TESSA: THE BELOVED
Chapter 20: The Correlation of Salvation and Love Tessa's POV
The plane ride to Egypt was brutal. With so many humans packed into the cabin alongside my vampire family and the guard, we each had to hold our breaths or breathe through our mouths. The tempting scent of human blood and the hum of blood-thumping hearts were all around us.
I looked up from the novel I was reading only to see my uncle Jasper, who was seated across the aisle from me. He sat as still as a statue, forcibly gripping the hand rests of his seat. I knew the flight had to be taking its toll on him; it was always harder for my uncle to remain in control of his urges for human blood. My aunt Alice's head tenderly rested on his left shoulder, providing the constant reassurance that he so needed. My grandfather Jacob's obnoxious snores soon broke me out of my spell.
I sighed, leaning back against my seat, and thought of Omari. I wondered if he would be there when we arrived in Egypt. He had told me before he left that he was journeying back to his homeland in the hopes that Benjamin would assist him in ending his life. I cringed at the very thought. How could Omari throw away his existence over something that wasn't his fault? It angered me to think that he blamed himself for our child's death. It couldn't have been predicted.
As Carlisle told me a few weeks after Omari left, my child was a new immortal species, who had inherited a degenerate disease, causing him to die while still in the womb. The gene for the disease came from either my father or my mother's side of the family; no one could be certain unless we traveled back to Washington and researched the Swan, Black, and Clearwater histories. None of my immediate family members had tested positive for it. My great-great-grandfather vowed to make the journey and find out all he could once we were settled in Egypt.
Not that it even mattered. I was destined to live a life without a mate and children. My mate had certainly already ended his life, wanting nothing more to do with me.
The movement of my mother's hand beside me dissipated my twisted thoughts. She sat on my right side, my father to her right. She reached over and grasped my father's hand, which immediately folded into hers. Their eyes met, and I smiled on the inside. They were soulmates, two perfect halves of the same whole. I then frowned, remembering the way Omari used to look at me. It was with the same passion I now saw in my father's eyes.
Once we landed in Cairo, several black stretch limousines awaited us. They had been rented by my aunt Alice to take us to Benjamin's residence just outside the city's limits. As we each stepped into the luxurious vehicles, I breathed in the fresh air, feeling some sort of peace settle over me. Somehow, my heart knew that this land would become my new home.
The capitol city of Egypt's streets bustled with hundreds among hundreds of cars as our limo driver escorted us down the main thoroughfare. Cairo was a modern city mixed with hints of its ancient past. We passed by the Nile and the pyramids of Giza, making my heart pump faster to be surrounded by so much history. I closed my eyes, imagining the way it used to look when Omari was still human, how it would have looked through his beautiful eyes. I only wished he were here in the present to share these first moments in his homeland with me. If I listened close enough, I could almost detect his voice in my memory, retelling the story of how he had become an immortal. It was the sweetest voice I'd ever heard.
"Let's see now." Aunt Alice plopped herself into the empty seat beside me, makeup bag in hand. She grabbed my chin and inspected my face, sighing. "Oh, this just won't do."
"What are you talking about, Alice? Benjamin and Tia have met me before, you know. Don't make such a fuss," I dismissed her, returning my gaze to the window.
"It's not Benjamin and Tia I'm worried about." Her golden eyes sparkled as she proceeded to run a powder brush over my forehead and cheeks.
"Oh, no, what have you done?" I rolled my eyes, submitting to the torture of having my makeup done.
"I personally haven't done anything, but I do have my ways," she said somewhat dejectedly, a slight smirk on her face, dabbing my mouth with lipstick. "Okay, blot." She produced a piece of tissue and held it up to my lips.
"Alice, what's going on?" I glanced at her with narrow eyes, hoping that she would give me some hint as to why she was being so secretive.
"I could tell you." She winked, forcing the tissue in between my lips. "But then I'd have to kill you, and I love you too much for that. Plus, someone else would be very disappointed if you were dead on arrival."
My heart began to race when she mentioned the words someone else.
"Omari," I whispered.
"My lips are sealed. For once in my life, I'm keeping my mouth shut," Alice said, running a brush several times through my coarse locks. "There. Well, it's the best I could do."
A smile broke out across my face. Could Omari really still be alive? Was he here in Egypt awaiting my arrival? Did he want to give our love a second chance? Were we finally going to be together for all eternity?
My hopes began to rise along with my pulse as we pulled into the driveway of a large palace on the edge of town. The mansion was beautiful, constructed from some type of beige and red material. It was three stories tall with several towers erected around it. The sheer size and magnificence of our new home nearly took my breath away. I couldn't help but wonder if my beloved was waiting for me just beyond its walls.
"Come on, Tessa," Aunt Alice called to me as I stared at the mansion out my window. "We have to get you out of those horrendous clothes."
She took my hand once we had exited the vehicle, and my other female family members joined us as we went into a small side entrance. My mother Leah's arms draped around my shoulders, pulling me closer to her.
"You're here!" I heard Tia exclaim as we entered the palace.
We shared mutual greetings and hugs, my eyes wandering around the surrounding palace, searching for Omari. I even tried to sniff out his scent, but I couldn't detect it. Maybe he wasn't here and they were only preparing me from some unknown Egyptian welcoming ceremony.
"Tessa, here's your outfit for this evening's ceremony," Tia informed, handing me a burgundy garment bag.
"I'll be taking that, thank you." Alice swooped in and snatched it from Tia's arms. "Come on, Tessa. Let's get you changed."
Once inside a small bathroom, Alice worked over me, dressing me in a white gown made out of linen. Beadwork in an array of colors covered the entire dress from collar to hem. After I was dressed, she seized my right hand, sliding a beautiful golden ring on my third finger. I held it up in the sunlight trickling in from a miniature window and noticed the intricate flower detailing along the band. My smile bent into a crooked grin. Could it be a wedding band?
"Alice, what's this for?" I asked, dumbfounded as she slipped several purple lotus flowers into my hair. My aunt ignored me, humming softly to herself, and finished her handiwork. I grabbed her shoulders when she was done. "Alice, please tell me."
"All right, nosy." She sighed, her shoulders shrugging off my hands. "Omari's here. He's surprising you with a wedding this evening. I, for one, am a little appalled that he didn't ask for my input--"
"A wedding? Tonight?" I questioned, interrupting her. My mood shifted to nothing but pure happiness. Omari was somewhere in the palace! "Alice, where is he?"
"I can't tell you," she said firmly, biting her lip.
Frustrated, I pushed past her, storming from the bathroom on my bare feet.
"Wait, Tessa! Stop!" I heard Alice call from behind me, but I didn't even flinch. My beloved Omari was somewhere in the palace, and I had to find him.
"Could you at least come back and put some shoes on like a normal person?" Alice's request made me chuckle just a bit as I continued to run down the outside corridor and through a long archway.
Picking up the ends of my dress to keep them from soiling, I raced past my female relatives and into courtyard near the center of the palace. I felt the tug on my heartstrings grow stronger with each step. Omari wasn't too far away from me now.
Then, just like a vision, I saw his form come into view on the edge of the courtyard. He had his back turned to me, engrossed in a conversation with Benjamin. I stopped dead in my tracks and watched his head turn in my direction.
"Tessa," he whispered, his eyes widening in disbelief.
I'd never seen him look more handsome. He was bare-chested, wearing a white linen cloth draped around his waist. Around his neck, he wore a stunning golden necklace with a green stone pendant in the center. His arms were each decorated with gold cuffs, accentuating his well-defined biceps.
"Omari," I echoed his whisper, and we both stood there, staring at each other for what seemed like an eternity.
Then, as if someone had pulled the trigger on the starting gun, Omari darted toward me and scooped me up into his arms. He spun me around several times, laughing in utter elation. Placing my feet back on the ground again, he cupped his hands on either side of my face.
"You're here," he simply said.
"Yes, I'm here," I assured him, peering up at his beautiful golden eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Tessa. Please forgive me. I don't know what I was thinking," he began. "Every second away from you was excruciating. I missed you so much. Without you, I'm no one. I'm nothing at all."
"Shut up and kiss me," I bluntly demanded, not caring to hear his apologies. I had already secretly forgiven him. Just one look into his eyes had conveyed all the sorrow he felt. He didn't have to say what I already felt deep down in my soul.
"Gladly." Omari leaned his head into mine, and our lips met in sweet reunion. All the love, all the hope, all the joy we had held for each other was rekindled as we kissed. It was as if we had never parted.
As our kiss deepened, Omari grabbed me by the waist and lifted me up, twirling me around several more times. I couldn't contain my happiness, letting my smile widen against his lips, and pulled him closer to me. All the sadness that I'd felt over the loss of our child and his departure was long forgotten.
"Woo hoo!" A cat call resounded from somewhere in the courtyard, and I knew instantly that it was from my uncle Emmett.
Omari and I laughed, breaking apart after what seemed like an eternity. I looked toward the opposite end of the courtyard and noticed that my entire family, the guard, and the Egyptian coven had gathered to watch our reunion.
"There is one more thing I'd like to do," Omari whispered into my ear, setting me down on the grass. "This isn't how I planned it, but it'll do."
I returned my attention back to my beloved and gave him a tender smile. Omari then took my right hand into his own, removing the gold band Alice had placed on my ring finger, and switched it to my left hand. I looked up at him when he was finished, my eyes searching his for an explanation.
"Now, you do the same with mine." He placed his right hand over mine, winking at me.
I gave him a confused look, but did as he instructed, removing the ring from his right hand and gliding it onto his left ring finger.
"Ah, you've just made me the happiest man on the planet." Omari softly squeezed my hands, grinning from ear to ear.
"I'm not sure I understand," I confessed, confoundedly looking up at him.
"You are my wife now, Tessa," Omari said, his smile beaming with the brilliance of a thousand suns. "According to modern Egyptian tradition, we are now married."
I peered up my husband with all the adoration I could display in one single expression. My heart overflowed with love for the man before me. Through just one simple gesture, we were now bound together for the rest of our existence on this Earth.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" I returned his smile, my eyes carefully watching his pale lips.
"What?" He asked, fluttering his eyes toward my lips as well.
"Aren't you going to kiss your bride?" I brushed my lips back and forth against his.
"Hell yeah!" Omari forcefully gripped the sides of my face, our lips colliding in our first kiss as husband and wife. It was the most magical kiss we'd ever had.
We were suddenly stirred from our blissful moment as music softly began to play throughout the courtyard. I recognized the song as Debussy's Clair de Lune. We both glanced around, noticing my great-grandfather Edward behind a massive black piano, the familiar crooked smile plastered across his face.
"May I have this dance, my beloved Tessa?" Omari chivalrously bowed before me.
Without saying a word, I pressed my body into Omari's, weaving my fingers into his own. He pulled me close, sighing, and we began to sway to the beautiful classical tune. The song had meant so much to my great-grandfather and Bella and also to my grandparents, Jacob and Nessie. I guessed Edward only found it fitting to play it now just after I had married my one true love, my Omari.
"So, what's my new last name? You know, I've never asked what yours was." I laughed, placing my head on his shoulder.
"Well, I used to be Omari, son of Aapep. Last names weren't common back then." He rested his head against mine, still leading me in our first dance.
"Tessa Aapep? That sounds like a mouthful," I jokingly said, secretly relishing in the sound of my new name. "What does it mean?"
Omari laughed. "It means moon snake."
"Oh, my God, really?" I smiled, pulling back slightly.
"Yes, but you don't have to take it if you don't want to. I actually wouldn't mind taking yours," Omari said with a glimmer in his golden eyes.
"You'd do that?" I asked incredulously.
"Of course. It's an honor to have you as my wife. I would want nothing more." Omari leaned his head down and kissed me gently on the lips.
He drew me back to him, claiming me about my waist, as we glided across the grass of the courtyard under the backdrop of the setting sun.
"Tessa." My father EJ sighed, placing his right hand around my waist and the other in my right hand. "You look beautiful."
Omari and I had partaken in the traditional cutting of the cake only a few minutes before. Even though he couldn't have any of the cake, it didn't stop me from shoving a large chunk into his face. Afterward, my father had kindly asked for a dance with his only daughter. I was ever so delighted to oblige him.
"Thanks, Dad." I shyly looked up at my sire as the first moments of our father-daughter began. I loved the warmth of my father's arms; it had always been such a comfort to me as a child.
"In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful bride—apart from your mother of course," he said, chuckling. I could sense a hint of distress in his voice as he spoke. I knew he was a little saddened by the fact that I'd just been married.
"Dad, are you happy about me marrying Omari?" I blatantly blurted out.
"I am, Tessa. I couldn't be happier that you've found your soulmate," my father EJ admitted, obviously trying to mask his melancholy. His lips tightened.
"Dad, you seem a little sad. Is something wrong?" I questioned, my eyebrows furrowing.
"It's just—my little girl's all grown up and married." My father took a deep breath and released it. "It's only been ten years since I first held you in my arms."
My heart instantly melted at my father's words. We had always been so close since the first day I was born. It stung to know that my happiness with Omari had made him a little depressed.
"Dad, I'll always be your little girl. You know that, right?" I honestly told him, glancing into his emerald eyes.
"I know." He laughed, placing his forehead to mine. "It just makes me a little sad to know that another man now shares your heart with me."
"Aw, Dad." My father's love was something I would always treasure. "You'll always be number one."
"Thank you, Tessa," he whispered, pulling away, and we began to sway again to the soft music. "That means a lot to me."
"I meant every word." I placed my head back on his shoulder.
"Tessa, there's something your mother and I would like to ask of you and Omari," my father suddenly changed the subject.
"Anything, Dad," I genuinely replied, reveling in the warmth of his arms.
"Your mother and I have decided to return to La Push, and we were wondering if you and Omari would keep watch over things here in Egypt in our absence," he relayed, stopping our dance.
"Why are you going back to Washington?" I asked, unsure of what he meant.
"It's been almost ten years since we've been back to our homeland, Tessa," he began, frowning. "We've both missed it, and your mother misses Grandma Sue. Jacob and Edward have agreed to assist you here. They don't see any problem with me being able to rule from La Push. Plus, I'll have the wolf pack to protect me there."
"You're putting me in charge of the guard and the coven?"
"No, I want you to rule alongside me—to become the ruler you were born to be." My father chuckled. "Alice has already seen it, so there's no use in protesting."
"You can't bet against her; that's for sure." I echoed his laugh. "And Omari?"
"Omari too, yes." He took my hands into his. "He's the oldest vampire, the very first immortal. He will be a great asset to our reign. What he's seen and experienced is unmatched by any of our kind."
"We'd be honored, Dad," I accepted his offer, glancing toward my mother, who smiled in our direction.
"Great! Now that's settled. Time to throw the bouquet!" Aunt Alice wedged herself between my father and me, breaking us apart. "If I wasn't allowed to plan the wedding, I should at least be in charge of the reception."
"What bouquet, Alice?" I inquired, recalling that I didn't even carry a bouquet down the aisle. In fact, there wasn't even an aisle.
"This bouquet," Alice exclaimed, handing me a bundle of purple lotus blossoms. I rolled my eyes.
"All right, all you single gals!" Alice's musical voice sang out over the crowd as she merrily danced toward Emmett's DJ booth.
"Have fun, sweetheart. I love you," my father said, kissing me sweetly on the right cheek.
"Love you too, Dad." I pulled him in for one last hug before turning to the throng of single women, bouquet in hand.
I noticed that all of Joham's daughters, including Nehneh, Jane, and my aunt Bella Alice were standing amongst the crowd. My eyes searched the guests for Omari, but he was nowhere in sight. I couldn't even smell his familiar fragrance in the air. Frowning and turning my back to the single ladies, I wondered to where he could have disappeared.
I heftily tossed the bouquet into the crowd, and everyone cheered as Nehneh caught it, not even flinching. My uncle Billy Black stormed over to her, dipping her and giving her a passionate kiss right in front of all my relatives and guests. As he lifted her back to her feet, Nehneh's face turned bright red in embarrassment, but I also detected a hint of a smirk. I smiled at my uncle's imprint, delighting in the thought of their newfound love.
"Hey, Mrs. Black-Aapep." Hands wrapped around my waist from behind, making me instantly close my eyes. Those hands belonged to my angel.
"Oh, a hyphenated last name. I like it," I said, running my hands up through his blond hair.
"Thought you might. Besides Alice already said you would." I felt the vibrations of his laughter against my back as we swayed back and forth to the music. "She also mentioned something called Isle Esme and handed me a wallet with keys and plane tickets. I have no clue what she means by that."
I sighed, a little irritated. "Is there anything she hasn't seen happening between us?"
"Um…well, there is one thing. Remember I can shield her if I wish," Omari said, somewhat proudly.
"And what's that?" I turned to face him, easily sliding back into his arms.
"Come with me." His eyebrows raised in mischief. "I have a surprise for you."
"Shouldn't we say goodbye first?" I asked, taking a glimpse of the party still in motion in front of us. Emmett and Rosalie were busy twirling each other down the center of a Soul Train line.
"I don't think so. Come on." Omari took me by the hand, leading me into the Egyptian coven's palace.
"And just where are we going?" I asked as we passed through corridor after corridor.
"I told you it was a surprise." Omari shook his head, pausing beside a wooden door with words carved in the center. "Here we are."
I ran my hands along the engraving in script, tracing each letter. The letters spelled out my name. "Is this my room?"
"Yes, you could call it that. It's more like a playroom." Omari chuckled, running his hands through his luscious blond hair. I reveled in how sexy he looked when he did that.
"Well, can I see it?" I questioned him after a long pause, my hand already on the doorknob.
He nodded, and I turned the knob, entering the room, my jaw instantaneously dropping to the floor.
I was surrounded by a massive room with towering walls. Along each wall, lined up in rows, appeared to be over a hundred different weapons—knives, swords, and guns.
"Wow," I mused, my eyes raking over the myriad of weapons. "Are they all for me?"
Omari laughed, walking up to my position and jerking me into his arms from behind.
"They're all yours…a companion to my heart." I felt his cheeks morph into a smile against mine.
"I've never wanted you more than I do now." I turned around and pulled him roughly to me.
"Me either, Mrs. Black-Aapep." His golden eyes smoldered into mine as he ran his fingers sexily down my back. "But don't you want to test out one of your new toys first?"
"Oh, definitely…just as soon as I'm done with this one, Mr. Black," I said seductively. I then jumped into his arms, constricting my legs around his waist.
"That might take a while." Omari heartily laughed. "Are you sure?"
"Didn't I tell you earlier to just shut up and kiss me?" I rhetorically asked, rolling my eyes.
I didn't even let him answer. Wrapping my hands around his head, I crushed his lips with mine. Devouring my lips in return, Omari laid me down on the oval table toward the center of the room.
I smiled, drowning in the touch of his lips against my skin, feeling completely contented for the first time in my life. No worries, no fears…just hope for a wonderful, happy future with Omari. And if his visions held true, we wouldn't be spending it alone.
My name is Tessa Clearwater Black-Aapep, and my story has just begun.
Attn: This is the last chapter of Tessa. *sniff* I hope you have enjoyed her story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Thank you so much for sticking with this story and leaving such wonderful, encouraging comments. I appreciate you, my readers, more than you know. Words couldn't begin to express what you mean to me. Remember, I do have an epilogue that I will post next week and as always please leave me a little love. *hugs and much love* ~ DAZZY xxoo