A/N – The True Blood world belongs to Alan Ball. I'm just playing in it for a minute.

His steel blue eyes undressed me as I stood before him. I was still wearing the purple gown Bill had given me, and Eric seeing me in this dress was at the bottom of my list of things to worry about.

"Could you maybe stop leering at me long enough to listen to what I'm telling you?" I snapped at him.

Eric stopped surveying my curves long enough to look at my face. His eyes now took on the apathetic ennui that a thousand years of living had apparently given him. "I heard what you were telling me Sookie, Bill has been taken. But what you haven't told me is why this is any of my concern."

I growled in frustration, and Eric's smirk at my noise just made me that much more angry. "Well, aren't you Bill's sheriff, or something? Doesn't that make it your job to protect him?"

Eric's face swiftly faded back into boredom, "It is not my duty to protect Bill. He is nearly two hundred years old and does not need to be watched over like a child."

"But he's been kidnapped! There's got to be something you could do as the vampire law enforcement. You can't possibly let crimes like that go unpunished in your area! You went after Godric when he was taken. What if this is the Fellowship of the Sun all over again?"

The mention of his maker's name caught his attention, "Godric was a special case. He was a sheriff and had earned protection. It was also my duty and desire to find him. I have no such allegiance to Bill, and if I were you I would forget about Bill. Clearly someone powerful must have overtaken him; it would be unwise of you to search for him on your own."

Fury rushed out of my throat, "I will not forget about Bill Compton. I love him and I'm going to marry him."

Eric looked amused, "Well isn't that precious? He's tried to cage you already, after just a few weeks. Did you ever wonder that if he fell for you so quickly, then what's to stop him from losing interest in you just as quickly? Love is a fickle thing and fickler still for a vampire as young as Bill. I doubt he's thought through his decision much at all-he's probably just eager to brand you as his, and you're willing to let him do it in exchange for a trinket. Women are so terribly predictable."

"Bill loves me, I realize that's a foreign concept to you. I can see now that coming here was a big mistake. I thought you might actually care enough to help me."

Eric smirked, "Yes, that assumption was a mistake."

Minutes later in Fangtasia's basement/dungeon.

"Well Bill, it seems that you've managed to enrapture Ms. Stackhouse even more than I thought possible. What is it about you that she finds so very endearing?"

Eric yanked Bill's hair back to make his neck meet some silver chains and Bill let out a hiss of pain. Bill stared up at Eric's eyes and neither vampire flinched.

"Leave Sookie alone! Is this really what kidnapping me is all about? It's a bit extreme and pathetic, don't you think? Resorting to kidnapping? What do you think the Queen will think of your behavior once she finds out?"

"Oh, Bill, this has nothing to do with Sookie, whatsoever. As for the Queen, well, you won't be in Louisiana much longer. While you were off being the boring white knight, I was making some phone calls."

"Hello, Bill," Lorena's slinky voice was full of spite and lust, excitement and hatred as she entered the room.

"No. No. Eric, let me go now."

"Now, Bill, why would I do something like that? You've only been full of threats and disrespect for your sheriff, I thought perhaps your maker might be able to teach you some respect."

"Yes, it seems you have many things to be punished for, William. And punished you will be."

Bill struggled against the silver chains, burning even more skin as the chains chafed against his skin.

Lorena laughed. "I do love the smell of burning flesh. It's one of my favorite parts of torture."

And so Eric left Bill to Lorena's care.

Days later, after Sookie has rescued Bill from Lorena with the help of some of Sam's friends, she stops by Fangtasia to give Eric a piece of her mind.

The sun had just set and Bill didn't realize that I was in Shreveport. When I entered the mostly empty bar, Ginger, the blonde, glamoured-one-too-many-times waitress was the first familiar face I noticed.

"I need to see Eric," my voice was hard and cold, unlike the fire I had raging inside of me.

"Oh, my Master doesn't want to be disturbed right now."

Eric appeared behind Ginger, "I'll make an exception." He raised his eyebrows and offered me his hand to guide me to his office. I refused it and followed him instead.

Once we were settled in his office, he behind his desk, me standing in front of it, he began, "And to what do I owe this delightful surprise visit?"

"This isn't a social call, Eric. You tried to have Bill killed. Three days ago I came here to ask for your help and you didn't say anything. You captured him and handed him over to Lorena. You're despicable."

Eric smirked, "Now, now, if I was the one responsible for taking Bill, why on earth would I help you find him? I know you are capable of clearer thinking than that. Besides, it's not like you offered me anything in exchange for my help. Perhaps I would have been a bit more forthcoming if you had." He leered at me as he said the last bit, his eyes insinuating everything his mouth left unspoken.

"Yuck! You're disgusting! I will never sleep with you, you sick freak."

"Never say never, Ms. Stackhouse," his playful voice turned very grave as he continued, "I know that Bill plays human when he's around you, but we're not. Human, that is. We have different rules and a different code of behavior. How I punished Bill for his insubordination was merciful, and it would be best if you remembered that the next time you see me."

There were so many insults I wanted to hurl. I wanted to pound his face in, knee him in the groin and kick him for all he's worth. But instead, I settled for slapping him across the face as hard as I could. Eric was unfazed and smiled in response.

"My, my, Sookie, aren't you a feisty one? I imagine you're quite the active one in bed."

I blushed.

"It also seems that you've had some more vampire blood recently, I assume that it is Bill's? If so, this is the third time, I know of that he's given you his blood. Has he explained to you the consequences of being in a blood bond?"

"Blood bond? What are you talking about? Bill saved my life after a Fellowship of the Sun member staked me. He didn't form a 'blood bond' with me."

"So you don't deny that you've drunk his blood three times?"

I thought back before answering, "Not that it's any of your business, but yes, it has been three times."

"Did it ever occur to you that there may be consequences to your behavior? We do not give out the elixir of life that is our blood, lightly. Three is a sacred number and the number of times required to form a nearly unbreakable bond between a human and a vampire. He now has power over you." Eric paused, cocking his head slightly, "I suppose the effect might be different with you, as glamour doesn't work on you, but typically the bond would mean that he now has the capability to affect your emotions. He can manipulate your emotions so that you are happy around him, or horny. He can use this power to control you, to make you bend to his will." Eric looked disgusted as he said this last part.

"I don't believe you. And even if I did, I trust Bill; he would never do anything to harm me."

Eric smirked. "That's right, he would never manipulate you into thinking you loved him. After all, you had sex with him before you ever had any of his blood."

Rage flooded through me as he questioned my love for Bill, "That's none of your business. I never should have come here. I don't know what I expected to accomplish. This is just pointless." And with that I left Fangtasia and the vampire who owned it-hopefully to never see either one ever again.