The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate-Chapter 156: Pack Raiders

Cora continued to hand out the supplies to the next person in line before turning to Esme. "I’m referring to the gift your father possessed. It was a blessing bestowed upon him by the moon goddess, based on what I’ve heard. Wait... you didn’t know?"

The slight narrowing of Cora’s eyes hinted at her disbelief, and Esme’s vacant expression confirmed her suspicions. Without breaking stride, Cora continued to pass supplies to the waiting crowd, her hands moving swiftly as she faced the crowd before letting her gaze drift briefly to Esmeray.

"I learned about it from spending time with Thadius," Cora continued, her voice low and measured. "He often spoke with other Alpha’s about your father. He never sounded particularly fond of him, but it doesn’t surprise me. Thadius has always been one to know everything about everyone. Actually, it’s how he’s managed to hold onto his role as Alpha for so long — by hoarding secrets and leveraging them to bend others to his will. You were able to get past him because he probably had nothing on you."

Leaning in, Cora’s voice dropped to a near whisper as she helped Esme dust off the snow on her shoulder. "Let’s finish here first. I’ll tell you everything later."

Esme stayed silent, but she didn’t object. A storm of thoughts whirled in her mind, and she wondered how much Thadius really knew. Now that she knew all of this, she wished she spared him a bit longer so he could reveal everything that he knew to her. Even before she killed him, he kept uttering things as though he was mad.

Is it possible that her father had an ability she knew nothing about? It could be possible since she never knew about the glowing blue hair thingy before. But she could also understand why her father never told her about it as well.

Asides the hair, her father having another ability relating to fire unsettled her. She had other relatives she could go to and ask, but what was the use since they clearly won’t accept her for cutting her hair.

Throughout the rest of the evening, Esme worked tirelessly, moving between the tables to ensure the supplies were distributed fairly.

As the last villager departed with their share, Esme finally paused, exhaustion pulling at her limbs. She then glanced around, ensuring that all the villagers had been attended to, and that no one had been overlooked. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

Her eyes then caught sight of Cora who stood at a distance, addressing a boy Esme immediately recognized. She knew it was the same boy Donovan had given food to during their journey to the North. He was usually accompanied by his little sister, but today, he stood alone, posture tense and defiant.

"You’ve already received your share," Cora said. "I can’t give you more than what’s been allocated. Come to think of it, aren’t you from the other neighboring village? If I’m not mistaken, your people were given more than enough yesterday– hey!" Cora’s reprimand turned into a startled cry as the boy, with a sudden burst of movement, grabbed the sack of fruits from her hand and darted away.

"Get back here!" Cora shouted, going after him after he slipped through her grasps like water.

Esme’s eyes widened, and she froze in shock at what she witnessed. When the boy noticed her, his eyes went wide with panic and guilt, his breath catching in his throat.

But that didn’t stop him from running away with what he stole. What saved the boy was the fact that all the villagers weren’t around to catch him.

Unbeknownst to Cora who was chasing him, a boy and a girl hid in a corner, holding a taut string, and the moment the boy passed, they pulled the string before Cora could dash ahead, causing her to stumble and fall.

"Cora!" Esme gasped at the sight, and she immediately went to help Cora up to her feet. The three children looked back, and Esme could see the clear remorse in their eyes before they fled. Torvald, who was having a deep conversation with Atticus and Orion, turned at the commotion, but the children had already disappeared down the narrow path.

"Wait, let them go," Esme said, stopping Cora from going after them the moment she got up. "There’s still a few supplies left, you can take those."

"Cora, are you okay?" Torvald asked. She simply nodded and dusted off her skirt, annoyance etched on her face.

"I should have known," she gritted her teeth, her eyes darkening. "They do this for absolutely insane reasons. I thought that if things were slowly returning to normal, they would stop, but I guess not."

"What do you mean?" Esme asked.

"Pack raiders," Torvald said, shaking his head slightly, a shadow of disappointment crossing his features. "They run a sort of operation where they use young children to pilfer from other neighboring villages. But.. I’m even more shocked to see that Ander is one of them."

"Tell me about it," Cora dusted off the snow on her shoulder with an irritated swipe. "That’s why I wasn’t on guard when he approached me. If I had known he was a part of those little thieves, I wouldn’t have let him get away so easily."

Esme could understand the frustration from Cora’s point of view as well. She suddenly recalled the words Leonardo told her at the tent the other day when Donovan said not to give those children anything. They seemed innocent, harmless even. But now, the truth struck her hard; she was the naive one here.

"Who is in charge of the pack raiders?" Esme asked, wondering who could stoop so low to use children to fulfill their greedy desires, but Cora and Torvald shook their heads at her question.

"It’s hard to come across them," Torvald said, "And the children would rather die than reveal who it is. It’s obvious they get scared, but for some reason, they can’t run away from it. I don’t know if the one behind the pack raiders has threatened them or something, but it’s no use telling them to reveal the identity either."

The snow was starting to fall thicker now, and Tolvard looked at Esme, "We can discuss the pack raiders situation after the blizzard is over. Thanks to you, families will be able to make it through. You should return now so you don’t end up getting stuck in the storm."

"Before you go," Cora immediately turned and walked into a certain home. She stepped out a few minutes later with two books that were neatly wrapped in a cloth. She then handed it to Esme, "These are the books I found in Thadius’s private library. You can go through them and see if you find anything useful in it about the previous war."

"Oh," Esme glanced at the book, and she received it with gratitude. "Thank you, I’ll make sure to go through them. After the blizzard ends, you can come visit and we shall talk more about the pack raiders."

Cora simply nodded, waving her hand as Esme stepped into her carriage. "I definitely will. Travel safely."

After leaving, Esme had completely forgotten about the elders, and she was relieved to see that at least some of the courtesan’s were slowly starting to piece their lives back together after being trapped in their role for who knows how long. There were so many other things to address, but that would have to wait until the blizzard stops.

When Esme reached the manor, the wind howled fiercely, whipping at her and clawing at her cape. But she had Atticus and Orion who guided her into the building, quickly bolting the heavy door behind them. In the darkness, the world outside was swallowed in a swirling white as snow blanketed the landscape in a relentless storm.

Esme shivered under her cape, feeling the cold seeping into her skin. She made her way upstairs only to find Donovan waiting, and she was surprised to see him standing at her doorstep, holding another thick blanket in his arms. He approached her and gently draped it over her body, enveloping her in it’s comforting weight

"I haven’t even said anything," Esme spoke up after he covered her with the blanket. "How did you know it was me?"

"We’ve been together for me to miss your scent," he said quietly. "And you’re shivering."

"It is cold out there," Esme admitted. "But I plan to take a hot bath, I’m sure I’ll feel warmed up afterwards."

"Well, you’re in luck." Donovan said, guiding her into her room. "I already have the tub prepared for you."

Esme’s eyes widened in surprise at his words, "Really? You did?"

"Well, not alone. Kangee’s assistance was necessary." Only after he mentioned Kangee, did Esme catch sight of the raven perched on her vanity table. The bird huffed and looked away, causing Esme to laugh lightly, and she stroked its sleek head fondly.

"Thank you Kangee."

She turned to Donovan, "and thank you too. I thank both of you for your thoughtful help. It feels good to just come home and relax." She set the books Cora had given her on the table. "But what’s up with the special treatment?"