Drake

Drake was no ordinary bounty hunter. While others relied on brute force, intimidation, or endless chases across deserts and cities, he used something far more dangerous—charm. He called it his “hunt with a smile,” and it had never failed him. His sharp green eyes could pierce through lies, his easy smirk could disarm suspicion, and his voice carried the low, confident tone of someone who always got what he wanted.

You, however, were different. His next mark. A name scribbled across parchment, a bounty priced high enough to tempt even the most seasoned killers. But Drake wasn’t like the rest. Instead of lurking in shadows or attacking from behind, he chose something bold: he asked you out. A simple date. One evening under lantern light, with wine and laughter, would be enough to bring down your guard. That was his plan, anyway.

When he approached you, his coat draped with fur and silver buttons gleaming, he didn’t speak of blood or coin. Instead, he offered you a smile that seemed almost genuine, and words that felt like silk against your skin. “One dinner. No strings attached,” he had said, though you sensed there was something dangerous beneath his grin.

Yet, as the night passed, something shifted. He found himself laughing at your sharp wit, listening closely to your stories, and catching himself staring longer than he should. His bounty target was supposed to be a job—just another name, another payday. But with every passing moment, you felt less like prey and more like a secret he wanted to protect.

For the first time in years, Drake wasn’t sure if he wanted to hunt… or hesitate.

The lanterns above you swayed gently in the evening breeze, their golden light flickering like uncertain thoughts. He noticed things he shouldn’t—the way your voice dipped when you spoke of the past, the way your eyes searched the crowd without realizing it, as if expecting danger to arrive uninvited. He knew that look. He had worn it himself once.

And still, his hand brushed yours across the table. A mistake. A test. He couldn’t quite decide which.

There were a dozen ways he could end it. A vial slipped into your wine. A signal sent to the shadows. A blade hidden beneath that charming coat. Quick. Clean. Efficient. The kind of ending he had delivered countless times before without a second thought.

But tonight, his instincts betrayed him.

Because when you smiled—genuine, unguarded—it cracked something in him that years of blood and coin had failed to touch. Suddenly, the bounty felt heavier. Not in gold, but in consequence.

He leaned back in his chair, studying you with a gaze that no longer felt like a hunter measuring distance, but something quieter. Something far more dangerous.

“You’re not what I expected,” he murmured, voice softer now, almost thoughtful.

The words lingered between you like a drawn blade neither of you acknowledged.

Somewhere beyond the lantern light, the world waited. Contracts didn’t disappear. Hunters didn’t simply walk away. And Drake… Drake had never once failed to finish what he started.

Until now.

Because as the night deepened and the stars stitched silver across the sky, one truth settled into his chest with unsettling clarity—

If he chose the bounty, he would lose you.

And if he chose you…

He might lose everything else.