Dante eyed Silvija with a soft smile. "Falling for me already?"
Silvija stayed silent, too proud to lie, and too honest to deny. She pushed herself off the mat, collected her jacket, and slipped it over her shoulders. Waving her hand, she approached the door as if walking off into the sunset.
Then the door closed with a soft click.
Dante scratched his head. He felt like he was cheating on Death, despite the fact she had given him the green light to love anyone as long as he prioritized her first.
He would've been attracted to Silvija Sablinova even if Death had denied him. The lady was a cold mercenary queen, but underneath that exterior was a straightforward woman with plenty of care. A real sweetheart for her people and the embodiment of vengeance for her enemies.
Still, he couldn't help but think it was all happening too fast, especially when Silvija wasn't the type to fall for good looks. Silvija preferred someone bold, ambitious, yet honest and genuine. On the other side, Death preferred someone who saw her for who she was without fearing her.
Two extraordinary women. Two completely different flavors of beauty.
He ticked all of their desired qualities one way or another.
'Am I really building a harem here?'
The thought struck him as absurd, but he couldn't deny its appeal. It would be troublesome managing multiple extraordinary women who could each kill him in creative ways if they felt sufficiently motivated. The danger of dating such women was a thrill in itself.
"All will be solved with time."
The immediate problem was Norman Osborn. No caped crusaders or masked vigilantes had emerged. The age of heroes like the Avengers and X-Men had yet to arrive, which meant if Osborn's plans threatened Silvija or anyone else, Dante would need to handle it. Not that he minded ruining a billionaire's schemes. He had nothing else to do besides training the resonance or messing around with Silvija.
Rising from the mat, he felt his muscles still sore from the sparring session—a reminder of how much punishment Silvija had inflicted on his body.
'I won't lose next time.'
With a conviction of his own, he made his way back to the reception area. Anna sat behind her desk, typing away at her computer.
He tapped the desk lightly. "Hey, Anna. Any chance you could give me a ride back to my apartment?"
The receptionist bit her lower lip. "Boss just messaged me. She said—and I'm quoting directly here—'He is not allowed to leave until I return.'"
Dante stared at her, momentarily speechless. "What the hell am I now? Her mistress on standby?"
Anna burst into laughter. "Honestly? I never thought I'd see the day Madame Sablinova would act this way about a man. She's always been so... focused on the business. You're quite a special man."
The last words came with an upturned glance that would tug at any man's heart.
A depressed sigh escaped him. "She shot me down earlier. Do you know what that means? She wants me to be her side piece."
This earned another laugh from the receptionist. "Men will kill to be Miss Sablinova's side piece."
"Not me. I'm the type to make her my side piece."
Anna looked at him in disbelief. "You're insane."
"I'm normal." Dante shrugged, suddenly feeling cold from his drenched shirt. "By any chance, do we have a shower here?"
"Of course." Anna nodded, leaving the desk and giving him directions to the bathhouse on the second floor. "But we don't keep spare clothes for your size. If you give me your measurements and preferences, I can run out and grab something suitable."
"You're an angel descended from heaven." He pressed his palms together in a prayer. "May god always shine brightly on this angel."
Anna waved off the praise, though her pleased smile remained. "Miss informed me that she is going to assign you as the CEO of our New York branch. Keep it between us."
The revelation stopped him cold. CEO. He had been one before; he had no desire to take up the mantle again. At least not for a traditional corporation. He wouldn't mind managing a mercenary enterprise.
'She has too much trust in me.'
The shower facilities were down on the second floor, where mercenaries also had their own rooms.
By the time he finished cleaning up, Anna had placed his new clothes outside. A dress shirt in charcoal gray, tailored slacks fit for his frame, and a fitted vest. If it looked too formal for his taste. But right now he had no choice but to wear them since his own clothes were torn at places from overstretching.
After putting on the clothes, he barely recognized the man in the mirror, as if he'd stepped into someone else's life entirely.
He styled his hair and put a hand on the mirror. "Is it gay to like myself?"
With such a deep question on his mind, he returned to the lobby, only to freeze at the sight.
Silvija stood near the reception, discussing something with Anna. She looked completely different from the cold queen he'd met at the Smokie's.
Her styled loose hair cascaded on her shiny fur coat, both classy and luxurious. Underneath the fancy coat, a pristine black dress hugged her athletic figure, flaring off at hips. The attire was practical enough for combat yet dazzling enough to steal hearts.
As she turned toward him, he noticed subtle makeup adorning her features. He knew Silvija wouldn't look lovely for a man she had known for only a day.
'It's for work.'
Her lips curved slightly. "Dante, you're here."
"Damn," he said. "Silvija, you look stunning. Meanwhile, I look like some snobby millionaire's kid."
She approached him with confident strides. Her fingers went to his collar, adjusting it with the smoothness of someone who'd done this a thousand times before or someone who wanted the excuse to touch him.
"You look dashing," she whispered. "Exactly my type."
The attraction wasn't even subtle anymore, not with the way her gaze lingered on him, or how her touch remained even after his collar was perfectly straight.
Anna cleared her throat. "Boss, I reserved a table at that place."
"Thank you, Anna." Silvija gave some tasks to her secretary before she extended her hand toward Dante. "Shall we?"
He took it, feeling the calloused spots of her palm. "Where to?"
"A surprise date."
***
Dante once again found himself gazing at the city while Silvija drove her favorite tank of a SUV. He was out cold till five, yet today turned out to be one of the most memorable days of his new life.
"Dante," she called without taking her eyes from the road. "Not going to say something romantic?"
He considered several teasing responses before settling on honesty. "I mean, we just met today. Properly, anyway. I'll need to learn more about you first. Otherwise, it'll all be fake."
Her tense brows loosened. "I appreciate your honesty. I want everyone in my Wild Pack to be like you. No schemers, no manipulators… just real people trying to make a living…" Her fingers gripped the steering wheel with just a bit more force. "I hate traitors most of all."
He felt like it was a warning specifically for him, that she'd haunt him to the end of time for betraying him.
"Speaking of traitors," Dante said. "Norman Osborn is exactly the type who'd sell out his own mother for the right price."
"Heh. My clients can be the most vile creatures walking this earth for all I care. Money is money."
"Does that mean you'd take a contract to nuke a city for money?"
"There's still a line in our work." She glanced at him briefly like he was an idiot. "I won't cross into truly heinous territory."
"Better. Anyway, what is this contract about? I fear that dumbass is scheming something evil."
"I know nothing about it. I'm contracted to guard a research facility. Whatever happens inside those walls is his headache, not mine." She stopped the car on the side and faced him, solemn. "But I've seen many groups eying that place like hyenas. It won't be long before they get impatient."
He felt an ominous chill. The crisis might be—no, it definitely was on a bigger scale. A scale where his non-Resonance form would be mowed down in an instant. He had to learn how to control the Helio Reactor as soon as possible. Otherwise, he might perish in his first week here.
"A war is coming."
She gave him a heavy nod. "Only Wild Pack are standing between them and Norman's research facility. We'll be the first priority to be removed."
He couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you afraid?"
"Every major contract is a tug-of-war with death itself. If I win, my company and country prosper. If I lose, I'm probably returning to my homeland in a coffin." She was still grinning like her death was just another business risk to calculate and manage. "Are you having second thoughts?"
He leaned back comfortably, revealing a confident smirk. "Those small fries can't even force out my trump card."
Her blue eyes gleamed with interest, the calculating kind. "Now I'm really curious what your trump cards are. Is it related to your mutant power?"
"Not now. But I can promise one thing — I won't let you die. I'll fight Death herself to bring you back if I have to."
Death loved him enough to bring back a few people for him, even if she'd pout a day or two in the aftermath.
Silvija unbuckled her seatbelt. Before he could ask what she was doing, she shifted onto his lap in one smooth motion, bringing the subtle scent of expensive perfume with her.
She gripped his collars and kissed him before he could respond. Despite her forceful approach, her kiss was tame. After a moment of surprise, his hands found her waist finely toned butt, pulling her closer as he pried open her mouth.
Silvija pulled back as if struck by electricity, a trail of saliva forming an intimate connection between their mouths. Her breathing was uneven, cheeks flushed beneath her makeup.
Noticing people's strange glances, he reluctantly shifted his hands to her waist. Silvija had yet to notice they were in the middle of a street, where everybody saw them through the windshield and front side windows.
She wiped her lips and fixed his collars. "Fighting death for me… it's the most romantic thing any man has ever said to me."
"You know it could've been a lie. To impress you and lower your guard around me."
"I have seen enough of the world to know when someone lies." She found a comfortable spot on his lap rather than going back to the driver seat. "Then there is SHIELD's report, which depicts you as a completely different man. All this weirdness makes me question, who exactlyare you?"
"Was this a honey trap to bait out my secrets?"
She pressed her hands against his chest and drew closer to his ears, whispering, "What if it was?"
"I'd gladly fall for it." He gently kissed her neck, making her tremble. "The queen is irresistible."
Silvija swallowed hard. As he drew back, he saw something heated flared in her gaze, a look of raw lust he'd seen many times before. His heartbeat still jumped by dozens.
Just as he touched her face, she pressed both hands against his chest and scampered back into the driver's seat.
Dante sat frozen, hand still outstretched, finally understanding the phrase 'blue-balled' in its full, agonizing glory. He would expect such an action from Death, not Silvija. She was too bold and fearless to be backing out on him like this.
"No, not here," she muttered, smoothing her dress. "I don't want my first… in a car."
Cold realization poured over his burning lust. "Sorry, I—"
"Shhh, it's on me. I shouldn't have pushed it." She fixed the seatbelt and put on a relaxing score before starting the engine. This time, she drove slowly to avoid crashing in her distracted state. "Dante, why didn't you use your powers during our fight?"
He welcomed the change of topic because he knew he wasn't getting laid tonight. "It felt unfair to use abilities you couldn't counter."
She snorted. "Right. Acting like a wolf in sheep's clothing was very honorable."
"How does it feel to be outplayed by a rookie?" he snorted right back. "I wouldn't have done it if someone wasn't bullying me relentlessly. There was also a kiss on the line."
She shot him a reproaching glare. "Well, Mr. Wolf. Did you enjoy stealing my first kiss?"
"Very much. I liked the second one more."
"The revenge kiss," she said with a chuckle. "Dan-chan, we're here."
He was absolutely not embarrassed by her cheeky nickname. It was only curiosity that made him look outside. What he saw stunned him.
A posh mansion sprawled in the distance, separated by gardens and tons of open space. Except it wasn't a mansion but a clubhouse, all glass and steel, offering a glimpse of opulence inside.
The illuminated pale blue sign read "The Hellmoon Club" in elegant script.
'Hellmoon Club. Hellfire Club… Same shit with a different label?'
It couldn't be a coincidence, not when he knew Emma Frost existed in this universe.
He really wanted to palm his face, or better yet, book a cab back to his apartment. Of all the places for a surprise date, Silvija brought him to the place with the most dangerous mutants on this planet.
Author's notes: I know it might not look it, but there's a reason Silvija is acting so affectionate. It'll be explained in next couple of chapters.