The matchbox landed in a crack between two rocks, skidding several feet away before coming to a stop. Sophie let it lie where it fell. At the moment, she had no attention to spare for retrieving it. Instead, a strange conviction wrapped itself around her thoughts like an invisible shackle.
Sophie, you love him. Sophie, you could never hurt him.
The words echoed over and over, so natural that they no longer felt like an intrusion but a truth she had somehow forgotten.
The intruder seized the precious seconds she had unknowingly granted him, desperately directing venom throughout his shattered body to repair the damage. His spine had been broken, several ribs crushed, and both wrists pulverized beyond recognition.
Every inch of the healing process was agony beyond description, each fragment grinding back together under the venom's relentless work. Yet Charles endured it all in silence. If suffering meant earning his way back into the Volturi, then even humiliation was a price worth paying.
He carefully composed himself despite the pain. His brows knitted together ever so slightly, while shoulder-length golden curls slipped across one side of his face, creating the image of a melancholy young nobleman. Even sitting on the ground, broken and battered, he somehow retained an effortless elegance that seemed almost unfair.
Until now, Sophie had always thought Aro represented the pinnacle of classical masculine beauty. Refined, cultured, endlessly intelligent, with subtle cruelty hidden beneath impeccable manners. He carried both authority and wisdom so naturally that few could rival him. Yet the man before her... though he lacked Aro's overwhelming presence, possessed a beauty no less striking. His appearance and voice alone were enough to stand beside Aro's.
Warmth and sorrow, affection and loneliness... contradictory qualities blended perfectly into one irresistible whole. Somewhere deep within Sophie, the instinctive appreciation for beautiful things quietly awakened, and without realizing it, she accepted the absurd thought that insisted she loved him.
The pain spreading from Charles's spine engulfed his entire back, leaving him unable to stand for the moment. Bracing himself with one hand against the ground, he slowly pushed himself upright into a seated position, one knee bent before giving his golden curls a graceful toss. Nearby, the flower he had nearly picked earlier still swayed stubbornly in the mountain breeze. Reaching out, he plucked it at last before extending it toward Sophie with courtly elegance.
"My beautiful Princess Sophie," he said softly, his voice warm enough to melt ice. He paused, smiling gently as though afraid to startle her. "Would you honor this flower by accepting it?"
The violet petals trembled delicately in the wind.
Sophie instinctively reached for it.
Before her fingertips could touch the stem, Charles suddenly rose to his feet. With a smooth, practiced motion, he stepped closer, lifted the flower above her head, and carefully tucked it behind her ear.
"...Beautiful."
His voice carried genuine admiration, his affectionate gaze lingering quietly upon her face.
Sophie immediately took a step backward.
Although her heart insisted she should love the man standing before her, every instinct in her body screamed in resistance. His nearness unsettled her.
More importantly... Isn't he supposed to be running away? She had shattered his spine and broken both his wrists. Any sane person would flee the moment they regained the ability to stand. Besides, he had trespassed into Jane's territory without permission.
He had broken the rules.
That realization cut through the strange haze clouding her thoughts. Taking another cautious step back, Sophie spoke firmly, "You should leave. The owner of this territory doesn't welcome strangers."
"Of course," Charles replied without the slightest hesitation. He inclined his head politely, almost like a gentleman accepting an invitation to dance. "If that's your wish, my lady, I'll gladly respect it." He paused, meeting her red eyes with a smile. "But... you'll have to come with me."
Sophie shook her head immediately.
"No." She didn't even need to think about it. "Jane told me not to leave. I have to stay here until she comes back."
As a former Volturi Guard, Charles naturally knew who owned this territory. Looking at the petite girl before him, he couldn't help feeling a trace of sympathy.
She's terrified of Jane, he concluded. The poor thing has probably suffered through that dreadful pain more than once.
He immediately adjusted his strategy.
"Sophie..." His voice softened even further, patient and reassuring. "I'm sure Jane only forbade you from leaving... alone."
He deliberately twisted Jane's words, quietly adding a condition that had never existed.
"If you leave together with me..." He smiled, speaking as though the conclusion were perfectly logical. "...then Jane wouldn't mind. Isn't that right, Sophie?"
His battered body reminded him all too vividly just how terrifying the girl in front of him truly was.
Every broken bone testified personally.
Her physical strength was monstrous, and she was still a newborn. Even after the newborn period ended, her polished close-combat skills alone would make her an exceptional warrior. If he challenged her physically again, Charles knew exactly how the fight would end.
Poorly.
Very poorly.
His Gift had always carried him through danger. Hand-to-hand combat had never been his specialty.
Which meant...
He needed a different weapon.
Charles decided to unleash the technique he had perfected over decades.
The art of becoming...
A liar in love.
After countless experiments, he'd long ago discovered the lie women found hardest to resist.
Love.
Among vampires, such deception bordered on blasphemy. Love wasn't a passing emotion to them. Once it existed, it became eternal, forever engraved into their immortal lives.
That was precisely why Charles had never truly fallen in love with any of his victims.
He merely opened his mouth and said the word.
Sometimes he didn't even need that much. A gentle smile, melancholy eyes, lips parted as though holding back unspoken affection... his expression alone often conveyed everything his lies required.
His gift couldn't create genuine love.
Only the illusion of it.
But for countless victims...
The illusion alone was enough.
Enough for them to surrender everything.
Enough to hand over their lives willingly.
Sometimes Charles wondered which had come first.
Had his supernatural gift shaped him into the perfect deceiver?
Or had fate granted such a beautiful face to someone destined to wield that gift?
He had never found the answer.
….
Inside, Jane forced herself to concentrate again and again.
The leaders were about to announce an extraordinary discovery. Together with Alec, Demetri, and Felix, she stood silently beside the thrones, their mere presence serving as a warning to every powerful vampire gathered inside.
Aro had summoned covens from across the world for reasons far beyond displaying the Volturi's wealth or authority.
Back in mid-March, Caius had personally led the Guard to South Africa in pursuit of the Children of the Moon. Officially, tonight's celebration existed to commemorate the success of that expedition.
The truth is far more complicated.
Caius's campaign had lasted more than a month, yet throughout the entire hunt they hadn't captured a single living werewolf. His temper had deteriorated accordingly. Had Aro not restrained him, Caius might very well have selected an unfortunate coven at random and annihilated it simply to vent his frustration.
Yet the journey had been far from fruitless.
Instead...
They had uncovered something far more dangerous.
Something capable of threatening the entire vampire world.
The witness testimony had been undeniable.
The Children of the Moon...
Still existed.
Werewolves were vampires' natural predators.
Wounds inflicted by a wolf's fangs refused to heal quickly. Injuries that vampires ordinarily recovered from within moments lingered almost as long as they would for humans. Werewolf blood naturally suppressed vampire venom.
The relationship worked both ways.
When vampire venom entered a werewolf's bloodstream, it acted like the deadliest poison imaginable. Once it reached the heart, the countdown to death had already begun.
Likewise...
Werewolf biology possessed terrifying effects against vampires.
Even severed claws and fangs retained incredible destructive power. They shredded vampire bodies more effectively than any human-forged metal weapon and left wounds that resisted regeneration. Freshly bloodied claws and teeth became even deadlier still.
In ancient times, traditional vampire hunters often wore necklaces crafted from werewolf fangs or claws. Many had originally been treasured family heirlooms before gradually evolving into symbols of status and protective charms.
That custom endured...
Until the Blood Hunters disappeared.
Yes.
The Blood Hunters had vanished alongside the Children of the Moon.
For over a century.
Human civilization advanced rapidly, especially in the age of firearms. Political turmoil swept across nations, while the Volturi quietly manipulated events from the shadows. Vampire hunters, being human themselves, couldn't escape history's tides.
Many of the strongest among them perished in mankind's own wars, while the younger generations pursued entirely different futures. Their ancient traditions fractured... then faded... until the bloodline of knowledge disappeared altogether.
Along with it...
The methods of crafting weapons from werewolves remains vanished into history.
Or rather...
They were supposed to have vanished.
"My friends..." Aro's elegant voice echoed through the silent hall as he stepped into the center of the gathering, welcoming every gaze fixed upon him. "I now have an announcement of tremendous importance."
Every invited vampire fell silent instantly.
Countless red eyes stared without blinking.
Although the great hall overflowed with immortals, not a single unnecessary sound could be heard.
Aro smiled in satisfaction, basking in the absolute attention that only true power could command.
What he was about to reveal...
Would reshape the vampire world for decades to come.
His words rose and fell with flawless rhythm, each syllable pronounced with theatrical precision. Listening to him speak, one might easily suspect he'd found time during his travels to study acting at the Paris Opera House.
"My dear brother," Aro said gracefully, turning toward Caius. "If you would."
The brothers exchanged a single glance.
No further explanation was needed.
Several guards standing beside Caius immediately wheeled forward an enormous object nearly five meters tall, completely hidden beneath a heavy black cloth. Its uneven silhouette revealed nothing of what lay beneath.
Their trophy.
Recovered from South Africa.
Confused murmurs spread throughout the assembled guests.
Most had been born long after the Volturi established their rule. The youngest among them hadn't even lived a century.
Only a handful of ancient vampires, those who had survived more than five hundred years...
Recognized the shape.
Whispers rippled across the hall like waves.
"My friends," Aro continued pleasantly, reclaiming everyone's attention with effortless ease. "Allow my brother and me... to satisfy your curiosity."
Stepping forward, Caius seized the black covering.
With one sharp pull...
The cloth fell away.
The massive object beneath was revealed in its entirety.
The instant countless scarlet eyes recognized what stood before them, instinct overwhelmed reason.
Every vampire recoiled simultaneously.
A full step backward.
Low growls rumbled through the hall.
An empty circle instantly formed around the display, creating a clear divide between the Volturi and every visiting coven.
Only the Volturi leaders and their Guards remained perfectly composed.
Caius even strode forward without hesitation.
He reached out...
And placed his hand directly upon it.
The corpse...
Of a werewolf.
Gripping the enormous wolf's head, Caius forced its jaws open, displaying the inside of its mouth for everyone to see.
"Every single tooth..." He spoke calmly. "...has been removed."
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter