Even before Lady Yeon, others had given him similar looks, all predatory in their own way.
That gaze of hunger, whether for his body, his talent, or his strength, was not unfamiliar. And every time it ended poorly.
His instincts screamed.
Lin Mu took a careful step back. "Hang on," he said awkwardly, raising a hand between them.
But Cattaleya did not stop.
She stepped forward, closing the gap with an unsettling calm. She leaned closer, close enough that Lin Mu could feel her breath as she sniffed him.
Lin Mu stiffened. Embarrassment warred with caution.
Then came the words that made his heart drop.
"Lin Mu," she said softly, her fangs glinting, "your blood smells… nice."
The shift in his emotions was instant.
The awkwardness burned away, replaced by cold vigilance. Alarm bells screamed in his head. His muscles tensed, Vitality and Immortal qi subtly surging beneath his skin in preparation.
"…What do you mean by that?" Lin Mu asked, his tone sharper now.
