The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate

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In the golden palace, Esme had finally put on the pendant, despite initially discarding it that morning. Yet, no matter where she threw it, the silly pendant would somehow, mysteriously, reappear on her dressing table whenever she returned to her chamber.

Unbeknownst to her, a certain raven was responsible for her pendant’s reappearance.

"No one rejects my master’s gift!" Kangee had vowed, determined to ensure Esmeray wore the thoughtful toke. It was itching to speak some sense into her head, but for the fear of its master’s wrath, Kangee instead, chose to quietly return the pendant to her whenever she was distracted. Regardless of how long it would take for her to realize it, Kanger was willing to wait patiently for the day she would come to appreciate the significance of the blue pendant.

As evening descended, Esme stood before the mirror, surrounded by servants busily preparing her for the Lunar event. The gentle attention reminded her of Vivienne, and a hint of melancholy flickered in her blue eyes. Just then, Donovan’s words echoed in her mind – his claim that certain demon shifters can control the curse, just like Finnian. And he himself was an example as well.

If he had shared this on an ordinary day, she would dismiss it as a lie. The only thing coming in the way of her hate was his offer to save Finnian from execution. Though she wouldn’t say she liked him, she couldn’t ignore the fact that she was indebted to him as well.

It was her way of expressing her gratitude to him for saving Finnian, but accepting the fact that he was her mate was certainly impossible. She would never acknowledge it.

The maid’s gentle voice broke her from her reverie, "You’re ready, Milady." Esme’s gaze shifted to the mirror, where she found herself transformed. The makeup was subtle, yet flattering, and she was relieved to find it didn’t feel heavy on her face.

With a gentle dismissal, "you two can take your leave," Esme sent the servants on their way. They bowed their heads slightly and departed, leaving her alone.

Esme rose from the dressing table and wandered to the window. She took off the blue pendant and tossed it out into the night, then she turned to make her exit from the chamber.

Five minutes had barely gone by when Kangee fluttered into her room using the window, depositing the blue pendant on her dressing table. It was about to spread its wings when Esme emerged from behind the curtains, cage in hand, and she swiftly trapped the raven.

"Finally caught you!" She exclaimed, as the raven let out a startled squawk.

Esme didn’t know if birds could glare, but this particular one was certainly giving her the attitude. Her own eyes narrowed as she leaned in to study the raven. "So a raven’s been returning my pendant to me," she murmured, puzzled by her discovery.

Kangee’s angry squawk sent her retreating in bafflement, her eyes wide open, but she shook her head, refusing to be intimidated by a mere bird.

"Are you the same bird I saw at my house, and at the fortress? Why are you following me?" Esme questioned the dark raven, but then it dawned on her that she was actually interrogating a bird. Bird’s can’t talk, so its silence shouldn’t surprise her. However, if the bird keeps returning her pendant to her, could it be possible that someone is currently manipulating the poor bird?

Could it be him? Did he know she was going to end up discarding the pendant and sent this angry bird to keep an eye on her? Else, why would it look so upset with her? It certainly doesn’t like its job.

But what is she supposed to do with a bird?

A knock on the door drew her attention, and it was the voice of the maid who had attended to her. "Milady, the Lunar event is about to start, your presence in the hall is requested."

There goes her interrogation.

"I’ll be there in a minute," Esme responded and glanced at the raven she had trapped in a bird cage. She moved it to her study table and made sure the cage was securely locked before leaving her room. Kangee lowered its head, already aware of the trouble it was likely to get into if its master found out that it was being held prisoner.

As Esme descended to the main hall, accompanied by the maiden, she was met with a sea of guests. Her gaze landed on Finnian, engaged in a conversation with a boy slightly older than him. Noticing her presence, Finnian excused himself and made his way to her side.

"Making friends already?" Esme asked, her tone gentle and teasing, but Finnian’s disinterested gaze spoke volume. It sort of reminded her too much of Leonardo when he was disinterested about certain things, which were majorly anything.

"He got my curses on edge, and not in a good way," Finnian admitted, his voice low and bored. "I’d rather retreat to my chamber, but that would be rude, wouldn’t it?" He tilted his head, and Esme’s maternal instinct kicked in, prompting her to gently ruffle his hair.

"I’m sure you’ll find someone to connect with in time," Esme reassured him. "Or do you perhaps miss your training?"

Finnian nodded enthusiastically, "I want to be like that man. Strong and handsome as Van Dan." he whispered, his eyes shining with admiration.

Esme blinked puzzledly. "Pardon?"

Finnian’s voice dropped to an even tinier whisper, "That demon shifter, I want to be like him when I grow up – tall, powerful and unbeatable...." freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

Esme immediately shushed him, her tone urgent as she looked around to make sure no eyes were on them before fixing her gaze on Finnian. "You can’t say such things here. Praising the enemy won’t win you any favors. Be mindful of your surroundings."

"But he saved me," Finnian’s response was clear and stubborn. "I get that his way of doing things isn’t great, but I understand him a little bit since I’m afflicted with the curse as well. He might be their enemy, but Van Dan is not MY enemy."

Esme’s frustration grew at his clarity about Donovan. "His name is not Van Dan. Why do you constantly refer to him with a foreign name?"

"Cause he refused to tell me his name, plus he’s foreign. I have to go now before more people swim in here, you can tell the king I wasn’t feeling well and went to rest."

"Finn–" And he was gone before she could say anything else.

This boy....

Esme let out a sigh, her gaze sweeping across the crowded hall. The air was alive with the hum of conversations, punctuated by laughter’s and chuckles, but a somber undertone lingered. It was a reminder of the recent tragedy that had befallen the guards Donovan slaughtered, including the councilman. Their bodies had been laid to rest while Esme tended to Fininian, so she hadn’t been able to attend the funeral.

"Lost in thoughts again," Leonardo’s voice came from behind her, and Esme turned her head to find him standing beside her. His dark, blue attire was immaculately tailored, accentuating his chiseled features and drawing more than a few admirable glances... and some of those glances were directed at her as well.

This would be the right time for the floor to open up.

As she gazed at his face, an almost striking resemblance to someone else flickered in her mind. His jet-black hair was slicked back, not a single strand out of place, and his gray eyes sparkled like diamonds under the chandelier’s light.

"Shouldn’t you be attending to the king?" she asked, her tone polite.

"The king instructed me to escort you, actually," Leonardo replied, side-eyeing the glances darting his way and fixing his attention on Esmeray. "So, it seems you’re going through with the alliance after all."

Esme wasn’t expecting him to bring that up, and her voice was barely above a whisper as she admitted, "Do I have a choice? I’d be left with nothing if I refuse. Then there’s Finnian, and he’s my main responsibility now. I want to ensure his well-being, especially after everything that has happened, and marrying the king would guarantee that."

As they strolled through the hall, away from prying eyes, Leonardo hummed pensively before saying, "So you’re saying you’re marrying the king, not for yourself, but for Finnian’s sake instead. Sigh... Why do older siblings think the younger ones love watching them make sacrifices for our benefits?"

He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Do you really think Finnian would be happy if he knew you’re marrying the king to secure his future? What if he’s also going along with this because he thinks you’re happy?"

"Finnian likes the king, so why would he object?" Esme’s tone sounded crisp. "And besides, as females in Illyria, we have only two accomplishments as I’ve been taught; getting married and bearing wonderful children for our husbands. An Illyria woman without a husband is deeply underappreciated."

She forced a bright smile, "so marrying the king is... an achievement." she said with clarity, but beneath it, she knew this would be another form of bondage, not the freedom she longed for. Being tied to the responsibility the way Lennox was wasn’t what she wanted, but she doesn’t have much of a choice right now.

Leonardo’s response caught her off guard. "I don’t think marriage is the only measure of a woman’s worth," he said, his tone firm but gentle. "A healthy marriage, one built on mutual respect and love, that’s an achievement for both sides. But look around you, miss Esme. Do you think everyone here is with their true mate?"

Esme wasn’t sure why she looked around, but Leonardo’s voice brought her back to the discussion. "Everyone here is bound by duty, rank, and responsibility. You’re from the family of nobles, and with that comes a certain burden. Isn’t that why your marriage to the king was arranged before you even had a say in the matter?"

His smile was tinged with bitterness, "Yes, it brings power and luxury, but finding true happiness is a rare commodity in this world of politics. Even your father couldn’t escape it, not with the late king. Anyway, we shouldn’t keep the king waiting. Shall we?"