Thank you for the lovely reviews! I was so surprised and happy to see the amount of response that I received for the last chapter - I have honestly never had that many reviews in such a short time before. You guys are amazing and you really motivate me! Here's the second chapter for you!
As always I own only my plot-ideas and twists, the characters and True Blood belong to HBO, Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball. If I did own them...*sigh* well I'll just borrow them then :)
"I'm yours."
The impact that those simple words had on me was so powerful that I believe that it could have forced my dead heart to beat again if she only willed it.
It was ironic. From the very moment we met, I had been intent on making her mine.
I had waited, worked and, in my less honorable moments, manipulated my way towards this very moment.
I doubt that she understood fully what it entailed to be mine but I would make damn sure that she would never regret it. It had taken her long enough to find her way to me as it was.
In one swift movement, I flipped her onto her back and carefully laid her down on the plush rug. I placed myself over her, mindful to rest my weight on my arms in an effort not to crush her.
A faint blush colored her cheeks as I leaned down to claim her mouth. I let my lips ghost over hers with as much tenderness as I could muster. Breathing heavily and warmly against my cold lips, she responds eagerly. I allowed my mouth to wander down her neck, tracing her jugular with my tongue. Her pulse teased me but I decided against piercing her tender skin.
I continued my journey down towards her collarbone. Sucking gently on the tender skin, I felt a surge of arousal wash over her and she moaned ever so quietly. I can't help but chuckle at her responsiveness; in my thousand years, I had never seen her equal.
The urge to show her just how much I need her was almost overwhelming but I tried my damnedest not to scare her. I could feel her nervousness through our bond and I wondered briefly before it hit me.
The last time she'd surrendered to me in this way, I'd been without my memories. I'd showed her a side of me that I'd forgotten existed. She had been intimate with only a fraction of my true self and was understandably curious and anxious all at once.
Sookie ran a hand through my hair and pulled me from my reflections with a questioning look.
I could feel a smile creep onto my lips as I raised my head to look at her.
"You do realize that you've been missing out on the true Eric Northman experience while I was reduced to instinct," I suggested and she raised an eyebrow at my sass.
"Well I certainly didn't miss your nasty talk," she complained softly, obviously aware that I didn't believe a word of it.
"Sure you did lover," I teased, playing with a lock of her hair, "You adore me. Smut included."
The front door suddenly swung open and in a movement too swift for human eyes, I was on my feet, dropping fang at the intruder.
In stepped Bill Compton followed by Nan Flanagan and her bodyguards, an air of haughtiness and superiority around them. Of all the vampires to barge in on our reunion, they were the decidedly my least favorite options.
"Bill, Nan, gay stormtroopers," I greeted, retracting my fangs, mindful to keep Sookie at a safe distance behind me. All trace of gentleness disappeared from my voice and was replaced by my usual, nonchalant tone and demeanor.
Sookie shared my surprise and her nervousness was seeping through our blood tie as she shuffled to her feet.
"Northman. We need to talk. I brought the King, two birds, one stone, you get what I mean," Nan cut right to the chase, as usual. The woman was as efficient as she was cold and I knew from experience that she was impatient. My reunion with Sookie would have to wait and I sighed inwardly.
"By all means, talk away," I responded, unfazed by her wonder at the dressing robe that I was still wearing.
She nodded to her security and they closed the door behind them, flanking her as she walked into the living room. Sookie unconsciously stepped behind me and I didn't even try to hide the smug smile that crept onto my face.
She was exactly where she belonged as far as I was concerned. Out of harms way.
However much I wanted to rub Bill's face in our refound bliss, I decided against it as this was clearly not the time for it.
Raising an eyebrow at Ms. Flanagan, who was clearly giving my lover a once-over, I didn't wait for her to start talking.
"Has Mr. Compton informed you that the threat of the necromancer named Marnie has been dealt with?"
Nan rolls her eyes, "Ding, dong the witch is dead, yippie."
With a smirk I gaze at Bill before replying.
"His Majesty showed great leadership under extremely perilous circumstances. You should be kissing his ring."
"Why bother, when your tongue is already so far up his ass?" Nan was as charming as a rattlesnake, as always.
I felt a surge of confusion and finally amusement from Sookie as she realized the irony of it all.
Here I was, over one thousand years old, and defending my King who was but a toddler in comparison, in front of the Authority's public face who was also significantly weaker than me.
I could have their heads on a silver platter in a matter of seconds if I so pleased but the political aftermath was too much of a bother. I had no desire to be King and even less to be disgraced in the eyes of the Authority. Regardless of your age and power, there was a zero-tolerance policy on fuckery within the hierarchy.
With an audible sigh of exasperation, Nan continued her rant.
"I wish for just one night you'd have to experience the litany of bullshit that I have to deal with, then you'd have some idea of how little I give a fuck about your small-town witch-infestation. Or your whole backwoods kingdom for that matter."
His Majesty cocked an eyebrow and looked at me briefly, openly sharing my amusement and surprise to see the vampire ice queen so riled up.
"For someone who cares so little, you seem awfully pissed off." I made a mental note to congratulate Bill on his witty remark, since they were so few and far between. He might be my king but I still felt less than friendly towards him.
"Do I Bill? Maybe it's because I quit my fucking job," she spat, fuming with anger.
Raising an eyebrow, I decided to make a comment.
"You quit the AVL?" I asked incredulously. Nan had been the AVL's media-face ever since the Great Revelation and as much as I hated her guts, she was phenomenal at her job. She was just the right mix between your typical American soccer-mom and politician from the republican party. Stuck up and conservative with a hint of arrogance.
"And the Authority," she added nonchalantly.
"No one quits the Authority," Bill stated the obvious and Nan shot him a death glare.
"Quit, fired, what does it matter?"
"I assumed we – Eric and myself – were the ones to be terminated," Bill sounded rather relieved and I couldn't help but feel slightly more at ease.
Sookie fidgeted nervously behind me, aching to participate in the conversation. Knowing her sometimes brazen temper, I was surprised that my faerie had lasted this long without retorting.
"Oh there's been an order issued on your heads. My last duty was supposed to be delivering the true death to both of you. Of course, I realized that I'd be next," Nan continued, "I have been alive for eight-hundred and sixteen years. I refuse to retired like a fat first wife!"
I smirked at her outrage before I spoke, voicing the concerns that Bill and I seemed to share.
"Let me get this straight, you're mutinying against the American Vampire League and the Authority?"
"Excuse me," Sookie suddenly spoke, stepping forth from behind me, a frown on her face, "What the hell is the Authority?" The unconcealed disdain in her voice amused me more than I let on. I should have known that my faerie wouldn't stay silent, impulsive as she was.
I turned towards her, a sincere look in my eyes.
"The Authority is the highest instance of power in the vampire hierarchy. They govern our kind in earthly and spiritual matters alike. While Sheriffs such as myself respond mainly to our sovereign, the kings and queens respond to the Authority. The AVL is their media-outlet and liaison with the human government."
She took in the information, nodding at my explanation.
"And they want you dead?"
I nodded unsurprised. The Authority wasn't known for it's pacifist regime. Vampires that stepped out of line or were caught in a conflict of interest were quickly removed from the surface of the planet. Bill and I had been involved in way too much trouble to still be a risk they could take.
"If you're done explaining, I'd like to continue," Nan said pointedly and I glare at her darkly.
Bill spoke up, tentatively.
"And you expect us to join you?"
"We wouldn't be alone. There are factions within their regime that aren't quite on board with their current agenda. Sheriff Northman knows what I'm talking about."
Suddenly, all eyes were on me, Bills conveying confusion and Sookie seemed slightly unsure of what to think. Of course I was aware, not much slips past me and being one of the oldest Vampires in America certainly had it's advantages. Knowing people on the inside did too.
"What's in it for us?" I questioned, eyes never leaving Nan. She couldn't be stupid enough to think that I'd willingly risk my life – or Sookie's for that matter – just to join her cause.
She laughed a joyless laugh and raised an eyebrow at me.
"Aside from surviving the night? How about the little faerie waitress at your side?"
Bills stared darkly and I snarled at her. Using Sookie as leverage was just so... Nan.
"Oh come on, the mind reading? The microwave-fingers? You didn't think I knew what she was? There are at least a couple of thousand vampires that would do anything to get a taste of her blood."
In fact I had hoped that Nan would stay in the dark, The less people knew about my lover's powers and heritage, the better.
I took a step forward, eyes fixated on the blonde ex-spokesvampire.
"I don't respond well to threats, Nan."
"If the Authority gets their hands on her, the consequences will be dire. And from where I stand it looks like she's quite attached to you Northman."
Sookie glared at Nan and reached for my hand.
"I am Eric's," she declared and my undead heart almost leaped out of my ribcage in pride. My lips curled into a smug smile at Bill's devastated face and Nan's obvious indifference.
"Not that I understand the obsession though. Draining her would have been smarter. Instead the pair of you were slobbering over her like a bunch of puppydogs over a juicy bone," she spat.
That was it. Sarcasm, I could handle but insulting me and mine openly was different matter.
In the blink of an eye, I zipped across the room, decapitating Nan's security detail in one fluid motion.
I faintly noticed Sookie's scream of horror as the the severed heads hit the floor.
"You fucking idio-!"
She never finished her sentence as I grabbed a stake from one of the maimed security guards and ran it through Nan's torso, reducing her to a puddle of blood and gore.
"We are not fucking puppydogs!" Bill exclaimed angrily and strode towards Sookie, who hid her face in her hands, sobbing.
I pulled her against me, feeling her shake and was mildly surprised when she began pounding her fists against my chest.
"Fuck, Eric!" she yelled at me angrily, "Can't you at least try not to make a giant fucking bloody mess out of my living room?!"
I smirked and surveyed the puddles of goo surrounding us. That was my Sookie in a nutshell, worrying about the cleanliness of her house rather than the fact that I just beheaded and staked four vampires in front of her. One of the many reasons I loved her.
"Technically it's my living room, love and don't worry, I'll hire someone to clean it."
She calmed visibly at the prospect of not having to clean up the mess herself. She dried her eyes and looked back and forth between Bill and me.
After a seemingly endless moment of silence, she said what I assumed we had all been thinking.
"Well, gentlemen, it would seem we need a plan."
There you go :) I decided to stick closely to the dialogue used in the series for Nan's death since I really want this fic to feel like an actual alternate story-twist. The story will take it's new turns from here on in though, so I won't be stealing any more dialogue. I also decided to have Eric stake Nan since I figured it made more sense and I strongly dislike Queen Bill.
I hope you enjoyed, next chapter should be up soon!