The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate-Chapter 151: Snowball Fight

Esme was jolted back to reality by the sound of Althea’s soft chuckle, and in front of her stood Acheron, looking somewhat abashed. When she didn’t respond right away, he took a step forward, his expression remorseful.

"I’m so sorry!" he blurted, his voice tinged with guilt. "The snowball wasn’t meant for you, I swear. I was aiming for Lothario!" He gestured at Lothar, who lingered a few paces behind Esme. He smirked slightly, while Althea gave a knowing nod.

Esme’s lips curled into a mischievous smile, but then she dropped to her knees, scooping a generous handful of snow, her blue eyes sparkling with playful intent. Before Acheron could fully react, she let the snowball fly, hitting him squarely on the shoulder.

He gasped, momentarily stunned by her retaliation, while Esme burst into a sudden laughter, her amusement contagious as Althea, who was shocked moments ago, quickly joined her, but she stifled them by covering her mouth with her gloved palms.

"I can’t remember the last time I played with snow," Esme murmured, her eyes sparkling as she scooped up another handful. "This is so much fun!"

Acheron smirked, forming a snowball in his hands. "Well, the North is boring," he replied. "When Donovan came back to the Damned, we threw a massive celebration for him, marking his return as Alpha. The event was a blast, but here? Makes me wonder if it’s just Thadius’s influence, or if the North just has no clue on how to have even if it’s a little bit of fun."

With a mischievous grin, he aimed the snowball at Revana, who was sitting off to the side on a flat stone. She looked relaxed, if not slightly bored, while reading a book that left details on the history of wars Illyria has experienced.

When the snowball smacked her squarely on the shoulder, it disrupted her calm demeanor and her intense reading. A dark frown replaced her serene expression as she took a measured, steadying breath, visibly restraining her temper.

"If you throw that one more time," she warned icily, "I swear I’ll bury you six-feet beneath the snow. Don’t disturb me, I’m busy and I don’t have time for your child-deprived antics."

"Take it easy, Miss Crackson, you didn’t have to go that hard on me," Acheron muttered, but Revana gave him the fingers and faced her book, ignoring his existence at that moment. Acheron would never fully understand how that demoness and an angel like Althea were paired as sisters.

"We helped them reclaim their land," Althea murmured, her tone soft. "So many lives could have been lost last night since the Northerners barely have cursed weapons on them. But whatever they had was enough to help us weaken the demons and swooping in for the kill. Most only sustained injuries, including a few of our own warriors, but no lives were taken. We were fortunate, and if this happened in the Damned, everyone would be celebrating by now, just like Acheron said."

"Speaking of which," Lothar turned to Esme, raising an eyebrow. "Aren’t you supposed to be heading to the elders? If I’m not mistaken, you’re supposed to meet with them tonight, right?"

Esme merely shrugged. That was true, but she had an extra thirty more minutes before going there. She planned to go early to wrap it up quickly, but it wouldn’t hurt if she chose to linger a few more minutes before heading there. Being with them had eased her growing withdrawal.

With her eyes glinting with mischief, she scooped up a handful of snow and flung it in his direction. Lothar ducked just in time before it could make contact, and the snowball sailed harmlessly past him, scattering in a spray of white.

"They can wait a few more minutes," she replied with no hesitation, and Althea clapped her hands in sheer delight, looking thrilled that Esme was choosing to spend more time with them.

"Alright, here’s the game: two against two. Althea and I, versus you and Lothar," Acheron announced with a smirk. "The first team to get the most hits in fifteen minutes loses."

Esme moved to stand beside Lothar, already feeling the spark of competition. "Wait, who’s counting?"

"That gloomy fellow over there," Acheron said, glancing briefly at Leonardo who was equally keeping himself occupied any way he could. He rolled his eyes at the boring title given to him, but felt lazy to correct Acheron, or argue.

With a resigned sigh, he agrees to keep track of their score, figuring it was safer to spectate rather than risk a snowball to his face. Watching the others pelt each other with snow promised enough entertainment already, especially since they’d all willingly invited the chaos amongst themselves.

"What about Donovan?" Esme couldn’t help but notice his absence in the space.

Lothar responded, his expression halfway between frustration and amusement. "He said he had to work on something important, then he shut the door on my face when I tried to persuade him. He really doesn’t appreciate it when I try to be nice. I’d slam a door in his face too, but it won’t be as satisfying since he can’t see it.

"He’d still be mad though," Acheron quipped, earning a round of chuckles from the group. "For someone so reserved, he has a flair for the dramatic when it suits him."

"Come on, are we playing or what?" Althea voiced out, as a snowball suddenly flew past Esme, narrowly missing her and landing on Lothar instead.

"And one point for the A team!" Acheron whooped, sharing a high-five with Althea for the successful hit.

Lothar brushed off the snow from his shoulder. "Alright, now you’re on!"

What started as a little play quickly turned into a full-blown snow battle. Esme’s cheeks were rosy from the cold and laughter, her joy infectious as she slipped, rolled and threw herself wholeheartedly into the snowy mayhem.

Meanwhile, Finnian lingered off to the side, watching his older sister laugh and play. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her so carefree, and a small smile touched his lips. But his quiet moment was interrupted by a shout that echoed through the snow-covered field.

"FINNIAN!" Simon’s voice rang out as he sprinted towards him, with Luca close on his heels. Finnian’s brow furrowed in confusion, but Simon hid behind him, clutching his shoulders.

"Save me!" Simon begged, using Finnian as a shield against Luca. "Stop leaving me alone with him. He won’t stop harassing me!" He reported Luca to Finnian.

"I’m trying to help you so you can stop being a baby all the freaking time!" Luca snapped, pointing a finger at Simon who shrank further behind Finnian. "Come out and face me! Quit hiding!"

"No!" Simon clung to Finnian, who glanced back and forth, unsure how to handle the dispute. Seeing Simon’s genuine distress, he finally decided to help him out.

"Hey Luca, Simon, you two wanna play snowball?" He asked, and Simon’s eyes lit at the mention of a snowball fight.

"That’s better than an actual fight, so yeah." He agreed with a gentle nod.

Luca simply raised an eyebrow, clearly baffled. "A snowball? What’s that? And why are all the adults running around like children?" His gaze shifted to the others, who were darting behind towers, their laughter ringing out as they hurled snowballs back and forth.

"It’s called having fun," Finnian replied, crouching down to scoop up a handful of snow. "We’re in the North– might as well make the most of it before we return and face Shadowbrook." ƒrēenovelkiss.com

With that, Finnian launched the snowball, hitting Luca squarely in the face, where it exploded into fine powder. Luca’s eyes went wide in surprise, then a boyish grin spread across his face.

"That was awesome! Do it again!"

"Only if you can catch us first!" Finnian laughed, grabbing Simon’s wrist before darting off. Not missing a beat, Luca followed their lead, packing snow into his own gloved hands and chasing them like it was a mission he couldn’t afford to lose. Their laughter echoed as they ran in circles, with Luca sprinting after them and shouting a few words at them.

At the top of the building, Donovan stood by the window, leaning against the cold glass. His ears twitched whenever he heard their laughter drifting up from below, faint but clear. The sound was overflowing with genuine positivity, and that eased him greatly.

Beside him, Kangee cawed softly, looking back at its master.

"Won’t you join them, master?" Kangee asked.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Donovan’s lips. "No," he murmured. "Just hearing how happy they are is enough for me. My place is here, ensuring they can enjoy these moments without worry. That’s my duty as their Alpha."

Turning from the window, he stretched his shoulders with a sigh. "I’m worn out myself. I’ll take what little reprieve I can and get some rest. If anyone but Esme tries to disturb me, chase them away."

Kangee’s eyes followed him, and if the raven could speak freely, it would’ve admitted in frustration at how Donovan denied himself even the smallest pleasures, choosing responsibility over his own desires time and again.

Donovan lowered himself onto the cold bed, his expression tightening as he fought against the familiar pain gnawing at his body. No matter the agony, no matter the toll it took, he’d fight the curse’s influence for as long as he could. For Esme, for everyone else who he considered dear to him, he would keep his mind and his will strong.

Because if he hoped to stand by Esme’s side, this was his only path.