Thanks for each and every review – I really do appreciate reading them all!

Anyway, on with the drama as this is another action packed chapter!

Sookie

When Eric disappeared up into the sky, I went into autopilot: going inside, locking the door behind me, changing for bed and then climbing in and placing my head on the pillow. It had been one hell of an eventful day, and my mind was in overdrive. There was no way that sleep was coming anytime soon.

Following my dinner with Eric, I had many questions running through my head that I wished that I had thought of them at the time. And I wasn't entirely sure that I trusted him. Strangely, when it came to the sale of the land I did trust him, as that was what he initially approached me for in the first place, but what I didn't like was whatever the so-called 'relationship' was that I was having with him.

I couldn't deny that I was attracted to him – any red-blooded woman would be – but I could not be sure how much of that was me, and how much of it was the strength of his blood. I deduced that maybe it would be a good idea to kiss him to find out, if for no other reason than to see how strong my feelings for him were. Well, that and the fact that I am sure he was one hell of a kisser, and it would just be wrong to pass up such an opportunity.

What really concerned me, however, was the blood bond he was so intent on us forming. I knew that had he wished it he easily could have forced me to bond with him by now, and it was a tick in his favour that he hadn't, but I didn't fully understand the dynamics of it. He had told me in no uncertain terms that he would continue to 'feed and fuck' other women, but he had also seemed strangely possessive of me when it came to my love life. Would it mean that I would not be given the same freedom?

Well, quite simply, that was not going to happen. I was my own woman, and although I appreciated Eric's 'protection', I was not going to put my life on hold because of him. I knew now that it was weres and shifters that I needed to aim for, and at least if I already knew their secret we could have a more open relationship than Alcide and I had.

With my mind made up, it was much easier to go to sleep. When I woke the next morning I had to rush as I had a day of meetings ahead of me. I just made it into the office in time for our weekly Wednesday team meeting, and then I had a meeting with a new client. I even managed to squeeze in an impromptu meeting with Mr Cataliades to discuss the finer details of my contracts with Eric. Once the papers were signed by me, he was going to take them to Eric and then submit them to the relevant authorities. I had no idea quite what that entailed, but since my great-grandfather trusted Mr Cataliades, I was happy to let him do as he had to.

My final meeting of the day was with John Quinn, who owned an event planning company called Extreme(ly Elegant) Events. They specialised in the more unusual type of events, and that was exactly what I wanted for an upcoming charity event we were planning for a local children's hospice.

The moment that John Quinn walked into the room, I knew he was a were of sorts. He was huge, even bigger than Eric, and that was saying something, but he looked like he was built of solid muscle. He looked like he would be more comfortable in a fighting ring than an office. He was also strangely attractive: he had a shaved head with blue eyes that seemed to look almost purple and a kind smile. He wasn't my normal type, as I really did prefer a man with hair, but he had an air of confidence about him that I had to admit was quite a turn on.

He was also very knowledgeable in his business, and was able to make some very interesting and intriguing suggestions regarding the event, and I ended up hiring him on the spot. As he got up to leave, I decided it was my chance to quiz him on being a were.

"Mr Quinn, please don't think me out of line for asking you this, but what kind of were are you?"

His face was instantly one of shock, and he froze, his eyes on me. I began to wonder whether I had made a mistake in confronting him, and whether I had inadvertently gotten myself into danger again.

"Excuse me?" he asked in a clipped yet suspicious tone.

I smiled at him to try to relax the situation. "I can tell you that you a were of sorts. But I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry, and I can assure you that I would not tell anyone."

John Quinn walked up closer to me and inhaled my scent. If I hadn't got so used to Eric doing that I would have been a little perturbed, but I froze and let him do so.

"You are not a were, yet you can tell what I am?"

I decided that I would be honest with him. "I am a telepath. I find that weres are harder to read than humans, so I was able to tell that you are not human. Forgive me if I have invaded your privacy." I wasn't going to give him more than that.

He relaxed slightly and took the seat across from my desk again. "I am a tiger."

"Wow. Are weres any animal? I know a couple of wolves, but are there all types of animal? Horses? Tortoises? Rabbits? Llamas? Sheep? Foxes?"

He smiled. "I know a were-fox or two, and I believe there may be were-horses in Mongolia, but most weres tend to predatory animals. I don't think there are any were-rabbits or were-llamas, and certainly no were-sheep or were-tortoises." My mind instantly shot to the Rabbit of Caerbannog, but I stayed quiet.

"So, tiger, huh? What kind?" I didn't really know the difference between different types of tiger, but it seemed polite to ask.

"Bengal."

"That's the orange and black kind, right?"

He smiled. "I am, but Bengals can be white and black as well. I have known a white tiger before now, but my kind have been victims of poaching as much as the natural kind have been. I am somewhat of an endangered species."

I couldn't help but feel sorry for him, and particularly when I considered that Alcide had broken up with me to mate with another were. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He paused for a moment and then looked back at me. "Tell me, Miss Stackhouse, would you be willing to let me take you out to dinner?"

I smiled, flattered at his question. "As long as I am not the dinner," I said, making as much reference to Eric as I was to the tiger biting me.

He flashed me a toothy grin. "I can assure you that my instincts are perfectly under control."

"Well in that case, I would love to, Mr Quinn."

"Please, just call me Quinn."

"Well in that case, just call me Sookie."

I stood up to escort him out of my office. We exchanged numbers and I agreed to meet him on Friday night in Shreveport at a restaurant we both knew and liked. I had to admit to being quite excited, as I hadn't been on a date for a long time, and I hoped that he wouldn't treat me as a commodity as Eric Northman seemed to.

.

Friday came around surprisingly quickly, and I decided that I would pop into Shreveport to buy myself a new outfit for my date with Quinn. I headed to a nearby department store and wandered into the ladies section to peruse the dresses, looking for something to wear for out date.

However, I was distracted by the sight of two men stood by a wall. They looked decidedly suspicious stood where they were, and I could not help but lower my shields and take a peek into their minds. I was astounded to realise that they were thinking about vampires. And it was also obvious that neither of them were Supes, and therefore should not have that kind of knowledge.

As it was only one in the afternoon, there was far too long before Eric would be awake, and as I didn't have his cell number, I wasn't sure how easy it would be to get hold of him. I realised all I could do was follow them and see what they knew. I ended up following them to a Starbucks where they sat at a table in the corner.

I sat near them, pretending to read the book I had in my purse, and I was horrified to learn that not only did they know of vampires, they knew who Eric was and they were planning on burning down Fangtasia. It took all my effort to not panic, and I knew that I had to do something. Listening in closer to their minds, I discovered that one of the men, Harry, had been bitten by a were and resented what he was. I hadn't realised that people could be bitten and become weres, but it seemed that it meant he was some kind of half-breed that only shifted part of the way on each full moon.

I had planned on just finding out who they were and reporting it to Eric, but I quickly discovered that they were going to be heading to Fangtasia that afternoon. It was all I could do to not panic, and although I considered calling the authorities, I really didn't know what I was going to say. I also quickly sent text messages to Tray and Alcide in the hope that they may be able to help, but I knew for now that I was on my own.

Trying to keep my distance from them so they wouldn't realise they were being followed, I leapt into my car and drove ahead of them to Fangtasia, parking my car behind a nearby warehouse and then staying in the shadows until they arrived. The men had obviously prepared ahead of time, and knew exactly what they were doing. I watched them from my vantage point in the trees behind the club as they disengaged the alarm on the back door and then went about forcing the door open. I was surprised in some ways that Eric's security could be so easily bypassed.

The two men picked up canisters that I could only assume were gasoline or lighter fluid and moved on into the club, luckily not shutting the door behind them. I ran from my place in the trees, glad that I had changed into my jeans and flat shoes and slipped into the club behind them. I knew it would be better to go for the one that was part-were before the human, but I needed some kind of weapon.

I silently slipped into a storeroom and found a few lengths of rope along with a crowbar, which would make an excellent weapon. The men were at the far end of the club and talking about where best to start, so they were completely unaware of my entrance. I stayed low and crept down the inside of the bar until I was only a few feet away from the men, the were closest to me.

I took a deep to breath to calm myself, and then swiftly stood up and smacked the part-were on the back of the head with the crowbar. Obviously neither of them were expecting it, and the other man turned quickly as his friend fell to the floor unconscious.

"What the –" he said, staring at me and pulling at something from inside his jacket. I knew instantly what it was, and this time I didn't have Eric to take the bullet for me. I tried throwing the crowbar at him, but my aim was a little off and he dodged it easily while pulling the gun out and pointing it at me. "Not so confident now are you, you fangbanging whore!"

He pointed the gun at me and I closed my eyes, waiting for the bang and the subsequent pain. But I could again feel the air thickened around me as I had in Eric's office, and despite hearing the bang, I hadn't felt the impact. I opened my eyes to see that I had somehow created a kind of force field around me of thickened air particles and I tried pushing it outwards, only to find the man being pushed back with it.

I smiled to myself in part shock and part glee that I had saved myself, but before I got too smug, I needed to take the opportunity and tie up the two men. It took some effort, but I managed to get both men with their arms tied tightly behind them, their ankles tied together, and then more rope around both of them as they sat with their backs to each other. Finally, and knowing that they would no doubt have some choice words to say once they woke up, I placed strong black tape over their mouths.

Knowing they were secure, I went back to pick up my purse which I had left by the back door of the club and shutting it behind me to keep the daylight out. I grabbed the gun and placed it next to me as I sat up on the bar to keep an eye on the two idiots who had tried to burn down the club. I wasn't really sure how I was going to get hold of Eric, but I was hoping that at least some of his human staff might come in and know how I could get hold of the vampire. If not I supposed that I could always leave a note.

It was probably about ten minutes after they'd been tied up that the first one of the men woke up. It was the human who I had blasted across the room, and he was mightily pissed at me, calling me all sorts of names in his head, but most commonly a freak. He was highly original like that. His part-were friend woke up a short time later, and I spent some time listening into their thoughts to try to find out whether there were others involved in their plot, but it seemed that they were working alone. The part-were, it seemed, was too ashamed to tell anyone else of his condition.

I tried my best to ignore the idiots while I sat and read. I hadn't been expecting to see him, but at around a quarter past four and an hour or so before sundown, Eric appeared in the room. And he was shirtless. I picked up the gun and pointed it at the idiots as I greeted Eric. I could only imagine what this must have looked like to him. He pulled the tape off both of their mouths with no consideration on how much it would hurt (not that I really cared), and asked them what was going on. When the scared men didn't answer him, it was up to me to explain.

Once I had told him that they planned on burning Fangtasia to the ground, he was understandably pissed off and demanded to know who had bitten the were. Obviously, he was a bigger idiot than his friend as he tried to mouth-off to Eric, but was soon glamoured into giving him the information. That meant that Eric's attention turned to me. We argued briefly about the outcome of the idiots, but we compromised that the human would be glamoured and set free while Eric dealt with the were. I didn't want to know what the entailed, but I didn't want my telepathy responsible for the death of a human, no matter how much of an idiot they were.

Eric approached me slowly and pushed my legs apart so he could stand between them. With me sat on the bar, we were at head-height with each other, and I was struggling to keep my eyes off him.

"You were concerned about me," he stated with annoying accuracy.

There seemed little point lying to him. "Yes, I couldn't do nothing."

He leaned forward to sniff along my neck and whisper into my ear. "I know you want me, Sookie. I know you still dream of me, that you wake up wet and wanting me. Give in, give in to me." Yet again, spot on.

He had no idea how much I wanted to give in, and when he moved within inches of me, I took the opportunity to experience that kiss I'd been thinking about. He did not disappoint. I plunged my hands into his hair and grasped at it as he took control, his own arms wrapping around me and pulling me as close to him as possible.

I could hear the shouts of the idiots in the corner, but I wasn't concerned with them while Eric was kissing me. I was enjoying it immensely and becoming hugely turned on. Yet I still wasn't quite sure what I felt about him. We were interrupted by one of the waitresses coming into Fangtasia and screaming at the sight of the two men tied up in the centre of the room. As soon as I heard the screech, I knew which one it was, and Eric reluctantly pulled away from me to shut her up.

I had to admit that I was grateful for the space from him to get a few moments sanity. If we had carried on like that, I probably would have let him fuck me, and I knew that that would have been a very bad idea. I jumped off the bar and picked up my bag. When Eric came back over, he looked like he wanted to carry on with the kissing, but I placed a hand on his chest to stop him.

"You know, if you keep on glamouring her she will have no mind left. She already resembles Swiss cheeses; it's amazing that she can even remember her own name."

"Why do I feel you are trying to distract me?" he asked, his eyes smouldering. It took a lot of willpower to take a step back from him, and even more to not drag my eyes over his naked torso.

"I need to go. I wanted to make sure that you saw these two idiots and that all was okay, but I'm going out tonight, and I need to go home and changed." It wasn't a lie, but I didn't want to tell him about my date. I kept my emotions neutral.

"Fine. You did well in apprehending them. I smelt fairy magic…"

"Yeah, I think I may be getting the hand of that," I said with a smile.

"Good, it is a useful skill for you to have and you would do well to practice." He had a point there. He went up to the human and glamoured him into having a pressing need to move to Seattle and a more tolerant nature, before untying him and letting him leave out the back of the club. "Have a good evening, Sookie," he said pinning me to the bar again and placing a few kisses along my jawline.

"Um, thanks." I was lacking coherent thought with him that close to me. "And thank you for saving me and my club. I suppose that we are even."

I hadn't really thought of it that way. "I guess so. Good evening, Eric."

I turned and walked from the club quickly without looking back and went to my car. I had to admit to having an urge to blow Quinn off and spend more time with Eric, but I was reminded that I was hardly going to have a normal and equal relationship with Eric, and it would be better for me to keep my options open.

.

The date with Quinn had been better than I had expected it to be. He was attentive and gentle, and it felt really normal to be out on a date with a normal job who wasn't trying to control or manipulate me. He told me all about his business, and also seemed close to him mom and sister, which was always a plus in my book.

We'd gone for a nice meal at a normal restaurant, and then he took me to a small club where we went dancing. For a big man, he could certainly move well, and he had a cat-like grace about him that I supposed came from being a tiger. When we were alone he told me more about his ability to be a tiger, but unfortunately declined when I asked to see him in his tiger form, telling me that it was too dangerous. I appreciated a man who was happy to not endanger me and let the beast in his free.

At the end of the night, he kissed me briefly good night and I drove back to my house in Bon Temps and climbed into bed. But the problem was that no matter how much of a great and normal time I'd had with Quinn, when it came to that kiss it didn't light me up the way that Eric's kiss had done. It meant that I was in quite a quandary. I had hoped that I would feel attracted to Quinn, if for no other reason than to let Eric know that he wasn't the only one who could fuck whoever he felt like, but I wasn't one to sleep with someone unless I had some kind of feelings for them.

I'd probably only been asleep for two hours when I was violently woken up by what sounded like a rumble of thunder. But it wasn't thunder – it was a growling vampire.

"Why the fuck do you smell like tiger?" he growled as I sat up in bed and turned my bedside light on. The look in Eric's eyes was pure fury, and his fists were clenched tightly by his sides.

"Probably because I went on a date with one," I spat back at him, fully awake now.

That didn't seem to be the right answer, as Eric's wrath only seemed to increase. "That is the reason you left this evening? You left me to go out with that kitty? You. Are. Mine!"

That only increased my anger. "Right, so it's going to be okay for you to feed and fuck whomever you damn well please, but I can't even go on a date? Fuck that, Eric. I am not your slave and I will be treated with respect. If you are going to fuck whomever you choose, I can assure you that I will as well."

"You will do nothing of the sort," he spat. "You do not understand my world, and my woman will not be seen with vermin such as that fucking tiger. I should have him turned into a rug for just daring to touch you."

"How would he even know?" I hissed back.

"He would have smelled my blood in you. Are you really that naïve?" Apparently, I was.

"It's irrelevant whether he knew or not. I am not going to put my life on hold for you. I am not going to play the meek little woman while you go around and fuck whomever you choose."

He let out an incredulous laugh. "Do you not realise that if the queen had you, you would be a prisoner? Do you not get that I am doing this for your own good? Do you think I want to be bonded to some ignorant child? You are infuriating and stubborn. Good luck with the Queen."

With that he flew out of my window, and I was sure I heard the sound of him roaring in the distance and what sounded distinctly like trees crashing into each other. It seemed that I really had pissed him off, and I was all of a sudden very scared that he would let the Queen take me. But what was he doing in my room? Why did he fly all the way from Shreveport at three in the morning?

It took me a few hours after that, but I did eventually collapse from exhaustion, even if my sleep was broken and light. The next morning, I made myself a large mug of extra-strong coffee and sat at the kitchen table playing with the eggs I'd made for myself. I was interrupted by the sound of a car coming up my drive and a knock at the door.

I tightened my gown around me and met the deliveryman, who wordlessly passed me a clipboard to sign before he handed me two boxes and a sealed letter. I opened the largest of the boxes first to reveal a beautiful full-length red silk dress, and in the second and smaller box there were matching shoes. I then opened the letter:

Miss Stackhouse.

You are cordially invited to attend Fangtasia at first dark to meet with the Queen of Louisiana. Wear the enclosed garments. A driver will be at your door at five to take you.

Yours,

Eric Northman, Sheriff of Area Five.

A cold sweat swept over me as soon as I read the note. This wasn't an invite as there was no RSVP enclosed; I was essentially being ordered. I considered running, maybe trying to contact my fairy kin for assistance, although I had no way of locating them. But even then, Eric had told me in no uncertain terms that he would be able to trace me. I was just going to have to hope that he had changed his mind about giving me over to the Queen. I somehow doubted it, however.

My mind was a mess all day, and I ended up tidying the house in an attempt to keep myself sane. I almost wondered whether it was too late to write a will, as I was certain that I would no doubt end up dead sooner or later with my association with vampires. Alcide was right, maybe I should have got out when he told me too, but even by then I'd had Eric's blood. I was so screwed.

Nevertheless, I showered and did my hair in an elegant up-do before climbing into the beautiful dress. It didn't surprise me that it was a perfect fit. At precisely five, and just as it was beginning to get dark, a large car pulled up into my driveway and I was helped into the backseat by one of the three were escorts. Obviously, I wasn't being trusted to not try and make a run for it.

I didn't even attempt to make small talk with my escorts on the drive to Shreveport. I did everything I could to try and calm my nerves, even focussing on anger instead in an attempt to harness any magic that may help me survive. But I had the distinct impression that it would do little good.

When we arrived at Fangtasia, and as soon as the car stopped, the door was wrenched open and I was met by the snarling face of Pam. The were to my right gave me a little push and I climbed out of the car as gracefully as I could. Pam took my arm surprisingly gently, yet began to whisper harshly into my ear.

"You will do as you are told. You will speak only when you are spoken to, you will respect Eric and you will be the fucking lapdog he expects you to be. If you do not, we will all be killed and you will be the pet telepath to the Queen."

I should have been scared by Pam's threats, but it at least seemed to suggest that Eric wasn't planning on just giving me to the Queen. Pam led me to the front door of the club where we were met by a few vampires I didn't recognise and then on into the club. I scanned the area and deduced that there were at least twelve vampires in the area and eight glamoured humans somewhere in the back rooms. I didn't doubt that they were lunch.

My eyes fell on Eric who was looking dangerous yet beautiful with his arms crossed across his broadly muscled chest. He was leaning casually against a wall, but I could sense how hyper aware he was of everything going on and his eyes were fixed on mine as I entered.

I was distracted by someone clapping to my right, and I turned to see a redhead who looked to be in her late teens or early twenties. She was dressed in a black dress that emphasised her paleness, with her hair styled in a fashion that looked straight out of the nineteen-fifties and bright red lipstick on. I could only imagine that this was the Queen.

"So … Sookie Stackhouse. The telepath."

"Your majesty," I bowed my head briefly, but I wasn't going to curtsey or anything.

"Oh Eric, she is quite delightful! And she smells delicious!" I didn't like this woman one bit. "You say she is useful?"

"Yes, your majesty," Eric addressed formally. "Only yesterday she apprehended a human and a bitten panther who were going to burn down my club."

"Excellent!" she exclaimed, clapping again. I couldn't say I trusted her enthusiasm at all. "It is a shame she cannot be glamoured."

The Queen came up to me, grabbed my chin and forced me to look into her eyes. I could again feel the headache I had felt the previous time they had attempted, and I simply looked away from her. She let go of my chin with a huff.

"That is a shame," she continued. "I trust that she heels well?"

"Excuse me?" I asked, offended that she was referring to me as a dog.

She turned and shot me a vicious stare, and over her head I could see that Eric was not impressed either.

"Come here, Sookie," Eric commanded. "Now!" he ordered when I didn't move.

"Viking, I feel that you have not told me the whole truth about this telepath. If you cannot control her, I will bind her to someone that will. You say she has had your blood twice?"

"Yes, your majesty." Eric was giving me an evil stare.

"Well, you have obviously been too lenient and not broken her in very well. I feel she will be much better trained by my Andre."

A slimy and greasy looking vampire appeared at her side. He looked like he was only a teenager, but I knew better to assume that he was so inexperienced. There was no way that I wanted anything to do with him. He was leering at me and seemed even more repulsive than Bill Compton had been

"That's okay," I announced to the room. "I'm fine with Eric."

I walked past the Queen and her minion to where Eric was. He briefly acknowledged me, but his eyes were fixed on the Queen.

"You don't get the choice, Miss Stackhouse," the Queen said in a sickly-sweet voice. "Northman, since she is not fully bonded to you, I am stating my claim as queen of this state to take this human from you." I was astonished, but no sound of protest managed to pass my lips despite my insides screaming. "You will hand her over and we will be on our way."

"No," was Eric's reply, and he pushed me behind him.

"Excuse me?" the Queen asked. "You dare to refuse me? I am the Queen of Louisiana; you will not deny me! I will ask you once more, give me the human."

I felt an arm snake around my waist, and Pam gently pulled me back from where Eric was stood.

"And I said, no." Eric's voice was ice cold and deadly as he addressed her, and I felt a bolt of fear go through me for his safety.

"Andre," she commanded to her child. "Kill him."

I tried to scream, but Pam had placed a hand over my mouth. I watched in horror as the slimy vampire drew a blade from a sheath on his waist and approached Eric. However, Eric straightened himself and pulled a long sword from its hiding place by the wall and in one smooth stroke had decapitated Andre.

The Queen had a look of horror and anger in her eyes as she watched Eric kill her child, but on the follow through stroke Eric had taken a large step forward and had taken her head off as well.

Both of the decapitated vampires started to disintegrate into nothing, and chaos kicked off in the club. "Get her out of here!" Eric commanded to Pam, and in a flash she was picking me up and we were racing out the back of the club in the direction of Eric's corvette.

So, Eric has killed the Queen to defend Sookie. Good idea? What now?

And what of Quinn? Will he end up being a rug?

I'd love to know your thoughts and comments.