Chapter one

Eric had summoned me again.

I was busy doing my evening shift at Merlotte's which was hopping as it was a Saturday, our busiest night of the week and the one night we all wanted to work as our customers leave bigger tips for the staff the drunker they get. I wasn't too happy at having to ask the ever patient Sam to let me go before closing time, losing out on some big tips, but when my "Master" called, I had to go.

It had taken some time to get through his thick vampire skull that I was not one of his regular retinue, all of who asked "How high?" when he ordered them to jump, and that I was not at his beck and call like them, but he did now realise that asking me to come to him when I was working would result in a big fat "When I'm done here!", so he was careful with his timings. I knew that for him to call now meant that he had a serious problem.

I went over to the bar where Sam was doing a great impression of an Octopus pouring drinks and mixing cocktails, and opened my mouth to ask permission to go. He looked at me in exasperation and said "That damned Viking picks his time doesn't he? Doesn't he realise that Saturday night is the busiest night for us here, and I really need you here?"

"Sam, you know that he doesn't summon me lightly these days, but if I can use the phone in your office maybe I can suss out what the problem is and how urgent it is." My boss waved his hand towards the door to the corridor where his office was and simply said "Be quick!"

I entered the office and gratefully sat down in the comfy chair behind the desk, and pulled the phone towards me. My fingers dialled the Fangtasia number automatically and the call was answered by a bored sounding Pam. "Hi Pam, its Sookie – can I speak to Eric please?" I asked "Sure" she replied, "I'll take this to him now." I could hear the familiar sounds of the Saturday night revellers at Fangtasia, and the strains of "Because the Night" booming through the sound system. Then, "Hello my lover" said the husky slightly accented voice of my true love – a thousand year old Viking vampire who was the leader of all the vamps in our neck of Northern Louisiana.

Quickly I cut to the chase and asked Eric what he wanted, and I could instantly tell he couldn't say out loud, as he merely asked me to get there as fast as I could. I told him I couldn't leave straight away, but that I would ask Sam to let me go at midnight. "I will send someone to bring you" said Eric "your car is too slow" I realised then that the summons was indeed urgent, if he was sending one of his people to drive me. For some reason the vampires don't seem to think that speeding limits apply to them, and even if they did, any vamp worth a dime would simply glamour the cop who had pulled them over and carry on on their way.

I returned to the bar and asked Sam to let me go an hour early, which was a good compromise as things did tend to slow up in the last hour, and sure enough, at a few minutes to midnight I saw Terry Bellefleur signalling to me that there was someone waiting for me at the back door. I said goodnight to Sam, collected my purse from the drawer in the office and went out the back. Imagine my surprise when I saw that Eric had sent Pam to drive me to Shreveport. The fact he had sent his second in command rather than one of the lesser vampires like Bubba or one of the humans he employed showed how serious this was going to be.

"Hi Pam" I said as I slid into the passenger seat of her car "Strap in Sook" was all she said as she revved us away from Bon Temps as fast as she could. "What's up at the club?" I asked, knowing that if anyone knew why I had been called, it would be Pam, "Trouble" she said succinctly "Eric has got some high visitors, and he needs you do something you won't like to get rid of them."

My heart sank at those words. High visitors could only mean one thing; either the vampire King of Nevada and Louisiana or one of his senior sidekicks had shown up demanding something Eric didn't want to give. "What does he want me to do Pam?"I asked nervously, but knowing already what the answer would be. Pam didn't bat an eyelid as she coolly said

"Marry him tonight!"