verona hale and alec volturi; two lonely immortals so immersed in their petty coven rivalry that it's almost too late when they realise they're in love with each other. almost.
the twilight saga / alec volturi
new moon ― breaking dawn
...
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CHAPTER TEN: TRAINED IN COMBAT
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THEY WERE WAITING FOR the wolves to arrive. The two natural enemies had chosen a time and a place to meet in order to train for the oncoming newborn battle, the thought of going in blind unappealing on both ends. Verona ignored her family as she lingered behind them, peering down at her phone as it vibrated with another message from Alec. Rosalie appeared beside her as she deleted the message, shoving her phone back into her jacket pocket.
"He won't stop calling," Verona sighed, leaning her head on her sister's shoulder.
"He will," Rosalie told her. "Just give it more time."
"I don't know. Maybe it'd be easier to just talk to him."
"Easier, maybe, but you have every right to be upset." Rosalie reached out to link their arms together, offering her a kind smile. "If he has any shred of decency, he'll respect that and let you make the first move."
Verona wasn't given the chance to respond, for the wolves had entered the clearing. They prowled through the trees in a unified line, their ears pricked back in warning, each movement cautious as they came to a stop across from them, leaving a good amount of distance between the two. Everyone was silent for a moment, expectant.
"They don't trust us enough to be in their human forms," Edward sighed, looking towards Carlisle in concern.
"They came," their father assured. "That's what matters."
With that said, he began to move towards them. The wolves snarled in warning, their teeth bared. In turn, he raised his hands as a sign of surrender before folding his arms across his front, offering them a polite smile.
"Welcome," he said. "Jasper has experience with newborns, he'll teach us how to defeat them."
"They want to know how the newborns differ from us," Edward spoke, taking a look into their thoughts.
"They're a great deal stronger than us, as their own human blood lingers in their tissues," Carlisle explained. "Our kind is never more physically powerful than in our first several months of this life."
"Carlisle's right," Jasper interjected, appearing by his father's side. "That's why they're created. A newborn army doesn't need thousands like a human army, but no human army could stand against them." He began to pace in front of them, his hands clutched behind his back, eyes glimmering with knowledge that only the most skilled warriors obtained; the embodiment of a soldier. "Now, the two most important things to remember are first: never let them get their arms around you; they'll crush you immediately. And second; never go for the obvious kill." He shot a look at the wolves in particular, who began to grumble at his blatant insinuation. "They'd be expecting that, and you will lose."
