A/N - Continuing with the saga of As Sookie Turns. Eric wanted the floor for this one. Thanks for all your kind words for this series -- they are what have inspired me to continue beyond White Horse.
As always, the characters belong to Ms Harris, and she is my hero for sharing them with us!
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Once again, time has no meaning. The thought echoes in my head like the pealing of a church bell.
The significance of time had been lost to me a few years after I was made vampire. Once the final vestiges of my former humanity had completely faded, and days had suddenly become decades, time in its relative sense had been no more important to me than a single drop of rain is to an entire ocean. It was only after I had unwittingly allowed my existence to become entangled with that of a mortal that I had once again realized what a precious commodity time could be.
And that realization had scared the shit out of me. Vampires are not devoid of emotion, we simply learn to control them and use them to our benefit. Fear, however, was one emotion that had irritated my mind like nagging rock in my shoe.
I had feared for her life, her damnably fragile, mortal fucking life. Her life that would be just a single tick on the timeline of my life. Just a few short decades until...nothing.
I had also feared for my own pitiful existence after hers was gone. I had known vampires who had bonded with humans. I had seen first hand the emotional devastation brought on by the breaking of the bond. It was positively revolting, and I have witnessed some pretty revolting shit in my time.
But from the midst of all my fear had risen another human emotion, another one that I had buried centuries ago: hope. Oh yeah, I had been hope's champion, alright. I was the fucking poster boy for hope. Hope that the gods would smile on us and work their magic into her fey blood to somehow grant her...grant us...at least a couple of centuries together. But every day our prayers had gone unanswered, and every day was one more tick on the clock of her abbreviated existence.
Was I being selfish? You bet your ass I was. After a thousand years, I had finally found one thing worth holding on to. There was no way in hell I was going to let it go.
And now I didn't have to.
When she asked to join me, asked me to make her vampire, I was overwhelmed by a myriad of emotions – love, pride, bewilderment, elation, relief. Not necessarily in that order, but for sure love was first. I know what a step it was for her, how much courage it must have taken for her to even ask. I had begged her for this for years, but she never wanted to even discuss it. Now that the process has started, I search for emotions to convey what I am feeling, but there are none powerful enough to remark upon.
Now comes my third night alone with her in our room. I feel the sun setting, pulling the cloaking darkness over the earth as it slowly disappears below the horizon. I await this night like no other; the night of the awakening of my only other child pales in comparison.
This night I will be joined by my forever lover.
The preparations are complete. A dozen cases of Royalty stand ready to quench the burning thirst she will have when she wakes. The cost was fucking staggering, but I spare no expense where she is concerned. In time she will learn to feed as a true vampire. Until then, she will have nothing but the finest.
I stand vigil over her motionless body for the final hours. I stroke her silky hair, kiss her luscious lips and velvety eyelids, caress her smooth cheek. Soon, my lover, soon...
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The sun is now fully set and the earth sleeps underneath her blanket of indigo. Anticipation runs through my body like an electric current. I am unable to do anything but stare at my bonded...my new child...and will her to awaken. The time that has no meaning has slowed to a crawl.
As I intently watch her face, I detect the faintest fluttering of her eyelids. Excitement nearly overwhelms me, and I pause quickly to regain my self-control. I must be strong for her; she will need me now like she has never needed me before.
No pussing out now, Northman. She needs a badass vampire to get her through this, not a goddamn lovesick sap.
Her eyes open and for a minute it appears she sees nothing. I watch as they slowly focus and she becomes more aware of her surroundings.
I give her space. Crowding is the last thing she needs at this point. It has been a thousand years since I went through this same transformation, but it is burned into my memory for eternity.
Slowly, her eyes find mind and I see a spark of recognition. "Eric?"
The single word uttered from her sweet lips is a hallelujah chorus to my ears. Her voice has a new timbre, a slightly different texture, but it is heavenly. Fucking beautiful.
"I am here, lover," I whisper softly. "I am here."
She reaches out for me and I take her hand in mine. The pulsing warmth of her skin has been replaced with a cool firmness that matches my own. It is a good trade. A damn good trade.
She struggles to sit, and I slide one hand behind her back to help her. I quickly slide to a sitting position with my back against the headboard, my legs straddling her hips so she can rest against my chest.
I close my eyes and reach out to test the limits of our bond. I feel no overt changes, only an increase in strength. I mentally breathe a sigh of relief. My biggest fear had been a major shift in the fabric of the bond. I say a silent prayer of thanks that it is still intact.
I have no idea how long I continue to cradle her. I let her set the pace and follow her lead. After a time, she stirs in my arms. "Eric?"
That single word again. My singing undead heart rejoices.
"Yes, lover?" I murmur into her hair. Gone is the scent of wild flowers – it has been replaced with the earthy, heady scent of the immortals, a scent I know will remain long after the flowery sweetness has faded.
"Um, Eric I'm...uh...hungry," she stammers sweetly. She sounds so timid, almost apologetic. Nothing at all like the ravenous newborn she should be.
I erupt with laughter. "Of course you are, dear one. I am surprised it took you this long to come to that realization."
"Don't laugh at me," she scolds. "I'm still trying to figure out what's going on here."
I wrap my arms around her and pull her close. I am secretly elated to see her fiery spirit intact. "Lover, I am not laughing at you. I laugh because for the first time since we met I can finally relax and just enjoy being with you. No more fretting over your fragile human body. It is quite liberating, actually." I lean around her so she can see me waggle my eyebrows. "I am now at liberty to show you a whole new facet of my gracious plenty." I finish with an evil leer.
She reaches backward and playfully smacks the side of my head. Her hand then goes behind my neck to pull my face around to hers and our lips meet in our first kiss. Her mouth is firm against mine, her tongue seeking. She turns in my arms and presses her chest against mine, never breaking the kiss.
As our kiss deepens, her fangs run out for the first time and she pulls away from me in her surprise. She sits back on her haunches and delicately runs her tongue over the tips, testing their sharpness. Her eyes widen with her amazement and her face erupts into a giant grin.
"Unbelievable," she whispers as she uses a finger to further test her new equipment. Too much pressure causes her to break the skin and a drop of blood forms on her fingertip. Her nostrils flare at the scent and her pupils dilate with her hunger.
I recognize this signal and take her hand. "Come, lover, you must feed," I say calmly as I lead her from the bed.
We pass through the security doors of our suite and make our way to the kitchen. I take two bottles of the Royalty from their cardboard case and put them in the microwave. I remove them when the timer goes off and shake them to distribute the warmth.
I hand her one of the bottles and she takes it nervously. I smile down at her and take her free hand in mine. I hold up my bottle for a toast, and she follows my lead. "To you, my forever lover. Welcome."