“I.. Uh.. Y-yes. Thank you…” Roza stumbled over her words, clearly dumbfounded by Aleks’ kindness. The old hotel owner hadn’t expected the handsome suitor to be so friendly to her, if his companion’s behavior was anything to go off of. True, the patron was stunning but Lilith seemed to have a heart made of ice, if she had one at all. Roza quickly found herself favoring the young man, deeming him too good for such a hollow beauty. Pursing her lips slightly, the overinvolved hotel owner watched in silence, curious to see how this interaction would go. From the looks of it, the young beauty was none too pleased. Would Aleks try to placate her? Ignore it? Or perhaps… Even be so daring as to call her on it?

Lilith was on a similar train of thought until Aleks turned to face her. In that moment, all frustration washed away. The dilation of his pupils, the brief hitch in his breath, nothing escaped her keen senses. It was the first time the fox had ever elicited such a carnal reaction out of the man, no matter how slight. Lilith felt a warm tingle run from her neck down her spine, every inch of her tense like a predator watching prey just barely out of reach. He had done well to resist her this long but like every human, it was only a matter of time before he submitted.

Ironically, it was his compliment that brought the harsh edge back to Lilith’s gaze. Reminded of her appearance, the vixen couldn’t help but think about how her hair would have looked better with a little left loose to frame her face and how her shoes were a little too plain for the dress. Still, Lilith must have been doing something right to illicit a compliment like that before he’d even seen the dress. Delighted anticipation caused her pale pink lips to curl into a dangerous looking smile.

“Oh, Aleks, you’re bound to spoil a girl, flattering her like that.” There was a teasing tone to her voice but Aleks either didn’t notice or didn’t care. Pouting slightly, Lilith let it go for now and quietly exited the hotel with him.

Still at her desk, Roza tsked quietly to herself at how things had played out. From her point of view, the gentleman had folded like a house of cards the moment he laid eyes on the frigid beauty. It was disappointing for the old woman to watch such a well-rounded gentleman fall prey to a pretty face like that. Truly, how had such a man found himself tangled up with a vixen like that? Roza couldn’t fathom it. With a disappointed sigh, she clicked on the TV, the primetime shows barely able to grab her attention, let alone stir her enthusiasm.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The villa was already bustling with activity when the duo arrived, much to their dissatisfaction. Aleks let out a quiet explicative, which Lilith internally seconded. The place was overrun with young women, who served no benefit to the kitsune. Growling softly, Lilith realized she never told Aleks only male hearts would work. What a splendid night this is turning out to be…

The dark haired kitsune busied herself with scouting the place, trusting Aleks to guide her by the hand she had hooked on his left arm. She didn’t notice the bouncer inspecting her but was quickly pulled into the moment by the authority she heard in her companion’s voice. Well… that’s certainly new…. Lilith found herself gazing at Aleks in approval when the man foolishly interrupted him. How rude. Now I don’t know my surname. She chuckled internally but Aleks was clearly not amused. Just the sight of him made Lilith lick her lips; she had done well to strike a deal with this one. Perhaps this was why she had so much trouble with him. He was obviously someone who had earned considerable respect and he now expected others to follow suit. Respect was not a commodity Aleks gave out for free, though the fox seriously doubted there was anything the young man was truly charitable with. It was this newfound understanding of the Bratva member that caused Lilith to be uncharacteristically obedient. She moved to the door as commanded, pausing only briefly to watch the rest of the exchange. As she lingered, a woman clearly working for the host approached, “Excuse me ma’am, may I take your coat?”

“Yes, please.” Lilith smiled gently at the girl, who was probably no more than 20. Alyona was, in fact, only 19 years old. A pretty girl with hazel eyes and soft brown hair, she had gotten mixed in with the Bratva far too young to understand the life she was setting up for herself. Years in prostitution and servitude had been hard on the girl, giving her a small, meek presence in such a flashy crowd. Lilith did not have such a problem.

Aleks was just making his way over, so the gold-eyed vixen took her time with the buttons, sliding the heavy coat off her shoulders when he was only a couple meters away. Lilith had always been a fan of luxurious items and as such, this was not Aleks’ first time seeing the fox in expensive clothing. However, this silver and rose gold dress was in a class of its own. The garment cost well over twice the amount of anything she’d worn thus far and it was evident in the details. A diamond studded brassiere, open midriff, and a skirt modeled to look like gold and silver filigree chrysanthemums- she looked both provocative and ethereal. Between the intricacies of the dress and the wealth of exposed porcelain skin, it was nearly impossible to look away from her perfect frame. Even Alyona stared for quite some time, forgetting she was supposed to be doing something with the coat in her arms. Turning to Aleks at last, Lilith let out a seductive smile, unable to hide just how pleased she was with herself. Sometimes, it was just too easy.

“Thank you again for inviting me, Mr. Titov. I believe this young woman is waiting to collect your coat.” Lilith put extra emphasis on his name and the girl suddenly snapped back to reality, blushing furiously when Lilith winked at her, letting Alyona know she’d been caught staring. Dropping her gaze to stare at the ground instead, Alyona was clearly eager to get Aleks’ coat and run but the kumiho wasn’t about to let her go so easily. Tonight was all but guaranteed to be a disappointment in regards to the number of hearts she was promised, might as well have some fun to make up for it. Gently cupping the girl’s chin, Lilith forced pale hazel eyes to stare into hers, the golden orbs smoldering behind thick, dark lashes.

“It’s alright, darling, I don’t mind you looking.” Leaning in close so her breath tickled the girl’s skin she murmured, “Your attraction to me is perfectly natural. But I wonder…” Lilith placed her free hand on Alyona’s thigh, sliding it up and over the girl’s silhouette to rest on her ribcage, just beside her breast, “Is this your first time?” Tightening her grip slightly, Lilith stroked her thumb back and forth just enough to push against the supple flesh teasingly, only to pull away and repeat. The girl’s breath hitched and she was practically trembling in fear but a different emotion was clearly displayed on Alyona’s face. She was hypnotized, though not by any use of magic on Lilith’s end. The young girl could tell she was in the presence of something vast and unknown- was consumed by the mysterious creature before her. It was both frightening and tantalizing. All Lilith had to do was tilt her head to come in for a kiss and the girl relented, closing her eyes and parting her lips slightly. It was always so easy…

His interaction with the bouncer out of the way, Aleks had finally properly stepped foot inside of the villa. It was a mix of classical architecture, shining wood giving an elegant look to the interior, combined with low lights and a spectacular staircase in the midst of it all. There was even a grand piano on the platform in the corner of the room. Unfortunately for aesthetics, it was mixed with modern elements of occasionally flashing lights and protruding glass elements which were supposed to be art, but even a slightly trained eye was able to see it was an overly expensive piece of junk. The price tag probably made it a priority in the host's mind. After all, spending money is the best way he knew how to pander to Bratva. As far as he was able to see, there were indeed no higher up officials present. He suspected as much, but now that he was sure none of them would spend their time on such trivial matters made his heart a bit lighter. So far, no one paid him much attention and the party went on with its own flow. The low and flashing lights made it easier to blend with the crowd. Not stir too much trouble right off the bat. Besides, no man came here to socialize with other Bratva members. Socializing wasn't the goal for tonight. Getting wasted on some, quite probably, high end stuff and being close to the girls - that was what mattered. Very convenient.

It took Aleks little time to spot Lilith, even in the crowd, her dress made her stand out that much more. And it was quite a dress, indeed. Aleks had to give props to her for choosing it, but decided to use the lights to his advantage so he could hide the expression on his face. She would love to see him flustered. And if it were any other predicament, he would have had a hard time acting hard to get. She was taking it too easy and was probably used to situations like these, where something terrible would unfold moments in the future - it showed. The difference between the two of them. One was more human than the other. And at this point, Aleks was unsure which one. She was far too relaxed and he was far too... cold. The thought lingered on, he knew well what was about to transpire, but it didn't get to him. That was not normal.

In the end, he let a smile appear on his face as he approached Lilith, showing his approval of the dress. She probably wanted more of a reaction, but for now, she'd have to be satisfied with it. Hell, she looked overly satisfied with herself as it was. "Control yourself," he thought as he gazed into her eyes.

"Lazarevska-," Aleks began, taking extra care to call her by surname this time. He had lost his opportunity to say it out loud before, but wasn't about to let that slide. As he was about to take off his coat and hand it over to the girl, Aleks noticed how Lilith had already set her eyes on her. Seducing like a fox, even Aleks wasn't able to assume she would do something like that as soon. Was it her playful side surfacing? Did she purposely wish to show off in front of Aleks? Or was it just her inner urges breaking through to the surface? Aleks had no time analyze it; at first, he thought Lilith might be out of place, but a quick scan of the surrounding parties showed that they were all already indulging in various similar activities. Exchanging pills, locking lips - no man paid much attention to other men in the room. Indeed, Lilith wouldn't stand out in a bad way after all. That's why he decided, in a split moment, to let her have fun. Indulge her. "No need to burden yourself, I'll take care of the coat myself," Besides, he wasn't keen on anyone feeling the pockets of his coat. Lilith made it a lot easier on him without even realizing it. "How cute," Aleks finished with a smile, not particularly talking to anyone, letting Lilith do her thing, before turning around and slowly walking to the other side of the room.

Not a lot of people had recognized him yet, which was a relief. The girls themselves probably had little idea about who was who in Bratva - didn't matter much to them. And the men were mostly lost in whatever substance induced trance - drugs or lust. Not much of a difference, when broken down. However, the sight of so many young girls pained Aleks, often he had asked himself how does one get themselves into such a position. But then again - he himself was on someone's collar. Guess he felt for them a bit.

"NO WAY-!" a chirpy voice roared in front of Aleks. The combination of music and sweet company was enough that nobody in particular turned their head towards it. With the exception of Aleks, who traced the direction from which the voice came from, until his eyes set on a young male figure. Average build, but a bit skinnier in the face - his hair and clothes were every bit eccentric and wannabe trendy as Aleks had expected out of the man. The boy. The idiot.

He had black hair, combined with blue and red highlights respectively. His clothes consisted of tight leather jeans, boots, a neon green scarf and a jacket which, left unzipped, showed his torso in full glory. "Young master Titov! I am honoured you came, didn't think even in my wildest dreams someone like you would sniff close to this low budget villa! If I knew you were coming, I'd brought some of my higher class friends..." The boy, Viktor Kuzmichev, host of the party, was trailing off, talking about three different topics in the span of one minute - he was obviously high, Aleks was able to pick up on it as soon as he had approached him.

"Kuzmichev Viktor at your service, hosting this party for my new brethren," finally he noted, although Aleks knew well who he was. "I am aware, Viktor, no need for formalities - it is a pleasure to have you in our ranks. I am here without the knowledge of my father and his associates, so I would appreciate it if you kept it low, how does that sound?" Aleks talked with ease, as if he had known this boy for ages. "I understand, I understand," Viktor immediately started in a hushed voice, leaning closer to Aleks. Invading his personal space by a long shot. "I know - you're here to have some fun, right? Your father doesn't need to know about that, I understand. Look, look," he spaced out again, for a couple of seconds, before pointing his finger to a group of girls by the staircase. "For my friend, only top notch!"

"What a joke," Viktor's entire personality was just a caricature, as stereotypical as it could be. If Aleks wasn't aware of what Viktor loved to do behind closed doors, he'd consider him slightly amusing. But alas, he was nothing but scum. As his gaze followed Viktor's finger, it didn't settle on the girls in question. Instead, it set on the man leaning on the wall, far from any of the activities, but still close enough not to cause suspicion. But that in itself was suspicious, making Aleks believe that much more he didn't belong here. Besides, a fur jacket combined with a crew cut, military style - the man reeked of ex-military. To add to it, the man was staring at Aleks. No one was paying Aleks much heed, either because they didn't notice him or because they didn't want one of the Titov to see them attending a party like this. This man was giving him all the attention in the world, not even trying to be subtle.

"Viktor," Aleks spoke out to the host, not taking his eyes off the man, "A friend of yours?" It took Viktor a couple of moments to notice whom Aleks was referring to, before laughing and patting Aleks on the shoulder. "No, no - a friend of a friend of my father's acquaintance. Something along the lines. He insisted on getting someone to keep an eye out on me," the way Viktor spoke made Aleks realize the old Kuzmichev was well aware of his son's ventures; something he was unable to confirm before. A valuable piece of information. But he was also very much certain now that the man in question was ex-military. "A freaking mercenary was just what we need now," he thought to himself as he took his eyes off the man, focusing on Viktor instead. He was still going on about the man being dependable and trustworthy. The next time Aleks looked in the man's direction, he was gone.

"Viktor, can I count on you being quiet about me being here tonight? A rare is a chance when I can enjoy myself without the burden on my back," Aleks acted out a smug smile, one which brought an enormous grin on Viktor's face. All of his teeth were visible. He nodded with enthusiasm. "Splendid - is there a back room where I can store my coat?"

Viktor took a few moments to process that question, as if he was not sure himself of the layout of the villa. Considering he had a girl that was supposed to take care of that, it was not a surprise. However, he still came up with direction, for which Aleks had thanked him. "That out of the way, you don't think I came here empty handed? I brought a very special gift for you. I'd give her a bit time to relax, since she is new in town - but you will find her to be quite... enthralling." Aleks could see that he not only piqued Viktor's interest, but libido as well, "Look for chrysanthemums." The sentence was finished with a wink and, extending a hand to Viktor, he returned to his serious demeanour. "Welcome to Bratva, brother." With that - Aleks was gone, heading towards the back room. This turn of events may prove to be slightly more complicated, so he had to take some precautions. Hopefully Lilith wouldn't stir too much trouble while she was out of his sight.

Lilith froze for just a moment but it was long enough to let the young girl’s anticipation swell. The dark haired fox could feel it in the way Alyona held her breath- what could possibly come next except a kiss? Smiling faintly, Lilith pressed her lips against Alyona’s trembling mouth, breathing in the gasp that escaped. It was a small kiss, almost chaste had it occurred under different circumstances, but it had done the trick. The young woman visibly relaxed in Lilith’s grip, practically leaning against the kumiho for support. When she opened her eyes, however, Alyona was greeted with a cold stare. The mysterious guest had not moved her gaze but was acutely aware that her companion had walked off. Her displeasure was hard to miss.

“Ah…” Alyona opened her mouth, perhaps to say something comforting, but she could think of no appropriate comment. A small part of her wondered if she had done something wrong. A larger part of her worried she had just been used. Scoffing quietly, Lilith began to pull away and Alyona’s heart sank.

“W-wait! Miss…” The girl’s voice petered out. Unsure of the woman’s name or what to say, “Miss Lazarevska?” In a moment of uncharacteristic kindness, Lilith paused and turned back to Alyona, “Don’t worry, my dear, I’ll come back for you later. I’m just looking for someone at the moment.” With a simple dismissive wave of her fingers, Lilith made it clear the conversation was over, not even allowing the young girl to offer her assistance.

With confident, leisurely strides, the kitsune began stalking the perimeter, taking note of hiding places and escape routes. The villa was a nightmare. The odds of successfully killing so many people with no escapees grew smaller and smaller with every clack of her heels. What the hell was Aleks thinking? Even with his assistance, which the fox knew better than to hope for, there were too many routes to cover. Two of the walls were made entirely of glass bifold doors, easily broken even if she locked them. Then there was the front entrance and, although she had only reached the kitchen, she assumed there was a door that led to the carport she saw on the way in. Directing everyone upstairs would make things easier but odds are there would still be jumpers. And before even addressing that issue- how to manage it? Biting her lip in thought, Lilith knew she’d have to find a way to thin the crowd before casting any spells. Getting partygoers alone wouldn’t be too difficult, silencing screams and hiding bodies was doable, but eventually, the group would grow so small it’d be impossible for them not to notice people were missing. The scowl on Lilith’s face deepened as her head began to throb from all the lights and sounds these humans called “music.”

Suddenly, a somewhat well-meaning gentleman grabbed the disgruntled kumiho by the shoulder. He turned her to face him and pulled her slightly closer, “Well now, what has such a pretty thing like you looking so sour?” Golden orbs flashed to the man, revealing pupils constricted into animalistic slits. Teeth clenched, she snarled at him to release her. Stumbling back against the kitchen counter, the man immediately complied, letting go of her so he could hold his arms in front of himself defensively.

“What the hell are you?” Lilith stepped towards him, ready to rip out his throat when a shrill voice cut through the cacophonous air, “NO WAY-!” The kumiho’s claws stopped just centimeters from their mark, her attention momentarily pulled away by the offensive creature making its way towards Aleks. Aleks… With a heavy sigh, Lilith looked back to the man before her and dropped her hand.

“I’m here for someone else, don’t touch me again.” Fortunately, the man was either too drunk, too bewildered, or a combination of the two and didn’t object. He watched the raven haired woman for a moment as she walked away before shrugging his shoulders and calling out to the next closest female.

Sighing yet again, Lilith glanced over at her partner. Despite his composure, her keen senses could detect his discomfort from across the room. At least she wasn’t the only one bothered by the filth attending this party. Aleks suddenly seemed to lock onto a man across the room, drawing the curious fox’s attention as well. It didn’t take long for Lilith to pick up on the subject of interest, he stood out like a sore thumb if you knew what to look for. He was focused, calm, trained, and entirely too sober. He was trouble. Pursing her lips slightly, Lilith immediately began plotting how to get that one alone. She didn’t have time to delve too far into her thoughts, however, before she was interrupted once more.

“Well you see, ladies, the problem with a threesome is that someone is always left out. That's why we need to find someone else willing to play with us.” Geoff was no one remarkable in the Bratva but in social circles, he had a way with charming women. With sandy, slicked back hair and a crooked grin, he almost resembled a car salesman. He went with a more casual look tonight, a white button up under a gray suit but no tie. Or perhaps the tie had been removed by one of the women clinging to each of his arms. To the right was a brunette with soft curls and a strapless red dress. To the left was a blonde in a ruched, mock wrap dress.

“Ooh, why not her? Tanya, why don't you invite that lovely maiden over there to join us, she looks so lonely.” The brunette obeyed and confidently walked up to Lilith.

“Hey, hun. Wanna join us in having some fun with Geoff? We've heard he can do some amazing things with his tongue.” Tanya motioned to the other two and winked, “Crystal is hesitant about having too many people but Geoff says it's more fun with four.”

At first, Lilith stared blankly, confused by the sudden proposition. What on earth made them think she'd want to participate in an orgy with complete strangers? She cast her gaze over to Geoff, only to find him crudely mimicking his supposed ‘talent’ by flicking his tongue between his fingers held up in a ‘v.’ Rage welled up inside the kumiho but she fought to put a smile on her face instead. Might as well take the opportunity to have some alone time and get started on the main event. Licking her lips seductively, Lilith wrapped her arm around Tanya’s waist and sauntered over to Geoff and Crystal.

“Ladies, why don't we go see for ourselves if Geoff here is all talk or if he's truly everything his reputation sets him up to be?” Lilith lifted her chin and smirked condescendingly at the man, silently challenging his dominance within their little group. Tanya giggled but he huffed in retort, pulling the brunette out of Lilith's embrace and back to his side.

“Please, even with three of you I doubt you'll be able to handle me. C’mon, there's a room upstairs we can use.” Lilith nodded in compliance and motioned for him to lead the way before flashing a toothy grin. Let it begin.

Closing the door behind him, Alex breathed a sigh of relief as he found himself slightly isolated from the horrendous music. The disharmonious symphony was a knife to his eardrums. It was a spacious room filled with a dozen of other coats, all neatly placed on hangers. Least someone here had a sense of doing something according to the book. His thoughts went back to the girl that had greeted them after entering the villa. By all he'd seen, it was surely her doing. A scowl had appeared on Aleks' face though. The girl was not the problem, but that rascal of a fox he found himself with. Where in the world did she even go? So much about staying close to him for the time being.

Aleks found an empty hanger and carefully put his coat away, somewhere out of the eyes of any potential passerby. Only thing he had to do was remember where he put it, in case he had to get a hold of that gun sooner rather than later. If all went well, there would be no need for that, but did things ever go as planned?

His eyes scanned the room and found another door, at the far end of this makeshift wardrobe. Curiosity got the best of him, so Aleks walked towards it and tried the lock. It wasn't secured, but only a staircase had greeted him on the other side. Dark, wooden steps leading down into the abyss. There was a faint sound coming from inside, but low and downright indistinguishable. It reeked of mold and... wine. "A wine cellar?" Aleks said to himself as he took one step downwards, creaking of the step bringing him to a stop. What was he even doing? He had a task at hand, yet was acting as playful and curious as his companion would. He shook his head and stepped back, closing the door. Lilith was a bad influence on him.

Turning around, he was greeted by a figure leaning on the wall opposite of him. "Lost?" the low and sharp tone of the man made its way to Aleks' ears. The same man from before. Calm, present and with a clean head. Both figuratively and literally. "A bit," Aleks begun, a small smile appearing on his face, "The layout of this villa is confusing me. Not to mention I can barely concentrate with the music in the background. Didn't drink enough for that."

"Yeah," the man replied, cracking his neck from side to side, "I wouldn't get lost if I was you." There was no trace of the man taking Aleks' joking remarks to the heart. The tension could have been cut with a knife, as the two men stood there, just looking at each other. Both of them were far too calm for the party and Aleks was sure the mercenary was aware of the fact as well.

"You do know who I am, right?" Aleks asked as he moved into the man's personal space, "You do know whose family I belong to? Be a good dog and know your place." The man kept his intense stare directed at Aleks as he pushed himself off the wall.

"I do," he replied, scanning Aleks from bottom to top, "A good dog can smell a Titov from a mile away. And an even better dog is good at protecting his owner's son."

Another couple of moments had passed before either one of them made their move. The man was taller than Aleks, but they were able to keep their presences in balance. Aleks broke the silence by laughing and tapping the mercenary on the shoulder. "Good, just what I wanted to hear. Means we won't have any excesses tonight. Which consequently means I'll get to have fun without someone breathing down my neck."

Finishing the sentence, Aleks moved away, turning towards the door. Out of the pocket of his pants, he took a single bill, folding it into a small square. "Why don't you get yourself a drink, yeah? Relax a bit." The less time he spent here with this man, the better. Aleks walked to the door, before looking at the man one more time, flicking the bill towards him.

"Go fetch."

It didn't take long for Lilith to dispose of the trio. It took considerably longer to clean the blood off her dress. Once satisfactorily wiped down, Lilith moved the bodies to one corner of the room and then removed all light bulbs. With a deep, slow breath the kumiho stepped out of the room, locked the door behind her, and went to rejoin the party downstairs.

It wasn't long before another proposal came her way; seemed this gathering was full of generous souls who hated to see a woman alone. And so, that is how Lilith’s night progressed, taking group after group to her darkened den. It wasn't until leaving the fourth set of bodies, she was finally confronted by a couple wanting their turn in the room. Gritting her teeth into a smile, the raven-haired woman unlocked and swung open the door for them.

As they began to enter, the woman commented on the strange smell and the man tried flipping the lightswitch with no result. They both turned as if to ask Lilith what was going on but she was on them before they could do so. A carefully aimed shove pushed the man into the woman and both landed on the floor, giving Lilith space to enter and close the door behind her. Shocked and disoriented in the dark room, it was easy for the fox to gut them and add their bodies to the pile. Growling with displeasure, she began the process of wiping herself clean once more. There was no point in trying to save the dress, an even coating of blood had painted the gold and coral colored chrysanthemums a deep, wine red. This was passable with the strobing lights of the party but Lilith couldn't leave blood smeared on her skin without drawing unwanted attention. She had long ago given up on her hair, opting to tie it in a bun to keep it out of the way. She looked like less of a party-goer but thankfully, everyone was so far gone at this point, it hardly mattered. There were, however, other complications.

With a third of the attendees piled in a room upstairs, the crowd was noticeably sparse and people were beginning to pay more attention to their surroundings. One man in particular seemed far too aware of everything, including Lilith. He was obviously hired muscle but he seemed hesitant to initiate anything, especially without knowing for certain that what going on. Best not to ruin your boss's party over a misunderstanding. Still, his eyes lingered on the mysterious woman who was so often seen alone despite her obvious popularity. As if on cue, she was approached once more.

“Hey, have you seen my friend, Tanya? I saw you talking with her a few hours ago but I haven’t seen her since. I’m starting to get a little worried…” Lilith’s jaw tightened as she tried to hide her displeasure. Still, her eyes narrowed slightly, giving her cold gaze an even more intimidating air as she analyzed the woman before her. Dark hair cut into a flirty bob and a delicate, almost fairy-like powder blue dress. She was far too adorable for a party like this and the kumiho had no idea who the friend was. She could feign ignorance but the little fey seemed so certain Lilith was one of the last people to be seen with Tanya. The girl didn’t seemed tipsy but not drunk or high enough to be talked into it being a mistake. Suddenly, her golden eyes widened, “Oh, Tanya. Of course, my dear, I know where she is. She’s in one of the rooms upstairs, let me show you.” Placing her hand at the small of the fey’s back, she guided the naive creature to the staircase. A cautious glance over her shoulder allowed Lilith one last look at the bodyguard, his eyes staring right back. Damn… no way to avoid him seeing me come back alone. I hope Aleks is ready, this is where the night gets messy.

"And so I have this nephew. Good kid. Makes quick delivery of goods. A bit thick, but ay, we don't need him to be smart, right? Anyhow, call me if you need anything... Delivered." A man talked without end, his right hand around Aleks' shoulder. He didn't seem to recognize who exactly Aleks was, unsurprisingly so. The sweet scent of substances in the air around the room, accompanied by the stench of alcohol oozing from the man - who knew what was the man seeing in front of him. Certainly not a Titov. The sound of music coming from the neverending torture by the hands of DJ Pill5 was not helping. Aleks' head was hurting from it all. Three hours in this hell. Who knew how much longer. "Pull it together..." Aleks muttered to himself as he moved away from the man, his business card still in Aleks' hand.

There was only so much he was able to do in these three hours and not arouse too much suspicion. He mostly chatted with several of the girls before moving onto the next bunch. Being charming was fine but talking for too long would bring forth more sensual topics and he had no urge to indulge in such with these young girls.

The party was thinning down, noticeably so. Yes, it was to be expected at one point, but now the game was truly set in motion. The gender balance was out of order now which meant Lilith was doing her part of the job. He should do a bit to help out too. Get some of the girls out of the equation. It meant lesser hearts, but this was bound to get out of hand if he didn't do something.

Aleks gazed around the room, his eyes falling upon the fox. She was standing out to a great extent. Even more now than before. The color on her dress too. Different. "Are you really walking around with blood streaks on it? Reckless." He scolded her internally, knowing very well that a certain someone could take an interest in that.

And he did.

The cold stare of the mercenary dog was set on her. It was good knowing that Aleks was getting at least some privacy this evening, but this could be an ever worse option. He could be aware of the blood as well. And the sudden change of Lilith's hair. Giving him too much free space would mean the dog would eventually sniff out the fox. And Aleks knew how much Lilith disliked dogs. Aleks considered getting bodyguard's attention to move it away from Lilith, but at that moment Viktor had finally made his move.

"What a beautiful flower you are, MY royal guest!" Viktor spoke as he cut the two girls off before the staircase. He spread his arms and welcomed the girl to his embrace before speaking up. "Masha, my dearest, would you please give the two of us some privacy? Unless this beauty had piqued your interest as well."

It was as much as Aleks was able to pick up on, reading lips, before the music got even louder and broke his concentration. Something came to his mind, and it might even work. He swiftly made his way through the crowd, winking at several of the ladies, before reaching the DJ booth. Oh how it stood out from the classical architecture. An atrocity. Aleks pulled himself near the DJ, planting a 5000 ruble banknote in his hand. "DJ Pill5, respect brother! Can you keep the strobing going a bit heavier?" The young man with LED glasses nodded and offered him a fist bump. If he could, Aleks would roll his eyes all the way to the back of his head. But a fist bump it was.

There were three girls by the pool outside. The tall fence made it perfect for secluded parties so Aleks had no worries about being spotted. Fortunately, they belonged to the ones he conversed with before. Candy, Anna and he didn't catch the last one's name. He could thin the party out a bit more.

Approaching the girls, he made a gesture of stretching out, sounds of music at least partially muted over the closed doors. "We meet again, ladies." He beamed them a smile which they gladly returned. Aleks didn't even have to bother much being charming. Amongst all the male guests, he was the most decent one, probably the only with some proper etiquette of talking to a lady. And not reeking of alcohol was always a plus. "I know I left in a hurry before, my sincere apologies, but I couldn't help but return to you. You're like beacons of light in this horrendous party."

He kept the conversation going back and forth for several minutes before making his move. "I have a proposition. You ladies go and book us a hotel room at Azimut Olympic. My treat, of course. Have a dinner, refresh a bit and I'll be around with my car to make sure you are having a wonderful accomodation. I'll make sure so myself." The girls giggled as he gave them money. Candy looked at him with a sly expression on her face. She was obviously more experienced than probably most, if not all, girls here tonight. "You sure we won't just leave with the money?" She asked, but Aleks simply winked at her. "Then you wouldn't get a bonus at the end of the evening, and that would be a shame."

Even if they left with the money, disappeared with the wind, even better for Aleks. He didn't care where they went. He just wanted them away. Far away from here. "I leave this up to you, Candy. Book a room on my name, will you? It's..." he stopped for a second, fumbling around his pocket. Producing the business card the man gave him earlier, he scanned the name and gave it to the girl.

"Marat Rabinovich."

Kissing their hands, Aleks watched the girls slowly take their leave. He felt sleazy to the bone, but he did what was necessary. Now to see where Lilith was, along with that rascal Viktor. Or was it the other way around?

The thousand year old fox spirit froze in her tracks, completely dumbfounded by the boy in front of her. Was she supposed to know him? Why did he know her? Was he really expecting an embrace from Lilith? She continued to stare, unblinking, as he shifted his focus to the fey girl.

Seriously, who was this clown?

The atmosphere grew awkward as both humans directed their attention to Lilith, who had yet to respond. Masha decided to break the silence first, “W-well actually, she was helping me find Tanya. But I can look for her myself.” The young woman began to pull away and make her way around Viktor, finally pulling Lilith from her stupor. This fool didn't matter, Masha couldn't be left to find the bodies. The kumiho lay a not-so-gentle hand on Viktor’s outstretched arm to push it out of the way in an unintentional, but very clear, rebuke. The charming host was no longer smiling.

“Awfully bold of a whore to ignore her new master.” Sharp eyed collided and a low growl slipped from Lilith's ruby lips.

“Oh, didn't you know? The whole reason you're here is to be my bitch.” Viktor grabbed Lilith’s chin and pulled her face closer, “so be a good little slut and greet me properly in front of my guest.” Masha stopped, clearly afraid. She had hoped to slip away and not be a part of this confrontation but Viktor’s words made it clear she was not meant to walk away. Biting her lip, she hoped the mysterious woman would obey before things got worse for everyone involved.

Lilith, however, was not prone to indulging the wishes of humans. A more refined part of her mind probably knew how one was supposed to act at this moment but the fox spirit was not known for humility or submission. Her hubris would never allow someone to speak to her in such a manner; grabbing her was completely crossing the line. Having been hunting for hours, Lilith's bloodlust and baser instincts overrode almost all rational thought. She knew the bodyguard was watching, and that was the only reason Viktor was still alive in this moment. Even a novice predator knows not to hunt in front of others, it's the surest way to lose your kill.

Golden orbs flashed in a sudden release of magic and the mohawked host began to relax his posture. It was generally easier to hypnotize women and it was always easier to seduce someone who wasn't angry with you but Lilith had years of practice. Pulling his hand from her face, the kumiho leaned in closer to murmur words only he could hear, “Don't worry, boy, I'm going to give you everything you deserve. Now, let's go upstairs and have a little privacy.”

Masha was once again confused by the dynamic change but still found herself wanting to distance herself as much as possible from the pair. Not waiting for permission, she began running up the steps.

“Tch. Looks like the little one is insisting on being first. Very well, let's go, my esteemed host.” Lilith let out a soft chuckle and began to saunter up the steps, fingering over her shoulder for Vikor to follow. Sluggishly, he obliged.

Once upstairs, the same routine began. Lilith guided them into a darkened room but this time, Masha wouldn't enter.

“There's no way Tanya is in there… what is going on?” Rolling her eyes, Lilith was over this charade.

“She's dead, little one. Just like you.” Before the pixie haired girl could respond, the kumiho was on her. Pinned to the floor in the hallway, she let out a short scream before Lilith but down on her throat, the sound suddenly tapering off to a gurgle. There was no need to finish her off so the kumiho stood and turned to her next victim but the trance had been broken and Viktor was already at the top of the staircase.

Aleks stood by the pool, inspecting circles on the surface of the water as he tossed some small pebbles into it. For a moment, he felt no urgency to go back in. Certainly didn't want to go back in. Life felt simple as he gazed into his own reflection. It sure felt like it on the other side of the water, but here... it was the negative side of the yin and yang. As the ripples distorted his figure into a demonic shape, Aleks snapped back to reality. Rest of the guests were in the house. Activity had dwindled down to a slow pace. What exactly was going on?

As he stepped into the house, he had quite a scene to see. The flashing red lights, the loud bursting of music. The dancing crowd. The... figure on top of the staircase? Viktor?

His face was pale, paler than before. And he was standing there frozen, a person whose fight or flight instincts had just kicked in. And he was the one to freeze. His eyes rapidly shifted through the crowd. Seeking his bodyguard out. Searching for help. His mouth slowly opened. "M-M-Mi.." and then he yelled out. "Mihael!" Several of the girls had turned to his direction, a fearful expression on their faces. They shook, but some of them had returned to their previous activities.

Things had just went south.

Mihael was the one to force his way through the crowd, towards the staircase. His hand had already reached into his jacket. Was he going for a gun? Aleks noted that some of the female patrons stopped paying heed to advances of Bratva members. Fortunately, the remaining men were still in their own worlds. Figures. Bratva had the best supstances.

Aleks' first instinct was to make his way towards the back room to get his gun, brushing past the DJ and quickly motioning that he turns the volume up. At least they could mute the sounds for a little while. While that particular "song" lasted.

The backroom was empty for just long enough for Aleks to put his coat on and get hold of the gun of his own. Then a girl from the very beginning of the night had entered. Alyona. Her eyes were as wide as they could possibly be as she looked towards Aleks. She was as surprised to find someone here as he was that she entered the room.

"Something's not right! Vik- Viktor is really mad," she spoke in a half hushed, half hurried tone.

"I can tell. Don't worry, it's going to be okay." He looked into her eyes and straight up lied. Nothing's going to be okay.

Michael's attention was fully on Viktor, so he noticed the shadowy figure that appeared before the young man did. Had her intent been to kill, the bodyguard would have soon been without a job but fortunately (or not) for him, Lilith was in a rare moment of mental clarity. Instead of shoving her arm through Viktor's chest, she grabbed him by the back of the neck, her claws sinking in to secure a firm grip. Struggling would only insure pain, ripped muscle, and traumatic blood loss. The foolish boy was free to scream, however, and scream he did.

The music was so loud, the beat was reverberating through the structure of the building and deep into Lilith's skull. It seemed to stave off most of the room's attention but the kumiho was close enough that the shrill cries of desperation made her vision go fuzzy. The strobing lights made it hard to get her footing on the stairs, already a struggle thanks to blood-slicked heels. Using Victor as a crutch, she pushed him forward and down the stairs, her free hand gripping a fistful of fabric at his shoulder.

By now, Michael's gun was drawn but he kept it low to his side, trying not to draw attention from those who still hadn't caught on to the situation. Of course his beneficiary would manage to find himself as a meat shield the moment trouble arose, Viktor was the only attendee Michael couldn't just shoot through to stop the threat where she stood. Rerouting slightly, the hired guard continued to move in closer but attempted to force an angle that would allow a clear shot.

Back at the staircase, Lilith was attempting to trance Viktor once more. It was more difficult because he was afraid and in pain but it was doable with direct access to his nervous system and energy flow. She leaned in to give orders but quickly realized sultry suggestions would fall on deaf ears with all this damned noise. Snarling in frustration, the fox spirit gestured to one of the main speakers causing it to erupt in blue flames. There was sparking and then a loud pop before the music volume dropped suddenly. Everyone stopped what they were doing now.

At the landing halfway down the staircase, the pair now stood side by side. The raven haired woman had an arm draped across Viktor’s shoulders, his return embrace taking shape of a hand on her hip. Lilith’s puppet called out to the crowd, “Greetings, friends! Now that I have your attention, my esteemed guest and I would like to start a game. Participation is mandatory, so make sure you listen to the rules. It’s simple: no running, no whining, and no calling for help. As soon as you all make your way upstairs, we can get started.” Lilith let out a gentle smirk and tilted her head in to lick one of the wounds in Viktor’s neck.

Dread began to break out in the villa. Those who had paid attention before were confused, hadn’t the couple just been in a confrontation? Wasn’t there screaming? Those just checking in worried this whole party was a setup for Vikor’s initiation into the Bratva. Was he expected to cut ties with everyone from his past life? Was all of this just some weird joke they were too far gone to get? Why did no one seem to recognize the woman? Surely she was the sort Viktor would have shown off to everyone, he didn’t tend to keep his ‘friends’ a secret.

Not surprisingly, people began to move in almost every direction but the staircase. Clenching her fist so tight it drew blood, Lilith was done with insubordination. It was time for these humans to cower in awe and fear.

“ENOUGH!” A grand sweep of her arm directed her fox flames to create a wall of blue fire, blocking off the front entrance of the building. She didn’t have enough to block off the entire building but now most of the guests would have to pass Lilith to try and get outside. Finally, the strobing light played in her favor, helping with the chaos as people began to push each other to try and find a way out.

“I was prepared to end this in a civilized fashion but I suppose that was too much to expect of your kind. Very well, if it's chaos you want, then-” The arrogant fox was interrupted by a sharp hiss of pain. Glancing down, she saw the bloom of a new wound burst from her collarbone. All of Lilith’s magic focus wavered, Viktor wasting no time in sprinting towards his guard while white ears and tails unfurled from the mysterious woman’s body, “Miha! Get me to the cellar, now!”

With an infuriated roar, Lilith revealed her true form. Holding the human facade split her focus too much and her anger would only allow her sights to hone in on one thing: forced submission. Leaping for the nearest target, the kumiho’s shining fangs found their mark in the arm of a red haired woman. The wound immediately began to sizzle and burn, eliciting a shrill cry as the flames began to spread.

"Stay here and lay low. Don't move, alright?" Aleks spoke as he pointed towards the bundle of coats hanged in the room. Now was not time for anyone to come get their coat, so she should be out of the way here. He had already sent three potential hearts away and he was hiding one more. That was not part of the plan, even less a smart thing to let her live. Yet, she was defenseless, Aleks resorted to deal with her later. Or let Lilith deal with her, at least he wouldn't have to pull the trigger. Alyona nodded her head as Aleks moved out of the room.

It was mere moments afterwards that the noise had stopped, everyone's eyes peeled on the "couple" at the staircase. "What are you doing?" Aleks growled as he inspected other people, everyone slowly turning to panic as words came out of Viktor's mouth. This set of events did give Aleks a better insight on the fox's abilities. He thought about the possibilities before, but blue flames? Manipulation? That was ridicolous, unreal. He had no idea what he was getting himself into by making a pact with this demon. It was too late to pull out now. Yet, at least he was able to see for himself that she indeed was a powerful ally. Certainly better than not having her on his side.

But that was not the priority right now. Aleks had to find a way out of this predicament. Viktor knew who she came with. Michael knew it damn well. Others were neglectable. By the looks of things, Lilith would deal with most of them. What's left of them would do more harm to each other by panicking. He saw one girls get trampled. Not a pretty sight. Well, as much as he was able to see due to the strobing.

The fire looked even stronger due to the lighting. Giving the illusion of fire being more spread out than it really was.

Even if Aleks wanted to deal with them, he hardly could. His insticts went to Viktor who ordered Michael to get him away. Not good. The cellar? Aleks knew something was fishy about it, but didn't know what. An emergency exit? A safe room? Both options were bad. Viktor and Michael were the only ones able to identify Aleks at the party. They couldn't be allowed to leave.

"Wonderful."

Aleks dashed towards Viktor, Michael pointing the gun towards him. "I'll take him to safety. You take care of whatever this is. I know I brought her here, but I have as little clue as the two of you. But we have to go right now. I don't want a Titov to die in a Kuzmichev's house." Of course Michael wouldn't give Viktor away, however Aleks counted on Viktor trusting Aleks' status enough. For all he knew, both Viktor and Aleks were priority people, and if Aleks was found dead at the party he hosted, it was Viktor's head that would be served on a plate. He nodded, much to Michael's disagreement.

"Miha, kill this bitch. Thing. Whatever it is. Kill her and make sure she stays killed."

Michael shot an angry look towards Aleks and it was easy to read what it meant. Anything happens to Viktor, and I'll kill you myself. Noted.

Aleks nodded as he took Viktor and moved towards the cellar. He glanced at the fox, unsure whether she was in full rage mode and would even recognize him. He did give her a reassuring look, but whether she would notice him amidst all the chaos she was doing... it was a wild guess.

He had a plan, but it was down to her to deal with Michael and rest of the patrons. For the time being at least. What little time they had left. How long will it take for police to be alerted? This was spinning out of control rapidly.

Lilith sprinted around the villa, leaving smouldering wounds and anguished cries in her wake. Her main objective was crowd control, misery being a close second. Standing around knee height, it was easy to sever muscle and ligaments, reducing movement to hobbling or crawling. Being so small and agile also made Lilith one nightmare of a target for Michael. With every strobe of the light, she would vanish and then reappear in a flash of white several feet away. Her indirect path made it impossible to lead the shot. The mercenary chose to start with removing sensory distractions. As long as the creature was preoccupied with moving targets, Michael didn’t have to worry about it intervening. He used an entire magazine shooting out lights and speakers while Lilith made her way to DJ PILL5 and the two women who made it out to the backyard.

Michael wasted no time making his way to the kitchen, flipping a table on its side and making a small barricade with it and the kitchen island. He then reloaded and waited in the now dark villa. He had no doubt the monster would be back for the screaming bodies it had left in here. One man began crawling to the bodyguard, begging for assistance. Michael silenced the man to keep his location hidden and then trained his eyes on the back entrance once more. He could see a couple lights pop up from the corner of his eye as people used their phones to seek help but he didn’t bother looking at the illuminated faces. They weren’t part of his objective.

As Lilith turned back to the house, she noticed the pulsing light was gone. She was thankful but that also meant she couldn’t use it to hide from that damned man. Or at least, that was probably his plan. Her features briefly contorted into a beastly grin before she darted towards the door. The air around her began to ripple and distort as if in extreme heat before an illusionary double materialized and passed through in front of her.

Within seconds, a shot was fired, the bullet passing through the mirage without disruption. Michael cursed, thinking he had missed the shot until he saw a second fox enter the room. Whatever this thing was, it was completely unpredictable. Either it had called in a friend, or his bullet had uncovered some sort of trick. Which seemed more believable? Him missing a shot or magic?

As if to answer his question, the house began… breathing? With a steady rhythm that made the structure creak, everything seemed to swell and relax like a diaphragm. Michael tried shaking his head but the sight remained. It made no sense, he hadn’t taken anything tonight, not even water, so no one could have slipped him anything. Was it something in the air? Everyone else was in a panic, so it was hard to tell if they were seeing the same thing as him but now the mercenary was certain, there was no way he missed that shot. This day had started out so normal, how had it gotten to this point? Michael needed a raise after this.

"Viktor, I hope you have a wait out," Aleks said as he followed Viktor into the room, the coat storage before the cellar. He pretended not to have an idea there is a cellar entrance there. Viktor was taking the lead anyways, more than willing to get his neck out of this predicament. "We go to the cellar. Move from there." Interesting, Viktor seemed to have little doubt in Aleks' trustworthiness after all. That was good. He needed to find out all information possible about a potential exit from this mansion. Now there was no more music either to mute the sounds of screaming and gunshots. The police might be corrupt in this city, but they will eventually have to come here. And when they do, it's better for both Aleks and Lilith not to be anywhere in the vicinity. That is - if Lilith even makes it out of there alive.

Somehow, he didn't doubt it. Seeing her perform so far was... well, needless to say - she wouldn't die here. He still wasn't sure whether that was a good thing for him. "Here!" Aleks was brought back to reality as Viktor almost knocked the door of its hinges. He wasn't calm, not even looking back towards Aleks before moving down into the dark cellar. Two female patrons entered the room from the outside. There were still a few people outside but most of them entered the mansion to see what the ruckus was all about. By the time they realized that they were better off out there, it was too late. They served themselves straight to Lilith.

Not these two, however. Both scared out of their pants, they gasped for air. "Down here," Aleks motioned for them to enter before descending down the stairs himself, a weak orange hue emanating from within. The sound of electricity was buzzing all around him, accompanied by the shaking of the upstairs. The small hallway at the bottom of the steps was leading towards another door, and Viktor unlocking the lock on it. So he was hiding something down here indeed. The pathway leading towards the door was surrounded by wine barrels on both sides, but the entire area had a menacing vibe to it. Maybe even slightly more menacing than the sight of whatever Lilith truly was.

The two girls were visibly shaken, but they stopped in their tracks as Viktor turned to them, dropping the lock to the floor. "Get back up there, you two! This is not a place for you." Aleks could notice that one of the girls contemplated listening to him, only furthering his belief that Viktor was a beast himself. "Too late for that now, Viktor. Let's just go." Aleks made his way towards Viktor, who was adamant about not letting the girls in. He closed in on Aleks. "They cannot go in. You don't understand-"

"Listen to me. You send them back, they will die. And we will both have their blood on our hands. More importantly, that thing up there sees the two of them coming from here, she comes after us. And we die too. Let's just go before it's too late." Aleks briefly explained as he pushed the door open and entered the room. He heard the switch flicking a moment after.

As the room brightened, Aleks noted the lights were more like a medical lighting system than anything else. Padded walls. Blood stains on the table in the middle of the room. A variety of toy racks spread through the room. More like torture equipment than toys. And the smell. Mixture of medicine and death. Aleks could hear Viktor order the girls in as his blood boiled. "What is this?"

Viktor tapped him on the shoulder as he passed him, sitting on the table for a moment before moving on, approaching one of the girls. "This is my play room. A fun room. We have all the fun in the world here, without anyone bothering us." He caressed her cheek before she pushed him away. Viktor proceeded to slap her, but Aleks caught his arm in time. "I told you these bitches are not supposed to be here. At least not now."

"What you do behind closed doors is not my business. Get me out of here and I won't mention any of this to rest of the Bratva. Everyone happy, yes?"

Content with that reply, Viktor clasped his hands together. "I'll go unlock the exit." He approached Aleks, whispering into his ear, "But these bitches cannot go. You have to get rid of them."

Aleks gritted his teeth at the sentence. Did Viktor even do anything with his own two hands? He probably had other people dispose of... whatever poor soul made her way to this room. What a truly disgusting, sickening man. As he watched Viktor move towards the shelf in the back of the room, Aleks turned back to the two girls. Yes, Lilith was indeed the best thing to happen to him. A means to destroy this rotten community, burn it from ground up.

He didn't look the girls in the eyes as he shot each of them. One shot to the head each. He was no professional, but at this close range, with both of them shaken. It didn't prove to be a problem. Like that made it any easier. Especially as he could hear Viktor chuckle at the sound of gunshots. The adrenaline didn't allow this to soak fully in yet. "Here, doesn't really suit people like us, but a sewer system can lead us way away from here. I can call my father and he'll fix-," Viktor explained but a gun pressed against the back of his head made him stop in his tracks.

"Don't talk. I don't want to hear another word from you."

"Wh-," Viktor muttered out but a gunshot rung out, his body flopping down onto the ground. Such a man didn't deserve to live. And he had no reason to live anymore, fulfilling his purpose. As Aleks turned around, looking at the three dead bodies, he moved to the corner and threw up. It had finally sunk what he had done. What they were doing all along. If not before, he was certainly a killer now.

He slumped down into the corner, running his hands through his hair, a facade of calmness breaking for the first time in a long while. Fortunately, no one was around to notice it. Or so Aleks though. A shuffling noise made him come to his senses, gun immediately pointed towards the source. It was Alyona. A terrified look on her face as she popped her head into the room. It would be almost comical if the circumstances were different.

The gun pointed towards her made her raise her hands up and enter the room. "I just wanna go..." she muttered, tears flowing down her face. It wasn't the first time someone had said it. Back then, she was crying too. "Please." God damn it. Aleks lowered the gun. "Shut up!"

He had no luxury to relapse like this. He had to repeat that to himself. For all these years, he practiced this art of lying, the facade remaining firmly on his face. And out of all those times, this was the worst for it to fall apart. To be reminded that he was also human. He couldn't allow it. As he brought the gun back up again, he simply wasn't able to bring himself to finish it. This descent into darkness.

"Forget what you saw. Leave the city, okay?" his tone returned to his previous calm iteration. She meekly nodded as he stood up. "Go."

He fixed his hair and focused on the sounds above him, there was no way he was leaving without Lilith.