Chapter 7: Marrying a Human Woman

"Bah! Womier wants the boss to marry a human woman just to weaken our strength. All that talk about using this opportunity to promote peace between werewolves and humans is utter nonsense! If the leader of the Red Wolf Clan, a figure of great might, marries a lowly human woman, it'll be the laughingstock of all the other werewolf clans. Our Red Wolf Clan will never be able to hold our heads high again! I think that woman's death might not be such a bad thing after all. Boss, let's take this chance to rebel! With our current strength, we might just succeed!" Mark was seething with rage, his face contorted with indignation. Every word seemed to be spat out with venom, and his hands were clenched into fists at his sides.

"Mark, have you lost your mind?!" Alexa scolded, his voice sharp and filled with disbelief. He took a step towards Mark, his eyes narrowing as if trying to gauge the seriousness of his outburst.

"I'm not out of my mind. I'm just..." Mark started to defend himself, but his voice trailed off as he saw the look on Alexa's face.

"What rebellion are you talking about, you troublemaker? Don't add to the chaos!" Vesper interrupted impatiently, his voice booming like thunder. He paced back and forth in the room, his agitation palpable. "Dealing with a single Jackal Clan and a Scarlet Lady has already exhausted me. Do you want me to take on all the werewolf clans as well?!" He stopped in his tracks and glared at Mark, his eyes flashing with annoyance.

"Ugh..." Mark was left speechless for a moment, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. After a while, he managed to say, "So, boss, did you really plan to marry a human woman?" He looked at Vesper with a mixture of confusion and curiosity, trying to understand his leader's intentions.

"Yeah, why not? Since it's the Wolf King's command, I have to comply. They even went out of their way to send a beauty, whose looks would rank among the top even among werewolf women." Vesper sighed deeply as he spoke, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Damn it, now that she's dead, what do I do?" He ran a hand through his hair, a look of frustration on his face.

"Boss, Womier's goal is simply to have you marry a human woman to intimidate our Red Wolf Clan. Whether the woman was sent by him or not isn't important; what matters is that the leader's wife is human," a man with red hair and light clothing stepped forward and said. His voice was calm and measured, and he looked at Vesper with a sense of understanding.

"Keman's right. With just three days left until the wedding ceremony, if we cancel it now, people might suspect us of scheming against Womier, openly defying him, and the consequences would be disastrous," Alexa added, his brow furrowed in concern. He looked around at the others in the room, as if seeking their agreement.

"But the woman is already dead, what can we do?!" Mark said irritably, his voice rising. "Womier's envoy arrived in our Panqiu Valley yesterday. The news of that woman's death probably reached their ears already..." He paced back and forth, his hands gesturing wildly as he spoke.

"The wedding must go on to show Womier our sincerity. So, we can only choose another human woman with decent looks," Keman said, then knelt down and volunteered, "Boss, let me handle this. I'll bring the woman over by tomorrow morning." He looked up at Vesper with determination in his eyes, ready to carry out his task.

Vesper was silent, deep in thought for a long time. Suddenly, he gave a sly smile and said, "Why bother choosing? It's troublesome. We have a ready - made one right here, don't we?" His eyes glinted with a mischievous light, and a hint of a smirk played on his lips.

Keman was stunned for a moment, then said, "You mean?" He looked at Vesper, a puzzled expression on his face, trying to figure out what he was referring to.

"Yeah, that girl from just now. She'll do." Vesper's smile widened, and he leaned back in his chair, a satisfied look on his face.

On the other side, Eleanor was taken out of the hall in a daze and brought to the leader's room. As soon as she entered, a chill seemed to seep into her very bones, making her shudder involuntarily. The room was suffused with an otherworldly sense of dread! Two werewolves tied her up tightly, the ropes biting into her skin, and then threw her unceremoniously on the ground. They left her alone and exited the room, the sound of their footsteps echoing in the empty corridor.

Eleanor wriggled on the ground, her muscles straining, until she managed to sit up. She began to look around, her eyes wide with horror. The room was still lavishly decorated, but in a grotesque way. Gorgeous silver and gold ornaments were scattered about, alongside exaggerated sculptures that seemed to leer at her. The walls were covered with various bone decorations, and upon closer inspection of the bones' sizes and proportions, she realized with a jolt of pure terror that they were all human bones. Under the hazy sunlight that filtered through the thick curtains, the bones faintly gleamed with a cold, menacing light, casting a spooky and eerie atmosphere that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

After taking a full look around, Eleanor dared not raise her eyes anymore. She strained to twist her upper body, her face contorted with effort, trying to break free from the ropes. But the werewolves had tied her too securely, and her struggles were in vain. She then tried to hop around the room to find an exit, but found that all the doors and windows were locked from the outside, and each was guarded by a menacing werewolf. There was no way out.

Time ticked by slowly, each second stretching into an eternity. Every moment in that room felt like an interminable ordeal for Eleanor. The slightest noises from outside, the rustling of leaves or the distant howl of a wolf, almost made her heart stop. She didn't know what Vesper had in store for her, but she was certain it wouldn't be anything good. Perhaps tomorrow, another set of human bones would adorn the wall, a macabre reminder of her fate.

Thinking of this, Eleanor was filled with regret. As her mind cooled down, she began to rue her previous words and actions. She didn't have the ability to skin and dismember Vesper, and he might very well turn her to dust and scatter her ashes. Now that she was in the boss's den, it seemed impossible to escape, even if she had wings.

She fidgeted restlessly, her body twitching with anxiety, and before she knew it, night had fallen. There was still no sign of Vesper. The deep, proud howls of wolves began to echo from outside, each howl seeming to penetrate the very walls of the room, making the already dim night even more profound and terrifying. Eleanor huddled against the wall, her body shaking, shrinking herself into the smallest possible ball. Staring at the coldly gleaming bones in the darkness, she felt as if she had reached the freezing point of her existence. The process of waiting for death was incredibly agonizing for someone on the brink of it!

Another five or six hours passed. No one entered during this time, as if everyone had forgotten about Eleanor. She was on the verge of tears, her eyes red and swollen, leaning her head against the bed. She thought that even the Grim Reaper had abandoned her, leaving her to a fate worse than death.

However, the Grim Reaper wasn't that heartless. Just as she was about to numb with cold, the room's door creaked open slowly, the sound grating on her nerves. Eleanor started and looked up to see a werewolf standing outside the door, covered in blood. His clothes were soaked with it, and the metallic smell of it filled the air.

Eleanor froze completely, her eyes wide with horror. Seeing the demon's ferocious and terrifying appearance again still made her heart race with fear. She could feel her pulse pounding in her ears, and her breath caught in her throat.

Vesper took off his cape from his shoulder, crumpled it into a ball, and roughly wiped the bloodstains on his upper body. Then he casually threw it aside and strolled towards Eleanor. He seemed tired, his shoulders slumped and his steps a bit unsteady, but his presence was still imposing.

Eleanor's scalp tightened. Sensing the strong smell of blood all over him, her body involuntarily shrank back further, pressing herself against the wall as if trying to disappear into it. Vesper walked up to her, squatted down beside the bed, and let out a series of low, strong gasps. His breath was hot on her face, and the smell of blood was overwhelming.

"Scared, huh?" Vesper provocatively bared his teeth and said. In the darkness, the giant beast's eyes were still sharp, like two swords that could pierce through the endless night. They seemed to bore into her soul, and she felt a shiver run down her spine.

Eleanor was stunned for a while, then suddenly realized something and quickly said, "Scared... of course I'm scared. Leader... your mighty and heroic presence, we mere mortals can't help but be intimidated." Her throat tightened severely, and her voice was barely a whisper, but she managed to get the words out. She hoped that her flattery would somehow save her from the impending doom.

Vesper was silent, a flash of amusement crossing his eyes. He seemed to be considering her words, and for a moment, she thought she might have a chance.

Oh, it seems to be working! A glimmer of hope ignited in Eleanor's heart. It turned out that flattery was effective even on beasts! This move, which she thought would never work, actually seemed to have an impact. She held her breath, waiting to see what Vesper would do next, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and hope.