The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate

—----～⁠♡～--------

As Esme stepped into the tower, she set the cage on her work table and deliberated on what to do with the bird. She placed the blue pendant beside it and rubbed her forehead, her confusion mounting.

With the bird’s hostile demeanor, Esme was even scared to release it. What if it pokes one of her eyes out or something? Raven birds were not her favorite kind of birds, and this particular one was doing nothing to change her mind.

Cautiously moving closer to the cage, she locked eyes with the bird’s piercing gaze and asked, "Do you promise to behave if I let you out?" but the raven responded with a loud, aggressive squawk. Esme took that as a definite no and retreated. She paced back and forth around the space, deep in thoughts, but that was until the sound of the door opening and closing drew her attention.

Lifting her head up, her eyes locked onto Donovan, who was approaching her. Her usual brain fog set in, leaving her utterly taken aback. It was either caused by his unexpected presence, or the fact that he seemed to grow more attractive every time they met. His toned skin was accentuated by the prominent cursed marks on his body, and his outfit only added to the distraction.

His chest was bare beneath his furry cloak, or was it a coat? Esme was too caught up in her own fantasies to tell the difference.

The raven in the cage let out a panicked squawk when it saw its master heading towards them, and it turned away, as if trying to hide. But that one sound it made was enough to betray its presence.

"Kangee?"

Esme came in the way of Donovan when he sauntered towards the cage. He stopped in his tracks when he sensed her standing in front of him. Esme wondered if what was evident in his handsome face was anger or concern. It didn’t seem directed at her, fortunately.

"So I was right," Esme confirmed her suspicions. "That raven is yours, isn’t it?" She took a step closer to Donovan, her arms crossed as his towering form loomed over her. Despite her sudden seriousness, she couldn’t help but take note of every contour of his body — his height, broad shoulders, and taut body that seemed to radiate an aura that sent shivers down her spine.

It took all her willpower to resist stealing a glance at the way his pants hung low on his waist.

For some unknown reason, she no longer feared him as she used to, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t super wary of him either.

"Did you send your bird to spy on me?" She demanded, her voice sharp with pure indignation. "I’ve told you before, I am not your mate. I somewhat had this nagging feeling that you’d show up for the bird, and if you did, it would confirm my suspicions – that you sent this angry bird of yours to monitor my every move, right? I despise being followed like this, and it won’t win you any favors. If anything, it’s pushing me to think of you as nothing more than a creepy, unhinged stalker.

Her words were laced with frustration, and she could feel the agitation boiling over, as if his unsettling presence was infecting her with the same madness.

She made her thoughts abundantly clear, and Kangee, on the other hand, was stunned to see someone unrelated to its master daring to speak so boldly. Her anger was palpable, but Donovan remained unfazed by her outburst.

Without a word, he brushed past her and released Kangee from the cage. The bird fluttered out into the open, but there was no joy in its recovered freedom, not with the tension filling the air.

"Apologize," Donovan said, ordering his raven with a cold and unyielding tone. "I said apologize, tell her you’re sorry for bothering her."

"But master!" Kangee protested, finally speaking up, to Esme’s shock. "She was going to discard the pendant you gave her! I only wanted—"

"That was not your concern," he cut in sharply, leaving no room for arguments with Kangee. "You overstepped your own bound, making her uncomfortable with your interference. If she chose to discard it, that is her prerogative, and you had no right to intervene. Don’t argue with me and do as I tell you. Apologize, now."

"Sorry," Kangee mumbled, lowering its head as its wings fluttered nervously, obeying Donovan’s stern order. Esme watched in stunned silence, unsure of what paralyzed her at the spot – the raven’s sudden ability to speak like a human, or Donovan’s harsh reprimand of his own familiar.

She almost felt a pang of pity for the raven, but then it struck her that Donovan’s anger revealed that he hadn’t sent the bird to spy on her at all.

This has been the bird’s doing, just so she doesn’t lose the pendant she kept throwing away.

"You aren’t leaving until she accepts your apology," Donovan added with finality in his stern voice, and Esme quickly stepped in.

"I... I accept your raven’s apology," she stammered, her voice betraying her surprise. She hadn’t expected Donovan to be so protective of her feelings, let alone to see him so ready to discipline his bird on her behalf, just cause she was upset. There was something unsettling thrilling about it — his unwavering resolve, and the way he was prepared to act on her unspoken wishes.

It didn’t matter if it was to a raven, the unexpectedness of it all sent a shiver down her spine. She couldn’t deny it, there was something oddly captivating about his reaction.

Great! So what is she supposed to do with the rest of her anger??!

Kangee on the other hand, wasted no time and took off, its wings slicing through the air as it darted out of the window, leaving the two of them alone in the quiet tower. The silence that followed was thick and suffocating, as Esme grappled with what to say to him. He had quelled her anger so effortlessly, yet the fact that he wasn’t the least bit offended by her readiness to throw away the pendant he had given her gnawed at her.

How could he remain composed?

Should she tell him that the king already announced their impending marriage? The thought flickered briefly in her mind, but she hesitated. What would he say, would he still care?

Why should she care if he did or not?

"You..!" Esme spun around to blurt it out, but her words caught in her throat as she found herself suddenly lifted off the ground.

Hoisted up by her thighs in one swift, powerful motion, he placed her on the edge of her work table. His body pressed close as he leaned in, their faces inches apart. Esme’s eyes widened in shock, a blush spreading across her cheeks as he wrapped an arm around her tapered waist, drawing her near until her hands came to rest on his chest, an attempt to create a silver of space between them.

His heartbeat beneath her palm felt out of this realm.

"Close your eyes," he whispered, his voice a low, dark murmur as he brushed the pad of his thumb against her bottom lip. His fingers then moved to caress her smooth cheek.

Esme managed to ask, "W...why?" and the pheromones leaking from him silenced any other further questions.

"So I can kiss you," he replied, his words laden with heat. Before Esme could voice the protest forming on her lips, his mouth descended on hers with a fervent urgency. His cool lips met hers in a searing kiss that sent an electric jolt through her, freezing her body in place. The intensity of his kiss stole the breath from her lungs, leaving her mind reeling and her body taut against his.

Her eyes fluttered shut involuntarily, surrendering to the moment as his hand, which had been gently cupping her right cheek, slowly trailed down to her neck. His touch was tender, yet firm, as his fingers moved to the back of her head, cradling it with delicate care that made her heart race. He deepened the kiss, his warm tongue slipping between her parted lips – not as a request, but to claim her with an undeniable demand.

He nipped at her bottom lip and bit into it, making her gasp, and that granted him the perfect entry as his tongue invaded her mouth with practiced skills, igniting every nerve in her body. His kisses were intense, each one deeper than the last, as his tongue explored every corner of her mouth, tangling with her own in a heated dance.

A low, primal groan rumbled from his chest, vibrating through the space between them as he sucked on her tongue like it was some sort of sweet, drawing a soft involuntary moan from her in response. Esme’s body responded to the hardness of him, coming alive under his touch, and every inch of her felt electrocuted by the contact.

She despised this. No, she loved it so fiercely that the intensity terrified her.

Donovan murmured, his breath warm against her skin as she pulled back from the kiss to say, "I didn’t have this intention in mind, I swear it." His lips wandered down to the curve of her neck, imprinting the feel of her soft body, the sound of her voice, the frantic beating of her heart, everything connected to her in his head.

"You must hate me even more now, but if you’re going to involve yourself with that king, then maybe I deserve this much at least."

Esme struggled to steady her breath, her chest heaving as tears welled up in her eyes from the intense kiss that had left her gasping for air.

"I don’t fuckin’ honor this side of me," he confessed, his voice thick with conflicted emotions. "Stopping is the right thing to do, but... I don’t feel like doing the right thing with you, tonight." His hand slid beneath her dress, his fingers gripping her soft, bare thigh before traveling higher, teasingly working her dirty fantasies in a way that made her body respond with a helpless tremor. Each touch sent a pulse of heat through her, and she found herself hugging him.

"You’ve agreed to marry the king, so I won’t interfere." His words were strained, but his hands remained relentless, moving with a maddening, deliberate pace. "This will be our last time, so let me feel you for tonight before we part ways."

With that, he claimed her lips once more, this time with a fierce, desperate intensity. His body remained pressed against hers until he had her laid out beneath him on the table.