"Same as the rest, you do what you can, and on the nights you can't, I will. I love that boy, almost as much as you do. You know I won't let him suffer." "I know that. I've seen you go out of your way, above and beyond the call for them more than once. Like when Tracy fell down the stairs and broke her hip, you were up with her, all day, continually feeding her your blood so that her hip would heal right." "Of course," he sounded a bit offended. "When I took her in, to save her life, I gave her my word that I wouldn't let her get hurt. Her hip was broken, that falls under hurt in a major way." "Why?" Jessy lifted his head to look down at her. "Why, what?" "You're so, I don't know," she was trying to make him see what she was trying to say. "Incredibly gently with them. It took you over ten years to finally have Jake, who was always such a problem, push you into taking a stand. Why is it that you just seem to not only expect their trust, but get it almost at once?" He struggled to find the words to something he never really thought about. He never really considered how and why he was the way he was. "I don't know, Kris, maybe it's because, as a vampire, I wasn't quite forty when the ban was put in place. I hated bottled blood, it just wasn't the same. I never forget, even for a minute, that keeping them here, like I do, now, means that I will never have to go back to it. Or maybe it's because I love them."

"You know, for something that has a long standing rep for being ruthless, soulless, bad ass killers, who lack all humanity. Vampires seem so tame." He just laughed. "A lot of the myths about us are just that myths. But there is a lot that comes from truth. Some of us, are just as ruthless, and I won't say soulless, because I think I have a soul, but certainly inhumane killers that we are reported to be. The way we keep our bunch, isn't the norm, or so Janis tells me. Even she doesn't go to the extreme that I do to make sure that all those she keeps are content and happy. And she is the one that, when she gave me Randy, lectured me on what not to do to him."

"I can just imagine. We have eighteen, and it takes us both, to keep them happy. She's got how many, twenty-five, or more? Just how the hell does she keep up with them. Now that she knows she doesn't dare lax in feeding them?" Jessy just chuckled. "You don't know her like I do, ladylove. Remember that she chose me, while I was still in my most mercenary mind set. And trust me, she damn near killed me with her demands, long before she killed me to make me her Childe. After I warned her about what butch went through, she started to feed more often so that she could see to her newest pretty boys. And if I know her, like I know I do, they aren't complaining." "So, you think I can start tonight? God knows I have blood to spare." "Sure baby, and for tonight, you can feed all four of yours. I'm sure that between butch and little one, you won't have any problems." "Oh goody." Mitch looked up as Kris's mind touched his. Yeah, Krissy, what can I do for you? It's not what you can do for me, lover, but what I can do for you. Why don't you and little one bring sweety and puck, and come here. She watched as Mitch gathered not only Brenda, who was curled up next to him, but Danny and Ryan as well, and moved to where she lay on the bed. "What's up, Kris?" Mitch threw himself down by her. "Got a early Christmas present for you all." She pulled herself up into a sitting position. "Jessy just told me that I can start sharing my blood with all of you." "But you aren't even a year old yet, isn't that dangerous for you?" Yes he would love to share with her what he shared with Jessy so often, but not at her expense.

"It's okay, Butch. Yes, she would be put in danger of having to revert back to feeding almost constantly, if I let her try to take on everyone of you. But for now, just you four, and then only two a night." Jessy was grateful that he wasn't the only one who worried about her. "Little One can handle being fed once ever three nights, and Butch, you can survive on an every other night feeding schedule, but her other two are still feeding from me every night. So which ever she can't handle, I will. But for tonight, with as much as she has fed so far. I am sure between you and little one, she won't be put out. She is going to feed you four. But hear me, just this night, I don't want to have anymore problems out of her like I did when she first came to live with me. So just this once."

"I have a working plan, Jess." Kris was near tears. She had so wanted to feel the complete openness that Jessy felt every time he let one of them feed from him. "There are four of them, and if I'm going to feed two a night, little one is going to have to get used to living by the same feeding schedule that butch has. And I know feeding every other day instead of every three is just going to kill him. I will tend to them both one night, and sweety and puck the next, and then back to butch and little one." She grinned. "Every other night, and the night that I am taking care of butch and little one, you can still take care of my other two, right?" "I already told you I would, baby. You should know by now that my word is always good. Besides, I don't like feeling a knife in my gut, and that is what I am risking if I neglect them." He lifted Ryan's chin to kiss the boy. "You trust me, don't you Puck?" Ryan didn't bother to answer him, if he did, he would have to break the kiss, and he didn't want to do that. Kris watched patiently as Jessy teased her boy. "Come over here Mitch, you are going to be the first." His felt so good against her. "Just as soon as Jessy is finished playing around with puck, that is." Jessy just pulled back, laughing. "What, you starting to be possessive of him? No fair, cousin, I was willing to share all those that had been mine for so long with you. Remember, this boy is one we went out and got together." "I'm not possessive of them, I just want to get on with this, if you only knew how much." She sank her fangs into Mitch, drinking briefly. Jessy bent and kissed Ryan, lightly. "Run to the desk, baby. There is a knife in the top drawer. Hurry and bring it to me." He pulled back as Ryan moved, at once. "I'll finish losing myself in you, soon enough." Ryan didn't understand why Jessy needed a knife. He never had before. "Master?" He handed him the knife, blade down. "Ssshh, Puck, wait. You trust me, right?" "Okay, Jess, what's the knife for? I use my fangs, right?" Kris, lay there, Mitch pulled against her. "Yes, but, Janis mentioned the beauty of a blade, so I decided, seeing as this is your first time feeding a mortal, that I would start as well." "So, what do I do with it now? Cut my wrist, instead?" He smiled at her softly. "Usually, but for tonight, I think your throat would be a better choice." "Why?" He reached out and took her hand, turning. It, palm up. "This is just an artery. Your throat is your jugular. We don't bleed for long when cut, no matter where it is. But the jugular does give them much more than any artery." He looked down, smiling at Ryan. "They respond much better, and it feels wonderful. It's closer to what it feels like to feed, than a wrist feeding." He bit his lip, to smear his blood on the blade, tempering the steel with it. "Damn," she took the knife. "Sweety," she reached out for Brenda. "Blow him honey. He'll return the favor when it's your turn." Mitch turned around in her arms, pushing her back to lay flat on the bed. "No, Krissy, if you're going to do this with me. Let's do this together." He looked down at her, smiling, as his knee parted her thighs, and he slipped in. "I, I don't want to lose control, to hurt you." She shuddered as he ground his loins against hers. Jessy, Mitch reached out for the older vampire. Yeah, Butch? Don't make me have to pull away, not now. Never, he turned his attention to Kris, who was sobbing against Mitch's lips. "I'm here honey. Go on, let him make love to you while you both feed. Just don't go for his throat." She pressed the point of the blade against her throat, cutting deep, hissing at the sharp pain, but it was all forgotten as she pulled his head to the cut, bending to sink her own fangs into her shoulder, scraping his collar bone as she did.

The feelings that flowed through him were the closest thing to a religious experience that he had ever had. He was completely lost, and as Kris's legs lifted to crush his hips against her, he came, crying out in exquisite pain. She no longer cared about anything but the delicious feeling of his blood in her mouth as she sheathed him. It was heaven. She could die now, and never doubt that she had felt it all. Enough, Kris, you have to pull back now. Jessy had never had to use his will to force her to pull back from Mitch, but he was having too now. You have to pull back, NOW! His will forced his demand on hers, forcing her to pull back, to stop feeding.

Kris lay there, fighting to regain some semblance of control. "Mitch?" He looked down at her. "Damn, baby, that was . . . . . " "I know, but we can't do that often. Not until I get a whole hell of a lot more in-control of myself." He looked down at her, shaking his head in denial. "Why? I'm not hurt, you didn't do anything to me but make it oh so good." "No, Butch, she is right. I have never had to push her with you like I just did. Remember, love, you were her promised before she was mine." Jessy held out his hand. "Now, why don't you pull away from her for a while. Soon enough you can lose yourself in her again. But she has three others to tend to. Just wait, by the time she is through with them, she will be more than able to be with you again." Mitch pulled away, but slowly, not at all happy about having to, but Jessy was right, if he had to force Kris to stop with him, he really shouldn't be with her right now. His feelings of self-preservation fighting with his want to lose himself in her again. But finally his desire to keep living out weighted his want to give himself to her again." Danny wanted what Mitch had just had, but Kris didn't dare, Jessy wasn't watching her as closely as he had been. But she smiled as Brenda went to help her with him. And he came the moment he tasted her blood.

"She's won him forever." Mitch murmured against Bobby's cheek. "He say's she's had him since the first time she fed from him. How does it feel to share her love with someone other than Master?" Mitch shrugged. "I don't know how to explain that, Bob, how does it feel to you knowing Alex is dear to Randy?" Bobby just laughed softly. "Touche." "No, I'm serious. You've been with Alex longer than I have been with Kris, and you owned him." Bobby shrugged. "Master says I'm good at what I used to be, but now, with him, I'm just happy to share him with master and pet. And he let's us share each other." "That's pretty much how I feel about Kris and Danny. Hell I feel that what about you all. Suppose it has something to do with the fact that I was not myself when I first came here." He reached out, cupping Bobby, "like now, Krissy is busy taking care of the rest, Jessy is with Ryan." He had learned, with Danny, how good kissing someone other than Kris was. And how good being with someone else was as well. Kris swore to herself, as, she pulled away from Ryan, to go into Jessy's arms, mouth hot on his flesh, that she would never forget this day. It didn't matter how long she lived, or how many times she was given this again, she would never forget this first time. Not even the tie she was now sharing with Jessy could, even touched what she felt when fed her mortal lovers. Open up to me. He wanted to lose his identity in her for now. To, give her everything. Kris just screamed as she gave her whole self to him, opening up like she never had. It was so overwhelming, so perfect, that she had to flee consciousness to keep from staying. Kris, Jessy patted her cheek, trying to wake her. You there baby? "Wow." She laughed, huskily. "Damn, baby, that's the first time you ever did that to me." "That, beloved, is because this is the first time I have ever wanted to give myself, fully to another. I told you once, back in the beginning that I wanted to share eon's with you. Now, we are as close as two souls can be and not be in one body." He sank his fangs into her flesh again, listening to her cry out softly. Now we can share this, always. I, oh God, this, she couldn't even think. "Come here, Ryan, I do believe that we've been forgotten for now." Mitch just laughed pulling the boy to him.

Ryan sighed, pressing against him. "I'm sure I will live." The rest of the night was nothing but a haze to her. How man times had she needed to feed, how many times had she been fed from? She didn't know, but as she turned over slowly beginning to wake, Not hungry for the first time since her making, she realized that it must have been a whole lot.