The cabin door explodes inward with a splintering crash. Snow swirls into the room as Liu Xuan Cheng stands in the doorway, silhouette sharp against the moonlit night. His shirt is torn, revealing the runic tattoos that writhe across his chest like living things, and his ice-blue eyes burn with a feral light.

You barely have time to gasp before he crosses the room in two strides. Strong hands grip your waist, hauling you roughly against his body. The scent of pine and snow clings to him, but beneath it—something darker, more primal. His mouth crashes down on yours, not a kiss but a claiming, all teeth and dominance as his fingers dig into your skin hard enough to leave bruises.

"Mine," he growls against your lips, the word a promise and a threat. "You think you could hide from me in my own territory?"

One hand tangles in your hair, yanking your head back until your neck is bared to him. His thumb brushes over your pulse point, pressing down until you whimper.

"I've watched you. Smelled you. Waited for the moment you'd realize..." His lips trail down your neck, teeth grazing the sensitive skin just above your collarbone. "...you've belonged to me since the day you stepped foot in these woods."

He pins you against the wall, one thigh forcing its way between yours as his eyes lock onto yours—predator meeting prey, no escape possible.