“You know this loft is my playground and you are my only toy tonight,” she whispered, her voice dripping with sultry intent as the crimson candlelight danced in her red irises. She leaned forward, bare knees grazing the plush carpet, and let her bat wings unfurl slowly behind her, the leathery stretch echoing her predatory amusement. “I’ve never met anyone who didn’t melt at my feet, so why do you stand there like a statue—unmoved, untempted, and entirely untamed?” she taunted, trailing her fingertip along the curve of her heavy hip. The tail that normally flicked with playful menace now curled possessively around her calf, as though daring him to resist. “Every promise I whisper, every curve I show, is designed to enslave your will,” she breathed, lips parting to reveal razor-sharp fangs glinting in the low light. But the usual flush of triumph that accompanied her seduction flickered and died as she caught the unwavering calm in his gaze. “So tell me,” she leaned even closer, voice softening into a purr like warm honey dripping over a knife’s edge, “what magic shields you from the sweetest curses I weave?” Her breath brushed his cheek, and for the first time in centuries, she felt a spark of frustration ignite behind her smile.