Winter Solstice The Wedding

by Marianne H. Stillie

Getting from Eric's proposal and Sookie's "yes" to the "I do's" in six weeks hadn't been easy.

Title: Winter Solstice – The Wedding

Author: Marianne H. Stillie

Categories: Romance, POV, Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Rating: T

Pairing: Eric and Sookie

Sequel To: The Gift

Summary: Getting from Eric's proposal and Sookie's "yes" to the "I do's" in six weeks hadn't been easy.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and places for Southern Vampire Mysteries Sookie Stackhouse Novels are the property of Charlaine Harris, Ace Books, The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Group. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment, not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks are intended. Previously unrecognized characters, places and this story are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Archive: Please do not archive anywhere without the author's permission.

Copyright (c) 2010 Marianne H. Stillie

Author's Note: This first story of a trilogy after "The Gift" was supposed to be an all-in-one-shot. As sometimes happens, the wedding part took on a life of its own thanks to my muse who knew a lot more had happened to Sookie and Eric in the six weeks since the end of "The Gift". There will be a part two of "Winter Solstice" entitled "New Year's Resolutions" which will have much more action, dialogue and multiple character interaction, I promise.

P.S. Happy Valentine's Day!

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Winter Solstice – The Wedding

Like all vampires, the hours of darkness are my world. The humans' fear of the night, that it hides danger and evil, had been valid for millennia. It was the only time my kind could walk this earth we share with them to feed. Thanks to their modern science, we are no longer forced to consume their blood to survive. Sadly, due to our nature, we must remain the only sentient beings forbidden, on pain of death, to see the sunlight. It is grossly unfair, but such is the structure of the universe.

Do I, Eric Northman, sheriff of Area Five in northwestern Louisiana, wish it were possible to inhabit the daylight as a normal being? It had crossed my mind over the centuries I have existed, but I had shrugged it off as unimportant to my immortal life. Over the past three years, a growing pull to be more like a human in that way had become very strong in me.

I looked up at the expanse of winter stars from Sookie's front lawn. The peace and silence of this long solstice turning would be my wedding night with her. I knew I should be inside playing gracious host to our wedding guests, but I needed some time alone before the ceremony.

The whole world had entered a noticeably new era since my kind came out of the shadows six years ago. Now that almost a year had passed, the diversity of the two-natured in all their interesting forms was adding more unique surprises to the weight of history that could no longer be called solely human.

Mixed events were reshaping everyday life, but I couldn't help keeping my thoughts close to home, and on my own life. As violent as the fairy war that had almost taken my woman from me had been, it had ultimately brought us closer than I ever believed possible. That long struggle to come to an understanding between my vampire existence and Sookie's human soul finally blossomed thanks to her fairy great-grandfather. His mystical gift, both symbolic and real, was the catalyst that had brought us to this miraculous night.

I was not naïve enough to believe in a "happily ever after" fairy tale life for us. The reality of outside events had been brought home to me very clearly that November evening I had walked into the living room of our Shreveport home after Sookie had moved in. Surrounded by several dozen brown cartons in various stages of unpacking, she stood in front of the fifty-two inch television screen copiously crying over the images of a vampire enclave somewhere in Eastern Europe as it burned in the bright glare of sunlight. This incident was only one of the dozens of major attacks that had occurred across the globe in recent months. I tenderly stood behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and resting my chin on top of her fragrant hair. With a deep, choking sob she leaned back against me, gripping my bare arms with hers.

Settling more comfortably on the couch, we watched the rest of the special report unfold. The enormity of rumors and first hand accounts of witnesses and survivors had been grimly compiled by one of the cable news networks using films smuggled out of other countries. The hard evidence of massacres and persecutions still going on confirmed the validity of the latest statistics on immigration. It was all steadily evolving into a word no one wanted to use – genocide. When an update of national news focused on the increasing instances of hate crimes in the past month, I knew the haters who had been so cautious across the United States and in Canada over the past year had begun to come out of their closets. Vampires were not their only targets anymore.

As her tears eased, Sookie turned to me and said that it was not the right time for our child to come into this world. I was stunned, but also very grateful that she had brought it up first. I had hesitated to voice my concerns based on the fragile state of things in Louisiana. Keeping her safe would be hard enough in our increasingly dangerous existence as a mixed couple. My very wise and perceptive lover gave her very valid reasons for waiting, and I couldn't disagree with any of them.

Sniffling softly, she clicked the remote at the end of the program. The screen went blank and she resumed her unpacking. While she talked about her meeting with the contractor, I opened more boxes. The major renovations to the Bon Temps house to make it vampire-friendly so we could spend regular time there had been finalized. Yes, the farmhouse hidey-hole had lost its rustic charm for both of us. Copley Carmichael's foreman had assured her that the ground floor work would be complete by the December date we had chosen for our wedding. Amelia's father was so grateful for our efforts in bringing him together with the new overlords from Nevada in rebuilding New Orleans, he would deliver whatever we wanted. Knowing how tough and capable she was, I left all the negotiations to my bride-to-be since it was her family homestead.

My lover's grieving for my kind when she didn't have to care so much for beings she didn't know was very deeply moving. That old dividing line of emotions between her humanity and my vampire perception of humans had narrowed but was still there between us. There were times, as now, she cared too much about strangers and I did not care enough about people close to me such as my soon-to-be brother-in-law. I was getting better.

I could tell the pointless violence was difficult for her to accept as a Christian especially at this time of year. The approaching holiday season was a sentimental time for humans with family and hope for the future closely tied together. Ironically, it was also the worst season for suicides. As I worked at her side helping put away her personal possessions that would now reside in my once solitary-occupied house, I could feel that the season and outside events were off balance for my lover. Even though I didn't believe as she did, I wanted to give her that special joy to counteract her sadness.

Despite the years I had lived in Shreveport since Fangtasia opened, I had never really become a part of the city's ebb and flow of celebrations and events. Now that I had someone to share with, I decided that this was the perfect time. Along with the wedding shopping, I planned out a whirlwind of seasonal events that began with watching the fireworks display from RiverView Park the Saturday after Thanksgiving. To Sookie's great delight, I purchased tickets for a performance of the Nutcracker by Shreveport's Metropolitan Ballet. I couldn't help being pulled into her excitement during the performance. As she gripped my hand, I felt the vibrations of the music flowing through her body into mine, becoming a part of her bounciness as the dancing escalated. I also found myself enthusiastically participating in the spirit of gift shopping for family and friends. We wouldn't be in the city for Christmas or New Year's days but we agreed that there would be other years for the events we would miss. One thing we did start was a new tradition with Pam and Maxwell Lee at their nest. Since Fangtasia was closed, we spent Thanksgiving Day evening, minus the turkey and trimmings, with them enjoying TrueBlood and champagne for my human lover. Pam enjoyed herself so much she planned to make the gathering a yearly tradition. Inviting more vamps, some supes and maybe a small group of all-human friends next year would make it a real party. My child does tend to get carried away when she's happy.

The winter-chilled air that stirred around me brought with it an unwelcome change in my mood. I had promised myself I would not bring that certain ancient unpleasantness into my wedding day, but I could not help recalling that if certain events had resolved differently, Sookie and I would not be getting married. In the absolute worst case scenario that could easily have happened, my woman would have died while I was helpless to stop her fairy captors from destroying their enemy's most beloved descendent.

The night last February I had told Sookie why I was delayed when she was kidnapped had been hard to put into words. Before I could go into details, she had silenced me, with her mouth and with her body. Her reaction was even more telling than the quiet understanding she had expressed when I had told her the story of my turning the night she had come to Fangtasia just before the fairy war. Respecting my pride, she had let me know that the thousand-year-old crimes against me were not a part of who I was to her.

I had wanted to believe that my new life and the love I had found with my precious human woman were so strong and true that nothing could destroy them. My belief would have continued without interruption except for the appearance of my maker, Appius Livius Ocella, that January night at Fangtasia, accompanied by a smirking Victor Madden. The informal modern clothing he wore so easily only enhanced the hard muscular body of the Roman legionnaire he had been as a human even after all the centuries that had elapsed since I last laid eyes on him. The haughty, arrogant swagger I remembered so well was even more pronounced from having survived for almost two millennia. My body reacted as it always had, with expectant anguish. I quickly controlled it, but I could tell from the hard set of his mouth that he had seen the flicker of my old human fear, the emotion that had enabled him to control me after he had turned me. It was a reminder that he was still my maker, and I would have to do whatever he asked of me.

Instead of being on my way to Bon Temps as I had planned, I became the primary player in a verbal dance of wills. Only Sookie's call requesting protection ended the repellant reunion. Victor had no choice but to adhere to the promise made by our sovereign and allow me to see to my responsibilities as sheriff. He quickly made an excuse that they had only stopped by as a courtesy on their way to New Orleans. I knew it was a lie, but I let it pass. When my concern for my lover was resolved, I would address what objectives my Nevada overlords might be after. With a broad, gloating smile, Victor escorted the obviously displeased Ocella out of my office. I knew it would not take him long to explain to my maker exactly what kind of relationship I had with Sookie.

My well-honed survival instincts served me well the next night when the ancient Roman showed up at my home. I had already received the call from Bill that Sookie had been taken by enemy fairies, and had immediately contacted Niall. Dressed for the battle I knew was coming, I was in the process of arming myself from the concealed weapons locker I kept in my office, when I heard my front door being forced open. From the scent, I knew who the vampire was who walked up behind me. Arming myself was useless, so I slowly turned to face my maker.

Ocella's immediate sexual overture to me was no surprise. What was different was the cruel grin that spread across his smooth, white face as his demanding hands moved on my body, taking liberties he had long-ago become bored with once he had found a new plaything for his excessive appetites. It was not the old lust he had forced on me during the years I was tied to him. He was attempting to renew his power over me by submission and humiliation. Even now I could not help shivering, revisiting his heavy touches and his hard mouth. His derisive laughter that I still had not let go of my humanness became harsher as I forcefully pushed him away. He would have backhanded me in his rage if I had not suddenly doubled over in pain. He did raise his fist, but several overlapping surges of fresh pain in other parts of my body stopped him as I dropped to my knees.

The excruciating agony brought Sookie's name to my lips, knowing that was where the torture was coming from. Ocella's fresh laughter dripped with ridicule that his proud Viking child was in blood-bonded thrall to a human woman. The next waves of distress from afar were so mixed with my lover's torment, I fell to the floor. Kneeling beside me, he grabbed me by the hair and lifted my face to him. He never had the opportunity to say or do whatever it was he had in mind. The long knife I had left on a chair whizzed through the air, slicing through Appius Livius Ocella's ancient neck. As I looked up through a haze of new pain and the spray of thick vampire blood, I saw my grimly smiling child spit at the lifeless head as it landed on the carpet.

For almost an hour, I writhed in empathy with my lover. Her calls to me became weaker and weaker in her despair. I feared I had lost her when her pain in my body and her voice in my mind suddenly stopped. I could only hope that she had fallen into a welcome unconsciousness.

When Pam finished cleaning up the dregs of what had once been my evil maker, she sat beside me on the couch, making sure I consumed every drop of each bottle of TrueBlood she firmly insisted I needed. When the call came from Niall telling me where Sookie was, I was ready to engage in the battle I would have to fight in order to bring my lover home.

I became comfortingly aware of Sookie's warm presence just inside the house, and it helped to balance me. With a shuddering breath, I let go of the horror that night represented, and stepped into a different set of memories. Being alone was a state of existence I had spent much time in over my long life. Initially, I welcomed the solitary relief after the years of desperation and forced acceptance with my maker. My warrior nature had kept me from ending my undead state, giving me a fierce will to live in my new form.

Earth was a big enough place to get lost in, and I gratefully wandered its diverse landscapes. I refused to use the term "hide". Living as a vampire was a very harsh lifestyle for many centuries, but I survived in spite of the odds against me. My will to continue was also mixed with a great deal of luck. That it's rare to find vampires as old as I is a tribute to my superior abilities, and I make no apologies for it. My remaining humanity had quickly become subsumed by an even stronger vampire nature. Being cautious as I sought out others of my kind became so ingrained in me I never let my guard down, even now. I made a place for myself in a world of darkness by doing whatever I had to do.

It had always annoyed me that so many humans obsessed over their pasts. As the centuries slipped by, I didn't have time to worry about all that passage of minutes and days and years. Only the highlights mattered to me. My love of women, fun and power, not always in that order, pleasured me quite nicely. The excitement of business and politics in recent times as our vampire culture drew together and became more organized was what occupied me most. I was grateful that my continuing immortality allowed me so many choices with a vampire version of free will for the taking if I was smart enough to play the right games in this modern age. I hadn't been shy about making a prominent place for myself in the vampire hierarchy. My position as sheriff gave me more than just power. With the advent of the Japanese synthetic blood and the Great Revelation, I could live with dignity and purpose in a real home and a stable environment, if I so chose.

I hadn't expected to find my deepest heart's desire after settling into my very comfortable and lucrative sheriff position in Louisiana. Having feelings again, the human kind that were so alien to what I had been for centuries, had caused me endless days and months of questioning. Being able to love freely and deeply was an aspect of life I had abandoned with my humanity. At least I had thought so. Meeting Sookie had shown me an alternative to my old way of living. On the night of the Nevada takeover when I remembered the beautiful days I had spent with her nine months before, I was no longer afraid to open myself to a set of emotions I had allowed to wither. If finding such boundless happiness with a human woman made me equal to a human man in the eyes of some of my contemporaries, so be it.

When I proposed to Sookie it was grounded in the total assurance that I was finally free of my maker. Beginning tonight I would be like other humans, persevering in my life with my beloved. As Niall said the night he had given us his parting gift, "All life is risk."

I was so wrapped up in my personal thoughts I didn't hear Pam's light movement as she came down the front steps. When she called my name, I couldn't help flinching.

Standing in front of me, she searched my face in the moonlight. "You should be so happy tonight, Eric. What's wrong?"

I answered as simply as I could, "Bad memories."

"Old ones or new?"

My child's persistence was boundless. "Both." Before she could ask another unwelcome question, I said, "I wanted some fresh air while I wait for the justice of the peace to arrive."

Pam pursed her lips. "Liar"

I laughed with the delight of an indulgent human parent. "Such disrespect toward your maker. I know I taught you better."

The retort I suspected she was going to make withered on her lips. Instead she smiled. "The grand passion you have for Sookie amazes me, Eric. I never believed it was possible for you to be truly happy. Or that you ever wanted to be. You've always been such a hedonist, taking your pleasure wherever you found it. Oh, not in a cruel way, just…" and her voice lost its momentum.

"Just as a true vampire," I answered honestly.

Very seriously, she said, "You need to tell Sookie what happened to you the night she was taken."

Recalling the soothing feel of my lover's mouth and hands on me the night of our reunion, I said, "I tried, months ago. She wouldn't allow it. Actually, it's best this way. If it became public knowledge that you killed my maker in defense of your own, the repercussions would be difficult for you."

Pam's proud, defiant spirit showed in the stiff set of her body as her eyes kept a steady gaze on me. "Like Sookie, I will do anything to protect you."

Gently, I caressed her cheek. Noting how beautiful my child looked in the burgundy velvet gown she had chosen to wear for her role as my witness tonight, I was reminded again of how proud I've always been to be her sire. "You did that night, and I will be eternally grateful."

A comfortable silence held then I voiced a long-time concern, "I'm pleased at your devotion to me, Pam. However, it may be time for you to go your own way again. I'll give you your share from the club in cash so you can start your own business elsewhere."

After a few weighty moments of thought, she said, "No. I like it here, with you and Sookie, and all the adventures we've shared. I'm looking forward to what new creatures, uh, friends we may find in the future. Life is never dull around you two." She paused then added, "I could use a vacation, boss," her brows arching questioningly.

"Done."

Decisively, she said, "As soon as you two are back from your honeymoon I'll have my talk with Sookie. Then I'm off to the wilds of Toronto."

I laughed at her innocent smile. Now I understood her flustered behavior the night last summer when Alec, my old friend the sheriff of Toronto, had delivered Bill to me. "How long have you been planning this?"

"Awhile. When I lived in Minnesota, Alec and I were together regularly. I know. Such closeness between our kind is frowned upon. I haven't been with him since I came here to help you start Fangtasia," she concluded as if she were apologizing for being disobedient.

That spring in Paris when they met, I had been surprised at first that a former Catholic priest and a wild English girl had "hooked up" as the current phraseology described such liaisons. Only later, when the summer ended and we had parted company again, did I realize how appropriate it was that my two surviving children (another of those stories for a later time) would be so closely bound. Their reunion more than a century later made great sense to my way of thinking.

"Do you love him?" I asked.

Grinning, she said, "Sookie asked me that question about you."

"And your answer was?"

"No."

I held in a laugh. "Your answer to my question?"

Smiling girlishly as I have always pictured her since the night I turned her, Pam answered, "With a grand passion!"

Both of us laughed, my baritone and her trilling soprano filling the quiet night.

I saw Pam's head snap toward the dark woods. "Bill Compton is out there."

Keeping my voice level, I said, "He has been since nightfall."

"He must know what tonight is for you and Sookie. Why would he torture himself so needlessly?"

Remembering the finality of events from three nights ago, I didn't waste words on what I considered a closed subject. "It's his choice. Sookie has finally used the Were ritual to abjure him in totality. I would like to do the same, but as sheriff, I can't. The vampire database and his continuing work on it are too valuable."

"Is that how our dear king located Appius?"

"No, he isn't listed. I checked. De Castro went to great expense to track down the old Roman. Whether it was to bring me down or to simply gain closer control over me, I don't know."

"Do you think our spy problems are a part of their plan?"

"Perhaps. I do find it strange that no one has questioned Appius' disappearance."

"The bastard was no great loss to our kind, not when we're trying so hard to become integrated. I just hope I can find the betrayer in Shreveport. It's been much too quiet these last weeks."

Pam's unusual use of profanity was too appropriate to criticize. "Your sense of justice is commendable, Pam. Please promise me that you'll be gentle with Felicia in your aggressive sleuthing."

"Don't worry. I eliminated her from my suspect list weeks ago."

I really wasn't surprised at my child's response so I changed the subject. Unable to resist, I asked, "Are you finally going to consummate your smoldering lust for Jason Stackhouse to celebrate my wedding? I don't think Alec would mind."

"Sookie's bro is a hot stud even with only a trace of fairy blood. I've thought about it, but now that he's going to really be family, it's not a good idea. I'll just go home before dawn and sleep. If that's okay with you, Master?" and she reached up and straightened my already perfectly arranged tie.

Our easy laughter was very comforting. I took the double-ring jeweler's box out of my jacket pocket and handed it to Pam. "Give this to Jason at the appropriate time."

"May I look?"

I lifted the lid for her. Her deep blue eyes went wide as she looked at the specially designed wedding rings Sookie and I had had made. Our old joke about the blue and yellow-gold colors of the Swedish flag had carried over into our choice. The square heavy gold signet ring for me was centered with a bright blue star sapphire with a canary diamond at each corner. Sookie's ring was much more feminine and elaborate with two tiers of baguette canary diamonds in steps around her blue star sapphire.

Pam's eyes started to well up, but she pulled the threatening tears back knowing blood streaks on her face wouldn't be taken well by our non-vampire guests. "They're beautiful." Snapping the lid shut she wrapped her left hand tightly around the box.

I heard a car coming down the parish road even before I saw the first glimmer of headlights. I looked at my watch. Fifteen minutes to eight. With all that had gone through my mind earlier and the just concluded conversation with Pam, I needed to steady my feelings. I reached out to Sookie and felt an immediate warm connection. This refined use of our blood bond had become a habit we had eased into very naturally since our own great revelation six weeks ago.

Jim Wilson, the local pharmacist who moonlighted as Bon Temp's justice of the peace and notary, pulled his car into the last empty spot in the crowded parking area in front of the house. His vehicle closely hugged the border of landscaping timbers. With a relaxed smile I greeted the civil official who would perform our marriage ceremony. Escorting him into the house, I took on my very important role of host.

---

Eric's gentle touch on my mind was very welcome. Feeling the calm happiness he was projecting, I responded with an inner smile. I'd felt the ebb and flow of his very open thoughts from outside. I still couldn't read his mind without the normal brainwaves of a live human, and I never wanted to. Our blood bond was so powerful now, the physical so tied to the emotional, I didn't need my simple human gift with him. I could feel the supernatural spark that made him a vampire as clearly as he could feel my human life force. Each time I was in one of our surreal communications, I was amazed all over again at how quickly our bond had become fully open. Eric had told me more than once since our reunion that there was much more to the bond than I'd experienced since Rhodes, and I would know and understand when I was ready. Only after our near breakup last month and our long overdue profession of love for each other, did I feel the full fathomless depth of emotions we were able to share so naturally as they flowed between us. In the not too distant past, I would have been petrified to be linked to Eric this closely. It was a credit to the trust we'd learned together that I let him come into me without all my old barriers while he never hesitated to give that same freedom to me now that his restored humanness dominated our private life together. It had become another aspect of our intimacy even more intense than our physical lovemaking. Did this fully operational blood bond make the sex better? You betcha!

I'd sensed his heavy introspective mood even through the chatter of Amelia Broadway's excitement as she'd helped me dress earlier. The dark mood that had come over him with his thoughts could only have been bad memories. I knew better than to panic when I picked up any negative emotion from Eric. Hey, vampires were pretty moody creatures I'd learned first hand over the last three years. My own personal vamp had been practicing his brand of moodiness for centuries. He was also very good at control even in the worst of times. Most important of all, he knew when to reach out to me for support and assurance. That we sustained each other so completely through love and blood was strengthening the bond between us more each day. A soft laugh slipped out. I was definitely thinking more like a vampire every day.

With a questioning glance at myself in the dresser mirror, I wasn't sure the person I saw was me. I looked so happy, and it felt so good. If Eric saw me now he'd tell me I was exquisitely ravishing. I knew he'd be saying words like that later tonight after we were officially married. His compliments would be great for my ego. But it was the happy part that was the best. As Eric would say, "perfect".

I'd been really good about not falling into old bad habits like only telling part of the truth in my relationship with Eric. When I'd told him we should wait to have our baby that was how I really felt. I saw the danger that existed around us, and I really was afraid. I finally fessed up to the other half of the truth only days ago. It was a very selfish wish I just couldn't help. I wanted as much time with my fierce Viking warrior and loving, caring husband as I could squeeze into each day. I was mortal after all. I possessively wanted those mutual hours we could share to be only for us. I was just happy knowing our child would one day happen.

I also wanted to make a place for myself with E(E)E and the Special Events supe world. I'd waited a very long time to have a really full life worth living. The world that had opened to me because of my gift had brought me into contact with, first, vampires then all the other supernatural beings ordinary humans knew of only in legend and myth. It had brought me to Eric whose guidance, protection and belief in me had given me choices I'd never dreamed possible, and shown me where I really belonged in the grand scheme of things.

Fear wasn't a factor in my new future in Shreveport, just a leeriness that came from my newly discovered caution, a trait I'd picked up from my vampire lover. Through our bond, I'd become more acquainted with the darkness that existed in Eric from his vampire nature. I could feel very clearly what he'd been in his long past and what he was still capable of if provoked. That he used that undead nature so constructively in the human sphere was a wonder to me. He could move in their world, mainstreaming by strength of will instead of hiding as some vampires still chose to do. Since I'd first met him, despite my original fear, I'd come to admire that he was always more civilized and controlled than other undead immortals. He lived in the here and now, and I joyfully followed him.

The one thing I didn't let myself think about was getting old and dying. Maybe someday Eric and I would talk about it. At odd times I had almost glimpsed a wisp of a thought from him, an apprehension that was out of place in a vampire who'd lived as long as he had. I chalked it up to his revived human emotions, and let it pass for my own reasons. After all we'd been through together and how we were finally sharing a life, there was still one thing we didn't talk about. It was like one of those pesky weeds that always showed up in Gran's flowerbeds no matter how many times you pulled it out. Of course, it wasn't the same weed just like the untouched question wasn't the same. Once in awhile, I did let myself wonder what he would do after I was gone. I didn't linger on it too long. I was too afraid of what Eric's answer would be if I posed that question. As strong as his identity was as a vampire, I worried that he was becoming too human in his love for me. And as much as I wanted him all to myself, for a year or two anyway, I knew we needed to have that child from my great-grandfather's gift. Whether boy or girl, it would be a part of both of us and would give Eric a reason to live on and be happy. It would create a line of descendants who would keep him grounded in his immortality.

Then, of course, there was the other side of that same coin. I did ponder, more than I cared to admit, if there would ever come a day when I couldn't bear to leave Eric. Would I ever change my mind about being turned so we could be together for eternity? My Word of the Day had been "ambiguous". When I'd read it this morning, I was so sure it was far from where this Sookie Stackhouse was today. Now I wasn't so sure. Maybe it came with the territory of being part fairy and loving a vampire.

I felt a light tickle on my neck, as if cool fingers were searching for something. I was the telepath, but Eric was much more talented in his use of our blood bond, for now anyway. With a deep breath, I let his touch bring me back from the scary future I really didn't want to think about on our wedding day.

The smile I saw plastered on my face as I looked in my mirror again seemed to satisfy him as I sensed him moving around in the main room of the house. I also felt a growing streak of impatience in him. It matched my own on this special night.

Having our wedding in my family home was the right thing to do. Bon Temps wouldn't be our primary residence but we planned to spend as much time here as we could in the years ahead. Tonight was my personal good-bye to my old life. For so long I'd believed I needed to stay in Bon Temps. Only after all my adventures did I realize I was holding on to a part of my life that didn't fit anymore.

I was very comfortable in this bedroom where I'd spent so much time with my loving Gran during the years she'd raised my brother and me. Then after she was gone, I'd made it my own. It may sound very sloppy and sentimental but this bed in this room was where Eric and I had made love for the first of many times. There would always be a bond with this place, and I wouldn't let it go no matter where the new part of my life took me.

The slew of goodbyes I felt I needed to make had started the day I'd given my notice to Sam. As I made the rounds of my regular tables for what I knew would be my last shift at Merlotte's, I found myself really enjoying being a barmaid again. Not that I'd want to stay one, but just for those brief hours I remembered the good times about my years there. There were certain people, who shall remain nameless, I would never miss!

Eric was waiting for me when I got home from the bar. Over a leisurely dinner of TrueBlood (for him) and my super deluxe chicken strip salad courtesy of Antoine, we finalized the plans for our wedding. Setting the date was easy. The first day of winter, the date with the most darkness, was second only to Halloween for vamps. The guest list was short which made for very simple reception arrangements. I figured an assortment of drinks both potent and benign, along with some elegant hors d'oeuvres would be enough for a small evening wedding. Except for the vamps who would be there, the rest of us humans and supes would enjoy some great party food to celebrate.

We surprised each other with unexpected requests. Since we would be exchanging our vows before a select group of our closest relatives and friends, I wanted the ceremony in the Stackhouse homestead. Eric smiled and agreed easily.

I had a little trouble with his request. Actually, I was furious. He insisted that Victor Madden had to be there as a witness. Recalling the last time Victor was witness to a major event in my life, I launched into one of my "open mouth without thinking" tirades. Eric's bland silence as I rattled on added fuel to my anger. When I'd finally run out of breath and words about why I wanted any hint of vampire politics kept out of our wedding this time, my vampire spouse flippantly commented that I should relish the opportunity for some non-violent payback. My mouth felt glued shut as I digested what his words meant. Maybe after we've been married fifty or so years, I'd finally lose my gullibility when Eric was in his full droll-sense-of-humor mode. He howled with surprise and pleasure when I jumped him and proceeded to have my way with him. The kitchen chair landed on its side taking us with it. Since the kitchen floor was one of the rare places we'd missed, we enjoyed the different perspective of scenery. As you can guess, Eric didn't fight back very hard, except where it counted.

An hour and a half later we finished our conversation about Victor. With a twinkle in his eyes and a self-satisfied smile on his lips, my lover happily explained that our being married under human as well as vampire law guaranteed that we would be secure against the vampire establishment. Felipe de Castro was too covetous of his empire to risk being called to account by the human legal system that would look askance at any threats against a recognized marriage between a human and a vampire. Before I could verbalize the question that had leaped into my head as soon as he'd finished speaking, Eric assured me the practical aspect wasn't the only reason he'd asked me to marry him the week before. He couldn't read my mind but he sure knew me like a book.

Falling asleep in Eric's arms, I dreamed about Victor's ingratiating forced smile when he had to congratulate us after the ceremony. I slept very peacefully that night.

Eric's note was propped against the coffeemaker next morning. In his crabbed penmanship, he said he'd see me at home when he woke up. He had bar duty that night so he wanted to spend some time with me before he headed to Fangtasia. I grinned at the possibilities his words promised.

I took my time enjoying two super-sized mugs of coffee laced with one of those special holiday flavored creamers. A toasted English muffin pocked with lots of cranberries and slathered with butter was my breakfast. I really loved the holidays and all the special foods that came with the season. Thank goodness it was only once a year.

After showering and dressing, I started going room by room deciding what I needed to pack for my move to Eric's house. I had four boxes stuffed with clothes when Sam unexpectedly showed up on my front porch.

The first bits of conversation were stilted then he suddenly wrapped his strong shifter arms around me and squeezed. We'd long ago come to a mutual agreement that romance wasn't in the cards for us. The deep respect and friendship was the important thing between Sam and me. He was more of a big brother to me than my own sibling had ever been. Right that minute my informally adopted big brother was expressing how much he didn't want to let me go. Despite his acceptance of Eric in my life, he was still afraid for me. The term worrywart was a true description of Sam Merlotte, only in his case it was a beautiful compliment. He'd always been a minimalist (I sometimes think my Word of the Day calendars were put together by psychics) in his speech. That morning he let his feelings out with a verbal vengeance. The world beyond Bon Temps was a big, scary place especially since I would be a major figure in the vampire community as Eric's legal wife. Over fresh cups of coffee, I let him say what he needed to get off his chest. Having finally found the love of his life, he understood why I needed to be with Eric. He just wanted me to know he'd always be there for me. To my amazement, my telepathic mind was able to digest all the thoughts I felt coming from his usually confusing shifter brain. When he'd finally finished talking with a huge sigh, I was able to put all the right words together in response. There was another big hug then he offered to help me pack.

We'd worked together for so long, the boxes filled quickly. Our conversation had turned to friendly chitchat, comfortable and happy subjects, about the two new waitresses he'd hired, my wedding, his and Beth's plans. When he'd finished helping me load the trunk and back seat of the Malibu for my trip to my new home in Shreveport, there was a final hug and a warm kiss on my cheek then he got into his pickup truck and went back to his new life with Beth.

My bedside clock showed ten minutes to eight. This time when I looked in my mirror, I saw a young woman in her bridal finery. I wished with a hard tug on my heart that my Gran was here. She would be so happy to see me as a bride.

After my official move to Shreveport, my first visit back to Bon Temps was to Tara's Togs. With only five weeks until the big day, I needed a rush on my gown. As I pored over the selection of Isabelle's Bridal gowns with Tara, I was on the verge of tears. Though lovely, none of their selection was what I had in mind. Somehow the mixture of old-fashioned, classically elegant with simple modern lines I wanted was missing from their ready-in-a-hurry catalog.

Before I could melt into a puddle of eye wetness, Tara's business professionalism took over. She asked her assistant to run the store while she drove into Shreveport with me. At my house, I got into her car and we headed to a place I'd only seen from the outside the one time I'd been there, Verena Rose's Bridal and Formal Shop.

The display gown in the large bay window to the left of the stairs was different from the blood-spattered vision of white that had given Alcide Herveaux and me gruesome clues about the violent events that had occurred inside hours before we'd arrived. Even after almost two years, I couldn't help looking away from the neatly trimmed shrubbery below the window where a lone hand had been thrown by the perpetrators of a grisly murder. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed Tara's hand, and we went inside.

I knew from Amelia that Verena Yancy still owned the store but her niece, Melissa Devereau, was now running it. The dark haired, attractive young woman who greeted us and escorted us to one of the dressing rooms introduced herself as Verena's niece. Since I was a friend of the pack, she recognized my name immediately.

From the tangled threads of her thoughts, I could tell the very chatty Melissa was a Were like her aunt and cousin, the late Adabelle Yancy. She gave us a quick rundown of her professional background, a fashion design degree from a very prestigious school in New York, six years of apprenticeship with a Paris couture house then back to New York. She had returned to Shreveport to help her aunt. With a barely noticeable intake of breath, she quickly switched over to peppering me with questions about the type of gown I was looking for, how big the wedding was going to be, etc., etc. Since she knew who Eric and I were from the stories she'd been told by Alcide, she expressed her sincere intention to make our wedding day as romantic and beautiful as she could.

Tara and I couldn't help giggling after the whirlwind that was Melissa Devereau left the room. While we waited, I gave the room a once-over. The richly upholstered Victorian-styled chairs were exceptionally comfortable to make the waiting and viewing easy on a nervous bride and whoever might be with her. A delicate lace curtain covered the double window that looked out on the ground floor side of the two-story house. The pale green brocade drapes that were tied back with gold cords had a soft lilac sprig design tastefully scattered on the heavy material. If I couldn't find my dream wedding gown in this elegant place, it simply didn't exist.

I could read Melissa's emotional excitement about the gown she carried so carefully in her arms even through her Were maze of thoughts. With some help from Tara, I nervously stripped off my street clothes. When my head was clear of the fabric that fell so easily down my body, I looked at myself in the gilt-bordered three-section mirror. Right that moment, I knew what it felt like to be a princess.

With a fashion designer's eloquent skill, Melissa described every intricate detail of the gown I was wearing. The shimmering ivory-colored watered silk A-line dress glistened against my winter-pale skin from its square neckline, along the tapered sleeves that encased my arms and down the perfectly fitted waist to the skirt hem that just skimmed the floor. Bands of spider-web-fine bobbin lace in matching ivory edged the entire neckline front and back and on each sleeve at the wrists. The carefully designed neckline assured that my ample bosom would be kept modestly in place. The gown fit me so perfectly, I was afraid the vision in the mirrors was just a dream.

From a large double-door cherry wood cabinet set against a cream painted wall, Melissa brought out a headpiece made of thickly layered loops of the same ivory lace that was on the gown. Anchoring it to the top of my head, she explained that there was a matching mantilla to go with it. Before I could respond, Tara was up and rearranging the exquisite headpiece. Sweeping my thick, long hair to the left, she attached the headpiece vertically with the combs then suggested that one of the exotic red flowers Eric sent me regularly would go perfectly with the ivory lace. With a great big "yes!" I hugged my BFF. I could always count on Tara's perfect taste.

Even as I pictured myself standing beside Eric as we exchanged our vows with me in that gorgeous outfit, the practical Sookie seeped into my fairy tale princess euphoria, and I asked how much the gown and headpiece cost. When Melissa very slowly gave me the dollar amount, I knew my little dream was over. I did have enough to cover it but it would wipe out what was left in my little nest egg. I knew Eric wouldn't hesitate to pay for anything I wanted, but I just couldn't ask him for this.

In the uncomfortable silence, Melissa excused herself. It left me to collapse into Tara's waiting, supportive arms. Like the very dear friend she was, Tara insisted that I'd be doing this marriage thing only once so I should just go for it. But I knew it wouldn't be the right thing to do. I'd go back to Tara's Togs with her and look over the Isabelle catalog again.

By the time Melissa came back into the dressing room, I'd composed a gracious exit speech. With a radiant smile she told me there would be no charge for the gown and headpiece. I started to sputter a protest but she silenced me with a simple explanation I couldn't say "no" to. The gown and headpiece had been the last creations Adabelle Yancy had designed before her death. When she'd explained the circumstances to Verena in the phone call she'd just made, her aunt's response was adamant. The gown and headpiece were her gift to me for being so instrumental in bringing her daughter's murderers to their deserved end.

That was how I found myself standing in my bedroom on the longest night of the year as a beautifully attired bride about to marry the man of my dreams. Thanks to a wild shopping spree Tara and I went on after we left the bridal shop, my undergarments, shoes and stockings were the most expensive we could find in Shreveport. I even broke the budget on my garter. Yes, I did splurge on a spectacular shell pink babydoll nightgown that I knew Eric would love for our wedding night.

The French manicure I'd treated myself to at Clip and Curl this morning was the finishing touch to my getup. I held up my simple bouquet of perfectly formed blood red rosebuds, and squeed again at how perfectly they matched the exotic red flower that was clipped tightly against the lace headpiece. I suspected the whole effect would look awesome in the wedding photos our Were photographer Al Cumberland would be taking since Eric would be sporting a matching blood red rose boutonniere on his wedding outfit.

Of course, I didn't have a clue what else my groom was wearing. I did know it would be the best-tailored and most expensive suit, shirt and tie available. Since Fangtasia was closed, we'd driven to Bon Temps on Monday evening to get our license at the town hall. We'd had to make a special appointment with Ruby Montrose, the town clerk, since we could only do the necessary legality after dark. Afterwards we'd deposited our wedding clothes at the house. As if it was the most natural thing in the world, Eric put the opaque garment bag and several other packages from the men's clothing store he owned in Shreveport in the smaller bedroom across the hall from the main bedroom where we slept.

Eric's wickedly fun-loving side was in its glory that evening. He knew I was dying to know what he'd chosen to wear for our wedding, but he refused to give me even a small clue. He declared that since he couldn't see my gown before the ceremony, I'd just have to wait to see his outfit. Despite my teasing which reached a natural point of attempted seduction, my tough old vampire wouldn't budge an inch. When I gave him the silent treatment, he knew he'd gone too far. Very chastely, he kissed me, said he adored me and handed me a small rectangular flat jewelry box. Inside was a pair of opal drop earrings set in white gold. The Sookie tear ducts opened in a split second. Eric's wedding present to me was a prefect match to the opal necklace Niall had given me last Christmas, the first and probably last such holiday gift I'd ever have from my fairy great-grandfather.

I fully acknowledge that I'm an emotional pushover for my gorgeous Viking so I was glad that I had my wedding gift to him hidden in a shoebox in our room. After a thousand years of seeing everything there was to see, it wasn't easy to surprise Eric Northman. My gift of cufflinks and a tie tack to match his wedding ring brought out a rush of joy in my man that overwhelmed me physically and emotionally through our bond. My bank account was now on life support, but all the mind-blowing orgasms I wallowed in that night were worth it. I'm proud to say I didn't take advantage of his weak moments to wheedle any clothing secrets out of him. Still, I couldn't help blushing when I pondered what type and color of underwear my unpredictable lover had decided was appropriate for our wedding this time. I'd just have to suffer through and wait until that Friday.

With the solstice date getting closer and closer, I still had one huge piece of unfinished business to take care of in Bon Temps. By being too honest and open with my lover, I almost blew our wedding to bits. I'd accidentally stepped into the very big secret my vampire husband had been keeping from me for months regarding Bill Compton's psychological state due to the silver poisoning.

Eric was on a joyful high from the minute he woke up that Tuesday evening. He was eager to get back to Shreveport and an evening at Fangtasia so he could cross one more day of work off his calendar before our wedding and honeymoon. When I told him I was staying in Bon Temps, he was puzzled. When I told him why, that I needed to cut the last of my ties with Bill, he went colder than a convention of vampires in the Antarctic. His one word response, "No," went beyond the undead chill of the grave.

When I asked him why, I got the slickest politically correct explanation he had ever attempted (that I knew of, anyway) since his cajoling of Andre in the Rhodes hotel hallway. Even as he spoke, I knew there was more to his story about Bill's unpredictable temper in recent months. Another man would have kept talking until he was sure his woman was too befuddled by his words to think clearly about what she was actually hearing. Not Eric. His silence reminded me that in his world, he was used to being believed, and obeyed without question.

The Stackhouse temper popped up again. Eric's very big secret made my half-truth about my selfish little wish insignificant. It was the biggest lie of omission he had ever tried to get past me, even worse than the pledge knife thing. I didn't know which I was maddest about – being treated like a child who had to be protected from the reality bogeyman, or finding out I couldn't trust him to be honest with me about a major topic that affected both of us in our relationship. How he had kept himself shielded all that time despite our blood bond really scared the hell out of me. Apparently, his true vampire nature was still strong enough to overcome his restored human feelings and supersede our intimate bond. That realization had shaken me to the core.

Into the very cold silence that hung between us, I pulled in my wrath, the fear and doubts that were bouncing around in my head too difficult to sort out. I accepted his words grudgingly, sensing that it wasn't the right time or place for what I was afraid was a story I really didn't want to hear about my ex. Calmly, I explained why I had to say my good-bye to Bill. Eric agreed only if he drove me to the house and waited outside, another example of his ingrained high-handed expectations. What he would have done if I hadn't agreed didn't even cross my mind. The vampiric symbolism would be very direct. His presence outside was a clear warning to Bill that Eric wouldn't hesitate to kill him if he dared harm me. As I got in the Corvette, my body shook with suppressed tension.

At the Compton house, I prepared myself for my final confrontation with Bill. I felt like Michael Corleone settling all the old family business before moving on. That I'd saved the worst for last just proved that underneath my tough exterior there beat the heart of a telepathic coward. On the other hand, at least I was doing my own dirty work instead of having others do it for me.

You're probably wondering why I felt it was necessary to make such a final closure directly to the man who had been my first in so many important ways a grown woman experienced in her life. I had two reasons: I was still furious at Bill's manipulative cruelty toward Eric in trying to break us up, and I wanted him to be very sure that there was no hope I would ever go back to him. Yes, he'd risked his life fighting for me against the bad fairies, but gratitude had its limits. The prudent pragmatist I'd become during the past year knew he needed to move on with his life too.

Bill's concept of right and wrong had always been flawed. It had caused me more pain and heartache than the good parts in the end. I'd also acknowledged that there had been far more instances when I'd been afraid of Bill than I'd ever felt toward Eric in the years I'd known him.

As I talked to Bill, I nervously couldn't help using verbal bullet points to explain why I was in his house after so many months of non-communication. When I got to the last part, the words I remembered so clearly hearing Alcide use when he'd cut his ex out of his life, Bill finally reacted. The flexing of his fingers as they formed into claws, the crouch his body flowed into, and the fully extended fangs told me why Eric had wanted to hide what the aftereffects of the silver poisoning brought out in the Bill I used to know. He'd made a threatening step toward me, and it only took me a second to prepare for a scream-and-run exit.

I don't know if it was Eric's sudden appearance right in front of me or a change of heart on Bill's part, but he carefully stepped back from Eric's defensive stance. I couldn't see his face, but I sensed that Eric was in full vampire mode with fangs out, ready to attack. Carefully, Bill let the attack positions his body had assumed disappear. A slight flicker in his dark brown eyes told me there was nothing he wanted to say. Despite being in his own house with the front door hanging by only one hinge, he turned on his heel and went up the staircase.

Eric was exceptionally quiet on the drive home to Shreveport. At our front door, he kissed me lightly on the forehead, unlocked the door for me then went back down the short driveway. As the Corvette disappeared down the deserted street, I felt a tremendous sadness. Whether it had come from Eric or me, I couldn't tell. It was so all encompassing, I suspected it was a shared pain.

I wish I could say that was the end of our pre-wedding crisis. That we'd just kissed and made up and fucked like bunnies until dawn. But things have never been that easy between Eric and me. As dawn of Wednesday morning approached, I was wide-awake and Eric hadn't come home even though Fangtasia had closed hours before. There was only a brief text message from Pam, "Eric is here at my nest. Don't worry."

But I did worry. I also didn't sleep. The sadness persisted, colored by additional layers of disappointment, guilt and embarrassment, all of which I sensed we were projecting back and forth. The really peculiar thing that leaked through my misery was that there was no pride or anger left in either of us that night, just a strong surety of the love we'd created together. I thought about rushing over to Pam's but decided against it. Instead I kept sending an intense wish that Eric would come home so we could talk. I knew as surely as I was human that my vampire husband had felt my call. But he didn't come.

I've never been a pacer when I'm upset. Usually, I find things to do to keep me moving while I think about the problem I'm facing. There in what had been Eric's house for years, all I wanted to do was lie in our huge bed and let myself feel him all around me.

What came out of all my thinking during those hours leading from darkness into full daylight was how ashamed I was at my childish behavior. Gran had always told me to think before I burst out at someone in anger, that my perception might be all wrong, and the person really didn't deserve my angry words. When I forced the anger away, I saw all too clearly how wrong I'd been to think the very worst of Eric. He was doing what he had always done from the second time I saw him and he'd kept Long Shadow from killing me: he was protecting me the best way he knew how. In his very logical way of thinking, secrets were acceptable means to a justified end. Protecting me from the potential monster Bill had inside him was just another secret with a justified end.

With a mixture of painful and relieved memories, I recalled how tender and caring Eric had been toward me after the traumatic torture I'd endured. His powerful blood had healed the extensive physical damage with minimal aftereffects on my body. It had been his deep, unspoken love for me from our bond that had brought me through the recurring fear I'd suffered for months. His understanding touches when he sensed I was sinking into a flashback, the specter of death so close I wanted to scream, were given freely and to a degree that brought me back from the edge each time. I'd lost track of the times I'd awakened from a horrific nightmare to find myself cradled in his strong arms. It had been his rich voice singing to me softly in his original native language that had enabled me to fall asleep again, safe and secure.

I'd opened the room-darkening window coverings so I wouldn't feel disconnected from the outside world. Even though I knew Eric was already in his deep sleep for the day as the early morning light streamed in through the glass, his mind shut down from communicating with me, I ached even more from missing him. My lover had told me that a blocked blood bond, even for only a brief length of time, was painful to a vamp. It worked both ways I had discovered graphically that night and morning.

As the sleep-starved part of my body finally gave in against my anxiety gremlin, I whispered, "I love you, Eric," in hopes that he'd hear me through his slumber. I then decided that I'd go to Fangtasia that night. If Eric wouldn't come home to me for whatever reason his twisty vampire brain had settled on, I'd ambush him. It was a great plan. Fortunately, it didn't happen.

I don't know how many times the phone rang late that afternoon before my sleep-fogged mind heard it. When the noise finally got through to me, I fumblingly grabbed the handset, praying it was Eric. Instead of the warm male voice I needed to hear, Amelia's animated words pulled me into a fresh funk. With barely a breath between sentences, my other BFF reminded me that we were going out that night. With a suppressed groan, I remembered the where and why: the girls, Tara, Beth, Pam and Amelia, were taking me to my cousin Claude's strip club in Monroe for a bachelorette party.

I wanted to cancel so I could just wallow in my unhappiness until Fangtasia opened. When Amelia said she had some very special news to give me, I couldn't back out. After the grief she'd suffered because of me, I owed her. I'd still have time to get to the club to confront Eric.

Anticipating my meeting with my man, I dressed to entice him, deciding I needed all the help I could get. I'd bought a clingy red satin cocktail dress for a dinner out on our honeymoon. The front cleavage was very low, the back almost nonexistent and the suggestively paneled peek-a-boo short skirt barely there. When Amelia arrived, I met her at the door in the dress and red strapless heels, my hair, makeup and nails perfectly done. I still had the black velvet wrap with beading that Alcide had given me to replace the one his dead ex had burned. A red satin clutch completed the picture I wanted to convey for the evening – a woman determined to get her lover back home.

As we drove from Shreveport to Monroe, I listened to Amelia in stereo, with my ears and in my head. I knew she had been dating Alcide since the summer. After I'd turned him down, he'd been really determined to finally find a mate. He'd gone to New Orleans on a job for Copley Carmichael. While he was there, he'd looked her up. The attraction just came naturally between two strong people with a great deal in common. It hadn't surprised me.

Her news was that after three months of living together in Shreveport, they were engaged. Taking her left hand off the steering wheel, she waved it at me to show off the rock her Were had given her. I couldn't help whistling. Alcide's taste was as extravagant and impeccable as Eric's. Despite the iffy state of my relationship, I was thrilled that I'd have another married couple in my group of friends. Two weddings, Sam and Beth, Amelia and Alcide, to look forward to next year.

At the club, we were shown to our table where Tara, Beth and Pam were already seated. I guess it paid to be the part-fairy cousin of the owner as we had the very best seats in the house, as close to the stage as we could be.

I noticed a life size poster displayed prominently beside the bar. It identified the guest stripper as The Dark Knight direct from Europe for a one-night-only appearance. Laughing obscenely, Amelia commented that she hoped the guy looked as good in his bare skin as he did in head-to-toe black. Amelia's directness had taken some getting used to since I'd first met her. That night it became one of my favorite attributes in her. Feeling a growing lightness in my mood, I added my own laughter to hers.

A peculiar thrill ran through me, and I couldn't help looking back at the poster as we walked away. Though only slits above a full facemask, the man's dark blue eyes were compelling, staring straight ahead so that you felt they were following you wherever you moved. Something about the look was familiar but I couldn't place it then.

After the usual opening girl talk and ordering a round of drinks, I excused myself. Since I was there, I wanted to see my cousin Claude. We'd kept in touch after the fairy war, both of us needing to maintain some hold on the fae part of our heritage.

Claude was still conceited, rude and obnoxious on a regular basis. Fighting with Niall against Breandan's army had affected him though. Losing his last surviving sibling, Claudine, in that final battle had changed him in a way I saw clearly when we visited.

In his office, we hugged affectionately. My sexy dark-haired cousin smiled as he congratulated me on my upcoming wedding. I apologized for not inviting him, explaining that the presence of four vampires against one fairy would be asking for disaster. Claude laughed heartily. He told me Niall's company in Houston was perfecting something that would enable the fairies who had chosen to stay on this side to mingle freely by masking their scent. Doing business with the very wealthy and increasingly powerful vampire society was a necessity nowadays. Kissing me on the cheek, he told me our drinks were on the house. With a huge grin, he added that he hoped I'd enjoy the show.

Back at the table, I joined in the buoyant and frivolous chatter enthusiastically while taking only small sips from my gin and tonic. Even though I was enjoying the company of my closest girlfriends, I needed to keep my head clear for later. As the conversational exchanges became more risqué, Pam put her hand lightly over mine and smiled. I'd known her long enough to comprehend that she was telling me things would be okay between Eric and me. First opportunity, I'd get her alone and make her explain her enigmatic smile.

The house lights went down leaving only the spacious stage illuminated. Claude came up the main ramp from the floor. In his best emcee voice he welcomed all the lovely ladies in the audience, and promised us an evening's entertainment we'd never forget. Raising his voice theatrically, he introduced the special guest stripper then hurried down the ramp just as the stage went totally dark.

The faint throbbing notes of a vaguely familiar piece of music trickled out of the sound system. It was an innocent rhythm, sweet and teasing to the ear. I'd always loved music, but didn't learn to really appreciate the structure of what I listened to until this past year. Eric's extensive and diverse music collection along with an internet course I'd audited at Bossier Parish Community College had opened a whole new world to me. I admit the technical construction of the notes wasn't nearly as exciting as the emotional impact they created in my ears, and in my body.

A single spotlight flared and began to expand around the guest stripper at the center of the stage. With another cycle of the main theme caressing my ears, a light bulb went on in my memory. The delicately repetitive stanza of notes was Ravel's Bolero, the classical piece I'd heard for the first time when I was a very little girl and had watched ice dancers Torvill and Dean skate to it so beautifully at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.

The darkly mysterious body gradually being revealed in the expanding spotlight on the stage overtook my childhood memory. His head was bowed onto his chest. A thick velvet cape was wrapped so tightly around him, not even a hint of skin showed. Like a bat's wings unfurling, he seductively spread the cape wide revealing a spectacularly tall man in the full beam of light. An "oh" of feminine admiration rippled through the room. My own personal reaction was shamelessly carnal, and I felt myself blushing all over.

Like a highly trained dancer, The Dark Knight began a circuit around the stage, his floor-length cape flowing flirtatiously around his legs. Almost too gracefully for a man, he carefully began peeling off one tight leather glove. When the glove was fully free, exposing the skin on his broad hand, he spread his long fingers wide as a cat would before digging its claws into the softness of a favorite human's flesh. With a carefully posed fluidity, he flung the glove out into the crowd of women. I strongly suspected he was smiling underneath the long, loose mask that completely covered the lower part of his face. The appreciative crowd of frantically grabbing female hands below him who were reaching for the descending glove showed that his act was achieving its desired effect.

Moving with the next series of notes from Bolero's score, he glided to another spot around the circumference of the stage and repeated the hand undressing, this time flinging the glove deeper into the crowded room. A third change of movement and position, this time to doff the Spanish dancer style hat, raised the level of excitement in the room another notch. Waving the hat by the brim as if he were going to throw it, he simply dropped it at his feet. Approving whistles from the audience followed his titillating theatricality.

Now that the hat was gone, I tried to get a closer look at the narrow band of his face between the facemask and the tight headscarf that completely covered his hair. I wanted to see his eyes directly. To my total frustration, he moved so quickly that I only caught his profile before he turned his back away from my side of the stage again.

The spotlight moved with him back to center stage and expanded coyly in time to the music. The entrance of fresh musical instruments grew as he swept the cape off his shoulders. The swirling material settled flaccidly against his legs then became an aroused dance of carefully choreographed steps bringing to mind the taunting movements of a matador in the bullring. His broad, aggressive strides kept time to the increased tempo of the newest movement in the complex musical score. For me, his brazenly suggestive body was exuding an amorous allure that made me want, no, need to see his face.

With the next tempo escalation, the cape became a swirling blur of fabric above the man's head, his arms moving so fast they became one with the black material. Suddenly, he let it go. The cape spun, fell fluidly and sailed across the floor to the far side of the stage.

Loud clapping and shrill cheers competed through the continuing bars of music. Without warning, the stripper removed the mask from his face with a flourish and turned to my side of the stage. In that moment, I was able to put together each exposed part of The Dark Knight that had become so tauntingly familiar. I also understood why he hadn't allowed any of the women to touch him. Caught in the magnetic stare of his limpid blue eyes, my heartbeat began pounding harshly in my chest as I devoured the beautiful man on stage. My body was instinctively demanding more and more of my blood in order to mate with my lover. Through my ecstatic desire, I whispered, "Eric."

Keeping eye contact with me, Eric began unbuttoning the long-sleeved black satin shirt with one hand while his other hand pulled the shirt aside exposing his exquisitely sculpted chest. While he did so, there was a sumptuous rush of emotions from our blood bond that poured into me from my vampire lover, filling up the empty spaces and quenching the loneliness we'd suffered during the past twenty-four hours we'd been apart.

His tantalizing movements and his suggestive touches hypnotized me. It was almost like being glamoured, with the added temptation of an innocent creature being pulled into a beautiful spider web of promising delight. My vampire mate was the only creature who had ever been able to influence my mind and body so totally. If I ever lost the mystical connection we shared in our blood bond, my life would be a void. Gasping tremulously this time, I whispered, "Lover."

The teasing smile on his mouth told me he'd heard my call. He deliberately made his way to the very edge of the stage above me. With each enticing, seductive, promising motion, Eric made the simple removal of his shirt a salacious work of art. When the garment was in his hand, he rubbed it across his chest then dangled the long sleeves invitingly within inches of my aching bosom.

There was no hesitation. From a powerful need to be connected to my lover again, I reached up and grabbed the sleeves with both my hands. In seconds, his vampire strength lifted me onto the stage in front of him. When I was tightly against his bare chest, I let go of the shirt. Carelessly, he threw it behind him.

Already reeling from the shock of my ascension onto the stage, the audience's yells of amazement increased when I slid the headscarf off Eric's scalp freeing his cascade of golden hair. Smiling again, he began a series of intricate and exciting dance steps even more elaborate than what we shared in the privacy of our home. His powerful arms and legs gave me the feeling that I was flying around the stage.

The rapturous intimacy of it all, how flawlessly he held me, the cool feel of his skin, the ravishing variety of emotions he shared so openly with me, the perfection of his body, how he inhaled the scent of my skin, made me want to taste Eric's addictive sweetness, his skin as well as his rich vampire blood.

With a heightened tempo of the music, Eric's flow of uninhibited passion expanded further into my body making the ravening hunger in my nether regions crave the ecstasy only he could give me. Rapaciously, I pulled at the waistband of his black pants feeling them rip away easily from his body. Blind with my desire, I flung them aside. In awe of the G-string clad manhood he had been concealing, I wrapped one leg around his waist, not caring that my scanty dress hiked up to my waist, revealing my red lace thong.

As he'd done many times in the throes of our foreplay, Eric held my bottom with both his hands making our wanton position just bordering on the illegal. The last bars of music pulsed around and through us. With an inevitability that came so naturally I couldn't help smiling, Eric lovingly begged, "Yield to me." In time with the last powerful crescendo of music, he dropped to one knee, pulling me so tightly into his body, it would have taken only the tiniest of movements from each of us to meld us together, bare flesh to bare flesh, in a slaking physical climax.

There was a blessed total blackout on the stage. Through my euphoric happiness, I only faintly heard the ear-splitting screams and rabid applause from the audience. Eric kissed me passionately and deeply then carried me down the backstage ramp in the total darkness.

In the dressing room he'd used, he was in his street clothes and rushing me out to the parking lot while I was still setting my own clothes to rights. As the Corvette sped onto the highway, the lust that had been generated on stage began to dissipate. I also realized I'd lost one of my red heels somewhere.

I guess it was a sign that Eric and I had finally achieved a truly mature relationship. Instead of rushing into the bedroom, we sat in the car in our Shreveport driveway for over three hours, just talking.

There were apologies on both sides, each trying to be the one to speak first, struggling through so many volatile emotions. Out of the jumble of "I'm sorrys", we discovered that our feelings matched in all the important ways. I easily pledged that I'd let go of my defensive anger monster that had gotten in the way of trusting him implicitly once too often. He revisited the promise he'd made to me the night he'd asked me to marry him, that he'd never hurt me. It was a very human thing for a vampire to do, and I could feel the deep sincerity behind his words. We both made fresh promises to keep hurtful secrets and half-truths out of our relationship from here on.

When we finally got to the bedroom, we did make love. It was slow and sweet, as if we were getting to know each other all over again. In some very personal ways that's exactly what we did that night.

Yesterday morning I watched Eric as he slept, remembering the beauty and passion of his very special gift to me at the club the night before. That wasn't so unusual since I had made a habit of staring at my slumbering vampire quite regularly. What was different was his reaction when I caressed his body. Despite his deep sleep, he responded for the first time ever, a slow smile forming on his lips. Not wanting to waste the moment, I kissed his smile and whispered, "See you tonight in Bon Temps, lover." Since vampires don't breathe, I knew the barely perceptible sigh I heard was for real.

At my family homestead, my three best human buds, Tara, Beth and Amelia, helped me clean and set up for the big day. The work went quickly thanks to their glowing descriptions of my man's abundant talents as a stripper. Beth stated that she was very glad Sam hadn't been at the club the night before. All three agreed it was best that Sam, JB and Alcide never saw Eric's assets so up close and personal. I laughed along with them, unable to stop myself from grinning like a Cheshire cat. Their fantasies didn't hold a candle to my intimate physical knowledge of said assets.

We had agreed that after midnight of our wedding day we would sleep apart. Eric arrived soon after dark so we had several hours to relax and enjoy more of the afterglow of our passionate dance and our comforting reconciliation. The lovemaking was quicker last night, leaving both of us fully sated by the time we separated for the beginning of the solstice date.

The daylight hours today had gone quickly with my hairdresser appointment, florist and wedding cake deliveries. Sam brought in the trays of hors d'oeuvres around five, making my refrigerator look like an army was expected. He also set up a mini-bar on the kitchen counter. With a brotherly peck on my cheek and a "See you later," he left.

Noticing the time, I got myself a glass of water and adjourned to the master bedroom. I heard Eric moving around soon after. I wondered if he was hungry or just as restless as I was. I was surprised when I heard the back door open and close and the smooth sound of the Corvette engine. He hadn't said anything about going out so I was really curious what he might be up to.

Just after Eric returned, our guests started arriving. While Tara did her thing setting up the music for the evening, I was glad to have Amelia help me get ready. Trying to put together all my bridal finery had been a little daunting. My friend's spirited happiness helped me focus on all the people I loved the most who would be sharing this day with my vampire lover and me. I knew we would all stay close even if we were scattered across northern Louisiana. I was moving on with my life just as they were.

Before my thoughts could go any further, I was enveloped in the feel of a very soothing mind. Eric's exquisite touch brought his very unique brand of understanding and sharing to my spirit as he'd done so many times over the past year even when I didn't ask. I didn't think it was possible to feel an even stronger love for my man, but I did. Eric was my soul mate, my life mate and my beloved, all those terms of endearment that would never be enough to express my love for him.

Just as the Sookie Stackhouse waterworks were about to open up, there was a firm knock at my bedroom door, saving Amelia's perfect makeup job on me from disaster.

"Can I come in, Sookie?" Jason asked from the hallway.

With a hopeful smile on my face, I let my brother in then stepped back. We hadn't talked much since I'd told him Eric and I were getting married for real. Even though he'd agreed to stand up for me, there was a ton of unspoken issues he was still struggling with since the fairy war, not the least of which was our great-grandfather's rejection of him.

Re-closing the door, Jason's blue eyes went wide as he looked me up and down. "That's some outfit, sis," and he whistled. With a sad smile, he added, "I wish Gran was here to see you."

"So do I." I choked back another urge to cry. "You look pretty hot yourself, big brother," and I reached up and straightened the very crooked navy blue tie Jason had put on to go with his pinstriped suit and white dress shirt. He'd never been good at tying a necktie since he rarely wore one. It did occur to me that my wedding was the second happy event his one and only suit had seen. I avoided thinking about the two very sad funerals that went with the good times.

I guess Jason sensed the heavy emotions between us too so he pasted on a lopsided grin and pointed around the room. "Except for the new hallway door to your bathroom, you can't even notice the changes you've made to the house."

My brother was so used to my telepathy, he was good at shielding. I was surprised I could hear the rest of his thought, that he had been worried about too many changes spoiling the atmosphere of the old farmhouse.

Admiring the special window treatments I'd chosen to make our bedroom light-sealed for when Eric slept during the day, I said, "Thanks to some very creative innovations by some very talented designers who want to accommodate the vamps and their money, Eric and I will be able to spend much more time here very comfortably. Same for any vamp visitors upstairs and across the hall."

His old mistrust of vampires came through as Jason asked, "Speaking of vamps, who's the jerk with the phony glad-handed smile?"

Keeping a straight face at the familiar tone in my brother's voice, I answered, "That's the infamous Victor Madden who's running things down in New Orleans. Yeah, he's a jerk. He's also very dangerous."

"I'll behave, Sookie. I promise." Shuffling his feet self-consciously, Jason stuffed his hands into his pants pockets. With a light laugh, he said, "That first night I met Eric, I never thought he'd be my brother-in-law someday. I guess it's more than those big feet, huh?"

I couldn't help laughing at that very special memory from Eric's time as an amnesiac, that he was very briefly my brother's new friend. I knew the real Eric I was marrying tonight and Jason would never be best buddies. The most I could hope for would be a peaceful coexistence because they both loved me.

"I'm gonna miss you not being around. Even though we've had some bad times, we're blood kin when it counts. Now that you're marrying a vamp, I guess it's up to me to make sure the Stackhouse name doesn't go extinct."

The doubts and insecurities Jason had always struggled with were so close to the surface, I couldn't help picking them up from his mind. I began to wonder if he was letting me into his head on purpose. I really wanted to reassure him that our family's future wasn't all on his shoulders, but I forced myself to be silent. Eric and I had agreed to keep Niall's gift a secret for now. It was something for the future. Since fairy magic had no expiration date there was no rush. Besides, Jason needed to finally grow up and find his own way.

I knew I might be opening up a can of giant worms, but I had to ask, "What do you want, Jason? I mean, really want for yourself, after all the shit you've been through?"

Jason was heavily thoughtful before he answered. With a shy smile, he answered, "I want a good woman like you to love and love me back. I want to change and be a truly good man. I'm just not sure where to start. Or if I've got the balls to do it right."

His swirling thoughts jumped and meshed in my mind and I waited.

"I want what you've found with Eric." Laughing in that tough big brother way of his, he continued, "I don't mean I wanna hook up with a vamp. Not that there's anything wrong with you and Eric. I just want someone to love and who'll love me, the way you and Eric love each other."

I smiled fondly. It seemed to reassure and encourage Jason that he was on the right track.

"We're the last ones left, Sookie. Eric's a great guy but he can't do the baby thing. That leaves me. I do want a family. A wife and a couple of kids to call my own."

"But you're afraid you'll screw it up?"

"Yep. It seems to run in my set of genes."

I was no shrink so I didn't know if Jason never using his dead wife Crystal's name was good or bad. Instead, I caught Jason's eyes and held them with mine the way I'd learned to do with normal human brains over the last three years. "If I can overcome being crazy Sookie Stackhouse with a loving guy like Eric, you can find and keep good things for yourself, dear brother."

"You really believe that, sis?"

"Yes, I do," and I kissed him sweetly on the cheek.

Jason grabbed me and hugged me hard, the way he hadn't in a very long time. In that moment, all the bad that had pushed us apart over the past three years just melted away. A very unexpected image flashed into my head of Jason in a new suit on what I knew would be his wedding day. Whether it was wishful thinking or a psychic vision didn't matter. With a fervent prayer, I asked that the Lord would let it happen someday soon.

My brother's strong arms suddenly let me go. "I'm so sorry. Did I muss your dress?" He stepped back a pace, smiled and stared at me again. "You look so beautiful, Sookie. I hope Eric really knows how lucky he is."

"He does." I looked at the clock again. One minute to eight. "It's time to give me away, Jason."

I took his offered arm as we stepped out into the hallway.

---

Everyone gathered in the living room had gradually drifted into their respective places as the mantel clock ticked closer and closer to that magic time tonight. I'd never been to a human wedding, even when I was a human. What made this simple little ceremony so special to me was that my wonderful maker was the very happy groom.

As I stood beside Eric in front of the blazing fireplace, I scanned the room. I was very relieved that my charge was occupied in conversation with the disk jockey for tonight's event. I could see that Tara was slowly and carefully giving Bubba his instructions for his big part in the ceremony. I had to admit he looked the picture of the internationally famous celebrity he had been in his human life.

Thanks to the very knowledgeable and very patient employees at Eric's men's clothier in Shreveport, Bubba had found the perfect outfit for the wedding. He might be short certain brain cells since his turning, but he knew what looked good on him – a muted brown velour suit with a mint green silk shirt. Instead of a tie, he'd insisted on having the shirt open at the throat, just enough to show his pre-vampire signature flash of chest. The finishing touch was a long, white silk scarf trailing rakishly around his neck. In that outfit he was the king again, as long as he didn't try to make conversation.

Along with the clothing run, it had fallen to me to convince Bubba that Eric was Sookie's man now and explain what their wedding meant in all its intimate details. Sookie had warned me about Bubba's resentment toward any intimacy between her and Eric in the past. My eloquent words became a vampire version of a "birds and bees" talk similar to what human parents traditionally gave their teenagers. Considering I'd never had children, I must have done a pretty good job of it, thanks to Ann Landers. Bubba was so happy, he willingly agreed to sing for them tonight. I would sigh with relief when the evening was over though. You just never knew what might happen with his unpredictable temperament. The things I did for my maker and my dear friend Sookie.

Turning to Eric, whose eyes were fully focused on the hallway Sookie would use as an aisle, I was able to admire his choice of wedding finery. In human parlance, men weren't supposed to be called beautiful. Eric had always been the exception to that rule of custom from the first time I had seen him the night he turned me. The charcoal grey three-piece suit was so impeccable on his perfect body, it could only have been custom made for him. Of course, owning the store in Shreveport made him their number one customer. There were stylishly tailored elements of a tuxedo that included a satin shawl collar that enhanced his long torso elegantly. I was pleased he'd followed my suggestion to wear an ivory colored dress shirt. Eric was always very astute so I'm sure he guessed it was a hint about Sookie's gown.

The paisley design tie in a damask-like iridescence was a total surprise. It combined a muted grey with soft ivory and blood red tints. The single red rose boutonnière on his lapel was in perfect harmony with his color choices. If a tie design could be characterized as erotic, Eric had found the exact one to complement his wedding outfit.

I took in a girlish breath at the finishing touch he had done with his thick mass of long, wavy blond hair. Accenting his striking height, he'd had an expert stylist do his tresses in an intricate Dutch braid with an ivory satin ribbon intertwined in the inverted sections of hair and secured with a wide band of the same ivory satin at the end of the braiding.

I'd seen Sookie's gown and headpiece so I knew how perfectly they were matched in their wedding finery. Their visual affect went in tandem with how perfectly they fit together as lovers. The colorful dips and swirls and loops of the paisley motif were also a metaphor for their multi-colored and layered journey from that first meeting at Fangtasia through all the twists and turns and roadblocks they had encountered, separately and together. I was probably the only person who could get away with pointing out Eric and Sookie's vulnerable, needy and fragile private sides with each other. I was sure, from the way of the world we lived in, there would be more tests and challenges for them.

I knew immediately when Sookie emerged from the bedroom and began her walk down the hallway. Eric took in a noticeably audible breath in the same instant that Bubba began singing to the instrumental version of the original arrangement Tara had found for his accompaniment.

"Wise men say only fools rush in

But I can't help falling in love with you"

Sookie was so ethereally beautiful as she let go of Jason's arm and turned to Eric. I heard him take an even deeper breath, filled with his joy, amazement and love for his human woman. If I were human, I would be jealous of her hold on him. But my maker's happiness was the only thing that mattered. I could only rejoice for and with him. I trusted that their future would be full of that unique joy of life and vibrancy they had found with each other.

"Shall I stay?

Would it be a sin?

If I can't help falling in love with you"

The flames of the ivory and red candles danced joyfully on the mantel, almost in time with the music. Sookie handed me her bouquet then intertwined her arm and hands with Eric's. The justice of the peace began the simple civil ceremony. I was trying to avoid the overly sentimental reaction I understood came out in human women at weddings. My vampire tear ducts were having a problem as I watched the expressions on Eric and Sookie's faces react to the solemn words being spoken at them. Were the looks that passed between them what a true blood bonded marriage was all about?

"Like a river flows surely to the sea

Darling so it goes

Some things are meant to be"

A ripple of soft gasps swept across the small room as Sookie and Eric were each asked the "in sickness and in health" question. Instead of the traditional "till death do us part", they each firmly vowed their commitment to each other "into eternity".

Before I knew it, it was time for the rings. Juggling the ring box along with the bouquet, I handed Sookie's ring to Eric then carefully passed the double-ring box to Jason. I noticed his hand shook a little as his fist encircled the box. I wondered what his emotions were as he watched his little sister marry my vampire maker.

"Take my hand,

Take my whole life too

For I can't help falling in love with you"

When the justice of the peace said those final words declaring Eric and Sookie husband and wife, I almost broke down watching my maker and his new wife kiss so passionately. As the kiss lengthened, applause and whistles filled the room. When they finally ended their first marital kiss, their laughter and smiles were even brighter than the warmth of the fire.

Like a carefully orchestrated professional event, Sam and his fiancé Beth appeared with trays of delicate crystal flute glasses filled with either very expensive champagne or the equally expensive Royalty Blended blood substitute.

When everyone had his or her beverage of choice, Jason stepped forward. Raising his glass, he let his voice carry strongly around the room, "To my wonderful sister, Sookie and my new brother-in-law, Eric. May you have a long and happy life together."

Amid more applause and cheers and laughter, the glasses started clinking. Not needing any further encouragement, Sookie and Eric kissed again.

Tara took advantage of the deeply romantic atmosphere and replayed the wedding procession song. To everyone's delight, Bubba began singing again with even more of the familiar verve and enthusiasm he'd been famous for. Eric and Sookie had eyes only for each other as their bodies moved sensually. Established couples paired off and joined in the dance as the lyrics flowed sweetly.

To my surprise, Jason held out his arms and smiled in that inviting way that was so much a part of his irresistible one-eighth-fairy personality. In his muscular arms, I discovered why he was such a chick magnet.

The romance of Eric and Sookie's special evening expanded into a very rowdy party with food, drinks and some very raucous dance music. I was able to pry my maker away from his bride for an exhibition of a big band jitterbug routine Eric had taught me when we had spent time in London during The Blitz. Not to be outdone, Sookie and her brother burned up the floor with what they called a country two-step here in northern Louisiana.

I danced with Jason several more times, and found myself wanting to jump his bones against my original resolution to behave. What kept me a good vampire was my responsibility to do chauffer duty for Bubba and Victor. When the party started breaking up just after midnight, I decided I'd call Alec as soon as I got home. I couldn't have my own vampire lover in person, but we could try some of that phone sex I'd heard so much about.

---

I watched Sookie in the dresser mirror as she methodically undid my hair braid. I freely devoured my beautiful wife's image with my eyes as intensely as I had lost myself in the pleasure of her body earlier tonight. I have always reveled in the exciting warmth of her human skin, amazed at how much more she pleased my sensuous desires than any other woman I had known in my vampire centuries. Having her so close, her nightgown-clad body pressed tightly against my back, her bare legs circling my scantily covered hips, brought on so many precious memories of my evolution back to the human man I had been so long ago. This bed marked the true beginning of my transition. More and more I have wished that my body could give her a reciprocating heat. My consolation was that what I couldn't do in that human way with my body, I could do with my mind through our blood bond.

I handed Sookie my hairbrush without her asking. The slow, gentle strokes of the bristles dug into my thick hair and slid down my scalp. In the immediate afterglow of our post-wedding coupling, I closed my eyes in pure bliss. Our marriage tonight had brought us full circle.

"Thank you, Eric."

"For what, dearest?"

Stopping in mid-stroke, Sookie bent her head. With a half-kiss, half-bite, she giggled. "For wearing red bikini underwear with your wedding suit. Like the one you had on the first time we shared this bed."

"That cold New Year's morning you found me on the road, alone, frightened and devoid of all memory of my true identity."

Laughing softly, she added, "Except that you were definitely a vampire."

I snickered then said, "I will always remember how I felt being so close to you each night, the warmth of your skin calming my fear and confusion through the amnesia. You gave me a real identity that brought me so much comfort and contentment, my lover. Only later when my memories returned, did I comprehend how frightened you yourself had been and how bereft you were after our time together ended."

In unison, our heads turned and met for a deep kiss. Our hands hungrily moved on each other's bodies adding a renewed urgency to the kiss.

Against my neck, Sookie whispered, "You know I'm expecting a nightly shower on our honeymoon, like the one you gave me that first time." Her teasing voice added, "Just because we're married now, Viking, doesn't mean you don't have to court me anymore. None of that taking me for granted crap, Mr. Northman. Not for this country girl."

Reaching back, I let my hand travel to the warmth between her legs. "We'll have plenty of time to share such pleasures at the hotel over those long solstice nights, Mrs. Northman."

Dropping the brush on the bed, Sookie moved beside me, opening her thighs to my probing fingers. Moaning and shivering with her increasing desire, she choked out, "That's what I wanted to hear, my love."

Our heavy embrace lingered on with deepening kisses to match. As my tongue teased her lips, I felt a drenching wetness on my hand. I knew my lover was very close so I whispered into her hair, "Your lips are even sweeter with the still fresh taste of our wedding cake on them."

With one last push into her ravenous womanhood, I let her body take what it wanted from me. The initial release was followed by massive aftershocks. Intercourse with my lover was always the best, but her sensuous reactions to other forms of sex were highly exciting for me as well.

Slowly her heartbeat and respiration returned to normal as she stayed comfortably draped down my chest, her arms firmly around my neck.

Laughing sweetly, she changed the subject away from sex to a more mundane topic. "I hope all the pictures Al took come out, the formal posed ones and the candid shots from our reception. I want to remember how happy we all were tonight, especially us during the ceremony and when we danced."

"I hope our Were photographer caught Victor's priceless expression as he congratulated us, as well as your gloating smile, dear one."

"He was following Felipe's orders, that's for sure. Too bad every word and the grossly ingratiating smile were so obviously fake. It really stuck in his craw just like the knife presentation did."

"Even more since you were truly happy and agreeable to become my wife this time." As Sookie's head rested on my shoulder, my arms encircled her waist and drew her closer against my chest. I could feel her overflowing emotions through the steady throb of our blood bond.

Despite all the insightful conversations we had shared in recent days, I felt the need to complete one last piece of personal business between us to seal our marriage. Taking Sookie's chin in my hand, I lifted her face to me. Our eyes met and locked, the variegated passion we shared together full blown and alive around us.

"I want you to know I consider my promises two nights ago to be part of my marriage vows to you, that I will never hurt you again in any way, especially with personal secrets and half-truths."

As I expected, my loving human's tears welled and overflowed from her bright blue eyes. "I've wanted to assure you I made my promises in the same spirit, as unbreakable vows. I was afraid you'd think I didn't really trust you if I said it so formally."

Smiling, I licked away the slow trickle of moisture going down her cheeks. "We must never be afraid to be totally open and honest with each other in every way, my love. To that end, I promise to discuss what Niall said I feared. Actually, there are two and they will take significant time to explore on our Vancouver honeymoon." I hadn't wanted to inject such a serious note into our wedding night but both topics needed to see the light of understanding in order to complete our marriage vows.

My lover's tears stopped as she stared into my equally loving blue eyes. "We have twelve days, so there's no rush," and she brushed my lips with hers. "If you're literally up for it, vampire, would you be interested in some really hot sex? Your fingers are great, but I'm feeling mighty empty down there without your gracious plenty."

Her flimsy nightgown and my silk boxers were quickly relegated to the floor, along with the hairbrush. I made sure the remaining hours until dawn were highly lewd and x-rated for my new bride.