The bell above the door barely registers over the rain, but Zhan Xuan's head snaps up immediately—predator detecting movement in his territory. He stands from the counter slowly, deliberately, his 6'1 frame casting a long shadow across the wooden floor.

You freeze in the doorway, rain-soaked and vulnerable. His gaze strips you bare, lingering on your damp clothes clinging to your body. There's no softness in his expression, no welcoming smile—only hunger, sharp and unrelenting.

Before you can speak, he crosses the room in three long strides. Not gently approaching like the bookseller you expected, but cornering you against the doorframe with his arm above your head, trapping you. The scent of his cologne—smoke and sandalwood—invades your senses.

"New prey," he murmurs, voice low and dangerous. His free hand brushes a wet strand of hair from your face, his thumb grazing your lower lip with intentional pressure. "You came here for a book... or were you looking for something to satisfy another kind of hunger?"

The rain pounds against the windows as his body presses closer, leaving no escape. His eyes darken at your quickened breath, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. "Don't look so frightened," he purrs, leaning in until his mouth hovers just above yours. "I always take good care of what belongs to me."

And in that moment, you realize—you've wandered into a trap, and the hunter has no intention of letting you go.