A/N: This is a continuation of Cat's dream about Eric that began last chapter. It is from her point of view since it is her dream. But, we see another reason as to why Cat is somewhat twisted. It wasn't all Russell's fault. There are lemons in here. Cat is young (not 18), so I'm forewarning those who might find that disturbing.

Chapter 7

Cat sat in the gently undulating gondola. The rower was a handsome man with dark eyes that had sparkled with mischief as she had entered his boat. She had given him a genuine smile back since it was a rarity to be thought of as just a pretty girl. She turned her thoughts away from the more pleasing ones of her handsome rower and focused on the man she was traveling to meet. Since, her meeting with him last night, her thoughts had revolved around nothing else. He was a danger to her because something told her that she was seriously outmatched against him. She had wanted to not come, but, as the time of sunset drew near, she found that the thought of disobeying him caused her a physical pain. There was force here that made her quake in fear and she hated feeling powerless against it. So, she had prepared herself for this man who knew too many of her secrets.

As the gondola pulled up to the steps to the street, Cat stood up to exit. She was sure of foot in the slightly rocking boat and paid the man before leaving. She gave him a tip. Not so large to make him remember her, but generous enough to cause him to gallantly bow and kiss her hand. His dark eyes gazed into her and he gave her a little wink before helping her out of the boat. Cat sighed, he would probably still remember her even if she hadn't have given him any tip. Men were such suckers for a pretty face.

From the canal, she took a carriage through the winding streets to the Villa Crivelli. It was in a quiet and wealthy neighborhood and the house set back from the street and was bordered by a tall brick wall. She found the gate open and came inside to find a tiny, rare garden. In the cramped space of Venice, it was rare to find such luxuries. She rang the bell and was surprised to find that the blonde man answered the door himself.

He must have noticed her questioning eyes because, as he closed the door, he said, "I gave all the servants the night off. So, it's just you and me, Caterina."

She hated that he knew her real name. What mysterious power did he have over her to make her tell him those things that she wished to keep from him? And the absence of the servants could be either a good or bad thing for her. She kept her troubling thoughts from showing on her face and unclasped her cloak. As she removed it, she saw that Eric stared intensely at her. She had dressed expressly for this occasion. She had considered dressing as a child, but she knew that this man wasn't buying any of that. So, she had borrowed one of her mother's dresses. Venice women weren't shy about displaying their charms and this dress was designed to do just that. It was a dark scarlet silk and the bodice dipped low and revealed a goodly portion of her breasts. Some fashions of the time even exposed a woman's nipples, but Cat wasn't comfortable going that far. A sheer piece of scarlet tulle trailed around the neckline, but it afforded little modesty.

"I see that you dressed for me," he said, taking her cloak.

Cat gave him a little twirl, which raised the hem of the silken skirts and revealed trim ankles and calves. Her hand rose to the tight waist of the dress, which succeeded in limiting her lung capacity. She cursed the fashions of the time. She was so much more comfortable dressed in the looser clothes of a girl or even the trousers of a boy. She smiled prettily and said, "It's one of my mother's."

He led the way inside to a well-appointed sitting area. He went to an elaborate cabinet of Turkish design. Since Venice was on Mediterranean and had a large naval force, it was a major hub on the trade between east and west.

He glanced over his shoulder and asked, "Would you care for a drink? I have wine or sherry?"

"A glass of sherry, please."

He poured the sherry and walked to her. Cat noticed as she took the glass that he wasn't drinking himself. She passed her eyes over him. He wore a white silken shirt that had lace-trimmed sleeves. Somehow, she didn't think that the style fit him even if it was what men wore at the time. She gave a brief moment to wonder what style would fit him before examining the rest of his outfit. He wore breeches and tall, black boots. His shirt was open at the neck to reveal his a peek of his upper chest and Cat wondered if he was putting the goods on display as much as she was. His blonde hair was loose and wasn't coiffed into a style that meshed with any other that she had seen. It was just free and Cat thought that this did match his personality. He was very handsome in a way that was different from anyone else she had ever seen. Tall, blonde men weren't exactly common in this region. It was then that she realized that he had noticed her inspection of him and was watching her with a tiny smirk.

"Why am I here?" she asked, bluntly.

"Can't a gentleman wish to enjoy a lovely lady's company?" he replied.

"You are not a gentleman."

"And you aren't a lady," he replied with a smile.

"Can I help the circumstances of my birth?" asked Cat.

Eric's eyes had passed over her with an odd look in them. Cat wondered if it was pity. "Your past may shape who you are, but it doesn't have to limit you," he replied.

Cat walked to a small table and set down the glass. She turned to face this man who frightened her. "Why was I compelled to come here, tonight?" she asked. "Are you a witch?"

"I believe the correct term for a male witch is warlock," he replied with a look of amusement. "And, no, I am not a warlock."

"Then, what are you?"

Instead of answering her, he walked towards her. Cat fought to remain calm and not show how he truly affected her. But, all her senses were telling her that he was a danger to her. His fingers wrapped around one of her curls. It had taken her and her mother over an hour to curl her straight locks into this hairstyle using an iron rod that they had heated in the flames.

"You are here because you have made me curious about you," he said. His fingers moved down to her cheekbone and lightly caressed her. But, he abruptly stopped and moved away to a small statue set upon a display by a window. As he trailed his fingers over the nude form of the woman statue, he continued to question her.

"Who taught you how to kill?" he asked.

"I assure you, Sir, that you are mistaken," she replied. "I don't know where you have come up with such a crazy idea."

Eric looked up at her with a small smile. "I can't even detect a trace of a lie. Lying is such a innate talent since it can't be taught." His eyes focused on her and the trace of the smile disappeared as he said, "But, I do know a killer when I see one."

Unable to stop herself, Cat asked, "How?"

"Because I'm a killer myself," he replied.

He moved towards her again with the arrogance of such a killer that believed her to not be a threat to him at all. True, in a fight, she would not have a chance against him. But, he was a man and men always had a weakness. His hand cupped her chin and his cold blue eyes gazed into hers.

"Who is the real, Caterina?" he asked.

"I'm just my mother's daughter."

She placed her hand to his bare chest that his shirt did not conceal. His lips came down on her upturned ones. It began as just a soft and exploratory touch, but then his hand reached into her hair and he gripped her tightly, holding her in place. He then devoured her lips with such a force that momentarily stunned her. He was literally taking her breath away and Cat tried to pull away in order to gasp for air. As she did that, his tongue moved between her parted lips. She had never been kissed that way and she froze in his hands as his tongue moved inside her mouth. Just as she was trying to decide if she liked such a kiss, his hand trailed along the neckline of her dress and came much too close to her nipple that had started to ache as the fabric of her dress chafed it. If she didn't take control of this situation, she was going to fail in her objectives. She managed to step out of his embrace.

"Are the servants truly gone?" she asked.

"Of course," he said. "I wouldn't want to ruin a lady's reputation."

Cat took a calming breath and glanced around the room. She spied a Turkish rug set before the fireplace that was lit with a small fire. She flashed a teasing smile and pulled him there. As they dropped to the floor, she made certain that she stayed on top as she straddled him and arranged her skirts. She ran her fingers over his chest and pulled his shirt open. He had soft, blonde hair that was almost invisible against his skin, but she could feel it as she ran her fingers over his chest. His skin felt oddly cool to the touch, but she shrugged it off as she had more important things to worry about. He was even prettier than she had guessed. It was a pity, she thought, as her fingers roved over him.

"How old are you?" he asked.

Was there a trace of conscience in there after all? Cat knew that she couldn't depend on this man's pity. For if he had any, she wouldn't be here. Cat moved her hips against him and she gave him a sultry smile. "I'm old enough to know what pleases a man."

His hands grasped her hips as they moved together. She could feel something rather hard growing beneath her and she shamelessly pressed herself against it. This caused him to utter a weird-sounding hiss and clutch her tighter. She snaked a hand behind her and under her skirts and cupped him. As she gently kneaded him, he arched against her and closed his eyes. As he lifted a hand and moved it over her breast, Cat arched herself backwards. That was when she pulled out the stiletto that she had hidden in her lace up short boots. Palming it in her hand, she turned back to look at him. His eyes were half-lidded with lust as he moved against her. He seemed to be occupied with only one thought and Cat brought the blade down and sank it up to the hilt in his chest. Her aim was true and it would be a quick death. He jerked in surprise as Cat leapt off him. She watched his wide eyes freeze and then turned away to leave.

But, as she approached the front door, he appeared before her. The knife was still embedded in his chest and, as she watched with stunned eyes, he pulled it out. He grimaced in pain and a trickle of blood trailed down his bare chest before the wound closed. Cat's jaw dropped in surprise.

"You'll have to do better than that, little pet," he said.

"But…but you should be dead," she gasped.

"I'm afraid that you can't kill what's already dead," he smiled. He then dropped his fangs and bared them at her. The room started to spin and he was the last thing she saw before she fainted.

She came to as she found herself draped across his lap. She struggled to get free as a powerful hand held her down.

"Ah, you're awake," he said.

"Let me go!" cried Cat as she wiggled furiously to get free of his hold. They were on a large bed and Cat didn't like where this was going.

"I don't think so," he replied.

She felt his hand move under her skirts and she heard a ripping sound as he tore her undergarments away. One hand was pressed into the middle of her back and held her firmly down as the other began to lift up her skirts. Cat kicked her feet and attempted to strike him with her fists, but she couldn't reach him.

"You're only making this worse for yourself, " he chuckled.

Finally, he exposed her bare butt and Cat shrieked in anger. His hand caressed her bottom and gently squeezed her cheeks.

"I'm only a child, you….you creature," she cried.

"Just a child, huh?" said Eric. "Then, this part of your punishment will be appropriate."

With that, he brought the palm of his hand down on her behind with a loud smack. He did it again and he wasn't holding back because the blows painfully stung.

"Ow, you're hurting me," she cried.

"You drove a dagger into my chest," he replied. "You've got this coming, little pet."

He then proceeded to spank her until her rear felt like it was on fire. Tears had coursed down her cheeks, even though she had fought to keep her silence. She was sure that her butt was the same shade of red that her dress was when it was over. She hiccupped in an effort to hold back a sob as Eric's hand now caressed her bottom with a light, gentle touch. When that hand began to nudge her thighs apart, she froze and resisted.

"Shhh," he said softly in a voice that was like velvet. "Pain and pleasure often go together, little pet. This lesson is only half over."

As his hand moved between her thighs, she had trembled at his touch and Eric's other hand softly petted her. While one hand caressed her curls, the other dipped into the soft curls between her legs. His hand gently stroked across those curls before moving to more intimately explore her. His fingers easily trailed over the dampness that was a sign that she was aroused by this touch until they found a spot that caused her to gasp when he touched her there. Slowly, he moved a finger back and forth across this little bundle of nerves. She tingled at this touch and that feeling seemed to spread across her entire body. She could even feel it in her toes. She had never felt anything as wonderful as this touch and for a moment she forgot that she was supposed to be resisting him and not enjoying this. Her stomach fluttered and those butterflies moved downward in a rush, as his touch grew more insistent and harder. She couldn't stop her body from responding and she moved against his hand in a wanton manner. As a soft moan escaped from her, she felt herself being rolled over on her back as he moved beside her. Before she could react, he bent down and kissed her as his hand returned back between her legs. She bit her lip to keep from voicing just how much she was enjoying it. She felt his lips on her bitten lips as they gently suckled on them. She opened her eyes and saw his blue eyes staring into hers.

When he spoke, she wasn't sure if it was out loud or just in her head. "There isn't anything wrong about pleasure just for the sake of pleasure," he said. "You can still hate me and enjoy this at the same time."

As a finger moved inside of her, she closed her eyes and arched her back. Eric's kissed moved to her throat as he gently moved inside of her. His thumb moved in a delicious circular manner in perfect time. When a second finger joined the first, Cat cried out as the waves of pleasure crested over her.

"My sweet, little pet," he murmured.

It was then, she heard a snick and felt a piercing pain on her breast. She opened her eyes to see Eric sucking on her and she gasped when she saw a trickle of her blood escape his mouth. He lifted his mouth away from her and when the blood trickled over her exposed breast, he licked her nipple and collected it before latching on again and suckling. She closed her eyes and moaned as his lips continued to torture her in this manner. Finally, he kissed her tenderly on the cheek and moved off the bed. He strode to the fireplace and removed the traces of her blood with his thumb. Cat looked down to her chest, but there weren't any marks on her skin. How had he done that? Had she imagined him sucking her blood?

"You should run along home, little pet," he said. "I think that's enough a lesson for now."

Cat eased off the bed and gave him a wide berth as she raced away from him and headed for the front door. But, once again, he somehow managed to beat her there.

"I almost forgot to tell you this," he said. "But, don't ever try to kill me again. I won't be so understanding about it the next time."

He stepped aside and Cat reached for the door. But, his body moved close to her again and he whispered in her ear, "And don't forget that you are mine, little Caterina."

Cat woke up and checked the clock. Well, this evening would either be her greatest triumph or a miserable failure that would bring her long years to an end. If she managed to live past tonight, she would devote her attention to a certain blonde Viking vampire. She had left him alone before because the time had never felt right. That time was finally approaching. She was sure that Russell wouldn't leave anything left for her to play with when he was through with Eric Northman. But, she could always hope.

A/N: Ahem, we see who caused Cat to associate pain and pleasure so closely together. I worried about have them as a sexual couple due to the age difference. But, vampires don't see humans in terms of age. Remember Pam's line, "I can no longer tell human ages." Plus, Cat had certainly lost whatever childhood that she might have had long before she crossed paths with Eric or Russell.

It seems that Russell isn't the only one holding a grudge against Eric. But, it certainly is interesting that Eric thought of Caterina as his pet before she came across Russell.