Eric was beyond mad. It was currently taking every ounce of willpower he had not to rip one of Pamela's arms off. He was used to her testing his patience but this was beyond that. She could have gotten herself killed.
"You did a very foolish thing," he snapped. "Why did you not wait where I told you?"
Pam looked up at him defiantly. "You always make me wait for you, Eric! There was no reason I couldn't come with you."
He grabbed her arm as she moved to storm passed him and jerked her back into the alley he was still in.
"I don't need to explain myself to you," he said. "If I tell you to do something, you do it!"
She said nothing but snatched her arm out of his grasp. She was levelling a glare at him and it only served to anger him further.
"That vampire could have killed you!" he hissed in her face. "He nearly did!"
"Well, I didn't know he was a vampire!" she snapped.
"Because you weren't paying attention! What if I hadn't been there?"
"Then I wouldn't have to listen to you now!" she yelled and gasped when he slapped her across the face. She tried to run but he used his superior speed to catch up to her.
"You will listen to me," he said. "As your maker, I command you to stop struggling and to stay quiet on the way home!"
She had no choice but to obey as she marched beside him to where they were spending the day. She was angry herself, but she was also slightly afraid of what he might do. She hadn't made him this mad before, and she felt like maybe she had pushed her luck enough for the night. He almost never commanded her to do anything so for him to do so was a bad sign. He had not commanded her to stay where she was that night, and she had abused his trust when she tried to follow him.
They soon made it to their safe place for the day.
"Go to sleep," he said. She didn't argue with him and moved obediently to the bed. She didn't look to see what he was doing and instead died for the day.
TRUE BLOOD
She woke up that night to see that Eric, like always, had risen before her. Her anger from the night before had subsided, and she felt only regret.
"Eric?" she asked.
"What?" he said coldly.
She moved to his side and sat on the floor beside his chair in a submissive gesture. "I'm sorry for last night. I should have done as you asked."
"Yes, you should have," he said. He was still a little angry but mostly his anger had left, leaving only fear in its wake. He had felt her spike of fear when the older vampire attacked her, and he didn't want to feel it again anytime soon.
"I only meant to catch up to you," she explained. "I don't like when you leave me behind."
"Why?" he questioned her, looking down to where she sat on the floor, her skirts pooled around her.
"It makes me feel… vulnerable," she admitted.
"Do you think I would have left you some place I did not feel was safe?"
"No," she whispered.
"I had an important errand to run," he said. "One that I could not complete in your presence." Godric had requested to see him, and he was not yet ready to show him his progeny. "I left you in a human home," he said. "You would have been safe there."
"I'm sorry," she repeated.
He could feel her shame through their bond and knew she was sincere. However, he couldn't allow her to go unpunished. She would test him more and more.
"You will not eat tonight," he told her.
"What?" she asked in surprise.
"Or until I say that you may. That is your punishment," he continued.
"I am already hungry!" she protested. "I was not able to feed last night."
"You should have thought of that," he said. "I would have brought you a human but instead I had to save you from a vampire three centuries your senior."
"Eric, please-"
"Hush," he said and was pleased to see her close her mouth. "I am going to search the rest of the house," he told her. "Stay inside."
He left her to sulk in the room. He was interested to see how this would play out. Godric had used this punishment on him when he had disobeyed him early on. He had been nearly 80 at the time, however, while Pamela was only 2. He expected her to sometimes go against his wishes, but he could not accept her disobedience when it put her life at risk.
She did not speak to him for the rest of the night, which was more than fine with him. He did not attempt to speak to her either and instead busied himself with other tasks. She did not speak to him for two more nights, either, though he could sense that she was beginning to feel very hungry. It had already been five nights since she had had a meal and she was still so young. She kept silent as a point of pride.
Pam was about to go out of her mind. She was starving, but she was still mad at Eric. She woke up that night determined to say nothing but as the night wore on the hunger only got worse.
"Eric," she pleaded, "please let me eat."
"No," he said and went back to ignoring her.
So it continued on for another week before Pam finally could not take it any longer. She was beginning to feel weak and was sleeping more and more.
"Are you going to let me starve?" she cried. She was so hungry she couldn't even think straight anymore. Eric tried to ignore the tears falling from her eyes, though they pained him.
"I'm sorry I didn't listen!" she sobbed. "I'm sorry."
Eric wavered in his resolve. "Remain here," he commanded.
Pam collapsed onto the couch in the corner but did not dare leave. He quickly returned with two humans. Both were pretty young girls whom Eric knew Pam would desire. They smelled delicious.
She sped over to them but was disappointed when Eric led the clearly glamoured girls to the other side of the room. His fangs descended and he began to feed from the blonde. The scent of blood permeated the air and her own fangs popped out from her gums.
Eric noticed this. "They are for me," he told her and she sobbed in disappointment. They weren't really all for him, but he wanted to see what she would do. He was pleased to see that while she continued to cry from the pain of her hunger, she lay down on the couch and turned away from him so she did not have to see him eating.
He pulled away from the girl and moved her now unconscious form aside. He moved over to Pam and laid a hand on her shoulder.
"I need you to do as I ask," he said.
She rolled over to look at him. "I am sorry," she whispered.
"Do not put yourself in danger again," he said. "You frightened me." He watched as she nodded. "I do not wish to lose you," he said and stroked her hair. He looked at her tenderly for a moment and she felt some of her ire at his punishment leave her. She could see that he cared about her.
"You may finish them," he finally told her. She sat up and hesitated for a moment. "Go," he nodded his head in the direction of the girls.
She waited no longer and tore into the neck of the brunette. She was famished and quickly drained them both dry. She felt satisfied at last.
It was a very long time before she angered Eric again.
