"CANNONBALLLLL!" Jason's yell was only muffled when he hit the water.

"Whoa there fatty cakes you almost emptied the pool!" Amelia teased him.

"Watch the hair or I'll drain you panther" Pam said dryly as she repositioned herself back on her float.

It had been two months since we came back from New Orleans, and as a present to myself with my new financial independence, I had an in-ground pool put in my back yard. It was the end of May and the Louisiana heat was already rearing its ugly head, so I was having a grand opening of sorts for my new addition. There were strands of twinkling lights and tiki torches around the fence that made it seem like my own tropical paradise. Eric, Pam, Amelia, Jason, Tara, and I were relaxing under the moonlit sky sipping Coronas and TrueBloods and listening to Jimmy Buffet.

"Come on Sook, let's chicken fight!" Amelia said dragging Jason to the middle of the pool.

"Oh you're on witch!" I yelled and pulled Eric back in the pool.

Eric and Pam were looking at us like we were mental.

"You're going to fight like chickens? I don't understand. Are you going to peck each other? Actually that might be hot." Eric smirked. You had to remember with vampires that they don't always understand modern lingo.

"No pervert. You sit on someone's shoulders and your opponent does the same, and the two people sitting on the shoulders, go after each other and kinda wrestle until one of them falls over. Whoever falls off into the pool loses." I explained to my sexy old man.

"Well of course we will win. I am strong and you have my blood." Eric said stating the obvious.

"He's right, that's not really a fair fight. Hey Pam, come over and wrestle Sookie!" Amelia said

"That might be interesting. I've always wanted to wrestle Sookie around in a bikini" Pam smirked

Uh oh I thought. I was strong, but Pam could snap me like a twig. "I don't know if that's a good idea Amelia"

"Don't worry Tinkerbell, I'll play nice. Scared you're going to lose?" Pam was as competitive as I was.

"Bring it on fanger!" I smiled at her.

Amelia hoisted Pam's petite frame up onto her shoulders and Eric put me up on his. After getting onto him for sticking his hands in my bikini bottoms, we were off. I had my arms locked onto Pam and hers were on me, and I was giving it everything I had. She didn't look like she was even exerting any energy.

Pam was definitely getting the better of me when I heard Tara splash back into the pool and took advantage of the opportunity. I looked past Pam and said "Tara those were Pam's new Jimmy Choo's!"

"What?!" Pam turned around I took the split second to knock her off Amelia's shoulders while she was distracted.

"Yes! I win!" I yelled and stuck my tongue out at her.

"Fucking faeries, always playing tricks" She said annoyed.

"That's my girl!" Said Eric and he spun me around and dropped me to face level to kiss me.

Jason, Amelia, Tara and Pam made gagging noises. "Get a room!" "Gross!" They were teasing.

This was the most fun I had since coming back from New Orleans. Amelia and I were getting along great as roommates, even though I only spent about 2 nights there per week, I was there often during the day if I wasn't at work. She had even picked up a few shifts at Merlotte's to help out when Arlene or Holly called out. I thought for sure she would be pulling her hair out to go back home after a week, but she actually seemed happy here. After asking me about ten times if I would be mad, she went with Bill one night to the symphony in Monroe. I assured her it was fine and in fact it didn't bother me at all. I had the man of my dreams and I didn't want Bill sitting around brooding by himself all the time.

When I first got back, I wasn't sure if I should let anyone know about my new finances. Of course my brother noticed my car when he came over after a few days, and I told him it was Hadley's car that she left to me. I also gave him the first royalty check I received the next month which was $26,432 and said that it was his portion of the inheritance. I didn't tell him about the rest of the money or that I would be receive a check like that every month. It's not that I didn't want to share with him because I have every intention of helping him with anything he needs; but if he knew the amount I received, he would expect a huge chunk of it and then blow it. So instead I had been discussing with Eric how I could make a smart investment that would yield Jason a monthly income like I receive from the cosmetics company.

I had seen Niall again. He came by my house one afternoon about a week after I first met him. This time he stayed and chatted with me and explained to me that I was truly the descendent of his son Fintan, who had fathered my grandmother's children. Apparently my grandpa Mitchell couldn't produce the children my grandmother desperately wanted. After meeting Fintan one day in her garden, she was enchanted with him. He said he could give her the one thing she wanted more than anything, and he kept his word. It was really hard to believe that my gran would have ever cheated on my grandpa, but I knew that Niall was telling me the truth.

He said he couldn't contact me when I was growing up for a number of reasons, but when he saw that I was dating a vampire and had allowed Claudine in my life when he sent her; he thought now I would accept him. I did of course because he's family, but it still seemed a little strange at times. The first time he sat down and told me everything about our family history, he explained to me that I had the essential spark of the fae; whatever that is. He said it was what gave me telepathy and other powers that I hadn't yet tapped into. I didn't know what other powers he was talking about and he hadn't been too forthcoming with the information yet, so I decided to wait and see. I did however take him up on an offer he made me. He said that he wanted to do something special for me since it had taken him so long to meet me. I assured him that just knowing him was all I needed. After he insisted that he help me in some way, I realized he might be the only person that could help me with something I wanted to do for Eric. He said he would do his best and get back to me, and I knew he really would.

After another few hours of splashing around and goofing off, Jason and Tara left. A few minutes later, Amelia came over to me and whispered that she was leaving with Pam and not to wait up for her. I had to admit, Amelia was pretty brave to take on the sexual prowess of Pam, but hey more power to her!

I was lying back on one of the big, cushioned chaise lounges when my Viking popped up hovering over me.

"The big, bad vampire Sheriff sure did have fun tonight…I wonder what his underlings would say if they knew he was splashing around like a big kid in a pool?" I said pulling out my camera phone.

"Don't even think about it telepath!" He said as he grabbed me and threw both of us into the pool.

"Let's have a swim contest!" I giggled.

Before he could answer, I ducked under the water and took off as fast as I could. I made it almost the entire length of the pool before shooting up out of the water and screeching "I beat you!"

He was still at the other end of the pool smiling, holding my bikini. I looked down and realized he must have snapped it when I took off swimming. That sneaky little ass!

"You're in big trouble mister!" I said playfully and put my hands on my hips.

"I certainly hope so" He leered at me.

I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter! This book will have plenty of mysteries and adventures, but I wanted to start it off with some fun! Please stick with it and join me for the ride!