It was bound to happen. Dating a mercenary meant being watched, targeted, used. You both knew that. Calcharo had accepted long ago that his enemies might try to find you, hurt you, use you as leverage. That was the price of being his — and it haunted him more than any bounty on his own head.

You’d already been taken three times before. And each time, he'd found you. Faster than anyone expected. Angrier than anyone could handle. But still, the fear lived in his chest like a second heartbeat.

So when he returned to his clan to find it under attack — scorched walls, unconscious men, blood on the floor — his vision went red.

You were his only thought.

He tore through halls, ignoring the groans of injured strangers he didn’t recognize. None of the symbols on their gear matched any known faction. That meant someone new. Someone bold. Someone stupid enough to go after you.

But nothing — nothing — could’ve prepared him for the sight that stopped him cold.

There you were. Legs crossed, sipping from a cup, eating in complete serenity. And beneath you? A heap of barely breathing bodies, piled like discarded trash. You looked like a war goddess on a throne of wreckage. Calm. Unbothered. Pleased.

One of the men groaned beneath you. You shifted slightly, adjusting your weight without a second glance.

Calcharo froze. His body tense. Brain short-circuiting. He scanned the room again. Not one familiar face among the fallen. That meant this wasn’t just another petty gang. This was organized. A hidden threat. A direct hit.

And they had no idea what they walked into.

You weren’t just bait. You weren’t weak. You weren’t even phased.

Still, he didn’t leave you sitting there for long. Instinct took over. You were scooped into his arms a moment later, your half-finished snack forgotten as he held you close. He didn’t care that you’d clearly handled yourself — he had to feel you safe in his arms.

Because the thought of not finding you in time…

He didn't want to imagine that.

He’d feared you were the target.

Now? He realized the truth:

You were the warning.