Twilight: Darling of Volturi (YURI/GL)

"Jane?"

The blonde girl before her pressed her lips into a thin line. Looking down from above with narrowed red eyes, she radiated an unmistakably dangerous aura.

Ever since their very first meeting, Sophie had noticed how poor Jane was at concealing her emotions. Every flicker of anger, satisfaction, annoyance, or hesitation showed plainly on her face. Of course, it was also possible that Sophie herself had become unusually adept at reading Jane's expressions.

Jane sneered coldly. "You seem rather pleased with yourself. Do you really think I'd believe that half-hearted excuse?"

This is bad. Sophie sighed inwardly. I spent all that effort coming up with a tactful, lofty explanation, and she didn't buy a single word of it.

So that's how it is... In the face of overwhelming strength, every explanation sounds like an excuse.

"Then just assume I was scared," Sophie admitted bluntly. She had already realized that subtlety was completely wasted on Jane. Since Jane preferred straightforward answers, she might as well indulge her.

Besides, there was a massive waterfall right beside them, its surroundings blanketed in thick mist. Even if Jane became furious enough to twist off her head, she wouldn't be able to start a fire and burn her body immediately.

If she really intends to kill me... I'll dive into the water and look for a chance to escape with my ability.

The collar Jane had released only moments ago was seized once more. As effortlessly as someone lifting an unusually light kitten, Jane hauled Sophie into the air. Startled, Sophie instinctively grabbed at her own collar, their fingers tangling as each pulled in opposite directions. The fragile fabric stood no chance between two vampires. With a loud RIIIP, the cloth split apart in their hands.

Ordinarily, tearing a piece of clothing wouldn't have been worth mentioning.

Unfortunately, the tear began at the collar and ripped straight downward, spreading across the front of the entire upper garment in an especially awkward fashion. The already ill-fated training outfit finally reached the end of its miserable life.

Both Sophie and Jane let go at the same time.

The ruined garment slipped from Sophie's shoulders and fell onto the damp ground.

On the bright side that saves me the trouble of taking it off.

"I... I..."

Jane actually stammered.

The broad expanse of pale skin suddenly revealed before her instantly derailed every thought she had been about to voice. Not even a vampire's perfect memory could rescue her train of thought now.

For the first time in her life, Sophie felt grateful that Jane preferred elaborate clothing instead of simple modern fashions. Even the outfit meant for combat consisted of at least two layers. The outer garment had been destroyed, revealing the close-fitting camisole underneath. It barely covered what needed covering, but at least she wasn't completely exposed.

If Jane had picked clothes based on my usual wardrobe... I'd be running around completely naked right now.

Clutching the neckline of her final remaining layer with both hands, Sophie hurried several steps backward until she reached the edge of the waterfall.

"Jane, don't tear this one too! It's the last piece I've got!"

Her attempt to retreat only irritated Jane further. Advancing one step after another, she snapped, "Don't run. Where exactly do you think you're going? We have as many of these worthless clothes as we want. You're not the one who should be worrying about them."

Angry though she was, Jane still retained a shred of reason. Rather than destroy Sophie's last piece of clothing, she deliberately avoided touching it, reaching instead toward Sophie's smooth, bare shoulder.

Don't run, she thought.

Then a sound of something striking the water interrupted the increasingly tense standoff between them.

From somewhere high above the waterfall came Alec's distant voice.

"Jane! Are you here?"

His voice was so far away that it was obvious he hadn't entered Jane's territory without permission, despite the fact that they were twins. Among vampires, only mates shared territory. Anyone else's unauthorized entry, regardless of their relationship, was considered an invasion of personal boundaries.

The teenage boy's voice already sounded remarkably close to that of a grown man. With her upper clothing torn apart, Sophie's thin camisole was hardly suitable attire for meeting an unfamiliar man. Panic overtook reason, and she bolted toward the pool. In dodging Jane's outstretched hand, she narrowly avoided having her shoulder grabbed, only for Jane's fingers to close even more tightly around her wrist instead.

Sophie immediately lost her balance.

She fell backward into the pool.

Her original intention had simply been to hide beneath the water until Alec left.

In an ordinary family, brothers and sisters barging into each other's rooms after calling out was perfectly normal. She had assumed that twins as close as Jane and Alec probably shared everything, including territory. If Alec entered before she hid herself, it would already be too late. That was why she had panicked and fled.

Unfortunately, Jane completely misunderstood her actions.

Jane knew without the slightest doubt that Alec would never enter the waterfall without permission. Setting aside territorial etiquette, there was a ladies' bathing pool here. Their mother had taught Alec proper manners long ago. The twins were extraordinarily close precisely because they never crossed one another's boundaries.

From Jane's perspective, then...

Sophie had finally dared to openly defy her.

Jane hated disobedience.

Her fingers tightened mercilessly around Sophie's wrist, squeezing harder and harder until fine black cracks began spreading across the skin beneath her grip.

The force of Sophie's fall was too great. Her loss of balance dragged Jane's center of gravity forward as well. The sensible thing to do would have been to let go. Jane could have remained safely on shore and simply called Alec over to deal with Sophie.

But anger clouded her judgment.

Just like Sophie moments before, Jane's emotions overruled her reason. She stubbornly refused to release her grip, determined to deal personally with the one who had dared resist her.

SPLASH!

A much larger crash echoed across the pool.

Water surged nearly half a meter into the air before crashing back onto the shore, soaking the torn clothes lying on the rocks.

Beneath the surface, the two girls became hopelessly entangled. One struggled desperately to regain control of her limbs, while the other stubbornly refused to release her. A stream of bubbles escaped Sophie's lips before she finally realized that vampires, despite no longer needing to breathe, still couldn't speak underwater. As the last remnants of air left her lungs, both of them inevitably sank deeper into the pool.

Only when her back finally touched the bottom did Sophie stop struggling.

Alec definitely won't be able to find either of us down here now.

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