Author's Note: Hi, everybody! Hope you're patient enough with my stories. I've been angry with Eric, well not this Eric, but the other Eric. So, I stop writing about him. But well, love is a slippery notorious creature. You never know when or how it gets you. So, when I think I'd never write anything about him anymore, Black sun from Dead Can Dance reminds me how much I love imagining Eric sailing with ship against the rough Northern sea. So, here I am again.
Anyway, I post two chapters in one go, now. Thanks a lot to Vikingrule, at the other end of the world. Nur für Dich, meine Liebe. Nur für Dich.
Chapter Seven
The Weres and The Vampire
Arlene woke up with a heavy head and hungry. Her stomach growled as loud as her head banged. She swore, the sound of her stomach was so loud that every bit of her body was nagging her mind to go to the kitchen and stuff her mouth with whatever she saw first.
A woman who seemed to be in charge in the kitchen looked at her with wide eyes as she saw her literally stuffing her mouth with bread.
"'m an'rey" Arlene swallowed a big piece of bread down. "eelie an'rey,"
"Whatever you said, Arlene. It must be true."
Calvin's voice made her turn around. The man was leaning on the corner of the table, holding a big cup. There was a smile across his lips. However, Arlene ignored it. The smell of fresh coffee made Arlene even hungrier, if that's possible.
"Sorry," said Arlene. "I am really hungry."
"Oh, I can see that. Edna here," he pointed the woman with his cup, "is a witch, a master of food. Anybody who ever smelt her food, even from a distance, isn't able to escape from its curse."
"Which is?"
"You can't stop wanting more."
The seriousness in his voice made Arlene think he was being serious till she saw the smile on Edna's face.
"Slept well last night?" asked Calvin.
"Yes, thank you."
Calvin put his cup and walked to Arlene. "Some guys saw the window of your room open. I knocked on your door, but you didn't answer."
"I must have been sleeping."
"Yes, you must have," his jaw moved. Calvin didn't believe her. Somehow, he must have sensed she didn't tell the truth. Arlene hoped he wouldn't push it, because she wouldn't know how to answer it. "Besides," he continued. "You look like you need some."
"Really?"
"Yes. You have rings under your eyes. Some might think you have lost a lot of blood."
The bread she was swallowing went down the wrong way, and she forced it out,. hitting her own chest to stop from coughing.
Calvin handed her a glass of water. "Are you all right?"
Arlene accepted the glass. No, she wasn't. Oh for God's sake, why didn't he ask right away? It would make her feel better.
"You are too tense, Arlene," said Calvin. "Don't worry; you're among friends."
Yeah, hairy friends, who might change their opinions as soon as they found out she was hiding something from them, mainly, the news about their leader. Arlene knew, she couldn't hide that information forever. She also knew when Calvin or Alcide found out she had been hiding the information all along, they wouldn't be very happy about it, to put it lightly. She had to tell them. She just didn't know how.
There's a place that she wanted to go, and to be honest, she missed quite a lot. Her house. Yes, her house, where she'd always felt safe. She knew it would be just an illusion to think it would stay the same, after what had happened to her, but at least, it's the only place she's familiar with, and felt comfortable, her sanctuary.
"Do you think Alcide will mind if I go home?" Arlene decided to ask Calvin. "I can't stay here."
"If you're worried about their safety..."
"No, that's not what I am worried about."
"But?"
"I need to go back to my normal life, do my daily things...,"
"But your life isn't normal anymore, Arlene," Calvin looked at her straight in the eyes. His look was so sharp that Arlene felt her skin crawl. "The day you took a vampire back to your place is the day your so called normal life ended. He will be like your shadow, follow you everywhere whether you like it or not."
Trying to avoid his gaze, Arlene turned her face away, watching Edna washing the dishes. "Tell me about it."
"How did you get involved in any of this, anyway? You don't seem like a woman who looks for problems."
Arlene sipped her coffee. "A mistake," she said. "I mistook Eric for someone else."
"Really? You've mistook Eric Northman for someone else?" he sounded unconvinced then he chuckled. "Nobody ever did that; it must have been a huge blow to his ego."
Arlene turned to him. "You seem to know him."
"Yeah, we know him. We have business with him from time to time."
"We? Business?"
"The supernaturals. He's a good businessman; tough, but fair. And he seems to know everybody and every place." It sounded like a compliment. But his face was hard and his voice was flat. "And you, what kind of business were you into?"
Arlene couldn't tell Calvin that it was sex business that brought them together, but she also didn't want Calvin to misunderstand or misinterpret the depth or the value of their relationship. "It was a blind date," she said. "I was supposed to meet a man for a drink. Eric met the description, and I thought it was him."
Calvin looked at her, raised his eyebrows quizzically, then he laughed, mockingly. "Eric Northman was picked up by a woman by mistake... that's good. Really good."
Yeah, right; however, Arlene smiled. Somehow it was good to feel a bit relaxed.
"Arlene," Calvin's voice sounded serious again. "I've been thinking. If you want to leave this place and return to your place or mine, perhaps, my niece Crystal can stay with you for a while, for protection."
"Do you think Alcide will agree?"
"What can he do? It's true that you are protected here, but you are also isolated from information and from people who want to get in touch with you."
"Even when it means there might be people who want to harm her?" Alcide appeared out of nowhere. Edna dried up her hands and left the kitchen without being told.
"Consider this, Alcide: whether she stays here or not, she still has a job to do. She can't leave her clients out to dry and hope that they don't mind. And if you want Selah to contact her, she'd be better to stay at her place than here. Selah wouldn't take the chance to come here and put herself in danger, knowing that you blame her for your father's disappearance."
"You blame Selah?" Arlene looked at him. "She doesn't even know that your father is disappeared!"
Alcide's jaws moved. "You certainly know how to gain the trust, don't you Norris?"
Calvin sniffed.
Arlene didn't know what Alcide meant by that, but she realized, the mood in the kitchen became tense. They were both fighting over her. Why, she wasn't sure.
"Northman will come to get her, sooner or later. Are you sure you want to confront him?"
"We are strong enough against him."
Calvin snorted. "You wish you were strong enough. Even if you were strong enough, surely you don't wish to make him your enemy."
"The way I see it, this place is the safest place for her. We have people, security cameras, weapons...,"
"And you think it would prevent Eric from entering these grounds?"
Alcide looked at Calvin, and then at Arlene. He sniffed, and Arlene cringed as he snarled. "You've seen him." It wasn't an a question; it was an accusation.
"I did," Arlene didn't see any other way but to confess.
"When?"
"Last night."
"Last night? He couldn't enter the grounds without anybody noticing!"
Didn't they know he could fly?
"What?" asked Alcide. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Like what? Arlene blinked.
"How could you see him, if he couldn't enter the grounds?" Alcide walked toward her. His eyes flickered dangerously. Arlene swore, those teeth were bigger than normal. "HOW?"
DearLord...Arlene walked backward. The coffee spilled over as she touched something cold and square with her back. She looked at Calvin for help, but he was also as curious as Alcide, only less angry. "I don't know," she said and forced herself to looked into Alcide's eyes. She's a lawyer, for Christ's sake! If she couldn't lie with straight face, she maybe better consider changing her job!
"Did you invite him in?"
"No. I opened the window and climbed out. What happened after that, I don't remember. He glamoured me."
"For somebody who didn't know vampires existed until recently, you surely know a lot about what they can do," said Alcide. Then, he went silenct. "I have to tighten the perimeter," he said, to nobody. Then after a while, "What do you have in mind, Arlene?"
"I'd like to go back to my apartment and do my work. I can't afford to lose my clients." As she ended the sentence, a worried feeling came over her. Her office, all the documents which were there, Holly...Dear Lord...Holly...Arlene touched the necklace. She prayed nothing had happened to Holly.
"I think about it," Alcide took a cup and poured some coffee. "Until then, my decision is clear, you stay here."
It was late in the afternoon when Alcide came to tell her he agreed to let her return to her apartment. With one condition, one of his men would come to stay with her. No negotiation. If she refused, she stayed put. Arlene told him that she already had somebody to protect her. Alcide snarled and said, he wouldn't leave his father's fate in the hands of a Hotshoter. Calvin's jaws moved as he heard the word. Obviously, 'Hotshoter' was a kind of insult word to the ears of the people of Hotshot.
"One of my people will be with her," said Calvin with an as-matter-of-fact voice.
"Why are you so interested in this, Norris? What is she to you?" Arlene heard Alcide hissing, but she didn't hear the answer from Calvin. In her eyes, Alcide was paranoid. He seemed to doubt everybody outside his pack who offered him help. He should have been more worried about his own people. One of them was a traitor, Jackson was sure of that. The earlier Alcide realized that, the better it would be. But Jackson also didn't want her to tell Alcide about it, which was for her a contracted pledge. How was Alcide supposed to know, if nobody told him?
Arlene left the Haven with a heavy heart. As Calvin's car slowly drove away from the Haven's area, Arlene turned around to see it one more time. The building was like any other buildings in the area. Its walls were gray, and surrounded by the wire. Who would guess that behind those walls were people who could shift themselves into wolves? And who would guess that they were organized and behaved like any paramilitary organization, with a young man, much younger than herself as a leader. A paranoid young man, who was desperate to find his Father.
"Do you know who Alcide will send to my place, Calvin?"
"No," Calvin said. "But whoever he is, you don't have to worry, Arlene. My niece is more than capable of handling any dog."
Arlene looked at him. "You don't think too highly of the werewolves, do you?"
Calvin sneered. "No. They are cowards. They are brave when only when they fight in packs. As soon as they're alone, they put their tail between their legs."
He really disliked them. Arlene could only hope, he would keep his feelings or opinions to himself. The last thing she needed right now was to have any additional problems. "Who do you think Alcide will send?" she decided to change the subject.
"His most trusted werewolf, I bet. The second in command."
"Oh yeah, who is he?"
"It's a she. Her name is Annabelle Hoffman."
"A woman," Arlene felt relieved. "That's good." Calvin would send his niece to protect her, and so would Alcide. Three women at one place. That's good. At least, she didn't have to think about awkwardness or any other uncomfortable situation that might occur.
Home sweet home.
Arlene threw herself down at the sofa after Calvin left. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The quietness that surrounded her was bliss. After some days of confusing and hectic, this was exactly what she needed. Some moments of quietness, doing nothing, but just closed her eyes and listened to nothingness.
Somewhere deep inside her mind, she wished everything had never happened. She wished she hadn't known the existence of vampires, werewolves and any other supernaturals. She wished, the day that had started everything had never existed. That she had never accepted Selah's birthday present or agreed to let Eric take her home and entered her life.
Eric.
Why did he have to be so persuasive making her losing any control she might have? Arlene sighed. Why hadn't she able to say no to him? Had he glamoured her somehow?
No, he wouldn't do that. Eric was a proud man...a vampire. He wouldn't glamour a woman to make her sleep with him. All of his behavior told her that Eric was the kind of man who liked to break his women's will, conquer them, either with his physical force or his charm. Making a woman surrender with the use of glamor in which she had no control over her will or didn't even remember the reason she did it would be too easy for him, too cowardly.
You definitely give him too much credit, an inner voice in her said, he's a vampire,you're a human.You're nothing but a food to him.
Oh, shut up!
You shut up, it said again. You're in a dangerous and uncertain situation, and what are you thinking anyway? Thinking about Eric, the very person who dragged you into it! He's a vampire, don't give him too much credit, you might regret it one day.
Bang, bang, bang!
The loud knocking on the door broke the conversation she was having with herself. Lazily, Arlene got up and opened the door.
A woman was standing on the other side of the door. She's rather small. Her black hair was tied behind her head. Her khaki shirt and trousers made her look like a ranger. Especially with the black boots and black belt. The only thing that was missing from her outfit was the hat. Yes, if she had worn a hat, she could've been easily mistaken as a Texas ranger.
"Arlene Fowler?"
"Yes?"
"You shouldn't open the door, and you shouldn't give away your name too easily," the woman pushed the door and her with it. "I could be anybody and I could kill you."
Wow, friendly. "Annabelle Hoffman?"
She sniffed. "Yes," she looked around and said, "Eric Northman works fast, I have to admit that. Bastard!"
Arlene closed the door and looked around. Annabell was right. Her apartment looked just like before the attack. Everything was in its place. The table, sofa and other small tidbits. Even the color of the wall paper was the same! Except some pictures. They're gone. Perhaps, they had too much blood on them so Bobby and his men decided not to replace them or put them back.
"You know Eric Northman?"
"Yes, and what he's capable of. You shouldn't let him in."
"He saved me once. Besides, he's not a danger to me."
Annabelle looked at her. From her head down to her toes, then snorted. "Women! One fuck, and they think they have been fucked by a god!"
Arlene felt her blood burning. "Look, Annabelle... I am thankful that you are here to protect me, but I really don't need any comments about me or Eric. If you want to able to continue doing your job, you'd better keep your opinions to yourself!"
Her eyebrow was lifted. "It's neither my or your decision," she said. Short and cold. Then, she went to the bedroom.
"Excuse me, what are you doing?"
"Checking the location," she said. "I have to make sure that everything is according to the Long Tooth security standard."
"If your thinking about putting camera surveillance inside my house, you'd better call Alcide right now and tell him, he can fuck himself!" Arlene couldn't contain her anger anymore.
Annabelle smirked. "I want to be there when you say that," she said. "It will be very interesting."
Fuck! Arlene cursed. She had a feeling, Annabelle would be just another nightmare!
After a while, Annabelle left her bedroom. "Look," she said with her hands on her hips. "You and I will be stuck together for some time. Let's make the best of it. You need our protection, and somehow Alcide thinks we need you to find his father."
Arlene took a deep breath, trying to press her anger down. "Do whatever you want," she said finally. "But I don't want to have a camera in my bedroom."
Annabelle smirked, mocking her. "Don't worry. Eric Northman isn't my type, and I am not that curious to find how he is in bed."
"Are you always this direct?"
"If it's about Northman, yep."
"Why? Do you have a history with him, or...?"
Annabelle licked her lips. "No, I don't have any history with him, and never care to have. Where's your kitchen?"
Annabelle swept the whole apartment. She checked every room carefully and afterward, she drew some sketches, which indicated the position of the rooms and minute details of each room . Then, she made a few phone calls.
Arlene had to admit, she was impressed by the way Annabelle worked. It seemed she's the kind of person who took everything seriously and was very thorough. Details are important, Annabelle said when Arlene asked what she was doing. Everything is in the details. Somehow, it made her sympathetic towards her. If she could ignore the rudeness and snarks Annabelle had, somehow she believed, they could be friends, or at least have a better working relationship.
It was around eight o'clock when Crystal came. Like her uncle, she was slightly built, and had an amazingly sharp pair of eyes. Bright orange light glinted in them when she was introduced to Annabelle. Annabelle sniffed, and Crystal snarled.
Their dislikes were mutual.
After dinner (Arlene was surprised when she found that her fridge was full of food. At first, she wondered who had filled it up, but then she smiled when she found a note on the middle shelf, beside a red liquid contained in a beautiful small crystal jar, "You like? - E."), which was cold, due to the silence and unfriendly stares between Crystal and Annabelle, Arlene went to her room. She was tired, she said. She wanted to sleep early. Tomorrow, she wanted to go to her office and see what she could do there.
She was about to lay down when she realized, she didn't remember when the hearing for Jason's case was anymore! She got up. Dear Lord! She had to call the clerk at the court tomorrow early! She looked around. Where was that address book? It must have be in her study room. Hopefully, those werewolves didn't touch that room.
She was about to open the door, when she heard Annabelle's voice. "Stay inside, Arlene!"
What? No, not in her own house, and no, she didn't want to run anymore.
She pushed the door open. Beside the door was Sam, standing with his hands raised. And Eric, who smirked as soon as he saw her. "Mrs. Fowler," he nodded. His voice was thick with mockery. Annabelle and Crystal were standing beside each other, with their hands open like claws, with long black finger nails on the tip of each finger.
"Sam, what are you doing here?"
"You know this shifter?" asked Crystal.
"Yes, he's my secretary."
"And this vampire?" Annabelle moved her head.
"I thought you knew Eric Northman," Arlene was perplexed. Hadn't she talked about him, like she had encountered him, up close and personal?
"I'd heard of," said Annabelle. Arlene wished she could see her face, because her voice sounded unsure.
So all those blah, blah, blah...were...?
Suddenly, Eric was already standing beside her, pushing Crystal and Annabelle aside, as if they had been nothing. "And they sent these useless weak weres to protect you," he hissed. "Don't even think about it!" his voice was deep and had a commanding tone that couldn't be missed. First, Arlene didn't know what he meant, but then she saw, both women were raising their claws.
"Why...are you... here, Eric?"
"I asked him to come with me, Arlene," Sam said. "I want to tell you that we took care of Jason's hearing."
"You what?" Arlene craned her neck to see Sam.
"You have enough on your plate already," Eric touched her face. The coldness of his finger sent shivers right down her spine. "You don't need to think about any other thing."
"What do you mean? Did you glamour the judge?"
Eric smirked.
"Un-glamour it!" said Arlene, almost screaming.
All eyes in the room looked at her.
"I've worked my ass off to reach this position," Arlene felt her head was about to explode. The memory of night after night preparing her case flashed in front of her eyes. It wasn't a big case, but it was a case like any other case. As a lawyer from a new firm she had to work harder than any other to win the trust of her clients, new or old. Her firm didn't have a reputation yet, and her own name wasn't as big as John's or any other lawyers at John's firm. "I am not going to let you or anybody else to destroy my hard work!"
Eric looked at her. His eyes were twinkling.
"Un-glamor it!"
"Or what?"
Arlene took a deep breath. Her chest was burning. Nobody challenged her without getting any consequences. Show him who you are, Arlene, the inner voice whispered in her head again. He needs to learn to respect you."Eric Northman...,"
Eric stepped back. "Arlene, don't do it...," his eyes were getting colder. "...look at me, Arlene. Look at me now!"
Turn away, Arlene. He's going to glamour you.
Son of a bitch! Her chest was getting hotter. "I take back my invitation. Get the fuck out of my house!"
As if being sucked by an unseen power, Eric moved backward. The door opened by itself, and bump! Eric was thrown against the wall. He stood up on his feet in no time, and was growling. "Arlene, invite me in now!"
Arlene turned around and went into her room.
"Arlene...Annabelle, let me talk to her..."
"No can't do, Sam."
"Arlene!" Eric called out her name. "Don't be such a pig-headed..."
Bump! Arlene smashed the door closed. Pig-headed, myass!
xxxxxx
