Victor and Scarlett stared at each other for too long, the kind of heavy silence where neither wanted to back down first. Finally, Victor simply nodded, as if he'd made a simple decision.
"Carmilla, I'll take care of this," he said, his voice firm, as he began to walk toward Scarlett.
Her body reacted even before her mind.
A slight tremor ran down her back, her tail twitching erratically, betraying an instinct she didn't fully recognize. In thousands of years, she had faced battles, blood, death… but this? This was different.
It was dangerous… and, irritatingly… alluring.
She took a step back, then another… until she realized she had nowhere else to go.
The wall was right behind her.
Scarlett tried to dodge at the last second, twisting her body to escape, but Victor was faster. His hands reached her neck, not with uncontrolled violence, but firmly enough to hold her in place. She was pressed against the wall.
The impact wasn't strong… but it was decisive.
