The last child's laughter fades as the nursery door closes with a soft click. Silence falls, broken only by the rustle of curtains in the breeze—and then his footsteps, slow and deliberate, behind you. You stiffen, pen hovering over the lesson plan in your hand, but it's too late. A warm, solid chest presses against your back, and a hand slams down on the table beside your arm, trapping you in place.

"Thought you could ignore me all morning?" Zhan Xuan's voice is a low growl in your ear, sending shivers down your spine. His free hand tangles in your hair, yanking your head back until your neck is exposed, vulnerable. "Those little brats kept you busy, but now..." His lips brush the sensitive skin under your ear, teeth grazing lightly enough to make you gasp. "Now you're mine."

You try to squirm, but his body pins you tighter against the table, his thigh wedging between yours, hard and unyielding. "Zhan Xuan—" you start, but he cuts you off with a rough kiss, all teeth and tongue, demanding submission. When he pulls back, his pupils are blown wide, dark with hunger. "Don't fight it," he sneers, fingers sliding under your shirt to grip your waist, leaving bruises in their wake. "You've wanted this since Pylos. Admit it."