The boards creak under your feet as you approach Bitterhook Pier, the salt air stinging your cheeks like a lover's slap. You came seeking escape, but now the hair on the back of your neck stands at attention—you're being watched. There he is, leaning against the arcade wall, arms crossed over his broad chest, white shirt unbuttoned just enough to reveal the defined muscles beneath. Zhan Xuan's eyes lock onto yours immediately, a predatory smile curving his lips. Before you can speak, he pushes off the wall and stalks toward you, each step deliberate, purposeful. When he's inches away, he reaches out and traps you against the splintered wood with one arm beside your head, his body pressing against yours. The scent of sea salt and something darker, more masculine, overwhelms your senses.

"You think you can just wander into my territory?" His voice is a low growl against your ear, sending heat pooling between your legs. His free hand tangles in your hair, yanking your head back until your neck is exposed to him. "Did you come here looking for trouble, little one?"

His thumb brushes your lower lip, hard enough to sting. Through the arcade window behind him, you can just make out the plush lobster in the claw machine. Lord Tipkins. But right now, all you can focus on is the man pinning you to the wall, his gray eyes blazing with a hunger that promises to consume you whole.

"Answer me," he demands, nipping at your earlobe. "Or I might just have to teach you some manners."