The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate
Chapter 64: His Younger Brother

Chapter 64: His Younger Brother

At night, Esme had worn her nightgown and settled against the window seat, the gentle wind rustling her hair in a soft whisper. The approaching fall season filled her with anticipation, and she longed to breathe in the familiar, nostalgic scent of rain.

Her fingers absently played with the crescent moon pendant that hung around her neck, a gift from Donovan. It had been a while since they last saw each other, after that little hump session in the tower. Esme hated to admit that he had been right. His inability to see physical appearances, based on her theory, seemed to grant him a unique insight, which allowed him to pierce through the motives of those around him, a skill that far surpassed the ordinary.

Her thoughts wandered back to the demon shifters she had encountered in the woods with Finnian, and a deep sigh escaped her lips. These were the very people her father and her pack had dedicated themselves to eradicating from Illyria for as long as she could remember, but right now, she was starting to question if the problem wasn’t them.

She knew Donovan’s father was the opposite, because he had led the demon shifters during his prime. He was a ruthless leader, and he had been at the forefront of that conflict, leaving a trail of devastation in his wake.

Donovan’s father’s mate, who had been betrothed to Lennox’s father, had left him for her true mate, based on what Lady Clandestine shared with her in the garden. Her parents had been embroiled in the midst of it all, their noble status drawing them into the fray. Her father’s personal vendetta against the late Alpha Zephyr was an all-consuming passion that drove him to dedicate his life to eliminating him.

But in the process, died along with him.

She wasn’t aware of her father’s turmoil since she was mostly indoors. As a child, she knew she had the strongest papa, who always emerged victorious from battle. She cherished the ritual they shared, where she would welcome him with a cup of yogurt, feeding him some herself. But that cherished tradition came to an abrupt end on the night he never returned from war.

They never gave her father a break, and he never complained. It was the same selflessness that led him to marry Lady Percy so she wouldn’t have to live without a mother. Luna Percy had played the role of a loving mother in front of her father’s eyes, but that veil came off when he died.

Thinking about her poignant life, Esme’s heart suddenly felt heavy, but she pushed those thoughts aside. This wasn’t the time to dwell on sad memories, she had to think about her future, and Finnian’s future as well, whether within a pack or without. She would start anew in the North with Finnian, where they could live freely.

A life away from people who would want to exploit them, or harm them.

Below, Leonardo was taking a stroll in the night air with his father, Irwin. The moment his father mentioned visiting Donovan, Leonardo’s eyes betrayed a hint of fleeting uncertainty.

"You shouldn’t have gone to see him," he said, sounding more concerned than usual. "He told you not to meet with him. The last thing I want is to be the cause of any more pain for him. If he doesn’t want to see me, I’ll respect that."

He then sighed, his emotions slipping through his voice. "I’ve met him already, but he doesn’t recognize me at all." The hint of disappointment in his tone was obvious. "And I couldn’t bring myself to tell him who I was either."

"That you’re his younger brother?" Mr Irwin probed gently, and Leonardo’s eyes flashed with a hint of sadness and longing. "With the way you two were separated, neither of you deserved it," Mr Irwin continued. "If he truly hated you, as you believe, he wouldn’t have entrusted your safety to me in the first place. He trusted me to look after you in case he died."

Leonardo crossed his arms over his chest and replied resolutely "I don’t want to delude myself into thinking he still cares. If you’ve met him already, you must have noticed the number of marks on his body has increased."

"I’m afraid I did," Irwin’s eyes turned introspective, his brows furrowed in concern. "I strongly believe there’s more to your brother’s awakening than what we’re aware of. He is slowly succumbing to the curse, and it’s taking a devastating toll on his body. The curse he carries is going past his limit, but he doesn’t seem to care. He stopped me when I tried to confront him about it. I don’t know what your brother has done, but whatever it is, it’s starting to have a negative effect. You should confront him."

"No," Leonardo refused without hesitation, his decline evident in the subtle shake of his head. "I won’t go to him. I was there in the dungeon, and I overheard everything you two discussed on that night. He made it clear he never wanted to see me again, and I don’t want to burden him with my presence. I trust that he knows what he’s doing. If he doesn’t want us to intervene, then we won’t. I’ll only agree to see him, if he wants to see me as well."

Irwin placed a warm and comforting hand on his shoulder. "I understand your reluctance, Leo. You’re trying to respect his wishes. But I fear he’ll need your help, and soon. Didn’t you once promise to make amends if he ever awakens?"

Leonardo’s eyes darted upward at the reminder, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his handsome face. "But—"

Irwin’s gentle pressure on his shoulder stifled any objections he planned to utter. "No buts, Leo. Are you going to defy my last wishes, or are you still harboring anger towards me for keeping my illness from you?"

"What you’re asking is to see us reunited," Leonardo muttered in a blatant tone. "You of all people should know how impossible that sounds. He’ll kill me."

"The chances of that happening is quite high," Irwin didn’t hesitate to admit. "But a promise is a promise. I may not be alive to witness the big reunion between you two, but when my time comes, I want to know that you’ll have not only Clandestine, but your brother at your side. You two deserve happiness just as anyone else, and the chains of your father’s legacy will be broken eventually."

Listening to Irwin speak, Leonardo’s resolve wavered. His heart felt torn between anxiety and exhilaration at the thought of facing his brother again - his older brother who had sacrificed it all just so he could live a normal life.

"I can’t make promises this time" he finally answered, his words barely above a breath.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.