I do not own any of the characters involved in this story. I am simply playing. Blue Eyed Beast is set in Victorian England. I will do my best keep the personalities as close to original as possible, this is only an AU. Eric is very much a vampire, and Sookie still has her gifts.

Prologue:

London

December 1835

Dearest Sister,

I am happy to hear that you are finished with your studies. Our home in Hampshire has been decorated nicely for the upcoming holidays; I feel it will be to your liking. It has been too long since we've seen each other, and I look forward to your arrival. I have a surprise for you when you get here. I wish you a safe and brief journey.

Regards,

Jason Stackhouse

Sookie reread the note and then folded the piece of parchment into her hand. Her brother's letter had arrived as she was literally stepping into her carriage set for Hampshire. Jason had never been a timely boy, but Sookie had forgiven all of his faults. Only a few years earlier her brother's life was nothing but nights filled with gambling and chasing after light skirts. Sookie never judged Jason; she saw his rakish behavior as an outlet to hide his grief. Their grandmother, who had been their only guardian for much of their lives, had died in an accident two years earlier. Jason wasn't the same after her sudden death.

Jason took Sookie and moved from New Orleans to London shortly after Adele's death. The Stackhouse Plantation was of no interest to him; his passion was of innovation and finance. When he heard of an investment interest overseas, he packed up his sister and set out for England. Sookie had spent most of the past two years in the city, but away from Jason, in a school for girls. She had lessons in Louisiana, but Jason felt it best for her to take on additional classes and then a governess to aid her in her first and only London season.

Sookie toyed with a folded corner of parchment as she endured the bumpy ride. She wished she had Amelia to talk to. Amelia, her governess, would be joining her in Hampshire after she visited with her ill father in Basingstoke.

'Surprise'? What did he mean by that?

Chapter 1

It was dark by the time Sookie made her way down the large staircase. After her long hour journey, she had indulged in a long hot bath and a nap before seeing her brother. Dressed in a dark blue velvet gown, she walked slowly into her brother's study. Jason was seated behind a large mahogany desk; he had papers in one hand and a glass of brandy in the other. He was laughing and chatting with a person who had not come into her view just yet. As the rustle of her skirt passed through the door, Jason's smiling face met hers.

"Susanna!" Jason stood and went to her. "Forgive me for not greeting you when you arrived, but you know how I am with my afternoon rides." He smirked at her apologetically before taking her hand. "You look well. Did you have a nice trip?" He took her hand in his.

Sookie did her best not to clench her jaw. She hated when he used her first name, but not because she didn't like it. Jason only use her first name when he was about to introduce her to suitors, 'Sookie' was a child's name. She was also little disappointed that Jason hadn't been there to welcome her home and even more so when he didn't greet her with a hug. Too American, he would think. Being American kept Jason uninvited to more high society events than anyone would care to think about. To him that was unacceptable. Jason's persistence to blend had driven a wedge between the two siblings. Sookie was proud of her brother's success, but it hurt to see him grow colder as the money flowed. London society wanted his business secrets and nothing else.

Jason had invested in railroad progression and shipping companies. His most recent and greatest success had been investing in a much needed foundry. Due to an increase in industry, London had been in need of a new source of steel. When Jason caught wind of a rundown mill and foundry, he jumped at the investment opportunity. Now he was one of the richest men in England, and he had no intention for him or his sister to return to Louisiana. Although it broke her heart to see Jason give up affection for a cool, more acceptable demeanor, she gave his hand a gentle squeeze and forced herself to smile back.

"Hello, Jason. I am so happy to be home, my trip was…"

Sookie's words trailed off as she discovered Jason's companion. Out of all the suitors Jason had thrown at her, the man to the right of her had to be the most attractive of them all. The large figure stood in front of a chair that sat in the corner of the study. She hated Jason for how gorgeous the stranger was. If she complied and went along with what her brother proposed, one of two things would happen. Neither of the two ended well. She focused her thoughts back on the man next to her. He was like no one she had ever seen before − massive. Although he was pristinely dressed, there was something beastly about him. His sandy hair was a bit longer than the current fashion. His muscular build belonged to a warrior − not one of a business man. She felt tiny just looking at him. All other aspects of his appearance were disregarded when his eye caught hers. For only a second, the most intensely blue eyes she had ever seen stared into hers. Her breath hitched, as if his penetrating gaze was the culprit of the warm ache that grew in the pit of her stomach. Who was this man? Sookie's attention snapped back to her brother as he gave her hand a little squeeze.

"Susanna, dear, I would like you to meet Mr. Northman, a business associate of mine. He is not from England, so I invited him to stay here for the holiday."

"How thoughtful, Jason." Sookie plastered a smile on her face. How transparent her brother was, as if she didn't already know. Finding Sookie a husband had grown into sport for Jason. If Mr. Northman was anything like the others, he'd be gone before Christmas Eve. A tiny part of her wished for him to be different. "It is very nice to meet you, Mr. Northman."

If the devil were blonde, the man standing before her would have been him. There was something predatory about the way he moved toward her. He was easily shadowing over her brother when he took Sookie's gloved hand and greeted her with a slight bow.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Stackhouse. Your brother has told me so much about you."

Sookie knew exactly what Jason had told him. He would have said that she was beautiful, educated, loyal, and a list of other things that would coax a man into meeting his sister. What Jason neglected to mention was that his Sookie had a gift that had most men accusing her of insanity. Sookie could read minds. Reading minds was something she had dealt with her entire life. It made it difficult for her to socialize at balls and parties or even at school. Before she had developed the ability to block out thoughts, it often caused her headaches. Sookie had spent most of her teenage years with books and a piano instead of friends. When it came time to meet men in England, she found her telepathy to cause a completely different kind of headache than before. The often disgusting and cruel thoughts of her potential suitors never sat with her. It always resulted in Sookie or the potential husband running away.

As Sookie responded with a few short remarks about supper and the upcoming holiday, she couldn't help but feel a strange current of energy running through the room. She diverted her eyes from Mr. Northman's as much as she could. Sookie couldn't help but think the energy was coming from him. Perhaps she was crazy, but the sensation made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. After a few minutes of conversation, Mr. Northman excused himself from the room. Supper would be ready soon, and he needed to change his waistcoat, a button had fallen off.

Sookie welcomed the idea of spending some time alone with her brother. The moment the new man had left the room, the nearly suffocating tension was gone, and Sookie felt a sigh of relief. But the way he had so intently been looking at her and the confidence he had shown made it obvious that Jason had more to offer Mr. Northman than just festive holiday.

"Jason," she turned to her brother who had taken his seat behind his large mahogany desk. "I think it is time for you to tell me about that surprise you had in mind."

Her jaw tightened. She had trained herself not to see inside his mind, but in this moment of anxiety, she couldn't help herself. With little effort, Sookie knew what he was going to say before his lips even formed the word.

"Jason, what makes you think he will be any different?"

"See here, I am the man of this house, and I will not take that tone from you! And stay out of my head! You know I hate that! Mr. Northman is a good man. He will do well for you."

Sookie could not help but continue to listen in on the trail of thoughts winding in her brother's mind. Business, marriage, more money, she wouldn't be alone, this is for the best."

"You mean best for you…" Sookie sank down in the plush velvet chair in front of Jason.

"I am not going to lie. Your marriage will benefit our family greatly, but this is not all about me, dear sister. You are of age to marry, and I will not see you flounder in another London season." He sighed, "I am also out of men for you to scare. Eric is it, him or life as a spinster."

"You make it sound like I'm going to die if I don't marry."

"Is that what you want? To be alone, childless and to live with your scoundrel brother for the rest of your life?"

Sookie stared down at her hands. As much as she hated Jason in that moment, she knew his point was valid. However, she still wanted to fight against this; it wasn't fair. The process of finding a man had been painful to her on so many levels. She wanted the things every woman did, but for her it seemed that many were impossible. With every bad match, the list of things she wished for was push farther and farther away. She didn't want to be alone.

"Forgive me for saying this Jason, but do you not see the foolishness in picking a man you work with? Surely, if this matter ends like any of the others, it would harm your business relationship with him."

Jason's face was smug in a way that made Sookie's throat dry. His eyes beamed with victory. She wanted to smack him.

"Oh, how silly of me to forget…" He took a slow sip from his glass. "He's already agreed."

"Jason!"