Disclaimer: I own nothing, these characters belong to Ms. Harris & Mr. Ball.

Author's Note: So I know this one took me a while to get posted and I'm sorry about that, I've been dealing with a bit of writer's block lately. In any case, I think this is the chapter most of you have been waiting for, yes I've made some refreshing lemonade. Enjoy!

Thanks for all the reviews everyone, they really make my day!

Chapter 10

Eric's POV

I never should have insisted on confronting Compton.

Sookie and I had been entangled in each other's arms on the front porch, her legs wrapped around my waist, her hot, wet center pressed against my groin. She was breathless with desire; she reached between us and touched me. I heard the car approaching, I should have whisked her inside and taken her on her kitchen table before she knew what was happening. But I didn't.

She had begged me not to leave the wards while Bill circled the property in search of her. But I did.

I had hoped that if he saw me he would leave peacefully. I should have known better. This is Compton we're talking about; his obsession with Sookie is irrational. But then again so is mine.

Now here we all stood, in an awkward silence in front of Sookie's home. I was flooding confidence and comfort through the bond to Sookie, giving her the strength to stand tall and proud in front of the man who had broken her heart. Her true feelings were those of pain and confusion, I couldn't allow Compton to know what Sookie really felt, if he did he might mistakenly presume he still had a fighting chance for Sookie's heart.

It wasn't that I wanted to persuade Sookie's feelings one way or another, I had no intention of influencing her in the way Compton had. She had a right to her own emotions, her own opinions and to make decisions for herself without his or my persuasion, but right now wasn't the time. She needed my support to face him, and unbeknownst to her, I was helping.

The wolf's howl pierced the cool night air and we all turned simultaneously in the direction from which it came.

"They're coming," Sookie whispered as I felt her fear rising within her.

"How many?" I demanded, turning her to face me.

She closed her eyes and searched mentally for a moment. "Six," she answered. "They're coming from that direction," she pointed to the west. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at me. "Do you think they're the ones from Merlotte's?"

I nodded. "Go inside, you'll be safe there," I told her and pushed her gently in the direction of her home. "I'll take care of the wolves."

She shook her head and dug her heels into the earth. I could have easily forced her into the house, but I wouldn't.

"There's too many of them Eric, you can't fight them alone," she reasoned, her eyes pleading with me.

"I will stay," Bill said and came to stand next to me.

I turned to him and regarded him curiously; he nodded his head to confirm his words. I suspected he wasn't doing this to help me, but instead to show Sookie that he still cared for her. I acknowledged, accepting Bill's offer of assistance. I would need his help against the Weres but I didn't expect he would watch my back for me, and I most certainly wasn't going to watch his.

A frown creased Sookie's forehead, I could tell she didn't trust Bill either and I pushed reassurance through our newly strengthened bond. She finally nodded and jogged off toward the house, with both Bill and I watching after her.

"A blood exchange," Bill drawled in his antiquated Southern accent once Sookie was out of ear shot, "How clever of you Eric."

"She initiated it," I answered coolly.

"Does she know its significance?" he asked, turning and craning his neck to look up at me.

I was silent for a long moment as I watched Sookie ascend the steps of her porch and turn to us; I motioned for her to go inside but she shook her head stubbornly and crossed her arms over her chest. I rolled my eyes, there was no use arguing further with the woman, she is quite possibly as obdurate as I am.

"No," I shot Bill a glance out of the corner of my eye and answered his previous question. "She has no idea what she's done."

"She deserves to know," he insisted.

I looked down at him and nodded. "I know," I replied, and turned to the woods behind us as I heard the wolves approaching. Our fangs descended with a simultaneous click as a lone wolf stepped out from the cover of the trees, growling ferociously.

Sookie POV

My knuckles were turning white as my fingers clenched the railing of the stairs. I had refused to go inside as Eric had insisted. I was inside the safety of the wards here, I saw no reason not to stay and make sure the impending fight went well.

I closed my eyes and searched for the wolves again, finding they were already upon us. The sound of a growl caused my eyes to fly open and my breath to catch in my throat as the first wolf stepped out of the woods in front of Eric and Bill. Eric stepped forward first and the wolf lunged at him; he picked the beast out of the air with ease, slamming him to the ground with force and drawing a yelp from the dog.

The other five wolves stepped out of the trees, encircling the vampires. I wasn't sure if the snarls were coming from the wolves, the vampires or both. I watched in horror as the wolves attacked simultaneously with the two vampires standing back to back in their attempt to fight them off. A wolf latched onto Bill's arm, ripping a sizable gash in his flesh and Bill responded by tearing the animal's throat out with his fangs and drinking deeply from its neck.

Eric was obviously a skilled fighter, he moved with a fluid grace as if battle was what he was made for; he snapped a wolf's spine over his knee and tossed it aside like a rag doll. He ripped into the throat of a second wolf; blood poured out of the wound, drenching him and he spat the blood out of his mouth as if it tasted foul.

My heart was pounding in my chest, I wanted desperately to run down and help them but I couldn't risk using my power in front of the vampires again. They had each seen me use my power prior to my stay in Fae, at the time I had no control over it and it only surfaced when I was angry. I had only used it tonight to blast the two apart when it looked like Eric was going to kill Bill. I hoped neither of them would bring it up and assume it had been an uncontrollable action on my part.

I pulled my thoughts back to the fight, finding that only two wolves remained. They stalked around the vampires, growling and snapping their jaws savagely. Their fur was matted with blood, whether it was their own blood or that of their fallen comrades I wasn't sure. They sprang forth, singling Eric out, probably because they knew he couldn't be brought down by a single wolf. Bill stepped away casually, leaving Eric to fight them alone, and looked toward the house. I knew he couldn't see me watching him, and I wouldn't say his name aloud while inside the wards even though I wanted to yell for him to help Eric.

I bit my lip in anticipation as I watched Eric struggle against his attackers. I could see Bill out of the corner of my eye, he was moving toward me, completely ignoring what was going on behind him. I could feel my anger rising, how could he leave Eric alone like that? Had he planned this from the beginning? I wouldn't put the idea passed him. Power rose within me, begging for release as it tingled across my skin. I pushed it away as I attempted to calm myself.

There was a yelp of pain from a wolf, cut short suddenly when Eric killed him. The last wolf stood no chance against Eric now that he was alone; a ferocious roar ripped from Eric's throat as he tore into the final attackers throat and then he fell to his knees.

"Eric!" I screamed and pulled my now numb fingers from the porch railing and dashed across the yard. I could feel the influence of the wards; despite that I wore Eric's necklace, they were still reluctant to let me leave their safety. I ran over to Eric, dropping to my knees beside him and reached out to smooth his bloody hair from his eyes. "Eric, are you hurt?"

He grabbed a hold of my wrist and pulled me into a tight embrace, crushing me against his bloody frame. His hands searched me quickly, looking for any sign that I may be hurt, and tangled in my hair when he was satisfied I was healthy. "I'm fine," he replied and placed a bloody kiss on my forehead. "Nothing a little of your blood won't heal."

I nodded and offered him my wrist without hesitation. He bit into it with a crunch and took two small draws before licking the wound clean as I glanced around us. Six large, naked male bodies surrounded us, some of them missing limbs, others contorted in positions that made me cringe. I wrinkled my nose and turned back to him, still held tightly against him. "What a mess," I groaned.

"Keeping your yard body-free is turning into quite the challenge," he mused and released me. He pulled himself to his feet and offered me a hand. I took it and brushed the dirt off my knees with my free hand as I examined my dress; it was stained with blood from hugging Eric. "I'll buy you a new one," he promised with a wink.

"Should we clean this up now?" I asked ignoring the last comment.

"No," he answered with a shake of his head and turned to Bill who was standing awkwardly several feet away from us. "I think we should let Bill take care of that, before he leaves of course."

Bill looked from Eric to me and down at our hands, which were still clasped together, then back to me again. "Yes Sheriff," he said and bowed his head deeply.

Eric tugged on my hand, indicating for us to walk. I followed him and waited until we entered the wards before speaking. "You really think he's going to leave when he's done?" I asked skeptically.

"I doubt it," he answered, releasing my hand to hold the front door open for me. "But if he doesn't he risks Sophie-Anne finding out about him, I would hope he's not stupid enough to risk her coming here with you so close by."

"He was stupid enough to come here in the first place," I grumbled, "and stupid enough to think I would go anywhere with him."

He squeezed my shoulders in reassurance but didn't respond as we entered the kitchen. "I'm going to take a shower," he told me and kissed me on top of my head again. "You probably should too."

I sighed as he left the kitchen. What a great mess my first night of freedom had turned into, I thought to myself. I heard the shower down the hall turn on and looked at my reflection in the kitchen window. I had blood smears across my forehead, my chest was bloody from hugging Eric and my hair was falling loose from its braid. My nice clothes were always getting ruined around vampires. I groaned and trudged off in the direction of my bedroom, stopping at the linen closet to grab myself a fresh towel.

I bit my lip, and decided to grab an extra one for Eric as he tended to leave his towels in a heap on the bathroom floor. I paused outside the door to the hall bathroom, trying to decide if I should just leave it outside the door for him to find or sneak in and place it on the sink for him. The door flew open before I could decide and Eric stood before me in all his glory. My eyes widened at the sight of him, he seemed completely comfortable standing there, buck naked in front of me as if there were nothing to be ashamed of. And there most certainly was nothing for him to be ashamed of.

"Sookie?"

I tore my gaze away from his body at the sound of his voice and found that he was smiling at me, though it wasn't the smirk I expected from him. I looked away and shoved the towel at him wordlessly, my eyes still wide with shock.

"Thank you," he said and set the towel on the sink behind him, but remained standing in the doorway. I desperately wished he would close the door, I didn't think I could manage to get my feet to work if he continued to stand in front of me like this. "Would you like to join me Sookie?" he asked carefully, as if he were afraid to startle me.

I blinked and turned back to him, my heart pounding in my chest. I finally found my voice, but it came out as a whisper. "I don't know."

He turned his head to the side and studied me curiously for a moment. "What don't you know Sookie?"

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my gaze from wandering away from his eyes. "I don't want a one night stand, but I don't want a relationship either... I don't know what I want from you Eric." He reached forward and stroked my cheek gently; I couldn't help from closing my eyes and leaning into the comfort of his touch.

"Well that makes two of us," he replied softly. My brow furrowed in confusion at his words and he dropped his hand from my face and frowned. "I've waited so long to have you Sookie, I would never be satisfied if I only spent one night in your bed," he spoke slowly and carefully, almost as if he were struggling to find the right words; I had never seen him so unsure of himself before. "I've never been in a relationship, not even when I was human... I wouldn't know where to begin."

I was silent for a long moment as I processed his words. And I thought I had it bad, I thought to myself. I had never been in a relationship before Bill, and I had been 25 when I met him; Eric had me beat by at least a thousand years. I looked at him again, and would swear I could feel his uncertainty, his sincerity and a suggestion of hopefulness. "Well... we do both enjoy each other's company... what if we just... see where it takes us?"

A tender smile spread across his face and he stepped back from the doorway to allow me entrance. I moved forward, feeling as if I was floating instead of walking. He closed the door behind me and placed a hand on each shoulder and leaned down to place a light kiss on my neck. I shivered at the feel of his cool lips on my skin and felt goose bumps rising even though the bathroom was steaming hot. His hands slid down my arms and he pulled the towel from my hands, setting it on the counter next to his.

He tugged slightly at the zipper of my dress and it fell to the floor in a pool of red fabric covered in dark blood at our feet. I was only wearing panties, my dress hadn't required a bra and I instinctively covered myself even though he was still standing behind me. He paid my reaction no mind as he pulled the band out of my hair and loosened my braid by running his fingers through my hair like a comb.

He stepped into the bathtub once he was satisfied with my hair and held out his hand for me to join him. "Come, let me wash you first," he beckoned.

I let out a breath I hadn't been aware I was holding and slowly slipped out of my underwear, letting it fall to the ground. Eric's eyes devoured my body hungrily and I blushed from the points of my ears all the way down to my toes as I took his out stretched hand.

"You are so beautiful Sookie," he told me with a smile and I felt a wave of reassurance wash over me as I joined him and he directed me under the spray of the shower.

He washed my hair thoroughly first. I had forgotten that his hair had been long when I first met him and wondered briefly if it would ever grow back. He poured body wash into his hands and lathered; apparently he wasn't one to use a wash cloth or a loofah. His hands were busy, washing every inch of me with expertise, paying special attention to my breasts, stroking them gently and tweaking my nipples until they were quivering with excitement. When he washed my legs he was very careful not to touch me though, he ran his hand up the length of my inner thigh and stop just short, driving me absolutely mad with desire.

He finally finished with me and I turned to pull the soap out of its wire basket to reciprocate, a smile spread across his face as if he hadn't expected me to. He was clearly aroused, his erection was pressing against my stomach and I gulped in surprise; he was more than proportional. I began to lather his arms and chest, letting my hands learn every curve and every dip of his muscles, and playing with his nipples, which he seemed to particularly enjoy. The entire time I was careful not to step too close, but instead teased him as he had teased me. I ran my hands up his thighs, stopping to stroke a light finger across his sacks and drew a moan of delight from his lips. I let my hand wander up to his hip, across to his abdomen, and trailed slowly down to the base of his erection.

He looked down at me, his eyes burning into mine with desire and forced me to step back until he was under the hot spray of the shower. He rinsed quickly, watching me the entire time and pulled me tightly against him once he was done. His mouth crashed down on mine with an intensity I had never experienced before and my lips parted immediately as if welcoming him home. Oh boy could this man kiss, I suspected he had learned a thing or two in a thousand years on this Earth.

My hands slithered up his body to tangle in his hair as his fingers found their way to my center and stroked gently before slipping easily inside me. He had long fingers. I moaned as he worked them inside me while rubbing his thumb on my nub skillfully. He tore his mouth from mine and leaned down to capture my nipple in his mouth. He flicked expertly with his tongue, drawing it into a tight nub and pierced it with his fang for a quick draw of blood. The sensation was incredible.

I reached down, finding his erection and stroked up and down his impressive length. He groaned, releasing my nipple and his mouth sought mine again. No one had ever kissed me with such passion and fire as Eric always seemed to do, it was almost as if I could feel how much he wanted me, how much he needed me.

He withdrew his fingers from me and turned the shower off before I could blink. He lifted me, wrapping my legs around his waist and, regardless that we were both soaking wet, carried me into my bedroom. Our lips never left each other's as he laid me down on the bed and his fingers got busy again inside me. Eric brought me to ecstasy and I melted beneath him in a pool of utter satisfaction, but he wasn't finished with me yet. He removed his hand, lifting me further up onto the bed and positioned himself at my entrance.

"Look at me lover," he commanded, his voice hoarse with desire.

I opened my eyes, my vision blurred by a haze and I blinked rapidly to clear it away. He was smiling at me, his fangs fully extended and his eyes burned for me. He pushed gently, slowly filling me to his hilt and I inhaled sharply, clenching my muscles around him. He was huge and frankly I was surprised he fit at all.

"Relax Sookie," he cooed into my ear and scraped a fang across my lobe. "Let yourself adjust."

I let out a shaky breath and forced my muscles to relax, even though it was hard to do while he was leaving a fiery trail of kisses from my ear to my shoulder. He pulled away from my neck, hovering above me and waited intently for my signal. I nodded once I felt comfortable and he withdrew slowly. I moaned in delight and felt my eyes shut.

"Don't close your eyes lover," he whispered.

I smiled and opened them again; obviously being watched really turned him on. Once he was satisfied my eyes would stay open, he began a slow and careful rhythm while my body still adjusted to his size. I could feel myself melting beneath him, every thrust bringing me closer and closer to the golden edge. It wasn't long before I was screaming out his name as an orgasm like no other I had experienced rocked my body. My fingers dug into his back, leaving claw marks down its length as I scrambled for something to hold on to.

Eric kept going, his rhythm increased as the last ripples of ecstasy washed over me and I could feel my climax building again. I wrapped my legs around his waist, drawing him deeper into me and met his thrusts with my hips. I leaned up and closed my mouth around his nipple, sucking greedily at it before moving to the other and paying it as much attention as the first. He groaned in delight above me when I nibbled lightly and I returned to his lips hungry for the taste of him.

He brought me to release twice more before his own orgasm claimed him. He roared something in another language before biting into my neck and drinking deeply from me. Eric collapsed on the bed beside me, pulling me into his arms after licking the bite mark to heal it.

I lay there, completely content in his arms as waves of pleasure continued to pass through me. I had never been made love to so thoroughly before and it came as an unexpected surprise. I would never have imagined Eric could be so gentle with a woman. After seeing him in the basement of Fangtasia with Yvetta I certainly hadn't expected this. On a side note, whoever came up with 'bigger isn't always better' had obviously never encountered Eric Northman.

"What are you thinking about my lover?" Eric purred into my ear. The way he called me 'lover' felt like a caress, tingling across my skin and making me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

I smiled into his shoulder. "I was just thinking of how unpredictable you are," I told him.

"In what way?" He asked, raising my chin so that he could look at me.

"You give off this big, bad, macho, I-don't-care-about-anyone-but-myself persona. Everyone thinks you're shallow and self-centered, but they're wrong, there's more to you Eric," I replied and traced his chest muscles lightly with my fingertips. "You're deep, deeper than anyone knows. Why do you hide it?"

"Vampires who are soft and let their emotions rule them don't last long in my world Sookie," he replied softly. "It's survival of the fittest, and I intend to survive." He was silent, but I could tell there was more he wanted to say, so I waited patiently for him to continue. "Godric taught me to ignore my feelings, to hide them. I've become so good at it through the centuries that I began to think I no longer had feelings-"

"But you do," I insisted.

"Yes," he agreed and kissed my forehead. "Being around you has awakened what I thought I had lost a long time ago. I have become a, what do you humans call it? An emotional roller coaster... And now you're along for the ride."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, my brow creased together and I looked up at him again.

He frowned as he fought to find the words. "There are two types of blood bonds in my world Sookie," he began. "The first is the kind you have with Bill, when he gave you his blood it enabled him to sense your emotions and to be able to locate you; it should have given him control over your actions as well, but it didn't."

I nodded. "Pam explained that to me. What's the second?"

"The second is a blood exchange, it requires a vampire and human to drink from one another simultaneously. When you drank from me tonight, you gave me your blood as well; our blood mixed and created a bond stronger and more complex than the one you share with Bill. It's a kin to the bond between a maker and child," he paused and sighed unnecessarily. "You can feel me now Sookie, as I feel you. You have a direct tap into my emotions, you will be able to sense where I am or if I am near you. Your scent has changed, you smell like me now -a warning to other vampires. They cannot touch you, they cannot feed from you, they cannot give you their blood. With each exchange all of this will grow stronger, on the third it will be permanent."

I was thoughtful for a long moment. He sounded so serious it only piqued my curiosity. "But it is not permanent now?" I asked.

"No," he shook his head. "If you wish I will break our bond; you didn't know what you were doing and I will not hold you responsible for you actions. I must warn you though, because we are a part of each other now, it will be painful... for both of us."

"No," I shook my head. "This could be a good thing." He looked at me quizzically so I continued. "If no vampire can touch me, that includes the Queen right?"

He nodded. "At this point only a vampire older than I am could take you away from me, on the third exchange no one would be able to."

"Then I see no reason to break it," I shrugged my shoulders as best I could while cuddled against him. "If it will get the Queen off my back and let me live my life again, then I'm all about it. Besides, I think knowing what you're feeling will turn out to be quite handy, since I can't read your mind and all."

He grinned down at me. "Would you like to know how I feel right now Sookie?"

I narrowed my eyes thoughtfully for a second, searching my mind because it seemed like the most logical thing to do. All of the sudden I was overwhelmed with feelings of lust and desire, I shuddered in response and my toes curled in anticipation. A smile crept across my face and before I knew it Eric pulled me on top of him and positioned me to straddle him. He was already ready for me.