Hello! I'm so sorry it's taken a year to write this. I literally would write three sentences, get frustrated and close the document. I also may have rewritten it 3 times. I promise I'm still writing...it's just taking me a while.

I don't own True Blood.

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Chapter 12

Eric entered the hotel room exactly twenty-three minutes after I did. Sitting on the communal couch, sipping on a clear bottle from the mini-bar, I wasn't ready for whatever was going to come next from the giant vampire.

The door to the suite was opened and slammed shut. Due to his inhuman stealth (and my slight inebriation), I wasn't sure where he was in the room. Honestly, I could feel him before I could see him. Be it because I was chock full o' his blood, or because I was the prey to his predator, I could feel his presence near me.

His body sang to me. The thought of being near him set the edges of my limbs on fire. Turning to the left, I put the small bottle down on the coffee table. Eric glared at me with fervor, as his blue eyes followed my few movements.

"So, what was that?" My question didn't change the blank expression on Eric's face. He stayed away from the couch. I felt the desperate need to run away from the vampire in front of me clinging to my muscles. Yet, my skin craved his touch."Eric. What's going on?" I stayed in place, ignoring both instincts. Instead, I continued to mimic his lack of emotion.

He stared at me with an analytical gaze- starting at my boots, up my jeaned legs, to my black sweater. Annoyed by his silence, I couldn't help but tap my foot in impatience. "Brooke. Stop that petulance."

As it turns out, when a thousand-year-old vampire calls you 'crabby' it makes you feel even more childish than before. "Me?" My arms wrapped around my middle defensively, "You went from ignoring me, to saving me, to apologizing to me, to kissing me." My angry tone wasn't loud, but it met his enhanced hearing.

He didn't answer.

"My hesitation isn't out of place here Eric. Just because you can't feel-." Fuck. I didn't mean that.

His growl echoed through my ear. Eric Northman was practically above me before I could let out a sentence. Eric's words felt like acid-venom on my skin, "Who the fuck do you think you are? Is that what you think of me? An unfeeling monster?" The click of his fangs made me flinch.

I swallowed down my fear, shaking my head immediately. "No. No, I just…" I trailed off, looking directly at the ground in front of me.

Instead of giving him an excuse of my actions, I looked up at him. He was hurt. His brows hovered over his slightly glassy blue eyes. Clearly, it was my fault, and I didn't want him to look like that anymore. If I had known what was going to come that night, I would have assured Eric that I understood his defensive nature. That I understood that he just went through a trauma and he didn't deserve me attacking his emotions like that. I should have told him that he just needed someone to hold onto while he felt his entire world fall apart.

I regret a lot of things. My reaction not being one of them:

Desperate to change his pained expression, I did anything but speak. I stood. He didn't move away. Our chests pressed against each other through our shirts. My breathing was steady in a long, slow pattern. His breathing was non-existent. I leaned my neck back to look at his furrowed brow, and his white fangs which glinted in the dim hotel lighting. They were mesmerizing and astonishing. Without thinking, I pressed the fleshy pad of my thumb against the razor tip.

Eric breathed in. I didn't react as his pointed tooth pricked my finger. Finally meeting Eric's eyes, I refused to look away as I took my bleeding thumb away from his mouth and brought it up to mine. Sucking gently, the coppery taste met my tongue. Northman growled slightly. I could feel his power radiating off of him. My finger bled slowly as I removed it from my lips. Eric continued to breathe in shallow breaths, just getting a hint of my smell in the air.

His pupils dilated as my thumb traced his red bottom lip, creating a fresh trail of blood across his skin. The Viking remained still, as if his curiosity outweighed his instincts. My other arm wrapped around his waist to grasp the back of his shirt to keep balances. My finger met his now outstretched tongue.

Eric reached for my wrist with both hands, as his lips trapped my thumb in their grip. He hummed slightly as he gently sucked. Although he just had the tip of my finger, I could feel his touch throughout my body. He briefly shut his eyes, taking in my taste. This mental picture was going into the drawer next to my bed.

My mouth formed a perfect "O" as I continued to stare. Seeing his soft lips wrapped around me made my hand grip his brick-like-back harder.

Letting go with his mouth, his hands brought my arm closer to his face. With eyes closed, it was as though he was listening to my body's hum of delight. Light presses of his soft lips down my palm caused a small groan to escape my throat. He didn't let out his normal chuckle. Instead, Eric Northman's lips made their way onto my wrist. I didn't realize my breathing had suddenly turned into short pants.

One of Eric's arms grasped my hips, shoving me back down onto the couch. He followed, never releasing his touch. Before he bit down there was a moment of hesitation. Our connection gave me a strong pull of anxiety. My free hand reached into his short hair and gave his head an encouraging push. I let out a short "Ah," as his fangs pierced my skin for a second time. The vampire Viking stood on his knees in front of me as he took small gulps from my arm.

A feeling of relief washed over me. It was as if this pent-up need I didn't know I had released itself. I let out a breathy sigh as a knot formed in my lower stomach. As my heartbeat quickened, Eric's hand left my wrist and instead traced up the inside of my thigh.

Sparks appeared in front of my eyes as the vampire continued to feed. My fingers were still spread in his hair and knotted themselves in his blonde locks and they clenched. His grip on my upper thigh tightened as my vision suddenly got blurry. "Eric," my voice came as a low cry. I needed him to stop. I needed him closer. I needed more from him.

Northman's fangs released my wrist, his lips and chin covered in red. Blood continued to run down my arm. Eric's attention turned from my limb to my face. Never did his eyes seem to pierce mine as they did in that moment. His blue met my brown and it felt like an eternity before one of us took in air. Keeping one arm on my leg, Eric's fingers gripped my jaw, leading my lax body off of the plush couch and crushing it against his leather jacket-covered chest.

"Mine," his growl forced its way out of his throat into where my jaw met my neck, and caused my heartbeat to pause. His. Eric Northman's. Could I be his?

Leaning back, I shook my head 'no' and pressed my forehead against his. Again, a growl disturbed the peace between us. With vampire speed, his hands clutched my hips and picked me up like a doll. He slid underneath me, as we sat up on the couch together. He leaned on his knees as my legs wrapped around his waist.

"You are mine." He repeated.

Eric gave me no time to respond. Instead, he grabbed the back of my head with a heavy grip, dragging my lips towards his for the second time that evening. I didn't push away. I could taste myself at the first touch. The knot in my stomach seemed to jump at this needed contact. Opening my mouth immediately, I embraced this bloody kiss. It was as though this was where we were meant to be. His tongue took charge and traced the inside of my mouth roughly. From that first meeting over a beer, to feeding and kissing this possessive Viking. Maybe I was his. From the start.

My hands gripped his jacket with white knuckles as I ground my hips down to his. With one hand spread behind my neck, Eric used the other to help me push our bodies together against my lower back. I broke our lips apart as I let out a moan. I could feel his excitement through his jeans. Taking this moment, Eric bit down into his own wrist, spreading more blood between us. Tracing down the small wounds on my arm with his hand, his blood allowed my skin to heal.

"Admit it. Now. You. Are. Mine." His accent burst through his words. "Din kropp och blod är min. Ge mig resten," Eric's accent continued into this Swedish phrasing. The mystery of his words was masked by the slur of his fangs.

"You want me to be yours?" I challenged, grabbing onto his bleeding arm.

Red rimmed eyes full of power looked deeply into my own, "I do. We are connected," Eric started, "I want you."

My mouth leaned down to his wrist, and the cool metal taste slid easily down my throat. I continued to watch Eric as he leaned down to rest his lips on my forehead. Eric's blood made my heart beat faster. Eric's blood made my muscles clench and then unclench in pleasure. Eric's blood made me feel like I could melt into him.

Northman's moans sounded in the back of my mind as I tried to take it all in. Eric offering a piece of him after demanding for all of me. Letting go of his wrist, I wiped the blood off of my mouth with the back of my hand. Eric looked at me silently, slight confusion at why I had stopped. What could he want from me besides my blood and a few fucks? Why was he so demanding in calling me 'his'?

Three knocks came to the door. A small nagging voice at the back of my brain came straight to the front, telling me not to answer the door. I couldn't tell if it was because I wanted more time with Eric...Or something I didn't like was beyond the mahogany. My body wouldn't move, and my eyes widened. He noticed, but said nothing as he untangled himself from me, and walked towards the door.

As the entry flew open, bile flew up by throat. Keeping the feeling down, I made sure not to lose eye contact with the creature lurking outside of it. Pale hands wrapped around the throat of a young woman, who was clearly at this hotel to work as a feeder. She was pretty. Dark hair and makeup done up right. However, the attractiveness in her face was being taken away from by her feared look as an empowered man held her against her will.

Eric peered down at the slightly shorter man with an unimpressed expression. Using a blood hooker as leverage to a vampire? Unwise. But this woman wasn't being used against the ancient vampire. It was me he wanted.

Swallowing the fear in my body, I started towards the clearly unhappy couple in the door. Looking at Eric, for just a second, I let my silent apologizes fly between us.

"Brooke, are you done acting as the 'southern bell' to this vampire? A few months seems like a little long to be playing pretend." I could hear the Brooklyn accent in his voice. His dark red hair and black eyes seemed more menacing in person instead of my nightmares.

Not letting his words affect me, I kept my arms crossed and my face composed, "Let her go Zander," my voice struggling to sound confident. Eric growled in understanding, "she didn't do anything."

Zander chuckled, and let his finger trace the scattered and delicate bite marks on the woman's neck. Zander seemed less human than the last time I had laid my eyes on him. Cheeks hollowed, and hair a bit longer, just touching his ears- he looked like the power of the demon he praised was taking over. "I'm not sure if we can truly say she hasn't done 'anything'. She's clearly been a nice rest stop snack...Sounds like somebody else I know, isn't that right King Kong?" His words sliced through the air as his pitch-black eyes watched over the large figure that was Eric Northman. Zander had a knack of letting his tongue do most of the cutting, clearly acknowledging he had heard Eric and I earlier. "Besides, her body would be an excellent addition to the décor in this god forsaken hotel," his eyes took on a red light behind his black irises, "don't you think Brooke?"

By now, Eric had moved between myself and the demon in the doorway. With a low steady growl, Northman attempted to intimidate the unnatural-being he couldn't wrap his ancient mind around.

Between the growls coming from Eric and the desperate whimpers coming from the innocent woman in front of me- I knew what I had to do. There was no way I was going to allow a bloodbath of a woman simply trying to do her job, because of my own personal problem.

My hand softly rested on the Viking's back. It was hard, rippling with anger. As my hand lifted from his jacket, he looked down at me. He knew what was coming.

His first reaction wasn't to stop me, it was instead to attack the man who created the problem. His vampire speed was unseen by me, but matched by Zander. With baffling reflexes, my ex-boyfriend dropped the hooker to the ground as he grabbed Eric's arms before they could make contact.

Eric was aghast. Never had a non-vampire been able to keep up with his strength and speed. It was just as I feared, Zander's power easily matched Eric's. My sad eyes once again reached the blue ones they desperately sought. Blood pooled at their feet. Zander had killed the poor woman. He had a chance to kill the innocent before defending himself from a vampire attack. I could not let this go on any longer. Eric was at a clear disadvantage.

I took a step towards the pair.

"Brooke. Don't be stupid. Absolutely not. I will not allow this to happen. You are under my protection. You. Are. Mine." Eric's voice was struggling to focus on his words as he was still caught in the grip of the man in front of him.

I could feel the anger and desperation radiating off him and through me because of the blood connection we now shared. "Eric, I-."

"NO." He yelled, still unable to move his arms free.

"I have to."

The smug look on Zander's face was hidden by his red hair.

I could feel the charge in the air. It was as if Zander was the gas and Eric was the fire, and we all stood just waiting for us all to be encompassed by flames.

Pressing against Zander's chest, I encouraged him to move away from the distraught vampire he still held in his grip. "I'll go with you now. Let him go."

Leaving Eric was the easiest thing I could do at this moment. "Goodbye Eric," I whispered as I felt the cold grip from Hell take me as the hotel disappeared, and the Viking who was supposed to protect me with it.

Your body and blood are mine. Give me the rest.