The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate
Chapter 60: His Personal Gain

Chapter 60: His Personal Gain

Lennox’s gaze dropped, his eyes settling on the parchment as he let out a soft sigh.

Beside him, Leonardo busied himself sorting through the stack of missives, his attention focused on the letters that came from the North. Lennox’s golden eyes flicked towards his trusted advisor, a hint of challenge in his tone. "I told you why I’m marrying Esme, but you still haven’t shared your opinion on the matter."

Leonardo’s expression remained steady, neither surprise nor anger registering on his handsome face as he replied. "I knew you had a reason, but what was I to do if you’d already made up your mind without consulting me? You knew I might persuade you to reconsider, didn’t you?"

The statement hung in the air, and Lennox’s silence served as a tacit admission of the truth.

His voice took a resolute tone as he explained, "There is a reason this alliance was forged from the start, and I’m well aware of what I need to do to secure my position." His gaze intensified as he went on, "I have my motivation, and marrying was the only viable option if I want to bolster my power. To be honest, I’m quite afraid." He admitted, causing Leonardo to finally regard him with a piercing gaze.

Lennox’s expression turned grave as he confessed, "I’m afraid of what Donovan might do to exact his revenge. I’m still trying to comprehend how he became so powerful after being spellbound in a deep sleep for all these years. He’s not the same Donovan I remember." As he spoke, his golden locks fell away from his face, and he reclined in his seat, his eyes clouding with unease.

Lennox’s fist clenched, and a flash of indignation ignited in his eyes as he uttered, his voice low and venomous, "I should have incinerated him all those years ago, when he was still my prisoner. I should have instilled enough fear in him to last a lifetime. He dares to stride into my palace, slaughtering my men... You don’t expect me to take that lying down, do you? We’ve lost so many lives over the past few weeks." The air seemed to vibrate with his restrained fury, his words dripping with a venomous intensity.

Leonardo’s eyes narrowed at his king, and he asked, "What does your fear of a demon have to do with deceiving Lady Esme into marriage?" His voice was laced with plain skepticism, and Lennox, seemingly unfazed, rose from his seat and strolled towards the bookshelf at the side of the room.

He extracted a book from the middle shelf and opened it, revealing a small note tucked away at the back.

"This is the note my father left me before he passed away," Lennox explained, his voice devoid of emotion as he handed the note to Leonardo. He scanned the content of the note with a steady gaze.

"As you know, Esme is a Montague," Lennox continued in a matter-of-fact tone. "And if I can win her heart, I can easily coax her into sharing a bed with me. You see, Montague women possess a unique gift – the ability to amplify the powers of their lovers. It’s a potent asset, one I’m willing to do whatever it takes to acquire. Esmeray, however, is not the type of lady I can just approach and request such favors from. Marriage, then, was the only viable option."

As Leonardo finished reading the note, his eyes lingered on the parchment before he carefully folded it and returned it to Lennox.

"So, let me get this straight," Leonardo said, a hint of disgust laced in his voice as he grasped the true nature of Lennox’s intentions. "You want to exploit her lady’s heritage to amplify your lycan ability. You didn’t have the courage to approach her directly about this... unusual request, so you decided to deceive her into marriage instead. You never had any genuine feelings for her; you just saw her as a means to an end."

Lennox, seemingly oblivious to Leonardo’s disapproval, added, "And she isn’t even aware of her own gift. I knew the councils wouldn’t object to my decision, and we all reached an agreement. I timed it perfectly, when she was most vulnerable and had no one to defend her. I was quite confident she wouldn’t refuse me, especially when I dangled the prospect of becoming queen in front of her. And let’s be honest, she’s dependent on me to protect her from her brother, Dahmer. If she calls off the marriage, she’ll be at his mercy again."

Leonardo’s face contorted in a mixture of frustration and disbelief as he facepalmed, cursing silently. He had suspected that Lennox had a hidden agenda for wanting to marry Esme, but he had never thought his king would stoop so low as to exploit her heritage and vulnerability for personal gain.

"If I can augment my power, Leo," Lennox declared, his voice resonating with pure determination as he clenched his fist. "I’ll personally ensure Donovan’s downfall. With Finnian as a tool, we can eradicate half of the shifters while he’s still under our control. I won’t rest until I’ve eradicated every last one of them and brought peace to my people. I’ll stop at nothing to protect them."

Leonardo’s gaze narrowed suspiciously, "what happens to Finnian once you’ve achieved your goal?"

"The council and I have agreed that once he’s served his purpose, we’ll eliminate him as well. I’m only keeping him alive for two reasons. To help my people, and to demonstrate my commitment to Esmeray. But once we’re married, I’ll be free to do as I please, and she’ll be trapped, unable to escape this union."

He turned to Leonardo, "As my beta and someone I trust, it’s only fair I let you in on what I’m planning. You must keep it to yourself, and tell no one about it."

Esme, who was eavesdropping in stunned silence, clapped a trembling hand over her mouth as she struggled to comprehend the revelation. She felt as though she had been punched in the gut, the air knocked out of her lungs. The thought of Lennox’s deliberate intention was too much to bear, and she stumbled forward as she tried to get away, desperate to escape the toxic conversation.

With shaking hands, Esme closed the door and locked it after making it to her room. She collapsed onto the floor in distress, her heart racing like a wild animal. Lennox’s callous admissions echoed in her mind, replaying like a nightmare as she sat alone in her chamber, trying to process the shocking truth.

It dawned on her that Lennox’s supposed kindness was simply a ruse from the very beginning. He didn’t desire her; he coveted the power she possessed, the mysterious reason behind the glowing of her hair. And now, Esme realized why Lennox had been so captivated by her that night at the inn, and why Dahmer had tried to force himself on her for the same reason. The weight of it all crushed her, and it didn’t seem believable.

The truth, however, hit her like a ton of bricks. They believed she had the ability to amplify their powers, and that was all she was good for in their eyes. Esme didn’t realize she was crying until she sniffled back tears, her palm coming away wet as she finally removed it from her face.

"Why do they think I’m nothing more than a tool to be exploited?" Esme’s voice trembled with despair. "Is that all my life is worth?" She couldn’t fathom how their minds worked, how they could so callously plan to use her, and her brother for their own gain. The bitter irony was lost on her – and Donovan, the one person she distrusted, had warned her about this very thing, and he had been right.

Esme’s thoughts spiraled into darkness; was being a Montague nothing more than a curse, a guarantee that she would be used and discarded by those who sought to benefit from her supposed powers? Her father, a renowned Alpha warrior, and a favorite to the late king, had been powerful enough to take down a demon shifter single-handedly. But what if he too had been exploited, sent to his death with the very abilities that made him so valuable?

"What am I supposed to do now?" Esme’s mind raced with the impossible choices in her head. Refusing the marriage was not an option, because if she were to leave, she’d be left with nothing – no shelter, no protection, and Dahmer would undoubtedly show her no mercy.

But if she stayed and married the king, she knew he’d discard her the moment he’d achieve his goal, and her brother Finnian would be the next to fall victim to his ruthless ambition.

Esme felt trapped, caught between a rock and a hard place, with no escape route in sight. The desperation of her situation overwhelmed her, and she sobbed silently in her room, her tears falling like rain. What could she do? Where could she turn to for help? Was there really no safe haven for her and Finnian, no place where they could be free from the machinations of those who sought to use and destroy them?

The thought was suffocating, and Esme’s heart felt like it was being squeezed dry of all hope.

The following day, the palace received guests who had arrived from the North. Esme had been instructed to prepare herself to receive them alongside king Lennox, a task that filled her with bitter resentment. Nevertheless, with no choice but to comply for the time being, she steeled herself beside Lennox outside the palace.

As one of the carriage doors swung open, a stunning blonde-haired woman emerged, her golden locks cascading down her back like a river of sunlight. She approached Lennox with grace and poise, her curtsy a perfect blend of grace and elegance.

It was quite easy to tell she was an omega.

"Your Majesty," she greeted in a sultry tone, and Lennox acknowledged her with a curt nod. The lady’s gaze shifted to Esme, and she curtsied once more, her smile a subtle, enigmatic curve on her lips.

"It’s an honor to finally meet you. I hope I will be treated with hospitality under your care." The underlying implication in her words was unmistakable, and Esme’s instincts told her that this woman was not to be trifled with.