"What just happened?"

Comes her predictable question the moment she's coherent enough to speak again.

"You aren't invited in."

The answer comes from a voice way too rich and feminine to be Jasper's.

Both Jasper and Tempest's heads turn to face the person behind the statement as she leans ominously against the brick wall bordering off their mansion.

Aaliyah Keller wears her usual traditional dark gown, a deep shade of red to match her glimmering hatred filled eyes, with a black hand held gun in her right hand.

It was obvious that her weapon was a touch she'd thought would intimidate and warn off the girl although she clearly hadn't realised just how much Tempest really knew about the powers vampires possessed, and that they could take down anyone with their bare hands never mind a gun.

"Aaliyah...how many times do I have to repeat that it was not. Tempest's. Fault."

Her son straightens to his feet and squares up to the conflict.

She must have forgotten during all of her loathing directed towards the black and white haired girl that her son was now equal to her in power.

No longer could she order him around knowing there's nothing he could do to fight her.

And still, even with him towering above her, eyes flashing identically, she continues to fail to see it.

"Be a good boy now and let me handle her Jasper. She killed you, remember?"

Jasper's brows furrow at her pathetic attempts at manipulation.

Jasper questioned if she'd actually listened during any of the six previous times they'd had this exact argument.

Clearly, she hadn't.

"Tempest did me the biggest favour killing me that day. I've never saw the world more clearly than I do right now."

And only Aaliyah Keller could anger him so much that he would swallow his pride and admit that.

The lady scoffs and takes a step forward.

"Yes, I'm sure you can see the hundreds of whores who's beds you keep warm very clearly with your hightened senses. Move."

She demands again, louder and firmer this time.

Before she can see it coming, Tempest is up off the ground and swinging for Aaliyah's jaw, knocking her off balance and off guard for a moment.

After recovering from the shock of the girl's strength, she lifts the gun in her hand and shoots.

This time, Jasper and Tempest are caught by surprise as her aim was at her son.

By the time they catch on to what has just happened, it's too late.

Jasper stumbles and hits the ground with no support.

The small needle protruding from his shoulder tells Tempest that it wasn't a shot to kill, but to knock out.

Aaliyah was prepared.

She had a full plan of action to be rid of the remaining girl amd she'd seen it through.

It's a shame she didn't come baring knowledge and giving Tempest any credit.

That is ultimately what has failed her mission before it's even saw its end.

Aaliyah grips a temporarily stunned Tempest by the shoulders and manoeuvres her to be under her compelling gaze.

Then she commands her.

"Forget this place. Forget my son. Forget you're special. You're just a less than average human and you're never to return here again."

And as Tempest, blank as ever, listens, an invisible timer ticks down in her mind.

Two options, she has.

The first being to retaliate. To stick around and fight for her rightful place in this family, this world...and ultimately expose the fact that she is a vampire able to resist one of the most powerful vampire's compulsion.

Or she could buy herself some time by pretending to obey her, all the while getting exactly what she wants and setting off on her journey home...only without her fur coated soulmate.

It wasn't a hard choice for her.

In fact, she almost blew her cover by the speed she turned around and retreated from that secret filled mansion and the wicked vampire that barred her from it.