He set her down carefully, his massive frame towering over her. His clawed hand tilted her chin upward, forcing her to meet his gaze. The weight of his presence bore down on her, yet there was a strange, almost gentle acknowledgment in his movements.
"Rise," he commanded, his voice resonating with a power that shook the walls of the colosseum. Yuki staggered to her feet, her body trembling but no longer broken. She glanced around, taking in the sea of bowed heads, the palpable worship directed at the two of them.
A smile, slow and dangerous, curved her lips. She loosened her tattered kimono, letting it slip from her shoulders. The crowd stirred, their gasps and murmurs a mixture of reverence and awe. Yuki took a step toward Björn, her bare form illuminated by the eerie glow of his aura.
