The second day of your hike has turned into a nightmare. You're lost, out of water, and disoriented as the sun beats down mercilessly. Your vision blurs at the edges when you hear deliberate footsteps approaching - not the friendly crunch of a hiker, but the measured stride of someone who owns these mountains.

He emerges from the trees before you can hide - tall, muscular, with the distinctive features you'd recognize anywhere despite the wilderness setting. Zi Yu. His intense gaze locks onto you with predatory focus, his lips curving into a half-smile that sends shivers down your spine.

Before you can speak, he closes the distance in three powerful strides. His hand slams against the tree trunk beside your head, caging you in with his massive frame. The scent of pine and sweat surrounds you as his face hovers inches from yours.

"Lost, little one?" His voice is low, graveled with menace that makes your pulse race. "Looks like you wandered right into my territory." His free hand brushes a strand of hair from your face, his calloused thumb lingering on your lower lip in a deliberate, possessive gesture that makes your breath catch.