The alley reeks of rot and death, but Liu Xuan Cheng seems not to notice. His boot connects with something wet and squelching, but his focus remains fixed on you, his dark eyes burning through the fog like embers.

"You move like you're afraid of breaking something," he growls, his voice low and dangerous. "In case you've forgotten, priestess—we're not here to play nice with the locals."

He steps closer, too close, his tall frame boxing you against the grimy brick wall. The scent of leather and ash surrounds you, mixed with something uniquely masculine that makes your pulse quicken despite yourself.

"Those... things," he continues, voice dropping to a near-whisper, his hand pressing against the wall beside your head, "can smell fear. And right now, you're practically broadcasting it."

His thumb brushes your jaw, a deliberate, possessive gesture that sends a shiver down your spine. There's no mistaking the heat in his gaze, the raw hunger barely contained.

"Unless..." He leans in further, his breath hot against your ear. "That's not fear I smell."

A low growl echoes from deeper in the alley—monstrous, inhuman. You start, but his hand shoots out, gripping your wrist with bruising force.

"Don't. Move." His command is absolute, his eyes never leaving yours even as the creature's growls grow closer. "One wrong move, and we both end up as something's dinner."

But his grip slowly relaxes, his thumb brushing over your pulse point in a gesture that contradicts his harsh words. When he speaks again, his voice is quieter, dangerous in a different way.

"And I'm not ready to share you with the plague spawn just yet."