Forbidden Romance with the Wolf Lord

"Cremation?" Vesper's eyebrows knitted together for an instant, as if some distant memory had been jarred loose. Then, he continued in a measured tone, "If you truly don't wish to die, I can make an exception for you and hand you over to the soldiers below…"

Wow! You're really heartless! Eleanor promptly squatted down and said, "In my country, there's a proverb: 'As long as the green mountains remain, there'll always be firewood!' Since I'm about to become your wife, there must be numerous benefits in the future. Why not…"

Vesper's eyebrows twitched, and Eleanor immediately felt a twinge of guilt. She lowered her head, surreptitiously wiping the cold sweat from her forehead.

An hour later, the carriage finally reached its destination. Lifting the curtain of the carriage window, a cool breeze swept across her face, carrying with it the earthy scent of the soil. The scenery here was bound to be beautiful, but what caught Eleanor's eye was a large throng of people.

Vesper stepped out of the carriage first, and Eleanor followed cautiously.

As soon as they alighted, everyone dropped to their knees to pay homage to the leader. Vesper quickly walked forward along the narrow path cleared for him, and Eleanor trailed behind, a shiver running down her spine. She felt that it was rather odd for a group of werewolves to kneel in front of her. After all, humans held a lowly status in this place. Suddenly becoming the leader's wife made the beasts' gazes even more hostile. Each time she walked past them, she could feel several icy stares boring into her back.

Eleanor felt intimidated and hastened to match Vesper's pace. At the end of the crowd, two men stood out conspicuously. They had bright, light - colored hair, handsome features, neat attire, and an air of great nobility.

These two men didn't kneel to Vesper when they saw him. Instead, they waited for Vesper to approach, then bowed slightly and said, "Leader."

Vesper nodded, and the air seemed to vibrate with his acknowledgment.

"You've both made a long and arduous journey. I'm truly grateful," Vesper said.

"Not at all, Leader. After all your efforts, even the Wolf King can no longer question your loyalty," said one of the younger men. His gaze immediately shifted to Eleanor, who was standing behind Vesper. He sized her up from head to toe and continued, "This wife of yours is beautiful, but not as stunning as the one the Wolf King bestowed. What a pity. In the remaining two days, I hope this wife won't make any more blunders."

Vesper turned his head slightly, the corners of his lips curling up ever so slightly. "She's intelligent. She won't do anything foolish."

"Is that so?" The young envoy was taken aback for a moment, and then his gaze on Eleanor grew even more intense.

Wow! This look is colder than the snow - melted water in the sky! A shiver ran down Eleanor's spine. She forced a foolish grin and nodded at him, her body involuntarily inching closer to Vesper, trying to seek some shelter. Vesper, however, didn't tarry. He strode forward, and in a panic, Eleanor clung to him like a shadow.

Moving further ahead, they entered a tree - lined alley. The alley was flanked by plane trees on both sides. Their black branches spread out, forming a Roman - style dome overhead. The lush green leaves created a straight, verdant corridor.

At the end of the alley was the sacred place of the Red Wolf Clan - the Heavenly Spring Pool. The pool wasn't large, but it was surrounded by a thick mist, exuding an otherworldly and ethereal aura, like a fairyland.

After following Vesper through a series of complex and time - consuming rituals, two maidservants stepped forward to help them undress. Eleanor froze, her eyes wide with shock. She turned her head to stare at Vesper, fear evident in her voice as she exclaimed, "Are we going to strip naked and take a lovers' bath together?!"

Vesper smiled but remained silent. Instead, he shook his body and transformed back into his werewolf form. His sleek, black fur glistened in the sunlight, and his strong, muscular figure elicited a series of excited screams from a group of infatuated female werewolves by the pool.

Eleanor was intimidated. Damn it, he's going to transform? But I don't have that ability!

"What are you doing?" Eleanor clutched her collar tightly with both hands, muttering in a low voice.

"During the bathing ritual, werewolves must revert to their original form to prevent the sacred pool water from being contaminated by dust and dirt," Vesper moved in front of her. His towering figure made Eleanor seem incredibly small in comparison.

"But I'm human. I can't transform," Eleanor said, her forehead beaded with sweat.

"Then just take off your clothes," Vesper said. Without further ado, he began to remove her outer robe. No matter how strong - willed Eleanor was, she was no match for a werewolf. In just a few quick motions, Vesper had stripped her down to her petticoat.

"Is this okay now?" Eleanor looked up at him, her eyes almost pleading.

Vesper hesitated for a moment but, to his credit, left her with the petticoat.

The two of them entered the pool water one after the other. The water of the Heavenly Spring Pool was crystal - clear, so clear that the bottom was plainly visible. As soon as they stepped in, a strange, tingling numbness spread throughout their bodies, causing all their pores to open wide.

The water is so cold and piercing! Eleanor shivered and then sneezed. Immediately, the werewolves by the pool hissed in dissatisfaction, their gazes venomous and fierce, as if they were on the verge of lunging at her and tearing her to shreds.

Eleanor was terrified and quickly covered her mouth. Damn it, they don't even allow sneezing! But I just saw Vesper cleaning his ears. This is blatant racial discrimination!

With this thought in mind, she stole a glance to the side and saw Vesper looking at her too. He crooked his finger at her, motioning for her to come over.

What for? Only a fool would go over…

Eleanor pointedly turned her head away, refusing to look at him.

Instantly, the werewolves by the pool started hissing again, interfering.

Eleanor's forehead creased with worry. This time, she obediently waded over to Vesper's side.

Vesper wrapped his arms around her and unexpectedly pulled her into an embrace. "Don't you dare die on me."

Eleanor placed her hands on his chest and pushed him back forcefully. "Die? What are you up to? Isn't this a blessing ceremony?"

She looked around and saw that the werewolves had somehow produced small, exquisitely crafted transparent vessels in their hands. The vessels glimmered with a soft light, and the contents inside were indistinct.

"What are they holding?"

"Shhh."

The werewolves all squatted down and slowly poured the contents of the vessels into the water. In an instant, the color of the pool water changed. It was as if the water had come alive, with ripples surging and slowly advancing towards the two of them from all directions.

When the dream - like, colored spring water reached Eleanor, a searing pain shot through her entire body, causing her to convulse involuntarily. Her body felt as if it were being scorched by molten lava, yet her forehead was covered in cold sweat.

"Ouch!" She cried out and suddenly shot out of the water, attempting to escape.

Vesper, however, wouldn't allow it. He firmly pressed her back into the water, his arms locked around her, making it impossible for Eleanor to struggle free.

There were muffled laughter and whispers from the side.

Vesper's eyes were calm, and his body showed no signs of distress. He looked at Eleanor, then at the poolside. At this moment, the two envoys walked forward and poured the glowing substances from their vessels into the water. The surface of the water immediately began to change in unpredictable ways, with ripples like flying petals and scattered gold, beautiful to the point of being almost surreal.