I mill around in the front room, Godric having disappeared with Eric in tow and leaving me behind with Stan. Isabelle is of course off with Hugo, saying her goodbyes and escorting him from the area to ensure his safety. The look on Stan's face had said enough when Godric laid down his verdict, letting the human go, and Isabelle was making sure he made it far away before she let him be free. A blond woman comes up to me and starts to chat, the vampire I recognize as having given me this white leather jacket and dark blue jeans since my dress had been torn up. It was a shame, since Eric had bought me that dress for going undercover, despite my doubts of him knowing what I would like. I hadn't admitted it to him yet, but I was definitely looking his way more, especially after Bill had up and taken off without telling me the night before Gran's funeral. Surprisingly it had been Eric who came by my house that next night, left a bouquet of flowers on the porch, and signed a note saying 'I'm sorry for your loss'.
Not much is said, mostly just her thanking me for my hand in freeing Godric, and she walks away a minute later as Stan's eyes follow her. The front door swings open, someone new stepping inside, and taking a step back I look at their mind. "Eric." I say his name only slightly above normal volume, my eyes locked onto where the human would come out of the hallway any second and I feel his hand touch my shoulder. He tenses slightly when my hand clutches his, and I give him a fearful look even as he starts to wear his signature smirk.
"What is it?" He asks, realizing that I am quite serious at the moment, and he glances around the room.
I open my mouth to speak, but the young man comes in just then and there's no time as he decides to forgo the greetings and just reaches into his jacket for the detonator. "Everyone down!" I scream, and my vision goes black as the explosion wreaks havoc through the room. When I return to awareness there is a massive weight on my chest, and I only realize its Eric when he falls to the floor next to me with a grunt. He's lying on his back, and from the look of his chest he'd put himself in front of me to shield me from the explosion. Groans and sounds of pain are coming from every direction in the destroyed living space, but they are second on my mind as I stare down at the Sheriff. "Eric?"
Blood oozes through his shirt and ripping the tattered cloth aside I see jagged holes in several places as well as over where his heart should be. Not really thinking, I lean down and lock my lips to his chest until a second later when a piece of metal pops out. I move on to each spot methodically, making sure not to miss any of the silver as it stops him from healing. Looking back up at his face, his eyes are slowly opening as I spit the last of the pieces out, and it occurs to me that I've probably swallowed a fair amount of his blood without thinking about it. I try to move the hand that I'd used leveraged against the floor to hold myself up and wince when a sharp pain runs through my entire arm. Looking down, I see that something has cut a long gash nearly from my elbow to my wrist, blood dripping steadily down my fingers to the floor. A loud growl makes me jump slightly, and I find myself suddenly being held against Eric's chest as he sits up against a wall.
"She is mine." He intones dangerously, his tone stopping the advance of several injured vampires I hadn't noticed before as they'd begun creeping up behind me. They are all unwilling to challenge such an intimidating older vampire but contrary to their reactions, it sends pleasant butterflies through my stomach as he says the words. The same phrase from Bill did not make me feel this way at all, completely the opposite, and I look up at Eric in a slightly new light as he stares down the room.
"Everyone start getting yourself together. I have notified the Hotel Camilla, and they are ready to receive all of us with donors and medical attention. Move in groups, in case more of Newlin's people show up." Godric is now standing in front of us having come from somewhere else in the house and Eric relaxed slightly the second his maker appeared. Stan is not far from us and is looking to be missing an arm as he was standing right inside a hallway next to the bomber. Godric heaves him up by the other remaining limb before helping him out of the destroyed glass back windows. Nobody so much as looks at us again as Eric examines my arm silently, holding my arm out in front of him, and I watch in fascination alongside him as it magically heals over a few quick seconds.
"You swallowed my blood." He says, his voice flat and without any particular inflection to betray how he feels.
"I… I'm sorry?" I'm quiet, unsure if he will be angry with me, and when I look away uncertainly his arm around my waist briefly constricts slightly tighter.
"You have nothing to apologize for." His slight smirk sets me at ease when I meet his gaze, and he refuses to put me down as he stands in the almost empty room, his arms holding me bridal style effortlessly.
Godric comes back inside and cocks an eyebrow when he sees us, causing me to look down in embarrassment. "It would seem your warning saved all but one of the vampires. However I believe it was his own personality, his stubbornness and unwise choice not to listen to you, which led to his demise." I look back up at him, surprised he doesn't say anything about the position I'm in, and just nod at his statement. He watches the last few vampires and humans making their way out of the different exits, and looks back at Eric once they are gone. "Are you ready?"
"She removed the silver from near my heart, so I'm fine now." He says factually, and I blush as I feel Godric staring at me while I stare at Eric's chest, watching the skin through tattered fabric as it's slowly pulling itself back together.
There's a little whoosh as Godric is gone but as I turn my head toward where he was we are suddenly moving and then the ground is falling away. I shriek is surprise, clutching my arms around Eric's neck. "Don't look down." He says, giving a hard laugh, and it breaks the uncertainty I was feeling. Pulling one hand free, I smack his shoulder and give him a stern frown as he looks down at me with an eyebrow raised.
"Don't do that!" His chest just continues to vibrate as he laughs soundlessly, and I put my forehead against his collar bone as I refuse to look out again. My stomach is already flipping as I think of how high up we might be.
"You know I wouldn't drop you." I'm stopped mid thought by the serious tone of his voice, and he's staring straight ahead when I look up at him.
Leaning up, I give him a kiss on the cheek, and his eyes are piercing into mine instantly. "Thank you for saving me." I'm feeling bold, and I don't feel as though I'll regret anything I'm about to do. There was always a hesitation with Bill, something nagging in my head that told me I shouldn't let go of myself around him, but I don't feel that with Eric. Thinking back, I never did, and it was Bill that stopped me from really talking to Eric before. "I kind of liked it when you said I was yours." I'm sure my face is beat red as I admit it, and I drop my gaze to his neck as I start to feel nervous a second later when he doesn't respond.
"Would you like to be mine?" The grin on his face is small when my eyes flick up to him, but it's getting wider by the second, and I take a deep breath.
"You can only be with me though, if you want to be. No more fangbangers… at all." He seems to consider this for a long second, but has a playful smile on his face the whole time before he leans down and kisses me.
"You are mine then." A pleased growl rumbles quietly in his chest as soon as he breaks away, leaving me breathless. "I'll have your things moved to my room."
He raises an eyebrow as I give him a hard look, before finally huffing out a breath and he grins wider. "You're very high handed."
It doesn't take long for us to get to the hotel, and only a few minutes for Eric to have a quick talk with the front desk while I stand with Godric at the front door. When he returns, he gives Eric a solemn look. "Sookie is likely due to eat, so why don't you tend to her while I take care of some things?"
"I should probably change my clothes first… and get a shower." Eric looks down at my clothes covered in dust and blood, and torn in a few places, as well as his own before giving me a nod. He gives a number to the valet, and the boy runs off with a set of keys pulled from his lock box.
"We will speak later this evening." Godric says, disappearing into the hotel.
"Where are we going?" I ask Eric, and he holds my hand as I sit down into the sleek sports car.
My door shuts and he appears in the other seat a second later. "I would like to replace the dress that got ruined."
"What places are even open at… two in the morning?" The only places around Bon Temps, and even Shreveport I think, would be gas stations.
He chuckles slightly as he begins to speak. "Dallas has a much higher vampire population than Shreveport. Some places here are even open exclusively at night, and serve higher priced and higher quality goods since the more notable vampires here have amassed great wealth. There are also restaurants where we can both have a meal, mine bottled of course."
I think about his statement, using the small mirror in the visor to fix my hair as best as I can without a brush and he focuses on the road as he drives. "You could always drink from me…" I'm quiet, thinking about how I had shamefully been testing my telepathy on the fangbangers hanging around the hotel during the previous couple of nights. Despite the fact that I was sure Gran would be rolling in my grave, I had tried to experience through a few of them to feel what it was like to be bitten, and found that it seemed to be enjoyable when the vampire wasn't rough. So while the prospect made me nervous, I was more than willing to try since I was certain he was weakened after the explosion earlier and from having silver embedded in his chest. Silver bullets and shrapnel that should have ended up in my own body.
"It won't hurt at all, if I do it correctly." I blush, certain he has a devilish look on his face as he says it but I refuse to look at him as he speeds through the streets at a pace I'd rather ignore.
He remains silent as I don't say anything and we soon pull into the parking lot of a plain looking building, entering through a black door on the side. The interior is a shock to see, all elegance as a woman with a big retail smile greets us and Eric asks where the sun dresses are. She doesn't give a second thought to our appearances, and I'm surprised that she doesn't seem to be judgmental in any way. When I find something I like, I'm surprised that it doesn't have a price tag, and I will myself not to look at the cashiers mind as she rings up the sale. Eric hands over a card without question while I fidget and he puts an arm around my shoulders as he seems to feel my conflict, his face blank but actions making me feel reassured.
"Have a good day, Mr. Northman." The saleswoman says, giving me a bright smile as he takes the bags from the counter and leads me back to the car. The hotel lobby is just as crowded as it was before, and I don't miss the eyes on me as Eric's arm is around me. It's a strange feeling, being envied by others, when nobody in Bon Temps has ever been jealous of me for anything. Thoughts from some of the woman who recognize Eric and his reputation are more vicious, and I hastily put up my shields. As I do so, I find that it is easier than normal, and I ponder on what could be the cause.
"What are you thinking about?" I laugh, the absurdity of his question catching me off guard, and he gives me a strange look as the elevator doors close.
"I've never been asked that before, and I've never had to ask." I elaborate, and stop chuckling as I voice my theory. "I think your blood made it easier for me to put my shields up."
"Shields?" I give him a long look, deciding to try and explain it, never having done so before.
"My telepathy isn't really focused unless I try. I have to keep my shields up to block all of the thoughts whenever I don't want to listen. If I don't have shields up, I'll just hear everyone in my radius at once and I can't keep up without focusing. When I was little I couldn't control it and would spout off the thoughts of people at random, making a lot of people think I was crazy or something. "
"You have to focus on this at all times?" He asks, and there's a strange crease on his forehead.
I pull his arm down and take his hand, "You already know that touching intensifies my focus, lets me hear better, but I can't hear you so it just makes everyone else quiet. It's like putting on earmuffs in a noisy room."
"I suppose I won't be letting you out of my arms reach then."
I'm surprised to say the least, looking at him with his smirk as the doors open to our floor, but it is nothing compared to the shock I feel a second later. Standing there at the end of the hall, with a tall red headed woman, is Bill.
He doesn't notice me and is standing to the side, leaning over her as she's up against the wall with a smile on her face. Eric tenses next to me, and I also do so slightly before his arm moves over my shoulders, his hand laying against the other side of my neck. "You are mine." He whispers to me, and I'm sure he feels it as the clenching in my stomach is soothed away.
The red haired woman frowns when she turns her head slightly and sees us, and when Bill follows her lead, he freezes in place before stepping away from her. "Sookie?" He asks, his voice slightly strained, but I do my best to ignore him as Eric opens the door immediately on our right.
"Is that door soundproof?" I ask as soon as Eric closes it behind us, locking all of the locks before he sets the clothing bag next to where my suitcase has been left on the bed. He nods, and there is a gleam in his eye. "I don't want to see Bill, and I am getting a shower. If the hotel restaurant is open, we could go there to eat?"
"Certainly. How badly do you not want to see Bill?" He's eyeing the door, and a second later I hear someone knocking.
Rolling my eyes, I go towards the bathroom. "Don't do anything you'll get into trouble for."
He's walking towards the door with a smile, and I wonder if I should have given him more boundaries but I push the thought away as I get into the shower. I wonder what Eric is doing as I'm taking my shower, and at one point I wonder if he will come in, but decide that he is smarter than that although I don't exactly resent the idea. I'm almost done when a wicked thought crosses my mind, and I start playing with myself, relaxing as I imagine that it's Eric touching me.
When I emerge a while later, I act innocently as I find Eric sitting at his laptop, although I don't miss his leg bouncing up and down slightly. I remember it as a tick one of my science teachers once had when he was sexually frustrated with his wife, and I wonder if it could be the same for the vampire in front of me. It looks like he's already changed, and perhaps showered to which I give him an odd look. "I took a quick shower in Godric's room next to us after Compton left with his maker." I don't think he notices the slight edge in his own voice, as he's turned to look at me.
"His maker?" Pushing the thoughts of what I had done away, I focus on this new tidbit.
"Her name is Lorena. She is insistent that you belong to 'her William' and that you should have been released to them. Not likely to happen considering I just filed the paperwork to register you as my human with the authority, which is well above Bill and his maker. They were quite the violent pair in his early days, killing their way through several brothels." He stands, pulling me to his chest and giving me a chaste kiss. "Are you ready to go eat?" He asks, and I give him an unsure look.
"There's a lot about Bill I don't know." I murmur, and he nods, seeming to consider something.
"I think that, perhaps, he didn't meet you by chance."
"What do you mean?" For some reason I don't like where this is going.
"When I questioned the queen on his presence, she told me that I was not to bother him, as he was on a special assignment. Before he came to Bon Temps, he was the Procurer of the queen's court. His task was to collect rare and… unusually delicious humans."
"Procurer." I test the word, wondering if it means what I think it means, and deciding that it does as I see the careful look on Eric's face. He doesn't comment as I go through several emotions quickly. "I think I knew that something wasn't right with him. When he said I was his… I didn't like it. It just felt wrong, as if deep down I knew that there was something else going on."
"Well, you are no longer his concern, as you are mine. I am sure you are hungry, so how about we put this topic to rest for now and get you something to eat?" His suggestion is welcome after several seconds of stewing in my own thoughts.
This time there is no one in the hallway, and the lobby is a little emptier as he escorts me to the restaurant, Godric joining us from nowhere as we are seated at a table behind a high partition. It cuts off my view from the rest of the room, but if Eric stretched he could still see. "What are you?" Godric asks as soon as the waiter leaves with our drink orders, and I give him a long look. He seems to be only a late teenager, and despite the powerful air about him, I sense that I can trust him so I smile genuinely.
"I don't really know, but I'm a telepath, so there's that."
"You are honest." He says, seeming to be only slightly surprised, and I take it as a compliment.
"I feel like I can trust you." I shrug, and Eric seems to be pleased as he beams a smile at Godric.
His maker gives him a long stare, before giving Eric a slight pleased look. "I have resigned from my position as Sheriff, and I am thinking of moving to your area."
Eric looks stony for a second, before I can hear a distinct happiness in his voice. "I'm certain the local Sheriff will approve your application to move in. I can also have it slipped into the queen's files without her seeing it."
For the first time, I see Godric chuckle, but he retains his cool indifference the second the waiter appears with a tray of glasses. Two tall glasses of dark red are set in front of the vampires, and I receive my glass of sweet tea and a glass of water. I look over the menu quickly, and give him my food order before he jots it down and gives me an odd look before he walks away slowly.
Here with two of oldest vampires on the continent? Who is that woman? I should talk to Steve.
Sighing, Eric looks at me questioningly as I put my head into my hands. "Why can't I have a single normal night?" I ask him a second later, exasperation clear on my face as he just seems confused. Godric looks at him uncertainly, then turns to me.
"Did you hear something?"
"He's quicker than you." I tell Eric, and for the first time I see him look chagrined as Godric looks sort of triumphant.
Giving Eric a quick kiss, I smile up at him. "Want to do me a favor?" I say teasingly, and he chuckles.
"Name it." His challenge hangs there, and I'm almost sorry to disappoint him with such a mundane task.
"That waiter is a member of the fellowship. He works here to report people and vampires to the reverend that are different than normal, and now he's wondering why I'm here with 'two of the oldest vampires on the continent'. I would prefer that a crazy man twisting the words of god not think I'm even alive. Do you want to go take care of that for me?" He's serious as he thinks of the implications of having fanatics coming after me for some weird grudge, and he gives Godric a look before giving me a peck on the lips and taking off.
"My Gran raised me to be a proper lady, and I usually do my best to be that, but with Eric I feel like I'm completely unhinged." I say quietly as soon as Eric is out of ear shot, and his maker raises an eyebrow as he takes in my words. "You probably already know, since I think vampires can smell… it. But I plan on giving myself to Eric, and I'm kind of feeling like not myself since usually I would never think to toy with a man. I've been teasing him. I think it's because it feels like I can relax around him, which is a nice change, since I don't have anyone I feel that way with. I'm fairly certain he hasn't realized I keep messing with him on purpose." I give Godric a confident smile, keeping my emotions detached from my words so Eric doesn't suspect anything, and he is stoic for a minute before he busts out laughing.
"Perhaps my child has finally met his greatest challenge." He muses, and I feel accomplished.
"I get the feeling that he gets his way too easily."
"Yes, but that is probably my fault. I guided him in the world, and as the world changed, money became the source of power. We learned to run a business, and he amassed his wealth long enough ago that anything he wants has been at his fingertips for a long while. In recent centuries, it may have gone to his head a bit more than it should have. I've been meaning to speak with him on this, but I've been distracted with other things."
Nodding, I decide that it makes sense, and a different waiter appears with my food as I wonder where Eric and the other waiter have gone. Godric asks me about myself as I eat, and I answer between bites as best as I can. I'm only about a third of the way done when Eric reappears, taking his seat next to me and making me jump slightly. "I wish you wouldn't do that. One of these days my weak human heart is going to stop beating from shock." He actually looks a little unsettled by this, and Godric gets a slightly dark look on his face as he looks on from across us. "I was just kidding since I've never been sick a day in my life, not even a cold or anything, I promise." I say carefully as I hadn't meant to upset him in any way.
He nods, but Godric actually looks surprised. "Really?" He asks, and I nod, my mouth full as I confirm what I said.
"Gran always said I should be careful, because I never got chicken pox as a kid, and it is a lot more serious if you get it as an adult. But I don't know if I'm able to get it, so that might have something to do with the telepathy."
"Yes, I'd imagine it does. Do you know of anything odd in your family tree?" I think, and wonder if Gran had never told me something.
"Maybe, I don't know."
We continue talking, chattering until my dinner is done, and I order strawberry cheesecake for dessert. Godric looks stoic as he doesn't seem to be paying attention, but I can feel Eric burning a hole into the side of my head as I moan slightly, slowly enjoying piece after piece of cheesecake and fruit pieces. I give him a wide eyed, innocent look just after I hand my plate to the waiter, and he looks at Godric as he swallows despite not physically needing to.
"Eric, go find out Stan and Isabelle's room numbers."
He doesn't hesitate to do what his maker asks, giving me a heated kiss before going.
Godric dives right in, his mouth unstopping as he tells me more than I ever expected. "Eric has changed because of you, and he is more aware of you than he is himself. When you move, he does, even if it's just a twitch or shift. When you made that comment about your heart, I had the feeling that should you leave the world now that you are newly his, he will do the same." The color of his eyes seems to change to black as he looks me over. "For some reason, I feel as though you are meant to be his bonded." He stares at me a moment more as he seems to calm down, then starts explaining what a bonded is, and he hurries to finish as I think he senses Eric coming back. "You should consider your life span, and what age it is that you would truly want to be turned. Being bonded beforehand will change the maker child bond, and you will be more equals than a maker and child. Part of his strength should become your own as you turn, so that you are able to defend yourself. Being his will make you a target, and if you are to survive in the long run, you need to be able to hold your own when you're separated from him."
His true and harsh statement is a lot to take, but I swallow it all without much hesitation, deciding that I like the sound of being bonded. "Call him Viking." Godric says with a slight smirk, seemingly as an afterthought, when I say that I like the thought of bonding. It certainly gives me ideas, and I grin as Eric sits next to me a few seconds later. The vampire part of course is something else to consider, but I don't turn the idea away as I consider that it would mean being with Eric forever. Taking a slow drink of my tea, I give Godric a wink that Eric can't see, and turn to give my love a smile.
It strikes me that this is the first time that I've thought that about Eric, and I find myself agreeing, that I do indeed love him.
"I will be on my way. Consider dinner on me." Godric says, deciding to leave, and he is quickly gone.
Leaning up, Eric doesn't move as I get close to him, and wrap my arms loosely around his shoulders from the side. "I knew exactly what I was doing in the shower." I breathe into his ear, trying to think of some of the things that I've seen other woman thinking of which was enjoyed by their men. It seems to work as he pulls me into his lap to straddle him and I shift for a second, getting locked into his arms as a hand on the back of my head brings me down to kiss him relentlessly. After a minute, I manage to keep up, returning the attention and battling my tongue with his. I feel a bit surprised when a bulge presses into me and I shift closer to him.
His fangs jump down, and I lean back as I stare at them. Giggling slightly, I feel his arms tense around me a little, and give him a grin. "I'm not going to tell you, it'll only inflate your ego more than it already is."
Wiggling fingers jump to my sides, and I start to shake with laughter as he glares convincingly despite his smile. "Tell me."
Grabbing his hands, I entwine my fingers with his at my sides, leaning in to give him a quick kiss before chuckling into his ear. "Your fangs… they're bigger than Bills." I quickly put out the last part, and bite my lip as I lean back, trying not to giggle more. He grins, baring them before he is nibbling at my neck suggestively, and after a second I find that I like it.
"I guarantee that something else of mine is bigger as well." Voicing it against my skin makes goosebumps rise on my neck, and I roll my eyes.
"You're terrible. I wouldn't know, since I never let it get that far with Bill." He grins at me, sort of seriously but not really as he already knew this.
"Then I shall need to take especially good care of you."
"You've already surprised me, being so calm when I've been winding you up for the last hour or two."
He growls, biting slightly harder for a second without breaking the skin as his fangs scrape me delicately. "You have no idea how much I wish to let myself go, but I do not want to lose myself with you."
"I don't know, you could always drink some from me now to cool your head, then take me to our room and have your way with me before sunrise." A point digs in slightly as he turns into the crook just beneath my ear.
"You seem rather certain, and calm about all this. Do you realize that I could kill you before you even register what's happening?" There's a mock threat in his voice but I can hear that it is hollow.
"I don't think you would. You like me too much." I tell him, just as I slide my hand up his shirt and slowly start running my nails down his chest. He hisses playfully, and I grin but pause as I feel a waiter walking almost in, before turning away quickly. "Are witches real? That waiter thinks I must be some kind of witch to have charmed you, and he didn't think it would be good to come in." I grin, and move to boldly kiss him.
"You are not a witch, you are my Sookie." He says certainly, right up against my mouth, and I feel a knot in the corner of my mind stirring. Giving him another kiss, I pull him back to where he was and twist my fingers in his hair as he considers where he wants to bite. I feel for that part of my mind, trying to reach into myself as I search for what could only be described as someone touching me a moment ago. It's at the same time that I feel as though I've reached it that Eric bites down softly, his hands rubbing over my back as he holds me closer. I feel it, his hunger, and I realize that I've found the blood tie we have. The breaking of my skin is nothing more than a tingling sensation, nothing happening for a second as he hesitates for some reason. Wondering if he can tell that I sense him, I pet my hand over his hair, finding myself moaning unwittingly as he responds with several drawn out pulls on my neck. His growl deepens, and I feel like melting as his vibration seems to resonate through my chest. Arching my back upward, I wrap my arms around his neck, holding myself snugly against his chest. Bringing one hand up, I press the sharply manicured nail of my thumb to his shoulder, digging in until crimson seeps forth and I seal my mouth to his skin. His senses are in overload, his arms like a cage around me holding me in place as his emotions become clearer.
"You are a dangerous little vixen." He pants against my neck before lapping up the blood that dripped, and going back to his bite marks quickly.
"Well you are a dangerous Sheriff, thousand year old vampire, and my Viking." I purr the words out slowly, licking the same spot on his neck even after it heals. "Would you also like to be bonded to me?" I chuckle, and he seals the marks on me before leaning back to look in my eyes.
"I see my maker has been meddling." He mutters, smiling, and I return the look.
"He only let me know the options, and gave me his thoughts. I decided to do this so soon, and my way, all on my own." I kiss him before he can speak and he reciprocates without hesitation, the bond telling me he is pleased with what I did.