Ten

Released and Hungry

Nobody moved. Alcide was standing behind Aude, who was sitting on the sofa. Carter was at the door, Sookie and Tara were sitting with Aude between them, and Andy was sitting in front of Aude, taking notes.

Only Dean had to stay outside. And that meant beside the gate. Alcide did not let Dean step his paws on the ground, and he did not accept any argument.

Why would anybody want to kill Ginger? Each of them asked that question. What was the benefit of it? Did she have something valuable, money, jewelry, secret information? Secret information? If she had had it, then the secret would have remained secret. That woman couldn't even remember her own name,

And where the heck was Eric?

Sookie put a mental note for that question. His wife was beside her, looking pale, and putting her best effort to answer all Andy's questions, such as; since when Ginger had started working here, how old was she, her salary, if she had any enemies, and any other standard questions, which could have been answered by Tara, and he was nowhere to be found. Sookie knew some people who could really sleep. They slept so deep, that only earthquake could wake them up. Was Eric one of those people? Nevertheless, she put 'the fact that he was not here when his wife needed him' under 'disadvantage factors' consideration.

Aude herself refused to leave. She answered all questions. And when Andy asked, why Ginger had been fired, Aude said, "Mental instability."

Andy wrote down, crazy. Victim was crazy.

"And who fired her?"

"I did."

Sookie looked at Aude. No, she had not. It was Eric who had fired her. Why did she lie?

"Every employee in this house is hired and fired by me." She said, as if she wanted to answer Sookie's question.

"Uh-huh." Said Andy. This is such a big house. I wonder if I can look around. "Thank you, Mrs. Northman. For the last question, do you think it's possible for me to see Ms. Alley's room?" I wonder if what people say is true, that they have built a bunker against nuclear attack.

It had been very common during sixties that people built bunkers against nuclear attack. The Northmans must have been one of those people.

Sookie remembered the heavy double door in the storage room. Possibly that door did not lead to the basement, but to the bunker. Who knew? People of Bon Temps talked a lot of nonsense that she did not know what to believe anymore.

After looking around at Ginger's room, Andy left the house. Aude asked Tara to leave the house as well, because she didn't want that Tara stayed too long. She must leave the woods before dark. Sookie asked Tara to take Dean with her. Dean protested by rubbing her legs and whimpering.

"I am sorry, Buddy." Sookie rubbed his neck. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

When Sookie turned around to return to the house, she caught Alcide looking at her with a very strange look on his face. Not only him, Carter had it too. They followed every movement of her body with sparkling eyes, and she didn't want to accuse them or anything, but she believed they licked the corner of their mouths.

The hair on the back of her neck was standing. People said, sometimes, full moon could influence the behaviour of some people. They became erratic, or did things under the influence of their hidden secret desires….but that was just creepy.

Almost running, Sookie entered the house. Who knew, Aude might need her.

And then she saw them. Eric and Aude, holding each other. The soft light of evening sun went through the living room windows, made Eric's white skin looked pale and dull. He was holding Aude close to his chest, surrounded by his arms. Aude's hands were around his hips resting on his backside which was covered by tight black brief – the only piece of cloth he wore, her face was on his chest, her white hair tangled together with his blond hair.

Sookie's body shook. A strange feeling crept slowly, from her chest out to her body. She felt her breaths became heavier. Her nose was painful, and her chest was hot.

"Ssstt…" Sookie heard Eric whispering. "I'm here, Lover. I'm here."

Aude looked up to see him. The way Aude looked at him somehow reminded Sookie to a young girl who was deeply in love with her lover, like in many romance movies she watched. There was a light in her eyes that was so warm, that lighted her lover's face. "Take me upstairs." Aude said.

Without saying anything, Eric lifted her body, carried her, and left the room.

Sookie felt her eyes warm, and slowly tears ran down her cheek. She wiped them off quickly. They loved each other. She could see it in their eyes. But why did Aude want to get divorced? Did she get tired of knowing that Eric cheated on her? Did Eric cheat on her? Well, if Eric dared to kiss her, here, at her house, then she didn't want to imagine what Eric was capable of, out side the house. And why did she get emotional? If what she thought about Eric was correct, wasn't it easier for her to get her job done?

"She wants to talk to you." Eric was at the door. He looked tired. His eyebrows met in the middle, and there were deep red rings around his eyes. Normally people had black ring around their eyes, and not deep red. That's strange.

Sookie went upstairs; passing him by, her arm almost touched his stomach. For a moment they looked at each other. He didn't only look tired, but he also looked old, much older than normal. And he looked…dead. As if there was no sign of life on that skin. Maybe it's because of those rings around his eyes. Those rings made him look gauge.

Aude's room was a huge room, but it was filled nothing. There was a big bed, a chair, two small tables. Across the bed, about ten steps away, were two big windows, which faced the garden. At the corner were mirrors. The mirrors must be the doors of a walk in cabinet.

Aude was lying on the bed. She smiled when she saw her. She reached out her hand to Sookie, and asked her to sit beside her. "You don't mind if I rest earlier, do you, Sookie?"

"No. I think you need it, after with what happened to Ginger, we all need a bit of rest."

"Poor Eric. He had to wake up earlier than he's supposed to."

"Yes, he looks horrible."

She noticed.

What? The strange colour around his eyes?

"Eric needs a lot of sleep, you see. If his sleep is interrupted, it's not good for his skin, and ours."

"Our skin?"

Aude smiled. "No, our nerves. He becomes cranky, uncontrollable, and hungry."

Heh, he didn't eat anything, except drink his red wine….suddenly Sookie felt hot on her cheeks. His red wine…the kiss…

She blushed. I wonder what Eric had done to this poor girl.

"You want to talk to me, Aude?" Sookie tried to change the subject. Obviously, Aude didn't know, and Eric hadn't told her. So, it'd be better to keep it that way.

"Can you please open the lowest drawer of that night table, Dear? There's a knife there. Please give it to me."

Carefully, Sookie opened the drawer. The night table was made of walnut wood, with white marble on the top of it. In the middle drawer there was an oval marble with pictures of a ship.

Sookie took out the knife from the drawer. Like many other things in this house, the knife looked old. It had a hilt with a shape of two snakes twisted around each other body. One head faced to the right, the other faced to the left. The snakes were black, but the eyes were red and blue. The tails became one on the middle of the knife. On the top of the hilt were two claws of a bird.

"Thank you." Aude said, accepting the knife. "This is our dagger of marriage. We would be bonded as long as we live, or until both of us break the bond. There are many women who come and go in his life, but I am the only one to whom he swore to bind with. He will be tied with me as long as I live. He feels what I feel, and understands what I understand, even can hear what I think many times. Our bond is so strong that when I die before the bond breaks, he can die too.

Don't misunderstand me, Sookie. Eric and I are happy with each other, I love him, as much as he loves me. I've had a good and happy life, and I am satisfied with my life. It's just, lately I felt that it's about the time I said goodbye to Eric, before it's too late. That's why, I want to break this bond." She turned the top of the hilt, but the hilt did not budge. "But I can only remove the claws, which I am doing it now. I am not sure if I can live long enough and strong enough to open the claws."

"May I help?"

"No, dear. I have to do it myself. Once my part is broken, he has to break his part too."

"What kind of marriage are you leading, Aude?" Sookie asked. She never heard anything like that before. "Is divorce paper from the court not enough?"

"No, Dear. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depends on how you see it, it's not enough. Our kind of marriage is an old and a very strong one. And those who believe it, will obey the law that binds. Therefore you have to convince him to break his part, Sookie."

"But how, Aude? If you can't do it, how can I?"

"The thing with Eric is, you never know. Isn't that something that makes him fascinating?" Clack, the claws were turned. "Ah, it opens." Aude's face became bright. "He is no longer mine. Now, it's your turn to convince him. Help me free him from the bond, Sookie." She touched her hand. "Please…"

Her chest was again hot. They loved each other, through and through. They didn't need any bond to prove that. Was it not the saying, if you love somebody, set them free? And Aude had just done it. She set Eric free. Any kind of love that came into Eric's life after Aude's, wouldn't be the same, or would be only a secondary.

"I'll do my best, Aude." Sookie said, trying her best to smile.

"I know you will. Please, put it back to the drawer. Thank you, dear."

After returning the knife to its place, Sookie excused herself. There was emptiness in her that she couldn't explain. Maybe she wouldn't be able to, at least not now. But she knew what to do. She had to find Eric, and tried to talk to him, with reason. The soon this case was over, the better it would be for her.

Eric was not in the living room, or in the library. It's still his bed time, normally. He would not be seen before the sunset. Sookie's sure, he would not be found where he should be. Reading the reports, or swimming. Or was he swimming now? Should she go to the swimming pool, and try to talk to him there? Would he listen? What would she say to him? Your wife has just broken her part of the bond, Buddy. When will you do yours?

He was not in the kitchen either. But two bottles of his wine were on the table. How could somebody drink two bottles of wine in such a short time? Not considering the amount, but the taste was so horrible, that Sookie wondered how somebody could drink it without thinking about blood.

Maybe he was in the basement, taking another bottle.

Sookie opened the door to the storage room, and searching for the switch, when a strong hand pulled her in, and slammed the door. She could not see who it was, because the room was dark, but from his smell, she knew. It was Eric. He put her back against the wall, and pressed his body against her. Sookie heard him sniffing.

"You shouldn't have come here," Sookie heard him saying. His voice was deep and coarse. "I am hungry," he growled. "…very hungry…"

"I can fix you something, Eric." Sookie tried to sound as normal as possible, she even tried to put a cheerful tone in her voice. Eric scared her. There was something in his voice that made her shudder. She felt his cold hand on her neck, and then his nose, meanwhile his body was getting harder and harder. "Or do you want your wine?"

"I am hungry…" again he said, like a little child who could not wait for his meal.

Now Sookie felt his lips smoothly caressing her neck. The fear which was there for a moment, now was slowly disappeared, and changed into lust. She could not think anymore. His body, smell, and his hands which were on her hips and slowly going above took over her sense, her thought.

Suddenly she heard click, and then she also heard Eric growling, whispering how hungry he was…and instead of his lips, now she felt something sharp touching her neck, and the sound of Eric, out of breath...Sookie touched his head, and down to his neck. His hair felt soft in her hands.

"I am so…" before Eric could finish what he said, Sookie pulled herself up, grabbing Eric's hip with her legs, and kissed him. There were something in his mouth which was sharp and long…maybe they were his teeth…she could see them later, now she didn't want to see or do anything else except to kiss him, to touch him.

Eric returned her kisses with strength. Sookie could feel how strong his lips biting hers, so strong that she tasted her own blood in her mouth. And she felt how greedy Eric licked and sucked her mouth. Pain and pleasure were mixed in a way Sookie never felt before. On one side she wanted Eric to stop, because she thought the ceiling of her mouth was open and she felt her blood was like flooding her mouth, but on the other side she wanted Eric to continue kissing her, touching her.

And then Eric stopped, and without saying anything, he opened the door and left.

"Eric!" Sookie ran out to chase him, but he was not there anymore. This was not happening!

She went outside, but nobody was there.

Sookie went inside, and sat down on the couch. Her head pondered heavily. God, what had she done?! Why on earth she couldn't resist that man? And why she let him treat her that way?! Arousing her, and then like holding hot potato, he dropped her.

She's working for his wife, for crying out loud! Her job was to convince that man to break the bond! She could really scream and curse her own stupidity!

And ouch, her lower lip hurt like hell! Sookie touched it. Eric must have bitten it like crazy! She hoped it wouldn't get infected, because the idea of running around with swollen mouth was a bit too much for her. How would she explain to everybody, especially to Aude?

Sookie waited and waited. But Eric didn't come. She was getting nervous and hungry, but she decided to wait for him. It was around nine o'clock when she saw him walking, crossing the garden, only in his black brief. Sookie wanted to go out and met him, asked for an explanation why he ran again, when she saw Alcide approaching him. He pointed at the direction of Eric's mouth, they talked to each other for a while, and then Eric turned his back and walked away from the house.

The sound of a car stopped by in front of the house awoke Sookie's curiousity. Pam said once, the Northmans never accepted guests in the night. Who could it be?

Sookie went to open the door. It was Pam and Chow. They were just getting out from a red Corvette when they saw her. There must be something on her face, or something on her body that made them look wild and excited. But before they went a step further, Eric's deep voice stopped them.

"Pam, you're early." He said.

"Am I interrupting your dinner?"

"I've already had it." He said.

Her eyebrows were lifted. The wildness was again seen in her eyes. "So, are you preparing something for me?"

"No." Eric said, short.

Pam looked disappointed. "You'll only invite troubles." She said.

"Don't I always?"

Pam rolled her eyes, and Chow was grinning.

What was wrong with that man? He sounded proud with himself 'inviting' troubles. Sookie turned around only to find Eric standing closed behind her, still wearing nothing but his black brief. He didn't look so pale anymore; in fact his white skin looked fresh and smooth. The deep red rings around his eyes were gone.

He bowed a little. For a moment Sookie thought he's going to kiss her, but no, he just licked the corner of her mouth. "You're bleeding." He said, like excusing what he'd just done.

Yeah, right. Already forgot who made it bleed?

He looked at her, his eyes were narrowing, and there's a smirking light in them that made Sookie wanted to curse herself for letting him get away with whatever he'd done some hours ago!

"Why are you early, Pam?" asked Eric without taking his eyes off Sookie's.

"They're here. Bill had found a shorter route. They came earlier than expected."

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