Chapter 17: Engaged to Kealen Ironclaw -The Black Dog (Part I)

Protection barrier? Eleanor was left dumbfounded, a sense of bewilderment washing over her.

Vesper declared, "This isn't her doing. The barrier I erected isn't easily breached. Even werewolves can't get through it, let alone humans. Something else must have spirited her away."

Eleanor listened intently, her mind racing to make sense of it all. What barrier was he about? Their talking account didn't align with what Goy had told her. This sudden mention of a barrier made the situation seem far more perilous. Just moments ago, Eleanor had been fuming with anger at Vesper, but now her resentment began to ebb away.

"To be able to enter and exit the leader's barrier freely, and this Demon Ridge..." Mark paused briefly. "It's likely a magical creature."

Vesper fell silent, then turned to gaze intently at Eleanor, his brows furrowed. "Were you bitten?"

Caught off - guard, Eleanor stammered, "N - no, I wasn't."

"Is there anything unusual about you?"

Unusual? Eleanor pondered for a moment before realizing. "Oh, right. My calf has been aching for a while, but there are no visible wounds when I check." She lifted her leg and pointed.

Vesper immediately crouched down and, without the slightest hesitation, pulled up her pant leg. Eleanor was so startled that she nearly lost her balance, but luckily, her sense of equilibrium was sufficient to keep her upright.

"What's this?" Mark also leaned in promptly. On Eleanor's calf, they saw a row of fine, black puncture marks, spindle - shaped, with faint bloodstains around the edges.

"How could this be? I didn't have these just now," Eleanor exclaimed in astonishment.

Vesper's pupils constricted. "These are the bite marks of Kealen, but not ordinary ones. Judging by the shape and color, they're a contract mark, an engagement mark made by Kealen Ironclaw."

"Engagement?" Both Eleanor and Mark were left stunned.

"Quite the feat, pulling this off in such a short time and managing to keep it from me," Vesper said, pressing down on the puncture marks, causing Eleanor to wince in sharp, piercing pain.

"Boss, just give the word, and I'll take care of this woman right now!" Mark said indignantly.

Sweating from the pain, Eleanor tried to yank her leg back. "Don't be hasty! I didn't make any engagement with anyone. I just had a dream about a huge black dog carrying me into the forest, and that's all I know!" She was exasperated, having fainted twice in a single day—clearly, nothing good was in store.

Vesper released her leg, emitting a cold snort. "Kealen Ironclaw, huh? Bold enough to compete with me, Vesper, for a woman. I'm eager to see what kind of creature he is."

"But the Kealen Ironclaw is, after all, a magical creature. If we recklessly make an enemy of it, it could spell disaster. It's just a human woman; we could just..." Mark glanced at Eleanor as he spoke.

The look from Mark's narrow, almond - shaped eyes sent a shiver down Eleanor's spine. The thought of being married to a magical creature filled her with horror. If she had to choose between two bad options, she'd rather be with a werewolf!

She quickly turned to look at Vesper, thinking: Vesper, we've already had a moment together; you can't just abandon your woman like that!

Vesper's response was somewhat unexpected. He delivered a hard thump to the back of Mark's head. "You little rascal, have you grown tired of living? If a dog steals my woman, my lifelong reputation would be shattered in an instant!"

Hearing this, Eleanor was quite touched and immediately piped up, "Precisely, precisely! Reputation is everything; we can't let a dog get the better of us! Boss, I'm with you on this!"