The command was a current, pulling her from the shore of the Cullen's quiet world and into a turbulent, familiar sea. Jane. Reina moved without thought, her body responding to her call before her mind could form a coherent plan. She was down the stairs and out the front door in a blur, the cool, damp Washington air a shock against her skin.
The black car was a predator resting in the shadows of the firs. And there, leaning against its sleek door, was Jane. Her porcelain skin was a stark contrast to the dark metal, her crimson eyes fixed on Reina with an intensity that felt like a physical touch. A ghost of a smile, predatory and possessive, played on her lips.
Reina took a step forward, then another, but the sound that answered wasn't the crunch of gravel under her shoes. It was a low, rumbling growl that vibrated through the very ground.
From the Cullen home, shapes emerged. Massive, russet-brown wolves, their muscles coiled and teeth bared. Jacob Black led them, his dark eyes fixed on Jane with pure, unadulterated hatred. The air crackled with primal threat.
"That's far enough, vampire," Jacob snarled, his voice a deep rumble from his powerful chest. Behind him, Leah and Seth fanned out, forming a lethal barrier between Reina and the car.
Reina froze, her gaze darting from the wolves to Jane. Jane hadn't moved. Her expression was one of utter boredom, a mask of indifference that didn't reach her terrifyingly focused eyes.
"Stand down, dog," Jane's voice was a silken whip, lashing out across the clearing. "You are interrupting a private reunion."
"Your kind isn't welcome here," Leah growled, taking a threatening step forward. "Not with your history."
It was then that the Cullens emerged from the house, their movements fluid and cautious. Carlisle held up a placating hand. "Jacob, please. A truce is still in effect. She is here as an observer."
"She's a threat!" Paul's voice joined from the woods, another massive wolf appearing. "We all feel it. She's here for more than observing."
A small hand slipped into Reina's. She looked down to find Renesmee at her side, her wide, intelligent eyes staring across the lawn at Jane. The child's expression was serious, her brow furrowed in concentration. She tugged on Reina's hand.
A cascade of images flooded Reina's mind, not with words, but with pure sensation. She saw Jane through Renesmee's eyes—not just a beautiful woman, but a being composed of swirling, dark power. A vision of illusionary fire, of agony, of a control so absolute it could shatter a mind. Renesmee was showing her the danger, the raw, untamed threat that was Jane Volturi.
But beneath the terrifying power, Reina felt the child's unique perception pick up on something else, something she herself was intrinsically tied to. Renesmee showed her the palpable, almost violent wave of want that radiated from Jane, a need so profound it was aimed like a weapon at Reina herself. It was a possessive, all-consuming desire that was, for now, being held in check by a thread of anticipation.
The images shifted. Renesmee showed a simple, powerful equation: Reina safe + with Jane = a quiet, contained threat. Reina hurt or taken = an unstoppable storm of vengeance.
Renesmee let go of her hand and took a small step toward the standoff. She looked at Jacob and shook her head, a very human gesture. Then she pointed one small finger at Jane, then at Reina, and brought her hands together, clasping them tightly. Her message was unmistakable. They are together. As long as they are together, she is calm.
The growling subsided to a tense silence. The wolves understood imprinting, understood the irrational, protective bonds that defied logic. This was something similar, yet entirely alien.
Jacob shifted back into his human form in a burst of movement, grabbing a pair of shorts from a nearby stump. "Nessie, are you sure?" he asked, his voice thick with concern.
Renesmee nodded firmly, her eyes never leaving Jane.
The momentary distraction was all Jane needed. In the space of a human heartbeat, she was no longer by the car. She was standing directly in front of Reina, having moved with a speed that defied vision. The wolves tensed, a chorus of warning growls rising again, but they held their ground, watching Renesmee.
Jane ignored them completely. Her world had narrowed to the woman before her. The scent of Reina—fear, longing, and that unique, tantalizing blood—was an intoxicant. She reached out, her cool, marble fingers brushing a stray strand of hair from Reina's forehead. The touch was electric, a promise and a claim.
"You came," Jane murmured, her voice for Reina alone. Her thumb traced the line of Reina's jaw, a whisper of pressure. "I felt your pull from the road. This incessant… need."
Reina's breath hitched. The wolves, the Cullens, the entire world faded into a dull hum. There was only Jane's piercing gaze, the cool perfection of her skin, and the dizzying void of desire that echoed her own.
"I always will," Reina breathed, the words leaving her in a rush.
A true smile, sharp and devastating, finally broke through Jane's icy exterior. Her crimson eyes flickered down to Reina's lips, then back up, holding her captive. The air between them grew thick, charged with unsaid things and the phantom memory of their interrupted intimacy on the jet.
Jane's hand slid from Reina's jaw to the back of her neck, her grip firm, possessive. She leaned in, her lips a breath away from Reina's ear. Her whisper was a cold, seductive stroke against her skin.
"Good. Now, let's go inside. There are so many eyes out here." She paused, and Reina could feel the subtle pressure of her fingers, a guide and a command. "And I find I no longer wish to share you."