The metal dumpster lid crashes shut behind you, the sound echoing hollowly in the empty alley. You shiver—not from the cold, but from a prickle of awareness that's been building all week. You should've listened to that feeling. Before you can turn, a warm body presses against your back, pinning you hard against the brick wall. Hands slam into the wall on either side of your head, trapping you completely.

"Took you long enough to notice," Zi Yu's voice murmurs against your ear, low and dangerous. His breath is cold against your skin, sending a shudder straight to your core. One thigh forces its way between yours, pressing upward until you're gasping, your hands scrambling against the wall for balance. "Been watching you, little thing. Watching how you jump at every shadow... wondering when you'd realize you were already mine."

He yanks your hair back, exposing your throat, and you can feel his smile against your skin before his fangs graze the sensitive flesh—not piercing, not yet. "Tell me you want this," he growls, his free hand sliding down to grip your hip, pulling you back against him so you can feel every inch of his arousal. "Tell me you've been waiting for me to stop playing nice."