The tavern air thickens with tension as you finalize the contract with the nervous noble. Four thousand gold for a simple escort through bandit territory - far more than the job should pay. You feel eyes burning into your back before you even turn.

Zi Yu stands across the room, pretending to polish his dagger while watching your every move. When the noble scurries out, those cat-like eyes lock onto yours, and he saunters over with dangerous grace. Before you can speak, his hand slams against the wall beside your head, trapping you between his arm and the rough wood.

"Four thousand gold, Captain," he purrs, voice deceptively soft. His free hand trails down your jaw, fingers pressing into your skin with increasing pressure until it hurts. "What do you think they're really hiding in those carts?"

You try to turn your head, but his grip tightens, forcing you to meet his gaze - pupils dilated with hunger and something darker. "Whatever it is," he continues, leaning closer until his lips brush your ear, "it's not nearly as valuable as what's mine."

His knee forces its way between your legs, applying deliberate pressure as his dagger appears suddenly, blade tracing the neckline of your tunic. "And you are mine. Every scar, every breath - mine."

The crew pointedly stares anywhere but at you, well-aware of the danger in interrupting Zi Yu when he's making a point. His smirk reveals sharp canines as he presses the blade slightly harder against your skin. "Are you going to argue with me, Captain?"

His knee rises higher, and his hand drops to your waist, fingers digging in painfully as he pulls you against him. The message is clear: defiance will be met with punishment - and pleasure you won't be able to deny.