If I Knew Then....

Dinner Etiquette Tip #2: Always Eat at Least Two Bites of What You are Served, Despite Your Preferences…

Even if he didn't already know my decision, his glaring smirk wasn't helping to make me feel any better about my decision. I tried once more to get a good look at Edward. How was I to know if he was truly willing to "donate"? It didn't really matter anyways though since I had already made up my mind. I was more than likely going to regret it, but in this instance I didn't so much care. I needed to do something that would at least take the attention from Edward and my apparent "going to cut him".

I swallowed hard and then decided to give my idea an attempt. "Master please... I have an idea that might be bet- more to your liking. Please, Master." I tried my best to look as contrite as possible and least offensive, but really I was seething. None of these were choices I wanted to make.

"Kitten...you apparently do not read into sarcasm very well. Offering me another option was not an option! It was pointing out your obvious disobedience, which is coming to the foreground once again." He tightened his hand in my hair and gave my head a good shake. I thought he was going to continue, but instead he asked a surprising question.

"If I were to have given you the third option, what was your suggestion going to be little one?" Now I did swallow hard. He was playing me like a violin and I knew it now and couldn't find a way around it. Shaking slightly as a chill went down my spine I answered him just as his hand was beginning to tighten once again.

"Master....I don't think Edward's a good enough willing donor for you... I-I'm your pet, I'll be your willing donor, besides Edward's just a human. My blood will be much better right?" I couldn't look in his direction at this point. It was like watching an oncoming train just as it was about to hit you.

His dark low laughter almost hissed out. Now I was trembling. There was nothing else I could do. "Kitten, how you amuse me... I think Edward here is insulted. He has time and time again proven his worth. I think you are going to have to apologize to him little one. After all you are just a pet and he is a trusted servant." I glanced out of the corner of my eye and this time was able to catch a glimpse of Edward. He looked pissed that was for sure. Shit... I was going to have to apologize for trying to avoid this whole situation.

"Edward I-" I was cut off as Bram released my hair altogether just to be able to place a vicious back hand across my face. I gasped in pain and reeled slightly. He wasn't holding back much and if he was, well, I wasn't about to ask him to stop pulling his punches. Fuck.

"Kitten, I never gave you permission to talk to Edward yet. I believe I asked you to CHOOSE!" He raised his voice at the end, startling me immensely. Up until this point, his voice had merely been velvety, hissing, and low. When it was raised, it was terrifying and booming. I shuddered and was not ready to choose, but knew I had to. Clearly Edward was willing...and Mast- Bram had said that if I was forced it could hurt Edward. Shit.

I had to choose and Edward was practically begging to be used for blood by Bram. Shit…may as well given the stubborn lil' fucker what he wanted since he was going to get pissed when I was trying to rescue his ass. Besides even though I doubted I was going to get a reward at this point for doing it "willingly", guaranteeing myself a punishment was also something I wanted to avoid almost at all costs.

"Fine, I'll fucking cut the little bastard since he wants it so freaking badly!" I was surprised at the venom in my voice as I said it; especially for the reason behind it partially. With a bit of a start, I realized that I was almost jealous....seriously jealous! What the heck?! So mean Mr. Vampire lord didn't want my blood. Who was I to care?!

His hand shot out again and I immediately flinched. I'm not sure if it was because of how quickly he moved or if I thought he was going to hit me again. Neither reason turned out to be correct as his hand tangled in my hair yet again. What a bastard? Just because my hair is long-ish doesn't mean I want it to be grabbed constantly!!! There's other ways of gaining my attention.

Oh he certainly did have my attention that is for sure. However the silence that followed had my attention more than anything, even despite the pain. I almost preferred his raised voice or getting smacked around. At least then I knew what to expect. With his silence, it was up in the air, and uncertain which helped me to become even more fearful and nervous. I slowly began to shake despite all of my attempts to tell myself that the chill I was feeling was from my nerves and having been naked in a semi cool room for so long.

I didn't know what to do as his hand tightened even more. It felt like he was slowly going to pull my hair from my head. What the fuck? It hit me after a few minutes, which seem like hours when you're in pain. Tears were forming even. Who'd have thought that your scalp could be so traitorous to you? I quickly spat out what I thought he wanted to hear. "MASTER! I'm sorry, Master! I'll do fucking do it! Just stop please!"

His hand loosened only slightly only to tighten even more than before wringing another cry of pain from me. "Kitten... you seem to have trouble with your memory....I expect respect to those who are members within my household, this includes servants. You will refer to them as SIR! You are beneath even them! You will NOT under any circumstances use that kind of filthy language around me or them. Have I made myself clear?!"

Oh yes he had made himself clear. He was an asshole. However considering his hand in my hair rather tightly, I was willing to make some sacrifices and curb my tongue. I almost nodded until I remembered his hand fisted in my hair. "Yes Master...."

"There... that wasn't too difficult kitten...now apologize to Edward before we continue...."

He had to be kidding me. The tightening grip led me to believe he wasn't joking around. "I'm sorry Edward Sir for my behavior." Edward nodded but said nothing more. I was subservient to him even. I wanted to mentally sigh, but at the time it was hardly appropriate even mentally. After all I wasn't exactly in a good position.

I had to bite my tongue severely after my apology. It just didn't make sense to me. I was apologizing to him for not wanting to cut him and for being rude about it. Geez....great...So I don't like blood, big deal. If anything he should've been apologizing to me for having to do it to him. But no, I was kow towing to a vampire and some full blooded human.

* * *

I watched the mixed emotions that seemed to run across Martin's face. It was highly amusing to see just how much of an open book the were-leopard was. After a few seconds of silence, I noticed a slightly furrowing of his forehead, and knew that his trail of thoughts was going nowhere good, even without "listening" in on them. "Kitten....I am going to help you with this now...but you are going to have to trust me and do exactly as I say."

I watched the thoughts cross his mind, and based on the tensing of his muscles, not all of the thoughts were obedient. That was fine as long as he didn't act on them. After all I don't want my toys broken. After a small internal struggle he answered somewhat satisfactorily. "Yes Master...."

I had to smirk slightly at the begrudging tone in his voice. I wasn't about to push the issue however. He was at least "behaving" if one could even begin to call it that. "Now pet, I am going to help you do this, we are first going to have Edward hold his wrist out just like so." I watched as Martin, god we needed to do something about his name...., I watched his eyes widen ever so slightly as Edward held his bare wrist out directly in front of my kitten and place the wine glass beneath his arm

I carefully watched Kitten's face from the side. The tension, the fear, was simply delicious. I moved my hands gently, taking one of his hands in mine; I set the knife in his hand and wrapped my own about it. He flinched slightly and I had to smile. It wasn't going to be the last time he flinched that evening. I moved our hands over the exposed wrist and gently set the blade against it. "Now, I shall tell you the correct way to take an offering of this type."

.I waited extending his misery at this event. I kept the knife's edge poised just slightly above Edward's skin, almost touching but not quite. He was shaking. How cute...He really didn't want to hurt Edward after all. And here I thought perhaps it was just an act.

"Now Kitten, pay close attention." I pressed our hands down and let the blade actually touch Edward’s skin for a moment before I pressed down even more. "See, you have to be very, very careful....if you slip you could cause damage to Edward's arm....we do not want that...." I pressed our hands down slightly harder and felt him shudder. I could tell just how repulsed he was by the blood and it was just inches from his face.

The blood was welling up good enough at this point and I gently tilted Edward’s arm so that the blood was dripping neatly from the wound down into the glass. I shifted my weight and body so that I was leaning over Martin's back. I could feel him struggle to not pull away from where he was positioned directly over Edward and the glass. I felt him jerk and used my arm to steady his.

"Hush kitten....this is something Edward and I have done many times in many forms; this being one of the lesser ways. You are barely hurting him...Look he enjoys how he serves me." I felt his head lift slightly and look towards where Edward had his head thrown back. The look on his face was hardly pain. "Relax little one." I pressed a kiss against the back of his neck and he tense even more against me.

* * *

Ugh! Blood and a bastard pressed against my back. I was starting to sincerely freak out. The smell and appearance of the thick, dark, red blood as it dripped down into the glass was causing me to drive heave and even when I tried to pull away that jerk kept me pressed in place, not that my collar and leash being tied securely to the floor weren't helping with that or anything. No he had to physically make sure I'd not be going anywhere. Great…

"Bastard, let me up! STOP!" My vocalization only caused him to lick the side of my neck causing me to shudder. I was repulsed but at the same time it felt good. I could feel his breath right there. He hissed against my neck and finally released the tension on my arms. He uncurled my fingers from around the blade despite the small resistance I put up to it. Hrm...Apparently he didn't want my hands on sharp objects. Awww the vampire doesn't like being stuck with things...then why the hell did he like biting and cutting others?!

"Kitten....now was that so bad? You really seem to dislike the slight of blood? Or was it the cutting?" I shook my head. He just didn't get it did he? It wasn't so much the blood or cutting so much as the fact I was being forced into it. I felt the scrape of teeth ever so slightly at the side of my throat as he reached around me, pushing me forwards and closer to Edward's arm. This wasn't as big of an issue to Edward apparently since the idiot didn't move his arm, and my face was smeared with the line of blood running down it.

I watched the now half full glass of blood as it went past. "Now kitten, be a dear and clean Edward's arm." My eyes widened in shock. A hand on the back of my head set my head once again back down to his wrist. Oh shit...

"You can't be-"

"Oh I am very serious pet....now clean his arm...." The silky voice was deepening and seemed as if it were on the edge of being raised.

"Now kitten..." His words were followed up with a sharp slap across my back where it was already raw. I jerked forward and pain throbbed throughout my ankle causing me to cry out. The entire situation was so humiliating. If he would let me shift, I'd be able to heal much faster, but noooo he seemed content with me in pain.

As soon as his cold hand left my head, I was about to pull up until I felt his hand on my injured ankle. Oh hell no. Closing my eyes I let my tongue out and began to gingerly lap around Edward's wound. Did I mention that I not only hate blood, the sight of it, but also the taste? After what seemed an eternity, my head was pulled back and I was trying very hard not to dry heave.

Edward pulled his arm back out from underneath me, us I suppose really since Lord asshole was still pressed against my back, and from the very quiet slurping noises he was enjoying his meal. I heard a door open and I had assumed that Edward left along with whatever the girl servant’s name was. I felt Bram get off of my back and I let my head sink down in relief, only to catch a big whiff of the lovely fish that was still in front of me. Great as if I wasn't nauseous enough?

I must have wrinkled my nose or something because I heard more than one person laugh quietly. That made me freeze where I was, and slowly turned my head to the side. Standing in the room now was not only Bram, but apparently his three childer or whatever the hell he had called them. Sean and Sebastian I had already met, but the other I had not. All I could really see of his features was that he was very different from his father and brothers, I mean seriously? Who has black hair that's striped with blue? He was standing out in comparison to his "family" and the house, or wherever we were.

Great now the entire family had seen me naked. Brilliant. I was about to let my head sag down again when I remembered the fish. A small giggle rung out, apparently from Blue as I was going to call him, even after I found out his name. If I lost my name, fuck it, at least one person was going to loose their's too. "Kitten, you may eat now..."

I heard the cushions rustle around the low table as apparently the four vampires made themselves comfortable. I tried to ignore their discussion and think of things besides, you know, my being naked in front of four vampires, the smelly fish in front of me, the taste of blood in my mouth. However, their discussion was helping me to ignore the fish more than anything else as I began to carefully drink the milk, and tear off tiny chunks of the fish with my hands.

"Ahemph, Kitten...that is not how you eat. I don’t believe Sire gave you permission to use your hands…Now do not eat with your hands...." This prompted another giggle from Blue and two varying looks, one from Bram showing his approval, and another from Sean showing his disapproval. All directed towards Sebastian who was looking at me sternly.

At least I had been able to tear the fish into tinier pieces and had drunk most of the milk before Sebastard spoke up. Great. I kept my hands on the floor next to the bowls. I figured now was a good time to obey since I had not just one but four vampires in the room, and I remembered the Sebastian could pack quite the punch. I tried to ignore them but it was hard, considering I was the topic of their conversation.

"So father, I still cannot believe you picked up this stray. He's not even that beautiful to look at." Sebastian started once again in on me. Hmm…I preferred to think of it as just simply jealousy.

"Personally I think he's rather cute...a bit rough around the edges perhaps, but cute nonetheless. Father can we keep him? Or if you don't want him after a bit, can I have him? Is he really a were-leopard? He doesn't look like a cat to me at all..." That was blue. Oh I could've laughed at his childlikeness if it wasn't for the fact that he was discussing me. Oh and the idea of keeping me. Brilliant.

"Father....how did he get more bruises, you just had me patch him up? Are we not being a bit too rough with him? After all I don't think you walked up to him on the street and asked him to be our kitten." The silence after Sean's small reproach rang hard in the hall. Oh shit. That's right...Bram had mentioned something about Sean not even supposed to have spoken with me. Great and now it seemed as if Bram had remembered that too and noticed Sean's use of the word "our".

Bram hissed out a breath lightly. Blue actually whimpered. I definitely forgot about my meal for the time being. Things had gotten interesting. HA! And for once it wasn’t directed just at me. "Your kitten my lord...." It seemed Sean had realized his mistake a bit late as well.

"Sean.... did you speak with him earlier when you bandaged his ankle even though I had told you explicitly not to?" Sean must have nodded because Blue made a noise again, and from what I could see of Sebastian's reclining figure and face, he was enjoying this.

Bram sighed wearily. "Thad, please go sit by the kitten and make sure he eats the rest of his meal please?" Thad must have jumped up and rush almost noiselessly because suddenly he was next to me and was gently tracing the marks running the length of my back and buttocks. The touch wasn't sexual but was more of a curious silent questioning of what had happened. Suddenly he whispered in my ear, the childlike quality that was at the table, completely gone.

"You made Bram mad, didn't you little one?" I turned to look at Blue, or Thad I guess rather, and nodded silently. "It's ok, he didn't tell me not to talk to you....just Sean. He knows I know what to say or not to say unlike Sean..." He reached down to the ring on the floor and untied my leash and just simply held it and looked at it. "Oh...he used the nice one for you. You are going to be…..or actually…already are very special to him kitten."

I was very confused now. Special? Pftt, he beats me, abuses...yeah reallllly special. I tried to ignore Thad and finished the rest of my "meal" but he wouldn't let me. "Kitten, things really will get better if you just follow his rules. You won't have to wear these chains...they're demeaning I know...." He ran his hand through my hair trying to gently comb out some of the snarls. It was rather soothing. He tugged carefully on the leash. I was confused until he shifted so he was sitting directly next to me on the opposite side and close to the wall. He leaned with his back against the wall and tugged again.

Guessing slightly as to what he wanted I went over to him and he pulled me so that my back was against his chest and his legs were on either side of me. He stroked my hair and continued to carefully work out the knots and snarls as well as he could. "Just watch..."

I watched as Bram had stood up from his cushion and had walked over to stand behind Sean's. Sean moved up off of his cushion and didn't look up at Bram. He knelt down with his hands on his knees on the hard floor in front of Bram. Bram titled Sean's head up with a finger under his chin and pushed the long hair back from his face. "Childe...."

Sean let his eyes drop at least. 'I'm sorry, my lord. I did overstep my bounds with your kitten." Bram nodded and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. Sean let his head drop to one side and pushed his hair back over his shoulders so that his neck was completely bare and vulnerable. "I'll submit to your discipline, Father..."

My eyes grew wide and I couldn't repress my small noise of horror that seemed to stick in my throat. Thad wrapped his arms around me making me feel the most protected I had in my day or night rather here, which was seemingly to feel like years. I watched in horror as Bram took one hand and two of the nails on his fingers lengthened into claws. Sean had closed his eyes at this point and was motionless. How could he be so calm?!

I flinched and gasped as Bram took his newly formed claws and opened to very large gashes down Sean's neck. His eyes had flown open and small cry of pain had left his mouth. Sebastian smiled as he stood up from his cushion to walk to his brother and Sire. Smirking he dipped his fingers in the trails of blood that were making their way down towards Sean's chest. "Here brother...." He opened the dressing gown leaving Sean's chest bare to the waist.

"Thank you brother, and thank you Father...." I watched Sebastian lick his fingers clean of Sean's blood and Bram stepped forwards. He watched for a moment as the blood trailed down Sean's chest and knelt in front of Sean and began lapping up the blood that was running as soon as one drop had hit the ground. He followed the trail back up to the wounds in Sean's neck. Gingerly he appeared to lick them and I was quite amazed at how quickly the wound healed.

Watching the two of them together was hot, and Sean's body was amazing, at least his front top half was. I felt myself hardening and Thad shifted behind me and I realized that he was hard as well. Damn... "Sean is one of our Sire's favorites....." Thad whispered into my ear. "Most others would have been punished harsher and more..."

Bram was now kissing Sean and Sean had allowed himself to be pressed back down on the cushions next to the low table. Abruptly Bram stopped and left Sean panting on the cushions. From where his dressing gown had fallen off and been pushed to the side near his hips, it was clear that Sean had been enjoying himself.

"No one touches what is mine, Childer....Understood? If I tell you not to talk to him? You. do. not. Have I made myself clear?" Thad's arms tightened around me momentarily and then loosened as all three childer answered their Sire. "Yes Sire....."

Thad gently eased himself from behind me and whispered once more for my benefit. "Just do what he says and eventually he'll leave you be and you won't get hurt ok?" He smiled and winked as he brushed his long black hair out of his face and brushed a kiss against my temple.

Ok this whole group...coven were they called? of vampires were nuts. As soon as Thad was back over with his "family" he was back to his childlike innocence and playfulness. He promptly jumped onto Sean and licked where the scars from Bram's discipline were quickly fading. And Sean hugged him close. I watched Thad run his hand across Sean's cheeks, and I realized that Sean had had blood red tears running down his face. It didn't seem as if his punishment had been that bad.

It then hit me fully. Sean loved his Sire and didn't like disappointing him. Bram had a look of remorse on his face as well and his nails were retracting. His stony front faded for a moment as he watched his two eldest childer cuddle and take comfort in one another. I was momentarily forgotten and was grateful from where I was huddled against the wall, my ankle carefully beside me.

Something in me wanted to be a part of that. Odd, huh? I suppose it was as I've explained, I didn't have a whole lot of friends or family once I was attacked. Four years and suddenly sporting fur occasionally and growling didn't make me into a very lovable companion. I missed that contact. I was realizing that very quickly. Did that mean I wanted it with them....?

Hell no! That bastard broke my ankle, kidnapped me, gah! My emotions were in shambles. I started shivering. Sebastian had seemed to remember that I was still there and came over to stand over me. He shook his head as he looked down at me. "Poor kitten...so pathetic...." He said nothing else as he picked up my leash and moved forward, startling me and making me realize that I needed to get moving or be drug.

Bram looked down at me as Sebastian handed him the leash. "Here father...he was getting lonely by himself."

Thad and Sean looked up at all of us from where they were cuddled together on the cushion and Thad let out a small "Awww...poor little one..." It would have been cute if it weren't about me. That was quickly becoming a theme for my thoughts. Great if it wasn't happening to me.

Bram tightened his grip on the leash, his gaze frozen and stony again. "Childer, I will see you tomorrow evening play nicely hmm...?" How old did he think they were? They were all at least my age if not older, despite Thad's childlike qualities.

Thad reached out a hand and ran it throw my hair again. "G'night kitty, be good to our Sire, ok?" The playful look in his eyes darkened for a moment, as if to remind me of our earlier conversation, as if I could forget? Bram tugged the leash and I crawled out the door after him. At least my stomach wasn't growling any more. My ankle still hurt immensely and my chains were still clanking.

The silence as we walked through, or crawled in my case, was deafening and unnerving. How did he do that? It was amazing to me. We stopped and entered into another room. Ah a bedroom. How lovely. This one was different from the earlier one, but it too had a small "pet bed" close to the bed with hooks on the walls and floor near it's over sized pillow. The actual bed was magnificent and was carved beautifully. It looked like something out of a story book, each post having small fairies and the like on it.

I decided to take both Sean and Thad's advice to heart for a little while at least, and this time actually try to follow the rules. I didn't resist as he removed the leash and carefully made sure that I was settled on the pillow. I was stunned as he took a key from god knows where in those leather pants of his and unlocked the chains running between my neck and arms. I froze. Was this some sort of cruel joke? He left the collar and cuffs in place and walked over to one of the dressers in the room. This one was also its own unique piece of artwork.

He had left me by myself on the cushion. Only Thad and Sean's words kept me in place. He came back over and attached a longer, thinner chain that despite its smaller size, it was probably just a strong as the others. It gave me quite the bit of reach, even beyond the pillow. Maybe to the bathroom if I were lucky....maybe.

He stepped back and looked at me on my pillow, with the neck chain in place and shook his head. "Hopefully tomorrow evening, you will be more polite, kitten....the remainder of this evening is yours..." I made a questioning look towards the bathroom but kept my mouth shut. He raised an eyebrow and glanced in the same direction. "Your chain can reach...." Ah. Well wasn't that just a relief then? I shook my head and just laid down and turned my back on him to face the wall. I didn't want to think about him or anything else. I was mentally and emotionally exhausted. My body was starting to catch up as well. It seemed to know that it was very early in the morning and that it was normally sleeping.

He caressed my back with one of his cold hands and pressed a kiss to the back of my neck. I couldn't repress my shiver. "G'night kitten...sleep well and I will see you tomorrow evening." I heard the door click and I shut my eyes tight and tried willing myself to sleep. Please let this all have just been a bad dream....or my having freaking dreams while in a coma or something please.... My silent litany was hardly going to be answered. By morning, and definitely by sunset, it was abundantly clear that it wasn't. How was I going to get out of this mess? My thoughts immediately wandered to Bram's favorite, Sean...

He was so soft looking and his eyes I could drown in forever. As I lay there thinking of him, I got hard and this time I was ok with it. The tempting views I had gotten of his chest, even despite the blood running down it made me wish I had been in Bram's place. Screw having licked up Edward's blood, Sean's would've been much better. Moving my hand to my mouth I licked two of my fingers and brought them down to my chest. What would it be like to have him lick across my chest? I would give him my blood willingly. Oh I was very sure I would.

I ran my wet fingers over my right nipple and moaned quietly as it hardened. If his upper body had been so muscular, and perfect, how would the rest of him look? It must be amazing...I ran my hand down to where I needed it most. I slowly stroked myself, imagining it was him. I couldn't help the moans that were escaping me. What would it feel like to have his mouth here, occasionally feeling his fangs mix with the softness of his tongue? Mmmm, the thoughts of him were delicious. I could imagine him being beneath me with my hardness thrusting slowly and carefully into him with him crying out in pleasure under me.

Another thought struck me and it sent me over the edge. Him - inside of me, with his mouth at my throat taking blood at the same time, connecting us completely. I panted and shuddered at my release and was surprised. I didn't even know the vampire yet. "Sean...." I moaned as I brought my hand up to see my seed covering my hand. I needed to clean this up. I sat up quietly and turned around to untangle the chain to be sure that the length was going to be enough. I must not have heard the door open and the vision greeting me in the doorway set fear back into my heart.

* * *

Oh, clearly he was stunned. He had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts and apparent desire of my favorite that he had not heard the door open. My eyes went completely red in anger at him. How dare he pleasure himself without permission and then to do it while thinking of Sean.... The look on his face as his eyes fell on me made it abundantly clear that he knew he was in trouble and that he had been caught. He thought he was in pain before....he had no idea....