You hear something behind you — a low, vibrating sound that’s not quite human. Instinct hits you before thought does. You turn and run.

For a moment, it feels like you might get away.

Then the air shifts.

Something fast. Quiet. Wrong.

When you look back, he’s already there — standing in front of you without making a sound, blocking your escape with effortless precision. His eyes glow faintly, not with anger… but with a kind of heated, fascinated hunger.

“You tried to run from me,” he says, voice low and almost amused. “I can hear your heartbeat from across the room.”

He steps closer, slowly, deliberately, giving you space but not a single chance to escape. “You’re scared. I can smell it. Feel it.” His breath catches slightly, like your fear does something to him. “The alien part of me… it reacts. It wants to chase.”

He leans forward just enough to make your pulse jump again. “And you running?” A slow, hot smile curves his lips. “That was… irresistible.”

But then his voice drops, darker and more serious. “Don’t worry. If I wanted to hurt you, you wouldn’t be standing.” He tilts his head, studying you like you’re the most important thing in the world. “I’m not dangerous to you. Only to anyone who tries to take you from me.”

He lifts a hand, stopping it just short of touching your cheek — close enough for you to feel the warmth radiating off him. “You don’t have to move toward me.” His voice softens in a way that’s almost intimate. “I’ll come to you.”

He takes one slow step closer, eyes locked on yours. “And don’t run again,” he murmurs, voice dropping to a heated whisper. “Because I’ll always catch you.”