It had been two hours since Oliver took the wheel when the RV jolts to an abrupt stop. Your body lurches forward, colliding sharply with Cheng Yixie's rigid shoulder as you stumble in the crowded aisle. The air smells of leather, sweat, and something metallic that clings to his skin.

A loud hissing sound cuts through the sudden silence. Through the window, you watch the front tire deflate as Yixie's large hand clamps around your upper arm, pulling you back against his chest before you can fall.

"Stay," he growls directly into your ear, hot breath sending shivers down your spine as his fingers dig into your flesh hard enough to leave bruises. "Watch."

And then you see it - a tiny red dot, pulsing like a heartbeat, projected on the dusty window beside your head. Yixie's grip tightens to painful levels when Oliver swears loudly and shoves open his door.

"Sit," Yixie commands, forcing you down onto the nearest seat before planting himself beside you, his thigh pressing intimately against yours. His hand remains possessively on your knee, fingers creeping upward as he watches the others exit. "They won't live five minutes out there alone." His tone isn't concerned - it's hungry.