A/N: Thank you to everyone who was kind enough to take the time and review. They thrill me to no end. It was a tough week for me to respond to my reviews as I normally do. I'll be much better this week… I promise! Also thank you to everyone who put this story on alert. My goal is to update at least once a week.
Lots of people wanting to see E&S finally getting together. Let's see if they do!
Disclaimer – I'm just taking the characters out for a test drive. Catherine Harris owns the SVM.
Chapter 11
EPOV
Damn that childish Queen! I am so close to making Sookie my own. I do not want to stop. Why must she call now? As I stare at the phone and debate answering it, I feel Sookie's breath on my neck, and her lips on my ear. Fuck it! Sophie Ann is calling me about the V I am sure of it. And I do not want to discuss that around Sookie. I am not going to answer. It finally stops ringing.
Sookie. Her hands are now bunched in my hair. She is kissing my neck and I cannot believe how I am responding to just her touch. My hands run along her body, grazing the side of her breast. She moans with the sensation. My hands move to bring her face closer to mine. As I look into her big blue eyes I see lust, desire and need. Things I am sure are mirrored in my own. She takes my bottom lip between her teeth and pulls a little, as her hands snake down my chest in between us. She is now stroking her small hands over my large erection. As I am about to call out her name, the phone rings again. Fuck! I am about to throw my cell phone across the room.
"Sookie." If I needed to breathe now, I am sure I would be sounding breathless as she is relentlessly fumbling with the button on my jeans. She doesn't hear the phone ringing, or simply doesn't care to stop.
"Hmm?" She replies between nips at my neck. By the gods this woman was killing me.
"Sookie. I must answer this. If I do not, the caller will be persistent until I do. I'll step outside."
She gave me a pout and an expression that showed disappointment and frustration. This was good for my plan to make her mine. At least the disappointment was. The frustration I hoped to alleviate as soon as I was done on the phone. She crawled off of my lap and lay back on the couch. Her hair cascaded over a pillow and the arm of the couch, and she threw her arm across her face. I got up and stepped outside.
"Northman."
"Sheriff. It would do you well to remember to answer when I call."
"Your majesty, I just did. I am busy taking care of area business. What can I do for you this evening?" I didn't want her to know about Sookie. It was none of her business, and I was furious with her for being such a cock-block, so I was a little less patient with her then I normally was. I'm not patient with many, but she is my monarch after all.
"Whatever Eric." She was SUCH a juvenile. "So. Tell me, what is the news from our venture?"
"You should be pleased. The number is greater than the last time." I do not want to get into this over the phone. You never know who is listening. Selling vampire blood is a heinous crime and I know that if it came down to it, Sophie Ann would throw me to the Magister to save her skin, so I refuse to say anything that might be used against me while speaking on the phone or via email.
"Good news then. I tried you at your club first. Why are you not there? Where are you?"
"I had to come to the source tonight your majesty."
"Is that wise Eric?" The senseless, puerile woman!
"Is any of this wise Sophie Ann?" Enough of the majesty crap. If she was questioning me about what was wise after she was the one having me push her blood; I could not bring myself to keep up the bullshit. I was much more astute than she will ever be and I am having a hard time containing my dislike of her.
"Now, now Sheriff. No need to break out the claws. Will I be seeing you tomorrow?" I look through the window and see Sookie on the couch. I do not want to head to New Orleans tomorrow. I would rather stay here and finish what we've started.
"Sophie Ann, I will try. I have some meetings on my sheriff's calendar that would be best not to reschedule. If I am unable, I will send my second."
"Ah, your child Pamela is delicious. I was rather hoping to see you though." Despite the fact that my queen preferred women, she has been trying to bed me as long as I have known her. I have never given in. In part because I think that she is truly juvenile and as such I find her unappealing. Truthfully though, I like keeping her in a position of wanting. It gave me more power.
"Until tomorrow. I will alert Andre who is coming."
"Very well then Eric."
As much as I did not like Sophie Ann, her second, Andre was intolerable. Part of what made him so intolerable was the fact that he was her favorite child, which he knew and exploited every opportunity he had.
I sighed and turned to walk back into the house to where I left Sookie. Unfortunately she was no longer there. I heard her call to me from the kitchen. I found her sitting at the table drinking a cup of tea. She pushed the chair out next to her with her foot and suggested I sit down. There was a bottle of True Blood waiting for me. I was hungry, but it wasn't for a bottle of this synthetic crap. I was hungry for her. Prior to my phone ringing, she was hungry for me too.
"Sookie, I am sorry for the disturbance." I am not one to say I am sorry, but in this case, I truly was.
SPOV
I am so glad that Eric didn't answer the phone. I am just captivated by him and the feeling of his hands on my skin and his lips against mine. He is just driving me mad. I don't know what it is, the feeling of abandonment from Bill, the scare from earlier this evening, the fact that I haven't had sex in weeks or the fact that this Vampire was about the most handsome man I have ever laid eyes on but I can't get enough of him.
Since he has ignored the phone, he obviously wants me and that makes me feel a little more brazen and confident. As I'm staring into the deep pools of blue that are his eyes, I decide that I need this. I need to feel even closer to him. My hands brush over the muscles in his chest, so firm. I brush against his nipples and I feel him shiver slightly as he brings me in for a kiss. My hands keep going lower between us and find the bulge in his pants. By God he is big. And ready for me. Yum! As I begin to stroke him gently through his jeans, the phone rings again! I am not ready to give up. He ignored it once before, he can ignore it again right? I lean in towards his neck and start to nibble, and leave my hands to continue trying to unbutton his jeans.
I hear him call my name, but all I can do is reply with a grunt/moan/ incoherent sound. Oh, don't tell me you are going to answer this… He did. He told me he was going to answer it because otherwise whoever was calling would just keep at it. Well, I guess I could see his point, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it. I climbed off of his lap and threw myself onto the couch. I was probably acting like a child, but I was not happy. I watched Eric for a moment through the window and could tell he was pretty unhappy himself. He kept running his hand through his hair as he talked. I didn't want to feel like I was spying on him, so I decided to go into the kitchen and get something to drink.
Now I'm not really a drinker, but I wanted to have a little glass of something to take the edge off. I was a tense jittery mess who needed release in the worst way. Maybe a small drink would ease my nerves. Nah, drinking rarely leads to something good. And it's certainly not like my inhibitions needed to be lowered any more than they already are. I was practically throwing myself at Eric. Tea. I think I had some tea in here that might calm me down.
I sat in the kitchen drinking my cup of tea when I could hear Eric walk back into the house. The door slammed behind him and he called out to me.
"I'm in here Eric." He walked toward the room and stood in the entryway leaning his weight against it. God did he look good.
"Come have a seat. I took some blood out for you." I motioned for him to sit next to me by pushing out the chair I had my feet resting on. He sat down next to me and began to play with the bottle, but not taking a drink. Before I started to ask him if he preferred a different blood type, he started to speak.
"Sookie, I am sorry for the disturbance." He looked sincere. I was sorry too. I felt safe with Eric. I felt wanted. Who wouldn't want to feel safe and wanted? Isn't that what everyone wants?
"That's okay Eric. I understand you are an important Vampire."
"I think that there are things that we should discuss." He says as he reaches across the table for my hand. While I am happy to be in contact with him again, I am finding it distracting as his thumb is rubbing back and forth across the back of my hand. I feel that spark, and it is driving me mad not to jump back into his arms again. I feel like I can lose myself looking into his eyes. God! What is going on with me?
"Sookie, it seems like there are many things that you do not know about our world. How long have you been with Mr. Compton?"
"About 8 months, give or take." What in the world is he getting at?
"And in that time, how often have you had his blood?"
Hmm. I had to think about that. Well, Eric knows about the time with the Rattray's. And then there was one other time when I was in that accident. That really was it. "Twice Eric. Why?"
"It is very rare for a Vampire to give a human his or her blood. We take blood from humans, we need it to survive, but we do not share our special blood with humans often. I know that Bill gave you blood on the second night that you met. And that's been bothering me."
I wonder why? I found out when he continued on.
"It bothers me because we so carefully guard our blood. And for someone who he just met, he gives you what I'm sure equated to a lot of blood. My instincts tell me that something is off about that. You don't survive 1,000 years if you don't have good instincts. Did he tell you about the side effects of the blood?"
Where is he going with this? "Yes. He told me that he would be able to sense me wherever I was, and could help me if I got into trouble like I did that night. I was glad about that part. He also told me that it would increase my libido."
"And that is all Sookie?"
"Yes."
"Hmm." Did he just say Hmm? Vampires don't say hmm. Especially ones like Eric. This can't be good.
"Well, that sure was helpful Eric." He chuckled at me and smiled. What the hell? His face then went expressionless again as he began talking.
"When you ingest a vampire's blood, what Bill told you does indeed happen. It also intensifies any feelings that you may have. It would have made you feel more secure with him. It would have made you feel more attracted to him than you already were. Especially if you have a lot of blood. Do you understand why I am questioning this Sookie?"
I had to think for a minute. On the second night we met, Bill gave me a TON of his blood. I needed it, or I was going to die. He made that pretty clear. But he gave it to me because he owed me. I saved him and he was saving me back. But after that I did start having those dreams of him. And my non-existent sex drive and sex life did go into overdrive after that point. Were those feelings true? Were they my own, or was it because of the blood?
"Eric, how long do the side effects last, when do they wear off?"
"They will lessen in time Sookie. It depends on how much you take, and how frequently you take it."
"Uh-huh." My mind was reeling.
"When was the last time you had his blood Sookie?"
"I don't know for sure Eric, but it was a couple of months ago when I was involved in a hit-and-run accident and had broken some bones. He gave me blood to heal. Otherwise it would have taken forever, and I couldn't bear to be off of work and well, it really hurt."
"What happened with the accident Sookie?"
"I was driving home late one night, and before I knew it someone crashed into the back of my car and drove me into a tree. I cracked some ribs from the impact with the seatbelt. I had a concussion, and a broken collarbone. Man did it hurt. Bill ran up and found me and gave me blood to heal. I was so grateful."
"And did you see the car that struck you?"
"No. Funny thing, I know it was late and I was tired, but driving home I didn't see any tail lights behind me. I was so shocked."
It looked like wheels were turning in his head.
"Tell me, when was the last time you heard from Bill?"
"Today as a matter of fact. He actually sent me a letter."
"May I see it?"
I went to go retrieve the letter and brought it to him. I gave him the letter and sat back down. My tea was empty, so I went to the kettle to put it on for more.
"Sookie, do you find the tone of this letter to be consistent with how Bill normally spoke to you?"
"Not really Eric. If you must know, I thought it sounded very impersonal, and like he was writing to someone who he barely knew. Not someone he was intimate with."
"And how has your relationship been Sookie? Before he left?"
"It was fine. It was exciting at first, because, well you know. I told you the other day. That newness wore off after time, but from all the relationships I've seen, it happens with most people right? Lately, he's been really busy with work though. He's taken overnight trips before. I don't ask because I don't want to pry; and well, Bill isn't the most open book."
"Now that you mention our talk the other night, there is something else that I have been wondering Sookie."
Oh crap. What now?
"Yes, Eric?"
"You mentioned a peaceful feeling when you were around Bill, and that being part of the reason you were attracted to him. What did you mean by that?" He raised his eyebrow with that statement.
Crappity Crap Crap. What do I do? Why did he have to remember that? And more importantly, why did I have to say anything about it in the first place? Bill told me that I should tell no one about my telepathy. People kind of knew about it around here, but I was just "Crazy Sookie" to most of them. But Bill was pretty clear about not telling anyone who might not already know. I trusted Eric though. If I told him, what would he do? What kind of hold would that give him over me? Did I trust him enough to share my secret?
My hands were twisting in my lap. I couldn't look at him. Thank God I was saved by the kettle. It started to whistle, and I was thankful for the need to get up and shut off the burner and pour my tea.
"Would you like another blood Eric?" He shook his head no.
Okay, so much for changing the subject. "Eric, I am sure that you have other questions. Can we get back to that?" God, what a wimp I am. I just can't answer him right now. He's raising that eyebrow at me again.
"Okay Sookie, but we will get back to it. So do you love him Sookie?"
And why did I think that putting off telling him I am a telepath would be the easier way to go?
"Eric, I don't know. I thought I did. But like I told you the other night, I feel like he has abandoned me. That stupid letter that he sent really doesn't endear him more to me. And now I'm wondering after listening to you about the effects of Vampire blood, was anything that I ever felt real? Did I just go along with things because it was easy and because of the blood? Or, was there real feeling there? This just isn't what I thought would happen when you love someone." It was all so confusing. I really did think I loved him at one point. That point being a few weeks ago. But you don't abandon someone you love. You don't send them crappy impersonal letters and you don't force feed them your blood and not tell you all of the truth about it.
"And does Bill claim to love you?"
"Ha." I snickered. "Ya know Eric, if you asked me a month ago that question in that way I would have been SO furious with you. Does Bill 'claim' to love me? But now, I can't get upset about it. He did. He has told me he loves me. Not as often as a girl would like to hear it, but he has used those words. And now, I'm not so sure."
Where is all of this going? Again it looks like he has wheels turning in his brain.
"What do you know about Bill?"
"That he came back to Bon Temps because his family home is here. The last living relative died a while back, and he wanted to come back to his roots. He was a farmer before he was drafted to serve in the Civil War. He left behind a wife and 2 children and he does not know what became of them."
"Is that all?"
"He does leave from time to time on special assignments for his boss. I guess that's you now right? He is highly skilled with computers and has been working in his home on something for a while now. He won't discuss it with me, and I figure it's probably something that I am better off not knowing about."
"That's it?
"Pretty much." I never really thought of it before, but that really doesn't seem like much. After being with him for all of this time, I don't know much about his life as a vampire before he came to Bon Temps, and I really know nothing of his vampire life now.
"Do you want to know more Sookie?"
"You know more?"
"Yes."
"Then yes. Yes I do." This should be interesting.
"Bill came into the service of the Queen about 50 or so years ago. He became a valued member of her court for years and had been called upon to complete a variety of special assignments for the queen. Some I have knowledge of, others I do not. He worked for her, not for me."
"The what?" I think I just heard him say the Queen. WTF? Eric took both of my hands in his. He rested his elbows on his thighs, and looked directly into my eyes. Oh crap.
"The Queen Sookie. Each state has a vampire monarch. It has been this way for centuries, and dates back to Europe. The monarch is the most powerful vampire in the state. Bill was one of her favorites."
"Do you know the Queen Eric?"
"Yes. I report to her. She is the one who made me sheriff."
"Oh."
"Bill never gave any indication of wanting to leave the Queen's court and I was surprised when he returned to my area. All vampires wanting to reside in a certain area must petition the area's sheriff. I am sheriff of this area. He came with a letter from the Queen, encouraging me to permit him to return to his ancestral home. I gave him permission to do so. In return, Bill is required to check in with me periodically, including if he intends to leave my area for any length of time. He visited me to tell me he was going out of town. He also has been required to spend time in Fangtasia, my bar, once a month. Every vampire in my area is required to do so."
"He never mentioned that last part. I guess that there is quite a bit about Bill that I did not know."
"Do you want to know where Bill is Sookie?"
"Do you know?"
"I may."
"I don't know Eric. I don't know how that can make me feel any better about this. He obviously can't or won't call me. He doesn't want to come back, or can't. And I don't know if he's been honest with me."
"There are so many pieces to this puzzle in front of me, and I am trying to put all of the pieces together. I am certain that you are keeping something from me Sookie, and I would hope that you trust me. I want you to trust me, and Sookie," he tilted my head up so I was looking directly in his eyes "I want to help you." He brushed a feather-soft kiss on my lips and pulled back to look at me again.
Oh Hell. I am so used to being able to read minds. I really wish I could read Eric's so I know what he is thinking.
"Okay Eric, let's say I do trust you. How do I know that you will not hold what I tell you against me?"
"Are you a spy?"
"No? What kind of question is that?"
"Are you looking to hurt me or mine?"
"No? Again Eric, what kind of question is that?"
"Then if you are not being dishonest; and you do not intend to bring me or mine harm; and you are not a spy then you should know that I will keep whatever you tell me between you and me. I do not wish you harm Sookie."
Here goes nothing…
"I can read people's minds."
EPOV
Once I saw her sitting sipping her tea, I knew that our moment from earlier was gone. At least for the time being. We needed to talk. I needed to put all of the puzzle pieces together. Bill was back and had tied himself to Sookie so soon. He fed her a large amount of her blood. He never cared for humans, and took great pains to keep his human away from other vampire. She had a mysterious accident, and he fed her his blood again. From the sounds of her injuries, it must have been quite a bit of blood. He had taken off without word for weeks and now has been pictured in the King of Arkansas' court. He sent a letter to Sookie asking to pick up his mail, and on that very night, she is followed by something smelled of magic and shifter. She feels threatened, and then this mystery package goes missing. The Queen is constantly calling and having me push V to help pay her debts. And Sookie, is a telepath. There are too many coincidences here.
We've been talking it out for a little while now. I've been rubbing circles on the back of one of her hands to calm her down and keep her focused. It's killing me, because there is a feeling I get when we touch that I have not felt with any other in all of my thousand years.
I want her to trust me. I now know she is a telepath, but I want her to want me to know she is one. I may be forcing her hand a little bit, but she did open the door in our conversation last week when she brought up the peaceful feeling with Bill. I am looking in her eyes and I hope she chooses to put her trust in me. She does.
"Thank you Sookie. Thank you for trusting me with the secret of your gift."
"Gift? What gift? This is a curse!" I cannot believe my ears. How does she think this is a curse?
"Sookie. Can you hear my thoughts?" I do not think she does, because earlier she would certainly have behaved differently if she knew some of the things that I was thinking of doing with her.
"No. That's what I meant about the peaceful feeling. I can't hear vampires. I don't know why. Some people are not as easy to read as others, but you, Bill, others, you are silent."
"Then this is not a curse." I was glad to confirm that she could not hear us. I would hate to have to kill such a unique creature.
"Ha! Easy for you to say. Try having your own mother be scared of you because of what you were, never really believing you. Try being a child who didn't understand all of the vile and nasty thoughts that some adults have, but having to hear them anyway. Try never being able to truly relax or put your guard down because you will let your shields drop and you are either overwhelmed by all of the thoughts, or you can't look at your friends or your family in the eye because you've heard something that you really didn't want to know. Try never being able to date anyone, because you heard their every thought. Try being a virgin for a quarter of a century because you couldn't bear to hear all of the disgusting things that the guys were thinking when they touched you and you tried to have sex. Then tell me it's not a freaking curse!" I had never thought of it that way. I hadn't really thought of it at all, but hearing her say all of those things; I understood that she did not have an easy life. She jumped up out of her chair and stomped into the living room. She was at the fireplace looking at a photo on the mantle.
"She was the only one Eric. My Gran. The only one who loved me no matter what. She held me when I cried, and told me that I was better than whatever or whoever was getting me down. She told me I could do anything I wanted to do and be anything I wanted to be. When I met Bill, she encouraged me. She didn't hold it against him that he was a Vampire. She just wanted me to be happy."
I wrapped my arms around her from behind, unsure of what to say. I heard her sniffle, and I could tell she was wiping her eyes. I turned her around to face me and I kissed away her tears. Vampires need blood to survive, but we enjoyed human tears too. I couldn't help myself. She was delicious. Before I knew it, she reached her hands into my hair and pulled me close to her and began kissing me. Gently at first, her warm soft lips ghosting over mine. But quickly she sought out my tongue and kissed me with more forcefulness and want. Her hands went to the hem of my shirt. She balled the fabric in her fists, and then stopped to try and pull it over my head. Having a considerable height advantage over her, I decided to help.
Her eyes were glazed over as she took in my chest. Her hands ran across it, and she closed in to plant warm kisses all over it. She looked up at me and said "I can't hear your thoughts Eric, and it's wonderful. I can't tell what it is you are thinking, and although right now I may want to, I am so glad that I can't."
I responded by picking her up and bringing her to the couch as I kissed her. I was just about to settle us down to the comfortable spot we held before; she looked at me sheepishly and said "How about the bedroom?"
By gods I was a lucky man.
A/N – So, was that mean of me? They get together, but we don't get to read all about it just yet. Was Sookie right to trust Eric and tell her that she was a telepath? Will Eric be able to piece this puzzle together soon? Thanks for reading everyone. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. – jax