Mated to the Mad Lord-Chapter 262: Menu

Together, they had just gotten to the topmost floor where Cain’s wing was when one of the guards standing in front suddenly let out a loud gasp. His eyes widened with shock as he froze. Considering the fact that Cain was their lord, although they carried guns, they also knew better than to aim at vital spots.

But the smell of blood was jarring, and it only got worse when they all reached the top of the stairs. Cain’s beast stood right in the center of the corridor, bodies littered on the floor in all directions as it silently munched on something that sounded too gross and crunchy to be anything but human bones.

A mere second had barely gone by when the guard standing right in front suddenly let out another gasp before turning around and bolting down the stairs, shocking everyone there. Astonished by the idea that he would abandon his loyalty to the lord and his orders as a werewolf in exchange for his safety, a loud scream echoed from his lips as he ran.

Henry wanted to call him back—and usually would have disciplined him severely—but instead, he didn’t even spare a glance in his direction. A deep, guttural growl emanating from the throat of the beast in front of him was more than enough for him to realize that he couldn’t afford to be distracted.

"This looks bad!" Uva spoke in the softest of whispers as she stood at the very back, almost behind the guards on the last line. Her legs shook in a way that showed it took a lot of self-restraint for her not to do the same and bolt out of there.

"It looks really bad!" she repeated herself, just in case her voice was too low and she wasn’t heard. She was about to speak again, only for her mouth to hang open as they all collectively held their breaths, watching the beast raise its head, its red eyes boring straight at them in a manner that showed nothing but animalistic violence waiting to be unleashed.

Violet stood in front, and at that moment, she too couldn’t help but regret not having taken the time to plan how they were going to get the black potion into Cain’s mouth.

"Ca-Cain!" she gasped out loud, increasing her voice a bit as she watched the beast suddenly zoom its vision even closer in on her, beginning to walk forward.

At this point, Henry was the one who spoke next, his voice deep but authoritative.

"If he gets closer but still appears feral, you bolt!" he told them, to the visible shock of Uva, who stood behind, and even Violet, who stood in front. He continued, "You can hand me the vial, and I’ll ensure that he eats it. I’ll cover for you while you run!"

But the more he spoke, the more Violet’s eyes brimmed with tears, understanding what he was trying to say even if he didn’t directly say it. Violet wasn’t the only one with eyes filled with tears; a couple of guards standing around couldn’t help but make unwilling noises, though none of them dared to speak up or take his place.

Even Violet couldn’t help but ball her hands into fists. She desperately wanted to say that Henry shouldn’t say such a thing and that they would find another way, but the reality was much harsher than she would have liked. If Cain truly didn’t respond, then him eating someone along with the vial was the only option left to pursue.

Tears dropped and slid down her cheeks as she wondered how she could have gotten to such an extent as to be able to accept a sacrifice like that.

Henry stretched out his hand to Uva, asking her to quickly hand over the vial to him without speaking. But instead of doing so, Uva slowly shook her head, a deeper frown appearing on her face.

"Talking about dying!" she snapped in vivid and visceral anger. "How old are you? I’m sure I’m twice your age!" she continued, her tone incensed even as the beast got closer and the sound of its growls grew louder.

"...If anyone should die, it should be me!" she said, though the unwilling look on her face made it obvious that it was the last thing she wanted to happen.

The beast continued walking closer and closer to them, and soon, all of them could no longer collectively ignore its presence—especially Violet, who, after taking a deep breath, suddenly grabbed the vial out of Uva’s hands, careful enough to ensure that it wouldn’t be damaged. Uva was completely and utterly shocked.

"I’ll—I’ll do it!" Violet announced in a loud voice, which was only dampened by another loud growl that, just like before, sent some guards scrambling away as fast as they could.

Henry, too focused to spare them a look, glanced at Violet, whose entire body shook from head to toe as she took a step forward instead of waiting for the beast to continue approaching.

"If...if..." Violet stuttered, unable to finish what she was about to say as she clearly struggled to try. "...just run!" she finished, ignoring the loud and sharp intake of breath Uva took in as she whispered a low "sorry" under her breath.

By that time, Violet was no longer focused on anything but the gigantic beast that continued to approach her, its mouth and teeth bloodied as it snarled and growled with a loud gush of air. It simply walked, but the pressure of its steps could be felt through Violet’s entire body as she began to speak, tears rushing down her face anew.

"To be honest...I hated you! You called me a lover, but you chained me up! You said you needed me, but still, you looked at me like if I died, you wouldn’t even shed a single tear!"

"You touched me with care, but at the same time, I knew you could snap my neck if the urge came over you!" Violet continued to speak, more tears rushing down her face.

It would be a lie if she said she was ready to die, but at the same time, the fact that death was staring her in the face was an undeniable reality she had to accept. She looked up at the beast, whose eyes were still blood-red and looked ready to chomp on her as it opened its large jaws, ready to devour her.

Violet’s body trembled even more violently than before as she stood rooted to the ground, unable to keep her eyes closed any longer. She held the vial in front of her, hoping to be swallowed with it.

Her trembling only got worse when, unable to see, she felt a heat in the air followed by the warm breath that glided through her hair.

Next was a familiar pressure on her head, but the feel of saliva dripping heavily onto her didn’t make it something she wanted to remember. She stepped forward even more, hoping the process might be faster than it currently was.

But a few minutes had barely passed of her waiting to be eaten when she suddenly heard Uva speak.

"Violet! I think—I think you’re not on the menu!" Uva gasped from below the stairs where she had moved and was peeking from.

Since Violet had volunteered to die, there was no need for Uva to die right beside her.