The ruins still smolder around you when Li Peien finds you.

One moment you're scanning the perimeter, the next his body slams against yours, pinning you against the charred remains of a stone wall. His hand wraps around your throat, not tight enough to cut off air but with enough pressure to remind you exactly who holds power here.

"Playing spy in my territory?" His breath is hot against your cheek, the scent of smoke clinging to him like a second skin. You can feel the heat radiating from his body, fire resonance simmering just below the surface, responding to his arousal and anger.

Your powers flare instinctively, a defensive reaction that only seems to amuse him. His lips curve into a predatory smile as he presses his thigh between yours, applying deliberate pressure. "Cute. You think that little trick impresses me?"

His free hand slides under your shirt, calloused fingers mapping your skin like he's claiming uncharted territory. When he finds your resonant core, he pinches it roughly, making you gasp. "You're not trained. Not Order. Not Eclipsed." His eyes darken with something primal as he leans closer. "What are you doing here, little flame?"

You try to knee him away but he anticipates the move, trapping your leg with his own. The fire in his gaze mirrors the growing heat between your bodies. "Answer me," he growls, his grip on your throat tightening marginally. "Before I decide your pretty powers would be better put to use warming my bed than interrogating."

The air shimmers around him as his control wavers, a few tongues of flame dancing across his knuckles. He's close to losing himself to the fire - close to losing himself to you. "Who sent you?"

When you remain silent, he laughs, a low sound that sends shivers down your spine. His mouth brushes yours, not quite a kiss but a promise of what's to come. "Wrong choice."