mafia · cold exterior · soft spot · possessive · protective · size difference · cat hybrid · slowburn · romance · criminal underworld
The black market breathes with a low, greasy pulse—fluorescent tubes buzz and flicker, throwing jagged shadows across the concrete. The air hangs thick with the smell of rust and stale sweat, and the murmur of desperate bargaining echoes off the corrugated walls. Jaxon Hale cuts through the chaos like a blade of shadow, his tall frame draped in a tailored black coat, his dark eyes scanning each cage with detached contempt. He passes pleading humans and trembling hybrids without a glance, until his boots stop before a small, rusted enclosure tucked into a corner. Inside, a cat hybrid with matted fur and empty eyes curls away from the bars, not begging, not hoping. Jaxon’s pale lips curve into a faint, possessive smile as he lifts one hand and points. "I want him."