CHAPTER 1
"Hey Sam, can I get my check before I take off tonight?" I asked as I poked my head into the office at Merlotte's Bar and Grille. Sam paused working on the schedule for next week to look up at me and run his hands through his hair, giving it a tousled I-don't-care look.
"Of course, Sookie. Come sit for a minute though, I want to talk to you." Oh, joy. Most of the time, I considered Sam to be one of my closest friends instead of my boss, but him wanting to talk normally wasn't a very good sign. I sighed and perched myself on the corner of his desk. As he turned to face me, he leaned back and the chair let out a loud squeal of protest that made me wince.
"Alrighty, boss, what's up?"
"I just wanted to check up and see how things are going for you. The vampires haven't stolen my best waitress for over a month now, and I was wondering if this is a permanent change, or what? Not that I'm not grateful that you aren't in mortal danger every day, I'm curious."
I had no idea how to answer him. What should I say? That even though I'm glad to not be risking my life, I feel discarded by those I helped and protected? That even though my life is a lot less complicated than it was six weeks ago, that it was exponentially more boring? "I don't know, Sam. You know as well as I do that the new king could come in here in five minutes and demand my 'services'. I'm glad of the vacation though."
"Okay, hon. You be careful going home tonight," he said as he dug my paycheck out of his desk and handed it to me. "If you need anything, just let me know, okay? Someone to talk to, a guard dog, anything, just let me know."
"Thanks, Sam. That means a lot to me." I hopped off the desk and leaned over to give him a hug. "I'll see you on Monday, boss."
I picked up my purse, fished my keys out, and headed out the back door to the employee parking lot. A month ago, I wouldn't have been surprised to see a vampire leaning on my car, waiting for me to get off work. As it was, I was comforted by the fact that there wasn't a vamp in sight, or in range of my 'gift'. I climbed into my new car - well, new to me, despite the fact I had run over a vampire in this very parking lot with it not very long ago - and started on my way home.
As I pulled up to my house, I was surprised to see someone sitting on the front porch swing. All the lights in the house were off, and Amelia and Octavia were visiting some spiritual retreat with some of the remaining New Orleans coven, so I knew it couldn't be one of them.
I had rescinded every invitation into my house that I had given any vampire, so I felt more secure approaching whoever it was from inside the house. I drove around back and did a mad dash inside. I turned on all the lights on my way to the front door, took a deep breath, and opened the door. What I saw let all the tension out of my body in one big whoosh. Unfortunately, my tension was quickly replaced by a feeling of dread, since this particular visitor, although not necessarily unwelcome, meant the end of my peace and quiet, which I was just getting used to.
"Miss Sookie, it's awful late for you to be out by yourself." Bubba took a swig out of his 'water' bottle and gave me his trademark crooked smile. He had on a black shirt, a pair of faded blue jeans and some black boots. His hair was slicked back casually, with a few strands escaping. No wonder people still lost it when they saw him.
"Hey, Bubba, it's been a while. What brings you out here?"
"Mr. Eric sent me." Oh, crap.
"Okay. It's getting cold out here. Why don't you come on in and tell me about it."
Bubba took another gulp from his bottle and stood up to come inside. I asked if he wanted a True Blood, and he shook his drink, saying he had his favorite already. "I still like cats an awful lot, Miss Sookie." Ick.
As he made himself comfortable on the couch, I ran into my room to change out of my work clothes. I pulled on a pair of sweats and an old t-shirt, then grabbed a soda and sat in an armchair facing him. "So Bubba, what's up?"
"Mr. Eric said that I was to come watch over you tonight."
Ooo-kay. "Any particular reason?"
"He said that wanted to make sure you were still in one piece, and since Mr. Bill is gone, I volunteered." He puffed out his chest and smiled with pride. "And he gave me this, too." Leaning forward, Bubba reached in his back pocket and pulled out an expensive-looking envelope, folded in half. He held it out to me and I reluctantly took it, glancing at the name on the front. Sookie. In Eric's handwriting. Oh, boy.
"Well, Miss Sookie, it's been real good catchin' up with you, but I gotta get to watching the house. I'm supposed to stay in the woods tonight." He stood up and walked out the front door, closing it behing him.
I looked at the letter I loosely held and sighed. Mentally bracing myself, I opened the envelope and pulled out the paper inside.
Sookie-
I hope this finds you well, my lover. It is time to discuss the matters between us. I understand that you have some time off from the shifter, and I ask that you be ready tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. to come speak with me.
I look forward to seeing you then, dear one.
-E
P.S. Expect a parcel in the morning.
I could feel my anger rising at the note. Mr. High-and-Mighty Sheriff says it's time to talk, so I have to? The audacity of that man....ugh. But the more I thought about it, the anger was slowly replaced by a feeling of anticipation. I finally, finally, get to deal with this. I had been on the verge of calling Fangtasia a dozen times, only to hang up the phone each time. I knew he had been busy with the contingent of vampires from Las Vegas... wait, he has time, so that means the Vegas vamps are heading back to Nevada, if they aren't gone already. And at least I know Eric is safe, or else he couldn't have contacted me. I sighed and massaged my temples. Forget it, I'm going to bed and thinking about this in the morning.
I walked through the house and did my nightly checks, and then I checked again. Lights off, windows closed and locked, deadbolts thrown on the doors. Hey, a girl can never be too safe, right? Especially with my history. You can only be shot at so many times before you start being a little paranoid. As I laid down and pulled my comforter up to my shoulders, my last fleeting thought before I drifted into sleep was how happy I was that Bubba never met Bob the cat.
Chapter 2
I woke up around 11 a.m. to someone knocking on my front door. I stretched, rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and threw my hair up in a loose ponytail as I made my way through the living room. When I opened the door, a man was was standing there with two boxes, a large square one and a long rectangle sitting on top. After I signed for them, I took the packages inside and set them down on the kitchen table. I opened the long rectangular box first and smiled. Eric had sent me a dozen long-stemmed red roses. They smelled heavenly, and as I arranged them in my fanciest vase, I couldn't help but inhale deeply and savor the fragrance.
I opened the other box and my jaw dropped. Inside was a gorgeous red and black cocktail dress. It had a slightly vintage feel to it, with a halter and an antique brooch. Silky, with a slight flare that would stop just above my knees, I knew it would complement my curves beautifully. I draped the dress over the nearest chair and looked into the box again. Inside, I found a matching black wrap and an unmarked envelope. I lovingly caressed the silk of the wrap and placed it back in the box so I wouldn't wrinkle it. The dress followed and I took the package in my room. I sat on the bed and opened the letter.
My lover-
I hope you enjoy this token of affection. Some token, had to have cost an arm and a leg. Do me the honor of wearing this tonight. I am sure you will look beautiful in it, as always. I will be at your house at seven this evening, dear one.
-E
I glanced at the clock on my nightstand and saw that it was after noon. Okay, I had a while to get ready. I threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater to go run some errands before my primping session. Return library books, pick up some more True Blood, grab some coffee and gas. When I got home, I ran the vacuum, dusted a little, and washed the dishes. I painted my nails deep red, the exact shade of the red on my new dress, and my toenails, too. When I was sure they were dry, I hopped in the shower and loofahed and scrubbed and shaved until I was baby soft and smooth. I toweled off and rubbed my favorite lotion all over, a subtle blend of orchids and vanilla. Half of my hair went up, while I arranged the rest in loose curls around my shoulders. I applied light eye makeup and bright red lipstick. I peeked into my bedroom to see the clock reading 6:37 p.m. I couldn't have timed things better if I tried. I slipped on the dress, careful to not smear my makeup or flatten my hair, and stepped into my black high heels. Those were a complete and total splurge item, and I was thrilled there was an occasion to wear them. As I was putting on the finishing touches, a pair of Gran's diamond earrings and matching tennis bracelet, I started to get nervous. This was it, we were going to have The Talk. A wave of calm suddenly washed over me, and I knew Eric was near.
I was standing in the living room when I heard the gravel crunch under the wheels of his Corvette. I could barely contain my anxiety and the urge to peek through the blinds to see him. I sensed, more than heard, him walking up the steps and onto the porch. When he knocked, I all but jumped to the door and flung it open. Eric smiled down at me and gave me a slow once-over. I could see the desire in his eyes and feel the surge of lust through our bond. I smiled back and asked him to come in. I stepped aside and he walked in, taking a cursory look around the room, only for his eyes to settle on me again.
As usual, Eric was dressed handsomely. No, wait, take that back. Handsome is the understatement of the year when it came to describing him. He was absolutely, unequivocally, drop-dead gorgeous, no pun intended. His 6'4" frame was clothed in an expensive black suit that had to have been custom made. A white shirt and a red and black tie that matched my dress completed the ensemble. These were just minor details compared to his face, which I could barely tear my eyes from. His long blond hair was impeccably groomed, and he had a perfect smile, which I noticed had some fang showing. His eyes, oh, his eyes. They were vibrant blue; the clear, crystal blue of the Caribbean. As I looked at him, he raised his hand and made a spinning motion with his index finger. I obliged and slowly turned in a circle.
"Sookie, you look good enough to eat." His eyes blazed with lust.
"I could say the same of you, Eric. Would you like some True Blood?" I asked him. I couldn't forget my manners, even if the sight of him dressed to the nines reduced me to a babbling idiot.
"No, thank you, lover. We need to be going, we have reservations." He placed his hand on the small of my back and walked with me through the door. I locked the door and walked with him to the car. He opened the door for me and sat down slowly, trying to keep myself covered. He shut the door for me and slid in his side. He turned the key and the 'Vette purred to life.
As he pulled onto Hummingbird Road, I turned in my seat to face him. "So where do we have reservations?"
"Exalté. It's a supe-owned restaurant outside Shreveport. Did you like your gifts?"
"The flowers are beautiful, Eric. And this dress is amazing, it's perfect. What prompted this, though? We haven't spoken in over a month, and all of sudden you're sending me presents and taking me to fancy restaurants."
"Felipe de Castro and his retinue have returned to Nevada. Victor has gone to New Orleans. You have several days reprieve from working for the shifter. There is no time like the present to talk, lover." He looked over at me and smiled.
I could feel my anger rising. "So this whole time you never had access to a phone, a piece of paper to write on, another vamp to give me a message? For God's sake Eric, I live next door a vampire! You could have kept me in the loop. Do you think I enjoyed not knowing what was going on? I knew how you were feeling, but I didn't know why. I can't even tell you how many times I had a mood swing for no reason. I didn't know if you or Pam, or Bubba, or even Bill was okay."
"Sookie," Eric started, in a consoling tone. "Dear one, I would not have estranged myself from you if it had not been in your best interest. Felipe is too interested in your abilities and our bond for my liking. I saw no need to put you in a position where he could observe you further, or annex you for his own use." Before I could start on him for deciding what is or isn't in my best interest he continued. "I know you don't appreciate when I make decisions about you without your consent, but I refuse to allow Felipe any more access to you than he already has. And to address the phone issue, I am quite sure he has had my phones tapped or bugged in some fashion, as it is what I would do, were I in his place. Until his entire entourage was in a plane, flying back to their home, I didn't feel comfortable enough to send any vampires to you, let alone Pam or myself, for fear they would have been followed."
His speech took all the wind out of my sails, and all my indignation went out the window. I didn't like him making decisions for me, but I could see that he had done what he could with the situation he had been in. And he did contact me as soon as it was safe to do so, I couldn't deny that much. I relaxed and sunk back into the leather seat. "I know, Eric. You did what you felt was best. And you're right, I would like to have as little to do with the new King as possible."
Eric took this opportunity to run his fingers lightly across my shoulder and down my arm to hold my hand. Even though his touch was cool and left a trail of goosebumps, it felt like he was drawing fire over my skin. "My lover, tonight is not the time to speak of the new ruling regime. It is time meant for us, for you and I to discuss our future together." His words scared me, but I couldn't deny the rush of pleasure I felt when he referred to 'us' and 'you and I'. I know he felt it through the bond, because he gently squeezed my hand and gave me one of his stunning smiles.
"How much longer until we're there?" I switched to a safe topic for the time being. I was ravenous. I had been so nervous about this evening I had forgotten to eat anything today.
"Just a few more minutes. I know you will enjoy it here."
We drove in comfortable silence for a little bit longer. He turned into the parking lot of a pristine white building. Underneath a long canopy, he stopped and got out of the car. Before I could reach for the handle, he was on my side of the car and had the door open. He held out his hand, and I took it, grateful for the assistance. The shoes I was wearing had higher heels than I was used to, and I probably would have landed on my face without his help. He handed the valet his keys and a tip, put his hand on the small of my back, and escorted me inside.
Chapter 3
The restaurant was fancy. Very fancy. Definately someplace I would never have come if Eric hadn't brought me. The hostess was tall, slim, and wearing a simple black dress. She smiled brightly as Eric gave his name. "Mr. Northman, party of two. Right this way, please." She picked up two different menus and set off across the room. Eric gently guided me through the tables as I took in the atmosphere. The restaurant had two floors, and our table was upstairs. When we reached it, Eric held my chair out for me, like a true gentleman. The hostess handed us our menus, recited the evening's specials - Eggplant Parmigiana and Provençal Salmon - and said our waiter would be with us shortly. She wished us a good evening as she went back downstairs.
"Oh my goodness, Eric, this place is amazing." I said, awestruck. We had an unobstructed view of the floor below us, and it was beautiful. The tables and chairs were made of a dark wood. The tablecloths and padding were off-white, and there was a unique centerpiece of exotic flowers at each table. Ours was full of red, white, and purple blooms. The main focus of the restaurant was not the beautiful settings, however; it was the amazing crystal chandelier in the center of the room. It looked like something from 'The Phantom of the Opera'. And beneath the chandelier was an intricately designed parquet dance floor. There was a stage along one side for live performers, but tonight it was empty. Piano music was being quietly pumped through hidden speakers, and there were several couples swirling around the floor. "I can't believe that I didn't know this place was here. This can't be a place just for supes."
"Oh no, Sookie. This place caters to everyone, human and supernatural alike. The reason I'm sure you were unaware of its existence is that no famous chefs work in the kitchen, no celebrities dine at the tables, and advertising is nonexistent. People who come here recommend it, and word-of-mouth does the rest. And no offense meant to Bon Temps, but it isn't exactly filled with people who would be inclined to come here." I quirked an eyebrow at that, but he was right. Working at the hometown bar introduced me to just about everyone in town, and I couldn't think of anybody offhand, except maybe the Bellefleurs, who would be able to fit in here. Heck, the only reason I kinda did is because I had worked for a Queen before. That, and Eric bought me nice things.
Before I could respond, our waiter walked up to us. He introduced himself as Stephen, and we ordered. I got the Provençal Salmon and a glass of Pinot Noir, while Eric asked for a glass of Royalty Blended. Stephen nodded and commended us on our choices before leaving. "Royalty Blended? You're certainly going all out tonight, aren't you?" I questioned him.
"Of course, my dear. What else should I do on our first date?" My jaw dropped and he was immediately beside me, offering me his hand. "Care to dance, lover?" I eyed him suspiciously before placing my hand in his. He led me downstairs and onto the dance floor. Eric placed his hands on my waist and mine automatically went to his shoulders. When he looked down at me and smiled, I couldn't help but smile back. I felt happiness and desire swell across the bond, and I knew that not all of the emotion was coming from Eric.
We turned around the floor and gazed into each other's eyes until I lost track of everything except Eric and Sookie. I stretched up to give him a kiss, and the world stopped spinning for a moment. His lips moved under mine and there was nothing else except our bodies pressed together. I felt the world drop away from beneath me, and I felt like I was walking on air. That is, until I broke the kiss and tried to take a step. Eric had lifted us about six inches off the floor and we were slowly rotating as if still dancing. He saw my surprise and gently landed, plastering a big grin on his face. His fangs were showing a bit. "Let's go sit, lover. You look out-of-breath."
Never letting go of my hand, Eric led the way to our table, where our drinks were sitting. He held the chair out for me again and kissed my neck after I was seated. He sat and sipped at his drink. He closed his eyes in pleasure, and I felt pure lust ripple across our bond. It was slightly disturbing, to say the least, to be aroused by watching your date drink human blood. However, I was happy that he was enjoying himself and I allowed myself to feel his pleasure a little bit, as well. Eric opened his eyes and gazed at me with undisclosed lust written on his face. I tried to smolder back at him, and aparently succeeded because I could see his pupils dilate just a bit, and I watched his fangs fully extend.
Just then, Stephen returned with my food. It looked and smelled delicious, and I could hardly wait to dig in. "Bon appétit," he said with a flourish before he left.
I dug into my salmon, and let me tell you, it was phenomenal. I let out a groan of pleasure, and I heard it echoed from across the table. I looked at Eric and saw he was smiling again. "I will have to purchase dead fish for you from now on, if it will get that reaction out of you, lover." I blushed and took another bite as he sipped his dinner. I never knew that eating could be such an erotic experience, but with Eric enjoying his blood, my sent-from-heaven salmon, and the bond feeding us each other's pleasure, I was so keyed up that by the end of dinner, I was ready to make him dessert.
"Are you finished, dear one?" His voice was dripping with sex, and it felt like he was caressing me from the inside out.
"With dinner, yes." Let him think about that, I thought. His eyes blazed and he motioned for the check to be brought over. When Stephen brought the small folder over, Eric glanced at the paper, pulled a few bills from his wallet and handed it back to the waiter.
"No change." Eric never took his eyes off me once during the entire exchange. Stephen thanked us and wished us a good evening, then departed. Eric stood behind me and pulled my chair out for me. I could get used to this type of treatment, I thought, before mentally chiding myself. You are a modern woman, Sookie Stackhouse, you are not about to be spoiled rotten by a man, let alone a gorgeous...tall...blond...viking... My thoughts drifted and I shook my head to clear it. Eric looked at me and raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment as we walked outside.
"Thank you for a lovely dinner, Eric. It was wonderful." I pulled my wrap around me tighter. It had gotten much colder while we were inside.
He leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Dinner was good, but dessert will be even better." He flicked out his tongue and quickly licked my earlobe, sending shivers down my spine. A valet pulled up in the Corvette just then, and Eric opened my door for me. I folded myself inside, and he followed suit after closing my door.
"Where are we going now?" I asked, half of me hoping that he was going to take me home, and the other half wanting to go to his home.
"Fangtasia. It is Friday night, and I need to make a token appearance. I hope you don't mind, lover. We will talk about us afterwards, I promise." Eric reached over and took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I want nothing to dissuade us from our talk this evening. It is imperative we work this out. Things simply cannot remain as they are, my dear Sookie."
I agreed and we drove on in silence, listening to the music coming through the speakers. I didn't know the name of the band, or even the name of the song, but I liked it just the same. Every now and then, Eric would run his thumb across the back of my hand, and it did things to my libido that I never thought were possible. After all, who would have thought that the back of your hand would have a direct connection to your ...cootie. I saw him smile out of the corner of my eye, and I knew he had felt my longing as surely as I did.
A few minutes later, we were parked behind Fangtasia and walking up to the employee's entrance. He opened the door and motioned me inside. The door to his office was open and it was empty. We walked in and he shut the door behind him. Before I could open my mouth to ask where Pam was, Eric was on me, crushing his lips to mine, his arms wrapped around my waist. A split second later, my shock had worn off and I was kissing him back in earnest. He backed me up against his desk and moved his lips from my mouth to my neck, kissing a line down my collarbone and back, ending at that sensitive spot at the base of my neck. I moaned and arched my back to him. He growled in pleasure, picked me up and settled me on his desk. I opened my knees and he pushed my dress up to my hips so he could rub the bulge in his pants against my most sensitive spot. "Eric, oh god ...Eric..." I sighed into his mouth when his tongue attacked mine again.
I felt one of his hands release the bow on the back of my dress, and the halter top fell down, exposing my breasts. He leaned back and took in the sight for a moment. My chest was heaving, I'm sure I had a hickey on my neck, and my nipples were so hard they almost hurt. He smiled wickedly and slowly rubbed his free hand over one breast, then the other. I shuddered and groaned, "Eric, please, Eric, oh, oh oh...uuunnhh..." My begging turned into mindless noises as Eric bent his head and took a nipple in his mouth and sucked. I felt his fingers rolling my other nipple around and gently pulling on it. I arched my back again and rubbed my crotch against the strained fabric of his pants. He moaned into my breast and I felt his fangs graze my skin. He switched sides to pay the other breast attention while his fingers wandered south. He touched the outside of my thong and I cried out. I heard him give a throaty laugh and he looked up at me and smiled. "Watch me, lover," he commanded as he sunk to his knees.
I couldn't help but watch as this beautiful man kneeled before me and spread my legs. He glanced up to make sure I was watching him, and without bothering to remove my panties he gave me one long, slow lick from the bottom all the way up to my nub, where he swirled around it. I moaned and bucked against him. He hooked one finger around the fabric and literally ripped my underwear off me. His mouth was back on me immediately, licking, sucking, probing. I felt one finger enter me, and another...I closed my eyes and threw my head back. "Lover...look at me," Eric commanded. I did, and saw he was gazing back at me, his vibrant blue eyes on fire. He resumed his attentions on my most sensitive area, slowly, then faster and faster, until I could feel my abdomen tightening. He glanced up at me to make sure I was still looking. He moved his face to my thigh and bit down. My world exploded and I saw stars as I felt him drawing on my wound. When I was able to breathe again, Eric was standing in front of me, pants undone, his 'gracious plenty' pressing on my stomach.
"Are you ready for me, lover?" Pure sex, I thought. This man is pure sex incarnate. I nodded and he moved so he was positioned at my entrance. He leaned forward and kissed me. As our tongues touched, he pushed into me and I felt that I was going to be split in half. Oh so gently, almost reverently, he pulled almost the whole way out and pushed back in. He pumped softly at first, then harder and harder until he nuzzled into my neck and bit again. I felt him spasm inside of me, which set off my impending orgasm, too.
Eric licked the wounds on my neck and raised his head. I kissed him and gasped when he pulled out of me, instantly missing the feeling of him. He chuckled and kissed me again, very softly and sweetly. "I made quite a mess of you, lover." I looked at myself and sighed. I had just been pillaged by a viking, and looked it, too. One shoe was missing, as was my underwear. My dress was hiked up around my waist and my boobs were hanging out. I'm positive that I have at least one hickey on my neck, not to mention a bite mark. I'm sure my makeup was everywhere except where it was supposed to be, but when I reached up to touch my hair, I found it to be relatively unscathed, thank goodness. My face and dress could be put right in minutes, but my hair took ages to do.
"It was worth it, though." I replied, and hopped off the desk. Not a good idea. My legs were still wobbly, and I would have fallen if not for Eric's reflexes. As it was, I ended up on the couch, sitting on my viking's lap.
"Let me help you with that. Get your hair." I lifted my hair off of my neck and he reached around me to the halter ties. He pulled them over my breasts, letting his fingers trail along my skin the entire way. After he tied the straps into a bow, he kissed the nape of my neck before I let my hair fall. I stood up and straightened my dress, thankful that my legs had decided to work again.
"Where's my other shoe? And do you have a mirror in here?"
He laughed and stood up. "Of all people, Sookie, why would you ask me if I had a mirror?" He walked over to a door in the corner and opened it up. On the inside of the door there was a full-length mirror. I walked over and began putting myself to rights while Eric looked for my shoe. I wasn't as much of a mess as I thought. My lipstick was completely gone, and I did have a hickey, but he bit me in the same spot, so I only had one mark. A little adjustment of the halter strap and it was almost hidden. "A-ha!" I heard Eric exclaim. I turned in time to see him crawl out from behind the couch with my shoe. I had to stifle a giggle at seeing a 1000 year old man so excited over finding a single shoe.
"You should probably get yourself put back together, too, Eric." His tie was loose and sadly lopsided, his jacket was crumpled on the floor by the door. His dress shirt was wrinkled and some of the buttons were missing. His hair looked like a bird's nest. He glanced in the mirror and shrugged. I turned my attention back to my reflection and started to reapply my lipstick. I was immediately distracted by what I saw happening over my shoulder. Eric was turned away from me and disrobing. It's nothing I haven't seen before, but damn if it didn't still take my breath away. He had soon shed everything and I stared into the mirror, fixated by my favorite part of him, that world-class butt. He felt my lust and turned around to find me staring at him. Eric laughed and spun me around to kiss my lips. I started to put my arms around him when he pulled away.
"Ah ah ah, lover. Work now, pleasure later. We have all night." I agreed, and he reached around me to grab some clothes. I put my lipstick on while he was dressing.
Someone knocked on the office door and I jumped. "Enter." Eric was back in boss mode again.
Pam opened the door and slipped into the room. "Eric. Sookie," she said, briefly nodding at each of us. I saw her take in our appearance and sniff the air, noticing how her fangs ran out as she did. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
Eric leaned against his desk in the same spot where I was perched less than ten minutes ago. "Of course not, Pam. What can I do for you?"
"Nothing." I thought Eric's eyebrows would disappear into his hairline. Pam grinned at him and turned to me. "You, I need."
Chapter 4
"Me?" I squeaked. "What happened now?"
"Some of the females out front are acting strangely. Or stranger than normal, I should say. I need you to see what's going on in their empty heads." That Pam, she sure loved her customers.
I shrugged. "Okay, not a problem. Let's get started."
I was almost to the door when I heard Pam again. "Not yet, Eric. You stay." I whipped around to see Pam standing in front of Eric with one hand out to stop him. His face tightened and I saw anger flash in his eyes.
"Excuse me, child, but I must have misunderstood you. I thought I just heard you tell me that I cannot accompany my lover into my bar." Uh-oh. This was going downhill, fast. I stepped in between the two of them and put a hand on Eric's chest.
"Eric, I'm sure Pam has a good reason for asking you to wait, right Pam?" I looked at her and prayed that no matter what the next thing out of her mouth was, it had better be intelligent.
She took a step back and lowered her gaze from Eric's face. "Master, I apologize. Please forgive my being curt with you. I am just concerned that since it is mostly females who are acting strangely, your presence will affect the atmosphere and make it difficult for Sookie to detect any problems that may arise." Wow. For being such a smartass most of the time, Pam sure knew how to kiss some sheriff butt.
Eric stood up straight and glared down at Pam for a minute. "Very well. You will accompany Sookie on the floor, and you are not to leave her side for any reason. As soon as the problem is found, you are to return her to me. If you have not returned within twenty minutes, I will come to you. Is this understood, child?" Pam nodded and bowed to him. "Leave us. I will speak to Sookie for a moment first." Pam rose and left the room, bowing once more before closing the door.
I looked up at Eric and shuddered. His face was still set with anger, and even though he was not mad at me, I felt waves of disapproval coming off of him. Suddenly, he seemed to realize I was standing there with my hand on his chest, and he smiled. "Sookie, lover, before you say anything, I know you do not like me acting as if you are a possession of mine. However, in the vampire world, people and vampires alike who we care for and/or work for us are considered 'assets'. I do not like leaving you to work without me, especially in a room full of vampires. I wasn't lying earlier when I said you looked good enough to eat, and I'm afraid someone else may have the same idea."
I wasn't happy about being considered one of Eric's 'assets', but I felt safe enough in a bar with a vampire next to me. "You forget Eric, I work in a bar. I'm used to people making inappropriate passes at me." He growled at that, but I ignored him. "And besides, I'm going to walk up to the bartender, get a drink, and just listen. No biggie. I'll see you in twenty minutes." I kissed his cheek and left the office. Pam was waiting in the hallway for me, and she took my hand as we started towards the main room.
"Sookie, I appreciate what you did in there, but it was unnecessary. Whenever I make him angry, he always gives me a chance to explain before he decides whether or not I am to be punished. I have told you before, he is a kind master and maker, and more than that, he is my friend." I raised my eyebrows at her. This was more than I have ever gotten out of Pam before. "He has never been unfair with punishments, and has always made them appropriate for the circumstances. Even when I was young and rebellious, he never failed to hear me out when I explained myself, whether I was right or wrong." We were standing next to the door leading into the bar.
"Enough about that. Your assignment is to listen for any reason why the females in here are acting strangely. Some of them may react unfavorably to your presence, due to your known association with Eric. Therefore, I will be acting as if those are my marks on your neck. I realize that isn't how you do things, Sookie, but play along. As we walk around I will point out the ones I have noticed and you try to concentrate on them." I nodded and Pam pushed open the door.
Stepping into the bar was like stepping into a different world from Eric's office. The lights were dimmer than usual and there were a few strobe lights going. Both people and vampires were dancing to some heavy metal blaring through huge speakers. The place was filled with people and I automatically threw up my strongest shields. I followed Pam to the bar and ordered a gin and tonic. She got her bottle of blood and we walked around hand-in-hand while I listened. "There, the bleach-blonde whore with the fake tits." I followed her gaze and saw the woman she was referring to, and her description was right on the money. She looked like a Pam Anderson-wannabe reject. I singled her out of the crowd and listened. "Wow this place is busy I wonder where that hot blond vamp is the owner I think oh what I wouldn't do to him" I mentally growled at her picture of what she wanted to do to my Eric. "Geez I think I had too much to drink maybe I shouldn't have taken that drink from that one guy he wasn't even a vamp and he wanted to get me a drink -she pictured a stocky man with brown hair- wierd but whatever it was a free drink god I need laid I better get some or I'm gonna be pissed my feet hurt I just wish a vamp would bite me hey what is that girl looking at isn't she the owners pet or something wait what the fuck is she looking at me for fuck this I'm out of here this place is dead anyway hahaha" She got up and staggered out of the bar. I mentally followed her to her car and 'watched' her drive off. I told Pam I got something, but not much, and we should keep going.
We circled the bar and Pam located another one of the women. This one was a stereotypical fangbanger. Short, spiky, dyed black hair, too much eyeliner, and a skintight dress so short it looked like she pulled a tank top down to cover herself. I tuned in to this woman, and heard more of the same; desire to be bitten, lust for that tall vampire with blond hair -grrrr- and thinking about that strange guy that bought her a drink. This fangbanger had a better memory than the Pam-wannabe, and I got a good look at the 'drink man'. He looked to be in his mid-30s or so, with short brown hair and greenish eyes. He was dressed in a polo shirt and khakis, not someone you would expect to see in a vamp bar. I nodded at Pam and we made our way to the bar to get our drinks refreshed.
I scanned the bar visually and found the man immediately. He was just an average looking guy and wouldn't stand out in a crowd, but of course this wasn't a regular crowd, so he stuck out like a sore thumb. I tried to listen in, but he didn't project the way the two women had. I leaned down to Pam's ear, "Let's dance." She looked at me, surprised, and I jerked my head in the man's direction. I saw it click in her head, so I downed my drink, took her hand and we walked onto the dance floor like we owned it...well, she actually did, or at least part of it, but that was beside the point. We stopped about ten feet from The Man -as I referred to him in my head- and he had a clear view of us.
A new song started playing, and I recognized this one. Nine Inch Nails, 'Closer'. It had a good beat to it, and even though I would have like it to be Eric I was dancing with, it helped make it seem like Pam and I really were together. Surprisingly, Pam was a really good dancer. I never pictured her as someone who would take pleasure in something so human as dancing. As we rubbed and grinded and writhed against each other, I heard most of the thoughts in the bar shift to the two of us. Apparently two leggy blondes practically having sex with each other on the dance floor was an interesting sight. I closed my eyes and concentrated on The Man. He was aroused by our performance, and was broadcasting very clearly now. Only years of pretending I heard nothing from people's heads allowed me to keep my composure after I listened for a minute.
"Holy mother of God look at those two that girl has the nicest rack I've ever seen too bad she's into dead guys fucking whore maybe I should get her a drink next that'll show those damned bloodsuckers they aren't welcome around here I am so glad I met Steve -he pictured Steve Newlin, my biggest fan from Dallas and leader of The Fellowship of the Sun- and he saved me but look at me of course I'd be the one he sent for recon work Jesus Christ that girl is hot isn't that one of the head vamps she's dancing with I should definately get her a drink next maybe double the dose in hers if she wasn't a vamp loving slut I would do everything to her I'd better get her a drink before she gets drained I need to get this shit into the vamps- His 'voice' faded as he moved to the bar. The song was ending, so I turned to Pam and opened my eyes.
"Pam, I go-, " I broke off mid-word as I took in her face. She was staring at me, undisguised longing in her eyes. Her pupils were fully dilated and her fangs were all the way out. "Pam...PAM! Snap out of it!" I waved my hand in front of her face and she gave her head a small shake, as if to clear her thoughts. Suddenly, she grabbed my hand, still out in front of me, held it down to her side, and kissed me.
When I say that she kissed me, I don't mean a peck on the cheek or a quick brush across my lips. Her hand held mine on her hip, her free hand pulled my face to hers, and she was hell-bent on sucking my tongue down her throat. I was in shock, too surprised to do much except make sure I didn't fall over. I closed my eyes and tried not to think about Gran rolling over in her grave at what was happening. Half a second later, I was overcome with anger, which was quickly covered up by pure lust. My body responded to this new sensation and I felt my hands wrap around Pam and pull her closer to me. I explored the inside of her mouth and she moaned when I ran my tongue over her fangs.
I felt a hand on my shoulder, gently pushing me away from Pam. I broke the kiss, more due to my need of oxygen than the pressure on my shoulder. When I opened my eyes I looked up to see Eric staring down at me, his fangs fully extended again, and an unfathomable expression of his face. I glanced at Pam, who had stepped back a few feet when Eric had intervened, and she was still staring at me with hungry eyes. "I told you that you were asking for trouble without me, lover."
My mouth fell open and I blushed furiously. "Eric! I, uh... I, um...I-" I stuttered uncontrollably. I made an attempt to gather myself. "I need a drink." Before he could say anything, I spun on my heel and raced to the bar. Felicia was serving drinks, I just noticed. Just as I was about to order another gin and tonic, I was interrupted... by The Man. I let down my shields enough to hear him again.
He was holding two drinks and set one down in front of me. "Hello there, gorgeous." Slut. "That was quite a performance out there. My name is Ryan." He grinned broadly. If I hadn't known what he was thinking, I would have thought he was a nice guy.
I plastered my fake smile on and greeted him. "Thanks, I'm Sookie. Most of that was supposed to be behind closed doors, though, but you knows how vamps can get sometimes." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Felicia raise an eyebrow, but she said nothing.
"I figured after a workout like that, you could use some refreshment. A gin and tonic, I believe, is what you were drinking earlier." I nodded and took the drink from him. I was bombarded with his thoughts as our hands brushed. Once she drinks that she won't be able to stand up but from how the bloodsuckers were looking at her earlier that won't be a problem with the amount in her glass she'll take down three or four easy and then they'll be ripe for the staking -internal laughter at his joke. I didn't find it funny- I feel kind of bad for her damn but her boobs look even better up close but she hangs with vamps and Steve says that's just as bad as being one so once I get that into her I'll have to stick around and get at least a couple more sluts drugged up maybe one of 'em will get that big blond one oh shit here he comes he's looking at me ohshitohshitohshit. He was a very good actor. Despite his internal terror, he was calm as could be on the outside.
Eric walked up to me and draped his arm around my shoulders. He kissed my temple and leveled a look at Ryan. "My lover, who is your new friend?" I could feel Ryan's insides doing a little happy-dance at the fact that the 'big blond one' called me his lover.
"Eric, this is Ryan. He insisted on buying me a drink after my, um, dance." I felt his anger and tried to send calm reassurance to him. "Ryan, it was very nice to meet you, but I do believe I must be going now. Thank you for the drink." I smiled and let Eric lead me back to his office. Pam was nowhere to be seen.
He rounded on me the second the door was closed. "What in the hell do you think you were doing out there? I leave you alone for not even twenty minutes and you're out there dry humping Pam, my child, in the middle of my bar! And then I can barely pull you off of her? And then you accept a drink from a mere human? Why in the fuck are you still holding that glass, get rid of it!" He was yelling by the end, and an angry viking vampire is not a pretty sight. But by then, I had enough alcohol in my system to give me some liquid courage and bypass the filter between my brain and mouth.
"Now you listen here, and you listen good. I did NOT expect any of that to happen. I did NOT agree to help Pam out so you could yell at me. And I most certainly did not expect to find someone out there trying to kill your stupid viking ass!" I screamed the last part and slammed my glass down on his desk. Some of the liquid splashed over the side and puddled on the pristine finish, but I couldn't care less at this point. I jabbed my finger in the direction of my drink. "That mere human just tried to drug me so your ass could be staked!" I felt his white-hot anger at me dissapate, and a cold rage take its place. Even though I knew this new rage wasn't directed at me, the level tone of his voice chilled me down to my bones.
"What did you just say?"
Chapter 5
"Um, I said that the guy I was talking to tried to drug me so you would be vulnerable when you drank from me." Eric glared at me, and I finally understood what it meant to be on his bad side. I was horrible to him, and after everything he did for me this evening, or heck, everything he has done for me ever, I wouldn't be surprised if he picked me up and threw me in the alley and never spoke to me again. He looked down, pulled his phone out, pushed some buttons very quickly, and jammed it back into his pocket with such force I thought his jeans would rip.
"Explain. I want every detail of every second you were out there." He crossed his arms and waited.
"Okay, well, umm...me and Pam decided to act like we were together out there, to explain the bite. Since all the girls hate me because I'm with you, we thought it would be better if they thought we weren't together, so they wouldn't think about beating me up. Pam showed me a blonde girl acting weird and I listened to her but didn't get much of anything, so we went around to another girl and she showed me a guy who bought her a drink that made her feel funny. I found the guy and he didn't broadcast well so we moved closer and he was near the dance floor so we danced and...uh...you know..." I trailed off, not wanting to anger him further. His eyes narrowed, and I felt his fury hit me like a ton of bricks.
"Yes, I know very well what happened next. Continue. Tell me what you heard."
"Uh, well, he thought a lot of nasty names about me, and since I was dancing with Pam, he decided he would drug me to get to her. He's part of the Fellowship, and said that Steve Newlin would be proud of him. Apparently he had orders directly from him. And he went to get me a drink to spike, and that's when...you showed up. And, uh, when I went to the bar, he gave me the drink and was excited because he put more than normal in, enough to knock out three or four of you, and he almost danced when you came over and called me lo- lover." I stuttered over the word. I had a feeling I wouldn't be hearing that from Eric for a long, long time, if ever again.
"Is that all of it? You are not omitting anything about this human?"
"N- no. He wasn't easy to listen to. That's all I got."
"Very well. Sit there." He looked at one of the chairs in front of his desk. I sat down on the edge of the chair, ready for anything. "Bring in the Fellowship dog!" He bellowed at the door. Immediately Felicia and Pam entered, carring Ryan, tied to a chair. Ah, that's what he was texting. They set him down in the center of the room and walked out. "Pam," Eric called her before she could close the door.
"Yes, my lord." Uh-oh. This was definately bad, very very bad.
"Stay. You are to witness these proceedings. You are my second-in-command and are obligated to attend any meetings that affect my area." He never looked at Pam, or even in her direction.
"Of course, my lord." She did more than bow, she actually curtsied. She dipped so low I thought she would fall, but of course she didn't. Pam rose just as gracefully and took a position against the wall next to the door. She never lifted her eyes from the floor.
"Now, Ryan, is it? You are going to tell me everything. And I do mean everything, do you understand?" Ryan said nothing. He calmly looked up at Eric...and spit on him. My eyes nearly popped out of my skull, and even Pam looked up as her jaw dropped. Eric merely took a tissue from his desk, wiped the spot as well as he could and threw the crumpled wad into the trash. "You will pay for that later, but I have questions first. You would be unable to answer them if I break your jaw before asking."
For the first time, I saw fear on Ryan's face. Eric noticed and grinned at him. His fangs weren't showing, but they didn't need to be. "Do not forget, vermin, that I have had centuries of practice interrogating humans, and I know many ways to get my answers. I will not elaborate out of courtesy for the other human in the room, except to say that if you do not fully cooperate with me, you will wish you were dead, long before you are." I gasped, unable to hold it in. I had never seen this side of Eric. His head snapped up and his eyes met mine. For a split second I saw pain flash across his face before the mask of cool rage came down. "Ah, Sookie. I seem to be in need of your unique services. If you would be so kind."
He went to a darkened corner and pulled out a chair identical to the one Ryan was tied to. Eric positioned the chair in front of the other one, and I sat down on the edge. Ryan's hands were tied together in front of him, so I reached over and settled my right hand on top. I could instantly hear him as clear as if he was speaking out loud. Understandably, he was nearly incoherent with fear. I closed my eyes to concentrate. I nodded, and Eric started speaking again.
"Ryan, I believe you have already made my lo-...my associate Sookie's acquaintance." Ouch. I felt the pain echo across the bond at his words. "I am going to ask you a few questions. You are going to answer me completely and truthfully. If you are considering lying to me, Sookie will inform me when you do. Know this: I am not unreasonable. If you answer my questions honestly, I will let you leave here in one piece, alive and well. If you do not, well, I leave that to your imagination." I flinched as I was overwhelmed with increasingly disturbing pictures of punishments he imagined Eric inflicting on him.
I felt him trembling and opened my eyes. He was stark white and a cold sweat had broken out all over his body. I patted his hands and made soothing noises. "Eric is being honest, Ryan. If you tell him the truth, I promise you that you will leave here unharmed." Ryan stared into my eyes and I could feel him relax. I glanced at Eric and closed my eyes.
"Who sent you here, and why?" Eric decided to be as concise as possible.
"Steve Newlin, from The Fellowship of the Sun. He said that you were one of the most powerful vampires in the state and taking you down would be a major coup." I could feel Eric watching me, waiting for my response. I nodded to say that he was telling the truth.
"Why attempt to drug my bar patrons?"
"Steve said it would be the best way to get to you. He told me to drug as many of the fangbangers as I could, because the more vampires that went down, the better. And he also said that since people who want to be with vampires are no better than vamps themselves, it didn't matter if they overdosed or if the stuff didn't agree with them." I opened my eyes and glared at Ryan. It made my stomach turn to do it, but I nodded.
Eric continued questioning Ryan for over an hour and to his credit, Ryan did not even attempt to lie once. In short, Steve Newlin had people watching me, and since I had no contact with vampires for a long time, he decided to take a different route. Ryan had no idea what the substance he was putting in people's drinks actually was, but he knew it was strong enough to knock the average vamp out for almost a week. He handed over what looked like a tin of breathmints, and said that they dissolved instantly in liquid. No smell, no taste, no way to tell the drink had been altered. He also had no idea where Steve Newlin was hiding, as they always met in a public place. I searched his mind for a long time to find that, but to no avail. When he was finished, Eric untied Ryan and signaled to Pam. She touched Ryan's arm and he looked up at her, instantly dazed, and she went to work erasing the memory of this evening as she led him outside.
When the door closed I stood up and stretched, glad to be off of that uncomfortable chair. I turned and saw Eric looking at me from across the room. I didn't feel any emotions through our bond, and his face had no particular expression. I was unable to meet his gaze for more than a second, and I stood there awkwardly, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. Finally, I couldn't take the silence any longer. "Eric, it's pretty late an-" He cut me off by placing one finger on my lips. I didn't even see him move.
"Sookie, this is not the place to discuss these things. Let us go where there are no other ears to hear us." He was avoiding contractions, which meant he was still upset. Understandable, considering all that had happened in the last few hours. I 'yielded' to him, I made out with his second-in-command, and I was almost drugged in order to kill him. The Fellowship was not only targeting him and his bar, but his customers as well. The new weapon was undetecable and I was sure it would spread like wildfire. All this, on top of the fact that tonight was supposed to be the night for The Talk, made for one emotionally drained vampire.
I gathered up my things and we went out back to his car. I slid in at the same time he did. He pulled out of the parking lot and turned towards Bon Temps. "Are you taking me home?" I wanted him to say yes so I could go home, bury myself in my bed and not come out for a week or two.
"No. We are going to my house. We are not avoiding this any longer...my lover."
Chapter 6
"Lo- lover? I thought you wouldn't want to speak to me again after...uh...after Pam." I was glad I was already sitting down, or else I would have fallen over with surprise.
"Sookie, you have gone to such lengths to as to purposely flaunt other men in front of me, and I was still willing to be with you. I hardly think that Pam kissing you in a moment of bloodlust is enough reason to shun you. Although, I must say, it does make for a whole new issue to discuss." He turned to look at me and gave me a sweet half-smile. Reaching out, he put his index finger under my chin and pushed up. My mouth closed with an audible click. I didn't realize I was staring at him like a slack-jawed idiot.
I turned and looked out the side window. The scenery was passing by in a blur, and I didn't want to think about how fast we were going. All I knew is that we were heading into a part of Shreveport I had never been before, and the houses were getting bigger and more expensive the longer we drove. Eric finally slowed and turned into a long, paved driveway. I couldn't see the house very well, but it had two floors and was large, very large. We pulled around back and into the attached garage. Eric turned off the car and was around to open my door immediately. "Sookie," he began, "you have to understand that very few people know the location of my house, and nobody knows where I rest within. I-" I cut him off.
"Eric, I would never tell this to anyone, and to be honest, I didn't even pay attention to where we were going. Even if I did know, I swear your resting place will remain a secret." He regarded me for a moment before turning to open the door into the house. I stepped through and he flicked on the lights. "Wow, Eric. Your place is beautiful." As if that wasn't an understatement. We were in the kitchen, and it was huge. All the cabinets were made of a rich, dark wood. An island with a breakfast bar sat in the middle, and all of the appliances were stainless steel and very pricy. If this is how he treated a room he never used, I couldn't imagine how the rest of the house looked.
I must have looked as astounded as I felt, because he waved a hand dismissively. "This is nothing, resale value only. I can give you the grand tour tomorrow, if you so desire, but there are only a few hours until dawn, and we must speak." I nodded wordlessly and followed him to the living room. It was as palatial as the kitchen, and I felt like the poor country cousin all over again. He smiled at my expression, "I take it you admire my house."
A large fireplace took up almost an entire wall. Bookshelves flanked it, and they were filled until they were about to overflow. A flatscreen television was hung above the mantle. The room was done in dark wood and white. A white sectional took up a large portion of the floor, and a few matching armchairs were arranged throughout the room. Something seemed a little off, and I noticed that there were no photos or personal affects displayed. There was a single painting hung on an empty wall, but it seemed to be there purely to cover the blank space.
A certain viking had made himself comfortable on the couch while I looked around. I was about to sit in an armchair when he patted the cushion next to him. I sat down, took off my shoes and curled my legs underneath me. "So, where do we start?" I asked after I settled in. He picked up a small remote and pushed a button. We watched a small fire start before he turned to look me in the eye.
"I think we should discuss this evening, Pam in particular. I want to get this out in the open before we attempt deeper issues." I cringed. I should have known he would want to talk about that. "I have always known that Pam preferred women over men, but I had no idea you felt that way as well, Sookie."
"Oh no, Eric, no no nonono. I like men. I don't know what happened out there. I honestly don't know why I reacted the way I did. I have no desire to be with a woman, ever."
"That's a shame," I heard him mutter softly. I felt my eyes widen at that, and something clicked in my head.
"It was you, you big jerk! You liked seeing me kissing Pam! Oh my god, you...you were getting off on it! I felt your lust, and... ugh, you are such a... a man!" I slapped his arm, but only ended up making my hand hurt. I crossed my arms and leaned away from him. He took in my look of indignation and laughed. My jaw clenched and I seethed. He was actually laughing at me, not just a chuckle either, it was a full and hearty belly laugh.
"Oh Sookie, you are too much. I have never heard that being called a man was a bad thing. And, no, I wasn't getting off, as you so eloquently put it. I was not pleased to find you in someone else's arms, but after I realized that it was Pam you were wound around, I merely found it...exhilarating. I became angry only when I saw you at the bar speaking to another male."
"What about Pam, though? She's the one that kissed me, is she... I mean, did you...?"
"No, lover, Pam is fine. Once I understood what had happened, I could forgive her excitement. You know as well as I do that Pam has never made it a secret that she finds you attractive. If I had been in her place, my reaction would have been no better. I think that I would have fucked you right there, and damn everyone else in the room." He smiled seductively. "She did not mark you, so she must have used amazing self-control. If she had bitten you, I do not like to think of what we would be doing right now, instead of lounging in front of a fire."
"What about her calling you 'My Lord'?"
He snorted. "Pam knew that I was upset, but she wasn't sure where my anger was directed. She has known me long enough to know that when I am in such a mood, subservience is the surest way back into my good graces."
"So, are we okay, then?"
"As long as you two can keep your hands off of each other when I'm not around, the whole incident is forgiven." His fangs ran out a little and he got a devious glint in his eyes. "Of course, if I am present and you feel the need to continue where you left off, I wouldn't mind as long as I could join in."
It took a second for what he said to sink in. Once it did, I was hopping mad. "Eric Northman, do you honestly believe that I am the type of woman who would do such a thing? I'm mortified that I kissed a woman, and now you're saying you want me in a threesome? With Pam? I don't fucking think so, buddy. Just because you've had a thousand years to learn how to be a sex god does not mean that I am going to play that little game! Besides, what kind of super-woman do you think I am that I would be able to handle having sex with two vampires at once? I can barely manage you, and I don't even want to know what Pam is like in bed!" I stepped into my shoes, grabbed my purse and headed towards the garage, fully intent on walking back to Bon Temps if I had to. I didn't even make it to the kitchen before I felt a pair of muscular arms wrap around my waist.
"Do you really think I'm a sex god, lover?" Eric whispered, his lips barely brushing my ear as he spoke. I froze as chills spread all over my body. "I'm flattered that you think so well of me." He kissed me softly, feather-light touches all across my neck and shoulders. Releasing my waist, his hands went to my hips and turned me to face him. I gazed up at him and lost myself in his eyes, all my anger evaporating in a single second. "I do not share well, Sookie, and I have no intentions of allowing anyone else to lay a finger on you ever again. I was only stating that if you would desire anything of the sort, I would gladly oblige you." I opened my mouth to speak, but he shushed me. "However, I am now aware that you do not, nor will you ever, desire any such thing, so I will not mention it again." He bent down and kissed me. I dropped my purse and wrapped my arms around his neck. He opened his mouth appreciatively and our tongues met. I knew I was supposed to be mad about something, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember what.
The kiss was gentle and sweet, as opposed to the lusty need of earlier. Eric broke the kiss to bend down and hook an arm behind my knees. He picked me up and cradled me against his massive chest as he walked through the living room and up a winding staircase. I only vaguely noticed this, as I was concentrating on kissing what skin of his neck and shoulder I could reach. I let my tongue trace a line up his neck, almost to his ear, and I nipped at the sensitive spot behind the earlobe. He hissed in pleasure and held me tighter. Eric kicked open the door to what I assume was his bedroom. He softly laid me on a magnificent bed in the center of the room. I felt myself slide on the midnight blue silk as he lowered himself on top of me. He rested his weight on his elbows and brought his lips to mine. I felt his desire and something else (love?) wash over me and I reveled in it. I tried to send the same sensations back and he must have gotten them, because he started rubbing his crotch against mine. I didn't have any panties on because he killed my thong at the bar, so the denim did interesting things to me. I groaned and I felt him smile.
He rhythmically rocked himself against me, and although it felt really good, I wanted more. I needed his skin on mine. I worked my arms from around his neck, down his chest and sides, and gave his butt a squeeze. He pushed his erection against me even harder, and I felt it jump through the pants. I worked my way under his shirt and ran my nails along his washboard stomach. He got the idea and raised up to remove the offending piece of clothing with one swift movement. My god, he was glorious. My insides gave a little squeal of joy knowing that this beautiful man was about to worship my body in ways I didn't even know existed. He caught the tenor of my thoughts and smiled. His fangs were fully extended, as were other parts of his anatomy. Eric held out a hand and I took it. He pulled me to my feet and undressed me slowly, caressing every inch of newly revealed skin. I shivered as he turned me around and kissed in between my shoulders.
I turned back to him and molded myself to his body. I began to work on his belt as I latched onto his nipple. He placed a hand on the back of my head and I increased the pressure, biting a little bit, knowing he liked it. I lowered his zipper and pushed his jeans over his hips. I felt his hardness spring free from his pants and poke me in the stomach. I would have giggled, had my hands not landed on his perfect butt. I massaged it and he held me tighter to his chest. Slowly, I teased and licked and kissed my way down his abs until I was faced with his massive erection.
I looked up at him and licked my lips as I placed my hands around his thick arousal. He moaned, but his eyes never wavered from mine as I started to rub up and down. I flicked my tongue out and liked the underside of him. He threw his head back and cried out. I smiled coyly and did one more time... then again. I glanced up and saw Eric was staring down at me, so hungry for me he was quivering. In one motion, my mouth was on him, moving up and down in time with my hands. I heard him moaning and saying my name. When I knew he was getting close, I removed him from my mouth, held his arousal up and took one last lick from his balls up the underside of his shaft, twirling my tongue once around his head, and I stood up.
Enjoying my new-found power, when he tried to touch me I playfully slapped his hand. "Not yet, Eric." His eyes widened with surprise, but he nodded. I turned around so my back was towards him, rubbing my body against his the entire way. He shivered and growled deep in his throat, but he kept his hands to himself. I crawled up on the bed on my hands and knees. I arched my back and watched his eyes travel down my body until he reached the part I was offering him. "You can move now." He was on me before I finished the sentence, licking me and pushing his fingers inside. I felt myself coming closer and closer to the edge. He removed his fingers and replaced them with something much better. He pushed in with torturous slowness and held still for a moment to let me adjust when he was buried to the hilt. He pulled out and re-entered with the same agonizing speed.
"Eric, please, oh god, Eric, please..." He answered my pleas and sped up, harder and harder until I thought I was going to break in half, but I still wanted more. He reached around and rubbed my nub in perfect sequence with his thrusting. I felt the explosion coming, and he sensed it as well, doubling his efforts. As I came, I felt him shudder inside of me, and I screamed his name.
We collapsed on the bed, our limbs too weak to support us. Eric moved off of me and laid on his back. I curled up beside him and rested my head on his chest. He ran his fingers through my hair, releasing what remained of my style. I rubbed his stomach and heard him sigh contendedly. Snuggling even closer, I stretched up and pecked him on the lips. "I'm so happy, Eric. I never thought it would be like this again."
He kissed the top of my head and rubbed my back before answering. "Sookie, it will be like this as long as it is in my power to make it so." I laid my head where his heart was and closed my eyes, basking in the afterglow of the some of the most mind-blowing sex I'd ever had. A few minutes later, I heard a low rumbling inside Eric's chest. I looked up at him and realized he was humming softly. He smiled and leaned down to give me a tender kiss.
I ran my hand down his stomach and found that he was ready to go again. My hand circled his length and began to move up and down. I opened the bond and his lust washed over me. I moved to straddle him and slowly lowered myself down until I landed on his hips. I moved up and down, pushing down a little extra every time I hit bottom, just to get him that much further in. Eric placed his hands on my hips and pulled himself up so we were chest to chest. He rocked me back and forth until I was ready to scream, and when he bit my neck and came inside me, I did.
Always the gentleman, Eric bit his finger and rubbed it over the wounds in my neck so I wouldn't be scarred. I curled up to him again and I felt our bond swell with warmth and happiness. He softly brushed my hair away from my ear and whispered something in a foreign language. Obviously, I had no idea what he was saying, but he repeated one phrase a couple of times. "What does 'min savas" mean?"
"Minn sváss, Sookie," he said, pronouncing it correctly. "It's Old Norse for 'my beloved'."
"Mmm, minn sváss. I like that." I yawned and nestled my head into his shoulder. Eric leaned down a little and pulled the comforter around my shoulders. I kissed his chest and drifted off to sleep.
The last thing I can remember was Eric kissing the top of my head. "Sleep well, minn sváss, my only love."
Chapter 7
I woke up sore but refreshed. I was alone in the gigantic bed and the room was pitch black except for a clock that read 4:34 p.m. Eric would be awake in less than an hour. Stretching, I walked across the room and flipped the lightswitch by the door. Now I understood why it was so dark; Eric had opaque glass installed, like in the vampire hotels. With the lights on, I could now see that the opulence of the living room and kitchen was continued upstairs. Eric must really have a thing for dark wood, because it was everywhere in this room, too.
The king size sleigh bed was carved with a tiny pattern of leaves and vines, and was absolutely gorgeous. It had (very rumpled) midnight blue silk sheets and a matching comforter. The large dresser and nightstands were carved in the same pattern as the bed. It felt wrong to leave the beautiful bed unmade, but I had urgent 'human needs' -as Eric called them- to take care of, and I had no idea where the bathroom was. There were only two doors in this room, and one led to a small closet. After poking around for something to wear, I put on one of Eric's spare button-down shirts and a pair of boxers, and I went out the other door into the hallway. There were several doors on either side of the hall, and all of them were closed. I sighed and started peeking in.
The first door led to another bedroom, this one done in tones of red and gold, and of course, the requisite dark wood. The second door held a small utility closet with a vacuum, a feather duster and a few other cleaning products. It seemed ridiculous the think of a vampire having a closet of cleaning stuff. I mean, when you think of a vampire, you certainly don't picture them doing mundane housework. I imagined Eric wearing an apron, pushing the vacuum and dusting, and I laughed out loud. That was almost as good as the Sheriff of Nottingham. I knew he probably had a maid service or something, but it was funny all the same. The third door I came to held what I think was a preview of Heaven.
The bathroom was decadent, to say the very least. The one place in the house that dark wood did not reign, it was white. White tile, white porcelain, white towels, white marble. A shower big enough for a small car dominated the furthest corner. It was completely surrouned with glass, and I could see showerheads running up and down the walls. One of the attachments that simulated rain was hung above the center, and I shivered to think of how much fun could be had in there. And I'm sure Eric would happily oblige, I reminded myself and smiled. The pool -it was certainly too big to be referred to as a bathtub- took up the opposite corner. Six people could easily fit inside, and jets everywhere ensured that everyone would be satisfied. After I took care of my human needs, I washed my hands and saw a small note taped to the mirror. I dried off, marveling at how impossibly soft the towels were, and picked up the note to read it.
My dearest Sookie-
If you have found this, you have woken up before me. I am truly sorry that I was not there to wake you up myself, but rest assured I will make it up to you later. Feel free to explore the house, and while you are here, I insist you consider it your home as well. There is some food for you in the kitchen if you are hungry, and anything I do not have that you require we will purchase this evening.
I will see you soon, lover.
-E
I contemplated taking a shower so I would be refreshed and ready for Eric when he woke up, but decided against it. I know he would much rather help me get clean, and I wanted to experience that shower to the fullest, so I decided to head to the kitchen and see if I could find coffee. As I walked towards the stairs, I looked in every room. I found two more bedrooms, a study, and another bathroom. This one wasn't nearly as sinful as the other, but it was still very fancy. The staircase wound around a large foyer and ended by the front door. I unlocked and opened the large french doors and was confronted with a large and perfectly manicured front lawn. I stepped outside and turned to look at the front of the house. Last night I saw that the house was two stories and was big, but it was beautiful, too. It was red brick, with large white columns and black shutters. The rays of the setting sun glinted dully off of the opaque glass. I went back inside, locked the door and went straight through the living room, into the kitchen, and out to the backyard. Oh, my. I was speechless. The large patio I was standing on held an outdoor bar/grill and a fabulous table set. A huge Jacuzzi overflowed into what looked like an Olympic-size swimming pool. A diving board was on the far side of the pool, and past that, a football-field size expanse of more perfectly manicured yard. I knew Eric had more money than I could ever dream of, but this was insane.
After another minute, I decided I needed my morning fix and went in to find some coffee. Of course, Eric had my favorite brand ready. I sat at the bar and sunk deep into thought while I sipped. Okay, Eric is loaded. Looooaded. He's used to the finer things in life, and here I am, a barmaid that's been on the brink of being poor more than once. The only reason I'm not penniless right now is the money that he gave me for keeping him earlier this year. If I didn't have that, I don't know what I would have done when my house burnt. I don't want to be a kept woman. I am not some gold-digging trailer trash, and that's exactly what I'll feel like if I keep letting him take me out and buy me things. I put my face in my hands and massaged my temples. But I'm miserable without him. I don't know what to do. I can't let him spoil me, but I know he'll insist on it. I don't want to- no, I can't live without him again, I love him and- WHAT?! My head snapped up and my eyes widened. I...I love him? But... but... oh my god... I'm... in love... with a... a vampire. As much as my head wanted to deny it, my heart knew it was true.
Right on cue, Eric wrapped his arms around me and kissed my cheek. "Good morning, my lover." I burst into tears and he panicked. "Sookie... Sookie, love, what is wrong?" He picked me up and sat down on the couch, cradling me in his arms. He made soothing noises and stroked my hair. "Dear one, will you not tell me what is wrong? Is something wrong with the house? If anything disturbed you, consider it changed." This made me bawl even harder. "Lover, I cannot help you if you will not tell me what is wrong."
I managed to calm myself down enough to speak. "Eric, you're too good for me. I mean, look at this place. You live in a palace and you have more money that I can even think about." He tried to speak, but I put a finger to his lips. "I know you don't think it matters, but it does. I am a barmaid, Eric. A barmaid. I live off of tips from serving people beer and chicken fingers. I have been pennies away from being in the poorhouse. You own at least one business, and I'm sure have more investments than I can comprehend. You insist on buying me things, and I don't deserve it. I never did anything to make you like me, and on more than one occasion, I've gone out of my way to irritate you. I honestly don't know why you want to be with me. The only thing I can think is because of the fairy in me. There are tons of women would die to be with you, literally." I let out a single, rueful laugh at that. "And I'm sure any of them wouldn't be anywhere near the trouble I am."
He waited until he was sure I was finished before speaking. "Sookie, I know that you think it matters that I am rich and you are not, but to me that makes no difference whatsoever. I care not that you are a barmaid. I would want to be with you no matter what your career. I insist on buying you things because it makes me feel good to do nice things for you, since you have had so few people treat you as you deserve throughout your life. And I am well aware that you have done things purposely and expressly to anger me, but that is what I admire about you, lover. It has nothing to do with your heritage. You have a fire inside you, a flare for life. I am also well aware that most other women would do anything to be with me. I fend off hordes of them every time I enter my bar. But they do not, nor does any other woman, have a fraction of the allure that you do."
"Eric, you're a thousand years old. You were alive when the last millenium rolled around. You've seen and done things that people can't even imagine. You can't possibly tell me that after all that time, you want to deal with me."
He chuckled a little and rubbed my back. "That is true, lover, you are a bundle of trouble. But after seeing and doing as much as I have in my long life, don't you think that I would know what I want by now? I have also learned that human life is short, and I should take advantage of whatever life hands me, and in this case, it was you that fell into my lap. I intend to hold on to you as long as possible, Sookie, and nothing you can say will convince me otherwise. This is not the way I wanted it to come out, but," he took a deep breath and puffed out his cheeks, "Sookie Stackhouse, I am in love with you. In all my thousand years of life, I have never said that to another soul. I haved loved others, but I am in love with you. I would give anything to be with you. I would do anything. I cannot stand the thought of ever spending another second without you. I love you, minn sváss, and that will never change."
I gaped at him, staring into his blue eyes, and I swear I could see his soul in them. I started crying again, but they were tears of joy. "Oh, Eric, I never thought... I always knew... oh, god, Eric, I love you, too." I leaned forward and kissed him. The bond swelled with happiness and warmth. I straddled him and deepened the kiss while he first removed my shirt, and then broke the kiss briefly to remove his tee. He stood up and I wrapped my legs around his waist. Settling me down on my back on the thick, fuzzy white rug, he removed my boxers and his as well. Eric laid back on top of me, pressing his body to mine, but supporting himself on his elbows. One of his hands parted my folds and a finger slipped inside. I gasped around his tongue and ran my fingers through his hair.
"Say it, Sookie, say it for me, please," he begged.
"I love you, Eric Northman, I love you."
"I love you, Sookie." And he entered me. I moaned into his mouth and he began to thrust slowly, pulling almost all the way out, and pushing in until he was buried. His hand ran over me, memorizing every curve, often stopping to cup my face. I leaned into his caresses like I had never been touched before. I felt myself nearing the edge, and when he kissed his way down ny neck and bit, I fell off. He jerked inside of me, and I knew he had come, too. He laid down beside me and we held each other for a long time, whispering "I love you" back and forth. I sighed and rested my head on my viking's shoulder. So this is what they write all those songs about.
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Eric parked behind Fangtasia and opened my door for me. Earlier, after another intense session of making love in the shower, he had driven me back to my house so I could grab some clothes and necessities. We then went grocery shopping and he insisted that he buy me an outfit to wear to the bar tonight. I smoothed down the silk of my new dress and shivered with enjoyment. This was, without question, the finest piece of clothing I owned, even surpassing the red and black dress from last night. It was patterned like a rainbow colored abstract painting. A black band ran underneath my boobs, and straps crossed my chest. I loved it dearly, and Eric was so ecstatic that I liked the dress so much that he bought matching shoes, underwear, and a purse. I protested when I saw the total, but he reminded me that he got as much joy as I did from the purchase. I left my hair loose and it flowed over my shoulders in tousled waves. Eric smiled at me and held out his arm in the age-old gesture of chivalry. Beaming up at him, I wrapped my arm around his and he led me inside.
In the office, Pam was waiting for us. "Master," she said as she bowed deeply. Eric laughed and she looked up.
"Pam, you are forgiven for any wrongdoing that may have occured yesterday evening, as long as you can keep your hands off of my lover from now on."
She straightened from the bow and looked me over. Eric had turned to look at me, too, so only I saw her wink and the mischievous smile on her face. "I don't know, Eric, you keep dressing her like that and I won't be able to help it." His head snapped back to glare at Pam and I laughed. She put her hands up in a stopping motion and smiled at him, "Just kidding, boss. Well, time to go play with some humans." She winked at me one more time and walked around us. When she opened the office door, a waitress was in the hallway talking on her cell phone. "Back to work, whore!" That Pam, always a barrel of fun.
Eric sat in his office chair and I followed, hopping up to sit on his desk. I crossed my legs and smoothed my skirt, shivering in pleasure again. He saw the look on my face and reached for me. I gave him a quick kiss on the lips, but stopped him from going further. "I just put this on, and you already want to take it off me? At least let me enjoy it for a while." He rolled his eyes and leaned back. I sighed and asked the question of the day, "So what are we going to do about this new drug?"
He reached in the top drawer, took the Altoids container out and threw it on top of the desk. "I honestly don't know, Sookie. What I do know is that I'm going to call every important vampire I know and tell them about it so they can spread the word. This is serious. The Fellowship is sneaking drugs that make people act drunk into bars. If they have the ability to produce something like this," he angrily shook the tin, "who knows what else they have hidden up their sleeves. As a matter of fact, Sookie, that brings up something I meant to ask you. How would you feel about accompanying me in the bar on a regular basis?"
"Um, Eric, I kind of have a job, you know, in Bon Temps? With Sam, where I've been for over five years now?" I replied with some sarcasm.
"I am painfully aware of your association with the shifter, lover. If you agree, I fully intend on putting on the payroll, where you will not only enjoy an excellent paycheck, you will also be eligible for our health plan. And might I say, with your history, that would be no bad thing. You would be responsible for accompanying me into the bar for a few hours each night, and simply making sure that nobody is intent on killing anyone."
"Sounds like you've given this a lot of thought."
"I have. I tried to imagine every possible excuse you could give me and come up with a reasonable counter. Have I suceeded?" He looked smug. I had the sudden urge to slap that stupid grin off his face.
"I live in Bon Temps, and I have an old car."
"I'll buy you a new one. Or... you could always move in with me."
My jaw hit the floor. "Are you serious? I can't move in with you!"
"Why not? You love me, I love you. I understand that this is how a relationship progresses."
"Um, yeah, but you're skipping a few steps in there. There's the dating, and the engagement, and the wedding, and then the moving in."
"There isn't much that's traditional about us, Sookie. Why should we follow the regular steps when we are clearly past most of them?"
"Well, um..." I hated when he made sense like that. "Damn you and your logic, Eric. All right, I'll think about it." He smiled broadly and rubbed his hands together. "Now that you're done being Mr. Persuasive, what's the plan for the evening?"
"I need to make these calls immediately. I would like it if you wouldn't mind having Pam escort you around the bar again this evening." I raised an eyebrow. "And please refrain from dancing tonight, Sookie. I meant what I said about not sharing well, and I don't want you to seduce Pam again." He grinned and I playfully slapped his arm.
Pam opened the door and walked inside, her eyes still sparkling with humor from earlier. "I promise, master, nobody will lay a finger on Sookie. And if they do, they will lose it." She smiled at Eric and showed fang.
He laughed and gave me a kiss. I walked with Pam out to the bar and into Eric's preferred booth. I listened on the way, but of course, the only thing I heard were thoughts of sex, kinky sex, and the kind of sex that should be banned in the U.S. Pam settled across from me and fidgeted a little. I looked at her, surprised. Vampires don't fidget. Ever.
"Sookie, I want to apologize for last night. All I can think is that the music and the dancing and your scent got to me, and I acted out of bloodlust. I am glad I had enough control over myself not to bite you, because I would not be sitting here right now if I had." I was shocked. Vampire apologies were very rare, and an apology to a human was unheard of.
"It's alright, Pam. It happened, and now it's over. And actually, Eric said if we were to continue, as long as he could join in, he would be fine with it." Oh, crap. As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew it was the wrong thing to say. Pam's eyes sparkled and her pupils dilated a bit. When she spoke, her fangs were halfway out.
"Oh, did he now?"
"Yes, but I told him that there was absolutely no chance in hell of that ever happening. I like you Pam, but I don't swing that way."
Her fangs retracted a little. "I know, Sookie. You get to work. I'll leave you alone so you don't attempt to seduce me again." I glared at her and she laughed. Damn vampire hearing.
Chapter 8
For over four hours I listened to people's thoughts, and not a single person had any ideas of harming anyone else, unless it was part of some kinky sex thing. When Eric finished making his calls and came out to sit with me, most of the fantasies began revolving around him. A few had me starring, and a couple involved both of us. Oooo-kay, I thought, and switched channels quickly after those. When we made our circut around the bar so Eric could mingle with the other vamps, a few sets of fangs ran out when they saw me. As sick as I knew it was, another part of me loved my ability to make vampires want me. I made a mental note to call a shrink in the morning.
Pam joined us occasionally, and always kept Eric between us. Once in a while, when she knew he was watching, she would wink at me or lick her lips. He tensed up and narrowed his eyes at her every time. I was beginning to see why she enjoyed teasing him so often, it was very entertaining. He stayed glued to my hip the entire night, and by closing time, all of the fangbangers and most of the waitresses wanted to punch me in the face.
When he felt my mood change, I told him what was wrong, and in classic Eric fashion, he just had to make a statement. He led me to the dance floor and pressed against me as we swayed to the music. When he kissed me, I was glad he held me so close, because I felt my knees buckle. He smiled and kissed me again as he swirled me around.
I had a headache by the time Fangtasia closed for the night. Sorting through so many minds used a lot of energy and I was ready to go home and relax in front of the fire. Strange, I'm already thinking of Eric's as home. Ugh, it's too soon, way too soon. When we left, I asked if we could stop and get some aspirin. He pulled into a 24-hour drugstore and helped me out of the car.
Inside, I excused myself to use the restroom. When I came back out, Eric was occupying himself by leafing through some cheesy romance novels. I laughed, and he held up the one he was looking at. On the cover, a male model wearing fur and holding a big sword closely resembled Eric, long blond hair and bright blue eyes included. "Oh, I don't know, Eric. I think I prefer real vikings."
"Think that's bad? Look at this one." He held up a second book and I gasped. I was looking at a picture of Claude, bending me backwards over his arm. I snatched the book from him and stared at it, open-mouthed.
"How did they... but when... Claudine never even told me!" I never expected Claude to have the courtesy to tell me that he finally made it as a model, but I thought Claudine would. And I never expected it to be so soon. Eric plucked the novel from my hands and put the other one back on the rack.
"I think I just found some new reading material." I stared at him. "After all, the thought of you hanging all over a fairy... I cannot pass this up." He grinned broadly and I grabbed the book back from him. He shrugged, picked up another copy from the display and walked away.
I stomped after him. Stopping to grab a bottle of aspirin and a bottle of water, we went to the register and he paid for everything, including the book. I was determined to stay mad at him, but his cheer flowed through the bond and I found it impossible. Before we made it back to the car, I had already knocked back a few pills and a couple swallows of water.
Back at his house, Eric turned on the fire and popped in a DVD. We cuddled on the couch and watched 'V for Vendetta'. Definately not the most romantic movie ever, but Eric said it was one of his favorites, and I liked it, too. Before it was over, I was asleep in his arms. I woke up a little when he carried me upstairs, but didn't open my eyes. He laid me on a bed and began to remove my clothes. "Eric, I'm tired. Can we not do this right now?"
"I'm just being considerate, lover. I did not think that you would want your new dress to get all wrinkled." I looked at him and he was grinning. "Besides, dear one, if you just lay back, I will do all the work." He touched me through my panties and I gasped. My legs automatically spread as he gently rubbed me. He stopped for a moment to finish taking my dress off and then went to the closet to hang it up. He pulled my underwear off just as carefully as he removed the dress, and replaced the cloth with his mouth. This was a man who loved his oral sex, and I was certainly not going to be the one to deny him.
He licked me until I came, and then until I was ready again. Crawling up the length of my body, he kissed and licked and nibbled every inch of skin he could reach before settling on my lips. I could taste myself on his tongue, and I moaned his name when he pushed inside me. His hands ran up and down my body, feather-light touches that made me shiver. "Tell me, Eric."
"I love you, Sookie, and I will always be yours."
"Oh, Eric, I am yours, I love you so much."
He thrusted a little faster, sensing that I was on the brink. He licked my neck and I felt his fangs graze me. He bit down and his whole body vibrated as he exploded inside me. My muscles clenched around him and an orgasm rocked through me. He pulled out and laid down beside me. He pulled me into his embrace and threw one of his legs over mine. "I love you, Sookie. I will never get tired of telling you this. And I will worship your body every single night for the rest of our lives."
I started crying at his words. "That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me, Eric. I love you, too." I reached up to kiss lips, then snuggled back into him, kissed his chest and fell asleep.
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I woke up slowly, a strange weight on my side and an unusual warmth at my back. I turned over and accidentally kneed Eric in the thigh. He was out though, so he didn't even flinch. I craned my neck to look over his shoulder at the clock. 5:02 p.m. I had slept for over twelve hours and Eric would be awake any minute now. I pushed his arm off me and stumbled out of bed. A sudden pain lanced through my guts. I needed to find a bathroom, and I needed to do it fast. I felt around the walls for a light switch. When I found one and flipped it, I saw that I was in a different room than last night. I hadn't stumbled upon it when I was looking around, so I had no clue where I was. Luckily, through a cracked door, I saw the gleam of white tile and rushed over. After I was done with my business, I washed my face in the sink and noticed that I didn't have any bite marks on my neck. Aw, how sweet, he healed me after I fell asleep.
I flicked the light back off and crawled back into bed, flopping Eric's arm back over me and pressing my back into his chest. I closed my eyes and waited for him to wake up. I knew the moment he regained conciousness because he tightened his arm around me and kissed my neck. "Good morning, my love. How did you sleep?"
"Excellent, thank you. And thanks for healing me up, too."
"It was my pleasure, dear one," he purred in my ear. "I enjoyed holding you in my arms as you slept. You are so beautiful; I couldn't take my eyes off of you until I had no other choice."
I pressed even closer to him, and found evidence that he enjoyed waking up with me. "So how about we get cleaned up and-" I was swept off the bed and into the shower before I could blink. Eric stood me up in the stall and turned on the water. I turned around and pressed my palms against the wall, shaking my bottom at him suggestively. He growled with desire and his fingers found me. Leaning over my back, he reached around and pulled on my nipple. I gasped as he removed his fingers and entered me. We moved together, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, until he kissed my shoulderblades and sunk his fangs into my neck. We came together and my knees gave out. Eric held me up until I could stand again, then we washed each other and toweled ourselves dry.
"Where are we?" I asked as we went back into the bedroom and got dressed.
"My day room."
"And where is that? I didn't see this yesterday when I looked around, and I didn't find any locked doors."
He chuckled. "Sookie, you don't live to be as old as I am without learning a few things about safety." He opened a door and I saw a narrow staircase leading up. Taking my hand, we walked out the door and he closed it behind us. There was no handle on this side.
"But, how..." I was confused. He pointed at a small keypad on the wall.
"There. And there is another one at the top of the stairs as well. Both have different codes that are changed every so often." I nodded and followed him upstairs. Wow, this is a long staircase. At the top, Eric pushed open another door and I found myself in the study. I stepped into the middle of the room and turned around to look at him. He closed the door he was holding, and a bookcase settled against the wall. If I hadn't just come through there, I would have sworn he was crazy if he told me there was a door there. I didn't see a keypad, though.
"Where's the thingy?"
He walked to the other side of the room and moved a light switch cover to reveal it. "Ingenious, isn't it?" He asked proudly. "Who would think to come to the top floor to get to the basement?"
"How can you have a basement? The water table is too high out here."
"It isn't a full basement, the bedroom and bathroom is all that is down there. Any more and I couldn't have done it. As it is, it cost more than I like to remember. But," he shrugged, "I'd rather be safe than sorry." I couldn't fault the logic.
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A little while later, we had the agenda for the evening. Dinner first, then Fangtasia. After the bar closed, Eric would drop me off at my house because I had to work tomorrow. He was far from happy about that, but I told him that I was still considering his offer of moving in, I just needed some time to think.
For dinner, Eric treated me to italian. He wore jeans and a button-down shirt that brought out the blue of his eyes. I was dressed in a simple black skirt and a red v-neck sweater. At Fangtasia, it was business as usual. Fangbangers hated me, Pam tried to get a rise out of Eric, and Felicia insisted on making me special drinks all night. Apparently Pam had reminded her that it was 'my fault' that all the other bartenders had died. She certainly had a sense of humor, that Pam.
The minds I read this evening were no different than last night. Sex, sex, sex, sex. Gosh, didn't anyone ever realize that vampires enjoyed things outside of the bedroom, too? Granted, most things eventually led back there, but that was beside the point.
Eric got a few phone calls from vampires that he talked to yesterday, so Pam was on bodyguard duty on and off all night. Since our little 'display' on the dance floor, she seemed to have accepted me as something of a friend. I wasn't up to par with a vamp, of course, but at least she no longer treated me like her pet. We gossiped for a little bit, and I found out that we had generally the same taste in movies and music. I told her about my picture of Eric as the Sheriff of Nottingham, and she laughed so hard she had to wipe her eyes. The vampire in question walked up just as she was calming down and looked at her, raising his eyebrows. "It's nothing, Sheriff." She laughed again as she walked away. Eric looked at me in question. I just waved my hand in dismissal.
"It's nothing, you know how Pam is." He just looked at me, and I knew he would ask again later. "Are we just about done here?" It was getting close to 2 a.m.
"Yes, lover. If you still insist, I am ready to drive you back to Bon Temps so you can continue with your servitude to the shifter." I wanted to protest the way he said 'shifter', but I knew that Sam sounded the same way when he spoke about vampires.
"Let's go, then. I'm tired of listening to people think about sex."
His eyes blazed. "I don't want to listen to it, either. I want to do it." He swept me out of the bar and into the Corvette. We were at my house in record time, and I barely had time to unlock the door and get inside before he was on top of me. My clothes were ripped off me and we had sex right there on my kitchen floor. It was hard and fast and intense. When we were done, I picked up the remains of my outfit and threw them in the garbage.
"That's another outfit you owe me, mister. I really liked that sweater." I frowned at the scraps of fabric in the can. "At this rate, I'm going to have a whole new wardrobe by next week."
Eric looked thrilled at the prospect. "I may just hold you to that, my love." I rolled my eyes.
"Alright, time for the human to go to sleep. As much as I would love for you to stay with me, I know I won't get any rest with you here, and I have to get up at a decent time tomorrow."
He pushed his lower lip out and tried to give me puppy dog eyes. "Do I really have to go, lover?"
"Yes! Now be gone, vampire. I love you, and I'll see you tomorrow."
He brightened at that. "I will never tire of hearing you say that, minn sváss. I love you, too, Sookie. Goodnight, my lover, and sleep well." He leaned down and gave me a passionate kiss. He tried to push further, but I stepped back and laughed. "You are a hard-hearted woman, my love."
"Damn right I am." He laughed as he walked out the door.
Chapter 9
The first thing I heard in the morning was a sharp knock on my door. I stretched and rubbed my eyes. "Yea?"
Amelia opened the door and poked her head in. "Hey, sleepyhead. You got a delivery."
"M'kay. I'll be out in a few." She closed the door and I forced myself out of bed. My whole body ached. I guess that's what happens when you have more sex in three days than you have in the past year. I showered, towel dried my hair and threw on some sweats and a baggy t-shirt.
Amelia was waiting for me in the kitchen. She bounced over to me and gave me a big hug. "Sookie, I missed you. What's been going on while we were gone?" I mumbled something not-very-nice at her. "Oops, I know, no perkiness before coffee. My bad, Sook." She sat down and fidgeted impatiently, waiting for me to pour a cup and sit at the table before she started again. When Amelia was excited, she was more hyper than a terrier on crack.
"When did you get back, Amelia?"
"About ten. The retreat was so much fun, I learned a few new spells, and met some more people that live closer than New Orleans. And Tray called this morning and we have a date tonight. And you got some packages." So that's what she was excited about. She enjoyed me getting gifts almost more than I did. Amelia was one-of-a-kind, and that was a good thing. I love her like a sister, but I don't think the world could handle more than one of her.
I had two boxes. A large square and a long rectangular one. Talk about dejá vu. I opened the long one first, and it contained two dozen long-stemmed red roses. There was a note attached.
A rose for every hour of the day that I miss you when you are not in my arms.
I love you, Eric
I felt the warmth of a blush spread across my cheeks, and I smiled to myself. Amelia was beside herself. "Ohmigod, Sookie, are those from Eric? I knew the two of you would work things out! Aaww, I wonder if Tray will ever get me roses?" I made it a point to ignore her, because I knew she was just thinking out loud. I opened up the second box to find an outfit identical to the one Eric destroyed last night, except it was much finer quality. The sweater was cashmere, and the skirt was silk. Underneath that were at least twenty pairs of skimpy underwear. Red, blue, black, white, pink. Lacy, smooth, see-through. Boy-short, bikini, thong, and even a pair of...crotch-less? I blushed furiously and quickly covered up the offending garments with the skirt. I saw another note tucked in the corner of the box.
Lover, I hope you enjoy your presents. I know I will. Wear some for me tonight.
I could see the leer on his face when he was writing that. Well, if he wanted to buy panties specifically to rip off me, that was fine by me. Amelia said she was going to finish unpacking, and I was left alone with my thoughts. I drank my coffee and tried to think about Eric asking me to move in. It seems wrong to move in with him right now. I mean, we've officially been together for three days. And already he wants to buy me a car and have me move into his house. If I didn't know to expect that type of stuff from him, that would be seriously creepy. And we are bonded. Hm, he's big on negotiations and compromises, what can I do so he'll be satisfied without letting him buy me a car or move in?
Pondering that, I put the roses in a vase in the living room and I got ready for my shift at Merlotte's. I worked the split shift today, and even though I hated it, I was happy because I got off work at nine and I had all night to be with Eric. I decided on wearing a pair of lacy pink boy-shorts that he bought me. Luckily, I had a matching bra. I put on my uniform and headed to the bar. I would be a little early, but I didn't mind, and I knew Sam wouldn't either.
I walked in the employee's entrance and stopped in the office to put my purse in Sam's desk. He was leaned over some paperwork, and I interrupted his concentration when I came in. "Hey, boss. How's it going?"
"Fine, Sookie. You look better today. Did you have a good weekend?" His eyes ran over my neck and stopped at the edge of my shirt. One of Eric's fang marks was showing. "Oh. I guess you and Eric made up, huh?"
"Yeah, you could say that."
"Well, hon, you make sure he treats you right. You aren't some skanky fangbanger to be treated like a piece of meat. I'll stake him if he starts that stuff." I felt a jolt of pain when he said that.
"Oh, no, Sam. I appreciate the offer, or at least the thought behind it. But I doubt I'll ever be treated like 'some skanky fangbanger'. I'd stake his ass myself before I'd let that happen." He smiled when I said that.
"Point taken, Sookie. Just be careful with him. You know how vampires are." More than you know, Sam, more than you know.
"Okay, I'm off to work for the slave driver." He laughed. "I'll talk to you later, Sam." I gave him a peck on the cheek and went out front.
It was dead, just as I expected. One o'clock in the afternoon on a Monday isn't exactly the busiest time at a bar. Arlene was waiting on a table, and turned just enough to glare at me when I entered. I didn't even give it a second thought. She had completely changed since her sixth -or was it her seventh- 'soulmate' turned her onto The Fellowship of the Sun. Every time she walked by me, she made it a point to huff loudly, like she smelled something bad. I ignored it. If she was weak-willed enough to be drawn into that cult of wackos it was her own damn problem. I had enough issues of my own to deal with to be bothered with hers anymore.
I busied myself with refilling all the salt and pepper shakers and napkin holders. I wiped off all the tables and chairs, the bar and all the stools. I even took the time to face all the liquor bottles and clean all the taps. The only person to come in was Jane Bodehouse, our resident alcoholic. I poured her drink, took her money, and went back to the storeroom to get a few more bar towels for Sam.
When I came back out front, Claudine was sitting at the bar, looking fabulous as usual. Her hair was down and fell almost down to her butt. She had on a turquoise sweater and a chocolate colored asymetrical skirt. She also was wearing stilettos that added about five inches to her already considerable height. I broke into a wide smile when I saw her and ran up to give her a hug. Then I remembered I was supposed to be upset with her.
"Claudine, why didn't you tell me Claude got a contract? I found a romance novel with my picture on it the other day!"
"Actually, dear, that's what I was here to tell you. He just got signed last month, and he only told me about the book last week. I figured with everything else going on in your life, you didn't need to worry about it."
"My life hasn't been squat except for work until a few days ago." I blushed, remembering my date.
"Oh my, come, sit, spill." I followed her to one of the tables in my section, noticing that with her shoes she was taller than Eric, and that was saying something. We dished about my weekend, about how her and Claude were doing, and just enjoyed each others company.
I got up twice to refill Jane's drink, but other than that, I didn't have a single customer. Sam came out to say hi to Claudine, but seeing all my work was done, plus some extra, he didn't say anything about me talking for so long. Arlene kept giving me dirty looks, so I indulged my evil side and smiled at her while I took a sip of my soda. She turned red and went back to working. Claudine left around 4:30, and about half an hour later, people started coming in.
I served burgers and beer and did it with a genuine smile on my face. My shields were up and everyone's thoughts were just a gentle buzz in the background. Only twice did I actually pay attention to the buzzing. Once when Arlene got close enough to me to see my fang marks, she practically screamed in my head that I was damned and a slut and blah blah blah. Arlene calling someone else a slut is truly the pot calling the kettle black.
The other time I paid attention is when a blank spot appeared. It was only likely to be one of two vampires, and one I knew was out of town until next week. Lo and behold, in walked Eric. He caught my eye and smiled. I blushed, and I felt desire run across the bond.
To my surprise, instead of taking a seat in my section, he walked up to the bar and spoke to Sam. Sam's eyes widened, and he motioned for Terry Bellefleur to take over bartending. Terry wasn't working tonight, but he was in a good enough mood to oblige Sam for a little while. Sam and Eric stepped in the back as Terry took over the bar like he had been there all night.
A little while later, they came back out and Eric took a seat at my section. He ordered an O negative, and when I asked what he wanted with Sam, he promised to tell me after I got off. I went behind the bar to heat up his blood and I asked Sam the same thing. He just shook his head as if to say it wasn't important and kept serving drinks. At least I had Eric's promise to tell me later.
I worked the rest of my shift like a madwoman, and I refreshed Eric's drink twice. When I got off, I went out to my car and he was waiting for me. He hugged me and inhaled deeply. "You smell delectable, lover."
"Claudine was in earlier. I sat with her for a while." His fangs ran out when I told him that. "Never mind that, what was all that business with you and Sam?"
He tensed up. "I was warning him about the new drug. I know that the redhead that works here is attached to the Fellowship, and that vampires drink here." I sensed there was something else, so I crossed my arms and waited. "And... I also asked him to give you some time off." I was enraged.
"Eric, how dare you! We start seeing each other and all of a sudden you want me to move in, and buy me a car, and work for you, and now you're trying to get me to come away from my job for whatever reason? I thought you knew me better than that, Eric Northman!" He looked at me without expression.
"Felicia is dead."
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I sat at my kitchen table and watched Eric. We had driven to my house separately and I warmed him up some blood to drink while I changed. He was deep in thought, unmoving. If I didn't know better, I would have thought he was having some downtime. "So what happened?"
He looked up at me and then back down to his bottle. "After we left someone slipped something into Felicia's favorite girl's drink. She closed down the bar, and they went out in the alley. When the owner of the dry cleaners next door came in to work this morning, he found the girl laying there and what was left of Felicia disintegrating. He called 911 and now the girl is in the hospital in Shreveport, in a coma. They are trying analyze whatever is in her system, but that could take a while."
"That's horrible! Was Felicia staked or did the stuff kill her outright?"
"I do not know. There was no stake at the scene, but that does not mean that one was not used."
"What does this mean for Fangtasia?"
"I honestly do not know, Sookie. If this cannot be resolved... I might have to close down." I felt his misery at that. Fangtasia was Eric's baby. And to tell the truth, I couldn't imagine it not being there. The thought of him not being able to sit in his booth and be king of his own little domain sent a pang of hurt through me.
"What can I do, Eric? I don't want to see the bar closed. Anything, just ask me." I reached across the table and held his hand. He absently stroked the back of my hand with his thumb.
"I got you a temporary reprieve from working for the shi- ...for Sam." I raised my eyebrows at that. He never called Sam by his name. "He understands the severity of this situation. If the Fellowship manages to drive vampires back into obscurity, what will happen to the Weres and shifters when they go public? I do not particularly care for their issues, nor do they care for vampire problems, but the Fellowship of the Sun has become a thorn in many supernatural sides, and something must be done to stop them. With this new drug, they are going out of their way to harm fellow humans because of their different beliefs.
To answer your question, I would like you to accompany me to the bar from opening to closing daily, until we get a lead on this. Starting tomorrow, Fangtasia's hours will be restricted. You have been given a leave of absence until further notice. Sam's only stipulation is that we keep him informed, which is no hardship. You will be compensated for time spent away from your job, and you will immediately be placed on our payroll, according you all the benefits of working under me." He smiled a bit at that.
"I would still be waitressing though, right? Or would I just be arm candy?"
"Waitressing, However, I reserve the right to claim you as 'arm candy' when I deem it necessary." He genuinely smiled at me. "I would also like to suggest that you stay with me for the duration. I do not believe your car would survive very long going back and forth to Shreveport so often, and I would prefer not to spend half of my night driving."
I wanted to argue with him, but I could see he was right. My Malibu was almost ten years old, and Shreveport was an hour away. And even though it was only a twenty minute drive when Eric was behind the wheel, it wasn't fair to make him chauffeur me around because I couldn't suck it up and stay with my boyfriend for a couple weeks.
"Alright, Eric. Let me go pack." He looked shocked. I guess he was prepared to fight me on it. Jeez, how hard am I to get along with? I really need an attitude adjustment if everyone thinks I'm going to fight them tooth and nail for everything. "Oh, shoot. I never got new luggage after Rhodes." I would have asked Amelia to let me borrow hers, but she was out with Tray, and I didn't want to bother her.
Apparently, Eric thought I was trying to make an excuse to not come with him. "Oh no, lover. You agreed and you are coming. Let me take care of this." And with that, he grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door, barely giving me time to lock up. I slid into his Corvette -I was beginning to love this car- and he drove to the 24-hour WalMart a couple towns over.
He picked up the biggest set of luggage they carried and bought it for me. When we walked back outside, a few people had stopped to gawk at his car. I had to laugh. It wasn't often, or ever, that you saw a brand new Corvette parked in front of a WalMart. Eric growled at the teenagers and they scattered. He threw the bags in the trunk, and when we got back to my house, he sat on my bed while I packed just about everything in my room.
I wrote a note for my roommate while Eric carried my stuff to his car.
Amelia-
Something came up and I'm staying with Eric for a couple weeks. If you need to get a hold of me, I have my cell. I'll keep in touch.
Sookie
Eric was almost giddy when we reached his house. He refused to let me carry a single thing, floated up the stairs (literally), and he had such a huge smile on his face that I thought it would get stuck. It was without a doubt the most ludicrous thing I have ever seen, even though it was beyond touching that he was so happy to have me staying with him. I never, not in a million years, would have ever thought that a vampire could act like a schoolgirl high on PixieStix, but Eric proved me wrong.
We cuddled on the couch and watched 'Gone With the Wind'. We talked and laughed and made love. When we finally made it to his day room, I was exhausted. Eric wrapped his arms around me and held me close while I drifted to sleep.
Chapter 10
Eric and I had fallen into a comfortable routine at his house. Wake up, make love, then some activity before going to the bar. Lately we had been playing pool; he whipped me almost every time, but I was getting better. After work, we'd go home, watch a movie, make love, and fall asleep tangled up with each other.
At the bar, over a week passed by without incident. Fangtasia now opened at 8:30 p.m. instead of 6 and stayed open until 2 a.m. I screened people as they entered the bar. Every other night I switched between being Eric's escort and a waitress. I located a Fellowship member once, but he had no idea about the drug, simply there only to satisfy his curiosity. Pam erased his memory and sent him on his way.
I was on Eric's arm this evening and we were making our rounds when I heard it. Vamp humping whores I hate being here but that last idiot screwed up and missed the big one so now I have to clean up the mess sluts everywhere why in the hell would anyone like these abominations act like they're better than everyone else parasites they'll get what's coming to 'em starting with that curly haired bitch -the man pictured Thalia, who was on duty this evening- I got a few doses into that idiot that's hanging all over her she'll keel over like the lesbo from last week -Felicia- or I can stake her she deserves it condescending bitch I hate bloodsuckers scourge of the earth...
The venom continued to spew from his thoughts as I steered Eric in the direction of the voice. Easy, considering this mind broadcast better than Amelia's. I located the guy and pointed him out. Eric motioned to Clancy, who quickly grabbed the murderer and dragged him into the office. We moved over to Thalia's table, where she was preparing to leave with her 'friend' and convinced both of them to come to the office as well.
Surprisingly, the Fellowship spy didn't look out of place in the bar, excepting the fact that he was now tied to a chair surrounded by angry vampires. He was tall, lean and pale. Short, spiky black hair sat above dark brown eyes. He wore a tight, sleeveless black shirt, black leather pants, and what looked like a pair of Doc Martens. Eric motioned for me to take his seat behind the desk as everyone else settled on the various chairs around the room.
Eric slowly paced around the man, as if sizing him up. "What is your name?"
"I'll never tell you anything, you bloodsucking filth." The man's back was towards me, so when Eric met my eyes I whispered his name, knowing full well he could hear me.
"Fine, Scott Anthony Keegan," Scott's head snapped up so fast I heard his neck crack. "I can play these games much better than you can. I have had lifetimes of experience to perfect my poker face. What have you done to this man?"
Eric pointed at Thalia's date. She had propped him up in the corner of the couch, and she had to keep lifting him back into position. He was so out-of-it, he seemed as if all his bones were gone and his brain was almost completely shut off. I would have thought he was dead if I hadn't seen him breathing. Every so often I caught flickers of what was going on in his head, and it seemed like he was experiencing the acid trip to end all acid trips.
"What's it to you? He's just a human. All we are is dinner to you demonic creatures. Kill me and get it over with, at least I know I'll be going to Heaven for my work on earth."
"Spoken like a true fanatic. For being able to fit in so much better than your friend, you certainly are much stupider. He at least had a sense self-preservation, something which you seem to completely lack."
"I will go to Heaven and-" Eric grabbed Scott around his neck and lifted him up off the floor, chair and all.
"Do you honestly believe that by murdering other innocent humans you will go to a better place when you die? Just because your insipid little mind cannot comprehend that there are things beyond your knowledge does not mean that you are above them. Do not seek to punish others for your ignorance. Now if you are quite finished with your brainless babbling, I want to know what you are doing to my customers." He released his grip around Scott's neck and the chair fell to the floor with a loud BANG.
While he was catching his breath, I dug through Eric's desk to find a pen and some paper. He interrogated Scott until I shook my head, indicating that his mind was just repeating itself. I had written down everything I heard that sounded important, including some things that didn't seem so vital, but I'm sure could come in handy.
At that point, Thalia's date slid completely off the couch into a crumpled heap on the floor. Eric looked at me with one last unspoken question. I flipped through -wow- 4 pages of notes. "Back right pocket." Eric reached into Scott's pants and pulled out a small tin.
"I understand that these are not merely breath mints, are they, Scott?"
"Why don't you try a few and see?" Stupid, stupid man. Eric narrowed his eyes as he backhanded Scott across the face so hard the chair fell over sideways. He was unconscious before he hit the floor.
Pulling his cell out, Eric looked around the room. "Pam, Clancy. Go finish closing the bar. When the authorities arrive, escort them here immediately." The two vampires bowed to him and left the room. He dialed quickly, and I could faintly hear a voice on the other end of the line, although I couldn't make out the words. He explained the situation to the operator and requested an ambulance.
Thalia, who Pam had once referred to as 'a badly-tempered pit bull kept chained in the front yard', was certainly acting true-to-form. She had just finished throwing her date against the end of the couch again, and was staring at Eric like she thought he would burst into flames if she concentrated hard enough. "Master, this is ridiculous. Why should we turn this human," she spat the word, as if it hurt her to say it, "over to the police. He tried to kill me and I have yet to feed this evening."
Eric glared down at her. "I need not explain my reasoning to you. We live in a human world now, Thalia, and while in my area, you will respect that. I have tolerated more than enough of your behavior. Do not make me repeat myself." She ducked her head in acknowledgement, clearly unhappy to do so.
The police arrived within ten minutes, one human and one vampire. An ambulance was with them. Thalia's guy -I still didn't know his name- was quickly strapped to a gurney and hustled off. Eric explained what had happened, mentioning that I had seen Scott slipping something into the other man's drink. When asked about the growing bruise on one side of Scott's face, Eric expained that he may have accidentally handled him a bit roughly when restraining him so he wouldn't try to escape. One of the cops searched the still unconscious man, finding his wallet and the tin that Eric had replaced.
It was discovered that not only was the man a part of the Fellowship of the Sun, he had the membership card to prove it. The vamp cop's lip curled in disgust when he pulled it out. He hauled Scott to his feet and dragged him to the police car, making sure to bang him against any corner they passed. I gave my statement to the human cop, then Eric gave him his lawyer's information if they needed to get in touch with us.
After the police left, Eric flopped down on the couch, pulling me down to sit on his lap. He dismissed Thalia and she stalked out of the room. Pam entered the room shortly afterwards and sank down in the middle of the floor.
"I sent Clancy home. So what's the plan, Eric? Sookie found this one in time, barely. What about next time?"
"I hate to admit it, but I don't know. We were very lucky to stop Thalia before she fed. What did you get from the scumbag, lover?"
I went to the desk to get my notes. Skimming the papers, I sat back down next to Eric. "Um, let's see. He had orders directly from Steve Newlin. There's a base somewhere here in Shreveport. It's fronted by a religious store, I didn't get where. Uh... from what he knew of the pills, it's some sort of cocktail of 'date rape' drugs. He's single, I know where he lives, um.... what else? He's terrified of you, Eric." He smiled. "That's pretty much it."
Eric was thrilled with my information. "A religious store. There can't be many of those in Shreveport. And now we have his address, so we can go look there for more. You did an excellent job, Sookie."
"We should go to his house while he is still with the police. There are still several hours until dawn, and we don't know if we'll have an opportunity later." Pam stood just as gracefully as she had sat down. "I'm going to assume that you are going to accompany Eric and me, Sookie. That means I get to drive."
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Pam had a beautiful car. It was no Corvette, but it certainly wasn't the minivan part of me expected. She drove a BMW 7-series sedan that she told me was her baby. Much to Eric's disappointment, she refused to hand him the keys when he asked to drive.
To my amusement, Pam insisted that ladies sit up front. After all, her car, her rules. Eric squeezed himself in the backseat, sulking the entire way to Scott's house. Pam's eyes sparkled with amusement the whole time, and I could barely keep from laughing.
At the house, Eric picked the lock. I had to go in first and invite the vampires to cross the threshold. I started looking in a small desk in the corner of the living room. Pam and Eric swept off to investigate the other parts of the house.
I found what was to be expected on the desk: a stack of bills, a few pens, a magazine, a red marker, a box of paperclips, an address book. Hm, an address book. I quickly browsed through the names, but nothing jumped out at me. I did notice that it held an appointment calendar, though. One drawer was locked, and I couldn't find the key.
"Eric." I called him softly, knowing he heard. Within seconds he was by my side. "Can you pick that drawer open for me? I can't find the key." He had it open in another second, kissed me on the forehead, and then returned to wherever he was.
The drawer was full of manila folders. It wasn't until I started flipping through them that I panicked. The first few were nothing special; paid bills, bank statements. The next label read 'Shreveport'. I opened it and was greeted with a picture of Eric clipped to a piece of paper with his name, age, known business holdings, what he drove, his preferred company, etc. Underneath that sheet was an identical one with a picture of Pam. Clancy, Indira, Bill, Thalia, Felicia (her picture had a big red X on it), every vampire I knew and some I didn't were in the file.
There were more files with similar contents behind that one. New Orleans 1, 2, 3. Baton Rouge. Lafayette. Monroe. Jackson, MS. Every city within a several hour drive had a file. The very last file simply read 'VDB'. Inside a slim case was an unlabeled CD-rom. Oh, no. Nononono, this can't be here!
Pam appeared beside me and I yelped. She raised an eyebrow at my reaction. "Pam, Pam! If there are any computers around here, get them! CD-roms, hard drives, memory cards, anything like that. Eric! I know you can hear me! Find me a big box, fast." Pam saw what was laying on the desk and her eyes widened. She was gone before I could blink.
Eric brought me a box a split second later. He saw the files, too, and was instantly enraged. He flew off to look for anything else he could find. I piled as many folders as I could into the box. By the time I was done, both Pam and Eric were in the room with me. They both had boxes as well. I put the remaining files on top of their findings and closed the drawer.
After loading our boxes into her trunk, we all piled into Pam's car. We rode to Fangtasia in silence. When we got there Eric kissed my hair and hopped out. He slid in the Corvette and took off towards his house. Pam followed.
At Eric's we gathered in his dining room, spreading our files all over the table. I plunked down into a chair, closed my eyes and massaged my temples. This evening had certainly gone from bad to worse. A loud BANG echoed through the room and I nearly jumped out of my skin. Eric had pounded his fist on the table, almost breaking it in half. I could feel the rage rolling off him.
"Fucking Bill! I always knew that database was a bad idea. And now the Fellowship got its hands on a copy. Wonderful, just fucking wonderful." He pulled out his phone and dialed. "Bill. My house. Now." Slight pause. "I do not give a flying fuck what you are doing, get here NOW." Another pause. "I do not like repeating myself, William Compton. You will be at my house within one hour or this will be the last night you ever see." He flipped the cell closed and looked at it. "Sometimes I wonder why I allow him to stay in my area." He caught my eye and gave me a bittersweet smile. "Oh, yeah. Now I remember."
Throughout the entire exchange, Pam had busied herself arranging the files into neat stacks. "Okay," she pointed at different stacks as she spoke, "these are dead that the Fellowship knows about. These are dead that they don't know of. These have moved out of the area and they haven't managed to relocate them yet. And these," she indicated the largest group, "are the remaining vamps they have information on, separated by the area where they live. Luckily, there aren't any home addresses here."
"Oh, that reminds me, I found an address book in the desk, too. I didn't look at it very closely, though." I dug through a box filled with various CD's and disks. I pulled out the book and handed it to Eric. "While you two go through that I'm getting a drink. Do you want anything while I'm in the kitchen?" They both nodded silently, absorbed in their work.
I reached in the fridge to grab their blood and I nearly knocked another bottle on the floor. Tonic water. Hm, I wonder. I popped the bloods in the microwave and opened a few cabinets. I should have known Eric would notice my drink preference. A bottle of my preferred gin waited for me in the third cupboard I opened. I had planned on just having a bottle of water, but it was a really bad night, and I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to sleep anytime soon without at least a little help. By the time the blood was warmed up, I had my drink ready and everything put away.
I took the bottles in to Eric and Pam. They barely registered my presence as I set their drinks on the table. Looking around, I saw that they had further divided Pam's stacks and were still poring over the address book. I told Eric I was going to watch a movie, gave him a quick kiss and went to the living room. Mindless comedy, that's what I need. What do we have...
I decided on a DVD, popped it in the player and made myself comfortable on the couch. The opening credits to 'Shaun of the Dead' started and I began laughing in anticipation. This was one of my favorite comedies, and even though it was a zombie flick, watching it was a surefire way to cheer myself up.
About half an hour later I was on my second gin and tonic when someone knocked on the front door. I turned to watch Eric walk past me and fling the door open, revealing Bill standing on the porch. "About time, Compton." Eric glared at him before inviting him in. When he walked back past me, he leaned down and kissed my lips. "We are almost done for the night, my love. Then, I seem I am obliged to," he waggled his eyebrows and grinned, "reward you for all of your hard work today."
When he stood back up, I could see Bill's face. His eyes jumped back and forth between me and Eric; sadness, anger and disbelief were flashing over his face. His gaze finally settled on Eric before he spoke, his voice frosty. "You could have at least let me finish unpacking before you summoned me here to flaunt your new... relationship."
I watched Eric's face transform from grinning and playful to barely contained rage. He whipped around to face Bill. "I flaunt nothing for you, Compton. I do not care for your reaction, so I would not misuse my energy looking for it. You are here because your database, which almost cost us our lives before, WILL be the death of us now. You are extraordinarily lucky that I do not stake you where you stand. The only reason you are alive and well so far is that it would hurt Sookie for you to be gone. We have matters to discuss, and I will tolerate absolutely no insubordination from you for any reason, whatsoever. Have I made myself clear?"
Bill nodded and followed Eric into the dining room, casting one more look in my direction. I chugged the rest of my drink and got up to get a refill. If I'm going to deal with this, I'm sure as hell not gonna do it sober.
I poured a very stiff drink and sat down to finish the movie. I enjoyed a few more parts, but I was mostly absorbed in my thoughts. Okay. The Fellowship knows more about vampires than we ever imagined. And though it technically isn't Bill's fault they got a copy of that damn CD, it definitely ishis fault that it exists in the first place. How much havoc can a simple disk wreak? It was the end of my first relationship, almost killed Bill, I was staked, raped and almost drained. Bubba almost got crucified. Eric risked his life to save me. I killed someone -granted she was going to kill me, but still- and I was on the bad side of the King of Mississippi for a while. And because I had to act like a Were's girlfriend, Bubba killed someone who was after me, I had to dispose of a body, and eventually a were-bitch tried to shoot me, so I had to kill someone else in my kitchen. Damn, and it just snowballed from there. That disk will kill us all. I sat straight up as the realization rocked through me. That disk will kill us all. Me, Pam, Bubba, Bill... and Eric. Oh, god, we're all dead, we just don't know it yet. Oh, no. I can't deal with this, I need another drink.
I tried to stand up. Note the word 'tried'. I got halfway and fell back on my butt. Nope, I was definitely not sober. I managed to make my way into the kitchen to pour another super-stiff drink. Somehow, I even made it back to the couch without spilling any. I restarted the movie and tried to focus, determined not to sink back into thoughts of the database.
Just as Shaun and Ed were beating the snot out of a couple zombies with a cricket bat and a shovel, Eric threw himself down on the couch next to me. He sniffed the air around me, "You're toasted." I stared at him for a second before busting up laughing, thinking it was hilarious that a thousand year old vampire would use modern slang. Hey, I was toasted. He got that wicked glint in his eye, darted in, and started sucking on my ear. Immediately, I stopped laughing and started moaning.
"Did I say something funny, lover?" I couldn't remember. All I knew is that I needed him, and I needed him now. I leaned down and bit his neck, but not hard enough to draw blood.
He growled in my ear as his hands ran under my sweater, "Do that again, Sookie, and I'll have you right now." I licked his ear, kissed his neck, and bit harder. This time I tasted blood. Before I knew what was happening Eric had me in the study and he was punching in the code to his room. I bit again in the same spot. When I felt him begin to bleed, I latched on and sucked. His whole body shook underneath me. We barely made it down the stairs before we started ripping each others clothes off.
He stood me up next to the bed and I fumbled with my pants. By the time I had my button undone, Eric was completely naked. I couldn't help but stop what I was doing to stare at him. "Wow." I heard my voice say, and he laughed.
He swooped in on me and tore my clothes from me faster than I thought possible. "You think that was 'wow'? Wait until you see what I'm going to do to you." He growled in my ear, his voice dripping with sex. He gently maneuvered me backwards to the bed, and when the back of my legs hit the mattress, I flopped ungracefully down. Before I could recover my sense of balance, his mouth landed on my center. He sucked my nub into his mouth and ran his teeth over it.
I twisted my hands in his hair and pulled. He moaned and pushed his fingers inside me. I felt them curl and I screamed in ecstasy. Knowing he found my spot, he flicked his fingers against it again, giving me another mind-bending orgasm. I heard my voice again, and I was shocked at what it said, "Eric, oh god... I, uuhhh... I need you to fuck me... oh my god, Eric... fuck me!"
His mouth found mine and I tasted myself. With one quick thrust he was buried in me all the way. I screamed in pleasure as he held my hips still and plunged into me over and over so hard I thought my pelvis would break. I didn't care, I just wanted it faster, harder, deeper. Suddenly he flipped me over so I was on my hands and knees. Before I had a chance to miss him inside me he was back, his hands on my hips, pounding into me. He smacked my ass and a guttural, animalistic sound came out of me. He flipped me on my back again and kept thrusting like there was no tomorrow. I was close to coming, and when Eric leaned over me and sank his fangs into my neck, my whole body convulsed with pleasure. I felt him stiffen a second after me, and I knew he had come, too.
He leaned against the headboard and we started our usual post-sex snuggling. I reached up to give him a kiss, "I love you, Eric. I'm scared about all this. I don't want to lose you right after I found you." He held me tighter to his chest.
"Sookie, my only love, you won't lose me. I will never allow anything to separate us." He seemed to think for a moment. "Just to be safe, though, I would like for you to take some more of my blood. I want you to be as strong as possible for anything that may happen. If you will permit it, I would like to give you a bit daily, so the strength can be maintained. Before you can say it, I know you do not want to be turned, and rest assured you won't be. I promise I would never force that upon you for any reason."
He was right, of course. Sometimes I think that Eric knew me better than I did. "Well, I already got a taste earlier, I guess more blood wouldn't hurt." I smiled at his shocked face. After almost a week of me not arguing with him every chance I got, you would think he would stop staring at me like that when I agreed with him. Since he's already shocked, I might as well take the lead. "If I remember correctly, I believe that this," I straddled him, "is the best position."
Eric wrapped his arms around my waist and moaned when I licked his neck. I bit down in the same spot I had earlier and my mouth filled with the coppery liquid. He entered me, slowly moving me up and down on his erection. I latched onto the flow of blood and sucked. Every time I pulled, he groaned. As I threw my head back and yelled his name, he shuddered inside me. I looked in his eyes and they gazed back at me, burning. I licked my lips, tasting the blood that remained and shivering in delight.
I moved off of him and settled on the bed. Eric got up and stumbled over to the mini-fridge he kept down here. He pulled out a bottle of blood, nuked it, and came back to bed. "You, my dear Sookie, are the only woman who has ever made me weak in the knees." I smiled, curling into his side while he replenished the blood I took from him. When he was done drinking, he scooted down to lay next to me and we fell alseep in each other's arms.
Chapter 11
I didn't have a hangover, per se, but my head hurt like crazy. For once I was glad of the pitch-black darkness in my bedroom, I didn't think I could handle daylight quite yet. I looked over Eric's shoulder to see the clock. Exactly 5:15 pm. I truly was keeping vampire hours now. Just as that thought crossed my mind, a muscular arm tightened around me.
"Good morning, lover. Did you sleep well?" Mmm, smells like sex and my blood and fairy...
My whole body stiffened. Holy crap, did I just... no, it's impossible.
"Lover?" I felt Eric prop himself up on his elbow and he flicked on the bedside lamp. "Sookie, are you alright?" Is she okay I hope I didn't hurt her last night we were so rough but she felt so good...
"Oh. My. God." I burst into tears and Eric freaked.
"Sookie? Sookie, what's wrong? Did I hurt you last night? Are you okay?" What's wrong she isn't telling me I knew I was too rough and-
"Stop, Eric! Just... stop for a minute, please." He contented himself with holding me and stroking my hair while I calmed down. "I need to take a shower. Alone, please. I just need some time right now." He nodded and I got out of bed and staggered to the bathroom.
I turned the shower on full blast, as hot as I could stand it. I knew I would come out looking like a boiled lobster, but I didn't care. What I did care about is that this last dose of blood allowed me to read Eric's mind. Even now, I could hear his thoughts in the other room; wondering if he should come check on me, what this weird feeling in the bond was, why I wouldn't say what was wrong.
How can I hide this? If our bond wasn't so strong, I may have had a chance, but if my emotions fluctuated with his thoughts he would catch on really fast. This kind of thing had happened before, but it was only glimpses then. Now I was hearing full thoughts, images, the whole deal. If I had any hope that this would fade like it had before, it was quickly squashed when I remembered I promised to let Eric give me blood daily. Oh, man, the vamps are going to kill me.
I tried to stay out of my head for the rest of my shower, just concentrating on the steaming water relaxing my shoulders. I towel-dried my hair as best as I could. I tweezed my eyebrows, brushed my teeth, put on lotion, and basically did anything I could except walk back into the bedroom and face Eric. Finally I ran out of ideas, realizing that I had to come clean about this before it came back and bit me (haha).
Eric was laying on his stomach on the bed reading when I came out of the bathroom. He dog-eared the page he was on and closed the book. I rolled my eyes at his choice, Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'. Of course. He didn't say a word before he came over to me and gave me a hug. "I know how you need space sometimes, lover. I will respect that, but just know that if there is ever anything bothering you, I will always be here for you." He was so sweet to me, it sent me into another fit of tears. Everything just came pouring out; once my mouth had opened, I couldn't seem to close it.
"Eric, I hear you. I don't mean I agree with you, and I don't mean with my ears." I tapped my forehead, "I hear you. And I know the only reason I haven't died before is that I couldn't read vamp minds and now I can and it won't fade because you want to keep giving me blood and I don't want to read your mind I love you too much to want to know what you think and... and... Oh, no, I'm so dead." I looked up at my viking, "You hate me now, don't you?"
"No, my love, I could never hate you. Truthfully, I had a feeling this would happen sooner or later. This is much sooner than I thought possible, but our bond is much stronger than I initally believed as well. The test will be if you can hear other vampire's thoughts. And luckily enough, we have two others in my house." He smiled. "Once you get over the shock, dear one, I am sure you will see this as an advantage. Give that time, though. In the meantime, I'm taking a shower. You're hungry, go get something to eat. I'll be up in a bit."
"So... you really aren't upset? I know you guys are really super-protective of your privacy..." He laughed and squeezed me tight.
"I have let you lay with me in my daytime stupor. You know not only where my house is, you know exactly how to get to me inside. We are so bonded that even if you couldn't read my thoughts, you would probably be able to guess most of them. I have nothing to hide from you, Sookie. Only someone with something to hide would be upset." He kissed me and stepped back. "Now get dressed and get some food. If you don't I might be forced to keep you in that bed all night."
He got in the shower and I got dressed. Heading to the kitchen, I tried to get a reading on Pam and Bill so I wouldn't be surprised if I did hear them, but they were still dead. I decided to fry a couple eggs and make toast while my coffee brewed. I had about three seconds of warning before Bill was at the fridge, because I heard him. Oh... shit.
"Good morning, Sookie." She reeks of him. They weren't even speaking before I left and now, not two weeks later, she's living with him. I wonder what he fed her to convince her to do it. My Sookie would never... I decided to keep my new abilities to myself until I spoke to Eric again.
"Morning, Bill. Did you sleep well?" I mentally slapped myself. Stupid question to ask a vampire, Sookie. He was dead all day.
He raised an eyebrow at me. "Same as always." We exchanged more social niceties while he heated up his breakfast. He sat down at the bar a few seats away from where I was eating. "So, you and Eric."
"Yep." I so didn't want to do this right now.
"Why?" Oooh, instant anger.
"Why not?" I looked at him expectantly.
His thoughts were conflicted. Half of him wanted to know... well, actually all of him wanted to know, but half of him didn't want to hear what I had to say. I barely kept my jaw from dropping before he spoke as I registered his next words. "Well, he hasn't exactly been completely honest with you the whole time you've known him."
I snapped. "Oh, yeah, Bill? I forgot that you're the authority on being a good boyfriend. Need I remind you? I think I should. The trip to 'Seattle' when you really went to your vamp-ho maker and tried to pension me off? Or maybe the fact that you raped and almost killed me in that trunk and never apologized, even after I risked life and limb, literally, to save your ass. And that you were forced to be with me and you took my virginity under Sophie-Anne's orders. Or how about when you ran off after those guys in Dallas before making sure I was okay, or even still breathing? And you know what? I'm not even going to touch the whole database thing, especially now that your absolutely fucking brilliantidea is going to get us all killed. Before you even think about saying one more word about Eric, you better take a damn good look at yourself, Mr. High-and-Fucking-Mighty, because in this past week that man has done more for me than you could even imagine. Hell, he treated me better than you did while we were together. Maybe instead of buying businesses and throwing money at the Bellefleurs, who by the way don't give a shit if you live or die, you could have noticed that your girlfriend was on the verge of poverty. But, no, Eric helped me. Not to get in my pants, not to drive a wedge between us, but because he knew I needed it and you were too busy to bother with me. I'm not going to tell him we had this conversation, Bill, but if he asks I won't lie, because that is how a relationship works, not that you would know. And just so you know, if you ever say another bad word about my bonded ever again, I will stake your ass so fast you won't even know what happened."
Bill stared at me in amazement as I dumped the remains of my breakfast into the trash, refilled my coffee and left the room. I went upstairs to the study and pulled a random book from the shelf. I made myself comfortable in a fluffy armchair before seeing what I was about to read. 'Pride and Prejudice', pretty good for a random pick.
I settled back in the chair and began to lose myself in the love of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. A couple chapters in, Eric entered the room. Not from the bookshelf door, but from the hallway. Which meant that he probably heard me rip Bill apart. Sometimes I hated their super-hearing.
Can you hear others? I nodded. Excellent, my love. That bodes very well for us, especially with the dire circumstances that we are in. I smiled. Eric was obviously enjoying that he didn't have to speak to me out loud. And I heard your... defense of me. Pam enjoyed it as well. Oh, wonderful. But what else could I expect in a house full of vampires?
"So, should I say anything? Or is this just for us?"
No, lover, this is something that shall remain between the two of us. I have no doubt that Pam will eventually guess what is happening, but she is incredibly adept at reading people. Bill, however, I doubt he will ever figure it out. I had to agree with him on that. The less that we advertised my new and expanded abilities, the better. Come, Sookie. We must all sit and discuss what we are going to do about the database. Reluctantly, I took his hand and let him lead me downstairs.
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A couple hours later we were finished with our meeting. We were all seated in the dining room. Eric, of course, sat at the head of the table. I was on his left side, Pam was on the right. Bill sat next to Pam, intentionally not looking at anyone or anything in particular the entire time. I felt kind of bad that Bill was basically everyone's punching bag, but realistically, he brought most of it on himself. It made me feel even worse when I realized, through both Pam and Eric's thoughts, that I ranked higher on the vampire 'totem pole' than Bill did, and I had no desire to even become a frggin' vamp.
Apparently Eric had already spoken to several of the new sheriffs about the drug, but hadn't yet called anybody about the database. It was reasonable to assume that since it was the only thing to save us during the takeover, that it would mean our deaths now. It had been decided that Fangtasia would be closed for the time being. It was too dangerous to have that many vamps in one place. Eric called all twelve of the remaining vampires that resided in his area and told them to scatter, but to keep in touch. Even though it might be the end of us, we had no choice but to call Victor, Felipe de Castro's man in charge.
Eric left the room for that particular conversation. Even though Pam and Bill could hear him if they wanted and I could read him if I tried, none of us wanted to know what was being said. Pam and I made small talk about unimportant things: flowers (she liked lilies, I was partial to daisies), books (anything with a vamp worked for her -except for that new one, "vampire's don't sparkle"-, I read everything), and shoes (I am a total shoe-whore, she wore loafers mostly).
I felt him coming before he pushed open the door. "Victor is calling Felipe as we speak. He will call me back when they figure something out." Eric stood behind me and lightly massaged my shoulders. "Let's go get our minds off this for a bit. Who's up for a game?"
After some discussion, Eric, Pam and I decided to play darts. Bill sat in the corner and brooded while we took turns. Needless to say, I lost miserably. It didn't help that every time I was up Eric purposely thought lewd things to throw me off. It especially didn't help that Pam noticed I stuck my tongue out a little when I was aiming, and she thought that was just adorable.I managed to block Bill almost completely, but it was clear to everyone that he wasn't happy with my new found camaraderie.
I was well on my way to losing the third game when Eric's phone rang. He answered it immediately and only talked for a minute. "Yes. Yes. When? Everyone? Of course. Yes. See you then." Eric jammed the phone back in his pocket. "Well, get packed. We're going to Vegas."
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Bill and Pam needed to go back to their houses to get ready for the trip, leaving Eric and me alone in the house. We took full advantage of that. In the kitchen, on the dining room table, in the living room, on the pool table. He had to bite his finger and heal me a couple times. When we finally made it back to the room, we packed all of our bags. Eric took them all out to the door by the garage.
He insisted on giving me another full dose of blood, saying that the stronger I was the better. If I could read other vampires easier, I would have a better chance of knowing if (when?) we needed to pick up and run. Damn him and his logic, again. After another round of blood and sex, I curled into Eric's side and he softly sang me to sleep.
It turns out that Victor had arranged for one of Felipe's private planes to take us to Vegas. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 6:30 from a private airfield on the other side of Shreveport. I didn't have time to make anything to eat, so Eric stopped at Wendy's so I could get my double bacon cheeseburger. I wasn't concerned about the calories like I would have been normally. With Eric jumping on me at every opportunity, I had no worries about working it off.
Pam got to the airport the same time we did, and Bill arrived about 20 minutes later. We settled into our seats for the ride. Pam and I sat across the table from each other and after the plane had leveled off, we played a few card games. Eric was thinking how much fun it would be to initiate me into the 'Mile High Club', especially since my ex was sitting right there. Bill was miserable, and he radiated unhappiness.
Eric was right about Pam, she was really, really observant. She saw me shoot a few glances at Eric, and I could see the gears grinding as she tried to figure it out. She definitely knew something was up, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. If I hadn't known she was planning on my reaction, I would have jumped when I heard her 'speak' to me. Sookie? Sookie! Can you hear me? I ignored her as best as I could and concentrated on my next play in Rummy. She reconsidered what was going on, but couldn't think of anything else.
A few hours later we arrived in Vegas. We were whisked off the plane, into a limo, and away to our hotel. We drove down the strip and I was the stereotypical tourist. I bounced from window to window, trying to take in the spectacle that was Las Vegas at night. Apparently my attitude was contagious, as Pam and Eric were grinning at my excitement by the time we got there. Even Bill snapped out of his funk for a bit. We checked into Moonlight, a vamp-exclusive hotel just off the main strip.
We were given adjoining rooms on the 15th floor, Pam and I registered in one, Eric and Bill were to share the other. Much to Bill's disdain, as soon as we recieved our key cards Pam and Eric switched. Our room was beautiful, and in keeping with the theme of the hotel, was mostly done in blues and silver. I had just finished unpacking my makeup when Eric got a phone call. I was trying to avoid reading him as much as possible, so I poked my head out of the bathroom to ask him who it was.
"Felipe's assistant. We have a meeting with him at 1:30." I looked around the room till I saw a clock, 11:21. Good, plenty of time to get ready.
"Dressy or casual?"
"Dress up. The rainbow dress would be perfect. While you get ready, I'm going next door to strategize. Come over when you're ready, love." He kissed me before walking through the door into Pam and Bill's room.
A little while later, I was showered, shaved, made up, dressed and ready to go. I knocked on the door between the rooms. When it was opened, I was greeted by Bill, who couldn't keep his eyes off of me as I walked in and sat by Eric on a small loveseat. Pam was probably in the bathroom getting ready.
Eric saw Bill's reaction to me, and although he was proud at having a date that made other men drool (stupid guy complexes), he was pissed that it was Bill who was drooling. "Compton, avert your eyes before I remove them." Bill promptly lowered his gaze, but kept sneaking peeks at me when he thought Eric wasn't looking. We soon excused ourselves from the room so Bill could get dressed..
Immediately after closing the door, Eric wrapped his arms around me, kissing me with such passion that my knees buckled. "You are stunning, my love. If we weren't short on time, I would insist that you join me in the shower. I am going to insist that you drink from me again, though. I want to go into this meeting with as many advantages as possible, your ability included." Before I could protest, his bleeding wrist was at my mouth. I sucked at the wound until he moaned and I felt a wave of pleasure run across the bond. Eric tried to convince me to come with him in the bathroom, but I just laughed and shoved him in, shutting the door behind him.
We had decided it would be better if we all arrived en masse, so a little after one we met outside our rooms. Eric wore a black suit, Bill had brown on. Pam looked... wow. She was wearing a pale, pale pink knee-length dress with a big rose on the front. Her hair was down and perfectly straight, not a single strand out of place.
Eric led the way to the elevators. We rode up to the penthouse level in silence. Eric was worried about what Felipe would try to do to us, but was ready to fight for our lives if he had to, his mind running different scenarios and how he might be able to act accordingly. Pam's thoughts were about the same as Eric's. Bill, however, was already resigned to the idea that he was a (finally) dead man. He wasn't wallowing in self-pity, but he was going through his life and thinking about what he would have done differently. I noticed that quite a few of those thoughts revolved around me.
By the time the doors opened, I was ready to run the other direction to avoid this. Eric noticed my bleak mood and grabbed my hand, trying to project strength and calm. Stand tall, lover. We cannot afford to show any more weakness than we already have. His eyes flicked toward Bill.
I stood up straight, lifted my head, and walked towards Felipe's guard like I was a queen. Eric and the guard exchanged nods. I took a deep breath as he opened the door.
"Mr. Northman, Miss Stackhouse. Welcome to Las Vegas."
Chapter 12
Felipe rose from his chair to greet us. "Eric, so nice to see you again. Who are your companions?" Eric introduced Pam (she bowed), Bill (he bowed deeply), and me. I awkwardly bobbed, the movement feeling foreign to me. I hadn't bowed to anyone since Sophie-Anne. "Ah, the famed telepath, Miss Stackhouse, you are a vision, as always I'm sure." He then did something very un-vampire-ish. He tipped his head to me, took the back of my hand and kissed it. She is beautiful, I wonder what it would take for her to be mine. If it was not for her interference, I might not be here today, she belongs at my side.
I plastered on my fake smile and summoned as much southern charm as I could. "Why, thank you, Mr. de Castro. Please, call me Sookie." He smiled back, showing a hint of fang. Eric noticed, and he was not happy.
"Please, everyone, I insist you be comfortable. Drinks, anyone?" We sat down on a pair of leather couches Felipe indicated. A human quickly entered from another room, holding a tray with 4 glasses of blood and one with white wine. I noticed my vamps were waiting for me to take the first drink. I knew nobody had messed with anything yet, so I sipped and nodded appreciatively at Felipe. It was very good wine.
"Now that we are all acquainted, Eric, please inform me of the troubles in Louisiana." Of course he knew all about it, or at least what Eric had told Victor. At least Felipe was still playing nice guy, not flying off the handle right away.
"One of my bartenders was poisoned with bad blood and murdered. One night when visiting my bar, Sookie found a man from The Fellowship of the Sun. He had attempted to poison another one of our patrons so a vampire would either die or fall ill and be easily staked. We apprehended him in time, and through some investigation, we found that the Fellowship had somehow procured a copy of the Vampire Database. This is obviously a much bigger scheme than we originally anticipated, or we would have contacted you sooner. As it is, I spoke to Victor as soon as it was determined that they possess this knowledge."
Felipe nodded, deep in thought. "And what of this poison?"
"One of the humans that was poisoned survives, but in a coma. My contact at the hospital where she is staying informs me that it is mostly a combination of Rohypnol and Scopolamine. The drugs cause many of the same symptoms as drunkeness, sometimes with hallucinations, blackouts, and in cases of overdose, coma or death. They were using pills that dissolve instantly. Odorless, colorless, tasteless. No way to tell that a drink had been tampered with."
"I find myself wondering how the Fellowship of the Sun managed to obtain a copy of a vampire-only database. Mr. Compton, I hope you have an answer for me."
Bill steeled himself. "Your majesty, I personally checked everyone that requested a copy of the database, and I verified that all were vampires. I believe that the information was stolen at the summit in Rhodes. I was selling the database at the time, and after the explosions my remaining inventory was never located. That is the only time that any information was unaccounted for. There are no disks anymore, as I only make them to order since the bombing."
"Miss Stackhouse. You are more... perceptive than my other guests. Please tell me your thoughts on the situation." I don't care but I had better start currying her favor if I am to make her mine...
"Your highness, I insist you call me Sookie." Gosh, that was weird to say, "As you are aware, my particular abilty does not extend to vampires. However, I know Bill, and he is not one to leave such knowledge laying around. I also know much more about the Fellowship than I care to, and they will not stop until they get whatever it is that they desire. Vampires, humans, all are fair game for them."
"You hold the belief that none of the vampires present are in any way responsible for these events?"
"If I correctly understand what you're asking me, then yes, that is my firm belief. I believe that I know these three as well as any human can know a vampire, and I find that any blaming of them is ludicrous. Yes, Bill created the database, but he was meticulous about how he sold it. Placing the blame on him for this fiasco would be like blaming the Wright brothers for a hijacked 747 crashing." Eric, Pam and Bill were positively beaming at me through their thoughts.
"You make some interesting points, Sookie." Felipe smiled at me... eew, creepy. "I require time to think upon this. Please, make yourselves comfortable in my town. Anything you require charge to room service, your stay will be fully comped. Mr. Northman, Mr. Compton, I look forward to speaking with you again." We took that as the dismissal it was and bowed to the King before returning to the elevator.
Once the doors closed, I slumped against Eric. You were wonderful, lover. When we are alone I will pick your brain for his thoughts, then you will be... rewarded for your efforts. A rush of lust ran through me.
We reconvened in Pam and Bill's room. Pam, although she didn't speak a word in the meeting, was incredibly proud of how well it went, even though she knew this was just the beginning. Bill was in awe of me, how I defended him despite everything that has passed between us. And Eric's thoughts were running so fast it was just a big blur tinged with satisfaction.
"That went much better than I expected. This is by no means the end, and we are still far from safe. The king has a certain respect for Sookie, considering her past services to him and the formal protection over her. Her stellar character references seemed to go over very well with him. I am quite sure that Felipe will wish to meet with all of us again, so if you will excuse us, my lover and I must speak." Eric took my hand and led me back to our room. I waved to Pam and Bill before closing the door behind me.
I settled myself on the bed, listening for Bill and Pam to do something else so they weren't paying attention to me and Eric talking. Hey, with vampires you can never be too sure who's listening. When I was sure that they wouldn't overhear us, I started filling Eric in on Felipe's thoughts. "He wants me by his side. Bad."
Eric growled, "I noticed. And I am quite unhappy about that. What about the database?"
"He was fully prepared to not let Bill leave that meeting. He wasn't lying when he said I brought up some interesting points; he thought the Wright brothers thing was genius."
"That was quite the simile, Sookie." He smiled, "What are his feelings towards each of us?"
"Bill, he wants to blame for the whole thing, of course. Pam, he is indifferent towards, so far. He doesn't know as much as he would like about her yet. You, he would like to keep around because you're a good sheriff, but you aren't indespensible. Me," I sighed deeply, "Felipe wants me. My blood, my body, my ability. That's why he asked me questions at the meeting, he wants to make me think he cares about me. Pfft, as if." I felt his anger rumbling through the bond. "But, hey. On the plus side, he can't glamour me, and it isn't like a have a contract to work for him, right? And we're blood bonded, that has to mean something."
"To an average vampire, yes, that would mean something. To Felipe, I'm not so sure; he is quite ruthless at times. How else could he have managed to hold on to Vegas for the past 60 years?"
"Well, is there anything that you think might discourage him? It's gonna be hard enough to deal with the Fellowship thing by itself, I don't want to have to fend off a vampire intent on... annexing me."
Eric smirked and I heard his thought loud and clear. "Oh, no, Eric. I love you, but I am NOT getting married. I am so not even anywhere close to being ready for that."
"You wanted my suggestion. There it is. He can't force you away from me if we're legally married. Vampire-human marriages are legal now, both in Nevada and Louisiana, you know?"
"Um, yea. No." Eric's face fell. "I'm not ruling it out in the future, but not now. And not to change the subject or anything, but I'm hungry. Can we go get something to eat?"
"Of course, lover. We can discuss this later on. Let me treat you to a night in Vegas."
Eric did just that. We went to another hotel for dinner (the vamp hotel didn't have a restaurant), caught a late-late show, and of course, we gambled. He gave me $500, even though I tried not to take it. Eric taught me how to play craps, and I came out even at the end of the night. Eric ended up leaving with an extra grand in his pocket. We walked down the strip, kissed in front of the Bellagio fountains, and had a great time.
By the time we made it back to the hotel I was exhausted and more than a little tipsy. I was almost too tired for sex... almost. Cuddling in the afterglow, I reached up to give Eric my usual last kiss before I passed out. "This place is great, but I don't think I could ever stay out here. Too much of everything going on at the same time, it's overwhelming."
He chuckled and kissed my hair, "They don't call it Sin City for no reason, lover."
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The next night went pretty much the same as the first. Eric and Bill attended another meeting with Felipe while Pam and I went shopping.
Eric had given me a credit card and insisted that I buy something for myself. I found a peachy-gold dress that wasn't too overpriced and couldn't pass it up. Pam was in heaven. I never figured that she would love fashion since I usually thought of her as a 'soccer mom vamp', but she had to have tried on at least 10 things in each store we went through. She finally settled on a cute little charcoal cocktail dress and a stunning blue/white/patterned evening gown.
By the time we made it back to the hotel, Eric and Bill were waiting to fill us in. Apparently Felipe was holding a black-tie event the next night and we were invited (read: required) to attend. I guess it was supposed to be some sort of victory party to celebrate his political coup and had been planned for almost a month. For a little while, we discussed strategies for keeping a watch on each other through the festivities.
After we figured out a plan, Eric and I headed back to the strip so he could buy a tuxedo. He headed straight for Armani and was immediately taken away to be fitted. I walked around the store and browsed through some evening gowns. There was one in particular that caught my eye, but after looking at the price tag my eyes nearly bugged out of my head. I turned around and ran right into Eric. I bounced off of his chest and would have fallen if he didn't have those super-reflexes.
"See something you like, lover?" He released his hold on my waist.
I ignored his question because I knew if I said anything, he'd buy that dress. "Did you find a tux?"
"Yes, I did. A few minor adjustments need to be made, though. It will be delivered tomorrow shortly after dark. Are you sure you didn't find anything you wanted in here? We do have an extremely formal event to attend, and I know that nothing you brought will suffice."
I started to get mad at him for saying I had a crappy wardrobe, but as usual he was right. "Dammit, Eric. Why the heck do you have to be right all the time? I'm getting tired of that." I crossed my arms and attempted to look sullen, but it was almost impossible not to smile when I felt his happiness from my inadvertant little ego stroke.
"A millennium of life experience will do that to you, I guess." He reached around me and plucked the too-expensive dress out of the display. "Let's get this fitted."
"How do you know I like that one?"
"Oh, well..." He pretended to think for a second, "I only saw you salivating over it before you tried to knock me over."
The dress fit me like a glove without any alterations, and Eric asked that it be delivered along with his tuxedo. We decided to get something to eat and headed back out onto the strip.
We debated on where to go, finally deciding on House of Blues. Halfway there, we got caught up in a wave of Elvis. Thirty to forty Elvis impersonators all performing "Viva Las Vegas" and gyrating had taken over a large stretch of sidewalk and gathered quite a crowd. I had to stop and watch for a bit, even though Eric reminded me that I knew the real guy.
"Yea, but I've never seen him sing, and you have to admit, this is pretty out there."
"True. Come on, let's get some food in you." I tore myself away from the ever-growing spectacle and off to my dinner. We ate, listened to some blues, danced, gambled, and enjoyed each other's company for hours.
Back in the hotel, I wanted nothing more than to take a shower and pass out, but Eric insisted on joining me in the bathroom. I didn't get to sleep until he died for the day, and by then I was prepared to be dead to the world right along with him.
Chapter 13
I woke up before Eric did and took full advantage of it. Claiming the bathroom, I showered and shaved and took the time to blow-dry and straighten my hair. The whole time, I practiced my shields and made them as strong as possible; as much as I liked being closer to Eric, I really didn't want to know his thoughts... after all, that's why I was attracted to dead guys to begin with.
My viking was sitting on the bed waiting for me when I came out. He looked me over and shook his head. "Sookie, I thought we were past showering separately."
"I actually needed to get clean this time. That thing is at 9, right?" Eric nodded. "Almost 6 now... I'm ordering room service. Do you want anything?"
"You know what I want, lover," He purred as he wrapped his arms around me.
"Yes, I do, but I have to finish getting ready. You go." I gave him a quick kiss and pushed him towards the bathroom. As he showered I gave myself a quick french manicure, silently praising Amelia for showing me how.
I finished my last nail right as Eric emerged from his shower. Less than a minute later there was a knock at the door. He answered and moved aside so the room service cart could be rolled in. Before the first man could leave, another showed up with black garment bags.
I ate my omelet and sipped coffee while my nails dried. We discussed a little more strategy, deciding that I would never be unaccompanied throughout the evening. I also agreed to take a bit of blood now . Eric's bleeding wrist was at my lips before I could blink.
Closing my eyes, I pressed my mouth to the wound and sucked. I felt him releasing the knot on my robe and I looked up at him. His eyes were blazing with need. I felt myself being pushed back onto the bed and my legs spread. One of his fingers caressed my folds and I gasped, my hold on his wrist breaking. Eric smiled at me, fangs fully extended, and kissed his way down my body before settling his face at my core. His tongue ran circles around my nub. He pressed a finger inside me, curling it so he could touch that certain spot. My whole body spasmed as he hit the mark; I felt him smile at my reaction.
"Lover, look at me."
I couldn't help but obey. Our gazes met, my hazy gray-blue and his vibrant sapphire. I nearly came right then, seeing the intensity in him. Watching an immortal man worship your body in ways you never thought possible has to be the hottest thing, ever. As I took in the sight, he nuzzled into my thigh, bit down, and I came so hard I couldn't breathe for a moment.
When I could open my eyes again, Eric was on top of me, positioned at my entrance. He crashed his lips into mine as he pushed in to the hilt. I moaned his name as he thrusted, jerking a little bit each time just to get that much deeper. I kissed my way down his neck and bit again. The warm, coppery liquid flowed into me as I pulled on the artery. Eric's whole body tensed up and shook as I drank from him. His thrusting kept speeding up until I couldn't take anymore. I let go of his neck and threw my head back, screaming his name as wave after wave of pleasure rocked through me. I felt him stiffen as I did.
Eric rolled off me and curled himself around my boneless form. He stroked my hair and hummed a little in Old Norse (I assume, it sure wasn't English). When I was able to feel my legs again, I told Eric I was going to finish getting ready and I went to the bathroom.
I smoothed my hair as best as I could and pinned it up into a simple twist. I did my makeup and spritzed on a little perfume. Eric was ready to go when I came out to get my dress. He held it out to me and I stepped in, reveling in the feeling of the silk sliding over my skin. He zipped me up and I stepped into my shoes, a pair of strappy black heels so high they were almost stilettos.
I saw our reflection in a mirror and admired it. We were quite a pair, both of us blonde and blue-eyed, dressed in black. My dress was floor length and very simple, with a bow on my waist. Eric looked amazing in a perfectly tailored tuxedo, complete with bow tie. His hair was left loose, but was immaculately combed.
"Something is missing, lover." I turned and looked at him, surprised. We were perfect, I couldn't understand what he meant. Eric smiled down at me, "Close your eyes."
I raised an eyebrow at him before I did. "No peeking, now." I felt feather-light touches on my ears and at the nape of my neck. I felt him turn me back to the mirror. "Okay, now you're good."
I opened my eyes and saw my new additions: a necklace with three drop diamonds and matching earrings. "Oh, Eric. They're beautiful, but it's too much, I can't let you do this."
"And I thought you were broken of this habit, lover. I enjoy getting things for you, and you look absolutely magnificent."
"You can't keep buying me things like this, Eric. I don't even want to think about how much you've spent on me these past couple weeks, let alone since we've been in Vegas. I appreciate the gestures, but-" He put a finger on my lips.
"I can and most certainly will, Miss Stackhouse. Remember we had a conversation about this earlier?" I nodded. "So you are going to deny me the pleasure of buying you things that you want but have been unable to obtain previously? You have to be the worst gift recipient in history."
My jaw dropped at his words. I wanted to throw his stupid necklace and earrings at him and rip the dress off and... and my common sense caught up with me. He was right again, dammit. Here he was, going out of his way to give me designer clothes and diamonds and I'm fighting him tooth and nail. What woman on earth gets upset when her boyfriend gives her jewelry?
"Fine. I get what you're saying. I'm just uncomfortable getting this kind of stuff because I'm not used to it and I can't give you anything that compares. Everything is lovely, Eric. Thank you for the jewelry." I kissed him softly, wrapping my arms around his neck. His hands went to my hips and squeezed gently.
Pulling away, he smiled down at me. "One more thing before we go, love." I crossed my arms and tried to look impatient as he dug in his suitcase. When he came back up he laughed at my expression and held his hands behind his back.
"Sookie, I have a feeling I know how you are going to react to this. Just remember that nothing is imminent, this is a promise." My heart started racing as I imagined what he could have gotten. I could feel his anticipation across the bond, and that made me incredibly nervous.
Eric took his left hand from behind his back to grab my right. He led me to the bed and I sat on the edge, part of me knowing what was going to happen, and part of me hoping I was wrong. His right hand slowly came up to mine and I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to see what he placed in my palm.
"Sookie, you can look. It won't bite you." I opened my eyes to see him smiling at me. I braced myself to look at my hand, and when I did my heart stopped.
A small square box. Powder blue. With a white ribbon.
I don't care how much or how little money you have, every female knows what those colors mean. I looked back and forth between him and the box. I could feel my mouth moving, but no sound came out. After a minute, I finally managed to stammer out something. Unfortunately, that something didn't even slightly resemble a sentence.
"E- Eric...I- I don't know-... but what-... T- T- Tiffany... I- uhh..." My rambling stopped when Eric actually opened the box. Inside was a diamond solitaire. He took the box from my hand, removed the ring, and kneeled down. I froze.
Ohmigodohmigodohmigodhe'sreallydoingthisohmigodohmigod...
"Sookie Stackhouse, I love you. In a thousand years, I have never met anyone like you. Nobody has ever touched me the way that you have, and nobody ever will. Knowing you has made me happier than I could have ever imagined, and I want to be with you always. I treasure every moment we have spent together, and I want to make memories with you. Will you marry me?"
By this point, my brain had ceased all function. My shields had greatly improved if I kept this doozy of an idea out. I sat in shock for a few seconds, then all of a sudden the haze lifted and I saw what was happening. "Oh, Eric... yes."
Love washed over the bond like a tidal wave as he slipped the ring on my left hand. He stood up and pulled me with him. Our arms wrapped around each other and our lips met. At that moment, nothing else mattered. The Fellowship, Jason the bastard, the database, Felipe, everything else ceased to exist. Eric lifted me off the floor and spun me around, his lips never leaving mine. I giggled into his mouth and he smiled. He broke the kiss and whispered to me.
"Jeg elsker deg."
"I love you, too, Eric." He set me back on my feet and stepped back to look at me. He was grinning so broadly I thought his face would split. I couldn't help but return the sentiment with a big smile.
"Now, you are perfect, my only love."
I glanced in the mirror again and saw our reflection. "No, Eric. We are perfect."
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Felipe's gala event was certainly that. He made a speech congratulating himself on his victory over Sophie-Anne, framed by a backdrop of the Nevada, Louisiana and Arkansas state flags. Even though he was a concieted jerk, Felipe knew how to hold a celebration. A stage with a live band, a large dance floor, and plenty of tables to relax was topped off with waiters watching like hawks for anyone getting low on drinks.
Eric and I took several turns around the dance floor, loving the feel of each others body. We were interrupted by Bill.
"Eric, may I cut in?" Bill quietly asked, never meeting Eric's eyes. I gave him a gentle squeeze to say it was okay and he relinquished his grip on me.
"You may, Compton." Eric kissed my forehead and walked away. He took up a position on the wall and didn't take his eyes off me the whole time I was dancing with Bill.
"I noticed your new jewelry, Sookie." Good start, Bill. I scoffed in my head.
"Yes. We won't be doing it immediately, but I guess he's going to make some kind of formal announcement when we get back home."
"Are you sure this is the right thing to do? I would give anything to have you again, Sookie. I would do anything. I doubt he could say the same." My shields were all the way up, so I had no way to know what was actually going on in his head. Come to think of it, I didn't want to know.
"William Compton, you listen to me. I meant every single word of what I said to you in Eric's house. You lied to me, used me and abused me in every way possible. I gave my heart to you and you stomped on it. I'm willing to be friends with you, but you have got to realize that there will never be anything more between us. Eric or no Eric, I am not going to put myself through that ever again. I'm sorry, Bill, I really am, but if you don't get over this, I'm not even going to be able to be friends with you anymore."
I felt bad telling Bill off again, but he just didn't seem to get it. We finished the song in silence and I was relived when Eric took me back in his arms. Bill nodded at Eric, bowed slightly in my direction, and disappeared.
Eric growled under his breath. "That man is getting on my last nerve. I may have to do something about him soon."
I blanched at the thought. "Eric, don't worry. He's just concerned about me. If he says anything else, I'll let you know, but I doubt it. For now, let it go, please. Tonight we are only thinking about each other and this," I waved my left hand in front of him and my ring sparkled, "right? Just us."
He grabbed my hand and kissed my palm, then the ring. "Of course, minn sváss, this night is for us." He led me to an unoccupied table and we sat. I sipped a glass of champagne and watched people swirling around the floor. Eric took my hand and sent his thoughts in my direction.
Have you heard anything we should be concerned about yet?I shook my head minutely, but I knew he caught the movement. Good. Felipe is going to ask you for a dance sometime this evening, and I need you to find out everything you possibly can from him. I know it will be difficult for you, but trust me when I say that I will more than make up for it later. I smiled and flushed a bit. That shade is lovely on you, my dear. Oh, here he comes already. Eric growled internally at Felipe.
"Mr. Northman, Miss Stackhouse." He inclined his head in my direction.
"Your highness. To what do we owe this pleasure?" Eric bowed his head at Felipe.
"I am asking for Miss Stackhouse to accompany me on the dance floor."
Yea, 'asking' my southern butt. "Of course, your highness. I would be delighted to dance with you."
Be safe, lover. I smiled at Eric as I gave Felipe my hand. He led me to the center of the floor and we began spinning in time with the music.
"You look radiant this evening, Miss Stackhouse."
"Thank you, your majesty. Please, call me Sookie."
"Sookie, then." He smiled, fangs and all. I barely contained a shiver. "How are you enjoying Las Vegas?"
"I enjoy it very much, thank you. This is certainly a change from Louisiana. Even before Katrina, New Orleans wasn't like this."
"It is certainly a shame what happened to that area. It will be years before the city is back to its former splendor."
"Most definitely. I've only been there a few times, and each time I became acquainted with more things that were lost."
"Except for the past few months, I haven't visited New Orleans in almost 50 years. Of course that has changed, I will be seeing more of Louisiana's beautiful sights now that it is mine. It just so happens that one of those beauties came to Las Vegas to see me."
"Thank you your highness, I appreciate the compliment." I tried to be an innocent southern belle and not vomit when I heard what he was thinking.
"Sookie, you are no doubt aware that I am now King of Louisiana. I can make you my mate and you would never want for anything, ever again. Mr. Northman is my subject. If you consent to joining me, he is obligated to release you."
I had to literally bite my tongue to stop from going off. "That is certainly a gracious offer, your highness, but I rather like my life how it is."
"It would be much more convenient for both of us if you were to reside in Nevada. Traveling between Louisiana and Las Vegas on a regular basis will be quite expensive and very time consuming." I felt power tweaking around me as he tried to use his glamour.
"Again, your majesty, I appreicate the offer, but I feel that it is in my best interests to remain where I am. I'm sure we can reach a conclusion that satisfies both sides if we were to negotiate a contract."
"You do realize that I can make your Sheriff bring you to Nevada any time I wish, do you not?"
"I know that would be a valid point if I was a vampire. As a human, I am not obligated to participate in vampire politics. If we had a written contract, that would be another matter entirely. And please excuse my being blunt, your majesty, but if you ask anyone I have previously assisted, they will inform you that I work best when I am not under duress."
"Ah, Miss Stackhouse, but you must forget that you are under my formal protection."
"Mr. de Castro, I have not forgotten that. I humbly appreciate it, but my understanding was that it comes as a repaid favor for me saving your life."
"I have the ability to revoke that protection at any time, Sookie."
"Yes, your highness, I understand that. I also know that even if your protection is removed, if I am harmed forces will be set in motion that cannot be stopped." I said this so matter-of-factly that he didn't consider it a threat, but wondered what I meant.
The band started another tune and Felipe danced me towards Eric's table. He hadn't moved the whole time I was dancing. "It seems our time is up, Sookie. I look forward to speaking with you again, very soon." He bent his head and kissed the back of my left hand, his eyes opening a fraction more when he noticed my ring.
"Thank you for the lovely dance, your highness." I bowed slightly and placed my hand in Eric's.
Eric bowed towards Felipe as he walked away. When I was sure he was far enough away not to notice, I whispered in Eric's ear, "We need to talk, now."
Chapter 14
Wrapping a muscular arm around my waist, Eric gently led me to the elevators. Pam appeared next to us and he whispered something to her, but I was too worried about what Felipe was planning to pay attention.
I snapped out of my daze when we made it to the room and I sat on the edge of the bed. Eric sat next to me and took my hand, not saying anything, just waiting for me to spit it out.
"Felipe wants me really bad, Eric. He'll do just about anything to lay claim to me."
"Okay, that isn't news to either of us, but I feel like there's more."
"He was going to order you to relinquish your hold on me."
"Was?" His eyebrows raised.
"Yea, was... until he saw my ring. Now that he knows you won't give me up, he's thinking about making one of us disappear. Either kidnapping me, or... um, taking care of you." I felt him stiffen beside me, anger creeping across the bond.
"Anything else, Sookie?" he asked in a voice that made me shiver.
"Yea, um, his first idea was to take me away somewhere and then force me to bond with him. Then he thought about waiting until you came after me and staking you first. And, then, um... uh, Eric?" If I hadn't been on a steady diet of vamp blood for a while, he would have unconsciously broken my hand, his grip was so tight.
He looked down at our hands -mine was slowly turning purple- and released his grip to carefully kiss my fingers and the ring. "I apologize, lover. Please continue."
"Uh, well, I think he's gonna use the Fellowship database thing as an excuse to do it. He would have to take out all three of you to get to me, and he knows it. Bill he would blame on the fact that he created the stupid thing. You and Pam he would blame because you are his superiors and should have kept him in check. As far as I know, he hasn't decided how hes going to do it, but he is intent on getting me."
"That certainly sounds like something Felipe would be capable of, but I also know that he is trying to mainstream. Acting on an impulse like that would be stupid and rash, and he is neither one of those things. I will not count that out as a possibility, but I believe that it is highly unlikely. In order to combat the Fellowship, he will need all of the strongest and smartest vampires available and willing to work with him. If any of us is harmed in any way, I will do everything in my power to make the rest of his life incredibly short and incredibly painful."
"But isn't he allowed to do pretty much whatever he wants? He's a king and said you were his subject. Doesn't that mean he can do whatever he wants with you?"
"Ordinarily, yes. I do have a few tricks hidden up my sleeve, but I would like to prevent things from getting that far. I have an idea that will make him think twice about doing me harm to get to you, my love."
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My new new ring sat neatly against the rock he gave me earlier. Leave it to Eric to be prepared with the set. Our ceremony wasn't what I imagined it would be, but he promised to give me the wedding of my dreams when I felt like announcing our union back in Bon Temps.
Pam was ecstatic. She planned the entire event and she went all out, or at least as 'all out' as you can get with a few hours notice. A limo, flowers, my dress, a minister. Enough money can get you any of these things at any hour, especially since we were in Las Vegas.
She told us it was a surprise when we asked where we were going. We were both blindfolded and shoved in a limo. A short drive later, Pam took our hands and led us into a building. I felt Eric being moved away from me and heard a door close. Before I could realize what was happening, Pam had stripped off my dress and was maneuvering me into a different one. She zipped me up and gently took off my blindfold.
The dress was basically a white version of the one I had on earlier. She handed me a small bouquet of red roses and I started to choke up. I was getting married. Sookie Stackhouse, crazy telepath, barmaid, target for terrorism... and the luckiest girl on earth.
Before I could start to cry, Pam led me to a doorway covered with a red curtain. She poked her head through and came back smiling. I heard piano music begin. She kissed my cheek and stepped through the doorway. A minute later, someone pulled aside the curtain. I took a deep breath, forced my legs to work and stepped into the chapel.
It was small but beautifully decorated. Red and white roses dominated the room. Bill sat in a pew to my left with a blank expression on his face. Pam was standing on the altar next to my spot, looking adorable in the charcoal cocktail dress she bought the other day. All of this paled to the sight of my viking waiting for me.
He was wearing the same tuxedo he had at Felipe's party, but it was the look on his face that made my throat tighten up. He couldn't take his eyes off of me and his smile only got wider the closer I got. When I reached the altar, I took his offered hand and stood across from him.
The ceremony flashed by. I remember exchanging rings, but I don't know where I got mine. I know somewhere in there I said 'I do' because I felt love fill the bond from both ends and all of a sudden Eric was kissing me. A couple of the chapel workers present as witnesses clapped as we walked back down the aisle, hand in hand. When we got outside it started raining rice. Pam was hurling it at Eric as hard as she could, clearly enjoying throwing things at him.
Bill shook Eric's hand, congratulating him. It killed him to do it, but his southern dignity forced him to mind his manners. He gave me a hug and a peck on the cheek. When Bill embraced me, I felt his despair like it was my own. Eric felt the mood shift and politely took me back. He steered me towards the limo and we took off towards the hotel.
I lazily traced Eric's well-defined abs as we cuddled. My human needs called, and I regretfully disentangled myself from him.
"Where are you going, love?" He made a move to pull me back into his chest.
"Human needs, Eric."
He thought about that for a second and let me go, "Hurry back, Mrs. Northman." He was relishing the fact that we were married. As I did my business in the other room, I faintly heard him thinking about what he was going to get me for a present and how quickly I could officially move in with him. Part of his mind was preoccupied with the Felipe mess, as was mine. I hated to ruin the night with plans and strategies, but we had to figure something out.
Eric was still lounging on the bed when I came back out and laid next to him. He gathered me into his side; I resumed rubbing his stomach.
"So what now, Eric?"
"We subtly flaunt our relationship and make it quite clear that we are a package deal, and if anything is implied by him, we refer to each other as husband and wife." His eyes glinted with pleasure. "And I know you are uncertain about how others view you, my love. I know you were rushed into this, and I will not force you to take my name or tell anyone you do not want to inform. Obviously Pam and Bill are aware, but they will tell no one if I say they are not to do so."
"That reminds me, you didn't order Bill to come to the wedding, did you? "
"No. I told him of our plans, but it was his decision whether or not to attend." That was a bittersweet sentiment on Bill's part. I knew he hated seeing me dating Eric, not to mention marrying him, but he was there because he knew I would be touched to have him at the chapel. I also had a feeling that he was still trying to prove his undying (haha) love for me, even though he knew it was in vain.
"Pam seemed excited about it."
"Yes, she loves planning parties and celebrations. That's her main job at Fangtasia. She doesn't quite understand why I would want to marry a human, but she's glad that it's you and not someone she can't stand."
"Well, I'm glad you got Pam's permission first." He laughed and kissed my hair. "Back to the important things, though: what are we going to do when Felipe gets mad about this? I don't know what he's going to do, but he won't sit back and take it."
Eric sighed and trailed his fingers up my spine. "We will discuss this tomorrow, my love. There is only so long until dawn, and our mouths will be occupied until then." His lips collided with mine and he kept his word.
Chapter 15
"Mrs. Northman, there are only so many hours until dawn, and I'm sure Felipe would like to see us sometime before then."
"Pam, shut up! I'm coming out right now." Okay, adjust the boobs, check the lipstick, fluff the hair. I gave myself a thumbs up in the mirror before I left the bathroom.
Pam had taken to calling me by my married name, even though legally I was still Sookie Stackhouse. I found myself liking the sound of it more and more. I was nervous about taking his name, but if I thought about it, wouldn't I have taken a human husbands last name without a second thought? Deep down, I knew I was just concerned about what people thought. Well, screw 'em then. I knew the man I married loved me, and I loved him too, dammit.
Speaking of my husband, he looked amazing in a dark blue suit. I slipped on my heels and stood next to him. We, as always, were quite a pair. I had on the peachy-gold dress I got the other day when Pam and I were out. My only jewelry was a pair of small diamond studs in my ears and of course, my set of rings.
Bill had on his requisite brown suit, and Pam was proving to be quite the fashionista yet again. She wore a white dress with black lace around the waist and accenting the bottom hem. A black satin ribbon wrapped around her waist, and she had tied a matching ribbon in her hair.
"So, we all ready for this super-duper secret emergency meeting?" I asked. Pam raised an eyebrow at me and shook her head a little. Bill refused to look at me. Eric chuckled a little before speaking.
"Okay. Quick game plan. We have no idea what this is about. Play everything close to the chest in here. Take my lead, and Bill, if he asks you about the database, don't say anything you haven't told me, okay? All right, let's go."
We piled into the elevator and when we reached the right floor were immediately escorted into Felipe's office. We bowed and were seated at a large conference table.
Felipe wasted no time starting the meeting. "Am I correct in assuming that none of you know the reason for this meeting?"
"Yes, my king, you are correct." Eric answered for us. I heard why the king had wanted to speak to us, and I barely kept my cool. Eric sensed my excitement but didn't let it affect his façade other than a quick flick of his eyes in my direction.
"I have received confirmation that yesterday morning, pre-dawn, a certain bookstore in Shreveport burned down. More specifically, it was the bookstore that you informed me was base of operations for the Fellowship of the Sun." Eric's eyebrows raised slightly, and the King noted it. "Also, it appears that both Steve Newlin and his wife, Sarah, were trapped inside. I know not why they were in a bookstore at that time, but it has led to their demise."
Bill, Pam, and I all looked to Eric for his reaction. He was smiling broadly. "That is wonderful news, my king. Without their leader, the Fellowship is sure to fall apart."
Felipe nodded at him, returning the smile. "Now, Miss Stackhouse, you have been in direct contact with Newlin several times, if I have been informed correctly." I nodded. "Do you believe that this spells the end of the Fellowship of the Sun?"
"Your majesty, I do believe that. Newlin seemed to have been on the run since the destruction of his Dallas stronghold. Last time I saw him in person, he was trying to do the staking himself instead of ordering his lackeys to do it. More recently, when we caught the Fellowship spy in Fangtasia, through the man's thoughts I saw that Newlin seemed desperate to regain some power. He looked as if he was still on the run, dirty clothes, only meeting in very public places, scruffy hair. I think we may encounter some rogue patches of the Fellowship, but for the most part they are done for."
"That is an excellent assessment, Miss Stackhouse, which brings me to my next point. For this, however, I would like to speak to you and Mr, Northman alone. If you would please come with me." We all rose from the table in unison. Pam and Bill bowed to the King before nodding to Eric and leaving the room. Felipe led Eric and me through a set of double doors into a smaller, but still large, parlor-type room.
We sat around a large coffee table and Felipe motioned for drinks. I received white wine while the men, obviously, got glasses of blood. After I took a sip and nodded appreciatively at Felipe, he began talking.
"Miss Stackhouse, yesterday we spoke about possibly having a contractual agreement in order for you to assist me. Would you care to go over some details now, or should we wait for another day?"
It's all right, lover. I am here and I will handle it if you would like me to do so. Eric thought at me. This is the time to bring up our marriage, as he will no doubt ask why you would like me present.
"King Felipe, there is no time like the present. I would like Eric to help me negotiate, as well." Felipe raised an eyebrow.
"I had the understanding that you were not under the dominion of your local Sheriff."
"That is still correct, your highness. I do not fall under the Sheriff's jurisdiction. However, I do need to consult my husband if I am to be traveling out-of-state on a regular basis." Eric held my left hand, positioning our hands so they looked to be in a natural grasp, but showing the set of rings off. To his credit, Felipe was floored by this new development, but he face never showed a bit of surprise.
"Well, then let us toast to the good news. To Mr. and Mrs. Northman, may your life together be long and happy." We raised our glasses and Eric's platinum ring glinted in the light. "Now, back to the business at hand. We need to draft a new contract with your name changed, Mrs. Northman, but we can discuss all of the other specifics now."
"Of course, your majesty."
After a long, long, loooooong process of Eric and the King wheeling and dealing about my contract we were free to go, assured that the new version would be prepared by tomorrow evening. Surprisingly, Felipe upgraded our room to the honeymoon suite as a wedding present. A honeymoon suite in a vampire hotel... go figure. Well, it was Las Vegas.
We packed our things in our original room, told Pam and Bill where we were moved, and went up to our suite. My jaw dropped as Eric led me through a set of ornate double doors. This 'suite' was bigger than my whole house! I followed him into the bedroom and was struck speechless. The room was done in purple and gold and was beautifully decorated, but the bed was what commanded my attention. It was gigantic. I don't mean like king size or even California king. I mean that me, Pam, Eric, Bill, Alcide, Sam, and even Quinn could all stretch out on the mattress and still have room left over.
The thought sent me into a fit of giggles. I'm sure every person who I have ever been involved with would absolutely love to have a slumber party, ha ha. When Eric raised his eyebrows and asked what was so funny, I exploded into laughter. He just looked at me as if I was sprouting a second head and I thanked God that he couldn't read my mind.
"I... oh, Eric...it's... it's just... the bed..." I managed to gasp something resembling a sentence through my laughter. He looked at the bed, trying to figure out what was so funny about the luxurious spread. The blatant confusion on his face was slowly replaced by his trademark mischievous smile. I put my hands up in a stopping motion when I realized what he was going to do.
"No, Eric. You'll mess up my hair! Eric, ERIC! Stop it! No, no no no!" I squealed and bolted into the living room as he flung the pillows from the bed at me with vampiric speed. Thanks to my daily infusion I managed to avoid most of them. I kicked off my heels as I streaked around the monstrous sectional, still dodging the down-filled bombs.
I managed to swipe a pillow off the floor as I ran by, and I flung it as hard as I could towards the viking. It was a direct hit, smacking him right in the face. He stopped mid-stride and stared at me, open-mouthed. The shock on his face was beyond priceless and I couldn't help but egg him on.
"HAH! Bullseye, bee-yotch!" By this point I was laughing so hard I was bent over and could barely breathe. Eric laughed along with me, or at least he did until I reached the pillow I had been inching towards. I scored a second bullseye on the unsuspecting vampire and he was after me in a flash.
I squeaked when his muscular arms wrapped around my waist and threw me on the couch. Eric jumped on top of me and straddled my hips so I couldn't move. "Think that's funny, huh? I'll show you funny, Mrs. Northman." He poked my side and I jumped. "Real funny now, isn't it?" He continued to tickle me as I writhed and laughed underneath him, trying to free myself from the torture.
"Eric! Stop! Oh my God, not funny! Quit!" I grabbed his wrists and tried to get him to stop, but he just seized both of my small hands in one of his. Raising them above my head, he tickled me all over, from my armpits to my waist. Apparently, Eric had no intentions of releasing me, so I did the only thing I could think of to stop the tickling. He was leaning over my face, so I bent up and bit his neck.
His free hand stopped tickling me and he hissed in pleasure. I nipped again, licking the skin underneath his jaw. He let go of my hands and I automatically wound my fingers into his hair and pulled his lips to mine. His growing erection ground against my lower stomach as I writhed underneath him again, this time in pleasure.
I felt him untie my halter top and free my chest from the strapless bra I wore. I ran my tongue over his fangs and he growled in response as he pinched my nipple. I ran my hand over his back and yanked his shirt out of the dress pants he was still wearing. He arched into me and moaned as I scraped my fingernails across the newly exposed skin.
"Clothes. Off. Now." Eric complied with my order and stood up, loosening his tie as he went. I sat up and watched him strip for me. He eased the tie down and slowly pulled it from underneath his collar. He threw it around my neck and used it to pull me in for a searing kiss. I tried to reach for the buttons on his shirt, but he swatted my hand away.
"Oh, I don't think so. You stay." I pouted a little, but sat back to enjoy the show. Eric picked up a remote from the entertainment center and turned on the stereo. He flipped through a few stations before he settled on one. When he heard the first notes he smiled broadly and turned back to me. If he wasn't so drop dead gorgeous (ha ha) I would have groaned; the quintessential stripper song pounded out of the speakers.
Step inside, walk this way.
You and me babe, hey hey!
Slowly he pulled his shirt free of his pants, making sure to flash part of his stomach. He ran his fingers across the taut flesh before letting the shirt drop. The top button was undone, then the second. His hips pumped with the rhythm of the song and he licked his lips as the third button was unfastened.
Love is like a bomb, baby, c'mon get it on
Livin' like a lover with a radar phone
Lookin' like a tramp, like a video vamp
Demolition woman can I be your man?
Razzle 'n a dazzle 'n a flash a little light
Television lover, baby, go all night
Sometime, anytime, sugar me sweet
Little miss ah-innocent sugar me, yeah
Another button came free. And another. One more and the shirt hung open, revealing his chiseled body. Tantalizingly slow, Eric ran his fingers through his hair, down his neck and across his pecs, stopping to rub his nipples lightly. He closed his eyes, moaned softly and bit his lip. I felt my body jerk in response and I could almost feel my tongue following the same path.
Take a bottle, shake it up
Break the bubble, break it up
Pour some sugar on me
Ooh, in the name of love
Pour some sugar on me
C'mon fire it up
Pour your sugar on me
Oh, I can't get enough
I'm hot, sticky sweet
From my head to my feet
His hands continued over abs that would make Adonis weep and he unhooked his belt. He moved his hips in a circle, pulling the belt free in one smooth motion. He threw it aside and ran his hands back up his chest to pull off his shirt. He sauntered over and rubbed his naked chest across me. He bent his head down and grazed his fangs on my neck, moving down to suck a little on my still exposed breast. I tried again to touch him and he backed away, chuckling.
Listen! Red light, yellow light, green-a-light go!
Crazy little woman in a one man show
Mirror queen, mannequin, rhythm of love
Sweet dream, saccharine, loosen up
You gotta squeeze a little, squeeze a little
Tease a little more
Easy operator come a-knockin' on my door
Sometime, anytime, sugar me sweet
Little miss ah-innocent sugar me, yeah
Bucking his hips to the beat, he unhooked the button on his pants. He ran his thumbs underneath the waistband and lowered the zipper. Abandoning his pants for the moment, Eric ran his hands all over himself; his hair, his nipples, sucking on his little finger and growling in my direction. He turned his back towards me and whipped his pants off, presenting me with his best asset (ha ha) covered in a thin layer of black silk.
Give a little more
Take a bottle, shake it up
Break the bubble, break it up
Pour some sugar on me
Ooh, in the name of love
Pour some sugar on me
C'mon fire me up
Pour your sugar on me
Oh, I can't get enough
I'm hot, sticky sweet
From my head to my feet yeah
Spinning around, he inched his boxers down to just above his massive hard-on. He traced the v-lines leading to the 'gracious plenty' and smirked at me. Wrapping his hand around it, he stroked himself through the boxers. He never broke eye contact with me, but I saw all of his stomach muscles ripple in pleasure. I licked my lips and pulled my dress off. Just because he was taking his time didn't mean I had to. He smiled broadly and began to slowly come to me.
You got the peaches, I got the cream
Sweet to taste, saccharine
'Cos I'm hot, say what, sticky sweet
From my head, my head, to my feet
Do you take sugar? one lump or two?
Take a bottle, shake it up
Break the bubble, break it up
Eric eased himself out of the boxers and let them fall to the floor as he walked. By the time he made it to me, I was literally dripping wet. I flipped around and arched my back towards him. My knees were on the cushions and I braced myself against the back of the couch. He rubbed one finger across my soaking thong and I almost came. Before I could take my next breath, he had ripped the underwear from me and was pounding away.
I moved against him, matching him thrust for thrust. He wrapped one hand in my hair and pulled my head back while his other hand smacked my butt and held my hip. I groaned in pleasure as he pulled my hair; it hurt, but it felt so good. I pounded back against him so hard I could feel his balls smacking my clit with every plunge. I felt our bodies tensing as he leaned over me. His hand still tangled in my hair, Eric yanked my head to the right and sunk his fangs deep into my neck. Wave after wave of pleasure washed over me, inside me, and through the bond.
I felt him lick the wounds on my neck as he pulled out of me. He flopped down on the couch next to me and I curled into his side. After my breathing slowed back down to normal and the aftershocks stopped rumbling through me, I could barely find words for his striptease.
"Wow, Eric."
"Liked that, did you?"
"Yeah, that was... wow."
He chuckled and ran his fingers up my spine, giving me a little shiver. "Next time, it's your turn."
Chapter 16: Epilogue
Six months after my fateful trip to Las Vegas, things had returned to normal. Well, at least as normal as they can get for me.
I still worked at Merlotte's, but only part-time. Sam was less than thrilled about my marriage, but after stewing at me for a few days he decided that he couldn't change it. Recently, he had started dating Tanya Grissom, and I was glad for him. She was actually a pretty nice girl once we exorcised Sandra Pelt from her head. The Weres and shifters came out a few months ago, and as expected Arlene freaked out and quit. Last I heard, she was trying to move out of Bon Temps. Merlotte's didn't suffer at all, and Sam couldn't have been more thrilled with the community for accepting him.
Jason and I were speaking again, but it was still strained. He hated that I married a vampire and made no secret of it. I had forgiven him for the whole Crystal/Calvin thing because from what I understand, once it was found out that he manipulated Calvin and me into catching his wife cheating, the panthers exacted their own punishment. I'm not sure what they did, but Jason had to limp around for a couple weeks. Crystal ended up losing the baby, to nobody's surprise. The service was short and sweet, held in Hotshot.
Octavia moved back to New Orleans in January, right after I officially moved in with Eric. Amelia decided to stay in Bon Temps and rent my house. We still saw each other all the time and last time I talked to her, she was pretty sure that Tray was going to pop the question.
Claudine was thrilled by my marriage, but disappointed that she couldn't visit me more often. My husband trying to eat her every time she stopped by wasn't exactly incentive for her to make house calls. Claude didn't care either way, but he did ask me to model with him again, since his last cover was such a hit. I spoke to Niall once in a while, even though he was unhappy with my lifestyle.
Bill had been ordered by Felipe to cease all work on the database permanently. It was simply too dangerous to have all that information in one spot. He still didn't like that fact that Eric and I had married, but after being threatened with dismemberment he learned to keep his mouth shut on the subject. He was scheduled to leave for England next week for some reason, and to be honest, I didn't expect him to be back for a very, very long time.
Felipe quit pursuing me when he found out I was married. Apparently, Eric had the right idea about eloping in Vegas. I flew out to assist him for four days each month. I was paid handsomely for each visit, always had a private jet, room comped, and an expense account to buy suitable clothing. All in all, it was a pretty sweet deal.
Pam and I continued to get closer and closer. More than once she, Amelia and I had a girl's night in (or out). When we stayed in it drove Eric crazy because he wasn't allowed to be in the same room with us (because that's the whole reason for a girl's night, DUH), and when we went out it drove him crazy because we tended to act a little insane when we got together. Once the three of us reenacted 'Coyote Ugly' at Merlotte's, and even though I made almost a hundred dollars he was upset that Sam got to see it and he didn't.
As it turns out, the fire that was the end of the Fellowship of the Sun wasn't set by vampires. The entire plaza it was in had burned to the ground. Apparently the owners had neglected several blatant fire code violations. An old wire sparked and that was the end of that.
Eric announced our marriage at Fangtasia a few days after we returned from Nevada. Other than a smaller throne placed next to his, the bar remained the same and continued to draw fangbangers and tourists alike. The area vamps knew of his preference for me and weren't very surprised by the proclamation.
I hadn't spoken to any of the Shreveport Weres in ages, but Sam kept me updated. Alcide was furious that I picked "a filthy bloodsucker over a real man". My standing as Friend of the Pack remained unchanged, though. I hadn't seen Quinn since the day he walked out of my kitchen.
I had just experienced the best six months of my life, and things looked to be getting better all the time. I looked at myself in the full-length mirror and sighed. Eric was truly giving me the wedding of my dreams. Pam had begged to play wedding planner and was ecstatic when we agreed to it. Even though this was just a recommitment ceremony, she insisted on doing an entire wedding and had rented out a country club to do it. Eric had given her a huge budget to work with and she spent every penny.
Eric used the occasion the buy me a sports car. I fought him tooth and nail on it, but he insisted it was a wedding gift. I thought he had given up on it, but the other day when I had to work he pulled a conniving-bastard-vampire trick on me. I parked my Malibu out back in my regular spot and when I came out of the bar six hours later, a steel blue Maserati Gran Turismo was sitting in its place. He had snuck into the bar and switched the keys in my purse without anyone noticing. Sam was flustered about that, although he was more concerned with checking out the car than anything else. I had fully planned on reaming Eric up one side and down the other when I saw him, but the second I slid in the car I fell in love. When I got home, I flung myself at him.
I think Pam bought 'How to Throw a Wedding for Dummies' or something, because she did everything from the 'old and new, borrowed and blue' to the shoes tied to the back of the car. I noticed someone wearing the E(E)E logo and angrily confronted her about it. She apologized profusely, but explained that they were the only company willing to carry the ritual items used for the blood exchange during the ceremony.
I tracked Quinn down, and as expected, he was unhappy with my decision. He gave me a hug and wished me luck though, saying that "It just wasn't meant to be, babe." I thanked him for coming, saying that it meant a lot for him to be here. He said he had to go back to work and I went to go find Eric.
Eric was furious that Quinn was here, but I calmed him down by saying that after we got home he could erase every scent of shifter off me. By that time, Pam was frantic about getting me in my dress. She had to literally pull me out of Eric's room and into mine. Amelia and Pam stripped and redressed me in minutes. Pam, ever the perfectionist, insisted on carrying me to my spot by the aisle so I didn't get anything on my gown. She handed me a bouquet of red roses and hurried off to her seat. I didn't have any bridesmaids, partially because I wouldn't have been able to choose between Amelia and Pam for maid-of-honor, and partially because I didn't think Eric had anyone he would want to stand next to him during the ceremony.
A minute later I heard the music start and an E(E)E employee motioned for me to go. I stepped onto a long red carpet and was greeted with the smiling faces of everyone I knew. Sam, Alcide, Bill, Pam, Amelia, Octavia, Jason, Calvin, and too many others. Eric had invited all the vampires in his area also. I recognized most of them from Fangtasia, but I was too preoccupied with the man waiting at the altar for me to bother placing everyone. I ended up across from him, a small table with an ornate chalice between us. An equally ornate blade sat next to it.
This wedding went by in a blur just like the first one. The only difference is that instead of exchanging rings, we had to exchange blood. Eric took the blade and made a shallow cut in my left wrist, letting a bit drip into the chalice before he licked the wound. I repeated the cut in his wrist, but his was healed by the time enough blood had mixed with mine. I felt a wave of disgust rise from the crowd when I drank from the cup, but I ignored it. I mean, come on people, I was marrying a vampire. What did you think was going to happen?
We kissed and faced the crowd as the minister pronounced us Mr. and Mrs. Eric Northman. The crowd burst into applause and I noticed a shimmering at the other end of the aisle. Niall, Claude, and Claudine were all standing there applauding. As we started towards them, Claudine waved at me and they disappeared. I felt tears well up in me. I didn't think any of them would come, and it meant the world to me that they did.
Even though he couldn't eat any of it, I smushed a piece of cake in Eric's face. Most people laughed, but I could hear Pam over everyone else. He kissed me after I ate a small piece and licked his lips. When I threw my bouquet, Amelia caught it. She blushed up at Tray and he smiled back.
Our first dance was to Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing." While the humans and shifters ate the wedding feast, Eric had the bartender open the two very special, very expensive bottles of Royalty he had ordered. After the toast, every fang in the room ran out in enjoyment. We danced and mingled and had a wonderful time until Pam decided to usher us off for the evening.
Eric had absolutely denied Pam any more rice throwing after the attack he suffered last time, so she made do with showering us with half a ton of rose petals instead. In the limo I rested my head against Eric's shoulder and closed my eyes. When we reached our house, I was almost asleep. Eric carried me across the threshold and into our room, where he undressed me and hung up my gown. He climbed in bed and snuggled me into his side.
"I love you, Eric."
"I love you, too, minn sváss, and I will forever." | |  Leave a review or comment on my story by clicking "Start Thread" below. | |
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