Lina would never call herself sheltered. She crossed paths with many men, some large, some small. But never in her entire life had she felt her heart pull in all directions. His voice, his aloofness, everything about him stopped her dead in her tracks.

  Lina could feel the world blur. Despite the detrimental situation, she could only stare. Every cell in her body screamed for him, despite not even knowing his name. In this entire world, she had never come across someone as handsome as him. There was a dark and dangerous aura to him, like he could swallow her alive.

  "Hey, look at this uniform…" Someone whispered, nudging at his friend.

  "Ugh…" a wounded man groaned, clutching his shoulders where he had been shot. Blood oozed from his wound, dying his shirt red.

  "Not even the police have power here, grab her!" Their leader persisted.

  "S-sir, that's not the police. That's—"

  "A military Commander," Lina realized, her breath caught in her throat. She barely choked out the words.

  Lina felt her fear heighten like no tomorrow. These men on the verge of violating her paled in comparison to him.

  'Beware of the men in black,' her Papa once warned her. 'Beware of those with stars on their shoulders and the world beneath their feet. In all of Ritan, you must stay far away from the military men.'

  Lina had obediently nodded her head at the dining table. At that time, she didn't know. She didn't understand why her father had warned her. But now, seeing the guns strapped to his waist belt, his black trench coat, and his bloody presence, she understood why. It was no wonder the people stuck to the sidewalk whenever the soldiers stormed by.

  "Fuck, let's go."

  The men warily muttered amongst themselves. No one dared to cross the man's path, not with his? high rank in the military. Lina held the Commander's gaze. Her head was about to short circuit.

  He threatened grown men with words and promises. His gun was already tucked back into his belt, for he had made his point. There was no weapon in his hand. All he needed was his threatening tone.

  Lina didn't even register the hands that left her body, nor the lowering of her dress. She only heard the shuffling of footsteps. The Commander was not alone. The second the men ran for their lives, out stepped more people.

  "Fetch the dogs," the Commander calmly demanded.

  Instantly, his underlings rushed off in the assaulters' direction. Lina was left standing in the slums, speechless and shocked. She gawked like an idiot, staring at him with unmoving lips.

  Something about him felt familiar, Lina couldn't pinpoint it. Her heart suddenly began to ache worse than a knife wound. She clutched her chest, tears suddenly filling her eyes, and her knees wobbled. She felt like she had lived a hundred years before her current one.

  "You should go."

  His voice was colder than ice. His features were sharp, his jaw clear cut, and his gaze brooding. He narrowed his eyes when she didn't even budge. He took a step forward, his polished shoes clicking on the ground.

  "Now."

  Lina could barely move. She was captured by him. Opening and closing her mouth, a single tear slipped from her eyes. She didn't understand why. She didn't know what was happening. The regalness she displayed suddenly disappeared. All thoughts flew out of the window.

  Lina suddenly remembered where she saw him before.

  "Have I met you before?" Lina asked, her voice filled with confusion. So much so, that she barely recognized the sound.

  The Commander looked her dead in the eyes. He held her gaze, his face giving away nothing, but his eyes spoke for what his mouth could not. His gaze yearned for her, burning brighter than forest wildfires.

  Heat filled her body. He stared straight into her soul. She could feel herself becoming undone before him. Every cell of her body recognized him, but her mind did not. She felt another tear slide down her cheek, dripping to the ground.

  Lina was crying. She didn't even know why.

  "Don't cry."

  Like that was going to help.

  Lina's lips trembled and she looked away, ashamed and embarrassed. What the hell was she thinking? Why was she like this? Why did her heart feel pierced? She touched her throat, suddenly feeling it stinging.

  "Fool."

  Lina's shoulders tensed when she heard his approaching footsteps. She let out a gasp when warmth weighed her shoulders down. He had given her his black coat. His large frame swallowed her tiny one. Soft fur, the color of night, tickled her neck. She trembled, realizing this was an expensive kind of coat that only those high in the military could wear.

  'Those military men dare to tamper with our triad, damn them all! Filling their pockets with bribery only not to fulfill their end of the deal,' her Grandpa once told her. 'Scums. All of them.'

  Lina didn't realize she was shaking until he grabbed her shoulders. She let out a noise of protest, pulling away instantly. He dropped his hands, a dark expression crossing his face.

  "I—"

  Lina didn't know what to say to him. Then, her gaze fell to the ground, where her purse lay. Suddenly, she bent and picked it up. With shaky hands, she pulled out a large amount of money.

  He narrowed his eyes.

  "T-thank you…" Lina managed to say, showing him the cash.

  His gaze drew dim. His expression became indifferent. His lips thinned. Instantly, the temperature around them dropped. She could hear the howl of a storm approaching, the sunny streets suddenly becoming grim.

  "Keep your money."

  "I should thank my savior, I—"

  "What? Do you think I'm poor?"

  Lina clamped her mouth shut. Her fingers pressed hard on the money, crumbling the newly printed notes. She felt her cheeks burn in disbelief.

  "Didn't your Papa warn you not to feed stray dogs, for they will follow you home?" He coldly remarked.

  Lina's head flew up, her eyes wide with disbelief. It was just as she predicted, he was a commoner. She instantly regretted her action. She wished she hadn't looked. His eyes were like an infinite well of ink. He was frightening. The air around them thinned. He was furious at her actions.

  "No…"

  "Do you think that lowly of soldiers that you carelessly assume we need money to keep the people safe?" he snarled.

  "I only wanted to thank you," Lina snapped, finally catching her voice now that he had insulted her more than once.

  His eyes flashed. "With money? What? Do you think soldiers are all commoners?"

  Are they not? Lina once heard that the commoners could only find a stable job by enlisting in the army, especially with the high tension from foreign pressure. She suddenly regretted her close-minded mentality. How stupid and rude of her.

  "I… Yes," Lina finally managed to say.

  He sharply breathed through his nose. Lina bit her bottom lip. Guilt strained her stomach. His attention snapped to her tiny action. She began to nibble at her lip out of anxiety. Without warning, he grabbed her chin.

  Lina froze. Her focus landed on his gloved hands. They were black, just like his uniform and coat. She could feel the cold leather digging into her skin. Without warning, his thumb brushed upon her mouth, freeing the flesh from her teeth. A simple touch. That was all it took for strange heat to pool between her legs.

  "Is this how you thank your savior? By viewing them as lowly peasants?" he harshly asked.

  "No, of course not, I—"

  "Think of me as such then."

  Lina's eyes widened. She grabbed his wrist out of panic, her head turning quickly to him. She was knocked speechless by how handsome he was up close. His regal brows, his angular nose, his healthy lips. She could barely speak. He towered over her, his shoulders double her width, and his body large enough to crush her tiny one.

  "I just—"

  "Tell me where you intended to go," he murmured.

  "What?"

  "Your initial location, little Yang. Surely, you did not come here intentionally?"

  Lina was thrown off by his abrupt kindness. She slowly shook her head. He suddenly dropped his hand. She could only helplessly stare at him. He gazed at her fingers, gripping onto his sleeves like a lost child. Her face flushed red and she yanked her hand back.

  One corner of his lips curled. Amusement flickered on his face.

  "Belle Night," Lina said.

  "Beautiful night?" he echoed, wondering if she was stupid. It was obviously the afternoon. The sun was still high in the sky. Was she blind? Did she see a moon that he didn't?

  "My initial destination," Lina said. "Belle Night. It's a jazz club."

  "Club?" he deadpanned.

  "Yes."

  "What is a woman like you doing there?" he calmly asked.

  Lina had the same feeling as someone treading on thin ice. One wrong step and she'd drown in bitter waters. The way he asked the question made him seem much more dangerous than anticipated.

  "My friend owns it."

  He clenched his jaw, his eyes flashing red. She was frozen with fear, but then the color went back to obsidian. Trick of the light, perhaps?

  "Who?" he gritted.

  "My friend, Belle," Lina mumbled.

  "Belle?" he repeated, his temper simmering down.

  "Yes, do you know where the club is?"

  The Commander glanced at her. Their eyes met and she swore she swooned. He didn't even touch her with his bare hands, yet she could feel electricity pierce through her.

  "I do."

  Well, what the hell are you waiting for then? Lina could only keep that comment to herself.

  Without warning, he turned on his heels and walked off. Out of fear of getting lost, Lina grabbed onto him. He paused mid-step, gazed down, and saw her clutching at his sleeves.

  "Where are you going?" Lina asked.

  "Is this how you typically catch the attention of men? By holding their sleeves?"

  Lina pulled away, but he seized her fingers. She gawked at him in disbelief.

  "Continue," he said.

  Lina wondered if he should get his head checked. He changed moods faster than she went through clothes. He released her hand and tucked it into his pocket.

  "Come, dove," he murmured, walking ahead of her. "I'll take you where you wish to go."

  Lina had no choice, but to follow him. And she'd be damned if she had to follow behind. So, Lina rushed her footsteps to match his. At her persistence, she saw his lips curl into the ghost of a smile.

  It was only then that she registered his nickname for her.

  Dove.