The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate

Time seemed to slow, if only for a second, before the shrieks upon and below the deck were cut short in a violent rupture. Black ichor sprayed everywhere, spattering timbers and men alike.

The ship soon fell into silence.

One by one, the crew lifted their heads, their hands falling from their ears as they surveyed their environment. Esme also raised her gaze, her breath catching at the ruin spread before her. Some half-forgotten dread stirred in her mind, and she turned sharply toward Donovan. He was already struggling to his feet, a blank look on his face, and without thought, she hurried to his side.

"Don…are you hurt?"

When she touched his arm, his body tensed momentarily as though roused from some grim reverie. When he met her worried gaze, he turned his head away too swiftly, the gesture sharp enough to stir Esme's unease. Something was off with him, and she was certain about it.

She wondered what he was busy thinking about that had shaken him to the core.

"My hearing…it's broken," he muttered, each word dragged from his lips as he faltered a step forward. His footing failed him, yet Esme was quick enough to lend him support before he fell, placing his arm around her shoulder in an attempt to steady his weight against hers.

She frowned as she took note of his disoriented state, the sting of worry sharpening her tone as she scolded:

"You are forever cautioning me to take care of myself, but see the state you're in. Let's find somewhere to sit so I can take a look at it— wait, your ears are starting to bleed…Don?"

Before she could press him further, his strength gave way entirely, and he crumpled senseless in her arms. The last thing he saw was everyone rushing towards him, and behind them stood the same silver-haired girl, staring absently at him.

****

Donovan woke up with a gasp.

His gaze was pinned to the low-beamed ceiling of the cabin before his focus rested on Esme who was sitting by his side, and Leonardo standing solemnly behind her. They both looked deeply worried, yet it was Esme who broke the silence first, laying her hand gently over his wrist.

"You're awake…" she whispered.

When his brows furrowed slightly at her, she immediately understood that his ears had not mended yet. For now, he would catch fragments of her words, unless he had the skill to read them from her lips. To one who had recently been spared from blindness, this affliction seemed a bit too cruel for her Donovan. If she hadn't left the cabin on time to assist Leonardo, she might not have been there to help Donovan as well.

That gave her some sense of relief.

"Is he awake?" said a voice from beyond the door. It sounded like Lothar, and Esme suspected he was not alone. Donovan's hearing remained grievously impaired, and she would not have him be pressed upon by too many visitors at once.

Leonardo had already moved to answer the door, and the very sight of him caused Althea, Cora and Archeron to recoil with a startled cry.

"Ahh!!"

The rune-marks had not yet faded from his flesh, and the sight of him unsettled those who beheld him, except for Revana, who thought his powers were pretty cool.

It was the first time any of them had witnessed Leonardo wield his accursed gift, and only this night had they grasped how dire– and how deadly– its power truly was. He is without a doubt no different from his brother. They were both terrifying in their own supernatural way.

Archeron cleared his throat when he realized he was the only male to react in that manner. He cast a sidelong glance at Lothar, who merely blinked at him, yet Acheron fancied he saw a shadow of mockery in the man's eyes.

Turning to Leonardo, he forced a courteous smile and said: "To be clear, there is no offense between you and I… right? If we're intruding we can always take our leave and return at a more fitting hour like lets say in the morning or so–"

"What this grass head is trying to say," Revana seized him by his collar before he could leave, interjecting smoothly. "...is that we wondered how Donovan's health is faring? We witnessed how he passed out earlier, and thought it'd be best to learn about his current state."

Althea inclined her head in agreement. "Yes… anyone would pass out from that horrible shriek. Is it something serious? Can we see him?"

"No…. you don't have to say anything!" Archeron jumped in the moment Leonardo parted his lips to respond. "Just answer with a simple nod of your head for 'aye' or the shake for 'nay,' as in no you cannot see the Alpha, okay?"

Revana arched a brow, her tone edged with doubt. "I'm pretty sure he can manage a simple yes or no. It's not a binding command, is it?"

"I'm not taking any chances!"

Archeron stuck to his words, raising his index finger in the air, while the other hand rested upon his belt.

Cora flipped through her worn pages of her ledger and murmured at last:

"His gift bends toward command whether he wills it or not. It's like every other cursed endowment, and not without its cost. I don't think he can respond to us at all without something bad happening. I'm afraid I'm with Sir Acheron on this one, best we do not take any chances at all."

Leonardo, who stood at the threshold, was already bored listening to their endless prattle over his powers. With their ears half damaged, they were speaking in a high tone that only irritated him. With his eyes half-lidded, he uttered a few syllables that made them stop to stare at him, the strange language smoothly leaving his lips. Only Cora was able to make sense of his accursed tongue.

And he knew.

His words in English were plain and without softening. "You understand this speech, do you not? Tell them the Alpha has woken up, and that they should go wag their tongues somewhere else. It's causing noise pollution."

Cora blinked, startled by his bluntness before turning to the others who, in turn, exchanged bewildered glances. What struck her most was their ignorance. How could they not comprehend the accursed language he was using to communicate? Surely, it was they, not she, who ought to be more versed in such a language?

In a way, that made her feel like she knew one thing about Leonardo that no one else does.

Acheron looked about himself and his company, as though to make certain none of them had been struck down or undone by sorcery. Of all present, he seemed the most perplexed. The insolent youth had spoken, yet no calamity had followed. What made his annoyance grow even more was when Leonardo smiled his way, his lips curved subtly into a breathtaking, yet infuriating smirk. He could almost hear the unsaid taunts before the door was closed shut in their faces.

"Hey, what words did he utter?" Acheron demanded.

"Some manner of tongue, perhaps?" Althea ventured, her curiosity plain across her face, much to Acheron's mounting vexation.

Cora managed a hesitant smile and eventually said, "he…said we shouldn't worry about the Alpha, and that we need to retire to bed. I may have learned one or two about cursed languages."

"Really? That's what he said?"

"Why didn't he let us see the Alpha then?"

"Can you teach us?"

Lothar shook his head slightly as he watched them. Though he was glad that Donovan was alright.

Meanwhile, back inside the cabin, Leonardo turned to Esme who was still tending to Donovan. It was odd, but ever since he regained consciousness, he hadn't spoken a word. More often than not, his gaze seemed to be fixed upon some far and hidden place, and that silence weighed heavily upon the two of them.

Esme asked at last:

"How are the others doing?"

Leonardo simply inclined his head in quiet assurance. With a weary sigh, Esme sank to the edge of the bed. "We've faced so many problems that even such assaults are like a normal day for us. We live, and then pretend we've moved on from it. It's quite sad…really, for all this to feel so familiar."

Her eyes strayed to Donovan, who had slipped once more into an uneasy sleep. "Tell me, Leonardo… when will things truly get better for us?"

Not even Leonardo knew the answer to that question.