The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate
Chapter 107: Stay A Little Longer

Chapter 107: Stay A Little Longer

Esme couldn’t quite understand what compelled her to embrace him so suddenly. It wasn’t planned, but the moment felt inevitable, and his instinctive stillness from the unexpected contact was understandable.

Perhaps it was because, deep down, she sensed he desperately needed it.

The way he clutched the pendant, her heart nearly stopped at the thought of him damaging it. That pendant wasn’t an object to toss around; it was formed from his own magical core — half of his very soul embedded within it.

If he had crushed it, the consequences would have been dire, wouldn’t they?

The weight of that realization, and the fact she had almost thrown away something so significant if it wasn’t for Kangee, made her grip tighten around him.

"Forgive me," he said abruptly, his voice thick with remorse as he responded to her warm hug. "I sensed you, watching everything, and I panicked. I had no right to take it away from you. I just... I couldn’t bear for you to see the things I did in my state. I was afraid it would drive you away."

He wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her closer, and Esme’s blue eyes gleamed with recognition. She had once asked him if he regretted his actions, and now the reason for his evasive answer was clear.

"So you—"

"It’s better if we don’t talk about it," he gently interrupted, pulling away, his touch fading. "What’s done is done. Let it stay buried in the past."

Esme opened her mouth to protest, to tell him that ignoring it wasn’t the solution, but no words came. He needed to confront what had happened, to unburden himself of whatever that night made him feel. Yet, she stayed silent, knowing she couldn’t force him to speak if he wasn’t ready.

She wore the pendant around her neck, staring at it before glancing across the chamber.

It was broad daylight, yet the fresh bed linens didn’t provide much comfort. She was still bare beneath the crisp new sheets, and instinctively clutched the duvet against her chest as the memories of last night lingered in her mind. The intimacy they had shared made her pulse quicken.

The mate bond would land her in serious trouble one day, she knew that much.

"Why did I see those things?" Her voice was soft, quite hesitant as she asked, but the images still burned vividly in her mind. She hadn’t been able to shake them off after she woke up. Though Donovan had already made it clear that he didn’t want to discuss that subject, she chose to tread carefully, trying not to be too direct.

Donovan exhaled and shook his head. "I don’t know. From what I’ve learnt, visions like that are only possible when a mate is marked. But I haven’t marked you yet."

He paused, a flicker of frustration crossing his features before he continued. "The pendant you wear... it’s made with fragments of my magical core. I suppose that means it carries some of my memories as well. You may end up seeing more, but I don’t want you to. It gets worse the more you see it. Before I was captured, I killed so many, including Lennox’s mother on that night. I nearly did the same thing to Lennox, but they caught me before I could, and I managed to break free from the curse’s influence."

"Lennox’s mother?" Esme’s eyes widened at that new information. She’s never heard a thing about Lennox’s mother’s death until now. It was suspicious how she died, but the reason behind her death was never disclosed.

"You killed her?"

"Why do you think your king wants to crush me into dust?" Donovan leaned back against the headboard. "I killed his lunatic parents, and I nearly killed him. I’m a threat to his very existence, and he knows that more than anyone else."

Esme considered asking about his brother’s involvement but decided against it. He would tell her when he was ready, but pressing him now wouldn’t help.

On a normal day, she would have been disgusted by the thought of it, but then she recalled what Finnian went through, and it couldn’t have been any different from Donovan who must have faced a lot of struggles whenever he dealt with his unhinged cursed marks.

"I should get ready for training," Esme murmured, starting to slip out of his bed. But before she could move further, Donovan’s hand grasped her wrist, and in one, swift motion, he pulled her back down on his bed, his body suddenly looming over hers.

"Wait... I have training today," Esme whispered, her voice faltering as her heart raced.

"I can’t let you leave like this, not if you’re upset or uncomfortable," Donovan said, his voice a low rumble. "And don’t lie – my senses are more advanced than you think." His sharp gaze bore into hers, leaving her breathless.

Her cheeks flamed as she realized her wrists were now pinned beneath his hands, his firm grip holding her in place. The heat of his bare torso hovered just above hers, intensifying the intimate tension between them.

"It’s just..." Esme let out a quiet sigh, her eyes shifting away as uncertainty clouded her vision. "I don’t know," she murmured. "Maybe it’s the mate bond playing tricks on me, stirring up emotions I can’t quite explain. But I’m not upset with you. I have no reason to be. If anything, you’ve been... honest. Genuine. It’s rare for me to come across that. I know you never wanted this for yourself, no one would willingly choose to be a demon and lose full control of themselves. I think I’m just finding it hard to stop questioning you."

"If that’s how you feel, then stay a little longer," he coaxed, his voice a low murmur as his grip on her wrist loosened. "Don’t get out of bed yet. Let me hold you before you head off to your training." Before she could respond, he was already leaning closer, burying his face in the curve of her neck, his breath warm as he inhaled deeply, savoring her scent as he pulled her against him.

Esme’s heart raced, pounding against her chest as a rush of warmth spread through her. She realized, with a flutter of both unease and affection, that there was no stopping him.

Has he always been this needy? Or is it just with her?

"Ouch!" Esme gasped as his teeth sank into her neck, not hard enough to leave a permanent mark, but firm enough to brand her with a love bite. A tremor ran through her body as he soothed the spot with his tongue, and she could hear the quiet laugh that followed as his lips grazed her skin again, as if her reaction was funny to him.

"You did that on purpose," she murmured, her brow furrowing slightly.

"It was instinct, I couldn’t help it," he replied, his voice low and teasing as he continued to leave a trail of kisses on her neck. "I’d devour every inch of you all day if you’d let me." His tone took on a husky, seductive edge that left Esme momentarily speechless. Her mind flashed to the memory of his mouth between her legs, and she was startled by how quickly her body seemed to recover, already craving more.

Donovan savored the hold he had over her, the undeniable power that made her his. Mate bond or not, she belonged to him, and he took quiet pride in that.

A flicker of concern had crossed his mind when he sensed a disturbance in his memory — an intrusion eerily similar to the one he had experienced during his imprisonment.

That same invasive presence had returned, disrupting the spell he was under and awakening him from sleep. He was able to shatter the magical chains that had him bound in that tainted, suffocating darkness.

But what truly gnawed at him now was how she managed to reach him in that place. How had she even found him there? The thought hadn’t occurred to him until now. The only way one gets stuck there was through powerful spells, like the ones cast on him, and even then, you must be teetering on the very edge to cross into it.

It’s like a threshold, a fragile bridge suspended between life and the afterlife.

Had his Esme truly escaped death?

—----～⁠♡～--------

Elsewhere, at Shadowbrook Academy, Finnian leaned heavily against a wooden post at the edge of the track, his breath coming in short gasps after a grueling round of sprints and combat drills.

His chest rose as he struggled to steady himself, sweat beading his forehead as the intensity of the session weighed on him.

The morning air was crisp and invigorating, a refreshing remnant from the rain last night. Students from S1 - S4 gathered in clusters, some stretching their limbs while others sprinted laps around the training field. A few engaged in light-hearted conversations, pausing to catch their breaths between each exercise.

Nearby, several teachers and senior students shouted instructions, ensuring that everyone stayed focused on their routines.

Finnian felt a satisfying ache in his lean muscles from the exertion, his skin still flushed from the intensity of the training session. He had pushed himself hard today — his Alpha wolf demanding more, striving to be the best, and despite his youth, his drive was relentless.

Just as he was about to reach for his water bottle, another student snatched it from the ground. Puzzled, Finnian looked up to see a boy slightly taller than him standing beside him, clutching his bottle triumphantly.

Three other boys loomed behind him, smirking. Before Finnian could voice his protest or demand his water back, the boy popped open the cap and took a long, arrogant drink.

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