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~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

"You want to answer my questions?"

He smirked a little. "Yes."

"At what cost though?" I questioned.

I glimpsed surprise in his eyes for less than a second. He obviously didn't think a human would wonder about that, even more so since they only recently revealed themselves to the public and had maintained a positive image so far. No slips or controversy other than the Fellowship of the Sun, the anti-vampire church ran by Theodore Newlin that popped up overnight.

"Why would you think I want something in return for simply answering a few questions?"

I answered carefully. "Isn't that how it usually is? People usually want something back, human or vampire."

He smirked. "Very wise. You seem beyond your years."

I gave a short laugh. "My mom always joked I was born middle aged and grow older every year," I said before I thought.

He raised an eyebrow, before assuming his mostly expressionless face. "In response to your question, I merely want to ask you questions in return."

I thought about this and figured it was safe enough. "Okay." He smirked for about a second. "Does sunlight burn you?"

Both Eric and Pam chuckled. "Yes. Where do you live?"

I answered the unexpected question quickly. "Bon Temps. I just moved in with my great-aunt and cousin." I thought about the next question. Since he asked something relatively more personal than I did, I would do the same. "Is there a vampire government?"

He seemed surprised I would ask that. "Impressive. Not many would think of that. Yes, we do." He paused. "When did you move?"

That was easy. "Today." He raised an eyebrow. "Do vampires sleep in coffins?" The vampires I knew didn't sleep at all.

His lips twitched upwards. "Sometimes; we prefer beds." He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively and gave me a lust filled stare. Even in my small embarrassment, I felt an area between my legs pool with heat and moisture. This caused him to smirk. "Have you met vampires before?" he asked.

Oh no; the dreaded question that would no doubt raise more questions. "Yes." A small pause. "How long have you been a vampire?" I asked, knowing it would get personal.

He grinned. "Over 1100 years," he answered proudly. "Who were the vampires you met?"

I suddenly became aware of our audience when a vampire stepped in front of us. "Would you care to dance?" He held his hand out to me. Eric growled at him. He retracted it instantly and bowed.

"I'm sorry, sir." He kept his eyes lowered.

I watched in fascination as he spoke in another language to Pam. She grabbed the vampire's arm and pulled. He pulled back, clearly stronger. This angered Eric as he instantly stood up and had the vampire by his throat. The bar went silent, rapt with their attention on us.

"Don't ever do that again. Touch my progeny, and you will regret it. The human is mine." He looked out to the bar patrons. "Everyone will do well to remember that."

He let go of the vampire. "Don't come back." The other vampire nodded. "Pam."

She grabbed his arm again, and this time successfully pulled him away. Eric held his hand out to me. I took it. "Come," he stated and led me to a door that led to an office. He motioned for me to sit on the couch. He sat beside me.

"The vampires you met before, who are they?" he asked me again.

I took a deep breath. "A different breed; they're called Cold Ones."

With those two words, his fangs extended with a click sound. I think I heard a small growl as well. "You're in contact with Cold Ones?" he growled out.

I was regretting mentioning it. "No, not anymore. They left me in September. I had been dating the one. He called me a toy after claiming I was his mate. He left me in the woods."

He growled again. "No mate could ever do that to their partner."

I hesitated before asking what was confusing me. "What did you mean when you said I was yours?"

His fangs retracted. "It means they won't bother you anymore. Usually blood has already been exchanged though. Would you be willing to do that?" he asked.

A blood exchange. "You have blood?"

He chuckled. "Of course."

"Will it have any other effects?" I wondered.

He smirked. "Smart. You'll have heightened senses, increased strength, increased sex drive," he said the last part seductively and with a look that made me want to jump him right then. By the look he gave me, he could tell. "I'll also be able to find you if you are in danger."

I felt my face lose a little blood and my heart speed up at the mention of danger. My mind immediately went to Victoria and the pack of teenaged wolves that were defending Forks and La Push. His eyes and probably ears, noticed the change in me. His eyes narrowed.

"Are you in danger?" he asked.

Butterflies tumbled in my stomach. "I-I'm not sure."

He raised an eyebrow disbelievingly. "Not sure?"

I shook my head. "No, you see-" I took a deep breath. "My ex-boyfriend and his family are vampires." He nodded annoyed, knowing that part already. "There was a coven of nomads that came through the area we were playing baseball and they heard us. They wanted to join the game. One of them was a tracker." He sat up straighter, interested. "He caught my scent and started towards me. The family reacted, which made it his most exciting game ever. They hid me in Phoenix, but he found us and lured me to him using my Mom's voice on a recorded home video. He tried to kill me or turn me but the family came just in time. The one sucked the venom out from where I was bitten."

At this he growled, before demanding to see it. I held up my wrist and he took it in his hand to examine it closer. I couldn't help but notice that he was warmer than the Cullens. I suppose I was too nervous to notice before.

"What happened next?" he asked while still stroking the bite.

"They killed him, but the girl with him wasn't in Phoenix and they were mates." I felt bad for betraying the trust the wolves gave me, but I felt I didn't have a choice, and I found I couldn't stop. "She's been trying to get to me. The only reason she hasn't is because a pack of…" I wasn't sure I could say it after all.

He looked at me intently. "A pack of what?" he asked, clearly expecting an answer. I remained silent. "A pack of what?" he asked again, this time more forcefully.

I took a deep breath. "A pack of teenaged werewolves," I whispered.

His eyes hardened. "Why not the vampires?"

I felt the hole in my chest threaten to tear open. My free hand went automatically to wrap around my torso as tight as it could, like I was trying to hold myself together. "They left."

His eyes became like steel. "They left you alone and defenseless with a deranged mate after you?"

"Well, we hadn't heard from her. Besides, they left because one tried to attack me when I got a paper cut at a birthday party I didn't want."

This didn't seem to calm him. Just then, the phone rang. I took a deep breath as he reached for the offending machine. It creaked in his grip. He looked at the Caller ID before answering.

"Hello, Godric," he greeted.

He waited for a response before speaking in another language. This continued for a few minutes. I took the chance to take a sip of my drink. When he hung up, he looked at me for an immeasurable amount of time. He finally decided to speak.

"Are you willing to perform a blood exchange?" he asked straight to the point.

I thought about it. "Yes," I answered as I realized I had protection, possibly. Although, I felt bad bringing more people into this.

"I should also let you know I'll be able to feel your emotions."

I froze. "All the time?" He would know the effect it had on me when the Cullens left. Not good.

He smirked. "Yes." He seemed amused.

I sighed; it would be safer. "Okay."

He smiled. "Very well." He repositioned himself on the couch. "It will be easier and more comfortable if you lean against me, your back to my chest." I got into the position.

He leaned my neck to the left and I felt his tongue lick and his fangs graze my neck. It seemed to shoot straight to my nether regions that were now tingling. I felt two short pricks like needles enter the spot he had licked. His mouth and tongue sucked and lapped at my blood. It only hurt for a second before I moaned in pleasure; this felt amazing. Once he was done, he put his head back against the wall and moaned.

He moved his right arm and then I heard the sound of him biting. He put it in front of me, blood dripping from his wrist. I didn't breathe through my nose in case my aversion to blood kicked in; that would be the last thing I needed. He pressed his wrist to my mouth. "Drink," he ordered. I was concerned at first, but it actually tasted yummy. I drank until he told me to stop and pulled his arm away.

While I drank, I didn't completely register the moans, or the very large bulge pressing against my back. Oh my.

"You have an amazing taste, Isabella," he complimented me. "The best I've ever had I believe." Wow.

"Thank you," I said. "That's a high compliment coming from an 1100 year old vampire." We both smiled. "Yours is good too. Usually blood makes me sick." He laughed; he had no idea the real meaning. If he did, he would undoubtedly laugh even harder. Once he calmed, I added, "Plus, it's just Bella, not Isabella."

He smirked. "Very well, Bella."

I got the feeling that was his favorite expression. I took a sip of my drink. Then a thought of something important came to me. "What about where you bit me? Will it heal?"

He rolled his eyes. "It already has because of my blood."

I blushed. "Oh, okay."

In my search to find a distraction, I noticed the time on the clock on the wall. My eyes widened in surprise. "It's already past midnight?!" I shrieked. He looked amused. I wasn't sure I felt like driving all the way back to Bon Temps, but I didn't want to spend unnecessary money on a hotel. Thankfully, I started school Tuesday instead of tomorrow, so I didn't have to get up early in the morning.

What do I say to Adele and Sookie? "Do you know what I can say to my aunt and cousin as to why I've been out so late?" I asked Eric as I looked at my phone to see no calls or messages.

"Do you feel like driving back to Bon Temps?"

"Not really."

Before I could say more, he responded with, "Then say you lost track of time and are too tired to drive back so you'll stay at a hotel tonight. There are some stores open all night for vampires."

"How do I know if I have something from one of those stores though? More important, what hotel?" I asked.

He smirked. "I'll make sure you have at least one bag from one of the stores. The hotel would be my house." He eyes me seductively, and it worked. Heat pooled between my legs and I felt myself become wetter each second; tingles worked their way around. This pleased him and he let me know it.

I blushed and took deep breaths to calm down so I wouldn't tip off whoever answered the call I was about to make. I dialed the phone and Adele answered after three rings.

"Hello, dear. Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm okay. I just lost track of time."

I was nervous, mainly because I was a terrible liar.

"That's okay, Bella," she replied. I could hear the smile through the phone. "When are you going to be home?"

Uh-oh. I took a deep breath and looked at Eric. He nodded in encouragement. "Actually, I was thinking of getting a hotel room. I'm not sure I can make it back to Bon Temps."

"I understand. I'd rather have you come back in the morning instead of ending up in the hospital." Or worse was the unspoken thought.

"Okay. Thank you for understanding."

"Of course, dear." I could hear a smile. "Good night, Bella."

"Good night, Aunt Adele."

With that, we hung up. I let out a breath. Eric was smirking and amused.

"What are you nervous for? Afraid she would say no?" I could hear suppressed laughter.

"No." I rolled my eyes. "I'm a terrible liar." He chuckled.

The door opened and Pam walked in. "You rang?" She put her hands on her hips.

He raised an eyebrow at her, which she remained unfazed. He sighed. "Go to the mall and get a few things for Bella so her aunt and cousin will believe the story we gave. Bring them to my house." She nodded.

Eric looked at me again. "Are you tired yet?"

"A little." I paused. "If she goes to the mall and shops for me, then it will be unbelievable. I don't have expensive taste, or the money to pay for a lot of it if I did."

He rolled his eyes. "You aren't paying for it, I am. Think of it as a gift."

"I don't like gifts, especially expensive ones." They stared at me incredulously.

"How can you say that?" Pam asked.

"The same way I can say I don't like shopping."

Her jaw dropped. "Don't like shopping? How can you not like shopping?"

I shrugged. "I never have."

They were both surprised. "You are one odd human," commented Pam. She walked over to his desk, picked up a piece of paper, and wrote something down. She walked over to me. "Write down your sizes." I did and gave it back. She set the pen down and walked out.

Once Pam left, Eric looked back at me. "Would you like to leave now?"

I nodded. "Yes, please."

He smirked before standing and opening the office door. He went into the hall and the music became much louder.

"Longshadow," I heard Eric call.

He came back in and sat beside me. A moment later, the bartender came in and closed the door.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I'm going to be leaving for the night, and Pam went shopping. Will you be okay to close up later?"

"Yeah, it won't be a problem."

Eric nodded and Longshadow left just as quickly as he came in, taking my now empty glass with him. Eric stood up and held his hand out; I took it. We walked out of the office, Eric locking it, and out the back door.

"Where are you parked?" he asked as we rounded the corner to the parking lot.

I started walking to my car while pulling the keys out. Once there, I unlocked the driver's side and opened the door. As I was about to climb in, Eric picked me up and had me in the passenger's seat in a couple of seconds. He was now in the driver's seat and starting the car.

"Buckle up," was all he said.

I did, but only because we were now going down the road. I realized this could work well. I could ask questions and not have to worry about driving too.

"Can we continue the questions, I ask you, and then you ask me?" I hoped he said yes.

He smirked. "Sure."

I smiled. "Okay." Which question did I want to ask first? "Everyone seems to act as though you're a threat." His eyebrow rose as he looked at me. "Are you their leader or something?"

He chuckled. "Observant. Yes, I am the Sheriff of Area 5, which is most of Northern Louisiana."

I was confused. "Sheriff? Like a cop?"

He chuckled. "My turn."

"No." He looked at me like he couldn't believe what I just said. "You asked me many questions in a row earlier and I had to explain my whole story."

His lips tightened a little, and his knuckles turned a little whiter. It was obvious he always got his way. "Fine. Yes, it's kind of like a cop. As Vampire Sheriff, it is my duty to keep the vampires in my area under control. I also… take care of the humans that commit crimes against vampires, and I punish the vampires who break one of our laws. I can either let a new vampire stay in my area or make them leave."

I was surprised he spoke that much. "Cool."

He chuckled. "Cool?" I blushed. "Okay, my turn." He turned serious. "Why did you come to Fangtasia?"

I blushed and sank into my seat. "I was curious."

He looked at me intently, making it clear that wasn't all and he could tell.

I sighed. "I had a dream of you on the throne before I came to Louisiana."

He put the car to a stop and rolled the window down to enter a code on a keypad. A gate opened in front of us and he pulled through to go down a long driveway. At the end was a large Victorian style mansion. It was white with a black roof, and flowers in front of the small covered porch that led to the door. Eric stopped the car in front.

Then, he turned to me and stared. "You had a dream about me in Fangtasia before you left Washington?"

"Before I heard of Fangtasia. I looked it up."

"When was this?" he asked curiously.

"On Thursday I think. It was the night vampires showed themselves," I answered.

He kept staring for a minute longer before opening the door and getting out. He had my door open in a flash. When I got out of the car, he closed the door and pushed me against it. His head leaned down and his lips suddenly met mine. It was electrifying and exciting. I never felt like this with Edward. He broke away so I could breathe and led me inside. It was a comfortable temperature inside, and the decoration was simply amazing. There were light hardwood floors and the walls were a rich brown. The furniture was of expensive taste and the walls had artwork, but there were few photographs in view.

He led me to the couch in the living room, which was a cream color and he put me on his lap. His kisses continued. My body was becoming heated and it was all central around my intimate parts. They were tingling wildly, nearly throbbing with need and want, and were now nearly soaking. My breathing was becoming erratic. He quickly repositioned us so I was underneath him. My back arched up to meet his body, and I encountered a very large bulge. His hand went underneath my body and glided under my shirt before running up and down my back.

Was I ready for this? Was I willing to let this happen? Did I want to continue?

The answer was yes, but we had to talk first.

"Wait," I spoke up, barely above a whisper. My voice came out raspy.

"What?" he grumbled out, his lips kissing my neck.

"I-" I took a deep breath. "I've never done this before."

At this, he stopped and looked at my face disbelievingly.

"My ex-boyfriend was over a hundred years old and was still a virgin. He wanted to wait until he got married, to keep one rule unbroken."

The look he gave me was incredulity and disbelief. "A one hundred year old virgin?"

I nodded, and then he laughed very hard. After a few minutes, he calmed down and then started kissing my neck again. I moaned. "One more quick question. Can vampires get humans pregnant?"

I scoffed. "No. Believe me, I would know." With that, he resumed kissing and my body started heating up more and more. Tension built up down below and I started kissing him, desperate with need.

Was I actually going to give my virginity away tonight to Eric, a vampire I just met a few hours ago? My body and heart said 'YES!' but my head wasn't sure.

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

What do you guys think? Should Bella give in to Eric? Let me know?