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Chapter 25

Bree Tanner

They were greeted at the door by a young girl, maybe sixteen, pale with honey-coloured hair and large grey eyes. A small, upturned nose, pink bow lips. Not a vampire.

Edward raised his eyebrows at this, but Kate simply smiled her little smile, and nodded to the girl.

"Bree."

"Welcome home, mistress. Welcome, good sir." The girl stepped aside, and Kate led Edward into a small, comfortably furnished room.

A fire burned in a marble hearth on one end. Small couches were arranged in a semicircle on the other.

Through a door to his left, Edward saw a doorway leading to a dining room. To his right, a hall, leading most likely to bedrooms.

"This is Edward. Edward, Bree. She is my companion."

"You keep a human companion?" Edward asked. He was trying hard not to look at the girl, trying not to sense the blood in her veins.

"I do. It is not unusual for Ashayt vampires to spend their time with humans, or even to live with them. Bree tends the house, and in exchange I drink from her, on occasion."

Bree, standing in the corner, said nothing, only smiled. Her eyes were on the floor. Edward glanced at her, then back at Kate.

"You can do that?"

"Certainly. Human beings heal, Edward. Have you never cut yourself?" Edward shrugged. It had never occurred to him. He turned and addressed Bree directly.

"You … enjoy this?"

"I live to serve my mistress." Bree's tone was questioning. She seemed surprised that Edward found this unusual.

"Liar." There was mischief in Kate's voice. She touched Edward's arm, gaining his attention. "She lives for the pleasure."

"To serve my mistress … and for the pleasure," Bree admitted after a moment, a light blush touching her cheeks.

"Bree has never given blood to a man, Edward. Would you like to drink from her?" Edward considered this.

"I'm afraid I might kill her. I have never left prey alive." Bree's eyes widened. Kate laughed.

"You will do no such thing. Bree is not your prey. She is my attendant. Or perhaps my soubrette. Sit down, Edward." She beckoned to the couch. Edward sat, feeling confused and out of place.

Kate, to his right, motioned for Bree, and the girl sat down to his left. He could hear her heartbeat, quicker than normal.

"You're frightened of me."

"No, milord."

"No lies, Bree." Kate's voice was soft. Bree blushed again.

"A bit, perhaps."

"He'll not kill you, Bree. You have my promise. Edward is Eresh-Chen He is perfectly capable of restraining himself. This is not so different from giving me the blood, though you may find it … more immediately gratifying."

"Are there differences?" Edward asked Kate. She curled her hand around his, leaned her head in close.

Edward could feel the push of her breasts against his arm.

"Are there differences in the pleasures men give women, and those that women give each other, Edward?"

"I would not know, milady."

"Kate."

"Kate, I know not."

"Ah, that is unfortunate, and we will change it soon enough, my young priest. Drink. There is no reason to get Bree so excited for nothing." Edward looked at the girl.

Bree breathed deeply, returning his gaze with eyes that betrayed both nervousness and a small, burning desire.

She arched her head to the side, and Edward could see the beat of her heart below the flesh of her neck and felt himself consumed by a sudden, tremendous need.

He leaned his head in close, kissed the spot, felt her heat below his lips. Bree sighed. Edward felt Kate's grip on his hand change, moving it to Bree's breast.

He cradled it, moved his thumb across it, felt her erect nipple below the fabric of her gown.

Bree gasped, moved her head, put her lips on Edward's, wrapped her arms around him. For the first time in his existence, Edward Cullen let himself kiss a woman in passion.

He felt her warmth against him, beating heart, shared breath, fire in the touch of her lips. Her tongue, small and insistent, pressed, turned the kiss warm and damp.

He responded instinctively, biting down slightly. Bree winced a moment, then kissed harder, and Edward tasted her blood, hot in his mouth.

Kate's hand guided his. Bree's legs lay slightly apart, and Edward slid her skirts up.

He found bare skin underneath, ran a finger along one smooth thigh. Bree adjusted her position, mouth still locked to Edward's, opened herself to him.

Edward felt the brush of hair at his fingertips, and then only heat, and wet. Bree made a noise in her throat, pushed her hips forward, continued their kiss.

Kate's lips were at his ear, whispering for him to drink. Drink. Take her blood and give her release. Edward moved his mouth from Bree's, licking traces of blood from her lips, and placed it against her neck.

"Drink." Kate. A whisper.

"Drink." Bree. A plea. Edward bit down, as gently as he could, and pressed his hand against the smooth, warm, wet flesh at his fingertips.

Bree's reaction was instantaneous, violent, enough so that Edward wondered for a moment if perhaps he had hurt her much more than his bite should have.

She cried out; thrust her hips forward into his touch, over and over. Her hands made claws against his back. Edward drank, making an effort to resist the trance that wanted to blanket him, that would make him unable to stop until the girl's heart gave its final beat.

He succeeded, drank only a few swallows, and detached himself from the girl, gasping. Bree laid back in a semi-swoon, hand at her neck, breathing ragged, eyes far away.

Kate reached across Edward and adjusted the girl's skirts. Her touch seemed to register with Bree, who looked around, groggy but aware.

"Good?" Kate's voice held the air almost of an indulgent parent. Bree nodded, trying to catch her breath. Kate turned to Edward, took his hand in both of hers.

"Good?" Edward shook his head, not in denial but in an attempt to clear it, licking blood from his lips. He stared out at the fire.

"Everything previous seems distant and uninteresting," he said at last. Kate laughed her musical laugh, kissing his fingertips.

"Then all is very well, indeed! Are you tired, Bree?"

"Tired, yes, mistress. But … if Master Edward is not finished, I … would not object to indulging him further." Kate laughed again, clapping her hands, delighted.

"Ah, my dear, asking for seconds so soon? Edward will think you of low character!" Edward glanced around at this and smiled slightly.

"I assure you, he thinks no such thing."

"It matters not. Bree knows her character very well indeed. She is also much more tired than she is letting on. There is no time for further entertainment tonight." Bree, understanding this to be a dismissal, stood.

She was unsteady on her feet, so Kate helped her down the hall toward the bedrooms. Edward watched the girl disappear into darkness, returning her small wave.

Kate moved back to the couches, sat again next to Edward, and looked at him for a time with her sparkling eyes, saying nothing. Finally she asked,

"Was that evil, Edward?"

"Mil—Kate, I don't know what that was."

"Ah, but that I can answer for you. It was but a small taste of what a vampire like yourself might experience. We are both of us blessed, Edward."

"How so?"

"What Bree just experienced is but a shadow of what more skilled ministrations can bring her, and that but a hint of what a vampire lucky enough to retain such human abilities can feel. I possess that gift, Edward, and so do you. Think of the fun we shall have!" Edward stared at her, smiling.

"Kate, I believe if I contemplate that possibility overmuch, I may well never leave your side again."

"Then don't."

"Carlisle—"

"Carlisle is a black-hearted fool who understands nothing more than death. All that was human in him died during the change. He erroneously assumed the same would be true of you, my priest."

"And you believe otherwise?"

Kate again left him to decipher only her smile.

Bella's eyes were wide. The mansion was not yet near. Edward had paused momentarily to glance at her and gauge her reaction.

"Am I boring you?" Bella laughed, shaking her head.

"No. God, no. This is great. It's like vampire porn. 'The Erotic Adventures of Edward, Chapter 1.' " Edward laughed at this.

"Four hundred years would add up to many chapters indeed, but the truth is that much of it would sound the same. Sex may not grow tiresome for those involved … at least, if they're good at it. But listening to stories about it only lasts so long."

"It's not even the sex, really. I know what that's like. It's the idea of you not knowing, I think," Bella said.

"The loss of innocence, yes. People often find that arousing."

"Did you enjoy it?"

"Greatly."

"Did you sleep with Kate?"

"Not that night."

"But eventually?"

"Oh, yes."