Mated to the Mad Lord-Chapter 173: A Crumbling leaf

Frank knew better than to ask questions, even if they plagued his sleeping and waking hours. He had been ordered to track Violet’s every movement, quickly discovering that she was a woman as he watched and heard them talk about her while carrying her off.

He had also followed while reporting to Cain, waiting for the moment they would swoop in and complete the rescue—only for the first day to pass, followed by the next, as he watched Cain, whom he would have sworn on all his toes was obsessed with her enough to never let her out of his sight.

Only to watch him focus all his energy on finding Fiona while sending out letters that Frank had to post, even though he had no idea who, in particular, they were meant for.

Frank knew his place, and as much as he wanted to, he didn’t care if Cain’s lover died or whatever else happened to her. All he cared about were the repercussions that might threaten his own life, considering Cain’s calm moods recently—completely different from the erratic way he had behaved before.

I’ve been hearing word about the council going against him and trying to remove him as Lord! he thought, a frown settling on his face as he waited in front of Cain’s door, hoping such a thing never happened. The only way to remove a District Lord is through war and death.

Which lord would ever willingly let go of his territory... much more Cain?

He finally heard Cain’s voice grant him permission to enter after knocking a couple of times.

Frank didn’t hesitate to walk in and close the door behind him, dropping to his knees the second he did, having taken in the sight of Cain at his study table, staring at the documents and reports in his hands.

Frank knew better than to hesitate and waste any more time before speaking. "My Lord! The auction has been set for Saturday. It’s in three days!" He added, feeling his heart thump as he wondered if the Lord’s lover would even last that long. frёeωebɳovel.com

What if they use her? Would he even still want her? he wondered to himself, bowing his head as he awaited further instructions.

"Okay. Keep monitoring the situation. You can leave."

Cain’s response surprised Frank, though he managed to hide it as he got to his feet, bowed, and turned to leave the room, gently closing the door behind him.

But the door had just been tightly shut when, right opposite where Cain sat, Vazer appeared—having been hiding elsewhere in the room, only to shift onto the chair in the blink of an eye.

"You need to train your guards better! What if I was an assassin sent to kill you? It’s a disservice to me for him to indirectly say I don’t smell badly enough of blood. What else can a Red like—"

Vazer was still speaking when Cain groaned, dropping the pen and papers in his hands.

His face remained mostly blank, but his back was coated in sweat as he went ahead to lay his head on the table, no longer putting up the illusion of strength. His body shook ever so slightly—so subtly that unless one paid immense attention, like Vazer did, they wouldn’t notice.

"You look like a dry leaf that’s about to crumble," Vazer sighed, his blood-red eyes focused on Cain, who still didn’t respond. But Vazer didn’t seem to have a problem with that as he continued speaking like nothing was out of order.

"If you were a vampire, I would simply toss a couple of humans your way, but that’s clearly not the solution here! Blood would just give you indigestion, and that’s the last thing you need added to your list of problems."

"We could soak you in it, though! Blood does have life-enhancing properties that would—"

"Vazer!"

Cain snapped in a tone filled with annoyance, but Vazer remained completely unfazed. A slow smile spread across his face as he continued speaking, almost as if he hadn’t heard Cain at all.

"Think about it! A few more days, and my only friend will become a mindless beast! You refuse to take the potion, and I’m left dealing with you, preventing you from going wild and creating another bloodbath. I’m not paid enough for this!" he finished, a hint of seriousness creeping into his tone as he said the last part. His red eyes remained utterly cool as he fixed them on Cain, who slowly raised his head and really looked at Vazer—almost as if he wanted to take in every part of him.

Never had Cain seen him as a friend. Their relationship had merely been that of allies, which was why he had been on high alert since Vazer willingly showed up to help him—something he didn’t believe was out of the graciousness of his heart.

"Isn’t the price of friendship enough to cover it?" Cain asked coldly, his blank expression making his words even more unsettling.

"That would have been a good joke if you had said it with a smile. But it’s fine! The last thing I need is to wonder if your body has been completely taken over and the Cain I know has been replaced!"

"In three days, you won’t have to be here," Cain said seriously, knowing that the fact that Vazer had willingly chosen to stay this long was already beyond his expectations. Without Vazer and the weird but immensely strong knockout drug his people concocted, he would have already taken the red potion and been back to being dependent on it.

"Now, I’m being chased off?" Vazer asked in a light tone, shaking his head before his expression suddenly morphed into a deathly serious one.

"...As long as you remember to behave once you get her back. Killing your servants has made our plans even more difficult. Now the other members of the council will trust you even less!" Vazer said, feeling the urge to rub his forehead like a human on the brink of a migraine.

"I’ll fix it. The focus should be taking Eldric down first."

Cain’s voice carried absolute confidence, and Vazer nodded, not caring who went first as long as Lord Javi—who was also a thorn in his flesh—was executed and removed. That, however, would be more difficult given Javi’s bloodline ability to shift the location of his heart.