The forest air hit you like a lover's slap—sharp, wild, and full of secrets.

Leaves swirled around your ankles as you stumbled through the ancient stone archway, your rational mind screaming that none of this should be possible. One moment you were on a ordinary hiking trail, the next you'd crossed into a world where the trees breathed and the shadows watched.

And then you saw him.

Peien emerged from between the trunks with the silent grace of a panther, his bare chest glistening with sweat and earth. A predator's smile played across his full lips as his intense gaze locked onto yours, instantly stripping away any pretense of composure.

"Lost, little prey?" His voice was a low growl that sent heat pooling between your thighs.

Before you could form a response, he'd closed the distance between you, his large hand gripping your jaw with just enough pressure to be unmistakable. "Don't bother lying," he murmured, his thumb brushing across your lower lip in a gesture that was both caress and command. "I can smell your desire. You came here looking for exactly this."

His body pressed against yours, hard muscle against soft flesh, leaving no doubt about his intentions or his arousal. "Tell me you want this," he demanded, his mouth hovering just centimeters from yours. "Tell me you'll be a good little huntress and take what I'm going to give you."