It was a brisk spring evening, about 7 o’clock. Through the steady murmur of rain, a single pair of footsteps could be heard headed down an empty street of Central Saint Petersburg, the clack of high heels unmistakable. Though her face was hidden by an umbrella, the woman’s presence exuded beauty and confidence. Her long legs took leisurely strides and a beige trench coat clung to her shapely figure. Hotel Astoria came into view and the woman’s full lips curled into a smile, her pace quickening slightly.

The doorman greeted her with a smile, his eyes doing a quick scan of her figure as she passed by. With her umbrella folded and the crystal chandeliers providing a warm glow, the woman’s face came into full view. Her face was narrow with high cheekbones and her eyes were an eerie, animalistic gold. After checking in her coat and umbrella, she made her way over to the bar.

Sliding onto one of the stools, she ordered a red wine and then turned a bit to see who else was present. She spotted a couple men in the back corner, clearly having some sort of business debate. The younger one was quite handsome, almost delicate in his features, and his posture was far more relaxed. The older man, probably in his 40s, was dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief, the negotiations not seeming to be in his favor. Seemingly satisfied with what she saw, the mysterious woman turned back to the bartender and stuck up a casual conversation, though her focus never left the men behind her.

Forty minutes later, the woman felt confident the meeting was drawing to a close and she stood to make sure she left before they did. Stepping outside, she ripped a large hole in her umbrella and waited. Not much longer… She thought as she licked her lips in anticipation. She’d been following the man for a couple days now and had determined that he was sufficiently wealthy. All that was left was to seduce him and steal what she could from his home.

Finally, the fox spirit’s beautiful target walked out of the building and she began her act. She fumbled with the umbrella, trying to find a way to make it functional despite the large hole and failing. She sighed in exasperation and mumbled to herself, “This is just great. How am I supposed to get home now?”

The sound of rain filled the city – slowly, but surely colliding with the concrete. A fearless assault raging from the skies. A male figure was walking down the street, his rhythm calm and constant, not bothered by the natural phenomena. His black coat only slightly danced with the occasional breeze that accompanied the ever continuing rain. An umbrella was doing an excellent job sheltering his face. But his blue eyes tried looking up at the sky as much as they could. He liked rain. It was a natural phenomenon that was a resembling reality at its finest. The sharp, cold droplets hurting the skin on impact. It was a perfect metaphor for the real world. The world below the mask of families, happiness and love. A ruthless jungle.

Like a lone wolf, Aleksei Volkov walked down the street. But he wasn’t a Volkov, not today and not for the last ten years. Harsh droplets reminded him of reality once again. He was Aleksei Titov, a son of Nikolai – one of the more influential figures in Russia. That was his reality. And it brought him out on a day such as this.

Earlier today, a man contacted him - Lev Jesenash. A man in charge of the shipments in the eastern part of the city. His organization held the territory for themselves and they rarely approved other people shipments. Which was a shame, considering a pretty massive shipment just came in for a certain Titov. Weapons. And judging by Lev’s tone, he wasn’t happy that happened without his consent.

They would meet in a Hotel Astoria, a neutral ground. That was, of course, what Lev thought. In reality, even Astoria was owned by affiliates of his father. Only the chosen few are allowed to live a life of luxury – and those chosen ones have to be swift and ruthless. And he was going to be exactly like that.

***

„You are trespassing on our territory. How do you plan on compensating for that?” An older man, 46 years old, spoke – his voice full of anger. „Compensating? Who do you take me for? I know well that the eastern districts are under your jurisdiction, but tell me, comrade...” He paused for a few moments, taking a note of nervousness on Lev’s face. He was certainly uncomfortable being called a „comrade” by a boy over twenty years younger than him. „Nothing in this world is constant, am I not right? Otherwise you would not see men cheating on their wives with some cheap prostitutes.”

His breathing became heavy, „What did you just say?” Aleks merely smirked as he took a sip of his coffee and proceeded to talk, not paying any attention to his adversary’s objections. „The problem is, sir, you misunderstood us. We are not trying to take over your territory; we are merely expanding our market. And you should also bear in mind that we are kind enough not to pry it away from your hands. There is a certain rumor going around that some of your boys got arrested and that they told the police everything they know.”

The man was sweating, he knew what was coming. „But the police does not have any concrete evidence to take action, isn’t that so? And what would happen to your little business should they get their hands on certain documents?” With a tremendous force, the man brought his fist down on the table. Aleks kept a calm expression on his face, but he was grinning on the inside. He had his prey by the neck and he wouldn’t let go. „Listen to me, kid. I worked side by side with your father while you were still in diapers. We’re like brothers!” He raised his voice, turning a few heads in their direction.

That’s when he noticed it. A woman watching them. But it wasn’t a curious gaze like those they got from other visitors. No. She wasn’t merely watching, she was observing. He had a hunch, but he could not confirm it until now. He was being followed. His „comrade” continued barking, taking pauses just to wipe sweat from his forehead with his red handkerchief. A true Russian.

Aleks let his focus turn to the woman, although he took extreme precaution not to give away his interest. Who would want to have him followed? Competition? No. He knew they would not use such an obvious person. What could she want from him? There was only one way to find out, but he knew he had the privilege to go on about business at his own pace. After all, this was the first time she ever came so close. This only proved she was searching for an opportunity to make her move.

„And?” Aleks focused back on Lev, just as he was finished talking about pride and unity. The cold glare took the man by surprise. „Stop messing around. Are you really trying to take money from a brother?” This was getting ridiculous. The man had nothing to bring to the table. This meeting was nearing its end. Just to apply a little more pressure. „About those documents,” Aleks began, but Lev interrupted him. „A-are you trying to blackmail me?”

„With so many years of experience behind you, you should be able to recognize someone blackmailing you. This, on the contrary, is just a friendly proposition. Just accept our shipments without complaining, and I’ll be more than satisfied.”

An agonizing groan poured out of him. And with that, he surrendered. „And when I am satisfied, you can rest assured my father will be even more satisfied.” He offered him a hand and after a few moments of silence, the man took it. His palm was sweaty. Sign of a complete victory.

But the meeting wouldn't just end there. Aleks knew this for a fact, especially after noticing the woman leaving the bar. He turned to his companion with a friendly smile and offered him another drink - for the road. If she was waiting for him, as he assumed – he would see her again upon leaving the bar. Exactly why he needed to give her a little time to be sure meeting her won’t be just a coincidence.

After another glass was emptied, Aleks decided it was time to depart. Once again shaking Lev’s hand, he left the bar and the hotel. Just as he assumed, the woman was right there. She seemed to have problems with her umbrella. He licked his lips, she surely thought this was her chance, but it was actually an opening for him. Upon approaching her, he noticed her stature was far more elegant and beautiful to be a mere girl that is looking for some fun or easy money. There was something else going on here. And he knew exactly what to do. Right now, she was a damsel in distress.

He opened his umbrella and put it above her. „I suppose I could be your knight in a shining armor, my lady – after all, we do not want you to come home completely soaked, now do we?” He gave her a friendly smile as he tried to take a better look at her face.

The fox pretended to be surprised when she heard the sound of an umbrella opening beside her, tensing her shoulders and turning her head fast enough to make her hair flow in an inky curtain over her shoulder. Her harsh, golden eyes immediately connected with his and she smiled, but not big enough for him to notice her canines that were just slightly too sharp to be human.

“Thank you so much, I hate getting my hair wet.” Her narrow eyes turned to the street and she gently hooked her hand on his arm that was holding the umbrella. The gesture seemed innocent enough, but it was all the fox needed to ensure the man couldn't run away. She didn't believe he was weary of her, but she wasn't going to take her chances. She wasn't fond of being refused.

“I live down this way.” She pointed down a random street, not thinking about the fact that it led away from the housing districts, and began to guide him. She kept her body close to him, the shelter of the umbrella small enough to necessitate it, and could feel the faint warmth of his body through his coat. This would have been such a romantic moment, had her thoughts not been on how much money she thought this man might have lying around his overly-lavish condo she was certain he possessed. Perhaps he had a nice watch collection too… Not that she wore watches, especially not men’s watches, but they often sparkled with gold and jewel accents and that was good enough for her.
A few minutes passed in silence, and the pair was slowly making their way to a more isolated part of town. The old roads were narrow, just wide enough for two cars, but with no designated sidewalk. Street lights were becoming sparse and with the rain, there was no hope for moonlight. Now seemed as good a chance as any. Stopping suddenly, the dark haired woman turned to the man, pushing her body even closer to his. She kept her grip on his arm loose, not wanting to frighten him, and gazed longingly into the deep blue pools of his eyes, “I know this is awfully forward of me, but do you think I could go home wi-“ A fierce snarl cut the woman short as a stray mutt stumbled across their path.
Immediately, the woman’s pupils constricted and black-tipped ears emerged from her hair. She growled softly, her red lips pulled back to reveal sharp canines. The fox spirit walked over to the dog and smacked it with her umbrella hard enough to knock the poor creature off its feet. She raised the umbrella once more and shouted in a voice that was much harsher than the one she’d used before, “You filthy beast, get out of here!” The dog quickly got up and scampered away, much to the fox’s relief. She sighed softly and lowered the umbrella, annoyed as she looked down at her soaked clothing. Then she remembered.

“Shit…”

Abandoning her makeshift weapon, the fox-like woman dashed towards the young man, grabbing both his wrists and pushing him back against the wall. Her gaze roamed across the man’s face as murmured more to herself than to him, “What a shame… you have such a pretty face.” Her eyes paused momentarily at his lips before staring coldly into his eyes, “I hadn't planned on killing you, you know. Unfortunately, that’s just how these things go sometimes- not that it matters to me. You see, whether I take your money or your heart, I’ll still get what I want.”

The fox didn't want to eat another heart so soon, the newspapers were still filled with stories of her last two victims, but she figured it would be a waste to kill him and not take the heart. Besides, if she were really lucky she would find his address on his ID and still be able to take his valuables before fleeing town. Actually, maybe this wasn't such a bad arrangement after all. Still… She was hoping she would have gotten to toy with this human a little more.

Whether the woman was putting up a wonderful act or was naturally as fluent was up for debate. What Aleks did know was that at the moment she linked their arms, his time to back out was no longer existent. He had to go with the flow for the moment. "Don't we all?" he kindly replied to her comment about getting her hair wet. His umbrella offered her protection as she guided him towards an isolated part of the town. That much was obvious the moment she pointed down a street that led away from the resident district. Unless she was homeless, she was lying. And considering her appearance - she wasn't homeless, he was sure. There was the possibility of her hiding from someone, thus indeed resorting to reside in that area - but that possibility was almost as far-fetched as the homeless one. A woman that walked with such elegance and pride wouldn't hide amongst drug-users and homeless people.

As they walked in silence, he put his free hand in the side pocket of his coat. He didn't have a weapon of some sort - all he had was a cellphone. Which was more than enough for him. He calmly fumbled around with it, not giving away any unnecessary movements. As she stopped and closed even more on him, he looked straight into her eyes. His foster father once told him never to trust a person with golden eyes. Of course, he continued on to say: "never trust anyone". But those once forgotten words of warning now lingered in his mind. He was prepared for the fired question, but the bullet never reached him. What came next was something he wasn't able to anticipate.

Sure, she hit a dog. First he thought she was insane - possibly a schizophrenic and that would've been bad enough. But her appearance. Oh, her appearance. She was different. Still the beautiful woman she was moments ago, only with some added fox-like details. Unfortunately, he didn't have enough time to soak those details in as she pinned him to the wall with a force of a rhino. What are you? - his mind wanted to blurt out. But then again, what good would that do? She was the one that pulled the first move, so he may as well let her be the first one to talk.

Kill me? he thought as his inner grin fought to emerge on the surface. Yet, his face still had that calm expression. The only difference was his gaze, his eyes were friendly when he offered her his umbrella, but now... they were piercing through the golden shield that were her eyes. She continued to speak and as her sentence was brought to an end - the realization dawned upon him. When he skimmed through the newspapers yesterday, he came across a report - second victim killed, murderer still not found. It was supposed to be a common thing in Russia, but apparently there was a reason this case had much more hype to its name. Both men missed one important organ. Their heart.

The rumors quickly spread - some said it was a satanic cult that killed those men. Some said it was a man in his twenties. Little did they know a murderer know stood in front of him and she was far from anything they might've assumed. "If my money is what you were after - we might have worked something out in your favor. But if it's my heart that you want... I guess you should've picked someone who has a heart." He spoke slowly, his words sounding calm and menacing, both at the same time.

"You're not from around here, are you?" He continued to talk, offering no physical resistance whatsoever. "If you were, you would have known better than to lay your hands on me." Be smart about this, whatever she's got up her sleeve, you still hold the ace...

"And if you kill me now, rest assured that you won't leave this place in one piece... my lady."

The raven-haired fox spirit tilted her head back a bit and laughed, “Are you threatening me, human?” Her head leveled and she drew her face in, her lips mere centimeters from his own before she whispered, “That’s precious.” His beautiful, stormy eyes were looking hard into hers, trying to find something, but she remained unfazed. What could he possibly do to her? Brushing her lips across his cheek to his ear, she whispered once more, “And I don’t ‘work things out’ with humans.” Pulling back suddenly, she locked eyes with him once more and smiled a toothy grin.

“Unless… are you trying to make a contract with me?” I could always use more fire… She didn't expect someone from Russia to know much about her kind, but the idea thrilled her. Making a contract with a kumiho was risky business and few were willing to comply. Sure, whatever you requested was practically guaranteed, but failure to withhold your end of the deal meant your soul belonged to the fox for the rest of its natural life, which could be quite a while. Of course, if this man didn’t know that, all the better for her. Things might play out even better than I had hoped, but then again…I am absolutely soaked. Frowning slightly, it was as if the fox had only just remembered the cold rain. If the man had spoken, she ignored it momentarily to look up at the sky before responding.

Her words had such a menacing ring to them, that she almost reminded him of Nikolai. Almost. If it was Nikolai instead of her, with his way of dealing with problems, Aleks figured he'd be already laying on the ground. Now, she had a way with words, but it was far from putting him in an immediate threat. Especially since she clearly had a split resolve. If her sole goal was to kill him, he'd be dead already. And yet, here she is, talking about a contract of some sort. No, that wasn't the main point here. She mentioned something about not working things out with humans.

No, worry about later. First take care of things in front of you. She must feel wonderful about herself right about now. Time to bring her back to earth. He noticed she looked up to the sky. She was so arrogant. Instead of talking, he put his hand in his pocket and took his cellphone out. A sent message was shown - "Sewers". The name of the receiver was not important. She wouldn't know him anyways. But the message was clear. He gave her an opportunity to check it out before continuing. "Before you continue grinning like an idiot, just let me say I'd gladly make a contract with you, but we won't do it solely your way. In a few minutes Russia's finest dogs will come to sniff this place out, according to my message. So, unless you don't want to explain your actions regarding this blunt assault. I suggest we come to friendly terms and move away from here. I got the feeling you don't appreciate dogs of any kind." He stopped for a second.

"I am sure you have something I could use. And I'm sure it works both ways. So, what is your decision, foxy lady?" His blue eyes made contact with the gold. "And you're pretty wet."

When the woman lowered her gaze, they immediately fell to the cellphone. She felt a momentary sinking feeling in her gut, but forced it off. Things could be worse and their little interaction was far from over. The centuries old fox wasn't about to let this man get away without giving her something. She glared at him through narrowed eyes, making it clear she was not pleased with him, though inwardly she was pleased he was willing to strike a deal. She made note of not taking the phone for him as she listened, trying to send the clear message that she was not afraid of the young man or anyone he could call for help.

Despite her desire to appear in control, the woman’s cool facade slipped a bit at the mention of dogs. Brow furrowed and her lips curved into a frown, the fox spirit pulled the man from the wall by the front of his shirt.

“We will settle this arrangement elsewhere, but only to get me out of the rain. Don’t think for a moment your foolish little games are going to work on me, boy, I have more experience than you could imagine.” The cocky glint returned to her eye and she began walking down the street, still pulling him by his shirt.

“Did you have a place in mind or should I find one myself?” She looked over her shoulder at him and casually smirked, but her ears were perked and listening for anything that sounded like a dog.

Yes, just as planned. Of course this fox wouldn’t let up on her prey, but at least he gave himself the upper hand, whether she wanted to admit it or not. He saw it in her eyes – the will to stay in control. That was, after all, the way this game was played. But she didn’t have to worry. The message was sent to his private cell phone number, since he used this one exclusively for business purposes. But there was no way of her knowing it and thus he gave himself a point in their little interaction.

He didn’t mind that she pulled him by his shirt – when an attacker suddenly turns to violence means that not everything went according to his plan. And that’s exactly what this was. Good...

„No need to trouble yourself. We can settle this dispute in my apartment. There is no one around and you can be certain no dogs will be around either.” He made sure to emphasize a certain word. But instead of taking the lead – he brought himself to a stop, trying to find a center of balance. „Before we go, though. I have to make sure we get some things clear. Obviously you have a proposition for me, otherwise you would have killed me when you had the chance. And, quite honestly, I wouldn’t complain if you did. But now that you want to play this kind of a game, we have to set some rules, because every game has a set of rules. Now, you may wonder what choice I have, but trust me – it is in your best interest to get out of here.”

Whether those words got through to her, he didn’t know, but he knew she was more than self-confident. He saw a woman that was sure there was no chance of failure. And that was an admiring treat. If he finds out what her intentions are, he might even use them to pursue his own goal of bringing the whole mafia down. The thought brought a cold smirk on his face as he looked at her, she could try forcing him to go, but that would take too much time. Something he told her she doesn’t have. Luckily for Aleks, the whole area was full of stray dogs, so he wasn’t surprised when he heard one barking in the distance. The smirk grew even more menacing.

„Two rules – first, try not to kill me the second you get the chance. I can make it worth your while and you can make it worth my while. Quid pro quo. Second, if we’re going to my apartment, cover yourself up – people should not notice the two of us together.”

Of course, he was feeling a certain sense of dread inside of him, but unlike her – he seemed to have a little bit more composure to show his inner feelings. He was taking a huge risk with this move and there was a reason he wasn’t afraid of getting killed. There were some things worse than death. And if Nikolai found out Aleks wanted to take him down... he would have to feel those things. That was why he wanted to learn her motives, her intentions. And being lucky enough to have pulled one on her, he might just get the opportunity.

"Might as well get you dry while we're there."

The woman felt sudden resistance as the man quit following her, causing her to stop as well. She faced him and let go of his shirt, placing her hands on her hips instead. She looked absolutely indignant, weight shifted onto one leg and her chin held high, but she was listening. It irritated her to no end that this human insisted on acting like he had control over the situation, but she was pleased he was willing to go to his apartment. She knew generally where he lived from tailing him, but caution prevented her from getting close enough to know exactly which apartment was his.

A couple blocks over, a dog barked, causing the fox to hiss as her ears strained to make sure the offensive beast was not headed in her direction. Reluctantly, her eyes went back to the young man, and she sighed, “You said so yourself, if I wanted you dead it would have happened already. I have no intention of taking your life.” She paused for a moment before adding, “Unless you give me reason to.” There was another moment of silence before the man offered to help her get dry and for the first time since their meeting, her face softened, even if only a bit. Glancing down as if she were embarrassed, she muttered, “I would appreciate that…”

Shaking off the momentary glimpse of vulnerability, the fox spirit straightened her stance and grinned, “I know how to get to your place without being seen, but you have to turn around. You won’t see me again until you’re at your door, sound good?” She waited for him to comply and once he did, she transformed into her true form, a dainty white fox taking place where the woman had been. Taking refuge in a nearby alley, the ghostly animal waited for the human to lead the way. She wasn't sure how the man would react to seeing her true form, but she thought it best to keep it secret from him. The fewer of her tricks he knew, the better. It still unnerved her how confident this man was despite the obvious threat to his safety. What could he possibly know that she didn't? It all seemed like a bluff, but the cautious fox was not willing to take the chance.

It was only a glimpse of weakness that he noticed when rain was mentioned - although it was so vague it might have not been a weakness at all. He was satisfied noticing it, though. There was a certain feeling in his gut, that became even stronger as the woman disappeared from the sight. He didn't question her methods, not yet at least. This way it would be much easier getting to his apartment. He didn't even look around, but merely fixed his clothes and focused on getting back home. "To the west. AdmiralteyskI kanal, 31." He whispered in the air before moving out. She was listening.

There was no need to take any sort of public transport. He had more than enough energy to walk. Indeed, a lot kf unknown aspect considering this woman made her a dangerous adversary, but a potentially powerful ally. He took his cell phone out and dialed a number as he walked home. "Aleksei reporting in, sir. Yes, everything is taken care of - Lev will not be a problem anymore." He sighed as the man on the other lines stopped talking. "Thank you, sir. I will make sure to report any future development. Of course." Aleks muttered something out asthe line went dead, but he kept the phone to his ear. "Yes. The surveillance camera has been fixed, do not worry. Thank you. Good night, sir."

Never trust a person with golden eyes. Of course, he had to report his success to Nikolai, but in case the woman was close enough to eavesdrop, it wouldn't kill him to take some more precautions. And honestly, he was interested in seeing how she'd react.

With the call out of the way, Aleks soon found himself in front of the building and, moments after, in front of his door. The key slid in smoothly and the door safe, dry haven opened. He entered the hallway, immediately taking his coat off. One sleeve got wet while he tried covering the girl. He made himself comfortable as he fixed his black shirt. It fit him almost perfectly.

He deliberately left the door slighly ajar, welcoming the woman in. Fixing his hair, he leaned on the wall and waited for his guest.

The fox appreciated the man whispering his address before setting out, though she didn't really need it. Slinking after him in the shadows, she occasionally took back alleys and round about ways just to be sure any unwanted onlookers didn't somehow take notice. At one point, the fox even cut across the road in front of him, but she was far enough down the street that he didn't see her. And even if he had caught a glimpse, she would have been just another stray roaming the city.

Because of her indirect stalking, she missed the beginning of his phone conversation and the fox spirit momentarily hesitating. He very well could have told alerted someone about her existence; could have orchestrated a trap at his apartment. They were meeting on his territory after all. At this point, it was unwise to continue. She should just cut her losses and find another target. But moving on implies failure, and the vain fox would rather fight her way out of a corner than simply walk away. Mention of a surveillance camera raised her internal anxiety further, but her pride refused to listen to reason. At least I know there are cameras. She rationalized to herself. That means I know to take care of them.

That was the fox spirit’s greatest weakness. Despite all her knowledge and all her experience, she often disregarded both and relied solely on her ability. She was emotional and a bit impulsive, which made her sloppy. It was bound to catch up with her one day.

Finally at the apartment, the fox spirit found the nearest alleyway and transformed back into the form of a beautiful woman. At first she walked right past the apartment, her eyes scanning sidelong to look for cameras. Seeing none, she turned around and walked up to the door, noticing it was cracked open for her. What a gentleman. She thought with a smirk. She pushed the door open slowly and stepped inside, her eyes scanning the hall for cameras. Still nothing. She closed the door behind her and stood in the entryway, a puddle forming beneath her courtesy of her soaked clothes. Her face was neutral, golden eyes relinquishing nothing as they looked upon his face through the strands of black hair plastered to her face. She was beautiful and disheveled at the same time. It made her look wild, like the predator she was.

It was warm inside the apartment, which only made her feel colder in her drenched attire. The woman hugged her arms to her body and waited for the man to speak.

Maybe he should’ve felt more attracted to the woman, seeing as how beautiful she looked even under such conditions. No - he was attracted to her, but there were always higher priorities. Now it was just the two of them and this was his territory. He was quite sure she thought about it, considering she wasn’t the one to initiate interaction like before. He moved in front of her, debating whether or not to move those few stray strands out of her hair. In the end, he didn’t do it. Instead he went further into the room, swiftly opening the far end drawer and taking a towel out of it.

Those moments passed in silence. Aleks didn’t say anything as he returned to stand in front of the woman, gently putting a towel over her head. It covered her eyes for a moment and he used that to circle around her and put his hands on her shoulders. “Your coat, lady.” He waited until she moved just enough for him to take the heavy, soaked piece of clothing and put it away. It was a relief that she didn’t attack him right there. Maybe she did hear his bluff about cameras and was careful about it. Good... And, having the opportunity, he deliberately positioned the coat over his hands in a way that he could feel if there was anything in her pockets. It didn’t seem so.

Turning back to the woman, he finally opened his mouth. “Since I am being a polite host, you could at least introduce yourself.” He wouldn’t ask for her intentions straight away, because that was a prescription for a completely different kind of reaction. Those who liked to be in charge hated being interrogated. So, his best bet was to start with a few friendly sentences and then build from that.

“I’d presume you know who I am, but since you were so blunt about assaulting me… I get the feeling that you don’t. My name is Aleksei Titov. Rings any bells?” She wasn’t from around here, that much was certain, but at least he could check to see how much she knew about the food chain here.

There was an oddly peaceful tension in the air as the pair did their dance of formality and restraint. Both parties were aware something serious was happening in the apartment, but curiously enough, neither one knew exactly what it was that was going on. So many unknowns hung in the air, it completely ruined any pleasure their interaction might have held.

The handsome young man dropped a towel on the fox spirit’s head but before she could protest, she felt hands on her shoulders. She shivered faintly under the unexpected touch, but she told herself it had nothing to do with this man’s ability to make her feel vulnerable and instead was just from the cold. It was that same thought that wanted to resist as he tried to remove her coat, but she complied, holding out her arms behind her slightly. He is far too bold.

Now standing in only a clingy, black cocktail dress that was too revealing for such a cold night, the woman quickly grabbed the towel from her head, her restored vision finding the human in front of her once more. She only made eye contact for a moment before immediately going into the acts of drying herself out. As she wrung her hair in the towel, he talked about names, causing her to smile softly.

“You all are always so preoccupied with names… It’s the same everywhere you go, did you know that? I suppose it always has been…” Her mind flickered back to when she had traveled Asia centuries ago, where humans readily fought and killed each other all in honor of their family’s name. So very trite…

Despite her dismissive comment, the woman continued, “I've had many names over the years, far too many to count, but none of them truly belong to me. I suppose for convenience sake….” Her head tilted up slightly as she thought, until a smile graced her blood red lips once more, “I do recall an old woman accused me of being Lilith once, I rather like the sound of that. Yes… Aleksei Titov, you may call me Lilith.” She did a sweeping gesture with her right arm as she bowed slightly, a mocking gesture of respect, “It’s a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I take from your tone that I am supposed to know who you are?” It was a snide remark to be sure, but the fox spirit meant no particular disrespect by it. She didn't care much who any human was. How many kings had claimed to be a deity, only to die at a pitifully young age? What was the lifespan of even 90 years to one who had seen a millennium come and go?

As she waited for some undoubtedly unimpressive explanation of who he was and all he had accomplished, Lilith continued drying herself. She bent over at the waist to run the towel over her legs, her head level with his groin, which was only about 20 cm away. The fox doubted it, but it might not be too late to win over his more primal instincts. It couldn't hurt to try, at least.

I know that. I admit that... the thought popped into his mind as she spoke. For a single moment he spaced out, remembering a certain name from his past. It lingered in his mind for just a moment before he pushed it away. He was getting pretty interested in this woman, she talked like she was everywhere and seen everything. But in the end, a name left her red lips. Lilith. It echoed in his mind.

Lilith. When someone calls you by a demon's name, you can be pretty sure that person is worth that name. He'll have to remember that there was probably a good reason he called her Lilith and not some other demon name. He could almost see the demonic resemblance as he inspected her figure. Demonically beautiful. If she was indeed the one from the newspapers, well... it was no surprise that she managed to seduce both men. But to be dressed like that while the temperature was like this - she must have had some similar intentions with Aleks. The thought flattered him just enough to boost his confidence and not make him over-confident. "No... Lilith," he answered as he took one more good look at her figure, before proceeding to lean on the same wall as before.

"You are not supposed to know who I am." When compared to the people he worked for, he was indeed nothing but livestock. A piece in a much bigger complex game. And he was just one of the pawns. But life is not a game of chess. In life, even pawns can become kings - and kings can become livestock. "People live and people die. Any person, no matter how dangerous, can be killed. Therefore, I understand someone like you will not fear me, no matter what my life experience says." He did not know what someone like her was, but that doesn't mean he had to be direct about it.

"On the other hand... The people I work for," He begun once again. "You may not be interested who they are as living beings, but their organization is an entity in its own realm."

"Japan has Yakuza. China has Triads. Italy has Cosa Nostra. And we have Bratva. Money and power is all they care about and no fear exist in their kind. They were breed for war." Aleks intentionally used words that could describe dogs, it was really lucky that he knew what Lilith really disliked. "What I want to say is - getting you not to kill me was me doing you a big favor, because they wouldn't kill you in return. They would want you to fill in my place and the methods they would use... you wouldn't like them."

Stolen glances at her figure did not go unnoticed by the woman, and she smiled inwardly at that. It’s always so easy. Even you, with your calm, business-minded front, can’t fully resist, can you? The temptations brought forth by a beautiful woman ignite such a carnal flame. But be careful boy, it always starts with quick glances.

Her internal dialogue was brought to an end when Aleks admitted that he was not so particularly important and hinted, yet again, that he might just know what she was. He had her full attention now, her head tilted inquisitively as he described the people he worked for. The thought of someone trying to control her, someone telling her what to do, was comical in its unlikelihood and revolting in concept. The fox spirit was not sure how to react to such a statement, so she decided to change the subject.

“I appreciate you being so generous as to place my well being before your own life, but I believe we've already established that your life will not end by my hand. We’re here to business, so why don’t we just get to that?” She pushed her drying hair back over her shoulder and smirked, “Unless you intended to charm me some more? I don’t mind being wined and dined, you know.” Lilith winked to let him know that was a joke and then turned to find a place to get more comfortable. It was then that she finally took in the details of his apartment, and her eyes widened slightly at what she saw. It was clean, sleek, and very modern. She had chosen a worthy target indeed.

Sauntering slowly to the couch she called over her shoulder, “I hope you don’t mind if I take a seat? I've been walking in these heels all night.” She laughed lightly, the sound far more delicate and sweet than the voice she spoke in. She was certain with his manners that he wouldn't say no, so she folded the towel and laid it on the couch before sitting down. Crossing her legs just so, Lilith offered up a tantalizing view of her legs, the slender limbs now completely exposed for Aleks to see.

“Now then, what is it that you wanted from me?” She looked at him with her golden eyes, a faint smile on her lips.

He watched her sit down and then ask for permission. Indeed, he didn't mind it and gesticulated as much. But he remained on his feet. "A life of a beautiful lady is surely more important than mine." He said what she probably wanted to hear. Some sweet music for her ears. "Make yourself at home." He smiled as a sense of relief came to his heart. She did something that was smart, but not smart enough.

Evading the topic was smart indeed. Better not to say anything if you don't know what to say. But it also gave away a sense of confusion. If she was so fearless, she would have kept pressuring him. However, she did seem to be quite a negotiator, trying to use her body to gain advantage ever since their first interaction. Although he didn't mind wining and dining a lady, there was a certain thing that kept his head clear, even when he had such a sight to behold. He could've taken the bait and enjoyed this lady in every sense. Women are to be used. Eaten up and used... Nikolai's words echoed in his head. The thought made him sick. Never in his life did he succumb to such thinking. Of course, to use people was what he did. But to use someone merely for his primal urges was animalistic. And not profitable. That would only bring problems in the long run.

He licked his lips, but only after her sentence. He was more than satisfied getting down - to business. "The main question is... what do you want?" His analytical glare followed her movements. "Not with me, mind you. Rather here, in this city. In this country. You are not Russian and we both know it." He gave her a kind smile. A true negotiator lets the other party speak first, giving them a false sense of control over the negotiation.

"I am sure you want something more than just a guy to satisfy your most primal... urges." He finally returned her that wink from before.

Pouting in mock hurt, the woman sighed, “And just like that, I’m branded an outsider. I thought my Russian was pretty good, too. Oh well…” She leaned back and closed her eyes before continuing, “I’m just passing through. There isn't much more to it than that.” Her eyes opened to look at the ceiling as she continued, “I never really stay in one place for too long, things tend to get… complicated.” Smiling at that severe understatement, Lilith finally raised her head to look at Aleks once more. She stared at him for a moment, wondering what to ask for. It wasn't as if she had ever planned on asking him for anything. She supposed money would work, but money she could get on her own.

“You know, it’s a bit awkward… You see, I don’t really know what to ask for. I don’t think you can give me what I really want.” She laughed and somewhat whimsically added on, “Unless you happen to have a lot of fresh human hearts lying around.” It was probably unwise to be so straightforward in her request, but Lilith was getting tired and she wanted to take off her still wet dress. Besides, she figured this negotiation wouldn't go anywhere if she beat around the bush. This man played enough mind and word games as it was, she didn't need to add to the trouble.

For the first time since the two started interacting, the woman seemed to be genuinely peaceful. Not aggressive, not straightforward and not cunning. Most of her words actually seemed honest. He actually believed that things got complicated for her, which is why he almost took it as a given that she was the murderer from the news. So that’s how it is… a certain thought shone through all his other thoughts. He smirked as he listened to her mention the word "hearts".

”You are mistaken, my lily.” He passed through his hair with his hands. His smirk grew into a sadistic smile which made his gaze look far more menacing than usually, even more with his hair still pulled backwards. “I have a lot of hearts lying around.”

Then he released his hair, which returned almost perfectly to its previous state. “But only one that you will never have.” He put his hand mockingly on his chest, this time his words were directed at her attempts to seduce him out. She was quite straightforward with her sentence, almost as if she wanted him to know she was a wanted murderer. She wanted him to have something to offer her – he could almost feel it. A key figure to his long anticipated plan finally showed her face. He was almost thankful for her coming into his life. But before getting ahead of himself, he needed to know more about her… heart obsession.

“Tell me,” he spoke as he approached her, putting his hand softly on her knee. “Would you care to get that wet dress out of the way?” His hand moved slightly up as he pulled it back, only slightly pulling the dress along. He knew it was her intention to seduce him before, so he was just playing with her now. He smirked as he moved away and reformulated his question.

“Would you care for a pair of dry clothes? You can stay for the night, we have a lot to talk about. And you can’t stay wet for the whole night - or can you?” He almost felt bad for teasing her like that.

Almost.

Excitement brought tingles to the back of Lilith’s neck as Aleks showed a more malicious side to his nature. There’s the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing. You look absolutely vicious. For the first time in decades, the fox spirit began to take interest in the human standing before her. She began to see Aleks as more than just someone to take advantage of. He seemed like a worthy adversary, or ally if they so arranged it, though of course he was far from being her equal. Lilith had yet to meet someone who could best her and that had eventually led her to believe that such a person simply didn't exist.

As the young man continued to speak, he mocked her failure to seduce him. It irritated her a bit, but mostly she saw it as a challenge. Just because he wasn't groveling at her feet now didn't mean it was never going to happen. She considered the challenge accepted. She would have felt thrilled about the fact had he not at that very moment not only completely turn the table around, but he touched her. She immediately glared at his hand as if it was some diseased insect and moved to slap it away, but it was gone before her arm made it halfway.

Her posture remained alert even after he had backed away from her, as if she had suddenly remembered this man was not to be trusted. He had such an innocent, genuine smile on his face but his words were so derisive it made her grit her teeth. Her jaw remained tight as she responded, causing the words to come out in a near growl, “If we simply settled this deal I wouldn't need dry clothes. But if you must insist on being vague, indirect, and childish then I suppose I have little choice but to accept.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she turned her head to the side and scoffed, “You’re very lucky I gave my word not to take your life.” Muttering under her breath quiet enough that she hoped he didn't hear, she added, “You are unbelievably frustrating…”

And so, she doesn't like to be touched. He made a mental note of that - now knowing two things about her that she probably didn't want him to know. Marvelous. He gave her a quick smile as he moved away towards the closet. "Don't get mad at me all of a sudden," he took a gray sweater along with the black shirt and put them both over his shoulder. It was a problem that most of his wardrobe consisted of formal pieces of apparel. He had almost nothing casual to offer her. He decided to go for black pants in the end.

"I didn't mean to insult my guest." He put the clothes next to her, before moving away. He looked around the apartment before sighing. "This could be a problem," due to the unorthodox style of the apartment, he had nowhere to move in order to give her more free space. He had to settle for the bathroom in the end. "Take your time and, please, if you need anything else - feel free to check my garderobe." He gave her a soft smile, leaving for the bathroom.

Although he moved his body already, Aleks forced himself to a stop, turning back to Lilith - you look cute when angry, he almost said, but stopped himself in time. "Don't steal anything."

And with that, he was gone - peacefully waiting for her to invite him back. This little interaction timeout was a good thing, it gave Aleks time to revise everything in his head one more time, just to make sure he didn't forget any detail and that he played everything alright.