"I don't have a good feeling about this, Jasper." Isabelle rubbed her belly as they walked down Jones Street. The waning moon glowed red in the eerie sky above her as the thunder started off in the distance.

Looking behind him to make sure the children weren't too close, Jasper agreed. "No, I don't like any of this either, but I don't believe they'd hurt their sons mate. Especially not in their own home. Once we get all the details hammered out, we can breathe a little easier."

Sniffing back her tears, Isabelle rolled her eyes away to the brick mansion coming up before them. "She's too young. She hasn't been anywhere or done anything yet."

Jasper put his arm around Isabelle and pulled her into his side. "She's not getting hitched anytime soon, Isabelle. We're going to be stuck with that smart mouth for at least another decade. Shit! That boy may change his mind about the whole thing once he's spent a little time with her mean ass."

Laughing out loud, Isabelle poked Jasper in his side. "Don't make me laugh. This isn't funny."

As they reached the gate, Jasper opened it for Isabelle to walk through. "I know baby. I'm scared of losing her too, but if we can't make peace with their people, none of us will ever be safe."

Standing outside the hand carved wooden door of the Idrissi mansion, Jasper used the cast iron gargoyle knocker to announce their arrival. As he looked back over his shoulder to Tessa and Teddy, he raised his arched brow. "Watch your tongues tonight children. It isn't acceptable in their culture for children to speak to adults the way you do. Let's not be rude, please."

Crossing her arms and chuckling out through her nose, Tessa rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Well that's just fucking great. I'm not even allowed to talk. What the hell kind of family are you trying to marry me into for Christ's sake."

Shaking his head, Jasper looked up to the sky. "Shit. This was a mistake. That child's never been able to keep her mouth shut since the day she was born. We may as well just go to war now."

Rubbing his arm, Isabelle looked back to Tessa. "Not another word, young lady. You might have your Daddy wrapped around your finger, but I urge you not to test me tonight. I am not in the mood in case you hadn't noticed."

Tessa looked down at her feet and sighed in defeat. Tessa wasn't afraid of much, but she knew better than to get mixed up in one of her mother's hormone fueled mood swings. "Yes Momma. I'm sorry."

As Tessa twitched her nose from side to side, Teddy glanced over to her. 'What in the hell is your problem? That nose wiggling thing only works on television.'

Tessa shifted on her feet and rubbed the tip of her nose against her forearm. 'My nose itches. It's driving me crazy.'

When the door swung open, Omar smiled warmly at the Mason's and stood aside as he held out his hand. "Please come in. Welcome to my home."

The matriarch of the family, Anisah, went to Tessa first and kissed her cheek. "I'm happy that you could come. I've been looking forward to meeting you."

As she pushed her hair behind her ear, Tessa smiled and said, "Thank you, madam."

Standing inside the foyer, Tessa looked around the large room with marble flooring and Grecian statues. It was a bit gaudy, even for a family of witches. As he saddled up beside her and looked around his things, Omar smiled. "They are quite lovely. Are they not?"

She put on her most sincere fake smile and nodded. "They're absolutely beautiful. I just love your home sir."

Coming from the sitting room, Rafik smiled at Tessa as Omar put his arm around his shoulder. "Rafik, perhaps you would like to spend some time with Tessa while I give her family a tour of the home before dinner."

Rafik held out his hand to Tessa. "Of course. Please come with me."

As Tessa placed her fingers in Rafik's palm and he closed his hand around them, the rush of euphoria shot through her veins and she panted in anticipation as he led her away through the foyer. 

Jasper glanced around quickly and smiled at Omar to mask the palpable uneasiness rising inside his gut. "Will your other sons not be joining us tonight?"

Pushing out his lips and closing his eyes, Omar shook his head no. "You know how young men can be. They're out having their own adventures tonight."

When they came to the back courtyard, Rafik opened the glass door and led Tessa through. The smell of the impending storm swirled all around them as Rafik took her to the privacy of the tall bushes that lined the center of the garden.

Once they were engulfed by the greenery, Rafik brought Tessa to his chest and slid his fingertips down her cheek, aching to taste her lips one more time. "I've been so worried about you Rohi."

Remembering Teddy's words of warning to her, Tessa took his hand from her cheek and smiled as she put it down by his side. "That's very nice of you to say. Thank you."

Sensing her coldness, Rafik stepped closer and took her hands in his. He wanted to say so many things to her, but they would have to wait. "After tonight, everything will be different for you. I promise."

Tessa furrowed her brows and stepped back in suspicion. "What do you mean different?"

He swore to his father that he had the courage to do what was right, but as Tessa stood before him, Rafik easily lost his nerve. Closing his eyes, Rafik shook his head as he tried to break the trance he found himself under when he looked at Tessa. "There is no safer place for you than with me."

Tessa chewed on the inside of her lip as her eyes darted around his face. "What in the hell are you talking about?"

Rafik looked to the ground and sighed then slid his arm around Tessa's back and pulled her into his chest again. He needed to remember why tonight was so important. "I will spend every day of my life making you happy. I swear to you I will chase away every bad memory you have ever known."

A genuine smile curled up on Tessa's face, and she put her hand on his chest. "Someday, when we're all grown up. I hope that's true. I really do."

Looking down at her hand, Rafik took a deep breath as the comfort of her touch spread through his worried mind. His hot breath blew across her chest, sending a shiver down her back. 

He traced his way up her arm with his fingertips before he wrapped his hand around the side of Tessa's face and leaned into it. Closing her eyes and letting go of every doubt she had about their union, Tessa flinched as his lips took hers. He started gently then put his other hand around on the side of her face and panted against her between each rough and powerful pull on her lips.

Haldir was right, the first taste of love is always the best...but this wasn't bad either. 

Tessa balled his shirt up in her hand as his wet lips sucked and nibbled on hers. Needing to prepare her for what was to come, Rafik breathed against her mouth and whispered as his fingertips caressed her cheek. "Everything will be alright. Please trust me."

With her eyes still closed, Tessa nodded. "I do rohi." 

When he heard the garden door open and the voice of his father, Rafik reluctantly left her lips. "Believe me when I say to you that everything I do is for you."

After a mind-blowing and confusing interlude with Rafik in the garden, he held Tessa's hand as they walked back towards the house and met up with Tessa's family. 

"Well, I suppose congratulations are in order," said Jasper as he held out his hand to Rafik.

As he looked Jasper over coldly, the short hairs on Jasper's neck stood on end as the boy's cold demeanor sent warning's through his mind. Fearing that negotiations may fall apart tonight, he decided then and there that he'd send the children away with Haldir as soon as they returned home.

Rafik glanced to his father briefly and once he nodded to Rafik, he finally took Jasper's hand and shook it. Jasper swallowed down his plans and lied with a smile. "I'm glad that the two of you found each other early. It took me about two hundred years to find my mate. You're quite lucky."

"Yes, I believe that is true." Rafik pulled Tessa tightly into his side as if he was protecting her from every danger in the world causing Teddy to snicker to himself quietly.

While they walked to the dining room together Rafik and Tessa slowly followed. He softly slid his thumb back and forth over her knuckles then brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. Tessa licked the remains of his kiss of her lips and said, "You know, I heard our song the other night before I went to sleep. Isn't that funny?"

Rafik wiped a tear from his eye and smiled. "I thought of you all that night and every moment since we've met." He stopped walking and looked over to her. "I carry that song in my heart wherever I go. I hear it everywhere. It haunts me."

Tessa looked down at their hands. "I'm sorry."

Shaking his head, Rafik put his hand on his chest. "Don't be sorry. Other than your voice, there is no sweeter sound to me."

When they finally made it to the dining room, Rafik escorted Tessa to her seat beside Teddy while he sat at the end opposite his father.

Throughout dinner, Tessa wiggled and twitched her nose as she tried to avoid touching it. Her father warned her to be polite, after all. Rafik avoided her eyes, but looked intently at Jasper and Isabelle as they spoke with his parents about the rules of their courtship.

As the servants cleared the dishes and brought desert, Tessa looked to Rafik. His hands trembled against the table, and he panted out short breaths as beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. 

Sensing her eyes on him, Rafik glanced to her. After years of hustling people in poker, Tessa had grown quite skilled in reading peoples faces. She could see the fear in him as his brown eyes turned black like a shark while his pupils dilated in response to the adrenaline coursing through the bounding veins on the sides of his neck. 

Tessa slid her hand down to Teddy's and wrapped her fingers around his. 'Something bad is about to happen. Don't you let go of me Teddy.'

Teddy interlaced their fingers together and held on tight. 'Never.' 

As she looked to her parents for reassurance, time stood still as Tessa saw a stream of blood start to flow from her mothers nose. 

Seeing Tessa's face drain of color, Jasper looked to Isabelle as she took once last breath and went limp in her seat. Feeling the warm wet drip begin from his own nose, Jasper looked up at his children.

Suddenly realizing what was happening, Jasper's eyes teared over and he whispered to them. "Do what we practiced. Go now!"