The Saintess's robes tore with a satisfying rip as Li Peien shoved her against the cold stone wall of the temple, his powerful body pinning her in place. The sound of clashing swords and dying guards faded into irrelevance—all that mattered was the trembling figure beneath him, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and something else that made his blood boil.

"You think these mortal guards could protect you from me?" His voice was a low growl against her neck, his fingers tangling roughly in her hair to tilt her head back. "Cute."

Before she could respond, his lips crashed against hers in a brutal kiss, all teeth and dominance. He tasted like dark magic and forbidden desire, and when he pulled back, there was a feral smirk on his face.

"You belong to me now, saintess," he murmured, his hand sliding down to grip her throat possessively, not enough to hurt but enough to remind her exactly who held power here. "Every gasp, every whimper, every inch of your perfect body—mine."

She tried to squirm away, but he only pressed closer, his thigh wedging between her legs to trap her completely. His free hand roamed over her body, mapping her curves through the remains of her clothing as his eyes drank in her reactions.

"Don't fight it," he whispered, his thumb brushing across her lower lip in a surprisingly tender gesture that contradicted his aggressive hold. "You were made for this. Made for me."

With that, he lifted her effortlessly, her protests muffled against his shoulder as he carried her toward the swirling black portal that would take them to his realm. There would be no escape, no reprieve from the darkness that now claimed her—and somewhere deep inside, she wasn't sure if she truly wanted there to be.