I own nothing except my bad spelling and grammatical errors. These wonderful characters belong to Charline Harris; I just play with them.

Switching to Eric's POV

Pam handed her over to me gingerly, she was asleep or unconscious, wrapped in some hideous quilt. All I could see was her face, and just from that I almost broke down. Her face was badly bruised and her lip was busted open. There were hand prints around her neck, I was infuriated but resolved to keep my cool for Sookie's sake. Who the hell could have done this to my pretty little fairy? I quickly made a mental list:

DeCastro or his slime Madden

Compton?- Perhaps he had gone mad.

Fairy's? No, they were all gone- except Dermot, had to have been Dermot.

?

No one else obvious. I would not however rule anyone out.

I would know more when my precious human woke.

Lost in my train of thought, I smelled wet dog ; god damnit, could the shifter not take a hint? He was fucking back again?

"Pam, go see what the hell he wants, and don't be polite about it."

"Am I ever?" was her reply as she sauntered out of my office and to the back door.

I walked over to the couch in my office and lay my lover down, as soon as the shifter was dealt with I would take her home with me and tend to her. She would have my blood, although I felt very weak myself, and could hardly even carry her to the couch. That in its self had me on edge; I have never been so vulnerable, at least not after nightfall. To make it worse I also had to protect my sweet Sookie. Perhaps I would have Pam take us home. After I healed her with my blood I would bathe her, and have her eat- because she appeared to be loosing her luscious curvature. When she felt better we could begin the process of re-bonding. It was painful, like trying to grow back a limb was for a vampire. I wanted us to both be at our best before I wore her down again. She was not in the right state to handle such strain.

Pam returned with the dog behind her.

"Master, I think it is urgent that the shifter speak to you, apparently he has hit something with his truck that may be of some interest to you."

"Well what the hell was it shifter, don't waste my time, I need to get Sookie home."

"Eric, I don't know what the fuck this thing is, but you've got to see it."

What ever it was, it appeared to be male, it smelled like an animal. It was nearly unidentifiable though, it appeared to have been torn apart and left in the road before Sam had even hit it. It had to have been some sort of were because it had some bits and pieces of fur as well as lumps of human features-as though it has died whole transforming. It smelled mostly were, but for some reason a little unusual.

"Bury it Pam, I don't care where. I don't know what this means, but I would feel better if it weren't lying around. When you are through, place a call to Sookie's Packmaster friend. Do not be too obvious as to what you saw."

"Yes Master"

"Go home shifter. You are no longer needed here."

He handed me two bottles of pills.

"These are Sookie's, from Dr, Ludwig."

"I suppose thanks are in order…..so thank you shifter, for caring for her, now leave."

With that, I was back at Sookie's side in my office, she began to stir.

"Eric, I'm so happy to see you. Please hold me, I feel so weak and pathetic asking, but please."

I was happy to oblige her.

"Come along lover, " I said as I scooped her up gently. "Lets go home; I will make it all better."

I placed her in Pam's Lexus SUV, it would be more comfortable than the Corvette for her. On the ride home, I noticed Sookie smelled slightly unusual –just like that dead pile of flesh in the road had. Of course she smelled like blood, the shifter, laundry, soap, dirt, tears, all indications of what had gone on in the past day., but there was something else too, something dark and heavy, magical. I feared what it may be.

Once I had her in the door of my home I swept her down into my day chamber, locking us in. I laid her on the bed while she looked up at me.

"How are you, lover?"

She just gave me a weak smile. I unwrapped her from the quilt and began to tug at the hideous garb she was in, so that I could assess the damage. She resisted me undressing her. This hurt, but I accepted it as a legitimate fear she now had. I would respect her modesty while she was so fragile. I quickly tore into my wrist and placed it at her mouth. She gladly swallowed mouthful after mouthful of my ancient blood until I had to pull it away from her. I was really feeling weak now and stumbled to the fridge to get a blood, luckily there was donor blood as well as trueblood. I downed two bags and two bottles, very quickly. Just having my beautiful Sookie safely at my side had given me back at least some of my appetite.

While I waited for her to heal and for sleep to take us, I demanded that she eat. She however, refused. This pissed me off and I was not going to put up with her doing this to herself. She would heal faster if she was properly nourished. I put on the television for her and went to my kitchen to fetch her some of the human food I kept around, just in case I ever got to bring home Sookie Stackhouse. I know human women love this Ice Cream shit when they are upset, I have seen it in many movies and on television. I made her a bowl filled all the way.

She still did not eat when I set the bowl on the noght stand next to her. So she was going to make me do this? I grabbed the bowl and looked at her in the eyes, I hated not being able to feel her anymore, to know how she felt, but I didn't need the bond to see that she was hurt and she needed attention.

"Sookie, you will eat, if not this, then something else of your choosing, but you must eat, my love."

No reply.

I scooped some into the spoon, "open your mouth Sookie, this is ridiculous."

Nothing. So I brought it up to her mouth, and when she still did not open it, I smeared it all over her nose, mouth and chin. I broke into a grin, and then so did she, as she licked it off her face. I smiled at her, and she opened her mouth and let me feed her. I insisted that she eat the whole bowl. I was secretly hoping that she would not throw up later.

We lay in bed for hours after, watching the television, well I did, Sookie was out cold laying in a ball up against me, like a frightened animal. I relished in her scent. I wanted her to hurry and heal so badly so I could wash the shifter smell off of her without aggravating any open wounds.