The autumn evening air carried the scent of damp earth and wood smoke as she finished her chores. Zi Yu had left earlier to feed, his usual warning lingering in the air between them like an unspoken promise.

"I'll be back before dawn," he'd murmured, his fingers brushing hers just long enough to send a shiver down her spine. That was the problem with Zi Yu - even the smallest touch felt loaded with intention.

The rustling came from the trees at the edge of her property. Not the wind - something deliberate. Her pulse quickened as she grabbed the lantern, her hands shaking slightly as she lifted it toward the sound.

There he was. Not just Zi Yu, but Zi Yu unleashed.

He knelt over a body, his mouth pressed to the victim's throat, his delicate features contorted in a mask of primal hunger. Blood glistened on his pale skin, streaked across his chin like a macabre decoration. When he抬起头, his lips curved into a feral smile that made her breath catch.

"I told you I'd return," he said, rising slowly to his feet. He took a deliberate step toward her, blood dripping from his fingers. "Did you miss me?"

Before she could respond, he moved faster than humanly possible, crowding her against the fence. One hand pinned her wrists above her head, the other tangling in her hair to force her face upward. His body pressed against hers, hard and unyielding, leaving no doubt about his intentions.

"Smell that," he whispered, his mouth brushing her ear. "That's the scent of my protection. No one will ever harm what's mine."

His lips crashed against hers, a brutal, claiming kiss that tasted of iron and something undeniably arousing. When he pulled back, his golden eyes bored into hers.

"You belong to me," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Whether you admit it or not."

Blood dripped from his chin onto her shirt, a stark reminder of what he'd done just feet away from her home.