A/N: As usual, I'm totally blown away by all your support for this story. Thank you so much.

Charlaine Harris owns the rights to these characters.

We got back to Bon Temps around 11pm. I didn't want to think how fast Eric had been driving the minivan and was glad that I'd fallen asleep on the way home.

After I'd seen Gran to bed, I met Eric back in the kitchen and warmed him up one of the synthetic bloods in the microwave (apparently 15 seconds on full got it to body temperature) and made myself some tea. I guess Eric could feel my worry for Gran through the bond because he broke the silence first. "Your grandmother is a strong woman Sookie, she will be fine. She will get over what has happened to her and so will you."

I sighed. I knew he was right but it didn't feel like that at the moment. "Listen Eric, I know you have your vampire protocol but I was wondering if it were possible for you not to glamour her? If vampires are going public soon anyway, what's the point? I know she'll be able to keep it secret until then and I don't want her to have to be glamoured again for no good reason. Plus, my keeping this from her is the reason Bill was able to get to her. The more she knows, the more she is able to protect herself, even with him gone."

He seemed to consider this for a minute. "Okay," he acceded. "Presumably you will also tell her about your telepathy?"

I nodded. "I have to tell her. I don't want to keep things from her any more."

We sat there in comfortable silence for a while sipping on our respective drinks.

Something was niggling though. I had to ask. "You didn't do anything Eric. When Bill reached for the stake, you could have stopped him but you didn't." It wasn't a question and Eric remained silent. "I, um, was just wondering about that."

He sighed. "Bill made his choice Sookie. He made a number of choices to get him to that kitchen with a stake in his hand. He was weak. That's not a good quality in a human but it's intolerable in a vampire. I will not mourn his loss." Generally I appreciated Eric's truthfulness, but sometimes his candour only served to highlight his otherness. Humans would at least pretend to be sad even if they weren't.

It suddenly occurred to me that I was a widow and the thought made me shiver. Bill was right in a way, I had loved him once, however naively. However much I had wanted him out of my life and was traumatised by his taking Gran, I realised that I hadn't really wanted him dead, just gone. And what about the practical implications of his death? What would I tell people? There was no body to bury and I wasn't sure I had it in me to mourn him anyway, despite his declarations of love, after all that he'd done. I just couldn't expend any more tears over him. Mostly I just felt numb about him. Numb about the entire situation.

I looked up from my tea and noticed that Eric had been watching me intently.

"I should go," he said. "You need to rest..." He slid his chair out from under the table, came over to me and kissed the top of my head. "Goodnight Sookie."

I couldn't deny that I needed time to think and, deep down, I had concerns that Eric could be so nonchalant about tonight's events. But I also knew that I didn't want him to go. As he turned to leave, I grabbed his hand.

He turned back towards me. It took me a second to meet his eyes but when I did he was looking at me questioningly, his eyes intense like dark blue fire.

"Please don't go Eric," I whispered. Oh God, what was I doing? He nodded, his eyes never leaving mine as I stood and nervously put my hand on his chest feeling the hard wall of muscle beneath his t-shirt. I kissed him gently as I leaned into him, finally relaxing for the first time that day. Momentarily he stopped the kiss and pulled my hair down so it fell around my shoulders. He ran his fingers through it and kissed my forehead.

"You are so beautiful," he said, voice low and laced with desire.

"So are you," I smiled. I kissed him again, deeper this time and it felt right. Breaking the kiss with another smile, I took his hand again and lead him through the house, into my bedroom.

He sat on the end of my bed, with me standing between his open legs, so that we were almost the same height and kissed him. I was light-headed, I felt so much heat for this man. I reached down to the hem of his t-shirt running my nails along his stomach muscles and, breaking the kiss, lifted it over his head. His body was perfect, lean and chiselled like a Greek statue.

"Sookie..." he began cautiously, "we don't have to do this now..."

I shushed him. "I want to." It was true. I wanted him, this, so badly. I'd think about the consequences another time.

He didn't need telling a second time. In one smooth move he had grabbed me up by my thighs and flipped me on my back onto the bed. I groaned as he settled himself between my legs pressing his hardness up against my thigh, while kissing and nibbling at my neck. I felt myself arching into him, desperate for maximum body contact as he slid his hands up under my top, the contrast of his cool hands against my burning skin making me gasp.

Before I knew it, he had removed my t-shirt and bra. The heat in his eyes seemed to increase as he took in my body. With a soft smile he dipped his head to take on of my nipples between his lips, sucking and nipping with his teeth but never drawing blood. He palmed my other breast with his hand running his slightly rough thumb against my nipple, eliciting a quiet moan from me as I ran my fingers through his thick hair.

I began to fumble with the top button of Eric's jeans. He still had far too many clothes on and so did I. He pulled away from the attention he was giving my breasts and I almost ached at the loss of contact. He stood at the bottom of the bed and kicked off his boots and slowly undid his jeans as I watched him, desire coursing through me. I bit my lip expectantly as he lowered his jeans. I fleetingly noticed that he had gone commando but that thought was immediately forgotten when I saw Eric in all his naked glory. Holy shit! He was huge. I looked back up at him and he was smiling smugly, clearly feeling my lust and anticipation.

I undid the buttons on my own jeans and in seconds Eric had my jeans and thong off me and on the floor. We were both naked now. We were really going to do this.

Eric grabbed my ankles and pulled me down to the end of the bed so that my legs hung over the end. I giggled with surprise at the move and then quickly put my hand over my mouth remembering that Gran was in the house. He leaned over me and kissed my lips, ghosting his tongue across my jaw and down my neck, making his way over each breast and kissing a line down to my belly button. I squirmed as he butterflied soft kisses across my navel and then made his way lower.

The first time he ran his tongue between my legs, I jerked violently from the sensation. I was already so turned on I could hardly bear it. He began to lick again, up between my legs and then swirling around my clit, as I began to come undone. He probed my core with a first and then a second finger as I writhed on the bed, arching into him wantonly, urging him to increase the pressure. He softly pulled my clit between his lips and began to suck as I moaned, unable to control it now.

"Look at me Sookie," he urged as my body began to spasm and I forced myself through the haze to meet his eyes. He turned his head to my thigh, never breaking eye contact. I nodded my permission as he sunk his fangs into me with a blissfully sharp sting. He drew deep, triggering such an exquisite rush of pleasure, I lost all connection with my surroundings for a few seconds, floating on a wave of pure rapture.

When I came to, I noticed that Eric had moved us up the bed and was positioned above me. I reached between us, stroking him up and down as he rolled his head back and moaned. I positioned him at my entrance and rubbed him against me.

"God Sookie," he growled and I stared into his eyes, dark with heat, as he began to edge inside me.

I had never felt so deliciously filled, so utterly complete, as I adjusted to his size and he began to move inside of me, agonisingly slowly, pulling almost all the way out before slamming into me with a force that made me groan. I felt myself build towards another release as I grabbed his luscious behind with both hands forcing him deeper.

He pushed his body up, hitching my leg higher around his hip. He began to increase the speed of his thrusts, adjusting his angle slightly and I knew I was done for.

He suddenly raised his wrist to his fangs and pierced the skin, offering it to me. I didn't hesitate as I grabbed his arm greedily and pulled deeply on the wound as he shuddered his release inside me, shouting out in a language I neither recognised nor understood. At the same time my finish consumed me, causing me to scream his name and leaving me a trembling mess underneath him. He collapsed on top of me for a second and I revelled in the feeling of his weight pressing down on me.

When we could move again, he lifted himself up and kissed me lightly, withdrawing and moving to the side of me, gathering me into his arms. He looked at me then, eyes full of intensity and feeling. "That was perfect. You are perfect."

I smiled at him. I couldn't agree more.

"Oh God," a sudden panic hit me. He looked at me questioningly, a flash of anxiety fleetingly crossing his face. "Gran must have heard us." I was mortified. How would I face her in the morning?

Eric laughed, stroking my hair and hugging me to him. "Maybe you would prefer it if I glamoured her after all?" I giggled at that – God it was tempting!

The sex fog in my head began to clear and my mind gradually became more alert. "I had your blood again, what will that do to me?" I stifled a yawn and then a suspicious thought suddenly flitted through me. Oh no. "Please tell me you didn't have an ulterior motive Eric?"

He smiled at that. "It feels amazing when you take my blood, I wanted you to take it for that. Just for that. In blood exchanges it is the third one which creates an irreversible bond. The effects of you taking my blood won't be any different this time from the last one."

"Okay..." I tried not to think about one of the effects of our last exchange, my ability to read his thoughts. I was suddenly overcome with exhaustion and I yawned again. "I'm sorry Eric but I can't keep my eyes open..."

"Sleep," he urged. "It's been a long day."

"Will you stay?" I asked, tentatively.

"Yes," he smiled. "I will stay until just before dawn."

I awoke the next morning, my bed was empty but I could smell Eric on me and on my sheets. I stretched out my body feeling a pleasant ache and my hand brushed over a note on the pillow.

Lover,

You are exquisite.

E

I smiled at his use of the term "lover", it was a little cheesy but it didn't stop a warm feeling spreading down to my toes.

After a few minutes, I eased myself out of bed and got straight into the shower. I had work today but I still had a couple of hours to chat things through with Gran. I felt myself blush as I recalled last night's events. God, what must Gran be thinking of me...?

Gran was in the kitchen folding washing as I came in. I went straight to her and gave her a hug. She smiled at me and I motioned for her to sit as I fixed us both a cup of coffee. Gran confirmed she was feeling much better after her sleep and thankfully she looked better too. When she asked me the same question, I felt myself turn purple and mumbled that I was fine.

I sat down at the table and took a deep breath. "So, Gran, we need to talk about last night and some other things. I need you to just hear me out for a minute otherwise I'm not sure I'm going to be able to get all of this out. Okay?"

Gran nodded.

So I began to explain about the existence of vampires and other supernaturals, most of which I still knew nothing about. Her thoughts flashed to Bill and I knew she had already put two and two together about him – not that surprising given his drinking her blood and staking himself in front of her – but it was still a shock for her to have it confirmed. Her eyes filled with tears as I informed her about the years Bill had us under his glamour and how he used us for blood. I knew from her thoughts that she felt as used and betrayed as I had and I could feel my anger for Bill resurfacing.

I recounted to her what Eric had told me about synthetic blood and the vampires' plan to go public. I told her all I knew about vampires in the hope that she could protect herself a little better in future.

Finally, I steeled myself and told her about my telepathy. She cried and hugged me to her, as I explained what it had become like for me to be amongst people and the peace I felt amongst vampires. She didn't recoil from me as I expected she might, knowing I was able to get into her mind. Her thoughts were heavy with sorrow but full of love and sympathy.

We both held each other for a while until she withdrew from the embrace and grabbed my hands in her lap, looking at me intently. "Sookie, you asked me to listen and I have but I need to say something too. This is a lot to deal with, especially after all that has happened to us over the last few days, but we will help each other through. You know I love you very much and we will find a way to make your new abilities easier on you." She paused, in the way I knew meant she was considering her words very carefully. I tried not to listen in but it was hard. "What concerns me more is the way you have been sucked into this world and the implications that has for your safety, for all our safety. Mine, Jason too.."

Her thoughts flashed momentarily to a young man, not a vampire but somehow seemingly other-worldly, and it occurred to me that the existence of the supernatural might not be as much of a shock to this old lady as I had first imagined. I didn't ask; I needed to work on blocking out people's minds and Gran deserved her privacy.

"Bill showed last night how easy it could be to use the people you love to get to you. The further you get involved with Mr Northman, the more you get embroiled in that world. And it's a dangerous one." She sighed. "And that's not even taking into account the fact that you've already wasted a number of years on a man who would never grow old with you, never be able to give you children... Sookie, I'm grateful for what Mr Northman has done for you, what he did for me last night..." She smiled wryly, "and he sure is a handsome man... But you are playing a high risk game. And I'm not sure that you're meant to be part of that world." She paused for a minute and then smiled as if deciding on something. "You're a smart girl, darlin', and it's not for me to say how you should live your life. I know you will choose the path that is right for you."

I left for work with a heavy heart. I had started the day so elated after my night with Eric but I knew, really I had always known, that Gran had a point. Less than a week ago I had been happily married to Bill in ignorant bliss. Now Bill was dead (well, even more dead), I was a telepath and I was blood-bonded to a vampire that I hardly knew. I had rushed into this and I hadn't thought it through.

I was so attracted to Eric it overwhelmed me, and my anger at Bill had only served to fuel that attraction, but what future did I have with the man? Who even knew how you began to have a relationship with someone like him? I wasn't one for casual sex and I doubted if he was the monogamous type. The truth is that I just didn't know. I thought I could trust him but in reality I'd hopped into bed with a man I knew almost nothing about. And in my grandmother's house, no less.

Gran was right too about his world being a dangerous one. I hadn't stopped fearing for my life or the lives of those closest to me since I discovered Bill feeding. Eric was high up in the vampire political structure and I knew, despite last night, he considered me to be an asset because of my telepathy. Hadn't he told me himself that he was a businessman first? The Queen wanted to use me at her whim. I was in danger of being bent to the will of stronger forces and the more people who knew about my abilities, the more my loved ones and I were at risk. Getting involved with Eric had clouded my judgement but I knew I was in deep and it was scary.

I managed to get through my shift without resorting to painkillers although it was still a strain. Thankfully, Merlotte's was fairly quiet today and I was practising putting up a wall between my mind and the thoughts of others. It took a lot of energy to do it, I was exhausted by hometime and my head was aching and fuzzy like I'd spent the day reading without much light.

Sam wasn't in today and I noted from the calendar in his office that it was the night before the full moon. I really did need to talk to him about that. I had phoned Alcide during my break to check if he was healing alright but he had seemed antsy and distracted at the other end of the phone, so the call had been brief. Maybe that's why Sam wasn't going to be in for a couple of days - it was his time of the month too.

By the time I left work, it was dark. My stomach clenched as I saw that Eric was waiting for me, leaning up against my car. He was casual today, in black jeans and a leather jacket. He looked good enough to eat.

"Lover, what have you been up to today? Your thoughts have been awash with confusion since I awoke." He smiled smugly. "Although now that I see you they seem to have become rather more... focused."

I blushed, berating myself for letting him get under my skin so quickly. After my talk with Gran and my ruminations today, I felt sure that I would have to stop seeing Eric, give myself time to grieve, time to consider my options. Now that I saw him, I knew that it would not be that easy. I felt so much desire for him and it irritated me that he could tell.

"Look Eric, I've had a very long day at work, after not very much sleep. I really just need to get home. Can we pick the smug banter up another day?" It sounded prickly even to me.

He quickly adopted his standard poker-face but I was pretty sure that I discerned a brief flash of disappointment in his eyes. It was fleeting but it made me feel better to know it was there and I softened. "Please Eric – I just need a little time," I pleaded quietly. I didn't look him in the eyes. I was a coward.

He sighed and nodded.

"Thank you Eric," I whispered and finally met his gaze. "I should go. I'll call you, okay?"

He grabbed my arm gently. "I'm afraid that's not all. I did want to see you tonight but I am actually here on official business."

I tried to bury the disappointment I felt that Eric wasn't here just for me. I attempted to concentrate on what was coming.

"The Queen called me tonight. Due to... unforeseen circumstances, the timetable has moved up."

"Timetable?" I questioned. I thought I knew what he meant but I needed it confirmed out loud.

"The day after tomorrow," he said firmly as if convincing himself that it was a good idea, as well as me. I looked at him with wide eyes. "The announcement will be the day after tomorrow... In 48 hours the entire world will know of the existence of vampires."

A/N: A few of you have requested an Eric POV. It wasn't really part of my plan but actually I think it will fit in well here so I'm working on doing the next chapter from his viewpoint.

Your reviews make me type faster, so you know what to do...