The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate-Chapter 166: Something Was Wrong

Esme squeezed her eyes shut when he sank his teeth deeper. Her fingers instinctively gripped his bare shoulder, clutching at him as though anchoring herself against the overwhelming sting.

The moment his bite deepened, something within her shifted. A sudden burst of light illuminated the space as her hair, which had remained dim until now, began to glow with an otherworldly brilliance.

She hadn’t even realized what had happened until the warm radiance spilled down her shoulders. Biting her lower lip, Esme fought against the cry that threatened to escape, refusing to show any form of weakness.

No one had warned her that a mating mark would hurt this much. The intensity was staggering, and tears welled up in her eyes, despite the care he was taking. His gentleness was steady and deliberate, but it couldn’t mask the piercing burn that etched his claim into her very soul.

When he finally pulled back, Esme was left trembling, her breaths coming short. Her skin felt raw, and her body alight with a sensation she couldn’t fully process. Then his tongue swept over the freshly marked spot, soothing the ache as his warmth melted into her.

The pain began to fade after a minute, replaced by a pulsing heat that thrummed through her veins. It wasn’t just heat... it was an electric tether, a connection so profound and unyielding that she could feel it binding them together. Her heart raced as she met his gaze, realizing that she would never break away from him now, even if she tried.

Donovan rested his forehead against hers, his breath mingling with hers as Esme tried to steady her racing heart. The closeness was almost unbearable.

Each exhale pulled her deeper into the tempest of emotions swirling between them. Then, she heard him speak, his voice low and edged with tenderness as he asked, "Are you okay?"

Esme’s lashes fluttered as she opened her eyes, her vision swimming with unspent tears and lingering sensation. Through the haze, she caught a glimpse of his face, and the dark marks that usually marred his face were gone. The sight unsettled her, and when she blinked, it didn’t go away. Still, she wondered if it was a trick of her mind.

Rather than answer him directly, she tilted her head, and her voice was laced with a teasing defiance that bellied her trembling resolve. "Are you satisfied now?"

A slow, genuine smile curved his lips, a sight so rare it made her breath hitch. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice brimming with unspoken emotion before he dipped his head and pressed a feather-light kiss to her crown.

It was an act so tender it unraveled her guarded composure, reminding her of her Donovan. She knew he was fighting his wolf, wild and untamed, and it lingered like a shadow at the edge of his softened gaze.

Esme’s hands, as if acting on their own accord, slid up to loop around his neck. She drew him down closer until the weight of his presence pressed her deeper into the moment. Her voice was a whisper, but it carried an unyielding intensity as she asked, "Do you plan to stop here?"

His luminous eyes– those impossibly hypnotic eyes, were still glowing faintly, but now that same light was overtaken by a darker, hungrier depth. She watched as his pupils dilated, their edges blurring into the intensity of his desires.

"Esme..." he breathed her name, a reverent confession that sent her heart skipping a beat, whilst his voice trembled with devotion. The way he had his eyes on her— like she was the only thing tethering him to sanity, made her feel achingly vulnerable. Before she could speak again, he leaned down, capturing her lips with a kiss so passionate it felt like the world dissolved around them.

When he moved inside her, every action was deliberate, controlled, yet maddeningly intoxicatingly. She drew him deeper into her, his touch igniting a fire she couldn’t contain, a need she couldn’t deny... never denied. Every breath, every heartbeat, every whispered plea tethered them tighter, until there was no doubt.

How did the day suddenly become this beautiful? Esme wondered.

She was his. And after they get past this, there would be no going back— not for either of them.

-_-_-⁠♡-_-_-

15 years Prior

-_-_-⁠♡-_-_-

After the death of King Charles, a seven-year-old Esme accompanied her father to the palace. She had insisted on coming along, stubborn in her refusal to remain at home.

Her small hand was clasped tightly in Alpha Damon’s as he led her through the desolate grandeur of the palace. Her wide, curious eyes roved over the devastation around her. Parts of the once-majestic structure had cracked walls, as though an explosion had torn through them, with shattered windows letting in streaks of pale light, and corridors lined with servants whose solemn expressions matched the somber atmosphere.

Even amidst the destruction, her father walked in with an air that commanded authority. The tall, broad-shouldered Alpha exuded a magnetic presence that was hard to ignore, which some say was part of the moon goddess’s blessings.

Behind both her and father was his trusted gamma and a few warriors.

The staff bowed deeply as Alpha Damon passed by. Esme noticed how the women’s gazes lingered on her father. Since the loss of her mother, there had been no shortage of women vying to capture his attention, but in the end, her father was to wed Lady Percy, who was also a widow with one child.

Esme couldn’t shake off the uneasiness whenever she thought of Lady Percy and her son. Though they had been nothing but kind to her, never mocking her illness or treating her with pity, something about them felt... off. It wasn’t anything tangible she could explain, just a quiet dread that whispered in the back of her mind.

"Esme, my dear," Her father’s deep, steady voice gained her attention. Damon crouched down to his daughter’s level, his large frame reassuring her of his presence, hence, she smiled softly. They had paused in the grand main hall.

"I need you to wait for me," he said, pointing toward a private chamber nearby. "I need to speak with the councils. It won’t take long, then we can go home"

"Take your time, father," she replied, "I’m not in a hurry to leave. I’ll wait for you." She assured him before turning around and heading to the specific chamber, with two of his guards following her at a respectful distance.

His gamma could see the clear sadness in his Alpha’s eyes as he watched his daughter go, and he couldn’t help but reassure his Alpha.

"One look at her and it’s hard to tell she’s unwell," he said. "I’m sure we’ll find someone capable of healing your daughter completely, Alpha. I know the moon goddess won’t let anything happen to you or your daughter."

"If that was the case, then why did the moon goddess curse her with this illness in the first place?" Damon turned to his gamma, but then brushed the topic aside since this wasn’t the time for him to get all emotional. "From what was disclosed to us concerning last night’s ordeal, we need to speak with Lennox and listen to what the councils have to report. I wonder if the boy they caught knows the exact whereabouts of his father."

"You mean the blind boy?" His gamma asked as they continued their walk down the hall. "They said he hadn’t said a thing since his capture. The guards say he refuses to speak with anyone. Instead, they claim he spends the day reciting uncomfortable poems.

"Poetry?" Damon’s eyebrows furrowed. "How interesting. A boy like that not only managed to kill the king, but the Queen as well. If anything, I can only say King Charles brought his death upon himself. Irwin and I have warned him time and again to leave Zephyr’s wife alone. I guess having a Lycan wolf also has its bad attributes."

"So what are you saying, Alpha?"

"The only crimes I’ll hold the boy accountable for are the ones that matter; the murder of the Queen and half of the innocent lives who tried to stop him. As much as I’d like to face him myself before leaving for the main war, time is not the kind of luxury I can afford."

The gamma stood silently, absorbing his Alpha’s words. He dared not interject, though he silently prayed his Alpha would exercise restraint in voicing such opinions before the council. Tensions were already razor-thin, and the recent devastation had left everyone raw and on edge. No one was smilng

Meanwhile, Esme sat in the quiet chamber that was several corridors away, as her father instructed. The bodyguards standing at the door and guarding it were on high alert. Esme simply laid down to rest on the couch, and she could feel her strength draining slowly.

Noticing her discomfort, one of the guards approached her. Without a word, he took a spare blanket from a nearby chair and draped it gently over. His movements were careful to avoid disturbing her instant sleep. He placed a hand on her forehead to check for fever before resuming his post.

When Esme awoke from her slumber, the room felt strangely quiet. Her head throbbed slightly, and a sickly warmth radiated from her body, signaling the sudden rise in her body temperature. She swallowed against the dryness in her throat, feeling thirsty.

"Guards," her little voice called out softly to the guards, intending to ask for water, but the doorway was empty. There was no one there, and it was unusual for her father’s guards to abandon their post.

Something was wrong