Author's Notes: Charlaine Harris is the sole owner of all of these wonderful characters.

Chapter 11

Sookie's POV Monday

The next day, I managed to wake fairly early. I had made plans to go shopping with Claudine today to find some dresses for the upcoming trip to Las Vegas. According to what Eric had told me last night, Sandy was sending her private jet to pick us up on Wednesday afternoon. Eric was supposed to be a sort of guest of honor, I supposed because they had split Felipe's old Kingdom between the two of them. This Coronation was apparently a big deal, since they didn't happen all that often; and this one was slated to be a several day event. Formal activities were planned for both Thursday and Fridays nights, leading up to the big Coronation Ceremony on Saturday evening. Unfortunately, even though I had never been to Las Vegas, I just couldn't seem to get excited about this trip. It wasn't just because I was tired of traveling, either. Something about going to see the place that I had very nearly ended up being forced to live as a part of Felipe's Royal Nest creeped me out. Also, although Sandy had never been anything but polite to me, I didn't trust her as far as I could throw her. I had discovered long ago that vampire females were every bit as devious and twisty as the males, and I planned to be on my guard at all times.

As I lay in bed, I took stock of my body and realized that even though I had gotten plenty of sleep I still felt a little tired, and not really all that great. Not bad, exactly, just not great. Reluctantly, I hauled my ashes out of bed and went to dress. After a quick shower, I picked out a cute flowered sun dress that I had not worn in a while, because it would look really good with the jewelry that Faeryn had made for me. Because this time of year was so screwy temperature-wise, I threw a sweater over my shoulders just in case. As I fastened on my jewelry, I looked at the beautiful stones in complete fascination as the delicate pink and gold bands of color swirled around under the glossy surface. Before I left the room, I went over and sat on the side of the bed next to my sleeping vampire. He was still on his side, facing away from me. He was uncovered, and I could not resist running my hand down his firm muscular flank. Honestly, I had the odd, almost overwhelming desire to pull off my clothes and slide right back up next to his cool body. I hesitated a moment. Claudine was not supposed to be here for over an hour, so after a lengthy internal debate, I finally gave up. Slipping the sweater and dress off, I draped them at the end of the bed; and then crawled in, cuddled up behind him, and pulled the covers over both of us.

For a few minutes I just lay there and realized ho much better I felt now that I was actually touching Eric's body. How weird was that? Brushing my Viking's long hair away from his neck, I nuzzled it and breathed in his special scent. Strangely, I found that I absolutely couldn't resist the urge to lick him right in the curve of his neck. Immediately, the feel and taste of his skin set off an intense longing to taste his blood. It had now been nearly two weeks since I had taken any, and I really, really missed it. I thought about how the thick, sweet blood tasted when it hit my tongue; and how good it made me feel when its magic began to spread through my body. Idly, I wondered if the pain of my dull bite would wake my vampire from his rest...

Suddenly, I snapped myself out of it. What was I thinking? Was I really that addicted to Eric's blood, that getting some was all I could think about? For one thing, I still wasn't sure if drinking too much was causing my weight loss. On top of that, he still was not taking any from me, and I would be darned if I would take any from him until he did. Besides, there were probably laws against molesting unsuspecting vampires in their sleep!

Totally disgusted with myself, I got up and rapidly re-dressed. I made sure Eric was covered, and then gave him one last quick pat. Grabbing my purse, I went upstairs and to the kitchen to make myself some coffee and a bowl of fruit and yogurt. It was still too early for Juanita to be around; but as I was gazing absently out of the bank of windows facing the back yard, I saw the grounds keeper Hector, who appeared to be laying out a shape for my rose garden. It was a brilliant, sunny day, so I wandered out and talked to him while I caught a few rays on my face. I told him how happy I was with his efforts so far. He pulled out some new sketches to show me some of his other ideas, and it looked like he had some great plans. I told him that after the rose garden was done, I wanted him to start on the night-blooming garden for Eric next; and also asked if he could put some blooming pot plants around the pool area.

Not long after that, it was time for Claudine show up, so I went back inside and waited. At exactly the appointed time, I heard the doorbell ring, so I went to open the front door. There stood my cousin on the front porch, as beautiful as ever, and with a huge smile on her face. I was so happy to see her! We gave each other a big hug. "Welcome to Valhalla!" I exclaimed. "You are my first official visitor! Come on in!"

She stepped into the entry hall, and took a good look around. Seemingly impressed, she said, "Sookie, this is really lovely! This is a beautiful house."

I gave her the grand tour, and eventually ended up in the sun room. As we stood staring out of the big windows overlooking the pool, she hugged me again, and stroked my arm. She looked me over carefully, and gave me one of her extra special Fairy smiles. She said, "I see that Faeryn has given you some of her special jewelry. It suits you."

"Yes, it was really sweet of her," I replied, "She is very talented."

Claudine gave me a sly look and asked, "So, what do you think of the stones she used?"

Enthusiastically, I answered, "Amazing! Of course, I had never seen anything like that before! Do all the stones in the Portal swirl like that?"

"I wasn't sure if you could see it or not," Claudine said, obviously pleased. "I should have known better. You are definitely a Brigant!"

Unsure of what the big deal was, I said, "Why? Even Eric could see it."

In disbelief, she said, "Your vampire... can see the true colors in the stones? And that they move?"

"Yes, I guess so. You know, Claudine, I told you before that he was getting immune to Fairy smell. Faeryn even had dinner with us on our honeymoon, and he didn't try to catch her once."

My godmother looked thoughtful, and then said, "Sookie, this is really unheard of... I don't know another vampire that has ever been able to see the stones from the Portal properly. And immunity to our smell... completely unknown, as far as I know."

"Faeryn seems to think it is because of our frequent blood exchanges, and also the Second Bond," I explained.

At the mention of the blood exchange, I unexpectedly felt a wave of pure loss roll through me; and out of the blue, I could feel myself beginning to tear up. Giving me a piercing look, Claudine said gently, "Sookie, I can see that you are sad. You are looking thinner, too. Is your vampire making you unhappy? Should I speak to the Prince?"

The last person I wanted to hear about any of this was Niall, but Claudine was my fairy godmother; so I guess if I could talk my troubles over with anybody, it would be her. I said, "Please don't mention it to Niall. It is really nothing to worry about! I have been losing weight, and Eric seems to think he has been taking too much of my blood, so he has stopped feeding from me for awhile. I think it might be that I have taken too much of his blood, and so I am not taking any from him. It just makes me... a little out of sorts. Other than that, he's a great husband. I'm really very happy with Eric!"

She looked at me doubtfully, but said, "Well, obviously I don't really know all that much about blood exchanges, but if you are sure you are doing the right thing... However, if things get any worse, you have to promise to tell me right away. I'm still responsible for you, you know. Now, I guess we had better get on the road, if we are to get any shopping done before sunset. I know how antsy the Viking gets when you are out of pocket after dark."

To save time, she had "popped" here from Monroe. My car was in the old carriage house that had been converted into a garage, so we walked out to it and got in. I drove down and pulled up to the gates as they slowly swung open, and Cooper stepped out of the guard shack. He came up to my window, and peered in. Of course, he had already met Claudine once before. Since he was a Were, I knew perfectly well that he could tell she was a Fairy, so it was probably no surprise to him that he hadn't exactly let her in the gates that he was now letting her out of. He gave her that glazed-over look that all men gave my cousin, and said, "Hello, ladies! Do you need an escort today?"

"No thanks!" I said cheerfully, "We're just going into Shreveport to do some shopping."

Instead of arguing, he just grinned, and said mildly, "You ladies have a nice time shopping."

With that, I rolled up the window, and punched it! Apparently Eric's driving habits were rubbing off on me, because we got to Shreveport in a record amount of time. Our first stop was once again the printers. This time, we went in and picked out some samples for the invitations for Eric's Coronation. Next, we hit some of the nicer dress shops that Claudine knew, and we both tried on dresses and outfits until we were completely exhausted. Now I knew where the phrase, "Shop 'til you drop" came from! From past experience, I had known before I ever left the house that I would be missing my vampire like crazy because of being away from him, but I was determined to grin and bear it; and every time it got a little overwhelming I would just tell myself sternly that it was just the Bond at work, and I could stand it a little longer. By the end of the day, I had managed to buy one cocktail dress, one evening gown, and a couple of more casual outfits. I figured I could wear the dress I had worn to the Sheriff's ball again, so I would be covered. Claudine had come up with some really nice things, too, so I felt our trip had been a huge success. As the salesclerk was ringing up our last purchase, I glanced at my watch and realized how late it was. I knew Eric would be rising soon, and that when he saw that I wasn't home, he would check his phone for messages; so I texted him, "Call me when U wake. Luv, S."

Sure enough, the sun was not quite down when my vampire called me. Without preamble, he said, "Where are you? Are you all right?"

He sounded a little wigged out. I supposed I had forgotten to tell him I would be out shopping with Claudine, since I had planned on being home long before he rose. "Of course!" I said. "Claudine and I are out shopping in Shreveport, and time just got away from me. I found some dresses, though, and picked up some samples for your invitations."

In a calmer tone, Eric said, "Very well. Since you are already in town, just meet me at the club."

My tummy was rumbling a bit, and I realized I hadn't eaten a thing since the fruit and yogurt that morning. "Okay, but I think Claudine and I might stop and get something to eat first," I said, "Will you let Juanita know that I won't be eating at home tonight?"

"Yes. Perhaps it will do you good to have dinner with Claudine. Enjoy yourself, and I will see you later."

We said our goodbyes, and then my cousin and I went and ate a nice dinner at a nearby restaurant. As much as I was enjoying Claudine's company, though, I was starting to get antsy to see my vampire, and I was glad when we were both done with our food. I think Claudine could tell that I was anxious, because she kept looking at me and smirking just a little. As soon as I paid the bill, we got into the Escalade and drove the short distance to Fangtasia. Even though it was still fairly early on a Monday evening, the front lot was already full. Because of our Bond I could tell that Eric was already here, and sure enough, I could see the Corvette parked in his customary spot. Luckily the space next to it was empty, so I pulled in and parked the Escalade. Of course, Claudine was not going inside with me, so we gave each other big hugs, and she grabbed all her shopping bags. Before she poofed herself back to Monroe, she said, "Take better care of yourself, please! And if that vampire gets out of hand, you call me!"

"I will be just fine!" I declared, laughing, "I feel better already!" It was true. Just being around her all day had lifted my spirits considerably, and now that I was about to see my vampire I was as chipper as a lark. My cousin wiggled her fingers in one last goodbye, and popped on home. As soon as she was gone, I locked my car, went in through the club's back door, and hurried down the hallway towards Eric's office. The door was partially opened, so I tapped lightly and went in. Much to my surprise, my vampire was standing in the middle of his office, wearing what appeared to be a new suit, and a small oriental man was kneeling at his feet pinning the hem of the pants. Startled, I said, "Oh... excuse me!"

Eric gave me one of his best mega-watt Viking smiles, and said, "Come in, my Love. Sookie, this is my tailor, Mr. Hsu. Hsu, this is my wife, Sookie."

Mr. Hsu, whose mouth was full of pins, smiled, nodded, and mumbled something around the pins which sounded like, "Preased to meet you, Madam."

"Hsu here is just finishing up a suit and a new tuxedo for me to take to Las Vegas," explained my vampire, "He relocated here from Hong Kong to be with his daughter, and can make a wonderful suit in an astonishingly short amount of time."

By now, the little man had removed the pins from his mouth, and said, "Yes, Mista Elic neva change size, you see. Vely easy to fit. Same same, alla time."

I hid a smile behind my hand. I guessed that was one big benefit of being a vampire; unlike most humans, you never changed sizes! Maybe that was why Eric was making such a big deal over me losing a little weight; it just seemed so weird to him! In any event, apparently Mr. Hsu was done, because he stood up, and said, "Hokay, Mista Elic, you done."

"Thank you, Hsu.," Eric said, "Three shirts for each, I think."

The little tailor said, "Yes, yes. You have tomollow night."

"Splendid!" exclaimed the Viking. Even though his office door was still partially open and absolutely anyone could be walking by, he unconcernedly stripped off the suit and slid back on his slacks and shoes. He was wearing a silky, dark red shirt, which I absolutely adored him in... it made him good enough to eat! Yum! Mr. Hsu waited patiently until the vampire handed him the coat and pants of the dark blue suit, and then he picked up what looked to be a white tuxedo which had been laid across a nearby chair. Without saying another word, he bowed once to Eric, then to me, and slipped by me out the door.

"Why three shirts?" I asked curiously.

Eric grinned and said, "My Bonded has a tendency to be rough on my shirts. I believe in being prepared."

I made a face at him. I had not ruined one of his shirts in a long time! He said, "Come here, Lover, I missed you earlier."

I started across the room, but as soon as I got about three-quarters of the way across, immediately my vampire's fangs slid out and his eyes began to dilate. Oh crap! I had been expecting just about anything but that reaction! I knew I had been with Claudine all day, but it had been months since my cousin's smell had bothered him a bit. I started backing away immediately, and had to control my serious urge to poof away to safety. The minute Eric saw the fear on my face, though, he seemed to get a grip on himself. With a stricken look, he said uncertainly, "Beloved, wait! I do not know what has happened, but... come no closer. I do not think our Bond would allow me to seriously hurt you, but let us not take a chance."

We were standing completely still, staring at each other, when Pam came rushing through the door in her usual fashion. She came to a halt, and immediately took one big sniff of the air. Instantly, her fangs shot out, her eyes dilated, and she began sidling closer to me, a dreamy smile on her face. I felt like a mouse caught between two competing cats. Quite crossly, I ordered loudly, "Hey! You guys need to snap out of it! Pam, go back to the bar. I'm going to take a shower. Give me a few minutes, and then bring me something to wear, please."

Pam hesitated just a minute, until Eric said sharply, "Pamela, obey your Mistress."

Obediently, Pam turned and left the room. Sighing, I left my overly-stimulated husband in his office and walked down the hall to the locker room, peeled myself out of my fairy-scented clothes, and took a quick shower. Just as I was steeping out, Pam came in with a towel, a shirt, and a rather sheepish look on her face. Apologetically, she said, "Sorry, Sookie." She even had the grace not to leer at my naked body, a first for her.

"Not your fault," I said kindly, "I should have known better. I'll be more careful from now on."

After giving me the towel and watching me dry off, she handed me one of Eric's long-sleeved shirts. I slipped it on, and rolled up the long, long sleeves. The petite blond vampire smiled charmingly, her dimples flashing. "My Master keeps those here mainly in the hopes of occasions such as this," she stated confidentially, "He will be pleased. You look quite fetching."

Fetching? That made me sound like my name should be "Rover" or "Spot," but I could tell she was trying to be complimentary. Shoving my fairy-scented clothes and shoes into a trash bag, I tied the sack up tightly... just in case. I dashed barefoot back down the hall back to Eric's office, before any wandering bar patrons could see me running around in nothing but my vampire's shirt. Eric was sitting on the edge of his desk, waiting for me. He stood as I entered the room, and said immediately, "My angel, I'm sorry if I frightened you."

"It's all right, we had no way of knowing," I said with a sigh, "I guess I had better not have any of my relatives over for dinner for awhile, since I don't want them to be the dinner."

He smiled ruefully, and said, "I suppose that answers the question of whether the immunity is permanent. It must disappear rapidly when I do not take your blood on a regular basis."

I had removed my jewelry for my shower, and was holding it in one hand. Suddenly, I had an idea. I told him, "Eric, take a look at the stones, and tell me what you see."

He came over and took the necklace, and looked at it closely. He said, "It is no longer moving. It is now just a pale pink, with no streaks of gold."

"Good," I said with satisfaction, "When things are back to normal, we can use this like a... Fairy barometer. If you can see it swirling, my Fairy friends should be okay."

Eric laughed, and said, "Trust you to think of something so clever. Now, my sweet fairy, let your vampire kiss you. I promise to behave... for awhile."

I slid into his arms, and he did his level best to set my hair on fire with his kisses. His big hands were roaming all over, too. He whispered, "You wanted to know what the other four fantasies were. This is one of them. You look adorable in my shirt."

The Viking was quickly getting both of us aroused, but the memory of the embarrassing interruption from the night before was still fresh in my mind. I broke away, and said firmly, "No way, Buddy. No more sex in this office until we get a lock on that door."

My amorous vampire growled deep in his chest, and pulled me back in for one last kiss. "All right," he sighed heavily, "We do have some things to attend to. Come with me."

Walking back around his desk, he sat in his chair, and then pulled me into his lap. He said, "We need to get started on your gown for my Coronation. Let's call Anthony now."

Eric put in a call to the costume maker, and when he had gotten him on the line, he said, "Anthony? Eric Northman here... yes, I am, thank you... As a matter of fact, that is why I am calling. The Bonding gown that you made for Sookie was quite spectacular, and I would like for you to design a gown for her for my Coronation Ceremony... it will be held in New Orleans in about a month. Yes, I agree, she will make the perfect Queen!"

While he was talking, my vampire was absently playing with my hair with his free hand. After listening for a minute, he continued, "It should be very elaborate, in the traditional colors of gold and white. I want it to be elegant, but also alluring..."

He was very specific in his ideas of the perfect dress. I was completely amused. My last dress had been designed by a Knight, this one by a Viking. Unbelievable! Anthony agreed to come up with some designs, and email them to us as soon as possible. They went on to make arrangements for Anthony and his vampire to come down a few days before the ceremony and do the fittings. While they were talking it occurred to me that I knew absolutely nothing about this ceremony, and if the Second Bonding Ceremony had taught me anything, it was... ask plenty of questions beforehand. Once he was off the phone, I asked fearfully, "Uh... Eric? There aren't any parts of this ceremony that I would object to, are there? No consummations, or...?"

Chuckling, he said, "What is the matter? I seem to recall you rather enjoyed our last public ceremony. In fact, I think your exact words were, "Eric! Oh, god!"

Ack! Trust him to remember something like that! Immediately, I turned red as a beet and buried my face in his chest in embarrassment. He hugged me to him and laughed out loud. With absolutely no real remorse whatsoever, he said, "I'm sorry, my Lover. I am a bad vampire to tease you. To answer your question, no, there is nothing in this ceremony that you will object to... as far as I know."

Spoken like a true vampire, always leaving themselves an out. I was just opening my mouth to make a snappy comeback, when a knock came at the door. It opened, and Pam appeared. I couldn't believe that she had actually knocked! She must be on her best behavior to make up for our earlier "close encounter." She came in, plopped herself down in the chair in front of Eric's desk, and sighed in frustration. "We are already over capacity for tonight. I told Atticus to keep a strict count," she announced.

Eric nodded, and I figured now was the perfect time to bring up my plan."I have an idea," I said, "Let me show you."

I got up and pulled my sketches out of my purse, along with the invitation samples, which I set aside. I laid the papers out on Eric's desk and began, "Fangtasia needs to expand its capacity, and we also need more space for additional staff for Kingdom business. This is what I think might be the solution..."

I explained my plan to buy the building behind us, enclose the space in between as a partially covered patio area, and use most of the other building for offices and extra storage, and maybe even another bar area. Both of my vampires listened intently, but said nothing at first. They looked at the plans, and then each other. I said uncertainly, "Well, it was just an idea..."

Pam was the first to speak. She said, "Sookie, you never cease to amaze me. Master, why did we not think of this? It should work!"

Eric broke into a huge smile, and exclaimed, "My Queen is as brilliant as she is beautiful! Let us go and look at the site."

I was just about to go trouping out of the office with them, when I remembered what I was wearing. I said, "Sorry, guys. I am a bit under-dressed, here. I can't exactly go traipsing out through the front. Follow me."

Sticking my head out and making sure no one was coming down the hall, I dashed for the storeroom door. Once inside, I asked Eric to open the door into the alleyway. We walked out into the area in question, and my two vampires walked around and looked at everything as I showed them where I thought things might go. Because I was still barefoot, having tied even my shoes up in the trash bag, I had to walk gingerly, watching every step; so mainly I just stood in on place and pointed. They peered into the windows of the back of the other building. Finally, Eric said, "I will call Cataliades, and have him check into zoning ordinances, and inquire about the building. I think this might work quite nicely."

Pam nodded in agreement. The night was a little chilly for me to be out in nothing but a shirt, and especially barefoot, and before I knew it Eric had swooped me up and carried me back inside. We went straight back to Eric's office, and on the way, Pam said, "We can start on this as soon as we get back from Las Vegas. Speaking of Las Vegas, Sookie, did you buy any dresses yet?"

"Yes, they are in my car," I replied, "I got a dark green one, and a really pretty black one, and a couple of casual things, too."

Pam asked, "What about the white gown? For the Coronation."

Confused, I said, "Eric just talked to Anthony..."

"That was for our ceremony, not this weekend," Eric said patiently, "Did I not mention that you needed one of the gowns to be white?"

Somewhat frustrated, I said, "No, you didn't."

"I must have forgotten to tell you," he said, and then explained, "At the Coronation, only monarchs are allowed to wear white and gold, the traditional color of vampire Royalty. As my Queen, that would included you, and that is exactly what I want you to wear."

"Not black?" I asked in surprise, "I would have thought vampire Royalty would have been swathed in black, just like at the parade."

Eric shook his head, and said, "That was for the tourists."

"I'm sorry, honey," I said, apologetically, "I guess I can go back out shopping tomorrow, but honestly I can't promise I can find one."

Pam piped up and said, "Master, they have wonderful shops in Vegas. Let us take Sookie shopping after we get there."

"That is exactly what we will do," Eric said with a smile, "I will enjoy getting to choose."

By now we were back in his office, so he set me down, and I picked up the sample invitations and handed them to Eric. After looking them over, he picked his favorite, handed it to Pam, and she nodded her approval. "I will go place the order online right now, she stated, "I will have them sent directly to the calligrapher, and email her the intended guest list."

I had always wondered how they managed to have invitations sent out so quickly, and now I knew. She went out the door with a wave, and shut the door firmly behind her. The minute she was gone, my vampire said, "Now, I have one more important piece of business to take handle this evening. Lover, will you hand me that file folder there?"

Eric was sitting in his chair behind his desk, and I was standing next to him. He could very well reach it himself, but I obligingly bent across the desk to grab it. The minute I did, I could feel his big cool hand start to run lightly up the interior of one of my legs, and then down the other. Just that light touch sent chills all over me. He said softly, "You are driving me wild in that shirt. The least you can do is let me play a little."

Despite my earlier rule about no sex in his office, it was just a little playing, after all... and besides, I did still have some clothes on. The way he was touching me felt so good, I leaned onto my forearms, and willingly parted my legs a little more. For once, my amorous vampire had no barriers to mess with, since my panties had gone in the trash bag along with everything else. It worked in my favor, too: it was one less pair that would be ripped into shreds. Eric continued to explore my legs just using his fingertips, coming ever closer to my mound, but not quite touching it. My little hootchie was absolutely aching for his touch. After teasing me unmercifully for awhile, he lifted the tail of the shirt, and began to lightly stroke my bottom.

Still seated in his chair, Eric rolled it around so that he placed himself directly behind me. He leaned forward, and began to lick and nip at my butt. Just the feel of his fangs sent me into overdrive, and I moaned. Reaching between my legs, my vampire finally began to stroke my nub and run his fingers up into my wet center. In practically no time at all, I was bucking back against his hand and shuddering with pleasure as I climaxed; but as soon as I caught my breath, I realized that I wanted more... immediately! I turned around and unbuttoned Eric's sexy red shirt shirt, and then leaned down and freed his rock-hard erection from his trousers.

Wantonly climbing up on his lap, I knelt over his waiting hardness and positioned him under me; and then lowered myself onto him slowly, the way I knew he liked best. I caught and held his gaze with my own, and gave him the sexiest smile I owned. I could tell by the expression on his face that he was totally enjoying the fact that for once, I was taking charge. He reached up and unbuttoned the shirt I was wearing, and said huskily, "I want to see your breasts. They are too perfect to be covered." He held them in his hands, and rolled my nipples between his fingers. His touch felt so good, I rolled my head back and moaned, "Ah, kiss them, honey..." Obligingly, he took his time sucking each nipple into his mouth, and I could feel the sharp points of his fangs just grazing the skin; which of course just heated me up even further. Once he was done kissing my breasts, he cupped my bottom in his big hands, to steady and guide me. I found I just couldn't stay still any longer, so I proceeded to give him just what he had been after all evening... So much for no sex in his office!

By the way the Viking was growling deep in his chest, I could tell he was really enjoying the whole experience. His beautiful eyes were blazing and I could feel his intense passion through our Bond. In a low voice, he said, "Go slow, Lover, make it last."

For a few minutes, I tried; but he just felt so good inside me that I began to move faster. Eric's eyes began to glaze over and I knew we were both ready... so I rode him even harder. Just as I felt the waves of my orgasm begin, he threw he head back and groaned loudly, "Ahhh! Sookie! Ahhh!" I could feel him release inside me, and he held my hips down tightly against him as he filled me. As soon as the shock waves subsided, I collapsed on him, panting. He wrapped both arms around me, and hugged me to him tightly. After a moment, he regained his senses, and whispered in my ear, "Two fantasies down, three to go."

"I think you enjoyed this one just fine," I said, chuckling, "In fact, I believe your exact words were, "Ahhh! Sookie! Ahhh!"

Eric laughed, and said, "Touché, my love."

After giving him one last kiss, I climbed down off his lap, and buttoned my shirt. I sneaked back down the hall to the locker room once more, and got cleaned up for the second time that evening. When I returned to Eric's office, he was just shutting down his computer. He stood and said, "Unfortunately, I have a meeting to attend. I will meet you at Valhalla later."

Since I really hadn't wanted to hang around the bar all night clad in nothing but a shirt, that suited me just fine. Agreeably, I said, "Okay, I have my own car anyway."

He grabbed his leather jacket and began to put in on. "Would you like for me to summon your guards?" he asked, "Are they in the front?"

I laughed and said, "Guards? What guards?"

Uh oh. Instantly, those Viking eyebrows had come together in a serious frown. Sharply, he asked, "What do you mean, what guards? Sookie, please tell me you have not been running around unprotected! Since when?"

Clearly, he was upset. Completely surprised at his reaction, I replied, "Uh... since we got back from New Orleans?"

Boy, he looked... mad! Eric said heatedly, "Have I taught you nothing? Sookie, you are my Queen! You must be protected!"

Now I was getting a little hot, myself... and not in a good way. "Our deal from the very beginning was that after we got rid of Madden, I would be safe, and things would go back to normal," I retorted, "He's gone, you're King... who could possibly be after me now?"

In exasperation, the Viking said, "That agreement was made before I decided to take back the Kingdom. As the human wife of a vampire King, you are a huge target! You should know that!"

I spit out, "Well, I don't see you going around with any guards! Just because you are the almighty Viking, doesn't mean you are not a target! And if you haven't forgotten, I can take care of myself, now!"

He had crossed his arms firmly across that broad chest of his, and his blue eyes were blazing in anger. "I am over a thousand years old, and know perfectly well when I need guards, and when I don't.," he growled, "You, on the other hand, are an infant. Your ability to protect yourself is still quite unreliable. Let there be an end to this! I am your Bonded, and I know best when it comes to your safety. You will have guards."

Infant! I was a full-grown woman, thank you very much! Just because he was my Bonded, didn't mean he was the boss of me! And my magic was coming along just fine! I was just opening my mouth with an angry reply, when the door opened and Pam came hurrying in. She slid in between the two of us, held up her hands like a referee, and said, "All right, you two. Every vampire in the bar is enjoying this argument immensely. Unless you want to share more information about Sookie than is prudent, I suggest you both calm down." She gave us both a warning look.

Suddenly, I realized we were close to shouting at each other; and with vampire hearing, I'm sure they really could hear every word... oh, dear. Pam said soothingly, "Sookie, let me take you home. I have not had a chance to see Valhalla. My Master tells me it is beautiful."

Briefly, I thought about popping myself back home, just to make a point; but two things stopped me. One, I wanted to be mature about this; and two, it was a long way and I wasn't completely sure I could make it that far. Uneasily, I envisioned myself out in the middle of someone's cow pasture, clad in nothing but Eric's shirt.

With as much dignity as I could muster, I said stiffly, "Fine. But I'm driving."

I grabbed my purse and my garbage bag full of clothes, and turned to go without another word to my vampire. Just before I made it out the door, I felt Eric's arms wrap themselves around me from behind, and he whispered in my ear, "Beloved, let us not part in anger. I love you, and I only want to keep you safe."

I stood completely still in his arms, and let our feelings sort themselves out through our Bond. I could tell he was still miffed, as was I; but underlying that was love, and concern. Gradually, I relaxed. I turned to face him, and said, "I love you, too. We can settle this later, when we have both had time to calm down. I'll see you at home, later." He nodded his agreement, and then kissed me goodbye.

Pam followed me out to my car. She slid in the passenger side, and almost instantly her fangs ran down. Sighing, I rolled the windows down, and hoped the residual fairy smell would be blown out of the car in a hurry. We drove in silence for awhile; the only sound was the wind whipping through the open windows. After a bit, she toggled the switch and her window slid shut. I followed suit, and it was suddenly quiet in the car. She said, "Sookie, I know you think that Eric is being overprotective. While it is true that the immediate threat to your safety has been removed, surely you must understand what you now represent. By marrying you and Twice-Bonding you, Eric has made it plain to everyone that he, in fact, loves you. Anyone wishing to harm him has only to take you, and they have an enormous weapon against him."

I had never thought of it that way. Uncertainly, I asked, "But Pam, what vampire in their right mind would go against him?"

"You are smart enough to realize that there are others besides vampires who might wish him harm," she said very seriously, "The Fellowship of the Sun, for one example. Sometimes, it is impossible to predict from which direction the next threat will be coming. It is much better to take suitable precautions, than to be sorry later."

I said grudgingly, "Well... I suppose so. But what frosts my pumpkin is the way that he gets all "Lord of the Manor" on me. He can't control everything about me!"

Sighing, she said, "Exactly! He cannot control everything about you. Can you imagine how hard it must be for one such as he to be unable to protect you himself during the daylight hours? I can tell you... it drives him absolutely crazy."

Wow! I really had never considered how much it would get under his skin, knowing that for many hours of every day he was helpless to protect me. For a control freak like my Viking, it would be a constant source of irritation. "Pam, I guess I can see that... but guards are so... confining!" I said grumpily.

"Sookie, it looks like you are well on your way to really being able to take care of yourself," she reminded me, "Even if it takes a few years, so what? You are going to live a very long time. For the rest of your life, you will then be free to do what you please. Until then, if you really love your Bonded, set his mind at ease."

Somewhat reluctantly, I said, "Maybe we can work something out. I really don't want him to worry."

Our talk had lasted until we reached the gates of Valhalla. The vampire guards on duty let us in, and I pulled up in front of the house so Pam could get the full effect. I could see that Hector had already gotten around to planting some blooming annuals around the front porch steps, and they looked very pretty. Juanita had left some soft lamps burning, and the front porch lights were on, so the house had a warm and welcoming appearance. We went inside, and Pam took an appraising glance around. In surprise, she said, "This is amazing. I have not been here since before it was finished. You should have seen the place before the work was begun."

"Really?" I asked curiously, "What was it like?"

She replied, "The structure was sound, because it had been well built in the first place. Other than that, awful. The roof was about gone, it had serious water damage in places, and the rats! Ugh." She shuddered delicately. I smiled. I had thought nothing bothered Pam, but apparently she was not too fond of rodents. I said, "Come on, let me show you around!"

For the second time that day, I gave a grand tour of the house. When we got to the upstairs, which was still a work in progress, we went into one of the bedrooms. It was one of my favorites, because of the lovely woodwork and ornate fireplace it contained. Some of the antique bedroom furniture I had bought with Robert was in this room. Pam's eyes lit up, and she stroked one of the bedposts lovingly. She said, "Sookie, can you believe it? I had a bed almost exactly like this when... I was a girl."

"Wow! Really?"

Reflectively, she said, "Oh, yes. My sister was quite jealous, because hers was not as elegant. I wonder if she got it after I disappeared?" She sighed. As much as Pam loved being vampire, I could tell that sometimes she still thought about her human life. I resolved right then that I was going to fix up this room especially for her. This would be always be Pam's room, for whenever she wanted to come stay with us.

We continued our tour, and eventually wound our way back to the downstairs. As we stood staring out at the beautiful jewel-like water of the pool, she said, "You know, when Eric first bought this place, I thought he was completely crazy. I never would have imagined that it would turn out this nicely."

"All it takes is plenty of money," I said, "I can't imagine how much Eric has spent on it so far, and we aren't even done yet."

Pam laughed, and said, "Fortunately, that is really not a problem. You are aware that he was not exactly poor before, and now that he is King... well, even though Louisiana was set back by the storm, the revenue has begun flowing back in astonishingly well."

"Pam, I have to tell you, I have been poor my whole life," I admitted, "Strangely enough, having lots of money takes a little getting used to."

She caught my eye and held it. Giving me a serious look, she said, "Let me tell you something. It pleases my Master greatly to give you things that you have never had before. Also, do you realize that this is the first real home he has had in over a thousand years? I do not mean just a place to rest, either, he has plenty of those... I mean, a real home. I have never seen him stay in a place for more than a few nights in a row, since he made me. Think what a gift that is to him."

Her words settled deep into my head, and my heart. As poor as we were, Gran's place had always been my sanctuary. I hoped that I could eventually make Valhalla into that sort of place for Eric, and give my wandering vampire a peaceful place to rest, at last.

Suddenly, Pam seemed to shake off her serious mood. She looked out at the pool again, and said enthusiastically, "Come on, Mistress. Let's go for a swim!"

She opened the French door, and stepped outside. I could see that Juanita had purchased the beach towels I requested and placed them in a large basket under the covered portion of the patio. Not waiting for my answer, Pam was shedding her Fangtasia-wear rapidly. Soon she stood by the poolside, completely naked. I was a little embarrassed, but she certainly wasn't. This was the first time I had seen her completely unclothed, and now I could see that her body was small, and absolutely perfect. She slid into the heated water, and said delightedly, "Oh, it is warm! How lovely! Sookie, join me!"

"Uh...I better go put on a suit," I stammered.

She laughed, flashing her dimples again. She said, "Come on, Mistress, it is just us girls. Have you never gone skinny-dipping with your friends? Even I did that as a girl!"

I hesitated, and she said coaxingly, "Come on. I promise not to bite!"

She had seen me nude, on several occasions; in fact, earlier that very evening after my shower at Fangtasia. I guessed I was being overly modest. Slowly, I unbuttoned Eric's shirt, threw it on a nearby chair, and stepped into the warm water. It really did feel good. This time, Pam's fangs had come fully down in appreciation; but she made it a point to stay well away from me, so I wouldn't get the wrong idea. After a few minutes, I forgot to be shy anymore. We proceeded to have a good time just puttering around in the warm water of the glowing pool.

It was a full moon, and a lovely evening, even though it was still just a tad cool. Suddenly, from not too far away, I could hear some howling. Instantly, Pam moved into a defensive posture in front of me. "Werewolves!" she hissed.

Calmly, I said, "Relax, Pam. They are friends of mine. I told them they can roam here, as long as they stay out of the fenced area. Besides, I am a Friend of the Pack, remember?"

She slowly relaxed, and said, "You do seem to have the oddest assortment of friends. You are just a... Supe magnet! However, they should provide an extra level of protection around here, so I suppose it is just as well."

She floated on her back for awhile, and then said, "Well, it is getting late, and I suppose I should go. It is a lovely night for a run."

We both got out of the pool, and dried off. We went inside and got dressed, and then I saw her to the front porch. Much to my surprise, she leaned in and gave me a quick soft kiss on my mouth. Flashing those dimples again, she said quickly, "Goodnight, Mistress. Thank you for the swim." She turned, and ran down the front steps. By the time she hit the grass, she was moving so fast she was just a blur. I smiled, and shook my head. I really did seem to have the oddest assortment of friends, just like the vampire lady said.

As soon as I went back into the house, I went to the kitchen and got myself a glass of milk. I took it with me downstairs and set it on my nightstand. Going straight to the bathroom, I took a shower to rinse off the salt water from our swim, pulled a nightie over my head, and then crawled into bed. I pulled out a paperback, and tried to read a little as I sipped my milk. After I had read the same paragraph over for the third time and it still didn't sink in, I finally gave up and shut the book. There was no denying that I missed my vampire, and so I reached out through our Bond to feel him. Oddly enough, I could, but faintly. That was very, very strange, and most unsettling. I wondered what exactly he was doing, and where.

Leaning back into my pillows, I thought over our earlier fight; and then went back over the conversation with Pam. She was right. Even though it was a pain, I owed it to Eric to take precautions so that he wouldn't worry. I now felt guilty about our earlier argument, and resolved to stay awake and apologize for being... an infant, just like he said. I closed my eyes, and thought of my vampire, and how much I loved him... and I fell asleep thinking about my handsome Viking.