The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate-Chapter 138: Help Me

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Outrunning a wolf?

Esme knew that, under normal circumstances, she’d be outmatched. But tonight was different. Maybe it was the raw surge of adrenaline electrifying her senses, or maybe it was the grueling endurance training Revana had drilled into her.

Whatever the reason may be, she found herself outpacing a demon wolf, her feet pounding the ground as if survival itself was propelling her forward.

The wolf thundered after her, its snarl echoing through the narrow corridors, yet she resisted the urge to look back. She darted around a corner, pouring every ounce of strength into her legs.

Her breath was sharp and unsteady as she miraculously evaded the wolf’s lethal lunges. Each time the demon wolf closed in, she slipped from its grasp by a fraction, dodging with instinctive precision.

Columns shattered in the wake of the wolf’s violent charge, the stones splintering as it tore through anything that dared stand between it and its prey. But Esme refused to be caught. She pushed past her fear, reminding herself of Revana’s words with fierce determination.

’I am no one’s prey. Keep moving!’

Racing through an arched doorway, Esme found herself in the fortress’s vast training grounds. She slipped behind a thick column and pressed her back against the cold stone, forcing her breath to steady.

She stilled, clinging to silence, as the demon wolf barreled into the open space till it was standing at the center of the arena. Its growl reverberated off the walls, and Esme remained frozen in place, holding her breath and waiting for the right moment to make another run for it.

The beast wolf prowled forward, and its eyes glowed a fierce red as it sniffed the air with flared nostrils, each breath feeling like a silent threat to Esme’s existence.

Her heart pounded in her chest, and her pulse hammered in her ear as she shrunk against the wall, her instinct urging her to stay hidden no matter what. But before the wolf could close the distance, another beastly figure lunged into its path from the arched doorway – a blur of furs colliding with a sickening crunch that echoed through the training arena.

A tortured whimper followed, filling the night with a dreadful, primal pain, and the sound of it was enough to amplify Esme’s fright.

Oh no!

Her heart skipped a beat as she sensed a darker presence behind her. The air grew heavy, thick with an aura that sent shivers down her spine. When she dared to steal a peek regardless of her fears, she found herself staring into a pair of familiar, piercing violet eyes.

The wolf’s black and white fur was streaked with a mysterious, swirling mist, almost as though it were formed from the mist itself.

"Donovan?" She whispered, her voice barely audible as she recognized the wolf before her.

Knowing it was Donovan, Esme cautiously stepped out from her hiding place, her gaze landing first on the lifeless demon wolf sprawled at the center of the arena, its body soaked in a dark, spreading pool of blood. Her eyes shifted to the majestic wolf that had taken down the demonic creature, and it just stood there, powerful and watchful, its intense gaze narrowing on her, as if questioning what she was doing in such a perilous place when she was supposed to be in the shelter.

Before she could form a response, the wolf’s tail lashed out, striking her side with a controlled but surprising force. The impact, though light by its standards, was enough to send her stumbling back a few steps. Esme stared at the wolf wide-eyed, barely processing the deliberate swat.

"Did you just—" she began, but the words froze on her lips as the wolf silenced her with a low, rumbling growl.

It was unmistakably annoyed, and she could feel the reprimand in its Alpha stare; its authority alone brooking any retort she might have made. She knew Donovan would not be pleased to see her here.

Feeling the weight of his wolf’s displeasure, Esme held her tongue as the wolf turned sharply toward the door. As it moved, her instincts told her to follow since he was her only rescue source.

She couldn’t really tell if this was Donovan taking the lead or his wolf’s doing, but the energy radiating from it was powerful enough to leave her shaken.

"You won’t even let me explain," Esme murmured softly, a note of defensiveness slipping through. But the wolf only gave her a dismissive flick of its tail, using it to nudge her forward with a firm but much more gentle push this time.

Staying close, Esme trailed in its shadow as it led the way, and she clutched her new weapon, wondering if she should tell Donovan that she had activated it, then decided against it, knowing this was not the right time to share such a spectacle.

With the wolf’s heightened senses, it seemed constantly alert to the faintest sounds and movements, pausing now and then as if to assess any hidden threats before deciding on their paths. Esme simply followed without question, trusting it as it guided her through the dim corridor.

Her gaze kept drifting to the immense wolf beside her, a sense of pure awe mingling with wariness as she took in the sight of bloodstains - neither belonging to it.

In its towering presence, she felt as small as a doll. If she’d had a wolf spirit of her own, would it have been drawn to an Alpha wolf this powerful?

A hundred percent yes!!

She wasn’t sure she would have found the courage to walk beside it if not for the fact that their first encounter in the garden was wholesome. Even when the wolf swished its tail to chide her, the touch was surprisingly light.

Its reprimanding gaze softened after that, as though it wanted to assure her that it was only showing concern.

"There’s a manhole that leads to the shelter" Esme murmured, stopping in her tracks as she tried to remember which route led to the manhole. Due to the fallen pillars, several routes were blocked, reducing the option, and she could hear the urgent voices shouting from outside, followed by the sound of endless combat.

She turned to the Alpha wolf beside her, its attention fixed intently ahead. Suddenly, a low, warning growl rumbled from its throat, signaling an approaching threat. Esme’s breath caught when about three demon wolves slinked out from the shadows, eyes gleaming with a fierce hunger as they prowled forward, snarling in pure rage and disdain.

Instinctively, she took a cautious step back, and her eyes darted to the Alpha wolf by her side as it suddenly shielded her from view, and she knew it was covering her so she could make a run for it in the opposite direction. However, Esme tightened her grip on the hilt of her whip, and even though she lacked a wolf, or true combat skills, she felt her senses sharpen, grounding her in place.

"If I make a run for it, one of them would definitely break off and come after me," Esme whispered, just loud enough to catch Donovan’s attention. "When that happens, I need you to take care of the other two and leave the third to me. I can handle at least one demon wolf on my own, so don’t worry about me." fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

She reassured him, hoping her message was clear enough for both Donovan and his wolf.

As the three demon wolves prowled nearer, Donovan’s wolf sprang into action, charging forward in a fierce onslaught. On the other hand, Esme took off in the opposite direction, and just as she’d anticipated, one of the demon wolves managed to evade Donovan’s strike, and it veered toward her while the other two remained engaged in the fray.

Without slowing in her pace, she darted around a corner, reaching into pants pocket for the Lycobane serum. But before she could aim the poison at it, the demon wolf that was hot on her heels suddenly twisted mid-stride, its body morphing back into its natural form.

Esme then raised the serum. However, as she did, her eyes grew wide in disbelief. The shock gripped her so tightly that the serum slipped from her trembling fingers, shattering on the ground.

"Milady!" came a desperate voice.

Esme’s heart stopped, her gaze drawn to the pitiful figure that stood before her.

"Vivienne?" Esme whispered, unable to believe her eyes. Those familiar dark brown eyes she once possessed had been replaced with eyes that were as black as midnight, hollow pools of despair, and her body was etched in dark, writhing runes.

"Milady... Help me...! I... I don’t want to die." Tears brimmed in Vivienne’s terror-stricken eyes as she staggered forward, one trembling hand reaching out to Esme.

"Milady!"

Esme’s mind raced, her eyes welling up with tears as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. When Vivienne sank to her knees, Esme’s breath caught in her throat, and she instinctively moved forward.