The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate-Chapter 196: In Love With The Cursed Alpha

Esme’s blade cut cleanly through the air, slicing the bottle she had thrown mid-flight.

The water inside burst forth in a shimmering arc, the droplets scattering like fractured glass. Hence, the liquid met the petals of her weapon, clinging for a moment before vanishing into nothing.

A shiver ran down Esme’s spine as she recalled how the weapon had attacked the Alpha of the North without warning. Her instinct immediately overran her reason, and she flung the weapon aside, retreating behind a nearby pillar before something happened.

She peeked from behind the pillar, every muscle tense as she waited. If something were to happen– if a more powerful latent magic were to awaken– she needed to be prepared.

But nothing.

Minutes passed, with each one stretching longer than the last. Esme’s brow furrowed, and her curiosity outweighed her caution. Edging closer, she bent down and grasped the hilt of the blood petal. She touched the petal, expecting dampness, but the petals remained freshly dry.

"What? It didn’t even absorb the water," she murmured, disappointment flickering across her face. Unable to believe it, she fetched a bowl of water and plunged the entire blade into it. Aside from some parts of the weapon, the petals stubbornly refused to absorb the water.

"Are you some kind of cursed relic?" Esme muttered, sizing up the weapon. "Do you only respond to blood? Like some vampire. Who even created you? Maybe I should test it with animal blood instead?"

"Luna Esme?"

The sound of her name pulled her from her thoughts. Turning toward the entrance, she spotted Lady Arabella standing poised beneath the archway, looking graceful and no less beautiful. Esme swiftly tucked the blood petal away as the woman approached. They both exchanged polite bows, the gesture brief but respectful.

"Are you occupied?" asked Lady Arabella.

The simple question should have been easy for Esme to answer. By all rights, she was busy— her day had been meticulously planned, with every task slotted into its rightful place. Her list of obligations was exhaustingly long, precise, and calculated to the hour.

"Not immediately," Esme admitted, brushing stray thoughts aside. She was supposed to be preparing for her meeting with the elders, but she had, at most, twenty minutes to spare before duty called once more.

"Do you need something?" she asked instead. "My schedule has been relentless, and I barely have time to spare. If you have something to say, then say it."

Lady Arabella exhaled slowly, unable to comprehend the sudden strength in Esme’s voice. She wondered if this was the power that came with being a Luna. Esme looked nothing like the pitiful child she remembered.

Stepping past Esme, she finally said, "You might think I’m saying this because I resent the cursed ones, but the truth is that a part of me does. However, that is not the reason I’m advising you to leave—"

"I’ve already made up my mind," Esme interrupted smoothly, her voice unwavering as she turned to face Lady Arabella. "And nothing you say will change it. I will not abandon Donovan. The two of us... we’re finally together, and all I want now is to stand by his side, to help him in any way I can. I love his people, they were the ones who embraced me when everyone else turned their backs while Dahmer did as he pleased with my life. And Donovan... he is the one who taught me what it means to make my own choices. He has never forced me into anything, and he made me realize that this is my life, so I have the right to do as I want with it. He was always there for me even when I tried to push him away, and you expect me to just leave him?"

Lady Arabella finally turned to face Esme fully, studying her with a newfound scrutiny. "Esme... are you in love with the cursed Alpha?"

"Who wouldn’t love him?" Esme countered, a gentle smile playing on her lips as her gaze softened. "He’s wonderful. He’s beautiful. He’s one of the best things that has happened to me. I love him more than I can put into words. So please forget about trying to sway me— I will not leave him." Though her words were gentle, there was an undeniable strength in them. "With time I’ve come to understand that as we live, we lose pieces of ourselves– our reasons, our hopes. But as we continue, we gather new ones. Donovan and Finnian are my reasons now. My hope. And nothing will change that."

Esme’s fingers instinctively tightened around the hilt of her blood petal blade, her grip firm yet trembling with unspoken resolve. "He has done so much for me," she murmured, her voice laced with quiet determination. "Now it’s my turn to repay his kindness and patience. If you truly wish to aid me, Aunt Bella, then answer two of my questions."

Her piercing gaze shifted, locking onto Lady Arabella’s own. "After Donovan and I lost consciousness that night," she began, "was that when the priest erased our memories?"

At Esme’s question, a flicker of something– shock, hesitation— flashed in Lady Arabella’s widened pupils. Esme didn’t wait for confirmation as she carried on with her words. "Even after everything the royal council did to try and separate us, even without our memories, we found each other again. There’s something else I’d like to know."

She pressed on, folding her arms. "Is there a history of fire in our bloodline? Did my father truly summon his wolf with fire, or is there a ritual you’ve kept hidden from me all this time?"

At Esme’s insistent inquiries, Lady Arabella went utterly still, her breath caught in her throat.

-_-_-⁠♡-_-_-

"My father had a twin?" The words left Donovan’s lips before he could stop himself. The thought gnawed at him as he recalled the little encounters he’s had with the true bearer, and the words Eugene had said to him the last time he encountered him. His gaze lingered on Cora, searching for confirmation, but she averted her gaze, fixing them on her lap, her hesitation evident.

Cora wasn’t sure either. All she knew was that she had once overheard Lord Thadius whisper it to someone in hushed urgency.

"Lord Thadius was terrifying," Cora finally said, her voice quiet but etched with the pain of past horrors. "He had a way of knowing when people were listening in on his conversations, and so many servants have lost their lives to his ruthlessness. After getting rid of them, he would frame them to society, either with theft or something else."

She swallowed hard. "That fear of him– that knowledge of what he is capable of, kept us in line. But that day— the way he spoke– he wasn’t just less cautious about his environment. He was afraid."

Donovan leaned back, the suspicion in his voice cutting through the air. "If he was so ruthless about silencing eavesdroppers, how is it that you’re still alive? Don’t take this the wrong way, but there has to be a reason why he kept you alive without giving others the chance he gave to you."

"Cause I was useful to him, " Cora hesitated, unwilling to remember all of Lord Thadius’s evil schemes– how he murdered her family and sold her sisters before her eyes. "He threatened me, made sure I knew what would happen if I ever spoke a word. so I kept my lips sealed and served him like a slave. I wasn’t ready to die, but before I knew it, he had turned me into one of his—"

"You don’t have to worry about Lord Thadius anymore." Leonardo’s voice cut through her torment. His eyes held none of the cruelty she had grown accustomed to, only certainty. "He’s gone. He’s not coming back. You’re free now, Cora, which means you’re free to tell us the truth he buried, or at least, lead us toward it."

Cora exhaled slowly, steadying herself as she gathered her thoughts. "If Alpha Zephyr truly had a twin, then I can only assume he was the sole family member that Lord Thadius maintained contact with. I can’t verify my suspicions, nor have I ever seen the person he always met with in secret. But whoever it was—a demon, no less—he struck some kind of deal with them. And he failed to uphold it. That’s why hundreds of demon wolves stormed this place that night."

Her gaze shifted between the Morgrim brothers, her expression grave. "Lord Thadius realized I had uncovered his secret, and he tried to silence me. If the two of you hadn’t been here, we would have been utterly doomed. What happened to the East would have been nothing compared to the destruction we would have suffered."

Donovan took his seat on one of the chairs, his voice measured but firm as he advised. "You need to stay on guard. If you were caught eavesdropping, that means whoever Thadius was conspiring with saw you too. They know what you know, which makes you a target. Be vigilant."

Leonardo simply frowned, his mind working through the inconsistencies. "But... none of this adds up. The stories don’t align, do they? If Thadius poisoned everyone so the demons could get their hands on Lennox, then what exactly was the deal he broke? The pieces don’t fit together—it’s almost as if they were never meant to. For the first time, I’ll admit... This makes me uneasy."