Chapter 16: Entering the Demon Ridge

With a shiver and a start, Eleanor was yanked up by her collar from the ground. She looked up and immediately met Vesper's eyes—eyes that blazed with barely contained fury.

Vesper was already towering over her, and holding her up by the collar made her feel like a kitten being dangled. He examined her from head to toe and then asked, "What do you mean by 'lesbian'?"

Eleanor touched her lips, still in shock, and looked at him. "Boss, lesbian is..." In this atmosphere, she had no intention of explaining the concept of lesbianism to a werewolf, especially when she herself was still confused about what had just happened!

Fortunately, Vesper didn't press further. His attention shifted to her lips. He moved her hand aside and took a closer look. "What happened to your mouth?"

Eleanor's lips were swollen to a terrifying degree, even more than a sausage, and the color had darkened significantly. Only then did she realize that her lips felt numb and burning. She was stunned for a moment, then thought in confusion, "Could it be that in the world of werewolves, kissing between women is poisonous?"

"It was that girl, Goy..." She turned her head to look for her, but Goy had already vanished without a trace.

Vesper put her down and, seeing her disjointed speech, felt a strange sensation. He asked, "Is there someone else here?"

"Yeah, I was just with..." Mid-sentence, Eleanor stopped herself. She looked around again, puzzled. Could the girl have hidden? If she called her out now, wouldn't that put her in danger?

Thinking quickly, she changed her tune. "No, I'm alone."

Vesper glanced at her, his eyes narrowing slightly, and she saw the dark pupils contract rapidly.

"Were you trying to escape? Where did you think you were going?!" His voice was deep, and his fingertips slowly traced her neck, lifting her chin.

Eleanor shuddered, defending herself. "I wasn't trying to escape. You left me behind. I couldn't just wait there to die. I had to run. Is it wrong to save myself when I'm in danger?" Eleanor was still seething with anger. This guy had the audacity to question her after abandoning her.

Her retort left Vesper speechless, his fingers trembling slightly as he held her, but he couldn't bring himself to lash out.

The atmosphere became particularly awkward. Eleanor tried to remain composed, waiting for Vesper's reaction while also searching for something to say to give him an out. It was strange how quiet the forest was—every little sound was audible. How had Vesper, such a large figure, approached without making a sound? And Goy had disappeared as if into thin air, without a trace.

Before she could find a topic, she heard a light cough from behind Vesper.

"Boss, something's off about this forest. We seem to have entered the Demon Ridge."

Eleanor started, turning her head to see Mark rushing over, another person who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

"Why are you here too?" Eleanor blurted out.

"Because I was looking for you, you idiot! You were supposed to stay within the protective barrier the boss set up. Why did you run off?!" Mark's words were laced with irritation.