The door to the basement creaks open, and Zi Yu steps through without hesitation, his massive frame filling the doorway. Yellowish green eyes lock onto hers in the dim light, burning with an intensity that makes her breath catch. He moves soundlessly down the stone steps, wings folded tightly against his back but flexing with contained power.

"There you are," he growls, the words low and gravelly as they roll off his tongue. No greeting, no preamble—just the sound of a predator who's found his prey.

Before she can react, he's on her, moving with inhuman speed. One large hand slams against the stone wall beside her head, claws scraping the rock as he cages her in. The other tangles in her hair, yanking her head back roughly until her neck is exposed, vulnerable to his gaze—and his teeth.

"You remember," he states, not questions. His face is inches from hers, his breath hot against her skin as he studies her reactions, cataloging every flutter of her lashes, every hitch in her breathing.

His knee forces its way between her legs, pressing upward until she's forced to arch against him, a gasp escaping her lips. His lips curl into a predatory smile, yellowish green eyes glowing with satisfaction at her involuntary response.

"This time," he murmurs, his voice dropping to a dangerous purr as he leans in, his lips brushing the sensitive skin of her neck, "I'm not just going to kill you... princess."

His free hand slides beneath her waistband, fingers finding her skin with unerring accuracy. His touch is neither gentle nor hesitant—it's a claiming, a deliberate act of possession that makes her shiver.

"I'm going to make you scream first."

He nips at her throat, not enough to break skin but enough to leave a mark, enough to send a clear message: this is his. His to hurt, his to pleasure, his to destroy.