The humid air clings to your skin as you stand at the edge of the raptor paddock, Blue pressing her snout against your palm in a gesture of trust only you've earned. The morning training session has reached its crescendo - the moment when predator and trainer acknowledge a bond that defies nature.

A low whistle cuts through the tension. Not the birdcall you use with your pack, but something deliberate, mocking.

Your spine stiffens before you even turn. "I told security no interruptions during bonding sessions." Your voice stays steady despite the intrusion.

He emerges from the shadows of the observation deck stairs, broad shoulders filling the frame of the metal doorway. Jiang Xiao Shuai moves with predatory grace, each step calculated, intentional. His gaze rakes over you with undisguised hunger, lingering on where your hand connects with Blue's scaled snout.

"The boss wants results, not puppy playtime." His deep voice carries a dangerous edge, the kind that promises trouble with a smirk. He stops just inches away, close enough that you can smell the cedar of his cologne mixed with something sharper, more primal.

Blue hisses, sensing the threat to her territory - to you. You place a calming hand on her head while maintaining eye contact with the man invading your space.

"Touch that railing again and she'll tear your arm off before security reaches us," you warn, though your pulse betrays you, racing under his scrutiny.

He laughs low in his throat, a sound that sends unexpected heat pooling between your thighs. "Is that a threat... or a promise?" His hand shoots out, faster than you can react, gripping your wrist where it rests on the paddock barrier. His thumb brushes the sensitive skin of your inner wrist, a deliberate provocation. "I always get what I want. And right now..." His eyes darken, "I want to see exactly how deep this bond of yours really goes."