The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate
Chapter 57: Visiting The Graveyard

Chapter 57: Visiting The Graveyard

Days passed, and true to his words, Esme never met with Donovan. It was frustrating having no one she could open up to during these trying times, and so she kept herself occupied with her etiquette lessons and brewing more poison like a witch.

In the afternoon, Esme and Finnian visited the memorial ground, a solemn graveyard where many shifters lay at rest, including Vivienne. Finnian had been unconscious during the burials, so this was his first time seeing the final resting place of his pack.

As the royal carriage came to a halt, Esme and Finnian stepped out, their footsteps quiet on the gravel path. They entered through the iron gate, which was adorned with rusty hinges and overgrown vines.

Finnian’s expression faltered as he strolled by, his somber gaze taking in the rows of weathered gravestones. Each one bore the names of those who had passed, and the silence was palpable, broken only by the soft rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze.

They stopped in front of Vivienne’s gravestone, and Finnian’s resolve finally broke. "During the disaster, those demons seemed more intent on destroying our homes rather than killing us. I don’t recall how it began, but I remember your maid pushing me out of the way as the building collapsed. I saw the structure crumbling on top of her before I passed out. Then I woke up with a sore neck, and this mark as well."

His fingers traced the dark runes on his neck. He finally knelt, placing the flowers he had brought on Vivienne’s grave. "She was always worried about others. I still wish she was alive so I could thank her for saving me. But we can’t cheat death, can we?" His voice was tinged with sorrow, and his lashes flickered briefly.

Esme crouched beside him, resting her weight on her toes, and she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. They repeated the ritual on every other grave, distributing the remaining flowers among the other gravestones. Finnian clasped his hand together and closed his eyes, praying silently — it was a Montague tradition to honor every fallen pack member, and since Finnian was an Alpha, he had the right to do just as much.

Unfortunately, Luna Percy could not be buried, as her body was not found.

"Someday, you’ll rebuild the Therondia pack, just as Father did." Esme’s words were a balm to Finnian’s soul. "And soon, those who’ve harmed the innocent will face justice." her determination made Finnian nod, a small smile on his lips.

He stood up, dusting off his knees. He brushed his ponytail aside and adjusted his cloak, then turned to face Esme.

"I’m just glad you’re still with me," he said, his voice filled with gratitude. Esme’s smile was a warm response.

"You know... this is our first time stepping out together," Esme playfully hinted, since she had never once left the Therondia pack with Finnian before. "How about we grab some street snacks before heading back to the palace?" she suggested, and Finnian raised an eyebrow.

"Are those things good for us?"

"We’ll ask the coachman for a recommendation," Esme said, taking his hand, and they left the graveyard together. She was determined to lift their somber mood before returning to the palace.

Once inside the royal carriage, Esme instructed the coachman to take them to a reputable snack vendor. They wound their way through a scenic earthy path in the woods, and Esme’s gaze drifted to the window, taking in the tranquil scenery.

The ride back was smooth, and Esme was snapped out of her reverie when she heard a piercing cry echo within the woods. The unexpected sound of someone crying for help made her tell the coachman to halt, and he did. Even Finnian looked alarmed.

"Where did that come from?" Esme asked, but Finnian was already leaping out of the carriage.

"Wait! Finnian! Where are you going?" Esme’s eyes widened when Finnian sprinted towards the source of the noise.

Out of concern, she got down from the carriage and followed him. The coachman felt a strange feeling of uncertainty, as he pondered on whether to stay behind or go after them. He finally decided to stay put, rationalizing that it was safer to protect their means of transport than leaving it in the open for potential thieves.

As they approached a dense thicket, Esme’s footsteps slowed in sync with Finnian’s, and as they got closer, their gaze spotted a demon shifter on the other side of the clearing. He was stalking towards a frightened woman who clutched her bloodied arm, a silver arrow lodged in her flesh.

Althea gritted her teeth as she yanked out the silver arrow, but before she could reach for another, the demon shifter closed in, grasping her throat and lifting her off the ground. Her feet dangled in the air as he sneered, "You’re a shame to our kind. I’ve never devoured a fellow demon shifter like yourself, but then we were never the same. You all are cowards sticking to the rules of a man who has been imprisoned and can barely see the world for what it is. I guess there really is a first time for everything."

His laughter sent shivers down Althea’s spine as his mouth began to stretch, revealing razored-sharp teeth. She thrashed and struggled to free herself, her tears streaming down her face.

Esme was frozen in indecision, and while she thought of what to do, Finnian already sprang into action. Anger blazed in his golden gaze as he shifted into his wolf form in a flash, using the tree bark to propel himself higher. In mid-air, he transformed back into his form, daggers at the ready. With a swift, precise slash, he severed the demon’s neck before it could eat Althea, saving her from being brutally consumed.

He landed gracefully on the ground, blood gushing out from the severed neck as the demon’s body crumbled behind him. The woman he had saved equally fell to the ground, coughing. Esme rushed forward, but she halted at the sight of the demon’s body withering away due to sunlight.

Another unexpected scenario.

Finnian smoothly returned his dagger to his knee sheath, his eyes following his sister as she cautiously approached Althea. The young woman, with tears in her eyes, frantically waved Esme off.

"Ah! Don’t hurt me! I’m not like that monster! You saw it try to kill me too so don’t hurt me! I didn’t come here to harm anyone." Althea whined and pleaded, prompting Esme and Finnian to exchange puzzled glances.

"We... won’t hurt you if you don’t hurt us. But are you okay?" Esme reassured Althea, her question causing the crying woman to look up and notice that the two of them in front of her weren’t pointing any weapons in her face. Their gazes were cautious, but they didn’t seem intent on harming her.

"That beast tried to eat me! And he stabbed me with my own weapon!" Althea wailed, her voice shaking with anger and fear. "If you hadn’t saved me, I’d be in a demon’s belly by now!" Her eyes welled up with more tears as she clenched her fist, and Esme exchanged a telling glance with Finnian.

They too, were equally shaken up by the near-deadly encounter. A demon shifter about to devour another was unthinkable. Moreover, this woman looked more human-like than the demon she was fighting. It was the same with the ones who attacked her pack, and she had compared their form to Donovan as well. It led Esme to believe that she might be one of the few who can control the curse.

However, Esme knew better than to jump to conclusions just yet.

"May I take a look at your wound?" Esme asked, nodding towards Althea’s arm, where the silver arrow had been lodged. She was bleeding from the wound, and the slow healing process was a testament to silver’s potency against shifters.

Althea sniffled, her tearful gaze meeting Esme’s, and as crazy as it sound, she looked genuinely afraid of them. The dynamic was more complex than she had initially thought.