The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate
Chapter 74: Lycobane Serum

Chapter 74: Lycobane Serum

At the Golden Palace...

"Did you truly instruct the guards to administer that serum to Finnian?" Lennox demanded, his tone firm and accusatory, as Emily averted her gaze and folded her arms.

"Emily..." he drawled, his voice laced with expectation, prompting her to provide an explanation. She finally met his gaze, a hint of justification in them.

"Why are you angry with me, Lennox?" she asked, her tone tinged with defensiveness. Since they were alone in the throne room, she was able to use his name at will. "I was only trying to help, considering Finnian is already afflicted with the curse."

"I feared that If we didn’t intervene, he might transform, and capturing him in wolf form would prove to be more difficult. That’s why I ordered the guards to inject him with those serums. They’re specifically designed to prevent transformation, and according to my father’s claims, at least five doses can eradicate a person’s wolf and paralyze the shifter. It’s his latest innovation and he calls it the Lycobane serum. He assured me it was equally effective on demon shifters, that’s why I used Finnian to test it out."

With a sharp clap of her hands, two guards promptly entered the throne room, each carrying a brown box. They opened the boxes before Lennox, revealing the serums neatly arranged inside. Emily’s face lit with a radiant smile as she slid her arm through Lennox’s, leaning into him with an air of intimacy.

"I had intended to surprise you with this gift, but I decided to test its efficacy on the boy first," she explained, her voice laced with a hint of mischief. "I admit, I might have panicked and administered a larger dose than necessary, but the results made it worthwhile. The curse mark on his neck began to spread after one injection, a sign that the serum is indeed effective."

Emily now stood before Lennox, her hands grasping his as she gazed up at him with an innocent, beguiling expression. Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement as she whispered, "We no longer need to rely on that woman to manage the demon shifters, and you need to trust your own strength as well, Lennox. With these serums, we can even capture the new leader of the demon shifters. Together, we can purge our homeland of those tainted demons who dared to call themselves shifters."

Lennox’s gaze refocused on the serums, and his eyes lingering on the purple liquid as he picked one of the vials. The presence of melted silver within the serum caught his attention, and he carefully returned it back to the box.

"Since when has your father been making these weapons?" he asked.

"Years ago," Emily replied. "He had put it on hold, but after the gathering at the moonstone Hall, he decided to revisit it. And, as you can see, it was a success," there was a hint of pride in her voice.

"Only a select few are aware of its existence, and I managed to acquire some for you. Father intends to keep it as a secret weapon, planning to reveal it to you during the next Alpha meeting, but I couldn’t wait to share it with you, my love."

Lennox’s expression softened after listening to her. He gently grasped Emily’s shoulder, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Thank you," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her forehead. Emily’s heart skipped a beat as she wrapped her arms around him, glad to know he was happy with her gift.

Meanwhile, Lennox was eager to test this new experiment, and if it proved effective, he saw it as a means to reclaim his bride from that demon. Donovan was the embodiment of evil in everyone’s eyes, and after what happened today, everyone’s resentment for him would only grow, and the accusations of him kidnapping the late Montague’s daughter would forever brand him as the villain.

Dahmer stood at the other side of the throne room, his gaze on the serum-filled boxes. If he could just get his hands on one of those serums, he would test it on no one but Esme. He couldn’t help but think about how she was in the hands of the same demon who had almost killed him.

He was so afraid that he hadn’t realized when he vanished from the courtyard on that day. He was even surprised to see that the king had returned unharmed, but the demon took not just Esme, but Finnian as well. He couldn’t help but suspect foul play somewhere. They certainly didn’t show up out of pure coincidence, it was definitely planned, and something told him Esme has something to do with it.

If he ever runs into her again, he’ll kill her with his own bare hands for sure.

A guard suddenly showed up, bowing before Lennox as he said, "Your Majesty, Sir Irwin is here to see you. There is another rising matter that necessitates his presence."

Lennox’s eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement, and he gave a curt nod to admit Irwin in. His gaze settled on the frail-looking man who approached, and Irwin lowered his head in a slight bow before stating the reasons for his sudden presence.

"Your Majesty, I’ve come to inquire about the whereabouts of my son, Leonardo," he began, his words laced with concern. "I visited the cold palace to see him, but he wasn’t there. The guards in charge of the cold palace were not at their post. My wife is distressed, and we want to believe that you might have relocated him to a different location, and that our son isn’t missing, Your Majesty."

Lennox’s pupils dilated in alarm. "What are you implying, Uncle? Leo is missing?" He asked, his voice tinged with disbelief and concern.

—----～⁠♡～--------

At the shadowspire, Esme had found a separate room to sleep in thanks to the help of Althea and Acheron. They treated her kindly, and Althea even offered to help her acquire some new attires today. Their warm hospitality had made her feel guilty for harboring negative thoughts towards them, but could she trust them?

’They... are not all bad as I expected.’ Esme couldn’t help but think as she came down the stairs.

She ended up in the foyer, and it was empty. When she woke up this morning, there was no one around, and the manor was deathly quiet too. Passing through the long hallway, Esme stopped and stared out through the window. The sky was tinged in blue shade, signaling the early mornings.

Below, she spotted most of the Manor’s residents engaged in some kind of rigorous training regimen.

Her gaze landed on Revana and Lothar, who were sparring below. Dust consumed the environment whenever they clashed, and her eyes widened when Revana shifted mid-air into a vicious black and white wolf, its jaw snapping just mere inches from Lothar’s face.

But Lothar deftly sidestepped the attack, seamlessly shifting into a brown beast wolf in the process. Their movement was so fluid and trained, it seemed as though they were fighting for real.

Meanwhile, Althea and Acheron were honing their marksmanship skill on wooden dummies, their arrows consistently finding their mark with uncanny precision, and every shot was a testament to their unwavering focus. Not a single arrow strayed from its target.

Finnian observed from a safe distance, and Althea, noticing his interest, handed him a bow and an arrow. She invited him to test his own prowess on a nearby dummy, and he happily accepted. Kangee was perched on a tree branch, watching the proceedings with an unblinking gaze, and Esme could guess it had a role for being here.

Everyone except Donovan and the other guy that administered an antidote to Finnian were absent.

Her gaze turned wistful as she observed them below, and her mind wandered to the possibilities of possessing such talent herself. Her fragile health in the past had denied her the opportunity to train alongside others in her pack, and Luna Percy’s constant belittling with Dahmer had eroded her confidence.

But now that she felt stronger, with a newfound vitality coursing through her veins, she wondered if these skilled warriors would be of aid to her if she decides to learn.

Would they shun her as well? They might.

If she was that capable, then no one would dare to exploit her the way everyone else had done.

She would be able to protect not just herself, but Finnian as well. She wouldn’t have to depend on anyone anymore.

"If you aspire to grow stronger, I can teach you to be stronger," came a familiar voice behind her. Esme turned to find Donovan approaching, his presence materializing from the shadows, dark and flawless as usual. She wondered how he had detected her presence.

He positioned himself beside her, and Esme returned her gaze to the warriors below. "If you’re saying that to convince me to stay, then it’s not working. I already know I’m not capable of such feats."

"How can you be certain of your limitations without putting them to the test?" He asked, his voice laced with a hint of mischief.

"When I was younger, my parents urged me to rely on a walking stick due to my blindness. I’d trip, fall, run into a wall, get made fun of, bullied even. My mother was particularly insistent that I use something to aid me, but I guess I was too stubborn, prideful, determined maybe, so I learned the hard way to rely on my other senses. If I had given up then, I wouldn’t be standing here today, unaided and self-sufficient."

Esme glanced his way, her curiosity piqued. "you mean you had to learn to do everything you do now, from scratch? So you weren’t always perfect."

Donovan chuckled at her comment, the sound low and pleasing. "I’m still far from perfect, I assure you. I’m just lucky enough to stumble when no one’s watching." He paused, his expression serious. "What I’m trying to say is that you can’t predetermine your limitations without giving it a genuine attempt. Convincing yourself of your own inadequacy before even trying it is the first step to achieving nothing at all. I don’t want you to think like that, not about yourself, cause you’re more than that."

Esme’s lips compressed into a thin, determined line as she acknowledged the truth in Donovan’s words. She couldn’t fault herself for doubting her abilities; after all she had been conditioned to believe that she was incapable of achieving anything, that she was merely a tool that was meant to be used and discarded.

Not just strangers, but even those who were supposed to be her family had uttered those words to her. This mindset had been ingrained in her since childhood.

As she turned to face Donovan, her heart pounding for some inexplicable reason, she asked, "Do you truly genuinely believe that I’m capable of defending myself, that I can be truly independent?"

Donovan’s lips curved into a captivating smirk, and he extended his hand. "Take my hand, and let’s find out." he challenged, his voice low and enticing.

And so, she did.

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