The snow was falling again...

Kai Sati pulled his scarf tighter around his face, the sharp Moscow wind biting at his skin. He hated the cold as it sank into his bones in a way Tokyo’s winters never had. But hate or not, here he was.

The small apartment he was renting sat on the edge of a gray, crumbling street. He’d arrived three weeks ago with one suitcase and a head full of reasons he didn’t want to think about. His Russian was rough, his bank account thin, and every night he wondered if coming here had been a mistake.

But mistakes were safer than the mess he left behind. A huge mess...too bloody.

He exhaled, watching his breath curl in the freezing air, and shoved his hands into his coat pockets. He just needed groceries. Maybe some ramen if he was lucky. He ducked his head, slipping past two men smoking outside a dark, unmarked building.

“Japanese?” one of them muttered, eyeing him. Kai kept walking, heart thumping. He’d learned quickly that standing out here was a risk. Either you get shot or your the one doing the shooting.

He made it two more blocks before the trouble found him.

A black car sleek and expensive, out of place on this crumbling street it pulled up beside him. The window slid down slowly like it was taunting him.

“Get in, Little fox."

Kai stopped.

The voice was smooth but hard, like glass pressed against skin. A man leaned out slightly pale, sharp-featured, eyes the pale blue of skies. His hair was black, neatly styled and combed back , and his lips curved into a faint, unreadable smile.

Kai’s chest tightened. No.... Walk away.

But his feet didn’t move!.

The man’s gaze slid over him slowly, like he was reading a page in a book he already owned. “I won’t ask twice.”

Kai swallowed hard. His instincts screamed, but he found himself stepping forward anyway, drawn in by something he didn’t understand.

When the car door opened, the warm leather-scented air hit his face, and for a moment, all he could hear was his own heartbeat. And the smell of rich cigars...ew...

Inside, Alexander Volko waited. his sharp cold blue eyes scanning Kai.

The man Kai had only heard whispers about...the one they called the poison od Moscow..

Their eyes met for the first time, and something sharp, almost electric, passed between them.

Kai didn’t know it yet, but his life had just changed.

and there was no going back....

Kai sat stiffly in the leather seat, eyes darting to the tinted window. Outside, snow fell in heavy flakes, blurring the world he knew or at least he thought he knew... Inside the car, everything was too quiet the kind of quiet that presses on your chest in a terrible uncomfortable way like some pressure you can never stop.

Across from him, Alexander Volko lounged casually, one arm stretched along the backrest, his long fingers tapping lightly on the leather. His pale eyes studied Kai with calm, sharp interest, like a man examining something strange he’d just found on the street. Alright so what if he did!?

Kai tried to steady his breath.

“I… I think you have the wrong person,” Kai forced out, voice shaking slightly. “I don’t know who you are.”

Alexander gave a small smile. “No, you don’t. But no i don't have the wrong person. Not necessarily, little fox."

His Russian was smooth, and low Kai had to focus to catch the words, his brain still scrambling through the language. But the weight in Alexander’s voice didn’t need translation. Okay maybe a bit.

“Then why?” Kai asked quietly, feeling his pulse thudding in his throat. “Why pick me up? I'm nobody to you."

Alexander tilted his head, amused. “I watch the street, little fox. You’ve been walking by my building all week. Quiet, head down, looking like you don’t want anyone to see you.” His eyes glinted. “That always catches attention here. The building is owned by my goons. Well a quarter of my goons.”

Kai’s heart stumbled. He thought he’d been careful, invisible. But in this part of Moscow, people didn’t go unnoticed at least, not by men like this. Especially since Kai had orange hair and stuck out like a thumb.

“I just live nearby,” Kai said quickly. “I’m no one. No one special..."

Alexander leaned forward slightly, the air between them tightening. “That’s what everyone says, right before they become someone. That's what i used to say when i was a child. I would look in the mirror and say it over and over again."

Kai flinched, shrinking back against the seat. He should leave maybe open the door, step out, disappear again... But his body wouldn’t move.

“You’re Japanese, aren’t you?” Alexander asked, his voice almost thoughtful now. “What are you doing here, all alone in the cold?”

Kai clenched his hands in his lap. “That’s none of your business.”

Alexander chuckled softly, not offended. “Maybe not.” he said his voice rough. He sat back again, watching Kai through half-lidded eyes. “But I’m curious, little fox. And when I’m curious… I usually get answers. Nice orange hair...your quite unusual.”

Kai’s stomach twisted. He felt a knot forming already!

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The snow kept falling outside, soft and silent. Inside, the air felt heavy, as if the car itself was holding its breath.

Finally, Alexander smiled faintly and tapped the window. The driver pulled the car smoothly back into motion.

“Relax,” Alexander murmured, eyes still on Kai. “I’m not going to hurt you. Yet. Of course we wouldn't want my car to get bloody. Not that it matters."

Kai’s heart hammered so hard it made his fingers tremble. He didn’t know where this road was going but there was a part of him knew he was already too far in to turn back.

(Hiiii guys it's me the author! Now i do have a story similar to this one on wattpad so I'm not copying anybody it's just that i don't really like wattpad anymore! Anywayd I'll always try to update this story whenever i can! Maybe three or four times a week. Now i would like to say that this IS A BL story. So if you don't like this kind of thing you can stop reading.)

The car slowed surely... pulling into a corner.

Kai felt his stomach knot as they turned onto a long, private drive lined with black iron gates. Beyond them, a towering mansion loomed against the snowy night, its windows glowing faintly like watching eyes.

Kai pressed his fingers tightly together, trying not to look as nervous as he felt. He glanced around.

“This is a mistake,” he murmured. “I should go....this isn't my world."

Alexander, sitting beside him, gave a soft chuckle. “If it was a mistake, you’d be gone already. Many people make mistakes. Many too stupid to realize mistakes are like scars. The more mistakes you make the harder they are to conceal."

The door opened before Kai could answer. A man in a dark coat held it politely, his face expressionless. Kai hesitated — and then, against every screaming instinct, he stepped out.

The cold hit him hard, but it wasn’t what made him shiver.

Inside the mansion, everything was sharp edges and silence. Marble floors, high ceilings, dark wood polished to a cold shine. A world far above anything Kai had ever touched. The wealth...the influence...the Power...he could feel it all.

He followed Alexander through the hallway, feeling like an animal who’d wandered into the wrong territory. Like a fox accidentally throwing themselves into a wolves den. A dark wolves den...

“Sit,” Alexander said softly, motioning to a black leather couch near the fireplace. His pale eyes caught Kai’s like a net. “You look like you’re about to bolt. We can't have that now can we?"

Kai clenched his jaw but sat, his back rigid. He felt like his jaw would crack from how toghtly he was clenching it. His eyes holding something darker than Alexander's if that was possible of course...

Alexander poured himself a drink something dark and expensive-looking. He leaned against the table, watching Kai the whole time.

“You’re not from here,” Alexander said simply. “That much is obvious.”

Kai didn’t answer.

“Why Moscow?” Alexander pressed, voice smooth. “People don’t just… land here by accident. Especially not cute young adults like yourself. You're just figuring out the world and you throw yourself into its pits? Quite idiotic ..."

Kai swallowed hard. “I had to leave Japan.” His voice cracked a little on the word had.

Alexander’s eyes flickered with something perhaps curiosity, maybe. Or hunger or even obsession. Kai felt like the man was familiar. Those eyes seemed so familiar yet so far at the same time it was driving him mad.

“Family trouble?” Alexander guessed quietly. “Or something worse? Perhaps something bloody? I have a few guesses. Not all of them are saintly."

Kai looked away, jaw tightening. He wasn’t here to spill his past. He just needed to survive, find work, start over. But now, somehow, he was sitting in front of Moscow’s most dangerous man, and he didn’t even understand why.

Alexander took a slow sip of his drink, studying him over the rim of his glass studying Kai like Kai was an object...a piece of art to be observed.

“You look delicate,” he said softly. “Like you’d break easily. But I don’t think you would, Kai. Foxes are tricky. perhaps too tricky for their own good..."

Kai’s heart jerked. He knows my Name!?

Before Kai could speak, Alexander added calmly, “I had someone check. You’re not the only one who can disappear into a new city, you know. calm down kiddo."

Kai’s mouth went dry.

Alexander smiled faintly, setting his glass down. “Relax, little fox. I’m not here to threaten you. Not yet. I wouldn't want to get my hands bloody."

Kai sat frozen, heart pounding in his ears. Not yet!? What the hell did that even mean!? Is he going to kill kai later!?

Alexander walked over, slow and smooth, and reached out his rough fingertips brushing a lock of Kai’s orange hair behind his ear. Kai managed to glimse a few tattoos on his hand but only managed to make one out. it was a small eagle. Kai was confused but didn't comment on the tattoo.

“You ran a long way to get here, little fox. But running is only gonna tire you." Alexander murmured. “But you should know something.” His eyes sharpened, almost fond. Why.... “Wolves always notice when a fox steps into their den. Especially a fox so pretty...and fragile. enough to break by just a flick of a man's finger...”

Kai shivered, not sure if it was fear or something darker curling in his chest.

For the first time since leaving Japan, he realized something dangerous.

He wasn’t running anymore

He was caught....caught too quickly...

The fire crackled softly, the only sound in the room.

Kai sat frozen on the leather couch, every muscle tight, unsure if he should speak, move, or run.

Across from him, Alexander Volko poured himself another drink, the glass glinting amber in the dim light. For a long while, he didn’t speak he just watched the fire like it held secrets only he could read.

Finally, Kai couldn’t stand the silence anymore. He had to say something. Anything.

“Why me?” he asked softly, voice barely above a whisper. “Why pick me up? I'm no one. I'm nothing to you, sir."

Alexander’s eyes flicked to him, sharp and pale. But instead of answering, he let out a quiet, humorless laugh. It was dark...

“Do you know what it’s like,” Alexander murmured his voice and expression as hard as steel, “to build everything you have from nothing?”

Kai swallowed hard. His throat tightened.“…No.” he managed to choke out but barely.

Alexander sipped his drink, then set it down carefully. “I grew up on the streets, Kai. No father. A mother who disappeared when I was young... probably dead of course, though no one ever told me... I learned early that kindness was a weakness. You either bite first, or you bleed...from the bite of your enemies. Your foes."

Kai felt his heart thump painfully. He hadn’t expected this...a glimpse into the man’s past, raw and unpolished.

Alexander leaned back, eyes narrowing slightly. “You remind me of someone I used to know. Someone soft, out of place… someone who didn’t belong in the cold.” His voice lowered. “I couldn’t save them...."

Kai’s breath hitched. His heart felt even heavier than before. Like a weight he couldn't understand...

Alexander tilted his head, watching him closely. “So when I saw you walking past my building, alone, looking like you wanted to disappear yet I wondered. If I reached out, would you run? Or would you stay?”

Kai’s chest tightened. He hadn’t known anyone was watching. He thought he’d been invisible, just another shadow on the street. Perhaps meant to be gone? Now... everything will change.

Alexander smiled faintly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You stayed, Kai....you didn't run. You weren't so scared of the flame instead you leaned into it...like a child..."

Kai’s fingers trembled slightly against the edge of the couch. “What… what do you want from me?”

For a moment, Alexander didn’t answer. His gaze softened, almost thoughtful, but there was still steel under the surface.

“I don’t know yet,” Alexander admitted quietly. “But you’re here now. And I think you’re just as curious about me as I am about you. Perhaps...i want to protect you...to understand you. But to do that you must understand me too. And I'm a hard man to understand, little fox. Perhaps too difficult for my own good..."

Kai’s throat tightened. Was that true? Was that why he hadn’t run?

The firelight flickered between them, painting shadows on the walls. Like the shadows were taunting both of them.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” Alexander said softly but coldly. “But I won’t let you leave easily either.”

Kai’s heart pounded. He didn’t know if he was afraid… or if something in him wanted to lean closer to the man instead of running away?

Night fell heavy over the mansion. But their hearts even heavier. Kai looked outside seeing the snow falling. The city lights barely visible because of the thick annoying fog. He always hated fogs...now more than ever.

Kai sat at the edge of the guest room bed, staring at the dark window. His breath fogged on the glass. the cold outside was merciless. But inside, something colder sat inside his chest. His own heart felt too heavy for his body. First the incident in Japan. Now this!?

He should leave. He should’ve left hours ago. But he couldn't. The gates were locked and he was too drawn in to leave. instead, he sat there, heart pounding, feeling the weight of everything he didn’t understand. Confusion took him over.

A soft knock came at the door.

Kai turned sharply, standing. Before he could speak, Alexander stepped in definitely not waiting for permission, not hesitating. I mean this is his house. His mansion. His power. His influence. His wealth. His damned pain.

He looked… tired. Not the polished, untouchable man from earlier, but something rawer. His pale eyes landed on Kai, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.

“I thought you might be gone, vanished and invisible once again." Alexander said quietly. His voice low and barely above a whisper.

Kai swallowed hard. “You locked the gates...and i can't just climb over them. they are covered in spikes."

A faint smile touched Alexander’s mouth. “You’re not wrong.” He stepped closer, each footfall silent. “But you’re still here aren't you? Still in the palm of my hand. As i said...your a child drawn to a flame that will soon burn you."

Kai felt his back press slightly against the wall. “Why do you care?” he asked, voice cracking. “You have power. Money. Everything. Why me? And quit with the riddles."

Alexander’s smile faded. A stern and cold expression taking over his features as he fixed his crisp suit.

“I told you,” he murmured, stepping closer. “You remind me of someone. Someone I failed.”

Kai shook his head. “I’m not them.”

“I know.” Alexander’s eyes darkened. “But maybe this time, I can keep the story from ending the same way. Perhaps...i can get the happy ending. That's what i wanted. But in this world it seems that even those with the coldest hearts will eventually freeze of their own coldness. Their own isolation."

Kai’s chest tightened painfully. He didn’t want to know but some reckless part of him the whispered ask. That damned question that would break everything apart like always.

“What happened to them?”

Kai could hear his own voice. It was small...timid and so fearful. But why!?

For the first time, something flickered behind Alexander’s cold exterior it was something raw and sharp. Something darker and colder than the winters of Russia and deeper than the depths of the sea...

“She loved me,” Alexander said softly. His voice not wavering. “And because she loved me… she died. Her love was too strong...it made her weak and vulnerable.”

The words landed between them like a blow.

Kai’s breath caught. Was this gonna be how he died? “You… killed her? Did you? I heard mafiosos usually killed their lovers to keep their secrets safe-"

Alexander’s gaze sharpened. “I didn’t pull the trigger. But it was my world that swallowed her whole. The confusion of it all. The pain and influence left her vulnerable. I wish i had been the one to pull the trigger. Perhaps she could've died by my hand..."

The room felt too small, the air too thin. And the pressure too heavy for either of them to understand.

“I’m not here to hurt you, Kai,” Alexander murmured, stepping so close Kai could feel his breath. “But you’ve walked into something you don’t understand. And now, you can’t just walk back out.”

Kai’s heart pounded so hard it hurt. His eyes filled with fear. “Are you going to kill me?"

Alexander smiled faintly, brushing a hand against Kai’s jaw his touch almost gentle, almost cruel. Something Kai couldn't place...that expression on Alexander's face...so familiar...

“No,” he whispered. “But loving me might. It killed her, so it'll kill you... She was kind and different... Orange hair just like yours. Those same dark black eyes. They were filled with warmth even during the harsh winters of Moscow."