The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate

"You have a mate?"

The question resonated within the room, drawing all eyes to Donovan, and he leaned forward, placing his hands firmly on the table. "The only reason I agreed to come here is out of respect for each of you. You’ve managed to keep the damned in check, and for that, I hold you in high regard. But my priorities lie elsewhere."

He took a pause, then continued, "Our focus should be on identifying the true bearer of the curse. If we fail to stop the one responsible, the curse will continue to spread unchecked. Whether I have a mate or not is irrelevant to the rest of you. But one thing is certain, I refuse to bring a child into this world only to see them suffer under this blight," he stated with unwavering clarity.

The seven individuals exchanged knowing glances, their expressions reflecting a well, thought-out, shared conclusion. Finally, one of them spoke, addressing the Alpha with careful consideration.

"That issue was bound to arise sooner or later, Alpha Donovan." He kept his tone polite. "It’s not that we haven’t tried. The only one who might have known the true bearer’s identity was your father, but he is no longer with us. Those who succumbed to the curse appear to be under the true bearer’s control, their minds twisted by the voices of the curse. Yet, despite our effort, we’ve been unable to locate this person at all."

Another added, "We’ve heard all about the turmoil in the palace, and how your brother has all but vanished, though we prefer to think he’s just missing. There are some disturbing rumors circulating about that, but we know those ruthless shifters in Illyria will say anything to stain our names. Your father had his way of doing things, he was heavily consumed by the curse, and he died because of it. Everyone believed the curse would be lifted after his death, but that didn’t happen, which led to the new speculation that your father isn’t the true bearer of the curse. We tried to explain it to the late king of Illyria, even your mother had to visit that wretched palace to bring peace between both shifters, but she never returned. You went to fetch her with your brother, and neither of you returned as well."

He shook his head with a sigh, "The conflict only grew as time stretched, and more demon shifters gave in to the curse cause they were afraid of losing their lives. We tried to help them stabilize it, but it was to no avail. I don’t blame them, the people of Illyria are the ones who didn’t give us a chance to explain, so I propose we unite with the true bearer and put an end to the people of Illyria. They ravaged our homes, forced our people into hiding, but now, with your return, you’ve reignited hope among the people of the damned. We can reclaim Illyria for ourselves."

Lothar folded his arms and voiced his disagreement, "Rushing into war won’t end well for anyone. It was this very war that drove us into hiding. Lycans are our greatest weakness — they’re the strongest of the shifters, and their king commands an army of them. Surrendering to the curse and aligning ourselves with the true bearer will only make matters worse."

Revana’s expression hardened as she nodded in agreement, "Those shitty demon shifters who succumbed to the curse are the reason we’re still in hiding, and no fuckin’ way I’m getting myself entangled with those arsebadgers. They destroyed the therondia pack, and I don’t care, but it hits different when we’re the ones to blame for that atrocity, not them. Thanks to our Alpha, we discovered they feast on their victims’ remains, staining our kind with their vile actions. If we ever hope to reclaim our freedom, we must eradicate the monsters within our rank."

Lothar then stepped forward, extending the plan book they had all painstakingly worked on. "We’ll need your full cooperation if we’re going to pull this off," he said, his voice steady. "You can review the plan tonight and give us your thoughts tomorrow." With that, he stepped back, taking his place behind Donovan, who sat silently at the head table.

The seven hierarchs of the damned exchanged weighted glances, and Donovan added a cautionary note. "Don’t let your desire for revenge cloud your judgment on this matter. You can exact your revenge on the people of Illyria later, once we’ve dealt with the root of the curse. You’re not the only ones thirsty for revenge, even I can’t wait to get my hands on their king as well. Patience, I say." And he rose from his chair.

"If that’s all, I’ll take my leave." He then turned around, preparing to depart.

"Is that it?" Naya’s voice halted his exit, her tone laced with sarcasm. "You’re just going to walk away without even a hello to an old friend?"

Revana rolled her eyes and scoffed, her face subtitled with disgust, meanwhile Althea frowned deeply. Everyone knew how Naya had belittled Donovan in their childhood, always quick to mock him due to the fact he couldn’t see. Back then, Donovan had taken it silently, prompting Althea and Revana to stand up for him against the bullying girls. Now that he’d returned, their attitude had suddenly shifted.

They’re like a chameleon in a house of mirrors – always showing a different color depending on who’s looking.

Donovan ignored Naya’s comment and exited the room, to her shock, leaving the space in an awkward silence. Althea couldn’t resist making a mocking tongue-out gesture at Naya before following Donovan out. Even Naya’s father was taken aback by Donovan’s attitude, and his daughter’s equal change in behavior. It was almost as if they switched.

"Since when were you and the Alpha friends?" he asked, his tone laced with pure skepticism, and Naya’s face flushed embarrassedly, realizing her mistake. She had always rebuffed Donovan’s attempt to start a conversation with her in the past, as she saw no value in him.

But how did that shy, scared, timid boy transform into the confident, powerful Alpha she saw before her now?

As they returned to the main hall where everyone was busy having drinks and snacks, Acheron asked Donovan as they stopped at a table. "Did you claim to have a mate to get out of that silly alliance with miss goody-two shoes?"

Neville chuckled, pouring himself a glass of wine. "It’s a clever tactic, really. I might use it myself if someone tries to set me up with some self-absorbed noble. It’s quite a shame though – people have forgotten the true meaning of a mate bond. They just pair you with someone of high status and expect us to be grateful"

Althea nodded in agreement. "The mate bond is losing its significance. But I won’t settle for someone I share no connection with. I’ll wait for my true mate, the one who’ll sweep me off my feet like a real princess!" Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and Acheron couldn’t help but look away, his cheeks warming up at the thought of being Althea’s destined mate.

"It’s not about the mate bond or being paired for power," Donovan interjected. "Both have their downsides. A mate bond can spark attraction, but getting to know that person can either deepen the bond or break it. You can still be mated to someone who rejects the bond if they want nothing to do with you. And you can love someone without a bond, leading to a new bond forming from there. The stronger the love, the thicker the bond will be."

"Who hurt you?" Revana joked, sending the others into a fit of laughter as they spat out their drink. If Donovan wasn’t wearing his blindfold, his eye roll would have been evident. He involuntarily sulked, cursing Revana somewhere in his head for targeting him today of all days.

Lothar patted him on the back, saying, "I think what she meant was, you’re not usually interested in this stuff, plus you hardly contribute to any conversation we have. But suddenly... did you really find your mate??" Lothar’s eyes widened as he anticipated Donovan’s response.

Revana’s cheeky smile returned as she quipped, "he probably got rejected."

"I’m going to find Kangee," knowing his friends wouldn’t let up on him tonight, Donovan excused himself without a second thought. The last thing he wanted was to end up on Revana’s radar, and since killing her was out of the option, escaping was the best solution for him.

As he walked away, they playfully called out, "come back! You can’t just leave!"

"Great, you’ve chased our Alpha away," Revana scolded them. "He’ll probably disappear for a month now, thanks to you guys." She tsked, her accusation sparking a heated response from Acheron.

"You’re the one who started the whole joke thing about him getting rejected!" He retorted, and Revana side-eyed him.

"Don’t pin the blame I’m trying to pin on you back on me. I just say the first thing that comes to my mind, which is usually nonsense. But you wouldn’t know that, because you’re just as stupid." She countered, and a vein throbbed in Acheron’s forehead.

"I’m on fire today! Should have just left me at home." She poured herself a drink, while the rest were holding Acheron back to stop him from strangling her.