Mated to the Mad Lord-Chapter 205: Come in

The force of the explosion sent a violent shockwave through the air, rattling the ground beneath them as a blazing inferno engulfed both vehicles. Thick, black smoke curled into the sky, swallowing the orange glow of the fire as the twisted metal remains of the two cars groaned under the heat. The acrid scent of burning fuel mixed with the metallic stench of blood, making it almost suffocating to breathe. Pieces of wreckage rained down—chunks of metal, shattered glass, and unrecognizable scraps of flesh—all remnants of what had been Frank and the other bodyguards just moments ago.

Violet stood frozen beside Cain, her entire body rigid with horror, her breath caught in her throat. The heat from the explosion licked at her skin, and she could barely process what she was seeing. Just seconds ago, those cars had been filled with men—men who had spoken, who had drawn their weapons in defense of their lord. And now, they were nothing but cinders and bloodied fragments scattered across the pavement.

It-it could have been us! Violet thought to herself, aware that if she had entered the car, her body would also be in unrecognizable pieces. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the wreckage as her body shook in horror.

The guard who had been standing behind them wasn’t any different. His body trembled violently, his hands balled into fists. His legs felt weak as realization set in. His wide, horrified eyes reflected the flames as he stared at the spot where he should have been—where he would have been—had he taken his usual position. His chest rose and fell with erratic breaths, and for a brief moment, he felt as if his very soul had been yanked out of his body.

Cain, however, remained still. His expression darkened, his fists tightening at his sides. His jaw clenched as he stared at the burning wreckage with cold eyes.

Violet finally found her voice, though it was shaky and barely above a whisper. "C-Cain..." she stammered, gripping his arm as if to ground herself in reality, looking around for fear that the attack wasn’t over.

But Cain didn’t respond immediately. His mind was already working through the implications of the attack, the sheer precision of it. This wasn’t just a random assault—this was calculated. He couldn’t fathom why the car hadn’t exploded on their way to the hospital.

Did they plant it after we got here?

His gaze flickered over to the hospital gates, scanning the area even as multiple eyes settled on them and people began to stream out of the building with aghast expressions on their faces.

"The car exploded! How can it be?"

"Someone call the police..."

"Check for survivors!" a more authoritative voice called out, but tears filled Violet’s eyes as she knew that it was impossible for any of them to have survived. She recalled Frank, who had been the last to get in, and how if she had just pulled him back to protect them, he would have still been alive.

Cain finally opened his mouth to speak, his voice like steel. "Get inside. Now!" he ordered the moment it became clear that more people were starting to stream out and their surroundings were getting crowded.

With his hand firmly holding Violet, he pulled her in, with the guard moving as fast as he could to clear the way. Violet completely forgot the thrill she had felt earlier about exploring, considering the fact that more than five people were dead, and luck was the only reason she hadn’t been among them.

Cain’s expression and body language were colder than usual, and Violet knew better than to speak as she watched him dial a number and order more guards and a brand-new car after explaining the situation that had occurred.

It wasn’t until he was done speaking that Violet opened her mouth to speak. "Do you-do you know who could have–" only to feel Cain pull her closer into his arms as he held her gaze, his hands wrapped around the sides of her face.

"It doesn’t matter! I’ll protect you!" Cain responded in a tone that sounded like a promise, even if his eyes were deep with a hint of cruelty hidden within their depths—a cruelty that promised fire and brimstone on the culprit.

*******

Lord Javi’s fingers tapped impatiently on the table as he waited, his gaze darting between the door and Nathan, who stood beside him with a blank expression on his face.

"If your plan succeeds, I might even decide to go ahead and turn you today!" Javi told him with a slightly pleased expression, even as Nathan bowed his head lower.

"Thank you, my lord!" Nathan’s tone was emotionless, though his expression, which he was careful to hide, was completely dark.

Not only had he been taken on the table like a woman, but he had also been taken on the ground and the bar counter multiple times until it was no longer just his backside that bled. His blood had been drunk like water, and he could barely stand, yet he stood there, determined not to show any weakness as he cursed Javi deep in his soul.

Javi had been prepared to go another round when Nathan immediately began to outline a plan he had previously thought of, mentioning how pleased Lord Eldric would be, especially after Cain had shown that he was becoming too strong to be caged.

"He might not have wanted you to kill him before, but after what happened at the meeting... he would have changed his mind!" Nathan had told him, vigorously praying to all the gods that cared to listen that Javi would get off him and implement the damn plan.

His clothes were rumpled, and his skin was pale enough to make him look as sickly as a Red, yet he was still as weak as a human. When Javi had agreed, Nathan had sincerely hoped to be given the opportunity to leave and implement the plan, only for Javi to laugh in his face and sneer at him.

"You can barely move! All you’re good for is your blood and your hole, which satisfies me!" Javi snapped, shutting him up as he sent out the order even before they both dissolved into silence and waited for the results.

Nathan had never hated someone as much as he hated Javi, yet Javi also terrified him. Aware that with the potions he had, he could defeat normal Reds with caution and wariness, but Javi was a different breed—especially since he was a pureblood.

His heart thumped in his chest as he waited, not knowing what he would do if the plan failed, aware that Javi would most likely take it out on him. On the other hand, if the plan succeeded, he would become a Red, which would be fine as long as Javi didn’t turn him, as it would mean Nathan would be bound to him.

For the first time in his life, tears welled up in his cold eyes as he felt the sensation of pain in his back and butt thrumming through the rest of his body, a constant reminder of what he had been through. A torture that was clearly not over.

Nathan was still trying to figure out how he could possibly maneuver his way out when suddenly a sharp knock rang on the huge doors of Lord Javi’s office.

"COME IN!" Javi impatiently barked, waving his hand to dismiss the servant’s greeting and bow as he instead gestured impatiently for the letter the servant held.