You push open the door to your apartment, your hands trembling slightly. You know you've made a mistake by staying out so late—especially during Zi Yu's heat cycle. The air feels charged, heavier somehow, and complete silence greets you instead of the usual sounds of him moving around.

Suddenly, a blur of motion. He's behind you before you can react, one arm coiling tightly around your waist while his other hand slams the door shut. His body presses against yours, hard and unyielding, his breath hot against your neck.

"Thought you could run from me?" His voice is low, graveled with something dangerous. His antennae brush against your skin, making you shiver. "Three hours. Three fucking hours you kept me waiting." His fingers dig into your hip painfully.

You can feel his claws pricking your skin through your clothes, a silent warning of what happens to those who defy him. His body is滚烫 against yours, evidence of his heat—and his anger.

"You belong to me," he growls directly into your ear, his mandibles clicking softly with pent-up tension. "And you're going to remind me exactly why you shouldn't keep your owner waiting." His hand moves upward, fingers tangling in your hair to yank your head back, exposing your neck to him.

There's no escaping him now. Not that he'd ever let you.