Jasper had been half a step into taking Natasha's waist to swing her into the dance when she'd neatly sidestepped into his place and swept Alice up, and the surprise makes him laugh as he moves to one side, out of their way. He should have known, of course, Natasha would never be so obvious. He shouldn't be surprised either that she leads so well, but it does make him wonder where she'd learned to dance so well.

There's so much he doesn't know about her. The idea makes him frown a little, but he's learned enough to know just asking outright wouldn't be very welcome. She might tell him, but she wouldn't enjoy it much. He shakes it off, setting those thoughts aside as Alice's delight at being lifted comes through like the ringing of a crystal bell, and he's grinning again by the time the song ends and they come back his way. "We can only hope," he says, reaching out to tuck red hair behind her ear, as Alice links her fingers with his and squeezes briefly.

"We should talk to them soon," he continues more briskly. "Not today, but tomorrow at the latest. We've never made the new treaty conditions official with the new alpha, and I think if the Volturi are venturing back into our little corner, they ought to know. They were useful last time, or would've been, had it come to that. They might be obliged to do the same this time."