By the time we reached the house, everyone else had already had time to arrive and settle in. I had never been to the Swan Estate before, but I had seen the old oil-painting in its gilded frame down in the basement and Charlie had started to talk more and more about his past recently and that led to a lot of discussions about the colonial estate we were about to call home, so I kinda knew what to expect. The main house was a perfect example of an Atlantic Colonial home. The entire structure was old red brick that was mottled with patches of crawling Virginia creeper that clung to the house with its verdant vines. The central part of the house was large, two-stories, and mostly square in shape, and I knew that the ground floor contained the receiving parlour, formal dining room, the large kitchen that doubled as a servant's eatery with room for a modest group to eat together, a guest bathroom that was just a toilet and vanity, and the lady's parlour.

Just of the idea of a special space just for the lady's to stay while the men did whatever it was men did without the delicate ears of the women around to hear made me bristle – but Rosalie said that we were going to claim it as our own anyway, a special club just for us girls that the men couldn't enter without fear of dismemberment. And well… I kind of liked the idea of a secret space just for us, somewhere that Edward and Charlie couldn't go, and to a lesser extent the other men in the Pack too, it made me feel a part of something special, something … exclusive and so so good.

The second floor of the central structure was home to two large office spaces, one on either side of the building with their own large fireplace – Charlie had explained that one was an actual office, for the man of the house (when Charlie was telling me about the estate, that night after the Denali's had come and gone and we had taken refuge in the comfort and safety of our familial bond as we cuddled on the sofa with the lights off and only the gentle glow of the crescent moon washing over us through the window – ever present, ever watchful, our Goddess bathing us in her soft light as she inched her way towards completeness – I had rolled my eyes at the man of the house comment, and Charlie had pointedly ignored me) to conduct business in, and the other office was for the lady of the house, and was more of a den and a reading room. Unlike the parlour downstairs that was forbidden for men to enter and was built to be a space reserved solely for the women of the house and their guests, the upstairs den was open to men, but was still largely considered the woman's domain. The way Charlie had explained it, was that men could go wherever they wanted whenever they pleased, (other than the parlour, of course) but when it came to the Lady's office, men were expected to knock, and to wait until they were granted entry before they came inside. Not like they would be denied entry, it was more… theatre and formality than anything else. The second floor of the central building of the house also had a number of guest bedrooms and two full bathrooms, which originally only housed baths but Charlie had made quite a few structural changes to the estate since it was originally build in 1708 – almost a hundred years after Charlie had originally migrated to the colonies with the first boats of settlers from Europe.

Coming off of the central structure were two slim, single story hallways that connected the 'wings' of the house to the main part of the house, each wing had it's own entrance on the ground floor. The house was settled in a cove, in a secluded valley in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia, and in such a way that the rising sun would warm the front of the house, and the setting sun the back. Each wing was much smaller than the main house, the northern wing had a large family room and den on the ground floor as well as a glass encased greenhouse observatory that seemed to jut out off the most northern side of the estate as if to catch every moment of sunlight it could and it was just waiting for Esme to fill it with an abundance of plants, while the second story was home to two large bedrooms with en-suites and large fireplaces, and two, smaller bedrooms, as well as a separate full bath.

The southern wing of the house was much the same, except without the observatory and instead had a substantial library and music room, and if I thought Charlie had a hoarding problem before, that was nothing compared to this – I had no idea that he had kept so many books stored here over the years. The second floor of the south wing was almost an exact match to it's northern counterpart, other than a few differences in colour-scheme.

Other than a few antiques, and books, and a couple of strange but beautiful carved wood cabinets that had fine details gilded in gold that just screamed 'french', the house was mostly empty. Charlie had made sure that it had been looked after, with regular maintenance and cleaning, but it was still pretty empty. And not wanting to 'ruin' the aesthetic of the house with her modern furniture, Esme had opted to donate a large majority of the furniture from the Cullen house in favour of purchasing new belongings in Virginia. I was glad that the beds were one of the things coming with us, after sleeping in my truck for almost a week I was looking forward to sleeping on my very comfortable mattress.

However, that meant by the time Edward and I finally arrived, the house was comically empty. And that led to Edward sitting on the floor in the cozy den of the north wing, laptop in hand, as he excitedly showed Carlisle – who was sitting criss-cross-applesauce next to him – pictures of our trip to the medical history museum.

"And look! They still have the lecture theatre, it's exactly the same and everything." Edward scrolled through a series of photos, all of the same room from different angles with a few close ups of different details. The first photo was an image of a medium sized amphitheatre. The entire thing looked to be made out of wood, with wooden stairs and built in wooden chairs that had small desks attached, which all looked down on a wooden lectern, and a strange dark wooden table. The next image was a close up of said wooden table, and from this new perspective, and with the bright light from the camera's flash, you could see that the table was stained with what was probably bodily fluids, and was slightly concave, with a series of deep grooves carved into the surface that all led to a centralised hole in the table.

"What is that?" Esme asked politely from where she was kneeling behind the pair, peering over their shoulders to look at the screen.

"Corpse draining table." Edward and Carlisle answered happily at the same time.

"Oh dear," Esme murmured as the pair continued to look over the photos from our trip.

"Ya know," I quipped from my spot nearby, "I really hope that you have a medical degree that's a lot more recent, Carlisle. Because some of the stuff we heard at the museum was really fucked up."

"Language," Esme scolded sternly, but the quirk of her lips betrayed her amusement.

"I'm not wrong, though!" I exclaimed, with a dramatic wave of my arms. "You guys would prescribe cigarettes to treat asthma!" I accused teasingly. "Cigarettes!"

"Don't worry, I received my most recent medical degree in 2001, and I make sure to stay up to date on any and all medical advancements." Carlisle replied calmly, his orange eyes crinkled in amusement.

I raised a questioning eyebrow at Edward – after all, I had let him fix my broken nose after he assured me he was qualified to do so.

Edward rolled his eyes, "I got my last MD in 1995." he replied.

"Not exactly filling me with confidence." I mumbled to myself.

Edward elected to ignore me as he continued to show Carlisle the copious amount of photo's that he had taken once he had relieved me of camera duty. I'm pretty sure Edward took more photos at the museum than I had taken at all of our other stops combined.

It was ridiculous – two vampires sitting on the floor pouring over dozens of photo's of antique medical equipment and preserved human body parts while they fangirled over each one with excited words and bright eyes. It felt like it was the start of something, because while this house didn't have any furniture or pictures on the walls or any of the little things that could make an empty building feel like a home, it still had this – these crazy, brilliant, lovable vampires who got irrationally excited about corpse draining tables and human brains preserved in jars – and wherever they were, that was home. That was all I needed.

XxXx

It had been just over a week since we had arrived, I was sitting on my bed in my room in the north wing, happily reading a book when I noticed that the house was unnaturally quiet. With nine people inhabiting the estate there was always something happening, but the entire house was silent. I closed my eyes and focused on my hearing, from where I sat in my bedroom I could hear my own heartbeat pounding in my ears, my nose scrunched as I focused further and I became aware of the fact that I could hear the piping in the walls shudder and clunk around. My eyebrows furrowed as I realised that there were no other heartbeats in the house, so instead I began to search out the soft gentle breathing of any of the resident vampires.

Nothing.

I huffed in annoyance, and then, I heard it – the subdued breathing and rustling of fabric that was evidence of a vampire moving about. The sound was coming from the other side of the building, the ground floor of the south wing. I was confused about where everyone had gone, so I closed the book I had been reading and left it on my bed as I went to go investigate.

I still wasn't used to this new place, and with the house so empty it didn't feel warm and welcoming like it did when it was filled with the bustle of half a dozen excited vampires. Without Esme fluttering about with her tape measure as she took down the dimensions of every room to the exact inch, or Alice rambling about colour-schemes, and period correct wallpaper, and matching curtains and the 'flow' of the house from one room to the next, or Emmett's bellowing voice as he followed Rosalie around and tried to convince her to renovate the servant's quarters in the west woods of the property so they could have more privacy from the rest of the family, the house felt silent and alien.

As I walked down the hall towards the stairs I heard the sound of light piano music drifting towards me from the south wing – the music room – and as the music continued I knew who it was: Edward. The music was beautiful, slowly getting louder as I travelled through the still very empty house, each note that Edward played pulled me ever closer to him like a siren's song. The music was… sad, it was dark and moody and just so so sad that it made my heart ache in my chest, but it was also… hopeful. The song surged upwards, growing in intensity, strength and passion burned through every note before it swooped down again to dive into the deep endless sea of melancholy and sadness. Just as the darkness seemed to swamp my very being the music soared upwards again in that same hopeful melody.

I came to a stop near the doorway to the music room and just stood there, happy to watch Edward play, his fingers deftly danced across the keys, and eventually brought the song to a close.

Silence.

Everything was so still, as if we had become frozen in time. It was… serene.

I crossed the room without saying a word and sunk down on the piano stool, sitting on Edward's right hand side, I leaned against him and rested my head on his shoulder.

"That was beautiful." I whispered, I didn't want to speak any louder and ruin the tranquil silence that floated in the air after Edward's performance.

"It was Chopin." Edward murmured in reply. "Nocturne in E flat Major."

We sat in companionable silence for a time, the air still enchanted with the memory of Edward's beautiful music. Slowly, the magic gently drained away, leaving us sitting there in it's wake. "Where is everyone?" I asked.

"Carlisle, Charlie, and Esme have gone to buy furniture, Alice and Jasper are out hunting and establishing a patrol route, and Emmett and Rosalie are out sourcing materials for the renovations on the servant's quarters." Edward listed off easily.

"Oh, so they've decided on living there, have they? I didn't know." I scrunched up my face, "Then again, I didn't even realise everyone had left the house, so I guess it's not that surprising."

Edward chuckled, "You're adorable."

"You're not so bad, yourself." I replied with a coy, flirtatious smile as I pressed closer to Edward's side. I twisted my body slightly until I was sitting crookedly on the piano stool, and beamed up at Edward with a growing smile. I leaned forward slowly, giving Edward enough time to deny my advances if that's what he wanted – Edward had offered me the reigns when it came to our physical relationship, but that didn't mean I was going to push him into doing anything he wasn't ready for. Edward's lips turned up in a crooked smirk as he moved to close the last few inches between us.

Our lips moved against each other in an almost chaste kiss, and then I shifted even closer, I brought my right hand to grasp Edward's impeccably ironed button down shirt as the left ghosted up his chest to rest on the side of his neck. My touch seemed to be the green-light Edward was waiting for – an unspoken signal that it was okay to deepen the kiss. Edward's tongue licked into my mouth as one arm came around my body, his hand pressed against the small of my back, while his other rested on my thigh. Urged on by his touch I met Edward's tongue with my own, Edward's hand travelled up my spine to grasp the back of my neck, coaxing me on, imploring me to deepen the kiss further.

I couldn't stop the breathy moan from forming as Edward's hand pressed against my fevered flesh – the sound was muffled by Edward's mouth against mine but the noise forced a restrained groan to rumble in Edward's throat. I deepened the kiss further, I tilted my head slightly as I invaded Edward's mouth with my tongue and where my hand was fisted in Edward's shirt I could feel the vibrations of his purring growl that echoed in his chest. The hand on my thigh began to travel upwards, groping at my waist on it's journey it headed northwards, only to pause just under my breast.

I pulled back with a gasp, "Yes," I whispered breathlessly, staring into Edward's eyes – eyes that had darkened to a deep caramel colour, his pupils blown wide with lust.

Edward groaned as he pressed his lips against mine once more, and his hand drifted the last few inches to press against my breast. I shuddered as pleasure bolted through my veins and I moaned as I pressed my body against Edward's fumbling hand. I pulled back just enough to gulp in a few gasping breaths of air, my forehead pressed against Edward's, I blinked my eyes open. "Can I… I want…" I mumbled shyly, my eyes flickered down and then back up again, in the hope that Edward would understand what I was asking for.

"What? What do you want, my love?" Edward whispered hoarsely, his breath caressed my face as he spoke.

I shut my eyes tightly as a blazing hot blush erupted across my face. I took a moment to gather every ounce of courage – I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, jack-hammering away in a thunderous rhythm. I felt light headed, unable to hold onto any thought for longer than a moment before it drifted away on a river of hormones and endorphins and was replaced with a never ending chant of – Edward, Edward, Edward.

I opened my eyes slowly. "Can I touch you?" I whispered, the words barely audible in the silence. "Please?"

Edward moaned as he bent to bury his face in the crook of my neck, he pressed a wet kiss to my throat before he answered. "Yes. Yes of course."

The hand I still had fisted in Edward's shirt slowly unclenched and I moved my hand shyly down his chest, Edward's rock hard muscles twitched under my touch. Edward's breath hitched as my hand came to a stop on his upper thigh, and it took me just a moment to gather my wits before I moved my hand just a little bit higher. Edward's cotton trousers were soft under my fingertips, and the were straining against the hardness of his erection. The moment my hand touched Edward's clothed length he shuddered and laved my throat in open mouthed kisses, his tongue swirled against my jugular vein, and the sensation caused ripples of pleasure to jolt through me.

I tentatively explored this new area of Edwards body, and he shifted slightly, opening his legs further to give me better access. Edward felt… big and… hard and I honestly don't know what I was expecting. And now that I had my hand on his dick I suddenly was stuck on what to do next.

"Uh… what do I… um…" I stammered weakly as Edward panted against my neck, "How do I make you feel good?" I mumbled.

Edward groaned and his hand left my breast to rest against the back of mine, "Just…" Edward gasped, "Press down – hard – and… oh god." Edward's words were cut off as I followed his instructions, his hips bucked up into my hand as I moved my palm across his crotch.

Emboldened by his reactions I took the opportunity to explore to my heart's content. I palmed up and down the length of his cock and revelled in the way it twitched in the confines of Edward's trousers. I adventured lower, my fingers searching and Edward gasped and groaned under my ministrations, his legs shifting further apart as if they had a mind of their own. I took that as a good sign and I ventured further south, and my hand came into contact with the soft flesh of Edward's ball-sack and I gave them a curious squeeze.

Edward gasped against my throat, and his teeth scraped against my skin. Suddenly, Edward grabbed my hand and roughly pulled it back up to his cock. He pressed my palm down onto his twitching cock as he bucked up into it, "Bella," he groaned, his breath panted wetly against my neck. "Bella, please."

I groaned, an obscene sound that mingled with Edwards gasps and whimpers and formed a glorious symphony of sound and sin as I did as he asked. I moved with single minded intent, my free hand was tangle in the hair on the back of Edward's head, holding him against my neck as I rubbed my palm over his still clothed cock. Edward clung to me like he was a desperate man lost at sea and I was his only hope of salvation. I took my cues from Edward's body, I listened intently to every little moan and grunting cry, and as he bucked up harder – faster – into my hand, I knew he was getting close.

Edward was mouthing at my throat, trying to smother his cries against my skin and I could feel his teeth pressing against my flesh. "Do it, Edward." I gasped, "Bite me. Please." Edward groaned as I continued to rub him feverishly through his pants. "Do it. I want it. Need it." I moaned. I felt Edward's cock twitch through the fabric of his trousers as a damp wetness began to spread under my palm and then… the most pleasurable pain erupted in my neck.

Edward's teeth pierced my skin, and blood erupted from the wound as Edward shook in my arms, the pleasure of his climax overwhelming him. I waited. I expected to feel the now familiar burn of vampire venom, expected to feel the explosion of debilitating pain that I knew accompanied a vampire bite but … it never came. With a startled gasp, Edward pulled back, his tongue licked a stripe up my throat, cleaning it of any stray blood and as he pulled away I could feel my flesh stitch back together with alarming speed.

"I-I'm sorry. Bella I'm-" Edward murmured as he moved to stand up, but my hold on him remained tight and I refused to let him leave.

"It's okay. It's fine. I'm fine. It didn't hurt." I was quick to reassure him. "See?" I twisted my head to bare my throat to him, showing off the clear expanse of skin – not a single mark remained and the only evidence of Edward's bite was a small spot of blood which stained the collar of my shirt.

Edward's cold fingertips traced the skin of my neck, ghosting over the place where he had bitten me just moments ago. "I bit you." he mumbled sadly.

"I asked you to." I countered. I reached up and took the his hand in mine, removing it from my neck. "It felt… good." I admitted shyly.

Edward's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Really?" he asked doubtfully.

"Really." I replied earnestly. My eyes flickered downwards and I could see the damp spot on Edward's pants, the sight made another blush blaze across my face. "Did it feel… good for you?"

Edward groaned and lowered his head to press his forehead against mine. "My god, Bella it felt amazing." he confessed, "And… and you tasted," Edward paused and groaned again, his breath hitching in his throat. "You tasted… divine."

I stole a quick kiss, just a peck, but even then I could taste the tangy metallic taste of my own blood on Edward's lips. "I love you." I whispered.

Edward's eyes searched mine, looking for any hint of discomfort or dishonesty, finding none, he smiled warmly, "I love you too, my Bella."

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Can't wait to hear what you guys think.

Also, I am working on an original story that I hope to one day get published. If you wanna support me and get WIP updates and chapters from my book, ask me about my . The link for it is also in my Bio.