The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate-Chapter 132: Speak To The Northerners

"They’re at the gate?" Esme murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as her eyes widened in bewilderment.

Suddenly, Thadius’s laughter cut through the tension, the sound raw and jagged, and each chuckle was weighed down by his pain. He groaned between the laughs, but still managed to lift his gaze to Donovan, a twisted sneer forming on his bloodstained lips.

"When the demons strike, everyone will think it’s you who brought the disaster upon them," he hissed. "Your sudden appearance in the North, and the timing of the attack – it all fits perfectly, don’t you think? The old rumors will rise from the ashes, and the people will turn against you once again. If the king dies tonight, they’ll curse the very ground you walk on."

His laughter grew louder as he threw his head back, more manic. "You think I haven’t planned for this? I always have a fallback, Donovan Morgrim. The demon gave me all the wisdom I needed to outwit you tonight. Who’s going to believe that their Alpha – the one who created a serum to destroy demons –would ever make a pact with one? They might see me as ruthless, but never as twisted enough to mastermind something like this. At least, that’s what they’ll believe."

"You bastard!" Acheron spat, his voice trembling with fury as veins bulged at his temples, the realization of the trap they had fallen into dawning on him.

Esme could hardly believe what she was hearing. Initially, she thought Donovan had gone too far with his punishment, striking him with such brutal force.

But now, as the full scope of Thadius’s deceit unfolded, her outrage flared. She suddenly found herself wanting to land the blow in Donovan’s place, her fist itching to act.

Thadius wasn’t just scheming, he was playing a very dangerous game, one that aimed to kill two birds with one stone. Yet, he seemed oblivious to the consequences his decision had brought on not just himself, but everyone else.

"What makes you think I care about your people?" Donovan’s hand clamped tightly around Thadius’s throat, halting his laugh and seizing his breath in one move. "Let me make something clear, I won’t hesitate to slaughter them if they get in my way."

His grip tightened as he seethed, "and I don’t care if I have to become a demon to do it. Do you understand?"

With a sharp release, Donovan let go, leaving Thadius gasping for air. The warriors moved out, binding him with the same harsh precision they had used on Jason.

Donovan, with Acheron at his side, silently followed Revana out of the room.

"This is so messed up," one of the warriors muttered in frustration before driving a swift kick into Thadius’s side. "Just so you know, when those demons come crashing in, you’ll be the first we throw to them."

Esme approached Thadius slowly, her fists tightly clenched at her sides. She stared down at him, barely able to contain her anger. "You think you’ve won, don’t you? Haven’t you caused enough devastation on your people already? Now you want to pin the blame on Donovan, cause you knew he won’t be getting any support from them."

Her voice sharpened as she leaned in closer. "I’ll make sure no one gets hurt tonight. Just watch and see how everything plays out. I bet you, you’re going to regret this."

Donovan’s warriors stood behind Esme, their support evident in their stance. As she turned and left the room, two of the warriors escorted her out. The others remained, ensuring Thadius and Jason stayed in line, and using the opportunity to take out their frustration on them, striking them whenever they saw fit.

Esme made her way to the balcony, the heavy presence of the warriors trailing behind her to ensure her safety. Reaching the balustrade, from her vantage point, the chaos below was unmistakable.

Northerners, in fevered mobs, surged through the gates, their fists pounding against the iron bars with a relentless fury that threatened to breach the stronghold.

"WE NEED ANSWERS!" a voice bellowed from the throng, the man’s torch casting wild shadows as he pushed forward.

"OPEN THE GATES! RELEASE OUR ALPHA! WE DEMAND TO SEE HIM!" another crowd out, his voice ragged with desperation. "THE TOWN IS IN PANIC, HEAR US!"

"LET US IN! DEMON’S ARE HEADING NORTH! THE TOWN NEEDS THEIR ALPHA’S PROTECTION!"

The collective pleas intensified, a growing wave of fear and anger crashing against the fortress’s defenses. The ground seemed to vibrate with the force of their demands, but the gates held its ground.

Besides Esme, one of the warriors stood, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the scene with grim frustration. He clicked his tongue, a rare show of displeasure. "This is bad," he muttered. "There’s no way we’d get through that crowd without bloodshed. I’d love nothing more than to gut Thadius for putting us in this position. He really has us cornered."

Esme simply stood quietly, a chill running down her spine as she observed the restless crowd below. Their frantic voices faded momentarily as a distant caw caught her attention. She looked up to see Kangee, as it swooped down in a graceful arc before perching on the railing beside her, its dark feathers gleaming in the night.

"These fools have no sense of urgency!" Kangee squawked in disdain, ruffling its feathers. "They’re more worried about seeing their Alpha than dealing with the real threat closing in. My master should just vaporize them and be done with it!"

Esme glanced at the bird, "Kangee, how far are they?"

The raven let out a sharp caw. "The demon wolves are about fifteen to twenty miles away."

Hearing this, Esme mentally calculated the time. At that distance, the demon wolves could be at the gates in roughly forty to forty-five minutes. Even if everyone were to retreat, the window of opportunity was rapidly closing.

"Kangee, can you give me a countdown every fifteen minutes until they arrive?"

The raven tilted its head, its beady eyes narrowing in mock negotiation. "And what do I get in return?"

"If we survive this," Esme placed a hand to her heart. "you’ll get more treats than you can carry."

Kangee gave a squawk of satisfaction before taking off, disappearing into the night sky without a second thought.

"Do you have a plan?" The warriors asked Esme, curiosity gnawing at them, and she hesitated.

"I’m not sure it’ll work. To be honest, I’m less positive about the idea in my head, but I don’t have any other options than to give it a shot."

The two warriors exchanged quizzical glances as she turned to exit the balcony, and they immediately followed.

She ran into Leonardo along the way, and his eyes were laced with a hint of concern and relief when he found her.

"You really need to stop vanishing like that. If you’re capable of giving me a heart attack, imagine what Donovan might be feeling." Leonardo half-scolded Esme, his voice carrying a hint of exasperation, but Esme could hear the concern beneath his words.

She knew he was only worried about her.

"I can handle myself," she replied, gesturing toward the two warriors standing behind her. "I even have these two to keep me company. Now that you’ve seen me, can you tell me where Donovan is? There’s something I need to discuss with him, and you too."

Leonardo’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, and his lips parted to ask something, but thought better of it. "Come with me," he said instead, turning to lead the way.

Esme followed him down the winding stairs to the first floor, where she found Donovan in the shadowed hallway with Revana and Acheron. They seemed to be having a private conversation, while the space looked seemingly abandoned save for them.

Off to one side, Althea lingered near the boys, watching the others have their own conversation.

"What do we do?" Revana couldn’t help but ask. "I left Lothar to handle the gates, and I have to return to him. You guys can come find us when you’ve thought of something, but be quick about it."

And with that she left.

"Should we just kill them all?" Acheron suggested in his own moment of frustration. "It’s not like they’ll listen to us if we open the gates. We have two enemies, those demons and the Illyrians. Our next course of action would be—"

"We’re not killing anyone," Althea disapproved, marching up to Acheron and Donovan. "I understand that the odds aren’t in our favors right now, but we will not stain our hands with the blood of the innocent. There has to be another way to settle this issue."

"There is a way," Esme voiced out, approaching the three of them. "I... I have a plan, but we’re going to have to open the gates."

A puzzled frown settled on Donovan’s features. "Why?"

Esme took a steady breath, pushing down the nervous knot in her stomach. "I’ll speak to the Northerners – on my own," she said, her voice firm, though her heart pounded in contrast. "I think I can convince them to stand down."

Before she could say more, Donovan cut her off, his tone sharp and unyielding. "You’re not going out there." His refusal was so swift and fierce that it took Esme by surprise, whilst she blinked, a frown dawning on her face.

"What? Why not? This is the only chance we have, or don’t you trust me?"

"It’s not about trust," Donovan replied. "You can’t stand crowds, Esme. The ones out there are desperate. They won’t listen, and if they try anything funny with you, I will kill them. I’ve already told you, you don’t need to risk yourself for them."

"But I’m not doing this for them," Esme countered, her voice soft but determined. "I’m doing this for you. Listen, we’re already running out of time. I’m guessing Finnian was the one who told you about my fears, but I trust myself to handle what’s out there. I need you to trust me on this one too."

Althea and Acheron exchanged glances, equally considering it, and Leonardo voiced his own opinion.

"Let Esme speak to them. She’s Illyrian, and if anyone can communicate with them, it’s her." Leonardo said, facing his brother. "She’ll have a better chance than the rest of us. If she’s willing, let her do it. We’ll be on the other side in case she needs us."

Donovan, realizing he had little choice on the matter, sighed reluctantly, and after a tense moment of serious contemplating, he gave a nod of approval. "I’ll inform Revana to open the gates. But I’ll be there as well, so you don’t have to worry about anything." He reassured Esme, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she smiled, grateful for his support, though her heart and mind waged a tough war on how she had made the stupidest, yet right decision tonight.

Soon enough, she was standing before the tall gate, the angry voices behind the gate making her knees grow weak.