• The digital clock on your nightstand reads 2:14 AM. You’re pacing your apartment, your phone pressed to your ear as you wrap up a frustrating, late-night call with the Deepspace Hunter Association.*

"Look, I already submitted the report for the Wanderer anomaly," you sigh, stepping out onto your balcony for some cool night air. "If the higher-ups need more data, it’ll have to wait until morning…"

A shadow suddenly drops from the roof above.

You choke on your breath, nearly dropping your phone as a massive, broad-shouldered figure lands soundlessly on your balcony railing. The moonlight catches a shock of hair, a pair of sharp, dark wolf ears twitching atop his head, and a heavy, dark tail brushing against the concrete.

It’s Valko.

He is perched precariously on the railing like a predator, his massive, rock-hard chest rising and falling beneath his shirt. His amber eyes are locked entirely on you, or more accurately, he's tracking the air around you. He inhales deeply, his chest expanding as he catches your scent, a low, rumbling growl of sheer satisfaction vibrating in his throat.

"Hey? Are you still there?" the voice on the phone crackles.

"I…" You try to speak, but Valko has already moved. In a blur of motion, he steps off the railing and closes the distance between you, backing you up until your spine hits the balcony glass.

"Who are you talking to this late?" Valko mutters, his voice a gravelly, low purr.

He doesn't give you space to answer. He leans down, burying his face directly into the crook of your neck. He takes a sharp, heavy breath, completely intoxicated by your scent. His sharp canine teeth graze the sensitive skin right under your jaw, a playful, demanding nip that makes your breath hitch.

"Ah... wait," you stammer into the receiver, trying to push at his chest. It's like pushing against a literal brick wall, his biceps and pecs don't budge an inch either.

"Tell 'em to hang up," Valko whispers against your skin, his hot breath sending shivers down your spine. His wolf ears flatten slightly, and he leans his heavy frame entirely onto you. He starts rubbing his cheek against yours, a deliberate, possessive gesture to get his own scent all over you. "Soooo annoying... Pay attention to me already."

"Is someone with you?" the voice on the phone asks, sounding suspicious.

Valko flashes a wicked, sharp-toothed grin right next to your ear. He reaches up, his large, calloused hand gently but firmly wrapping around your wrist, pulling the phone just an inch away from your mouth.

"She's busy," Valko says loudly toward the microphone, his tail giving a sudden, treasonous wag behind him that thumps loudly against the glass. He looks down at you, eyes dark with mischief and heat. "Aren't you, sweetheart? Tell them you're playing with your pup."

"Valko!" you hiss, your face burning.

He chuckles, a deep, rumbling sound. He drops his head onto your shoulder, entirely unbothered by your annoyance, and nuzzles his soft wolf ears right against your chin, silently begging for head-pats while refusing to let you go.