has been infected!"

"I’ll fix it!" She countered desperately, after all, this was her brother they were openly condemning. "I’ll handle it, I just need time, okay? Look, he’s not hurting anyone else, he’s just a terrified child, so lower your sword!" Her teary blue eyes, filled with pleading, met the king’s measured stare, and after a moment of tense silence, the king nodded, signaling his guard to lower his weapon.

Two more guards rushed in to check on their wounded comrade, and fortunately, he was still alive. Esme dropped to her knees in front of Finnian, relief washing over her as she saw he was indeed back to his usual self. She couldn’t help but embrace him, pulling him into her arms, and she felt the tremors of fear coursing through his small frame.

His trembling only deepened her sorrow. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

What could she do to save him from the consequences of this? He had just attacked a royal guard and nearly killed him!

"Everything is fine now. You’re safe, okay?" she whispered, her voice a tender murmur as she pulled back to look into his tear-filled eyes. With a gentle touch, she wiped away the tears that streaked down his face. "You listened to me, and because of that, I’m staying right here. I won’t go anywhere."

Her words wrapped around him like a soothing balm, and the room fell silent as she comforted him. Gradually, Finnian’s trembling subsided, and the weight of exhaustion settled over him, pulling him into another deep sleep more swiftly than either of them anticipated. Esme stayed by his side all through the rest of the evening, tenderly brushing her fingers through his hair.

"He hasn’t eaten yet," she murmured, wiping her tears away as she gazed at his sleeping form. She carefully tucked the duvet around him, her eyes lingering on the metallic, silver chains that bound his hands to the headboard – a rather cruel precaution to prevent another episode if he awoke in ’distress.’

It all felt surreal, so unbearably wrong, and her heart ached with a silent scream. Why was everything falling apart in ways worse than her own imagination? Why was she losing the only two people who made her life bearable? First, it was Vivienne, and now her innocent brother. The weight of it all threatened to crush her, but she knew she had to remain strong, if only for his sake.

Sighing dejectedly, she rose to her feet and quietly left the room. She descended the stairs to face the waiting assembly, and she could not bring herself to look either of them in the eyes. The king, Leonardo, Dahmer, and the three council members all turned their attention to her approaching figure, and Dahmer was the first to erupt.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" he accused, jabbing a finger in her direction while a vein throbbed in his forehead. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BROTHER? THIS IS YOUR DOING, ISN’T IT??" His voice was filled with venom, and he didn’t hesitate to hurl accusations at her, but before he could spit out another word, Lennox quickly stepped in.

"Dahmer!"

"No, Your Majesty, I won’t stay silent, not today!" He shook his head vehemently. "All these misfortunes in our pack started the moment she cut her hair. She knew how sacred the Montague tradition was, yet she defied it! Look at the devastation your selfish act has brought upon us! I’ve lost my pack, my mother, everything! And yes, the demons played their part, but you are to blame for everything, Esmeray!"

His eyes were bloodshot, and he spat out through clenched teeth, "You should have died with the rest of them that night! This is all your fault!"

"Wishing death upon your own sister is a bit too extreme, even in your anger," Leonardo butted in. "I understand everyone is emotional and on edge, but throwing shades at a time like this is downright childish. Right now, our focus should be on Finnian."

"A demon child from a Montague family brings nothing but shame to the name," the elderly council member stated coldly. "I say we kill the boy before he does more harm. If we allow him to stay, even his Majesty’s life will be at stake."

"No," Esme shook her head, her heart pounding with dread as she processed his orders. Her eyes immediately darted to the king, hoping he would say something that would convince the council to let her brother be, but to her shock, he remained silent, offering no protest.