Eric's POV

She has been seen. It has been over twenty years. Calvin Norris, leader of the Hotshot pack of were-panthers attended a seminar on shifter interspecies cooperation. One of the things Calvin learned at this soiree is that sharing invaluable but personal information can be a good way to begin cooperation between two groups. By sharing personal information you forfeit fewer advantages that affect your group.

"For example," Calvin explained to me as he sat across from me in my booth at Fangtasia. I swear if he were any dirtier or dumber, I would just kill him. "it has never been much skin off my back that Sookie Stackhouse disappeared" he just said her name; what has his were/shifter shit have to do with HER "but well I suppose it would be a good way to begin cooperation between my people and yours if I told you I saw her."

What the f#$K! HE SAW HER "Where?"

"Now, now Northman, I believe we have some cooperating to do."

Rasa's POV

This week has been amazing. She is amazing. As amazing as all this is though, I worry how amazing the vampire summit will be. I have noticed that she has chosen not to contact anyone from her life in this realm before. It appears that they have not contacted her either. I however am several steps ahead of that rif-raf and know that Calvin Norris of the Hotshot pack of Bon Temps Louisiana not only attended the shifter conference but that he also met with Northman after he arrived back in Louisiana. This may not disturb others but I am well aware that the supes in Louisiana have not been playing well. I bet the panther went to tell him he saw her! I am sure of it! What other reason for the two to meet and Northman has not been in contact because he did not know she was back. I will have my spies set up some bugs. I do not want to interfere to the point I drive her away, by making decisions for her, but I will feel better if I know what type of sharks are swarming.

Sookie's POV

Rasa and I have spent our few weeks off between Vegas and the vampire summit in New York. It has been wonderful.

He reminds me of Eric in some ways. In fact you could take all that I ever liked about Eric and add all the stuff he was missing and you get Rasa. He is strong, dominating, and possessive but not afraid to love and show it. He is wise and thoughtful but always happy to share his thoughts. He is not afraid to tell me what he needs but always considerate of me.

We visited three more of his residences. He said he wanted to share himself with me. What better way he explained than showing me his personal life. Also he added, if I had a mental picture of his locations I could always teleport to him if we had to work separately. His home in Florida is a condo in a very upscale building right on the beach. The entire condo was secured as his resting place with tight security at the door, steel lined walls, ceiling, and floors, separate and secure heating, cooling, and ventilation systems, and bullet-proof sun-protected glass balcony doors. The view from his balcony is breathtaking. That home was smaller than the others but it was gorgeous. After visiting there we went to his home in Colorado. He owned a large piece of property on a wild mountainside. He had built a rather large rustic looking cabin that contained every comfort imaginable and an enormous light tight underground bunker. The bunker was stocked with enough food, royalty blend, bagged blood, weapons, and security/sting equipment that he would be sure to survive something close to the apocalypse. We had a nice time 'ruffing' it. I particularly enjoyed our tryst in the spring. MMmmhhm. Finally we visited his home in Kentucky. It was a turn of the century plantation style home that had been preserved in pristine condition. There was a large fenced field, an old red barn, a guest house, a beautiful garden full of perennials, rose bushes, and wildflowers. That home felt comforting and familiar to me. I did not share my feelings but Rasa seemed to sense that his home made me feel nostalgic.

He insisted that he still had at least a few more homes he wished to share with me on another grand tour. I however insisted that we go ahead and visited my meager three homes on our next extended break from work and then on the one after that we could resume our tour of his homes.

I have never felt a pull to a man like the one I feel to Rasa. He is a perfect match for me on so many levels. He knows and has experienced so much more than me but he is determined to share it all with me so that I am educated and informed about his world and he is delighted at my refreshing, unfiltered views. I use to abhor killing and brutality but it has slowly become a necessary and understood part of my life. He on the other hand has the blood of hundreds of thousands on his hands and has been striving each night the last couple hundred years to wash them clean. His capacity for great violence is tempered by his understanding of supe nature and my great capacity for love is tempered by my understanding of supe nature. His honesty is endearing. Other men that have tried to win me attempted to use deceit to hide themselves and fool me, maneuver me. Rasa began revealing, before I silenced him with kisses, every horrible deed he had ever committed. Just gotta love that vampire precise memory. His willingness to be bare before me shows me his worth. I never knew I could feel this way. I am going to ask him to bond with me.