02 - Hot Encounter

The underworld was alive with sin and secrecy. The auction house, hidden beneath layers of deception, was a den where the corrupt and the powerful gathered, their masked faces concealing identities but not their desires. Here, wealth was measured not just in gold but in influence, and the things being sold—priceless relics, forbidden weapons, and even the lives of the unfortunate—were merely tools in a greater game.

Elise had never stepped into a place like this before. Her duty had always been to protect humanity from the monsters lurking in the dark, but tonight, she had to become part of that darkness.

She arrived under the guise of a wealthy noblewoman from a faraway land, her disguise meticulously crafted to blend in. Her usually loose golden hair was styled in an elaborate updo, pinned with obsidian ornaments, and she wore a sleek, form-fitting dress that gave her an air of effortless elegance. It was uncomfortable—far from the combat attire she was used to—but necessary. The less she stood out, the better.

Soren had insisted on sending men with her, much to her frustration.

“You’re not going alone,” he had said, arms crossed, his tone leaving no room for argument. “You may think you can handle yourself, but this isn’t just some low-life gathering. The people in that auction house aren’t just criminals. They’re the worst kind—ones who trade in nightmares.”

She knew that. That’s why she had to go.

Still, she played along. She let Soren’s men accompany her, pretending to be guards hired to protect her as she “scouted for new investments.” It was a thin cover, but in a place like this, where wealth spoke louder than words, no one questioned a noble with bodyguards.

The grand doors to the auction house had opened before her like the mouth of a beast, swallowing her whole into a world of gold, silk, and bloodstained hands.

And then, amidst the dimly lit splendor, she had received the intel.

A whispered message. A name. A location.

Vael.

Her heart clenched at the thought of him. He was here—or at least, someone had seen him. She couldn’t waste this opportunity.

So she made a choice.

She slipped away.

Soren’s men were trained, but she was faster. A well-timed distraction, a turn into the shifting crowd, and she was gone before they could notice.

Elise moved swiftly through the auction house, her breath steady but her pulse racing. Every step brought her closer to the truth.

Then, she made a mistake.

She wasn’t watching where she was going.

The collision was abrupt. The solid weight of another body met hers, and for the first time since she entered this place, her composure wavered.

A crystal glass tilted, its deep red contents spilling in an elegant arc before splashing against dark fabric. The scent of aged wine mixed with the soft perfume of the evening, staining the air between them.

Elise barely had time to steady herself before she looked up—and locked eyes with him.

A sharp, unshakable gaze stared back at her through the slits of an ornate black mask. Golden eyes with a glimpse of red, studied her with a mixture of intrigue and amusement. He was tall, poised, his presence commanding yet unhurried.

For a single heartbeat, the world around them dulled.

She didn’t recognize him, and yet—something about him felt eerily familiar.

“I wasn’t looking. Sorry,” she muttered quickly, stepping back.

He didn’t seem the least bit annoyed. In fact, he chuckled—a low, rich sound that made her shoulders tense. He glanced at the wine staining his sleeve, then swirled the remaining liquid in his glass before setting it aside.

“In a hurry, aren’t we?” His voice was smooth, teasing, as if he already knew the answer.

Elise exhaled sharply, irritation bubbling beneath her skin. She couldn’t afford this distraction. “Just tell the price, and I will pay it back later.”

The man exhaled a quiet sigh, then lifted his hand—and before she could react, his gloved fingers tilted her chin upward.

Elise froze.

His touch was light, almost playful, but there was an unmistakable weight to it. A silent claim that this moment—this interaction—belonged to him now. His thumb traced a ghostly path along her jaw, his touch both deliberate and unsettling.

“The compensation for this,” he murmured, his voice dipping into something more wicked, “will be very big, sweetie.”

Her silver eyes narrowed at the pet name, irritation flashing through her. She had dealt with arrogant men before, but there was something different about him. Something that made her blood pulse a little too quickly in her veins.

She inhaled slowly, forcing herself to remain composed. This was a game to him, but she had no time to play.

Elise sighed, as if already tired of his antics, and reached up to push his hand away—but before she could, he withdrew on his own, leaving behind a ghost of warmth on her skin.

And then he smirked.

She caught it beneath his mask—a slow, knowing curve of his lips. And then, to her utter annoyance, he dragged his tongue along them in a slow, thoughtful motion, as if savoring something unseen.

Her fingers twitched. If she weren’t in enemy territory, she might have considered punching him.

Instead, she turned sharply and disappeared into the shifting figures of the auction hall, her heart hammering against her ribs.

But even as she put distance between them, she felt his gaze on her. A quiet weight, like a presence that refused to be shaken off.

He didn’t follow.

He didn’t need to.

Instead, he chuckled softly, watching her disappear into the crowd. His lips curled once more as he rolled the taste of her presence on his tongue, as if savoring an unspoken promise.

“Very interesting.”

The corridors of Vael’s territory were eerily silent, the kind of silence that felt intentional, like the entire place was watching, waiting for an intruder to make a mistake. Elise moved carefully, her steps light as she navigated through the dimly lit halls, her heartbeat steady but alert.

She had made it this far without detection, slipping past patrols, dodging security measures, and picking locks with practiced ease. Every room she passed was more of the same—offices, storage areas, personal quarters—until she found it.

A door unlike the others.

The craftsmanship was different. Darker wood, intricately carved patterns, and a faint, lingering energy that prickled against her skin. Whoever this room belonged to, they weren’t just another underling.

Vael.

Her pulse quickened. If this was his room, there had to be something—documents, plans, anything—that could confirm what he was doing here.

The lock clicked under her fingers, and she slipped inside, closing the door silently behind her.

The air inside was thick with something indescribable, a strange warmth that clung to her skin. The scent of leather, steel, and something faintly smokey lingered in the space. It was larger than she expected, with shelves lined with books, weapons displayed like trophies, and a desk littered with papers.

Elise moved quickly. She sifted through documents, scanning for anything useful. Maps, notes, cryptic messages—she needed more time to decipher them.

Then she heard it.

The soft creak of the door.

Her breath hitched as she stilled, heart pounding. Someone had entered.

From the sound of the footsteps, the person moved with casual confidence, unaware of her presence. The rustle of fabric, the faint clang of metal against wood—it didn’t take her long to realize what was happening.

They were undressing.

A shower turned on, the rush of water filling the silence. Elise exhaled slowly, silently cursing her luck.

She had to get out.

Moving carefully, she took a step toward the door. Then another.

But just as her fingers brushed the handle—

A strong grip seized her wrist.

Before she could react, she was yanked backward, a force pushing her onto the bed. The air left her lungs as she landed, pinned beneath a firm, unrelenting weight.

A sharp click.

Cold metal pressed against her temple.

Her vision was met with a sight that made her breath catch—red hair, damp from the steam of the shower. Golden eyes, flickering with a dangerous glow, bore into hers. A muscular form, skin glistening with lingering droplets of water, loomed over her, and the only thing covering him was a loosely wrapped towel hanging low on his hips.

The man’s jaw tightened, his hold on the gun steady.

“Who are you?” His voice was deep, edged with suspicion, but calm. Too calm.

Elise’s instincts screamed at her to act, to fight back, but she forced herself to stay still, calculating.

Her cover was already blown. Now, she just had to survive.

The weight of the man above her was impossible to ignore—his broad frame, the heat radiating from his damp skin, the water droplets still clinging to his toned chest. The scent of fresh soap mixed with something more intoxicating—something dangerous. And the unwavering gun pressed against her temple made every breath feel heavier.

Elise’s breath remained steady, but her mind was a battlefield, calculating her next move. She could disarm him—twist his wrist, push him off, strike his throat—but something in his golden eyes made her hesitate.

Something ancient.

Something that sent a slow, unwelcome shiver down her spine.

Then, he smirked.

“It looks like a kitten has slipped,” he murmured, his voice smooth, teasing.

Elise tensed. Kitten?

His grip on her wrist tightened slightly, his thumb brushing over her pulse, lingering there as if testing her reaction. His gaze flickered down, taking her in with a slow, deliberate scan—memorizing her face, the way her chest rose and fell, the way she fit beneath him.

She swallowed down her irritation, masking it with cold indifference. “I must’ve taken a wrong turn,” she said smoothly, her voice laced with boredom.

He chuckled, low and knowing. “Is that so?” He tilted his head, his damp red hair falling slightly into his face. “Funny. Most people don’t sneak into a room and go through personal documents when they’ve simply lost their way.”

Elise’s lips curled slightly. He noticed.

He leaned in closer, his breath warm against her cheek. “You’re bold. Or reckless.” His golden eyes burned into hers. “Maybe both.”

She held his gaze, unflinching. “And you’re enjoying this too much.”

His smirk deepened. “Oh, absolutely.”

Her fingers twitched, debating her next move. But then—

A slow chuckle echoed through the dimly lit room.

Elise froze.

She knew that laugh.

Realization hit her like a crashing wave.

The man before her—the one straddling her, golden eyes glinting with something dangerously close to amusement—was the same man from the auction.

The one with the mask.

The one who had held her chin so boldly.

The one who had called her sweetie.

And now, she was in his room.

Her stomach twisted—not in fear, but in sheer frustration at her own carelessness.

The smirk on his lips grew sharper, as if reading her thoughts. His eyes burned with something sharp, something knowing.

“Well, well,” he murmured, his voice dripping with satisfaction. “You must’ve really liked our little encounter earlier. I didn’t think you’d surrender yourself to me so quickly.”

Elise clenched her jaw, hiding the annoyance bubbling inside her.

She exhaled sharply. “It’s not like that,” she said smoothly, shifting beneath him. “I just happened to walk into the wrong room.”

A lie. And from the way his smirk widened, he knew it.

“How unfortunate,” he drawled, his eyes dark with amusement. “First, you spill my wine. Now, you break into my room?” He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. “Kitten, I think you owe me more than just an apology.”

Elise arched her brow, forcing a smirk of her own. “Is that so? And what exactly do you think I owe you?”

His gaze dropped to her lips for just a fraction of a second. Barely noticeable—but she caught it.

His voice turned silky. “That depends.” He lowered his face until their noses nearly brushed. “How much do you value your freedom?”

Her muscles coiled, every instinct screaming at her to act. But she didn’t.

Because despite the danger, despite the gun in his hand, the way his body pinned hers—there was heat between them. A slow-burning, unwanted electricity in the air.

Enemies.

But there was tension—undeniable tension.

And he knew it.

Elise sighed dramatically, tilting her head as if considering. “Fine. I’ll pay for the damages.”

His brow lifted slightly. “Damages?”

She gestured lazily toward his arm—the one where she had spilled his wine earlier. “For your clothes.”

Something flickered in his gaze. Interest.

“Ah,” he murmured, voice rich with mock understanding. “So, that’s how you knew where to find me?” His golden eyes gleamed as he studied her intently. “You only saw my eyes back at the auction. So tell me, kitten, how did you know this was my territory?”

Elise stiffened.

She had made a mistake.

His golden eyes sharpened, waiting for her response, reading every small change in her expression.

For the first time since she entered, the air between them became heavy—not just playful, but something far more dangerous. A hunter cornering its prey.

Elise forced herself to keep her face neutral.

Think. Think.

Then—

She smirked, tilting her chin up defiantly. “Call it a woman’s intuition.”

A beat of silence.

Then—

He laughed.

A deep, low chuckle that sent a shiver down her spine.

“Intuition, huh?” His free hand trailed along her jaw—too gently, almost mocking. “You’re a terrible liar, kitten.”

Elise swallowed, muscles tense. She had to get out of this.

But from the way he was looking at her now—like a game he was very interested in playing—she knew one thing for sure.

He wasn’t going to let her go so easily.

And worse?

A part of her didn’t want him to.