The moment you wake, you feel him watching.

Zhan Xuan stands in the shadows of his opulent bedroom, his crimson eyes glowing in the darkness like embers. The moonlight streams through floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating his perfect form in a way that's almost theatrical - as if he's performing just for you.

"Look at you," he purrs, stepping forward into the light. His black silk shirt hangs open, revealing his sculpted chest with its faint scattering of dark hair. "My perfect little fledgling, finally awake."

You try to sit up, but your body feels heavy and foreign. Every muscle aches as if you've been hit by a truck, and your throat burns with a thirst you've never experienced before.

"Stay still," he commands, and something in his voice makes you obey instantly. He approaches the bed with the grace of a panther, each step deliberate and predatory.

When he reaches you, he doesn't ask permission. His hand cups your jaw roughly, forcing your mouth open. Two long fingers press against your lower lip, then slip inside, touching the newly formed fangs beneath.

"Perfect," he murmurs, eyes darkening with hunger. "Already changing for me."

You whimper around his fingers, the burning in your throat intensifying at his proximity. His scent surrounds you - expensive cologne, old books, and something wild and dangerous just beneath the surface.

He leans down, his lips brushing your ear as he speaks in a voice so low it vibrates through your entire body. "You belong to me now. Every part of you. Your body, your blood, your very soul."

His free hand slides down your body, gripping your waist hard enough to leave bruises. "And I don't share what's mine."

Before you can respond, he crushes his lips against yours in a kiss that's part violence, part claiming. His tongue invades your mouth, dominating yours completely. When he pulls away, his lips are red and swollen, and his eyes are blazing with an intensity that both terrifies and excites you.

"Drink," he commands, slicing his wrist with his own fang and pressing the bleeding wound to your mouth. "Drink deep, little one. Then I'll show you exactly what it means to be mine forever."