Wild heat

The jungle was alive with sound thick with the scent of damp earth, the distant cries of unseen creatures, and the heavy tension of something more dangerous than the wild itself.

Sienna adjusted the straps of her backpack, sweat trickling down her spine. She hadn't come all this way to turn back now. The Emerald Heart, an artifact lost for centuries, was rumored to be hidden somewhere in the depths of this jungle. It was priceless if she found it, she'd cement her legacy as the best damn treasure hunter in the world.

But she wasn't alone.

"Keep up, princess," a deep, rugged voice teased behind her.

She turned, glaring at the man who had somehow forced himself into her mission. Kai Navarro.

Mercenary. Treasure thief. Pain in her ass.

He was everything she despised cocky, reckless, and infuriatingly attractive in that rough, too-damn-capable way. His dark, sweat-dampened shirt clung to his sculpted chest, his tanned skin marked with scars that hinted at a past full of danger. And right now, he looked at her like he knew something she didn't.

"I work alone," she snapped, pushing forward through the thick vines.

"Sure you do," he murmured, close enough that she could feel his breath against her ear. "Which is why you're about to walk straight into a trap."

Before she could react, he grabbed her waist and yanked her against him, just as a spear whooshed through the air, impaling the spot where she had been standing.

Her heart slammed against her ribs.

Kai's grip was tight, firm, his body pressed against hers as they both stared at the deadly trap she had nearly walked into.

"Still think you don't need me?" His voice was lower now, rougher.

She swallowed hard, her body betraying her with a shiver. Not from fear but from him.

They were too close. Too aware of each other.

His fingers flexed slightly on her waist, and she felt the heat of his skin through her thin tank top. For a moment, the jungle wasn't what was dangerous. He was.

But she refused to give in. Not to him.

"Let go of me, Navarro," she whispered, though her pulse was racing.

His lips barely curved into a smirk. "Not until you say thank you."

Her fists clenched.

She was going to kill him.

Right after she figured out why the hell she wanted to kiss him first.

Sienna forced herself to breathe. Ignore the way his fingers still gripped her waist. Ignore the heat radiating off his body.

Easier said than done when Kai Navarro was standing this damn close.

"Thank you," she bit out, shoving at his chest.

Kai smirked, the bastard. He let her go, but not before his fingers lingered just a second longer than necessary.

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

She refused to dignify that with a response. Instead, she turned and pushed forward, shoving through the thick jungle foliage.

The air was thick with heat, with tension, with something unspoken between them. She hated that she noticed the way his breath was still slightly uneven, as if the moment had affected him too.

No. Focus.

The Emerald Heart was close.

She could feel it.

According to the ancient maps she had studied, the artifact was hidden in a buried temple, swallowed by the jungle centuries ago. But there was no clear path only cryptic warnings about "those who take without offering."

And now, with the tripwires and deadly traps, she knew one thing for certain.

They weren't the first ones to come looking.

And judging by the rotting corpses impaled on the spikes ahead, they wouldn't be the last.

"Charming," Kai muttered, nudging one of the skeletons with his boot. "You sure this is worth dying for?"

Sienna shot him a glare. "If you're scared, Navarro, there's the exit." She pointed to the thick jungle behind them.

Kai chuckled. Low. Dark. "Scared? No, sweetheart. I just prefer my adventures without the rotting corpses."

"Too bad," she murmured, stepping carefully over the remains. "Because something tells me this is just the beginning."

And she was right.

Because the moment she stepped into the clearing, the ground gave out beneath her feet.

Again.

She barely had time to scream before she was falling

Straight down into darkness.

The air rushed past her, vines slashing at her arms, her stomach lurching as she plummeted deeper and deeper

Until strong hands caught her mid-air.

Kai's arms wrapped around her, his grip tight, their bodies crashing into each other as they slammed against a sloping rock and slid down, down, down....

And then

They hit the cavern floor hard, a tangle of limbs and breathless curses.

Sienna groaned, pain radiating through her body. "I swear to god, if you grabbed my ass"

Kai's laughter rumbled against her, deep and husky. "Not on purpose, but if you wanna blame me, go ahead."

She realized far too late that she was still on top of him.

Straddling him.

Her hands were braced against his chest, her thighs pressing against his hips. And Kai smirking, infuriating Kai was looking up at her like she was something he wanted to devour whole.

The air was thick.

Heavy.

His breath was warm against her lips.

And for a split second, Sienna didn't move.

Because she wanted to know exactly what it would feel like to let go.

To sink into that heat.

To let him take control the way he always did with cocky smirks and rough hands and words that sent her pulse spiraling.

Her fingers curled slightly against his chest.

His hands slid to her waist. Not stopping her. Not pushing her away.

Just waiting.

Waiting for her to decide if she was going to end this tension or make it so much worse.

And then

A low growl echoed through the cavern.

The spell shattered.

Kai's smirk faded.

Sienna's blood ran cold.

Because they weren't alone.

Something big was down there with them.

And it was hungry.

The growl echoed through the cavern, low and primal.

Sienna froze.

Her breath hitched, body still straddling Kai's as the sound reverberated through the underground ruin. The air shifted a slow, deliberate shift, like something big had just moved in the shadows.

Her pulse slammed into overdrive.

Kai's hands, still on her waist, tensed. "Don't move."

She barely breathed.

Then another growl. Closer.

Sienna's fingers tightened against his chest. His heartbeat was steady; too steady, like he was built for moments like this. Like the danger didn't rattle him.

But she wasn't stupid. Something was down here with them. And it was hunting.

She slowly shifted off him, her body brushing against his, heat meeting heat, before she grabbed the knife strapped to her thigh. Kai moved just as smoothly, reaching for his own weapon a sleek, deadly machete that glinted even in the cavern's darkness.

The beast growled again.

Then a sudden rush of movement.

Sienna barely had time to react.

A blur of black fur and muscle lunged from the darkness. Kai shoved her out of the way, rolling just as razor-sharp claws slashed the air where she'd been. The creature; a massive black jaguar, sleek and lethal landed, its golden eyes locked onto them.

Sienna's pulse pounded.

Kai shifted beside her, crouched and ready, machete gleaming in his grip. He looked at her, eyes dark. Alive. "Tell me you've got a plan, princess."

"Don't die," she whispered.

His lips curved, a wicked grin even as danger loomed between them. "Good plan."

And then the jaguar attacked.

It moved fast too fast for something that big.

Sienna rolled, just missing the swipe of its claws. Kai was already lunging, blade flashing as he slashed at the beast's side. The jaguar snarled, twisting, muscles coiling as it whipped around right at Sienna.

She didn't think. Just reacted.

As the beast lunged, she threw herself into the attack, twisting mid-air and landed on its back.

Her thighs clenched tight around its powerful body, hands gripping its fur as it bucked beneath her, snarling, trying to shake her off.

"Sienna-"

"I've got this!" she shouted, drawing her knife and slamming it down.

The jaguar howled, thrashing wildly. Its massive body twisted too fast.

Sienna lost her grip.

And then she was falling.

Straight into darkness.

The air rushed past her, the world a blur of black and heat. Then she hit the ground hard, a shock of pain jolting through her body. Not rock. Not stone. Something softer.

And then she realized exactly what she had landed on.

A body.

A very solid, very male body.

Kai groaned beneath her, his hands gripping her thighs where she straddled him. Again.

She let out a breathless laugh. "We've got to stop meeting like this."

Kai's fingers flexed, deliberate, slow, his voice dark. Rough. "You land on me one more time, princess, and we're gonna have a different kind of problem."

Her pulse jumped.

Because there was nothing casual about the way he was looking at her now.

Their bodies were flush, heat rolling off them. His hands? Still on her. Holding her. Keeping her there.

The danger. The adrenaline. The sheer heat of the moment.

It was too much.

Too much electricity. Too much friction.

His eyes dropped to her parted lips.

And for the briefest second, she wanted to let go.

Wanted to know what it would feel like if he took.

If she let him.

But then a loud, deep rumble filled the cavern.

Not from above. From below.

The jaguar was the least of their problems.

Because beneath them, the earth started to shake.

And just ahead, something ancient began to rise.

The moment Sienna's fingers wrapped around the Emerald Heart, the tomb detonated in chaos.

A shockwave of golden energy blasted outward, slamming into her chest and knocking her back. The entire cavern shook violently, the walls groaning as if they had been holding their breath for centuries and had finally exhaled.

Sienna hit the ground hard, the artifact still clenched in her fingers. It was warm. Alive. A pulse throbbed beneath her palm steady, rhythmic. A heartbeat.

She barely had time to register it before Kai tackled her.

The force of his body knocked the breath from her lungs as a massive stone slab crashed down exactly where she'd been.

Dust and debris exploded around them, a blinding storm of ancient ruin and death.

Kai's weight pressed against her, solid, hot, undeniably real as more stones tumbled from above, sealing the entrance.

They were trapped.

Sienna coughed, blinking through the dust. "Next time, just yell 'watch out' like a normal person."

Kai lifted his head slightly, his body still braced over hers, keeping her shielded. His face was close. Too close. His dark eyes locked onto hers, sharp with adrenaline, but there was something else beneath it a heat that had nothing to do with danger.

His voice was low, rough. "I didn't think you'd listen."

Sienna's pulse skipped.

This wasn't the time.

She shoved against his chest. "You can move now."

Kai hesitated. Just for a second. Then he pushed himself up, rolling off her in one smooth motion. The loss of his heat was instant. Frustratingly noticeable.

Sienna sat up, coughing again as she assessed their situation. Not great. The entrance was blocked by a wall of fallen stone. The only way forward was deeper into the ruin where the golden veins in the walls were still pulsing like something was alive beneath them.

Kai exhaled sharply. "Well, princess, looks like you just woke up something nasty."

Sienna tightened her grip around the Emerald Heart. He wasn't wrong.

Because in the distance, through the echoing chamber, came a sound far worse than falling stone.

Footsteps.

Not human. Not alive.

And they were coming straight for them.

The footsteps were slow at first. A dragging scrape against the stone, echoing through the chamber like a whisper of death. Then another. And another.

Sienna's grip on the Emerald Heart tightened. The artifact still pulsed in her hand, steady and warm, like it was alive like it knew what was coming.

Kai pulled his machete from its holster, his jaw tightening. His dark eyes flicked toward her. "Tell me you've got a trick up your sleeve, princess."

"Yeah," Sienna muttered. "Run."

She barely had time to register the way Kai's lips curved half amusement, half pure adrenaline before she bolted.

They ran.

Sienna pushed forward, sprinting deeper into the cavern, her pulse hammering as the glowing golden veins in the walls pulsed brighter, almost guiding them. Or warning them.

Kai kept pace beside her, his movements effortless, dangerous like he was built for moments like this. Like chaos was his comfort zone.

Behind them, the footsteps quickened.

Then a snarl.

Sienna didn't dare look back. She didn't need to. The air shifted, a cold rush that sent a warning down her spine.

They weren't just being chased.

They were being hunted.

Ahead, the tunnel narrowed. The golden veins coiled like veins beneath skin, leading toward a stone archway covered in carvings.

Sienna didn't slow. She was one step away from the threshold when a hand skeletal, decayed hand shot out of the darkness.

She twisted at the last second, just barely dodging the grasping fingers. The creature a Guardian, its flesh half-rotted, its hollow eyes glowing with unnatural light snarled as it lunged again.

Sienna dropped to her knees, sliding beneath its outstretched arms, her momentum carrying her straight into the next chamber.

Kai wasn't as subtle.

He slammed into the Guardian with brutal force, spinning with his machete and severing its head in one clean strike. The body crumbled instantly, collapsing into a pile of dust and rusted armor.

But more were coming.

Through the darkness, figures moved shambling, skeletal bodies wrapped in ancient ceremonial armor, their glowing eyes locked onto the intruders. One. Two. Five. Ten. Too many.

Kai landed beside her, breathing hard. "Not a fan of your fan club, princess."

Sienna shot him a glare. "Less talking, more running."

There was only one way forward a narrow stone bridge leading over a deep, black abyss.

Sienna didn't hesitate. She bolted forward, feet pounding against the unstable pathway, the glow of the Emerald Heart illuminating the endless drop beneath them.

Kai was right behind her, the undead on their heels.

The moment Sienna reached the halfway point the bridge cracked.

"Oh, come on," she hissed.

Kai heard it too. He didn't stop running. If anything, he ran faster.

The bridge shuddered, the stone giving way beneath them.

Ten more feet.

The Guardians were closing in.

Five more feet.

The ground beneath them collapsed.

Sienna jumped.

For a second, there was nothing but air.

She hit hard, rolling across the stone floor of the other side, barely avoiding the jagged spikes of broken ruins.

Kai wasn't as lucky.

His jump had been off by inches.

For a heart-stopping second, he missed the ledge entirely.

Then his fingers caught the edge.

He dangled there, hanging over the abyss, nothing but darkness beneath him.

Sienna's stomach dropped.

Without thinking, she lunged forward, dropping to her knees, grabbing his wrist.

His grip was slick with sweat, his muscles straining.

"Princess," he gritted out. "Not a great time to get handsy."

Sienna dug her heels in, holding on tight.

"Shut up and climb."

Kai's smirk was still there, even hanging off a goddamn cliff. But there was something else in his gaze now. Something sharper. Darker.

He exhaled hard. Then, with a final heave he pulled himself up.

The second his boots hit the stone, Sienna shoved him.

Kai stumbled back, surprised. "What the hell?"

She jabbed a finger at him. "Next time, if you die, I kill you."

His smirk widened. "Didn't know you cared."

Sienna rolled her eyes, turning away because the truth was, she didn't know what the hell she was feeling.

But there wasn't time to figure it out.

Because ahead of them a massive set of doors stood waiting.

And beyond them?

The real danger had just begun.

The doors weren't normal.

They loomed at the end of the cavern, massive and ancient, carved from obsidian-black stone with intricate gold inlays that pulsed like veins. Symbols of a forgotten civilization twisted across the surface, shifting under the flickering torchlight.

And the worst part?

They were slightly open.

As if waiting for them.

Kai exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow. "Tell me we don't have to go in there."

Sienna tightened her grip on the Emerald Heart. It was pulsing faster now, like a second heartbeat against her palm. A warning.

"Scared, Navarro?" she murmured.

Kai's smirk was automatic, but his dark eyes were sharp. Serious. "I know a trap when I see one."

Sienna's pulse skipped. So did she.

But they didn't have a choice. The Guardians were still behind them, the bridge was gone, and whatever was waiting beyond those doors was their only way forward.

So she stepped forward.

The second she did, the doors groaned, shifting on their own, opening just wide enough for them to pass through.

Kai swore under his breath. "That's not ominous at all."

Sienna ignored him and stepped inside.

The air changed the moment they crossed the threshold.

Hotter. Heavier. Electric.

The chamber stretched out before them, an impossible vastness deep underground, filled with twisting stone walkways suspended over a chasm of molten gold. Rivers of liquid metal glowed beneath them, casting an eerie light across dozens of statues tall, humanoid figures lining the walls, carved from the same obsidian stone as the doors.

Statues that felt like they were watching.

Sienna swallowed. "This is it."

Kai stopped beside her. "The treasure?"

She shook her head. "The final test."

He let out a dry laugh. "Great. Because the undead horde and the death trap bridge weren't enough."

Sienna barely heard him. Because her focus was on the far end of the chamber where a single pedestal stood beneath an arch of black stone.

And resting on it...

A crown.

Solid gold, encrusted with emeralds, radiating raw power.

Kai let out a low whistle. "Now that's a prize."

Sienna's breath hitched. Because she knew what this was.

Not just any treasure.

The Crown of Itzamna.

A relic said to grant immortality. Power beyond human comprehension.

A relic no one should ever have.

Kai's voice was quiet. "You're thinking about destroying it."

Sienna's pulse skipped. "You don't know that."

"I know you."

She turned sharply too sharply because he was right there.

Close. Too damn close.

His dark eyes flickered over her face, reading her too easily, too intimately. He didn't look at her the way other treasure hunters did. He wasn't just calculating the worth of the prize.

He was calculating her.

And she didn't know if that was more dangerous than the damn crown.

Kai exhaled, a slow, amused breath. "You always do this, princess. Chase the impossible. Risk your life for things you never plan to keep."

Sienna's chest tightened. "Maybe some things shouldn't be found."

Kai held her gaze. "Maybe some things shouldn't be lost."

The tension between them shifted.

Not the sharp, competitive banter they'd always had.

Something deeper. Heavier.

Something that felt inevitable.

Sienna's fingers itched. Not just to grab the crown but to grab him.

The heat between them burned.

But before either of them could move

The statues moved first.

A crack of stone.

A deep, guttural growl.

One by one, the obsidian figures stepped down from their pedestals.

Their eyes flared to life with molten gold.

And then they charged.

The jungle was closing in, the thick canopy swallowing the last streaks of daylight as Sienna and Kai moved through the undergrowth. The damp air clung to her skin, heavy with the scent of earth and something else something primal.

"We need to pick up the pace," Kai muttered, his voice a low rumble. He was ahead of her, machete in hand, carving through the dense vegetation.

"We don't even know if we're going the right way," Sienna shot back, pushing a stray vine out of her path.

Kai glanced over his shoulder, his dark eyes sharp. "Trust me, we are."

That was the problem trusting him. He was too good at this, too in control, like he belonged here in the jungle more than anywhere else. She hated that it made her pulse quicken, that every time he moved, she noticed the effortless power in his stride.

A distant rustling stopped them both. Sienna stiffened, her fingers tightening around the strap of her pack. The jungle had its own language one she wasn't fluent in. But she knew enough to recognize when something was watching them.

Kai lifted a hand, silently telling her to stay still. His other hand dropped to his knife, muscles coiled, ready.

The undergrowth shifted.

Then movement.

A blur of fur and claws shot out from the bushes.

Kai moved first, shoving Sienna back just as a jaguar lunged. She hit the ground hard, the breath knocked from her lungs as Kai spun, his knife flashing in the dim light. The jaguar snarled, swiping at him with deadly precision.

Sienna scrambled for her pistol, hands shaking. The jungle was chaos shadows twisting, Kai's gritted curses, the jaguar's guttural growls.

She fired.

The shot rang out, startling the animal. It hesitated for half a second long enough for Kai to drive his knife into its side. With a pained snarl, the jaguar darted back into the jungle, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

Sienna exhaled sharply, her heart pounding. "Shit."

Kai turned to her, chest heaving, his face set in a hard expression. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she breathed, still on the ground. "You?"

His shirt was torn where the jaguar's claws had grazed him, a thin line of blood marking his side. But he didn't seem to notice. His focus was entirely on her.

"You should've stayed back," he muttered, stepping closer.

Sienna bristled. "And let you get mauled? Not a chance."

His jaw tensed, but there was something else in his gaze now something heated. The air between them crackled, charged from adrenaline and something deeper.

Sienna swallowed, suddenly hyper-aware of how close he was. Of the way his chest rose and fell, the scent of sweat and earth clinging to his skin.

Kai's fingers brushed her arm just for a second but it sent a jolt through her, a dangerous pull.

He cleared his throat, breaking the moment. "Come on. We need to move before it comes back."

Sienna pushed herself to her feet, ignoring the way her pulse refused to slow.

This mission was dangerous.

But Kai Navarro?

He might be even worse.