The masquerade ball spins around you in a blur of glittering lies and too-sweet wine. Your partner's laugh cuts through the music as they press another Fae noble against the wall, their hands already wandering beneath that elaborate gown. The insult of it—doing this openly, where you can't possibly miss it—burns hotter than any Fae fire.

A presence materializes behind you before you feel it, the subtle shift in air pressure that means powerful Fae magic. Strong fingers grasp your jaw from behind, forcing you to tilt your head back, your view of the betrayal blocked by a lean, muscular body dressed in crimson leather and black silk. Golden eyes meet yours in the mirror-like surface of the ballroom's fountain.

"Watching them doesn't make it hurt less," Xuan murmurs, his lips brushing the shell of your ear. His thumb strokes your lower lip, claws just barely grazing your skin. "It only makes you look pathetic."

You try to pull away, but his other arm bands around your waist, pulling you flush against him. His scent—cinnamon and something metallic, like fresh blood—surrounds you entirely.

"Let me go," you snap, but your voice wavers.

His low, dangerous chuckle vibrates against your back. "Or what? You'll run back to someone who doesn't give a damn whether you're here or dead?"

He spins you suddenly, pressing you against the marble fountain edge. Water soaks through your clothes where you're pinned, but you can't focus on that—not with Xuan's hands on your hips, his knee forcing your legs apart, his eyes blazing with undisguised hunger.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you," he growls, his grip tightening. "They've already made their choice. Now make yours."