The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate-Chapter 164: Break The Bond

"So you’re Finnian," the girl said, her voice light yet curious, as though she had been waiting to meet him for some time. She clasped her hands behind her back, then bowed with a practiced grace that made her blue curls bounce slightly.

Finnian mirrored her gesture, his movement stiff and detached, and his expression gave nothing away.

"I’m Marisa," she introduced herself, straightening up with a bright smile that revealed a small gap between her teeth. "My mother and I came to visit the luna. I hope you’ll have us." Her smile lingered as she spoke, her tone a mixture of politeness and expectation, but Finnian remained unusually indifferent.

Behind Finnian, Simon and Luca exchanged glances, catching the slight flicker of disinterest in Finnian’s blue eyes. Yet, he inclined his head once more, his voice calm and measured as he replied, "I thought the Montagues didn’t want anything to do with my sister and me." He paused, then added with a faint, almost reluctant courtesy, "But please, make yourself comfortable."

Marisa’s gaze drifted to his hair, and her eyes lit with pure wonder, "You really do have double hair colors, can I touch it?"

Finnian’s expression hardened instantly, his brows drawing together. "No, you may not," he said firmly. His sharp tone made her pause, and her hand, which had started to reach out, hovered uncertainly before slowly dropping at her sides."

"It’s nice to meet you, Marisa," Simon quickly stepped in, offering a warm smile and a slight bow. "I’m Simon. If you’d like, you can join us. We were just about to head outside and have some fun with the snow."

Marisa tilted her head at his words, amusement clouding her eyes. "Fun? Back home, we train every day. I prefer sparring to playing since it builds my strength. In fact," her gaze shifted to Finnian, "I was wondering if Finnian would spar with me. I heard you even fought with an actual demon wolf, so would you grant me the honors by sparring with me?"

Before Finnian could decline, Luca burst out eagerly, "I’ll fight you! I also fought an actual demon wolf, which makes me just as awesome as he is!"

Simon stared at Luca and exasperated, "Luca, seriously? She said ’spar’, not ’fight’."

"Same thing!" He responded, puffing out his chest, while looking completely unbothered in a way that always got on Simon’s nerves.

Simon simply pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. To him, it’s like Luca had just two brain cells, and both of them were stuck on punching things.

Marisa smiled gratefully at Luca before following the boys. Simon stayed close to Finnian, watching him closely before blurting out, "Aren’t you happy to see more of your family? They seem like nice people to me." freewēbnoveℓ.com

"My only family is my sister," Finnian responded, stuffing his hands in his coat pocket. "I don’t trust anyone else. When my sister was getting bullied by my big brother, they did nothing but watch her suffer. I’m even surprised she let them stay after everything. I don’t think I’m that compassionate."

"Give them a chance," Simon smiled warmly. "You know, the fact that they’re even here might mean something, right? Maybe they’re trying to make up for it."

Simon tried again, his tone lighter. "Marisa just wants to hang out. Besides, your sister would probably want us to be nice to her guests, don’t you think? Let’s not make Marisa feel left out."

Finnian muttered something under his breath, barely audible, and he sighed. "I guess you’re right. Plus, I have to make sure Luca doesn’t get any bright ideas and does something stupid. Let’s catch up with them."

The two of them immediately quickened their pace to catch up with Marisa and Luca who were heading to the open snowy field to spar.

Meanwhile, Esme and Donovan sat side by side in the parlor, the soft glow of the afternoon sun streaming through the tall windows. Opposite them, Lady Arabella was perched on the edge of a velvet cushion. A tray laden with delicate porcelain teacups, steaming tea, and a plate of neatly arranged biscuits was placed on the table in their middle.

Lady Arabella lifted her cup gracefully, savoring a small sip before placing it back on the saucer with a faint click.

Esme finally broke the prolonged silence, "What brings you back to the North, Lady Bella?" She asked, "And why the sudden appearance in the Eastern region? I was under the impression that most of you still resided in central Illyria. Is something amiss?"

Lady Arabella ’s lips curved into a serene smile, her tone light but measured. "Oh, not exactly. My daughter and I simply felt it was time for a change of scenery. Besides, my husband was stationed in the East. After the recent devastation, he was assigned to assist the survivors."

"Devastation?" Esme’s eyebrows knitted, concern flickering in her voice as she wondered what she was talking about.

Lady Arabella raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by Esme’s lack of knowledge. "I suppose you haven’t heard? Demon wolves attacked the Eastern territories. It was a vicious assault, but thankfully my family and I were spared since the attack didn’t reach our town. But according to the reports, nearly half of our people... were lost in the carnage."

Her gaze flickered to Donovan for a brief moment before settling on Esme.

"To be more honest," she began audibly, "I came to see if the rumors were true – that you’ve chosen to ally yourself with the cursed shifters. I’m not here to pass judgment on anyone, but I will say this. As bold as your actions may seem, it might just pave the way for a better Illyria. For far too long, the cursed ones have ensured all the scorn and cruelty. My cousin, your father never once condemned them. He only pursued those who had truly succumbed to the curse.

"What does that have to do with why you’re here?" Esme asked, suspicion flashing in her eyes as they narrowed slightly.

She noticed the slight hesitation on Lady Bella’s face before she dived into the actual matter.

"The thing is, I know why your wolf hasn’t surfaced yet," she revealed, "It’s a secret— not just me, but even your father knew. To be more clear, even the king knows, and I’m afraid to say that it has something to do with him." She turned her attention to Donovan, whose expression darkened at that particular word, aware that she was referring to him.

"I don’t blame either of you— you both were just children. But it happened many years ago, shortly after Donovan was captured. You used to visit his dungeon because you two were friends, as you’d claim. But something happened during those visits. The two of you performed some sort of ritual– an unintentional binding that tethered your souls together. I believe that bond is what’s drawing you two together now. But it’s artificial, not the work of any fate. You were children, likely experimenting, so you didn’t consider the consequences. Yet here you are, bound by something you never truly understood... and something that should never have been.

"I don’t believe it," Donovan interrupted sharply. "Even if we aren’t fated, it doesn’t matter. We’ve had no trouble being together, and that’s all that matters to the both of us."

"That’s precisely the problem," Bella countered. "Esme needs to get her wolf, but as long as she remains bound to you, she will never reclaim it. A cursed and the daughter of a blessed cannot coexist in harmony. The two of you are fundamentally incompatible."

"Whom I am compatible with is my business, and I will not have you dictate that for me," Esme retorted in a serious tone. "And everything you say is just pure nonsense. I don’t remember performing any ritual, nor do I remember meeting Donovan before."

"That’s because your memories were wiped," Bella dropped. "They did it because they thought it would keep you safe from him. If you don’t believe me, you can ask the King. He was there, even your father knew about it because he was there as well. But he was furious when he heard about how the Royal councils wiped your memories without his consent. Don’t you find it strange that there are gaps in your childhood–some parts of your childhood you can’t recall?"

Esme remained silent, her thoughts racing as she pondered on Bella’s true intensions. She wondered what Bella was trying to prove, and more importantly, how the woman came to know that she was having troubles remembering bits of her memories?

As tempting as it was to ask about what kind of ritual the two of them might have done, she found it impossible to believe.

"I don’t believe it," Esme finally said, shaking her head in denial. "How can Donovan be responsible for me lacking a wolf? I don’t buy any of it. If that’s all you have to say, then I’m not interested in hearing more."

"I know it’s hard to accept," Bella interjected softly, "I honestly wish there was something else I could do to prevent it, but you are the only one capable of putting all of these to an end, Esme. I have no ill intention for the both of you. In fact, I feel guilty with myself for only revealing this now, but we were told to never utter a word about it since we had no idea what kind of bond you two created. None of us truly understood the bond you and Donovan shared back then, and we feared what might happen if we interfered."

Bella hesitated, sensing the tension in the space. "But Esme, you must reclaim your wolf. And for that to happen..." her voice faltered, but she pushed on. "I’m afraid there’s only one way. You and Donovan... you’ll have to break that bond."