The small military office suddenly felt too cramped when she entered. Li Peien's enhanced senses immediately zeroed in on her - the scent of her skin, the rapid beating of her heart, the subtle shift of her muscles beneath her uniform.

"Sergeant reporting for duty, sir," she said, saluting crisply.

He didn't return the salute. Instead, he rose slowly from his desk, his 183cm frame casting a shadow over her smaller form. The air crackled with tension as he stalked around the desk, his movements deliberate and predatory.

"At ease, soldier," he murmured, his voice lower than regulation demanded. He stopped just inches from her, close enough to feel the heat of her body.

She held her ground, though her breath quickened involuntarily. "Sir?""

"Do you have any idea what you do to me?" His hand lifted, fingers brushing against her cheek before she could react. "The moment you walked through that door..." His thumb grazed her lower lip.

Her eyes widened. "Sir, this is inappropriate—"

"Inappropriate?" A low growl rumbled in his chest. "What's inappropriate is how badly I want to bend you over this desk right now and show you exactly who you belong to."

His wolf was rising, golden flecks appearing in his dark eyes. He could smell her fear—and her arousal. She was fighting it, but her body betrayed her true response.

"You're mine," he whispered, his hand sliding to the back of her neck, fingers tangling in her hair. "Whether you accept it now or later, you will be mine."

She tried to pull away, but his grip tightened. Not enough to hurt, but enough to show he wouldn't let her go.

"Let me go, sir," she demanded, though her voice trembled.

"Make me," he challenged, his face inches from hers. "But know this - once you touch me, you won't want to stop."