Sookie
Chapter Nine
A Different Perspective
As Pam and I made our way through the back I was feeling a kind of overwhelmed. Sam spied us right away. He had a questioning look on his face I guess because Pam had used to employee entrance. He came over to us. "Sookie are you alright?" I was two hours late for work with no phone call. Given my track record I guess it was safe for him to assume the worst. But I still felt guilty even though it was out of control literally. "Yes Sam I'm real sorry. I was kind of sick" Sick didn't seem like a strong enough word to describe the things that were wrong with me.
"What happened at your place last night?" It was kind of funny how word got around among the supes. Maybe they had a radio station. That was unlikely. Sam was dating that vicious little thing Jennalynn. I figured she spilled the beans. I really didn't have it in me to tell him everything right now. "Long story short there was a misunderstanding between my fairy uncle and some wolves from the pack. One of the wolves got hurt." No need to explain about the gravity of the situation. If I knew about blood offences I knew he did. "Yeah Sid's hurt pretty bad but he'll live" That was really good news. Whatever price I had to pay to make things right with the pack it wouldn't be as steep because Sid lived. Now I would just have to wait for Alcide to reach a decision.
"Sookie will require a few days off beginning now" Pam spoke for the first time since we've been inside. Sam and I both looked at her. Well I looked. Sam scowled. From the look on my face he must have figured that this was news to me too. "If Sookie needs time off she can ask for it" Thank You Sam. He took the words right out of my mouth. He turned and walked away. 'She's worse than he is'. He thought at me. I smiled I knew what he was referring to because I had the same problem quite often. There was no way I could be mad at Sam. I knew exactly how he felt. What with all the highhandedness and bossiness that happens when you are around either of them. "It would have been nice to tell me I would be taking time off work". I gave pam an indignant look. "I will explain later. Inform the shifter you will be leaving" She inclined her head towards Sam. I figured whatever it was she didn't want to talk about it here. "Do you have anyone you can spear from Fangtasia?" It was bad enough to leave on such short notice. But it was worse to leave him short staffed too. We've had a bartender on loan from Fangtasia before. He was a great fit in the bar only he was an assassin sent to kill me. After thinking for some time Pam said, "That seems fair".
I made my way over to Sam who was behind the bar. "Sam…" I felt guilty. This conversation was becoming way too familiar. And every time I felt a certain amount of guilt. Regardless of the fact that usually I didn't have a choice. I've never said,' hey Sam I'm going on vacation'. Evert time I've taken off on him It's always been some Vamp situation or another. "You need a couple of days off" He finished for me. I nodded and smiled in apology. He let out a deep breath and I knew there was a lot that he wanted to say his mind was buzzing. But he just nodded. "Pam is sending over a waitress from Fangtasia so you won't be understaffed" I patted his arm. "I'm not worried about the dam Bar Sook" Maybe I should have just taken his nod and ran off while I still could. "I'm worried that one of these times you run off on some Vamp emergency you won't come back" I was quiet because I worried about that too. "It's not right for him to have you running with Supes you aren't built like we are" You won't hear any argument from me there. If I had my way I would have extracted myself from that world long ago. In fact I would have never set foot into that world. "I'll be fine Sam" He nodded. But I didn't convince either of us. Especially myself considering I didn't know where I was going or why. It occurred to me in that moment how much I trusted Pam. I said my goodbyes then Pam and I took off.
We stopped at my house so I could change my clothes. Luckily Dermot was out. Having a vampire and a fairy in the same room is not a good idea. And their exchange the last time they were together was weird. "Eric will be traveling to Nevada tomorrow morning. I will not be enough to appease the bond." That scared me. "Eric cannot wake without you there. I do not know what will happen to the both of you" She gave me a very serious look. I knew she was worried for me too. But I also knew that Eric was the main priority. Sitting with me all those nights helped soothe him too. He couldn't go crazy in front of the king. That would be bad on so many different levels. "Pam is this normal" well nothing about this was normal "I mean for a blood bond "No" That scared me although I wasn't entirely sure why. "Why is it like this for us?" She shrugged "I do not know and it is not my place to speculate" she got the kind of look on her face that Eric got when he wanted to end a topic. I knew she wouldn't say more on the subject. "Your flight is scheduled for ten; a car will be here at eight that should give you ample time." My suitcase was still in Rhodes. I haven't traveled anywhere since so I haven't had a need to replace it. Depending on how long I was gone a really big overnight bag could work. Worst case scenario I'll buy one once I got to Nevada. She was getting into more travel details when my house phone rang. I excused myself to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Sookie" It sounded like Dermot. All fairies sounded as good as they smelled and looked.
"Hey Uncle"
"Is everything well with you?" Asking him how he knew I came home early would just create more questions that it would answer. "Yes. I just had to leave work early I felt a little sick" I never had to explain to Dermot about the bond going crazy in Eric's absence. He looked at me the first night I came home and gave me a hug. He just knew what my emotional climate was. Just like he had known the bond was crowded the first time I met him. He had a sense for that kind of thing. "I will be there shortly" I was thankful he gave me a heads up this time. I passed the warning along to Pam. I hung up and started towards my bedroom to change. Pam was grinning in anticipation. I rolled my eyes. "Sheesh Pam. Give it a rest already. You can't eat him" There was a little shimmer in the air and Dermot asked, "Eat who?"
I just shook my head and went into my room and closed the door. I wasn't rushing but I wasn't exactly taking my time either. I wanted those two as far apart as soon as possible. The standard attire at Fangtasia was black. Black leather, black lace, and black latex well you get the picture. I didn't have anything that would allow me to blend in. As I was rummaging in my closet I noticed there was no fighting going on outside. I took that as a good sign. In the end I settled for a strapless baby blue dress that matched the color of my eyes. It clung to me in the right places it made me feel pretty and it was comfortable. I let my hair down and touched up the little makeup I wore. I completed the look with a pair of black pumps and a matching clutch. If I was overdressed then fine I didn't get out much anyway.
When I exited my room Dermot was standing and looking none too pleased. He was directing his glare at Pam. I looked back and forth between the two of them. "What's with you" He didn't answer. Pam did. "I told him about our Victor encounter and your impending trip" I briefly told Dermot about Victor earlier today. But from the look on his face Pam had told him some details I either didn't know or forgot to mention. I wasn't going to sugar coat the things that happened but I didn't want to scare the crap out of him either. "He is upset because I told him he cannot kill Victor" Pam was positively tickled pink. "Why not?" The words escaped my mouth as soon as Pam's statement registered. To put it simply Victor was a very bad man. From what Pam told me he was proving difficult for Eric to handle all on his own. If Dermot wanted to kill him why was she stopping him? Dermot nodded and his expression was saying 'I told you so'.
Pam looked at me with a mixed expression. I guess she must have thought I would still have some problem with planning Victor's final death. Well that moral qualm disappeared when he tried to kill me for no good reason. "Firstly if there is even the faintest smell of fairy around the scene of Victor's final death it will automatically lead to you. Second if he fails and Victor lives DeCastro will have to watch as he stakes all of us for attempting to assassinate his lieutenant. This requires flawless preparation. Even the most infinitesimal miscalculation could lead to all our deaths" I wasn't thinking about it that way. I see why Victor was such a problem. He had things working in his favor that we didn't. My face fell and I looked at Dermot. Pam was right.
"If I cannot kill him then she should not travel alone" he was downright indignant.
"I will be traveling by day" I responded
"It is till unsafe" He retorted. Pam looked impatient.
"I can't spend my life hiding because Victor has a problem with me. You shouldn't spend your life worrying about him either." I never really gave much thought to what Dermot did when he wasn't with me. I just assumed he was hanging out with Claude doing fairy stuff. But I wanted him to have a life outside of me and Claude. He should get a girlfriend of a boyfriend I didn't know which way he swung. He looked away and just kept right on frowning. "Listen I need to get going okay"
"May I ask where to" He was attempting to sound less angry but not really succeeding.
"Eric's bar up in Shreveport Pam has to work I'm tagging along" He nodded in understanding.
"You are welcome to come" Pam said with an innocent smile. The thought of my uncle in a vampire bar made me cringe. Dermot's frown was more pronounced as he looked at Pam.
"I do not like you" Why don't you tell her how you really feel about her? I kind of saw why Claude called him as asshole. Not to say Claude was a judge on assholes seeing that word could be used to accurately describe him at times. But to his credit he was working on it.
"I like you a great deal" Pam licked her lips at him. Her smile grew wider and Dermot smiled too. "Someday you will tire of looking and you will test your luck. I dearly look forward to it" Their exchange was getting really weird. I felt like I was watching something private. Pam actually laughed. "Fairy I have no need for luck" Suddenly she was in Dermot's personal space. He didn't flinch. Not even when Pam pulled in his scent and her fangs came out. Pam was shorter than I was so Dermot was basically towering over her. He brought his face down to hers and his teeth suddenly looked sharper. Pam closed her eyes, and he was watching her face. His gaze was intense. It was very unclear if they were going to fight or fuck. I cleared my throat to remind them that they weren't alone in case they chose to go with the latter. They came out of whatever trance they were in. Pam opened her eyes and retracted her fangs. She flashed to the door. "See fairy I do not need luck. I can take you anytime I wish" Dermot rolled his eyes. "Keep wishing woman" He turned to me and gave me a Jason kind of smiled then he poofed away. There was no way I could begin to explain what I just saw. But watching your uncle flirt with a vampire is as disturbing as it sounds. I locked up the house and Pam and I began our drive into Shreveport.
Along the way she filled me in on the remaining travel plans and some of the things I could expect while in Nevada. "I know you have a strong personality but it is imperative that you let Eric lead while you are away" That comment made me angry. Look at the lengths that I was going through to keep from falling apart while he was in the next state over. It wasn't enough that my body practically belonged to him. It wasn't enough that I was his wife. No I had to be a complete Reinfeild. "I am who I am" I snapped. "Who you are will not matter when you are dead" Her tone was just as sharp as mine. "Eric has over a thousand years of experience to your quarter century. It would be foolish not to let him lead in areas where you lack knowledge and understanding" The fact that she made sense made me angrier. By remaining amongst the super natural I was losing more parts of myself and my humanity. We drove in silence for some time. "You are under the disillusion that Eric wishes to change who you are." This was something I have always felt deep down. A small thought that would cross my mind every now and then. The fact that Pam was speaking about it was surprising. Even Eric who shared my every mood didn't know. Maybe it was female intuition. "Know that if he wanted something different he would not waste his time with you" Pam's honesty was on the brutal side but I got her point and it made me feel better. "Thank you for telling me that" she nodded.
The bar wasn't open yet but we could already see people lining up to get in. We used the employee entrance which was becoming all too familiar to me considering I didn't work here. Pam let us into Eric's office. I was half expecting to see him sitting behind his desk. It made me miss him. It wasn't the bond going haywire I genuinely missed his seeing his beautiful face. I missed his smile; his blazing blue eyes; his touch. I missed all of him. I sat on the couch and Pam started getting undressed. "Pam!" Apparently she had no problem about getting naked. But I was not interested in seeing her lady parts. She rolled her eyes and just kept right on stripping. I turned and faced the wall. When I could no longer hear her moving I called out, "Are you descent?" She replied "I'm never descent" I took that as a yes. She had traded her pink and white blouse and designer jeans for a long halter top dress. The dress could only be described as a black dishwashing glove. "Pam I can lend a hand tonight if you want" It's not that I was crazy about serving some of the characters they got through here. I figured it was better than sitting out there doing nothing. She was thoughtful for a minute and said, "If I have need" I nodded and we headed out.
I sat in Eric's booth and I just watched as the bar opened and throngs of thrill seeking tourists and fang bangers came in the door. As usual I got the V.I.P treatment just by sitting where Eric would have sat. As the night went on I noticed I was getting a fair amount of attention. I was flattered but it made me nervous too. My shields were up because the mental setting of the people in here was sex, sex, sex. So my other hearing didn't help me to detect the man that was heading in my direction. He was nicely dressed and easy on the eyes. "Hi" I let my shields down and focused on his mind. If he was a nutcase I wanted plenty of warning. He has a very photographic mind. He had several images of me in his mind. None of them were vulgar. It was just funny the way people saw things in their heads. He thought I was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. He was from Atlanta he was here visiting a friend. His friend had dragged him here tonight. He didn't think he had a chance with me but he still wanted to come over and say hi. I smiled it was rear to find such pleasant and simple thoughts especially in Fangtasia.
"Hello" my voice was friendly. He seemed stuck because he didn't think I would respond. I was woman enough to be pleased with myself for having that reaction on a decent minded man. "Are you having a nice night?" I asked him. He smiled. "Yes mam and you?" Mam, I smiled and nodded. Pam literally appeared out of nowhere right next to this poor guy. He was nervous but not scared. "Sookie, who is your new friend" She intentionally showed fang. Pam. "I haven't had the pleasure yet" I smiled and looked at him to make introductions even though I already knew his name was Bret. "I forgot my manners. Ladies my name is Bret Reynolds".
"How nice a gentleman" Pam said. He smiled sheepishly. I ignored her. "Very nice to meet you Bret I'm Sookie and this is Pam" I said. Unbeknownst to Bret the whole Bar was watching our exchange. The regular vampires in here knew who I was so they knew this scene had a possibility for violence. Violence equals blood and blood equals a good time to any vamp. "Would you like to dance Sookie?" I saw that he rushed the question out so he wouldn't lose his nerve. Pam was enjoying his discomfort a lot more than was acceptable. Eric looked like he wanted to kill Barry in Rhodes for dancing with me. We weren't even a couple then. It would probably be very bad if I said yes. Despite how innocent it would be I'm sure in some vampire regulation it would be grounds to drain Bret. "No thank you" His face fell and he looked down. He seemed like such a sweet guy. I felt bad "I'm married" I blurted out to soothe his chagrin. He could look me in the eye then. "I'm not surprised. Your husband is a very lucky man" I smiled. "Thank you" he nodded his head at both of us and said, "have a nice night ladies". Although he was disappointed he was still thinking nice things about me. He was greeted with pats on the back by his friends I guess surviving a confrontation in a vampire bar was something to celebrate. Pam gave me look that I didn't quite understand. Then she left too.
The night ended without further incident. I helped Pam close up and we left. "Pam, can you fly?" That was something I was still curious about. "Yes" That explained how she got to Merlotte's earlier today. Another question came to mind "What's with you and my uncle?" I just couldn't stop blurting stuff out tonight. She shrugged. I was kind of glad she didn't answer I don't think I was mentally prepared for the answer. When we got to my house she went through my closet. "You have nothing appropriate to meet the king in" That wasn't my fault. I had bought some very nice dresses for my trip to Rhodes that would have been appropriate. I was just about to tell Pam where the King could go when she handed me a Fangtasia credit card. "Spend at least five hundred on an appropriate dress" It must be nice to be able to spend that much on one item of clothing. "How exactly does that qualify as a business expense?" I really didn't want to spend that much money on a dress no matter who was paying for it. "It is a necessity to keep up appearance." She gave me look that said I should have already known that. In truth I should have. A key point in the meeting we all had before Rhodes was not to look poor. I took the card and she took off shortly after.
I packed my bags I even packed Eric's present to me. When he said he wanted to buy me a present I should have assumed it would be over the top. He gave me a diamond necklace and matching earrings. The necklace was Y shaped and made of white gold. It had clusters of diamonds going all around it. At the very end of the necklace there was a sizeable tear shaped diamond. The size of it wasn't obnoxious. It was just right. It would sit beautifully above my ample cleavage. No one had ever given me anything like this. I figured meeting the king would be an appropriate time to wear them. I got ready for bed. The last thought I had as I laid down was that tomorrow night I would be falling asleep in Eric's arms.
Sookie
Chapter Ten
Closing The Distance
Although I had a late night I woke up before my alarm clock. There was a smile on my face. I jumped in the shower and got dressed. When I went into the kitchen Dermot was sitting there already. I really hoped he had gotten over his issue from last night. I greeted him cheerfully. He smiled at me. We both knew why I was in such great spirits. As I sat down with my coffee he said,
"Give me your right hand" He reached across the table and I saw that he had what looked like braided twine in his hand. Only it was blonde. As I looked closer I saw that it wasn't string it was hair. I raised my eyebrow in question. "It is my hair" Well I already guessed that much. What I wanted to know was why I should be walking around with it on my wrist. Because if this was some kind of fairy good luck charm I didn't want it no matter how much he thought I needed it. Deliberately I folded my arms across my chest. He gave me an exasperated look like I was being unreasonable. Right.
"It will serve as a summons. If you are in danger you have but to call my name. It will lead me instantaneously to your exact location. It is effective in any realm or dimension" My first thought was that if I ever found myself in another realm I would just assume I was dead. I knew there were other dimensions and realms probably more than I could ever imagine. In fact traveling through other realms was how the psycho fairies scrambled my bonds G.P.S. In Rhodes I met two Britlingens. They were from another dimension. Absently I wondered if demons were from another world or did they originate from this one like vampires, and were's and humans. If you ask me it was getting pretty crowded here. It was that last thought that made me give Dermot my hand. Additional protection could never hurt. I didn't know what else was on this plain or what else could travel here.
He wrapped it around my wrist and braided the loose ends together to fasten it. When he was done he placed his hand firmly over it. Before I could begin to complain he released me. When I looked down I saw the hair bracelet was gone. I examined my wrist. "Where is it?"
"It is there but it will remain unseen" I nodded. I was glad he thought to hide it. We had breakfast and made small talk. "Do you normally spend time with Pamela" Why was he calling her Pamela? That question took me by surprise. With the way he asked I couldn't really tell if he was hoping I would say yes or no. It also brought me back to their exchange yesterday. "No I don't hang out with Pam normally" He nodded and his face gave nothing away. I didn't want to be intrusive but this was weird. This was harder for me because I was use to knowing what people wanted to hide. Fairies avoided vampires because vampires were extremely bad for their health. I waited for him to say more on the subject but he didn't.
The car was right on time. Dermot came along for the ride to the airport. Our driver was young maybe my age. He was gay. The volume at which he broadcasted reminded me of Amelia. He thought Dermot and I were a couple. That didn't keep him from fantasizing. I put my shields up he had a vulgar mind.
Once I picked up my ticket at the counter Dermot and I began making our way towards my gate. He carried my bag in one hand and held my hand in the other. When we got there he turned to me and put his free hand on my shoulder. "Be safe" he said. Well it's not like I ever got a choice when people wanted to hurt me or when fights broke out around me. His words gave me a bad feeling. Every time I left home bad things happened and I always almost get killed. Always. But I shook that thought away and smiled at him. "I'll be fine you really shouldn't worry so much". He pulled me into a hug and I returned it wholly. The presence of my uncle in my life filled a gap I never really knew was there. He kissed my head. We said our goodbyes and he watched as I walked away. When I turned around at the very edge of the gate he was gone.
I boarded the plane and found that Pam had booked me a first class seat. It was nice. The seats were wide and the leather was so soft. The pilot let us know we would be in Vegas in less than three hours. I had no anxiety as the plane took off. I even took a little nap. When I opened my eyes I was touching down in Sin City. The only luggage I had for this trip was slung over my shoulder. It saved me a lot of time because I didn't have to check it but it was also heavy as hell. The prospect of seeing Eric had me practically giddy. So much so I forgot that a car was supposed to be picking me from here. Instead I took a taxi. As the cab drove through the city the buildings began getting more and more extravagant. There were palm trees; lavish water fountains I even spied a small Eiffel tower. The driver was an older man and he had been doing this a long time. With the way I was looking around at everything he knew this was my first time here. So he began telling me about all the big buildings. He told me about shows that were in town and the best places to eat. He told me the Vegas strip was lit up like the fourth of July at night. That was something I wanted to see. He was more like a tour guide than a cab driver. When we pulled in front of the hotel my mouth fell open. This hotel put the Pyramid hotel in Rhodes to shame. It was so big it could have its own zip code. The front lawn alone was the size of a football field. It had an elaborate fountain. I also noticed the water in the fountain was a much darker blue. A valet opened my door and a bellboy was ready to take my bag. I paid the fare and gave my driver a nice tip. The lobby was something else. There were Roman statues everywhere and there was also a smaller fountain inside. Everything was ornately decorated from top to bottom. As if that wasn't enough I could see that it had more shops that the Shreveport mall.
I told the bell boy the suite I needed to get to. He gave me a nervous look. 'The vampire floor I hate going up there they all freak me out' well I couldn't argue with his thought process. "Right this way Miss". He led and I followed. We rode the elevators to the 40th floor. When the doors opened we were faced with two massive guards. They reminded me of the Berts. Only they weren't twins although they were dressed identically; white T-shirts; black military pants and black boots. They were both some kind of were. The brown skinned one to the left was wilder somehow. His appearance was neat but he exuded a kind of feral energy if you know what I mean. I have never heard anything like him before. His mind moving at breakneck speeds and it was fuzzy too. I put my shield up he was giving me a headache. The set of his eyes was something I had also never seen before. They were almond shaped and they were bright green and out lined with a bright yellow. The bell boy had good sense to be scared of them. I was uncomfortable being this close to them myself. Even though I was sure they could kill someone with their bare hands they were carrying guns. After Rhodes vampires everywhere were bulking up security. I didn't blame them.
The one on the right spoke, "Name" I assumed they weren't just going to let anyone onto the floor where vampires were resting for the day. "Sookie Stackhouse" I replied. My voice wasn't as steady as I intended. He pushed a button on a collar that was around his neck and repeated my name. There was a tense moment as he waited to hear back from whoever was on the other end. I didn't think they would hesitate to kill anyone who was crazy enough to test them. "Alex, she's with Northman in 4005" He finally announced. The bell boy flinched as the other guard reached for my bag.
He ushered me forward and I finally stepped off the elevator and followed behind him. This whole floor was crawling with guards. They were all dressed alike. He punched in a code at Eric's door and it opened. The entire suite was light proof so it was pitch dark in the walk way. When I turned I found that his eyes were glowing brightly. It was scary. He hit a switch on the wall I noticed he closed his eyes slightly against the glare of the light. Then he handed me my bag and left. He scarcely acknowledged my thanks. These guys weren't ones for small talk.
The suite was really nice. But I hardly noticed. The first thing I did was look for Eric. He was in the bedroom. He was resting in of those newer metal coffins. I would bet my house that this one would remain intact even if it fell from this height. I ran my hand over it. Being this close to him after almost two weeks apart eased all the tension in my body. There were still a few hours before the sun went down. Instead of sitting and waiting I decided to go down to the shops I saw downstairs. I needed to find a dress.
After freshening up I headed out. Out of curiosity I cast out my net. I wanted to know if I was the only human on this floor. Turns out I was. There was nothing but empty voids and fuzzy minds. It felt like all the guards saw me the second I entered the hallway. I walked towards the elevator. The strange were named Alex stopped me as I reached the elevator, "Mam is there something you need?" Yes I need you to get out of the way. This was the first time I heard him speak. His voice was deep and he had a slight accent I couldn't place. "No thanks I just wanted to have a look around downstairs". I replied as innocently as I could manage. "Once you are on this floor you are our responsibility until dark" He said it like I should have already known this and I needed to stop being a pain in his ass. "You mean I can't leave?" My voice was incredulous. I wonder if Pam deliberately left that part out. He shook his head. When he spoke he was now trying to make his voice reassuring. "You may leave but you must do so with an escort" I'm not sure what was worse. Being stuck up here or having one of these guys follow me around as I shopped for a dress. I knew he was just following orders but I had the urge to kick him.
Eventually I nodded because I was sure he wasn't going to budge. This was so ridiculous and embarrassing. I didn't even know who to be mad at. He spoke into his collar again and two minutes later two other weres came to the elevator. "This is Alexis and this is Cameron" Alexis was a tall woman. She was very attractive in an exotic way; slanted eyes; full lips and her light brown hair was in a single French braid that was almost to her bottom. She was a female replica of Alex only she was shorter and much leaner. If he was built like a Mack truck then she was a sports car. Their mental signatures were identical and I was becoming really curious as to what they were. She offered me a small smile. I returned it. I was glad she was at least trying to make me comfortable. Cameron was just as huge as the other guards and he was a regular were. He nodded at me but I wasn't getting a smile out of him. "Ms. Stackhouse will be having a look around downstairs" Alex said. They nodded in sync. Cameron pushed the call button for the elevator. Alexis put on sun glasses. They came and stood right behind me. I sighed. This was going to be the most uncomfortable shopping trip ever.
Turns out the shops in this place were on several floors. I figured I would just walk around and window shop until something caught my eye. My shields were up but it did nothing to help me ignore the looks people were giving me and my shadows. I saw a little boutique that seemed to specialize in evening wear. It looked promising. Plus I had no doubt that I would meet Pam's price requirement in a place like this. I went in and a sales woman approached me. She was middle aged. Her blonde hair was pulled into a tight bun. She had on a blouse with way too many ruffles. And her dress slacks were way too baggy at the hips. "My name is Diana what can I help you find today" She was sizing me up. Starting at my feet and ending with my face. Her face looked calculating. I dipped into her head. 'Seven and a half shoe, an eight dress maybe' she just went on and on. She gauged everything from my bust size to the best possible colors for my complexion. She was really good too. She was right on just about everything.
"I need a dress" She nodded. She looked behind me and noticed my shadows for the first time. Her thoughts became incoherent for a second then she quickly regained her composure. I smiled in apology. "Is there an occasion?" I thought about how to answer her. "Yes I'm meeting my boyfriend's Boss but it will be in a social setting" That was as close as I could get to the truth. I wasn't going to tell her I was meeting the Vampire king of three states. She nodded. Her mind was full of dresses. "Will this be during the day or evening" She asked me. "Evening" I felt like I was playing twenty one questions. What was wrong with just browsing around the store for something you liked? But I saw in her head that she was using processes of elimination. And she refused to have me buy the wrong thing for fear of marring her reputation. She took her job seriously. "You have a very beautiful complexion; I think soft tones would look best"
"Thank you" I smiled at her compliment. "Why don't you go into the fitting room and I will bring you some selections" Before I could answer Alexis said, "I will have to go first" Her tone said she wasn't asking. "Of course" So Alexis followed behind Diana and I followed behind her and Cameron followed behind me. When the fitting room had met her security check she let me enter. The dressing room in this place was the size of my bathroom and then some. It had a raised platform and ornate mirrors that provided a 360 degree view. I tried on several dresses. There was nothing I loved.
Then she handed me a blush colored chiffon dress. "It just came in I think it is for you". I looked at it. The dress was daring. She handed it to me. This wasn't what I would have normally chosen. But when I tried it on I had to give it to Diana. The lady knew her stuff. The dress was calf length and had a slit that ran up to the thigh. The material obscured the long slit slightly so it gave off a subtle kind of sexy. It was a halter top but the cut in the front stopped just above the navel. There was very little back to speak of. The dress flowed from me and clung to me in all the right places. She knocked on the door I opened it. She had a triumphant smile on her face. "Flawless absolutely flawless" She whispered. I think she was talking to herself. She brought me a pair of shoes and the ensemble was complete. The total made me wince so I was sure Pam would be pleased.
After I got my dress we stopped for lunch. Well I ate Alexis and Cameron sat at a nearby table and made people uncomfortable. Shortly after that we began making our way back to the vampire floor of the hotel. My shields were up but a sharp thought pierced it. 'There' I heard it and I saw my face in a hostile mind. The mind was fuzzy so I was sure he must have been thinking about me very hard. I stopped dead in my tracks and my shadows stopped with me. I turned around trying to put a face to the thought. But the area was just too busy there were people coming and going in every direction. I felt where the thought was coming from but I couldn't see who it was. Cameron and Alexis picked up on my anxiety and they scanned the area. "I smell were. Not one of us" Alexis said. She pulled in the scent "Three at your four and three more at our twelve." Her head was whipping around so fast it was making me dizzy. I don't think Cameron could smell what she smelled but his mind was becoming fuzzier and his eyes were changing color. "This is a bad defensive position we need to keep moving" He said.
Alexis wrapped an arm around my waist and lifted me off the ground. I wanted to protest I've ran away from danger plenty of times. There was no need for her to pick me up. But I could tell she was closer to animal than human right now. She began moving throw the crowd of people with both speed and great agility. Cameron was right on her heels. "Are they following?" he called to her. She put me down but hid me behind her body and I guess she was trying to catch a scent. "I can't tell from here" She was whipping her head from side to side. "Keep moving" Cameron called out. In the same breath he took her place; he picked me up and began moving just as quickly and easily as she had. We didn't head towards the same elevators we came down in.
We went towards a door that said 'Employees Only'. Alexis came and swiped a card and the door opened. There was a service elevator right in front of us. Then Cameron set me on my feet. I took some initiative and pushed the call button. At the same time they both pulled out guns from their backs. I thought they were over reacting a little. But from the little I've seen of these guys they didn't have any other kind of reaction. They stood shoulder to shoulder in front of me and faced the doors we came through. They were waiting for both the elevator and an attack. When the elevator came they backed into it. Their eyes never left the door.
On the ride up Cameron was talking into his collar. He was letting the other guards know we were coming. "How did you become aware of that before I?" Alexis asked without turning around. She wasn't even out of breath. "I heard what one of them was thinking, I saw my face in his mind" She turned to look at me. "So it's true then?" My heart beat hadn't returned to normal yet. I wasn't in the mood for disbelieving looks. I just nodded. We were greeted on the 40th floor by Alex. They seemed to relax immediately and put their guns away. "What Happened?" He asked. We were all walking towards Eric's room. Alexis answered, "We were on our way back when she heard something in someone's mind. I smelled were not one of us. They were setting up an ambush" He cursed under his breath. As we walked I wasn't paying them the slightest bit of attention I was wrapped up in my own thoughts.
We were at Eric's door. Alex punched in the code I entered and shut the door behind me. I laid my dress on the nearest chair and began stripping before I reached the bathroom. The shower stall was huge and over done just like everything else in this hotel. The shower head was the size of a frying pan and water was also spraying out of the three walls in the stall. That feature helped me relax. I really wished people would stop coming after me. My thoughts were in a snarl but after the shower I felt more centered. I wrapped a huge fluffy towel around myself. I didn't bother getting dressed when Eric woke up I doubt anything I had on would remain in one piece. That thought made me smile as I lay completely naked in the king sized bed.
A big thanks to those of you who added the story to your Fav's. Again I want to give an extra large, super awesome thanks you to those of you who reviewed. You guys are making this story mean that much more! ;)
...Now that that's out of the way the long awaited EPOV is right below...
As always let me know what you think.
Eric
Chapter Eleven
The Ties That Bind Us
A few rays of sunlight still remained. Through the remnants of the fog in my mind I knew it, I could feel it clearly. Sookie was here. Finally it was dark. I let myself out of my coffin and there she was lying on the bed. There was a flurry of emotions rebounding between us: Relief, happiness, comfort, love, lust. I stood a few feet from the bed just taking her into my senses. She intoxicated them. We did not speak. There was no need to tell her I missed her. I did not have to tell that I needed her more than anything in this world. Being apart for so long left me aching in a multitude of ways. I could not get close enough fast enough. The distances between us disappeared and I was immediately over her. I was struggling to control myself I was almost wild with lust. Our bodies were humming with an electricity I couldn't understand. But it was not at all unpleasant quite the contrary. I tried to get acquainted with the feeling but with every thrust it intensified. I was panting needlessly. We bit into each other at the same time. Our Bodies shook with the force that rolled through it. It took sometime before I was sound enough to lift my body off hers. A thought that wasn't mine entered my mind. It wasn't coherent and it disappeared as quickly as it came. I was positive I heard Sookie.
"I did not hurt you?" I was not as gentle I normally would have been. She shook her head and leaned into me. I just held her close while I pondered what I heard. There were times when I had suspicions that she could hear vampires. I assumed we registered as obscurely as were's or shifters. But I had never voiced those thoughts for fear of having them confirmed. This was different if she could hear me as a byproduct of our bond she would have nothing to fear. She was becoming uneasy because she could feel me deep in thought.
"Lover you wouldn't lie to me would you?" She tensed up slightly. I knew then that she heard me as well. She was struggling with the question because she knew I did not lie to her. "No" She replied. "I heard your mind in my own" I was trying to get her to answer my unspoken question. "Me too" her voice was less than a whisper. I could feel that this conversation was making her afraid.
"I could do without it" I told her with a smile. It was true. I cannot imagine anyone not having a problem with having their private thoughts shared. There were things I kept from Sookie because she would not understand them. There were things I kept from her because it would frighten her. "Me too" She said. "How come you were able to hear me?" She asked. That question confirmed my earlier suspicion of her being able to hear vampires. She was not as startled as she should be if this was indeed the first time she heard vampire.
"You have heard a vampires mind before" It wasn't a question. She looked away. She was taking a page out of my book by telling me the truth but not all of it. I lifted her face so I could look into her eyes. "You can tell me anything" She seemed to search my face for a moment then she spoke.
"The first vampire I heard was you" she was still looking into my face trying to gauge my reaction. Her voice sounded as though she was confessing the worse kind of crime. I was surprised I presumed she would have heard Bill seeing that they had spent so much time together and had a profound emotional connection. She misinterpreted the reason for my surprise and began speaking in a rush. "I never tried to. I never wanted to. It has only happened three times with you then with Heinrick at the trial" By the time she finished speaking she was looking away from me again. "You were right to keep that secret" I told her. She knew what it would mean if vampires even suspected she could hear them. She listened to her instincts and it probably kept her alive.
"To answer your question our bond is getting stronger" I told her. She sat up. "I remember you saying that would be a good thing but I'm not so sure" That made two of us. When I told her that it needed to be stronger to keep her from being maneuvered away this was not at all what I meant. I could have never guessed it would reach this potency. The effect of our separation must have frightened her as much as it surprised me. "It is not a bad thing" That statement was true in context. Telling her I was just as uncertain as she was would alarm her. It has happened. There is nothing to be done for it now. I did find myself wondering if I had done what was best by offering myself in place of Andre. Not just the best thing for me but the best thing for Sookie as well. If I had not intervened he would have gave her his blood but she would have been free of him shortly after. And I would not be facing some very difficult choices.
"How can you say that? I'm turning into a Reinfeild" She was a little angry at my assessment. Of course a head strong woman like her would be concerned about losing her free will. I pulled her back to lie with me. Although I told her that story she probably forgot that I would have to completely strip her of her free will. "That is incorrect lover. In order for that to ever happen I would have to force you into subservience and I have already promised I would not" She thought over that for some time.
"Is all this control stuff done mentally" she asked me. There was a calculating expression on her face. I was curious to see where this was leading. "Yes" I answered. "You wanna know what I think" I smiled she was very perceptive I was always interested in what she thought. I nodded. "I don't think you can force me into sub-whatever" I was enthralled though I was quite sure she was wrong. I still wanted to know what brought her to that conclusion. "Explain"
"Well when y'all glamor people that's mental too and that doesn't work on me so"
"You think you will be resistant to my call" I said with furrowed brows. "Pretty much" she said. She was quite shrewd. She was able to think outside the box and it allowed her to provided excellent insight. Her theory did not seem as implausible as I once thought. This was not a possibility I had ever considered. It left me reeling. Except that the night she saved me from Seigbert I had called her to me. At least I thought I had. Now it would seem just as likely that she came on her own accord because she felt I was in need. I became very eager to test her theory. "May I try" She was immediately apprehensive. "Hey it was just a thought" One that she now regretted voicing. I did not want her to regret letting me in on things. I tried a different approach.
"I know you are wrong but I just thought it was worth testing" My voice was carefully uninterested. I knew she would not take kindly to that comment. "You think you know everything" she said. I gave her a smug smile. She was annoyed. "You're trying to bait me" my smile grew because despite her knowing my intention she would not let my comment go. That was Sookie. She loved to challenge me. "In fact I am so sure of myself I am willing to make a wager"
"I don't gamble" she said dryly. I laughed. "Aren't you even interested in knowing what I would bring to the table?" She looked at me cautiously and asked, "What?" I had her. "Anything" I said that like a man without a doubt. She thought on it for a minute. "Fine" I suppressed another smile. "If I'm right you owe me and if you're right I owe you" It was bold of her to leave the terms so vague. The possibilities left me excited. Prior to our wager I didn't care about being right because I had already promised I would never use such means. Now I wanted to win. I knew exactly what I would ask of her. "Will it hurt" I shook my head. It could if I persisted but this would be a quick test. "Okay" she still sounded a bit uncertain.
Sending feelings through the bond was simply a matter of conjuring the emotion yourself and making it dominant in your own body. The bond would then carry it to the other person. This was very different. I had to focus on the part of her that was within me and push my will upon it. I did this very gently. If she was wrong I did not want to cause her pain. I was commanding her to sit up. She showed no signs of feeling my command so I lightly turned up the volume so to speak. Nothing. "Are you doing it" she asked. I raised my hand to silence her I needed to focus. She gave me a smug smile.
Needing to verify what I was witnessing I let the command reign over her in full force. Her response was the same. "I can tell you want me to sit up" I raised my eyebrow. She tapped her temple lightly. "You are right" I finally told her. "It's been known to happen" she was brimming with self-satisfaction. She leaned over and kissed me. I suppose this knowledge gave her some peace of mind. Her freewill would always be her own. I didn't let her pull away instead I pulled her on top of me. "Do I still get to keep you?" she smiled "As long as you want" she kissed me and we made love again. Her words left a thought that her touch could not fully suppress. She did not mean what she just said. Not really.
After we lay just enjoying being in each other's arms. There was a knock at my door. I was not expecting anyone. I pulled on a tank top and a pair of jeans, and shot to answer it. Even through the closed door I knew who it was. "Alex" I said with a nod. "Mr. Northman" I turned and walked into the sitting room he followed. I sat he remained standing. "I wanted to inform you that we are working on the incident that took place during the day" He immediately had my undivided attention.
"What incident?" There was an edge to my voice. I had no idea what he was referring to. "Your" he did not know how to continue. "Wife" I supplied. "Yes. She checked into this floor around 3pm. She left shortly after to visit the shops. As is procedure she was issued two guards. She heard something" He used quotation marks to indicate she didn't hear it with her ears. "One of mine smelled were and a possible ambush. They had enough warning to return to the floor before anything could happen. We are working with the locals and Hotel security to make positive ID's" Just as I was beginning to think that there was no need to worry. I gave Alex a small nod and he turned to leave.
Sookie came out when he left. "That guy makes my head hurt" she said. I frowned at her. "Did you forget to mention something?" She put her hands on her hips and immediately went on the defensive. "I was going to get to that" I could not be too upset. I did not give her much of a chance. I was still annoyed at having to find things out later than I should. "What is he?" she asked me. "Saber tooth tiger" I replied absently. She was stunned. "Did you hear anything useful from whoever was looking for you?" She shrugged. "Nothing really I just saw my face in a were's mind, I could tell he wasn't friendly" That wasn't much help but I was glad it was enough to keep her safe.
"Anything else you need to mention" She folded her arms across her chest and became suddenly irritated "Yes Mr. Highhanded thanks for letting me know you sent wolves to follow me" She was frowning. I was not going to explain the reasoning behind that. "What happened?" She sat down. "My uncle almost killed one of them because he didn't know why they were hanging around" My assessment of the Fairy being ready to defend her was correct. I shrugged. "That really bugs me you know" She was glaring at me. I felt her anger rising I nodded in acknowledgment mainly because I wanted her to move on. "I'm still waiting to hear back from Alcide but I heard from Sam that Sid would be okay" I nodded.
Under normal circumstances the pack would want the blood of the fairy. In this case I would pay whatever fine they required as restitutions. Sookie was a friend of the pack I knew without a doubt that Alcide would want to remain in her favor. She was still looking at me. Her expression was hard to read. "I won't apologize if that's what you're after" I refused. She knew my so called highhandedness was done out of concern for her safety. "I know" She sighed.
That wasn't the reaction I thought I would get. "My uncle is going to teach me magic and how to use a sword I inherited from my grandfather" The look on my face made her smile. I felt a slight unease at the idea of my woman not needing my defense. Quickly I shoved the irrational feeling aside. Too often have I seen her body beaten and broken as a result of her inability to defend herself. Also the prospect of her fighting was frightening and exciting in so many different ways. "What kind of magic?" I didn't know much about the magical aspects of fairies. She shrugged "Mostly stuff for self-defense that he thinks I can learn" I nodded. "Tell no one of this" this was something she would have already assumed. It didn't hurt to make sure. "Yeah I know"
"I saw Victor last night." She continued. Her tone was no longer light and her voice shook ever so slightly at the memory. Victor frightened her and with good reason. "He stalled Pam from coming to me then he followed her to Merlottes" That explained a lot. "He knows where you were but he wanted Pam to tell him why" He overplayed his hand there. Pam would tell him nothing. "Lover I am working on a few things to fix that problem. I just need time." Victor was formidable but he was not untouchable. It would be difficult but he would go to his final death and soon. If for no other reason, he prolonged Sookie's torture by Lochlan and Neave even if I could have seen past that he made an attempt on the lives of the two people I loved. "Okay" She was comforted somewhat.
I got up; kissed her and headed for the shower. My meeting with the King was fast approaching. After that my task away from home would be complete. I would keep Sookie close and we would leave here as soon as possible. I was not entirely convinced this was enemy territory but it definitely wasn't friendly either. Being at the tail end of my trip brought me back to its beginning.
Since I no longer had a day man Pam had to bring me to the airport. We were quiet the entire way there. I could feel she was tense. Soon we arrived at Shreveport regional airport. We drove around to the hanger that housed the private crafts. The king's jet was already there with Sandy waiting. Pam got out and watched me go. Concern marred her face. I could tell more than anything she did not want me to go alone. Pam did not leave until the plane was well in the air. Half way to Arkansas I felt a pull that could only be compared to the call of a maker. When I was newly turned I tried to run. Ocella did not give chase like I thought he would. When he desired my return he called. I tried to fight it. I did not know then that it was a fool's battle. Even after my will power was reduced to shreds I fought. I was robbed of all desires; I had no other feelings; I no longer wanted to feed; I did not feel the benefits of a day's rest; it consumed all that I was until all other needs were abolished.
The longer I fought the stronger the command became; it infected my blood and took hold over my body. Eventually I lost control of my limbs and went crawling back-literally. That call lasted only two and half days.
What I was feeling now was the beginning stages of that fight. Everything in me wanted Sookie. Her blood and her body were calling to me. That simply could not be. She could not exert such a call. She did not know how. The bond was forged of my blood not the other way round. There had to be another explanation I focused on the bond to find it. It was not her calling to me. My bond with Sookie had reached a point that should have taken several centuries. It was a terrifying concept. Our bond was protesting against the miles that separated us. This was involuntary and I was sure we were both suffering the effects. I could feel nothing else from Sookie or myself, just that overwhelming need. I did not know how she would endure this. I sent a text to Pam. "Go to her"
She would know what to do. She would go to Sookie and at least alleviate some of the need and lessen the force of it. By reducing Sookie's need she would in turn reduce mine. We were two halves of a whole, and right now both halves were calling to each other in a deafening roar. My destination was still several miles away. If this persisted I would not last the night. With every mile the feeling became more forceful it was now dangerously close to becoming uncontrollable. I clutched my seat as I fought for control over my body. It took all of the restraint and discipline I had attained in 1000 years to remain where I was. Every fiber of my being wanted to tear the very doors from this craft and fly home. Thankfully Sandy was in downtime and my bout of anxiety escaped her notice. The struggle raged and I was losing. My hold on the seat relaxed the second Pam was with Sookie. As we began our descent the feeling was manageable but still very present. To say that, that was the worst plane ride of my existence was understating the truth by a wide margin.
That was the nature of my time in away. During the nights it took pronounced effort to force myself to focus on the financial ruin of Arkansas. I met with the Sheriffs of the areas in question I even met with one the King's Lieutenant of that state. The struggle continued night after night and each night seemed harder than the one before it. Dawn was the only thing that brought full relief from the constant pull. The last night I spent there was the most trying. I rose to the familiar ache. Only the relief that Pam provided did not follow. More time passed it still did not come. Pain rippled through my chest and nearly brought me to my knees. Through the pain I could feel myself brimming with anger. I was angry because I felt weak; I was angry that Pam was late; but most of all I was angry that I was already so tightly bound. When Pam reached Sookie it took longer to regain my composure. It was shameful really. I was an immortal who was intently watching the clock. The passing of time should mean nothing to me but yet it meant everything.
Eric
Chapter Twelve
Surprises
When I was finished with my shower I got dressed for the evening. I opted for a tailored Stone Grey suit and a black shirt. After I went to let Sookie know what we would be doing this evening. She was in the sitting room. The light proof blinds had been moved and she was taking in the Vegas strip through the door sized windows. She seemed to be marveling. I felt a pang of guilt because she wouldn't get to experience some of what she saw. Pam told me it was important to take her out places and share new things with her. As of late it hasn't been feasible. I went to stand behind her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She completely relaxed into me and I enjoyed the view with her. "It really is like the fourth of July" she murmured I nodded.
"I will be leaving to meet with DeCastro. Then he will most likely require I attend his little soiree afterwards" She nodded with her head still against my chest. Pam must have given her a good idea of what to expect. There were still some things I needed to make clear. "You will be referred to as my wife try not to take it as an insult" It still bothered me that she has not come to terms with that reality yet. I was sure entering into the union unknowingly was her biggest problem. Regardless it was something I would have done eventually. In fact it was something I offered the night of the were witch war. I thought myself to be a good husband. "Yeah, yeah Pam told me I would have to be a good little human" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. It piqued my irritation on the already sore topic. "What is it about being my wife that you object to so?" I was trying to sound matter of fact but she could feel that I was anything but. "Handing over a knife in the back office of a bar is not how a girl sees her wedding is all"
"So you would have married me in a different way?" My question caught her off guard. "Not then"
"Would you now?" Now that I saw the reason for her not being receptive I wanted to resolve it. I told her she was my wife in the only way that mattered to me. I wanted to be her husband in the way that mattered to her. "It's not really possible with all that's going on" That was true but she was using it to deflect my question. "That is not what I asked" I went to stand in front of her. "If I properly asked you now, would you?" she was forced to look into my eyes. "Yes" she said.
I dropped to one knee with her left hand in mine. I held her gaze. "Marry me, Lover" I smiled. There were tears in her eyes and she nodded. She reached down to wrap her arms around my neck and kissed me I stood and she wrapped her legs around my waist. She was full of joy. Maybe she wanted a choice or maybe this is was how she envisioned it. Whatever the reason this little gesture made her very happy. Her intent at the moment was very clear. It took a lot to pull away from her kiss. "Lover we don't have time" I could feel how much she wanted me. She reluctantly halted her assault. "How long before we get to come back up here" I laughed and set her back on her feet.
"The Kings event begins in exactly two hours. In case I am unable to escort you downstairs, the banquet hall is on the fifth floor" I gave her a serious look "There is a very high likelihood that Victor will be here if he isn't in the building already" she immediately became tense. "With the kings party security will be stringent not even he would dare" It is very unlikely that there would an incident tonight. In fact we would never be safer from Victor anywhere than we are here but I was unwilling to test it. Of one thing I was certain. If there is danger anywhere here it would find Sookie "You must go straight downstairs if I do not come for you" She nodded. Then she brushed my hair and pulled it into a ponytail. After which I was ready to be on my way. She was ogling me. "See something you like?" She nodded without any shame what so ever. I laughed and left while I still could.
There were several vampires on this floor. Some were a part of DeCastro entourage others were staying here because of his party. DeCastro owed part of this hotel and part of several others in Las Vegas. He was doing well mainly because politicians and mobsters in this state were very eager to gain his favor which was expensive. I took the elevator to the top floor of the building. When I arrived at his penthouse I met personal guards at the door.
"Sheriff Northman" they both gave me a small nod. "Adam, Uric" I returned their greeting. I waited as Adam entered the room and to inform the king of my presence. A few seconds later he emerged. "The king will see you now" I spared him another nod as I entered the room. Lavish did not begin to describe the Kings accommodations'. The king was waiting in his sitting room along with Sandy as well as Nathanial Rivers one of the king's Lieutenant from Arkansas. I stopped a respectable distance away and gave him a deep Bow "Your Majesty". He waved me forward. I gave Sandy and Nathanial small nods of acknowledgments before I sat. "So Northman tell me what it is you have found" Sandy offered both him and Nathanial copies of the report we complied. He took it but before he opened it he said "Having things on paper is fine but I want to know what you think as well" As they read I gave them my opinion on things aside from what was listed on paper.
The truth was Arkansas is a poor state. It was poor when Peter Threadgill got it was poor when Sophie Anne acquired it and it was poor now. It was in worse shape now because Peter spent money on Sophie Anne he really didn't have in hopes of gaining Louisiana. When it became a part of Louisiana's territory there wasn't time to do much with it between Katrina and Rhodes. In terms of business endeavors there were some lucrative prospects that should be considered. All in all the state needed some time and things would get worse before they got better. The only upside is that it would be a tax break if nothing else. I worked with a financial and business analyst and we drew up charts that illustrated all of what I was telling them. The kings' assignment appealed to me because it involved some progressive thinking. Sandy offered some of her view points as well. It was almost two hours later when I was going over the last area I surveyed. "Well done Northman" I gave the king a small bow "His majesty is too kind"
"There is a lot for me and Nathanial to discuss, but I cannot be late for my own party" He rose and the rest of us followed. "I hear your wife is here" Every time he mentioned Sookie it made me uneasy. "Yes she arrived this afternoon" Seeing he already knew she was here I figured volunteering more information would be best. "She will attend with you this evening" he meant for it to come out as I question but I knew better. "If his majesty permits" He gave me a small nod. Nathanial had a smile on his face. "I so look forward to meeting the famed telepath" I smiled at his implied compliment. Nathanial was the child of DeCastro. I did not know much about him. I knew enough to know I needed to watch him.
We began making our way out of the suite. I opened one door Nathanial opened the other. Sandy and DeCastro walked through. The king's guards fell in step behind him. Nathanial and I brought up the rear.
There really wasn't an easy way to break from this procession to stop by my room and get Sookie. So I just traveled with them to the banquet hall. It was truly fit for a king it was decorated in deep shades of crimson and gold. There were at least 200 people in attendance. I would say more than half were human. A good portion of them were here as willing donors to the vampires. Some were Celebrities others were Politicians. There was also a decent number of were's in attendance. I noticed Mr. Cataliades. Other than that the rest of the people in the room were vampires one of them being Victor Madden.
As we entered further into the room I tried to distance myself from the king's vicinity but Nathanial was speaking to me about nothing in general. It didn't occur to me that he was stringing me along intentionally until we reached Victor. When Victor saw me I got a second of sadistic pleasure from the expression on his face. "Your Majesty" He greeted the king with a bow I saw he was having some difficulty keeping his usual smile on his face. "Madden" The king said. We all exchanged nods with Victor I made a point to bow a little as he was the Lieutenant of my state. My face was expressionless. What I really wanted to do was laugh at his discomfort but it simply wouldn't do. I noticed I wasn't the only one enjoying Victor's discomfort. Nathanial was beaming.
My attention was diverted when Sookie's scent hit the air. My head snapped up and I turned towards the entrance. I spotted her immediately. My fangs ran out slightly in excitement. It was a struggle to retract them. My gaze was fixed on her. In a Fraction of the time my eyes traveled leisurely down the length of her body at least a hundred times. I was staring but I was not the only one. She was drawing the gaze of vampires, weres, and humans alike. She began making her way towards me. I saw nothing else but her advance. The flow of her hair; the sway of her hips; the slight smile on her lips I was mesmerized by it all. When she was close enough I extended my hand and she took it. I turned to stand by her side and together with hands still held we faced the king.
"Your majesty" She gave him a small bow and a curtsey. Her act was impressive considering how much she disliked these aspects of the vampire world. DeCastro stared for a second longer than was appropriate but I could not fault him. "Ms. Stackhouse" he smiled. I released her hand and he took it and placed a small kiss over it. The king's body guards stood behind him. Victor and Nathanial were on either side of him. Sandy stood next to Nathanial. "Please accept my belated congratulations" he said as he released her hand. She gave him a charming smile and a slight nod of her head "Absolutely, but please call me Sookie" She looked at Victor and tensed.
I took a step forward and held her hand. "Lover you remember Victor" She smiled and gave him a nod. "How could I forget" He gave her a smile of his own and said, "It is always a pleasure" I introduced her to Sandy and Nathanial. She smiled and nodded at them as well. We backed away to find a table but Nathanial invited us to sit with him. He failed to mention that he would be sitting with the king as well as Victor. It was now painfully obvious that he wanted me around so I could be a thorn in Victor's side. There was no way to decline.
After we were seated Sookie excused herself to greet Mr. Cataliades. I suspected she also wanted a free second of not having to mind her every word. There was a line of people waiting to greet the king I sat and watched as human after human came and left. My eyes were following Sookie so I saw the second Nathanial found his way to her side. I feigned disinterest and looked elsewhere but I was focused intently on the bond. She was anxious. Then after some time her feelings moved to amusement. I was curious. I turned to look and she was laughing. "He is very good at making humans feel at ease" Sandy had followed my gaze. "It can be useful but it gets annoying quickly" I nodded. Victor was sitting to the kings immediate right. His face was expressionless that was uncharacteristic.
I rose and made my way over to Sookie she was still with Nathanial. I wound my hands around her waist and kissed her head. "Dance with me" She turned to face me. "I thought you'd never ask" Before I led her away she turned to Nathanial. "It was very nice to meet you Nathan" He smiled "The pleasure was all mine Sookie" I raised an eyebrow at their exchange. Nathanial nodded at me and left. I pulled her to the dance floor and held her close. She was a beautiful dancer. She twirled and spun and never missed a beat. I lifted her effortless and she laughed blithely. It was just like Rhodes. Only now she was mine.
We stopped at the bar to get her usual beverage before returning to the table. 'Eric' Sookie called my name in her head. It was as clear as having it said out loud. I did not turn to face her. 'I can hear you lover' She was staring directly at the human that was speaking to the king. 'That guy is working with the F.B.I' She moved her gaze to the band and I risked a glance at the human in question. From proximity to his conversation I heard his name was Daniel Wade. He was a little tea pot of a man. 'What for' she took a sip of her drink. 'They think DeCastro is in bed with mobsters and Politician they suspect he had something to do with Sophie Anne's Final Death. They think he's a threat to the government' most of those allegations were true but they would have a very hard time proving it.
I was thinking of the best way to approach the situation. The first thought I had was to ignore it. I wanted to keep a low profile. The king hasn't forgotten what Sookie could do. However it would be best not to high light it at the moment. Also if I spoke up now our connection would become known that would be a very bad thing. Then again on the off chance this human managed to get close enough to find anything out it could cause a ripple effect that would undoubtedly reach me. 'What are you going to do' she asked. 'I'll wait for an opening.'
The night went on. Finally the king rose to leave. Out of respect all who sat at his table rose as well. As the king walked away I made a point to make eye contact with him. Vampires could communicate effectively without words. The look I gave him indicated that I wanted to speak with him privately. He would most likely send for me later. After the king left Sookie and I danced one more time. I was watching the room for Victor. We continued to dance and I spun us across the dance floor and out the door. Although I was certain it was safe I did not want to provide even the slightest opportunity. I timed our exit so we would part with the masses.
Sookie was leaning with her back against my chest and my arm was around her waist as we rode the elevator to my room. The event has passed without incident I was now very eager to get to the more pleasurable part of my night. I was having a difficult time controlling my excitement. She could feel my hardness pressed against her back. She turned to give me a wicked smile. I turned her around so I could kiss her. My hands wondered all over her body. When we reached our floor I knew human speeds wouldn't be enough. I picked her up and before she could blink we were inside my room. Her dress was beautiful but I had a feeling it would look better on the floor. Turns out I was correct. Unlike our first time tonight I was not as starved for her touch. My need for her was just as great but the sense of urgency our separation caused was no longer there.
Of course having to watch her all night created a different kind of urgency. I wondered if I would ever get enough of this woman. We made it to the bed. I laid her down and moved my kisses south of her body. I wanted to drown myself in her essence. She moaned and writhed under my touch. But she knew to keep her eyes on me. She had two releases of her own and was frantic for me to enter her. She wrapped her legs around my waist and met my thrust with one of her. She took me deep inside her and it sent shivers up my spine. Never before have I had to fight so hard when I was with a woman. Perhaps it was due to the fact that my desire for her was deeper than flesh. She neared another release and I bit into her to drive her over the edge. Having an orgasm is a great thing. Sharing it with your bonded doubled that unmitigated moment of pleasure.
I was lying on my side, with one hand supporting my head and the other hand draped over her stomach. I waited for her to catch her breath. Her hands went to adjust the necklace she was still wearing. "I suppose I need to get you a ring to match" That was something Pam be would very happy to help me with. She would be excited about the things that a human wedding would entail. That was a blessing I never saw myself getting married to a human again. The details that surrounded it were unclear to me. "No you don't. I don't need a ring" I furrowed my brows and thought about it. I was sure I suppose to provide her with one. "Is it no longer customary?" Perhaps that has changed since the last time I was in the Americas. "It is but I don't need one" This was Sookie trying to uphold her image of not being a kept woman. It was something I did not understand but I never argued against. In this instance she would have to relent.
"You will get one" She turned on her side to face me. "The necklace and earring are enough. I don't want to look like your whore" I had planned to reason with her on the issue but when she said that I was flooded with anger. "Firstly I will kill anyone who refers to you that way in the most painful way I can think of" The look on my face was menacing "Second you are my wife. What's mine is yours. You will get a ring" She was poised to argue but she could feel my determination. I would smolder one onto her finger if it came to it.
Sometimes she missed the obvious things. She couldn't see I wanted to take care of her. She couldn't see that I have always wanted to take care of her. In the past I had only given necessities. Anything more would have made her feel I was buying her affections. I did not want to insult her that way. It was different now. I wanted to give her everything she needed and so much more.
I wanted to distract her. "So you are on a nickname basis with the Lieutenant of Arkansas" She lay on her back again and I went back to stroking her mid-section. She smiled "He's funny" Her smile grew "He tells jokes and he knows a lot about humans" I could see how that could be of use. "Then he told me he got stuck in Arkansas because of you" That was something I didn't know. "He said the king didn't send him to Louisiana because he was afraid you might kill him. I guess you must have some reputation" I smiled. I just thought we ended up with Victor because he was the most ruthless and DeCastro could ensure he would do what needed to be done.
"He subtly compared Victor to a rabid dog with a collar. He told me he was an excellent weapon to point at your enemies but sooner or later he would turn on the person holding the leash" Her voice no longer held any amusement. DeCastro was letting the benefits of having Victor in his command blind him to the risks. I was right in assuming that Nathanial disliked Victor. I just didn't know to what extent. There was much I did not know of the history between the two of them. This had potential to be a good thing or a very bad thing. It was true I needed allies especially now but I wasn't desperate enough to jump into bed with just anyone. There was the possibility that it was a trap to solidify my treason. It was also not farfetched that Nathanial was waiting for me to take Victor out if he indeed had such a problem with him. It would be nice if he offered some support towards that endeavor but I knew there was no way he would take such a risk. Even if he did I was certain it would cost me.
We talked for some time about nothing of great importance; her job; my time in Arkansas; the time she spent with Pam. Soon after that she was asleep. I just watched her and thought about how much my life has changed. It used to trouble me that she captivated my attention from the first night I saw her. It rankled even more when I was with other women and I would envision her face. In a feeble attempt to rationalize my attraction to her I had attributed it to her telepathy, her resistance to glamour, and her resistance to my charm. I told myself,' It was the thrill of the chase' and once I had her the irrational desire would fade. I knew even then that it was a great fallacy. Her life has become the center of my existence. That thought did not trouble me. Being with her brought me the greatest happiness I had ever known.
There was a light knock on the door. I got dressed and answered it. It was Adam. "The king has summoned you" I nodded and exited the room. Together we made our way back to the king's suite. I waited as he entered to announce my presence. He exited and held the door open for me to enter. The king was alone this time. I gave him the usual greeting. "There is something you wanted" I nodded and told him all of what Sookie had told me. His expression was blank until I informed him of the human's identity. Although I did not directly tell him the source of the information the fact that he didn't ask meant he knew. When I finished speaking he seemed to be deep in thought.
"I don't suppose there is something I can give you in exchange for your bonded?" Anger pulsed through me but I did not let it show. "No your majesty there is not" He smiled. He knew I wasn't being pragmatic. Reason and love keep little company nowadays. I was not exempt from that truth. When it came to Sookie I was not practical. I was barely rational. The logical thing for a vampire to do in this situation would be to give up the human. I was certain the king would give me almost anything in return. "Yes I guessed as much" He sighed "It would be meaningless to force the issue" He seemed downcast by the realization. "She would need to come willingly" He was absolutely right. He was my king he could have me killed but even then Sookie would not go to him. A begrudging telepath was not only inadequate but potentially hazardous, especially one like Sookie. This was something Andre did not think of when he tried to force his blood on her.
"You will be amendable when I require her services" Again he said it as a question but I knew better. Seeing I had already refused him one thing I thought it best to agree. "Of course" He nodded. "When will you return to your area?"
"Tomorrow night" it was well into the early hours of the morning. He knew tomorrow meant after dark later today. He nodded and with that I was dismissed. I returned to my room. Sookie was still sound asleep. When dawn was close I wrote her note then retired to my coffin.
Sookie
Chapter Thirteen
Visiting The Past
When I woke up the next morning I was alone. Although the room was light proof Eric was safer in his coffin. I stumbled around in the dark for a while before I found a light switch. Instead of a shower I decided to take a bath. I was a little sore from my reunion with Eric but it was a sweet kind of pain. There was a note in the mirror above the sink. It was addressed to the further Mrs. Northman. That made me happier than what was good for me.
My lover,
My business here is done. I have made arrangements for us to depart tonight. Leave the room if you must but do not venture outside the hotel.
I Love You,
~E
That was good news. Las Vegas seemed like an interesting place and all but I wanted to leave here as soon as possible. After my bath I realized I was hungry. I went into the little kitchenette and opened the fridge. It had nothing but blood. I didn't want to be presumptuous and order room service I wasn't sure who was paying for the room. This meant if I wanted something to eat I would have to leave the room to get it. Leaving the floor meant having to take body guards. I considered starving. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate having someone watch my back I did. Especially after the little scare yesterday afternoon and with Victor possibly in the same hotel but the guards were just so rigid. There was no hope of blending into a crowd. It made me and every other human in their vicinity uncomfortable.
Eventually my stomach won over any discomfort I would feel from having my every step shadowed. I grabbed my purse and headed out. Just like yesterday I was the only human of the floor and just like yesterday it was crawling with guards. As I walked I saw that the lights around the elevators were dimmed. There was also no one in front of it. For a second I contemplated pushing the call button and making a run for it. Good thing I didn't. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw glowing green and yellow eyes. I almost jumped out of my skin.
Alex stepped out of the shadows "My apologies I did not mean to startle you" He took a step back trying to make his presence non-threatening. "It's fine" I said. Maybe he didn't know it but there was really nothing he could do to appear less intimidating. "Will you be heading out Mrs. Northman?" It was funny how quickly things change. At this same time yesterday I would have corrected him. Last night I knowingly agreed to marry Eric. He asked me in the way that I would have dreamt of, if I ever dreamt of such things. The moment seemed perfect somehow. It was done for no other reason except that he wanted to make me his and I wanted to make him mine. Nothing else mattered in that moment. I smiled as I nodded at Alex. "Will you be leaving the hotel?" He asked. "No. I just wanted to grab some breakfast" He nodded and spoke into his collar. A minute later we were joined by Alexis and Cameron.
Alexis gave me smile that I returned it. I noticed she had shades on again it wasn't really sunny in here nor would it be sunny downstairs. She may be covering her eyes because of their jarring color or because they glowed in the dark. I got the usual stiff nod from Cameron. The elevator came and we left. When we got to the main lobby I stopped and studied a map. This place was huge. There were hundreds of restaurants. Alexis came to stand to my left. Cameron followed her and came to my right. I felt really small being sandwiched between the two of them. "You are hungry. Yes?" I nodded. Then it occurred to that I never actually told her what I was looking at or where I wanted to go. "Here" She pointed to a little restaurant that was on the map. "They are the cleanest" That was an important thing to consider when looking for a place to eat. It wasn't exactly my main focal point but I was happy for her guidance. She was making an attempt unlike Cameron who I was sure would have let me stare at the map all morning. I nodded and we began walking. My pace was slow. There was a lot to see.
After walking for some time we reached the restaurant called the Hidden Bistro. The place was really fancy. There was an island with several chefs behind it. You chose what you wanted and they cooked it right in front of you. It was entertaining to watch as they flipped food in the air and caught it behind their backs. I would have been more impressed if I wasn't starved. Finally my sausage and eggs were ready I sat outside on the balcony that over looked the pool. It was nice to sit out in the sun. The balcony was fairly empty so Alexis and Cameron weren't drawing that much attention.
I was enjoying my breakfast and I noticed Alexis was getting twitchy. She moved to the door that led back into the restaurant and began whipping her head back and worth. I was nervous but mostly I was mad that I wouldn't get to finish my breakfast. It was really good. "I smell were" She said. Were's had the best sense of smell but I knew hers was better than normal. We were in a restaurant that was full of all types of smells "How many" Cameron asked her. She leaned further out the door. "One I think. It's too far away it may be passing through" She came back and took her seat. She was still a bit twitchy.
They didn't involve me in the exchange so I kept eating. Cameron was tense. He kept glancing at my plate waiting for it empty. A few minutes later Alexis went back to the door "Tiger definitely, male, he's alone". She seemed more relaxed now that she was sure what was coming. My heart skipped a beat. I only knew one were tiger. I wasn't crazy about running into him again. Since the last time I saw Quinn I haven't thought about him much. Honestly there hasn't been room in my head. Now that I thought back to it our last interactions made me sad.
I paid for my meal and we left the restaurant. We were walking through the mall part of the hotel with no particular destination. I wasn't sure if I was running from a confrontation with Quinn or not. It didn't make a difference. "He's following us" Alexis said. She wasn't as tense as she was yesterday when she smelled were but she wasn't at ease either. I didn't want them getting worked up over nothing. "It's okay guys I have pretty good idea who it is" I was told Siberian tigers were rear. Seeing that there was a vampire event here last night it had to be Quinn. We walked a little further. There was a fountain that had benches surrounding it. I sat down. "That is not advisable" Cameron said. "It's fine" If Quinn was following my scent it felt wrong to run no matter how unpleasant the conversation would be. He must still want to get some things off his chest. A lot of time had passed since we broke up so I hoping it would be less intense. Of course this awkward moment was perfect because now we get to share it with two strangers.
Reluctantly my guards stood on either sides of the bench. They were both very tense. Alexis was actually rocking on the balls of her feet. She was definitely wilder. Her head snapped to the left and a few minutes later I saw Quinn. He looked just like he did the first day I met him; bald head and pansy purple eyes. He stopped a few feet away and he was sizing up my guards. Then he broke into his bright smile and shook his head ruefully. "What kind of trouble are you in now babe?" I smiled too. It was a mixture of my panicked smile and something genuine. "None actually" he folded his hands across his chest and remained where he was. His gaze was darting between me and Alexis. "It's okay guys really" No one relaxed. "Lexi" Cameron called. "Take a break" I got the sense he was worried because he was trying to make his voice placating. He reached over and pulled me closer to his side of the bench. "Hey!" These guys were so pushy. He didn't even acknowledge my protest. His eyes were still on Alexis. I turned to look too. She was trembling where she stood and her teeth were bared. She didn't seem to have heard him. Her teeth were getting longer and sharper. "Alexis!" He called with more force. She shivered a little then she shook her head like she was trying to clear it. "Take a break" He repeated. She nodded and looked embarrassed. Then she walked away.
When she was good and gone Quinn came and sat with me. We didn't say anything for a while. We just watched the fountain and the people that passed. "Cameron do you think you can give us some privacy?" I didn't think it possible but I hoped. He looked at the surrounding area before he answered. "I have to maintain a visual but I will be out of earshot" God bless him. He was being understanding. Probably not mostly likely he could sense what was brewing and wanted to be far from it. It was doubtful emotional protection was part of his job description. He walked away and sat on a bench that was on the other side of the fountain. That was one problem down time to face the other. I wondered why I was doing this. I would have been happy never seeing or hearing from Quinn again after what happened. I was thinking about what had changed since then. As soon as the answer came to me Quinn spoke.
"I'm sorry" He still wasn't looking at me. He had never said those words to me after everything that passed between us. It wouldn't have made a difference with us not being together. What I told him was true. I wanted to come first. But those words would have shown he understood my position and what I was feeling same as I understood his. I knew he felt sorry hell we both did but it never showed through all his anger and my betrayal. "I don't regret the choice I made. I regret the hurt it caused" He turned to look at me then. "We all have to make the best decisions for us and the people we love" His eyes looked aged. I felt saddened for him. He was a victim of his circumstances and he always would be. "Nine out of ten times its easy as pie" He gave a little laugh that held no real amusement. "Then there's that one time" He shook his head slightly. "When the best things to do for the people you love is the complete opposite of what you want most"
I nodded. He seemed to have accepted what I had told him. In that moment I knew that Quinn was right. I had been harder on him. It was because I hoped to love him. It was because I saw a chance at a somewhat normal life with him. When we met I was already jaded. At that time I had so little trust left to give and he had to betray the little I extended to him. The truth was if he hadn't chose his family he wouldn't have been the man I thought he was. I had left Quinn no way to win with me and I told him so. I couldn't read his face he was looking at the fountain. He just nodded. "I can see how Eric is the best thing for you but is he what you want?" Normally I would have told him that was none of his business. Right now we were closing a chapter and we had to do it properly. "Yes" he nodded.
We were quiet again just letting the dust settle. "Can you tell me why you are hanging around with a saber tooth tiger and a snow leopard?" So Cameron was a snow leopard. Being in the dessert must have been what made him so crabby. I shrugged my shoulders. "It wasn't my idea hotel policy" I said dryly. He laughed. My tone was petulant. I shook my head at the absurdity of it all. We talked about how life had been for us since we last really spoke to each other. He told me about some of the events he had orchestrated: A witch's ascension, a demon's birthday, a pack master contest. He was really busy but he said that was a good thing. I was happy to hear he was content. We talked about my life.
Obviously there were things I couldn't tell him but I was honest with the things I did tell him. He asked about Calvin and Sam and Alcide and Jason. Our conversation was nowhere near as horrible as I anticipated. I didn't even notice that we had been sitting there for almost two hours.
Quinn got up and I followed. He looked across the fountain and I saw that Alexis had returned she was perched on the bench Cameron was sitting on. Quinn looked at her and shook his head it seemed deliberate as if he was answering a question. Then he turned to look down at me. "I have to go" I nodded. I didn't know what you did with ex's. Did you shake hands or hug or just wave goodbye? I had no idea. Quinn reached for my hand and squeezed it. "Take care babe" His expression was hard to read. "You too Quinn" We smiled at each other then he turned and walked away I noticed he gave Alexis a wide berth as he left. Once Quinn left my shadows returned to my side. We began walking and I decided to use the ladies room. I wasn't sure if I was going back to the room just yet. Of course Alexis came along.
"I wish to make him mine" I could see her reflection in the mirror as I washed my hands. I was confused. "Who" I was sure I missed something. "The tiger" her voice was wistful. My mouth fell open. She looked like she was ready to rip Quinn to shreds when she saw him. She brought her long braid over her shoulder. I noticed it was a little wet. She began playing with it. Now I was positive I missed something. "You looked like you wanted to kill him" There was an edge to my voice. I didn't want Quinn, far from it. I had a problem that she wanted to hurt him. "I would never" She said defensively. "I am in heat. His scent made me…" She shrugged. I looked away this was way too much information. That explained why her hair was wet. "Why are you telling me this?" I had no idea what she expected me to do or say, and I couldn't read her mind. I was completely lost. "You know him" she was looking at me intently. I nodded. Then it clicked. I raised both my palms to halt the thought in its tracks. "That is so not my place" I have been in the middle of a were coupling and ended up having to break my friend's hand. There was no way I would play match maker.
"You care for him" She said with certainty. "Yeah but" I didn't know how to continue. This was just so weird. I appreciated her being nice to me, I even appreciated the honesty but I didn't know her well enough to be talking about stuff like this. Sometimes I wish supes showed some of the same scruple as regular people. Conversations like this would never arise "I will make an exceptional mate" She stood straighter as if making a case for herself. If she was she was talking to the wrong person. I had zero influence over Quinn and that's the way I liked it. "I will protect him. I will bare him children and they will be mighty" Her nostrils flared and anyone could see she was completely enamored. This was crazy. Then something she said caught my attention. "How do you figure he would need your protection?" I have seen Quinn in his tiger form and let me tell you he could manage just fine. She smiled and suddenly looked proud. "When I shift I am 8ft long and over 500 pounds" That was larger than he got, maybe she could protect him.
I took a deep breath. She didn't know anything about him or if he wanted the same things she did. Then again the two natured didn't look at reproduction the same way as humans. "I'm sure you will but I don't see what I have to do with it" She shook her head. "He is under the impression I only wish to breed" That must have been what he had shaken his head at. I wondered if Quinn would be interested if he knew she wanted more than his genetic material "You want me to tell him otherwise?" Her face was hopeful and she nodded.
"Why can't you do it?" I really didn't want anything to do with this but I already felt myself getting sucked in. I looked at her trying to gauge if she would be Quinn's type. I gave up. What did I know? He may want all the same things she did. There was no harm in delivering a message, right? She looked down slightly embarrassed. "It is not safe at the moment" I sighed. "Okay. I'll tell him but that's it" She broke out into a big smile. "I am in your debt" I couldn't be as sullen at the part I agreed to play. She looked happy.
Cameron raised an eyebrow at our very long bathroom break but otherwise remained his usual stoic self. We walked around a little bit more. I stopped inside a store that reminded me of Tara's togs. I lucked out and found a couple of cute dresses at very reasonable prices. They were dressy but not too formal. I haven't treated myself to anything unnecessary for some time. I can think of a couple of reason why I deserved it too. I also bought a suitcase. Shortly after we began making our way back upstairs I had to start packing.
Before I went into my room Alexis gave me meaningful look. Might as well get this out of the way when I got into the room I called Quinn. I was hoping he wouldn't pick up but of course he did. "Hi Quinn, its Sookie" He probably knew that but it was a good way to start. "Hey babe" I really wished he'd stop calling me that. It really no longer applied. "What's up?" his tone was curious. There was really no easy way to say this. "Listen, you know the girl I was with?" There was a pause. "Yeah" he said it like a question. I closed my eyes and just spat it out. "She says she likes you" She said a lot more than that but there was no way I was going to repeat any of it. He was quiet for so long I wondered if he was still on the line. "Hello?"
"I'm not interested in breeding" he replied. "She says she wants more than that"
"Right" He sounded like I was selling him a pipe dream. "She really seemed to like you" It was a strange thing to defend another woman's intentions to your ex but in for a penny in for a pound. "She's in heat that's it" He sounded like this was upsetting him. It seemed to be more than that to me. Call it women's intuition. But I wasn't going to argue with him. I delivered the message the end. "If you say so" He let out a deep breathe. "You know this is weird right?" we laughed because weird didn't seem like a strong enough word. We were at it for a good minute "If you really believe her. You can give her my number" That made me uneasy. Why couldn't he just give me a yes or no answer? After a second of deliberation I said, "Okay" There was a chance that this could be a disaster but for right now I felt hopeful. We said our goodbyes and I got off the phone.
I wrote Quinn's number as neatly as I could on a piece of hotel stationary. Then I went into the hall to find Alexis. Alex spotted me. "Are you heading out again?" I shook my head. "I wanted to speak with Alexis" He was her brother if not her twin. I wasn't going to get into details. He cocked his head to one side. "This is about the tiger?" Well I guess he already knew. I nodded. He gave a strange little bark and Alexis came running. She stood next to Alex and I just had to ask. "Are you guy's twins?"
"No. We are quadruplets" Alexis said absently. She was eager to hear how her message was received. I was looking at her brother and hoped he would scoot but he didn't take a hint. "Listen you meant what you said right?" I didn't want her to hurt Quinn in any sense. I let my shields down and focused on her mind to catch any dishonesty. It was useless. "Oh yes" she nodded vigorously. Call me a sucker but I believed her. "Here" I handed her the piece of paper. She took it and I could tell she was committing the digits to memory. She broke into a big smile that lit her face. Alex had a small smile on his face too. I didn't think he knew how to smile. As I was walking away I heard Alex say, "Return to your post cub" There was kind of low growl mixed with a giggle. I turned to find Alexis in a head lock and her brother was laughing as she struggled against his hold. If she was the only girl among three of those I had no doubt she was tough as nails maybe tough enough to hold her own in Quinn's life.
Eric
Chapter Fourteen
A Setback
When I rose my immediate thoughts were on my departure. I went directly to the shower. Sookie was sitting on the sink top with a towel when I finished. "Thank you lover" She gave me a voyeuristic smile. "My pleasure turn around I'll help you dry your hair" I rolled my eyes. Her assistance in that task was not fully selfless. I remembered my bottom was her favorite part of my body. I leaned my back into her and caught scent of the tiger. It was faint. It came from prolonged exposure and slight contact. The ban I placed on Quinn only applied in my area. If he ran into Sookie anywhere else he was free to harass her. If I wasn't present that is. Due to the king's event I knew there was a possibility he would be here. I had hoped that since we did not run into him last night we would not run into him at all. She did not seem at all upset or tense. It was for that reason I decided not to bring up the matter. If she wanted to tell me she would do so. On the other hand I was not sure how I would feel if she did not. The truth was I wanted to kill him. He served Louisiana on a platter to DeCastro and in doing so he betrayed her trust. It was also true he did not owe or swear fealty to the Queen. It was the principal of the matter. Also I disliked him a greatly for my own personal reasons.
"I left some clothes on the bed for you. I packed everything else" While I got dressed she heated a blood for me. Sharing a home with her was something I could not wait for. It was more than just having her do the simple things for me. The appeal was in the idea of her being the first and last thing my senses were exposed to. I kissed her as she handed me my blood. She smiled. "What was that for?" I shrugged. "Thank you" She leaned further into me and wrapped her arms around my waist. Before we could get carried away there was a knock on the door. I knew it was the concierge from Anubis. She groaned slightly in disappointment then she went to answer it. She showed them to our bags. While they gathered our belongings I finished my meal. Closing the door to the hotel room for the last time meant closing the door on the last two weeks.
The elevators arrived but before we could board another one arrived next to it. Uric stepped out. The look on his face told me our flight had been cancelled. Sookie's hand was in mine and her grip tightened as she picked up on my anxiety. "Uric" I said by way of greeting. There was a chance that he was on this floor for some other business. It was wishful thinking. "The king has requested your presence" He was not surprised to find me ready to leave. There was no need to mention the obvious. I turned to Sookie. "Please show them to the room" 'And stay there' I added mentally. The two humans from Anubis had dealt with vampire enough to keep quiet and do as they were told. She looked nervous but nodded. "She has been summoned" Uric said. I glared at him. "Of course you are to accompany her" I nodded "We will be there momentarily" He nodded but remained where he was. Then Sookie and I turned to return to our room with our luggage in toe.
While our belongings were being unloaded my thoughts were racing. Sookie took care of cancelling our plans. When the concierge left she came to stand in front of me. It was not until then that I realized I was pacing. "Eric, should I be scared?" She asked that question looking for reassurance because I could tell she was already anxious. I did not have a habit of lying to her now would be a poor time to start. She needed to be ready for whatever was waiting for us. "I don't know yet" With that her anxiety raised a few octaves. I regretted telling her the truth. I wanted to comfort her. I chided myself "Focus Eric"
I went over to my coffin and opened a hidden compartment and fished out a little silver dagger. I went over to her and concealed it under her dress. That action made her more afraid. "Listen to me" I seized both her shoulders. "Calm down" Her anxiety was making it hard for me to think clearly. She took a few deep breaths. "You must do what I say when I say" Normally she would have argued with that statement. She could sense the situation called for a vampire approach so she nodded. Nothing had changed since last night except the king may have reconsidered forcing the issue. In which event this would be a very bad night. If DeCastro wanted to kill me there was very little I could do about it. Being alone in his state just meant no one else loyal to me would die as well. The Louisiana vampires from the old regime were barely evenly matched in numbers against Victor's people. Against the King and Victor we would be slaughtered. With that I was resolved.
"Relax" I flooded the bond with calm feelings and her anxiety became negligible. I smiled and took her hand and we headed back out. Uric was still in front of the elevator. We boarded the elevator instead of going up we headed down. "The king is at one of his other venues" He told us. I nodded. We walked through the lobby and out of the main entrance of the hotel. There was a black sedan waiting for us. He opened the rear door Sookie entered and I followed. He sat in the passenger side while another vampire drove. As we drove through the night I realized we were not heading towards the dessert. That would have solidified my death sentence. Instead we drove through the strip. I pointed out several landmark and popular locations to Sookie. She looked around half interested. Although she was no longer anxious she was alert.
We only drove for fifteen minutes then we arrived at a club called 'Heaven'. The line at the door wound around the building. A public place was not ideal if you wanted to do away with someone. The crowd did not make me complacent. I opened my door and helped Sookie out of the car. Uric walked us to the front of the line and we were immediately ushered in. Sookie was distracted by the amount of activity in the club. There were flashing lights and artificial fog in the air. The music was at deafening volumes. The nude waitresses were decorated with glowing body paint. I barely registered all that. There were at least seven vampires on the floor minus Uric. I noticed we were being led through the club away from any seating area. Chances are the king was in a back office somewhere.
We reached a door that had two vampire guards in front of it. They stood aside and opened the door for us. Sookie flinched as the door shut behind us. There was no going back now. Not that we ever really had a choice. In the vampire chain of command request was a polite way to say summon. Summon was a nice way to say ordered. 'You will be fine' I thought. She wrapped her arms around mine but made no other response. We reached another door and Adam was standing in front of it. I knew DeCastro was on the other side of it. 'The guy I told you about last night is here' it now made sense. This was not about me or Sookie. Uric replaced Adam at the door as he went to announce our presence. He reappeared a moment later and held the door open for us.
The room was small with dim lighting. It was originally built for storage. It had been transformed for interrogation. The King was sitting in chair on the right with Nathaniel behind him. There were two other vampires in the room I did not know. The human in question was sitting in the middle of the room. He was bound to a chair. From the look and smell of him he never made it home last night. He had been tortured. Sookie froze when she saw him and terror pulsed through her. Torture was something she herself had been a victim of. Being this close to it in any capacity brought her back to that dark place and time. She was very close to panic. Her heart rate had accelerated and the color had drained from her face. She was looking around her, searching for an escape. Ignoring the vampires in the room I pulled her into my chest to block her view of the half dead human. 'I know. I know. But you have to hold it together' I was shushing her at the same time to suppress the panic I felt growing.
"There is something wrong with your wife?" The King asked. I turned to face him with Sookie's face still buried in my chest. Nathaniel spoke. "Master most humans do not have the stomach for this" He pointed at the other human in the room. No one else in the room even batted an eye lash at the bloody mass in the chair. "She is not weak. I have witnessed that truth" He was directing his gaze at me. He was referring to her impromptu recuse the night Seigbert attacked us. Even before that he had heard stories of her heroics at Rhodes.
"She had a run in with Lochaln and Neave during the Fae war" I said. There are very few vampires who didn't know of those two. Very few who had crossed their path lived. Everything they killed, they killed slowly. They did things even the most savage of our kind would not. The king nodded. Not in understanding more like I just proved his point. Sookie pulled away but stood with her back against me. The king smiled. Nathaniel looked impressed. "Its fine I was surprised is all" she took a step forward. Her demeanor belied the turmoil within. She still very much wanted to leave. One of the vampires in the room brought her a chair. She sat and I stood behind her.
"What do you want to know?" She asked. Her tone was business like. It was impressive. I was proud. "Everything he was sent here to do" She nodded and turned to face the human. "Daniel can you hear me?" Her voice was soft. She felt sorry for him. He looked at her. "Please don't let them kill me" it was because of humans like him that no super natural creature respected the entire species. If the vampires in the room wanted to kill him there was nothing a breezy human woman could do about it. He was a sniveling coward. He had been enjoying the benefits of being in with vampires while plotting to betray them. He knew the risks. He had gambled and he had lost.
She stood up and moved her chair next to his. I went to stand behind her but the man cringed and I knew to keep my distance just to make her task easier. "Listen buddy. You are in a whole lot of trouble I'm not sure what I can do about it" He began sobbing. Vermin. "Tell me everything and it may be easier" He looked at her. "They'll kill me the second I do" He didn't know that whatever he was hiding was already known. She was focused on him intently for several minutes then she turned from him and faced the king.
"You are going to kill him?" It wasn't a question. The king looked amused. 'Whatever you are thinking don't' When she began working for vampires this was one of her terms. It hardly applied here. She had done as the king commanded we should leave and leave this human to his fate. The vampires I did not know actually smiled. "Is there a reason I should not?" I was pouring caution in the bond. "He's not alone" Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. "The other person is Nina Palmer" Nathanial's face hardened. The name obviously meant something to him. The human began wailing. The only bit of leverage he had been clinging to had disappeared. Everyone ignored him.
When she continued her voice was slightly elevated over the noise. "She was sent to watch for any back door dealings" The king's eyes narrowed. He had a number of illegitimate venues. "Shut up! Shut up!" Daniel cried. That earned him a glare from everyone in the room, and a slap from one his captors. Sookie turned to face him "Mister I'm trying to save your life, right now I'm sorely tempted to abandon that campaign" Her tone was sharp. Whatever she had seen in his mind had erased any pity she had felt for him. He shook his head. "No, sorry" He silenced himself completely and watched as she bargained for his future
"The way I figure someone you trust could give them blood. Then glamor them and they'll go back and report whatever you want. That way you control the situation" All eyes were on her. "I bet he can help you watch for other types of useful stuff from the inside" She turned to face Daniel again.
"Who do you report to?" He was staring at her. His expression was a mixture of fear and admiration. "What are you?"
"I'm the person trying to save your ass" My lip twitched as I fought a smile. It was apparent she disliked him. "Agent Ramos" Daniel said. "I report to him every Tuesday at dawn" He must have decided that it was now in his best interest to volunteer as much as possible. "If you glamour them you have to make sure that he remembers 'Connor978'" Daniel nodded in agreement. "It's a way for them to be sure his memories haven't been tampered with"
After she made that offer the room was dead quiet. She looked around a bit uncertain. The king nodded then she continued with the details of all she had found out. DeCastro had drawn their attention when he took over Louisiana. The spies had managed to root themselves deeply in his affairs in a short amount of time. They were humans so they were seen as posing very little threat. Fortunately not much damaged had been done. When she had finished her report the king looked deep in thought. Then he finally spoke.
"Antonio you will do as she suggested" The vampire being addressed bowed and left taking Daniel with him. Sookie watched as they left her forehead was creased in worry. I did not understand humans at times. Clearly she disliked him. Why should it matter whether he lived or not? "Your reputation precedes you" Nathaniel said. The king nodded in assent. "Your value is more than your telepathy I think" That realization seemed to surprise him. "Thanks I think" She gave a deep nod of her head. Nathaniel smiled brightly at her slightly sarcastic reply. "Nathaniel will arrange it. The rest of the humans in my court need to be screened" Sookie turned to me. "When?" I asked. Nathanial answered. "I need to check with Sandy but most likely tomorrow night" I nodded. The king was giving Sookie an appraising look. He would kill me here and now if he thought she would be receptive to him. "Qué lástima" He whispered. Nathaniel nodded.
On our way out Nathaniel spoke, "This is your first time in Vegas Sookie?" She nodded "We must make it memorable" He was smiling. Typically any inquiries about a human would be directed at their vampire. He was very good at what he did. He was up to the times in human etiquette. Directing his questions at her showed he respected her and made her feel at ease. "I don't think I can but thank you" I could tell she was conflicted. This was a chance for her to experience something new. Our flight was long gone. If we were around Nathaniel we would remain safe in this state. I saw no other reason not to. "You have to at least see why it's called Sin city" I said with a smile. She nodded hesitantly but I could feel she was excited. We left the club with plans to rendezvous later.
Once we got back in the hotel room Sookie began looking in her bag for a change of clothes "Where do you think we'll go?" There were only a few things to do in Vegas. None of which interested me. I have been here many years ago. The people changed but it was all the same. "A show, the Casino" As an afterthought I added, "strip club" She turned to look at me. I had a smirk on my face. "You would be okay with me watching other people get naked?" I shrugged. "I know you want only me" She pulled off her dress and handed my knife back to me. "That's true"
"The thought of you fighting makes me…" I kissed her deeply. "Horny" She supplied. I nodded. "Exactly" We spent the next half hour satisfying that need. Then we got dressed for our evening out. There was a knock at the door I was expecting word from Nathaniel but when I approached I realized it was Alex. I did not spy any of the daytime guards on the floor when he left earlier. When I opened the door I found it wasn't Alex but the female saber tooth tiger. She wasn't dressed in the usual uniform. "Mr. Northman" I gave her a nod and stepped aside for her to enter.
Her appearance here was curious. She followed me into the sitting room. Sookie came out. "Hey Alexis"
"Hello my friend" Her greeting was familiar and she gave Sookie a smile. I looked between the two of them I was missing something. Then she turned to face me. "Alex has found the were's that attempted the ambush yesterday" Sookie came and sat next to me. "They were Coyote's" Her tone held disdain. I too masked my distaste. Coyotes were a problem in this state. They ran rampant; they did not have packs, they had very little order. You may also find them acting as hired hands for just about anything. To put in in proper perspective they were the scourge of the two natured and vampires alike. In these parts they were responsible for more than half of the crimes against humans and the super natural.
"They are all dead" I raised my eyebrow. "Did you find them that way" It would make me angry if they killed them all without finding out who hired them. There was no doubt someone did. "Yes actually" That was most unfortunate. My money was on whoever hired them. The coyotes were a loose end. "Any clue who killed them?" She nodded. "Vampires, three of them" She gave Sookie a pointed look. There was something she wanted to say but couldn't. I redirected my question "Any scents you recognize" Her piercing gaze moved to me. "There was a lot of blood so I cannot say" There was no missing the double meaning to her words. One or more the scents were that of a vampire she knew. She could not say because she worked here. It would cause a shit storm.
"That is not all" I arched an eyebrow. "The chauffeur that picked her up from the airport is missing" I turned to Sookie. Confusion was plain on her face. "I took a cab here" I knew that was not how she was supposed to arrive. The hotel was to send a car for her. "Why" She brought the heel of her palm to her forehead. "I totally forgot. I bet he was waiting at baggage claims and I didn't have to check my bag so when I got off the plane I just walked right out" A thought occurred to me. Taking into account the security at the hotel the airport would have been the perfect point to make a grab for her. The driver was either in on the plan or he was killed off and replaced by one of the possible abductors.
Alexis turned to leave. "Here I'll walk you out" Sookie offered. I went into the kitchen to heat a blood. The door was a good distance from where I was but I could still hear their conversation. "I thought you would be gone tonight" Alexis said. "Something came up" Sookie said. "You should not linger" Her message this time was less subtle. She knew something. "Okay, thanks Alexis" They said their goodbyes then the door closed. Sookie came back to sit on the couch. Her mood had become beset by what we just learned. "We can cancel our plans for the evening" There was little sense in forcing her out if it would make her anxious. "No" Her voice was firm. "I'm sick of not doing the things I want because people want to hurt me" Her arms were folded across her chest. The expression on her face was complete defiance. This was one of the many things I loved about her. She was a strong woman.
After her rant she stood and fanned her ensemble. "How do I look?" She asked with a smile. "Mouthwatering" was my first reply. She had a on a form fitting red dress. It was strapless. Her hair was pulled high above her head. The look displayed her neck and shoulders beautifully. My reply was the literal truth. She rolled her eyes. A call came in on the hotel phone and I knew Nathaniel was waiting for us.
We spent the night with Nathaniel and his human companion. We started at the Casino of our hotel. Then we visited the MGM for a show. Sookie was looking at everything with wide eyes and open excitement. Seeing it through her eyes made it possible for me to enjoy this city all over again. She did not gamble because she said she had an unfair advantage. I found that regardless of my willingness to allow her to visit a strip club she did not allow me the same courtesy. She said to chalk it up as a "human thing" She wasn't fooling me. She was more possessive and jealous than I was. I found it attractive and tad hypocritical. This was coming from someone who resented being referred to as "Mine" The night went without incident. We did not return to our rooms until an hour or so before dawn. The outing was pleasurable. It made me regret not being able to do things like this with her regularly. She was happy. She seemed carefree. This is how I wanted her to be; this is how she deserved to be.
