Strip!

Sorayah's eyes adjusted slowly to the dim light within the tent. The air was thick, heavy with the scent of burning wood, sweat, and something metallic… blood, perhaps.

Her gaze flickered across the space, scanning her surroundings, before settling on the lone figure standing at the far end of the tent, his broad back facing them.

The tension in the air was suffocating, coiling like an unseen force. Even the flickering candlelight seemed to shrink away from his presence.

The ruthless general.

A Beta Lord, second only to the Alpha Emperor himself.

Sorayah's body went rigid. Her fists clenched at her sides, nails digging into her palms. Hatred surged through her veins like wildfire, searing away the exhaustion that had weighed her down.

He was the one who had led the massacre of her people.

He was the one who had ordered the execution of her family.

Beta Lord Dimitri Nightshade.

His name was spoken in hushed whispers across kingdoms, uttered only in the dead of night by those too afraid to let the sound of it linger. A warlord of unparalleled brutality, a beast who had never known defeat. A monster who bathed in the blood of his enemies and left nothing but ruin in his wake.

No one knew what he truly looked like.

Rumors danced through the lands like ghostly whispers. Some claimed he was a demon in human form, others that he was cursed, his face so horrific he was forced to hide behind a mask.

But as he finally turned to face them, Sorayah realized the truth was far more unsettling.

His face remained hidden behind a sleek, black mask, the smooth surface engraved with faint symbols that shimmered beneath the flickering candlelight. His curly brown hair was braided back, emphasizing the sharp cut of his jaw.

Yet it was his eyes that stole her breath.

Glowing. Green. Predatory.

Twin emerald flames, alight with an intensity that sent a cold shiver down her spine.

His gaze found hers, pinning her in place.

For a heartbeat, the world shrank, the other women around her fading into insignificance.

His stare was unreadable, cold, calculating yet laced with something else. Something dangerous.

Sorayah's breath hitched, but she refused to falter. With sheer force of will, she tore her gaze away, forcing herself to stare at the dirt beneath her feet.

She could not afford weakness.

Not here. Not now.

She had entered the lion's den willingly, determined to exact her revenge. But she was no fool. One wrong move, and she would not live to see the sunrise.

Dimitri moved with a quiet grace that made the space around him feel smaller, more suffocating. As he took his seat at the center of the tent, his mere presence seemed to command obedience.

The tension was thick enough to slice through.

Sorayah didn't have to look around to know that the other women trembled beneath his gaze.

Then, his voice cut through the silence like a blade.

"Strip!"

The single command was sharp. Absolute.

The deep timbre of his voice sent a visible shudder through the gathered women. They had learned quickly in the past two days, obedience meant survival.

Heads bowed. Hands trembled as they reached for the tattered fabric draped over their bodies.

But one of them remained still.

Frozen.

Dimitri's piercing gaze darkened, his eyes narrowing as he locked onto the disobedience before him.

Interesting.

A slave defying him?

That had never happened before.

Was she stupid? Suicidal?

A slow, amused smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.

The other women had already exposed themselves, their gazes fixed on the floor, bodies shivering beneath his scrutiny. But her?

She didn't tremble. She didn't shrink.

Dimitri took a step forward.

Then another.

The air inside the tent thickened, suffocating in its weight. The other women held their breath, bracing for the inevitable.

But just as he raised his hand, something made him pause.

She wasn't here.

Her body stood before him, but her mind was elsewhere. Distant. Far, far away.

Fascinating.

His smirk deepened. Instead of striking, he lifted his hand and flicked his fingers in a silent command.

The other women understood immediately.

Without hesitation, they scrambled to dress, their fingers fumbling in their haste before bolting from the tent, bare feet kicking up dust.

Now, only two remained.

Him and her.

Sorayah blinked, her trance shattering as though she had been violently ripped from a dream. A sharp exhale left her lips, her chest rising and falling in controlled breaths.

Slowly, deliberately, she lifted her gaze.

Not with fear.

Not with submission.

But with fire.

Dimitri studied her, amusement flickering in those glowing emerald eyes. He tilted his head slightly, like a predator toying with its prey, before sheathing his sword with a sharp click.

Sorayah's voice broke the silence.

"Where are the others?" Her sharp gaze flicked around, searching for the missing women. Then, her attention snapped back to him. "And how can I help you? What do you want from me?"

Her voice was steady, controlled yet he didn't miss the slight tremor in her fingers.

He chuckled, low and taunting, before stepping into her space, closing the distance until the heat of his body pressed against hers.

His scent invaded her senses, steel, leather, and something darkly intoxicating.

"What do I want from you?" he echoed, his voice a whisper, his breath warm against her skin.

Slowly, deliberately, he lifted a hand, trailing a single finger down the delicate column of her throat.

Her pulse betrayed her.

Fast. Unsteady.

His lips curled into something wicked. "I could list a hundred things," he murmured. "But right now? I want you to obey."

Sorayah frowned slightly, her brows knitting together in confusion.

Dimitri hummed in mock consideration. "Or do you prefer that I do it for you?"

He let the question hang in the air, savoring the way her breath hitched.

"Are you trying to get my attention, little human?" he mused, his smirk deepening.

His hand slid into her hair, fingers twisting gently through the strands, firm, but not painful.

His gaze locked onto hers, burning with something unreadable.

A warning.

"Because I must say…" he leaned in, his breath hot against her skin, "you're playing with fire."

Sorayah swallowed hard, her heart hammering against her ribs.

Dimitri leaned in closer, his lips grazing the shell of her ear as he whispered,

"The question is… how badly do you want to burn?"