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Chapter Five: Feeding

Edward's eyelids felt incredibly heavy as he struggled to open them. The room was dark barring a warm, soft light that was casting shadows along the walls.

Slowly, Edward sat up, careful not to move too quickly as he felt incredibly light-headed. Once upright, he looked around the room, trying to discern his whereabouts. The room gave nothing away. The walls were painted a cream colour and there were a few pieces of abstract art hung up. The floor was a light wood texture, a multicoloured rug taking up most of the space and next to the bed that Edward was on, the only other piece of furniture was an old-looking dresser. Edward looked down at his clothes and saw that someone had changed him out of his old bloodied clothes; he was now wearing a pair of black sweats and a thin long-sleeved sleep shirt.

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and steadily got to his feet. He took a deep breath and tried to find a familiar scent. Amongst all the new smells, there was a single one. Werewolf.

Edward let out an involuntary growl and started towards the door—he was going to find out what they wanted and then he was going to leave (there was a high probability that someone would get injured on the way out).

He ripped the door open and stalked out into the large, modern hallway. The scent stuck to the inside of his nose and he followed it, turning right and into a foyer where some stairs were leading to a lower level. He approached the bannister and let out a deep growl when he saw Zane talking to two others.

Without thinking, he jumped over the bannister, landing with a 'thud' on the tiled floor below. All three turned to look at him, baring their teeth when they realised who it was. Edward wasn't deterred though and grabbed the nearest one by his neck, throwing him into the wall. His head made a sickening thud seconds before the metallic smell of blood filled the air.

He turned back to the other two and yanked the second were closer to him. He spun him around before pushing him to the ground. Lifting his leg, he pressed his kneecap into the were's shoulder. He applied pressure until he felt the bones disconnect from each other and the were howled in pain.

Zane—the third and final were—crouched down, the air around him starting to vibrate as he got ready to phase. Edward didn't give him the chance though. He drove his fist into the side of his head, grinning a little when his neck snapped to the side and blood spewed from his mouth.

It stunned Zane for a moment and Edward used this to his advantage. He charged forward and grabbed the were into a headlock with one arm, using the other to push against his head. Zane began to scream in pain and Edward pushed harder, fully intent on breaking his neck.

In the back of his mind, he felt their pain and anger, surging through him thanks to the blood they took. But he paid it no heed. He had one thing on his mind.

"What's going on here?" a voice asked causing Edward to whip his head around.

"Who are you?" Edward asked angrily, fangs dropping as he increased the pressure on Zane's neck.

"My name is Aro." Edward froze, immediately releasing his grip on Zane, the werewolf slouching to the floor as he coughed and spluttered.

The dark-haired vampire in front of him grinned, a wide toothy smile (if it could be called that). It looked forced and didn't suit his face.

Edward had never met Aro but all the stories he heard rushed through his mind.

Seeing Edward's face tense made Aro's unnatural grin grow. "You've heard of me!" He walked towards Edward with his arms out, almost like he was coming to greet an old friend. He placed his hands on Edward's shoulders, causing him to tense. Aro looked him up and down and then let out a chuckle. "I've heard stories about you, Edward, but I have to say, you are much more handsome in person."

Edward didn't know how to respond.

"What do you think of my home?" the older vampire asked, making a sweeping gesture with his hands as he twirled around.

"It's very… grand," Edward said, feeling completely out of his depth. The walls were white marble with one large red rug taking up most of the space; there were pieces of furniture throughout the room—a coat rack, a writing bureau, and a sofa. It all looked very expensive. The walls were a stark white and, similarly to the bedroom, there was artwork hung on every wall. The windows were large and had equally large red curtains hanging over them as well as blackout blinds rolled up at the top.

Zane got to his feet and let out a growl, his eyes fixed on Edward. His two friends had yet to recover.

"Zane, please! Show a bit of decorum," Aro chided, shaking his head as he rolled his eyes, his instructions stopping the were immediately.

"He tried to beat the shit out of me!" Zane exclaimed, his eyes filled with anger.

"Well, I can't say I blame him—you did drink from him despite my instructions."

Zane looked away and Edward tightened his jaw. It was Aro who had him kidnapped. At least he knew who wanted him. Now he just needed to figure out why.

Aro held up a finger to Edward before he turned on his heel and headed towards Zane. Very calmly, Aro stood in front of him and tilted his head to the side. "You disobeyed me." His voice and expression were both steady.

"It won't happen again," Zane told Aro and Edward could smell the distinct scent of fear that emanated from the were's body.

Aro smiled at Zane before his hand shot out and grabbed his crotch, his hand squeezing so hard and the smell of blood permeating the room.

Zane's mouth opened as he whimpered, his eyes watering and his body twisting in an attempt to get away from the stone-cold, hard grip that was currently squeezing the life out of his meat and two veg.

"You're right—you won't. Because if you do, I'll rip this off and make you a real-life Ken doll." Throughout his little speech, Aro's voice didn't change. He said it so sweetly that if possible, it made the spiel even scarier.

Aro gave Zane's crotch a final squeeze before he let go, Zane dropping to the floor and curling up into a ball, his hands tenderly cradling his damaged scrotum.

Edward stared in horror as Aro turned to him, his face a picture of pure happiness.

"Now, shall I give you the grand tour?"

Before Edward had the chance to respond, Aro had grabbed his elbow and was leading him through the house. Edward gently pulled his arm back and stopped walking.

"What's wrong?" Aro asked, his face crinkled.

"Why am I here?" Edward asked. "Why did you have werewolves kidnap me?" He wasn't sure if asking outright was the correct thing to do. Aro wasn't known for his patience but Edward needed to know. The more he knew the better.

Aro shook his head. "I am sorry about that. Things would have probably been better if they'd have managed to get Bella here as well, but alas, they can very incompetent. Once they had you, the hunger sort of took over." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Why do you want Bella?" Edward's mind raced and he was quickly trying to work out what his actions were moving forward. Aro wanting Bella was not a good thing.

"It's not just Bella I want—I want Rosalie as well, but my weres will just go back."

"You haven't told me why you want them." Edward did his best to keep his voice even and his body language relaxed, even though every fibre in his being was telling him to run, to fight, to get back to Bella. A lead ball began to form in his stomach.

"For their mind reading abilities obviously," Aro responded, looking at Edward like he should know the answer to the question.

Edward felt sick. Aro couldn't know about that. He didn't know how he knew. Only a select few people were privileged to that information and none of them would tell Aro.

"How do you—" Edward began, ready to ask how on Earth Aro knew about that.

But the sound of a pair of high heels clicking down the hallway stopped him. Both men turned.

Aro smiled at the intruder whilst Edward let out a snarl when he realised who it was.

"Why, I told him." Her voice was disgustingly sweet. A blood-red gown adorned her body, red heels on her feet. Her hair was piled high on top of her head and red lipstick covered her lips. "I didn't think you should keep Bella and Rosalie all to yourself."

"I believe you two know each other," Aro began. "Edward—this is my other guest; Tanya."

Edward clenched his teeth together so tightly that his still descended fangs bit into his lower gum. He spent a few seconds composing himself. "What are you doing here?" His voice was tight and he wanted nothing more than to fly across the room and slam her into the wall. He wasn't one for violence but Tanya managed to enrage him like no one else.

"I'm here to see you, darling," she told him, fluttering her fake eyelashes.

"Now Edward, Tanya has told me all about your past and it really is time you moved on from that. She's sorry for what she'd done so you might as well forgive her."

The thought was funny. Forgive her? For what she'd done? "I will never forgive," Edward said darkly. She'd damned Nessie to a life in the dark and telling Aro about Bella and Rose had possibly condemned them to death.

Tanya rolled her eyes at him and steadily moved closer. "You will in time. I just know you will."

Edward remained silent.

Aro eyed them both and then clapped his hands loudly. "Let's get on with the tour, shall we?" He turned away from them and began to point out various artwork displays on the walls, telling them when they were painted, by whom, and in certain cases, how the painter tasted.

Edward followed reluctantly, looking at the doors and trying to figure a way out of this mess.

As they walked around the ridiculously large house, Edward kept his eyes open, trying to take it all in. Out of the window, he saw some of the werewolves roaming the grounds. His chances of escaping were dwindling quickly.

He reached inside of himself and sought out the part of him that was connected to Bella. She was asleep, an uneasy rest but the bond was quiet. He was glad she was resting.

"Well, who do we have here?" a sultry feminine voice asked and Edward looked up, startled to see a woman walk right up to Aro and stick her tongue down his throat. She had dark brown hair that fell just past her shoulders, brown eyes, and a petite figure.

Aro responded enthusiastically and when she pulled away, she bit down on his lip.

"Edward, this is my wife, Suplicia."

Sulpicia immediately went to Edward and ran her long nails over his chest, biting her lip.

Aro smiled. "She likes you!"

Edward didn't smile at her, he just gave her a curt nod. She seemed to be as completely unstable as her husband.

"Come with me," she told Edward, grabbing his hand tightly and leading him down the hallway. "We have something to show you."

She pulled him into what appeared the dining room and Edward swallowed. Several women were quite literally laid out on the table, wearing just bras and thongs. He immediately understood their purpose.

"I'm not hungry," he insisted. He could smell their blood, hear their hearts beating as if he had his head against their chests. They smelt good, the metallic scent making his mouth water and his fangs felt like they were pushing against his mouth, begging to bite into the succulent flesh.

Tanya appeared at his other side and he was suddenly sandwiched between the two women. "It's time to eat my love," she whispered.

The whooshing of their blood thundered in his ears and Edward swallowed again. He stopped breathing, trying to curtail the monster that was eating him up inside.

Tanya passed him, her breasts pushing up against his arm as she sauntered over to the table and perused the women. She ran her fingers over different parts of the bodies—their arms, ankles, stomachs and necks. They all shivered under her touch.

"I think you'd like this one," she said quietly, stopping at a young girl with brown hair. She ran her fingers over her face and the young women flinched, fear radiating from her body, her heart pounding faster. "Sit up and open your eyes," she told her.

Very slowly, the young women did as she was told, swinging her legs over the side of the table as she faced Tanya. Her body began to shake with fear.

Edward didn't move and Sulpicia ran her hand up his arm.

Aro stood behind him and pushed on his back. "Go."

Without a conscious decision, Edward's feet carried him forward. Edward wished he was stronger. He wished he had the willpower to say no and walk away. But he was so hungry. He'd been drained and needed blood desperately. And the blood he so desperately craved was right there. He could reach out and touch the women, slice his nail along their skin and their blood would rush out, coating the table.

He stopped in front of the young girl, his eyes jumping to her neck and the artery that jumped with her rapid pulse. He cursed the werewolves; if they hadn't have taken so much, there was every chance he could have resisted this.

The room was silent bar from the woman's heavy breathing as Tanya grabbed her arm, held it out straight and ran her long nail down the length of it. The girl cried out in pain but the sound didn't register with Edward. He watched the blood ooze from the wound and his mouth parted.

Tanya used a pale finger to swipe the blood up from the arm and wipe it across Edward's bottom lip.

He closed his eyes and inhaled, the smell of her blood making his mouth water.

He was so thirsty.

He drew his bottom lip into his mouth, the sweet taste of her blood swirling around his mouth as his taste buds flared to life. His fangs brushed his bottom lip and the primal urge to feed roared inside his body.

Edward lowered his mouth to her arm, where the blood flowed freely but Tanya placed a finger under his chin and tilted his face up.

"From her neck," she whispered, her eyes dilated as she took in his dishevelled appearance. His eyes were dilated, unseeing. His mouth was parted and she could feel the need rolling off him in desperate waves. This was how she wanted him; raw… on the verge of losing all control.

Without hesitation, Edward moved his face to the girl's neck, his nose pressing against her skin. When the smell of blood was all he could smell and he was almost delirious with it, he sank his fangs into the young girl's neck, blood flowing into his mouth.

He sucked with vigour, her cries of pain and fear lost to him. When she moved her arms to push him off, Tanya pinned them to her side. She wouldn't have him interrupted.

Sulpicia sidled up to her husband. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and her fingers slid up his shirt.

"I get so turned on watching others feed," she whispered, a glint in her eye.

Thank you to Edwardsmate4ever and Twi-Girl83 for their work as my betas.

Thoughts? Feelings?