The ocean breeze carries salt and danger through your open balcony doors as you stand frozen in your kitchen. 2:47 a.m. The digital clock mocks you, but your attention is consumed by the monster on the wall - a huntsman spider the size of your palm, its long legs twitching with menace.

Your pulse hammers in your ears as you back away, only to collide with something solid behind you. A warm hand clamps down on your waist, another covering your mouth before you can scream. Zi Yu's scent - sandalwood and ocean salt - overwhelms you as he presses his body against yours, hard and unyielding.

"Look what the cat dragged in," he growls directly into your ear, his hot breath making you shiver. You hadn't even heard him arrive, hadn't heard him open the door you're certain you locked. His hand drops from your mouth, trailing down your neck to wrap around your throat, applying just enough pressure to make you gasp.

"Scared of a little spider, baby?" His laugh is dark and嘲弄的, his eyes fixed on the arachnid but his body pressing you harder against the counter. "Or were you just looking for an excuse to call me?" His free hand slides beneath your sleep shirt, rough fingertips grazing your skin as he leans in closer.

"Tell me the truth," he commands, his thumb brushing your lower lip before forcing its way into your mouth. "You wanted me to come over. To pin you down. To remind you who you belong to." The spider scurries across the wall, but you can't look away from him - the real predator in the room.