Here is chapter twelve!!
It has taken a lot longer to update then what I would have liked, but I hope it is worth the wait! I promise I will try to get the next chapter to you a lot sooner...im just having a few issues with it all!
*Also: I am in the process of putting a couple of links up for Eric's house in my profile...so check it out!!*
A big thanks to my beta, Team Jane, she is so awesome! *hugs!* and again I thank her for putting up with all my errors. I also want to let people know that if they see any other mistakes in this story, they are all mine and mine alone!! :)
Characters belong to Charlaine Harris, im just having some fun, no harm intended :-)
EPOV
I couldn't help but feel glad to have Sookie in my home. It seemed to relax me to know where she was, and what she was doing. I found myself wondering what it would be like to keep her here forever. If she lived with me she would never need to work, and she would never have to see the shifter, or Compton ever again. I could have her all to myself. She would be mine, and no one else would even think of touching her. I smiled at the thought.
I sat behind the desk in my office, checked my emails and looked over my investments. I had just finished on the computer when my cell phone sounded. I pulled it out of my shirt pocket and wasn't at all surprised to see that the caller was Pam. I opened my phone, and instantly asked her what she wanted.
"Master, I have just received a call from Ginger, and it seems that you have a visitor waiting to talk with you at Fangtasia. The Queen has sent someone with a message to give to you, and they are refusing to leave without meeting with you first." I wondered what the Queen wanted this time. To say that I was pissed off would have been an understatement. The last thing I felt like doing was discussing business with one of the Sophie-Anne's underlings; but, I knew that I really didn't have a say in the matter. When the Queen wanted something, I had no choice but to comply.
"Very well. Please phone Ginger and tell her that I will be there soon." My voice was filled with frustration.
"Yes, of course," Pam agreed.
"How long until you arrive here?"
"I am on my way. I will be there in ten minutes," she replied.
"Make it five," I stated, before I closed my phone, and let out an angered growl. I turned off the computer screen, got out of my chair, and then made my way down the hall towards the living room. I needed to let Sookie know what was happening.
When I walked into the lounge area, I was surprised to find Sookie sound asleep on the leather sofa. I couldn't help but feel aroused when I noticed how sexy she looked. Her blonde hair cascaded down her face in waves, her slim stomach rose up and down with every intake of breath, her mouth opened into a small, perfect circle, and she snored ever so quietly. There was nothing in this world that could even compare to this woman's beauty.
I was pulled from my gaze when I heard the front door open and close. I gave into temptation and placed a light kiss on Sookie's forehead before I made my way down the hall to greet my child. I walked straight into the kitchen, and found her placing four bags of groceries down on the bench.
"How did it go with obtaining the doctor?" I asked.
"I managed to contact Ludwig, and she said that she will be here as soon as possible," Pam stated, while turning around to face me.
"Very well." I nodded. "I must go. Sookie is asleep in the living room; do not wake her until the doctor arrives, and make sure that she does not try to run away from me before I get back." I gave Pam a look that told her I was serious.
"No need to worry, Sookie will be fine." I nodded to my child, and then left the room.
It wasn't long until I pulled into my familiar parking lot at Fangtasia. I didn't waste any time getting out of the car, and making my way through the staff entrance of my bar. I hoped that this would not take long; there was nothing I wanted less than to be here discussing business tonight.
My night went from bad to worse when I opened the door to my office only a second later. That was when I noticed exactly who it was that Sophie had sent to speak with me. Sitting proudly on the lounge was Andre, the Queen's child and her second in command. I couldn't help but wonder what it was that made Sophie-Anne turn this man vampire. To me he was nothing but scum, and I had next to no respect for him.
"Andre." I gave him a respectful nod before taking my place behind the desk.
"Northman," he replied, with a low nod of his own head.
"How can I be of assistance to the Queen?" I questioned, cutting straight to the chase.
Andre smiled before he got out of the lounge and came to stand in front of me. He folded his arms behind his back, and looked down at me with nothing but amusement. "Tell me, did you really think that you could keep her all to yourself?" he questioned, while leaning over the desk. If my heart wasn't already dead, it would have stopped at that moment. I knew more than anything who it was that he was talking about. I suppressed a growl, as I continued to gaze into Andre's dark eyes.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Northman, do not play coy with me. You know exactly who it is I am talking about." He shrugged, before he turned around and walked back over to take his former place on the lounge. "You have taken something of the Queens, and now she wants it back." Andre winked at me which only added to my anger.
"Sookie is mine." I held myself back from attacking the vampire. I had such a sudden and overwhelming desire to protect what was mine, and it was at that moment when I realized just how much Sookie meant to me.
"See, that is where the Queen disagrees," he replied, like it should have been obvious.
"What is it that she wants me to do?" It took all the willpower I had within me not to leap across my desk and kill the imbecile. I wanted nothing more than to have his blood on my hands. The only thing that stopped me from murdering the vampire, was the fact that he worked for the queen.
"The Queen is summoning you to see her tomorrow night. She is hosting a ball at her New Orleans headquarters and is expecting your attendance." He crossed one leg over the other, and folded his hands on the top of his knee. "She thinks it will be the perfect opportunity to meet the famous telepath in person...and before you try to refuse, I really do not think you have a choice in the matter. You see, the Queen is insisting on meeting Ms. Stackhouse, and you know what Sophie is like when she wants something..."
"It would please me most to attend for her Majesty, but Sookie's attendance is unnecessary." My eyes locked on his.
He let out a small, humorless laugh. "Do you really think that she will take no for an answer? Sophie wants to meet your pet, and if you do not bring her with you tomorrow night, than she will just have to make a special trip to Bon Temps to meet her for herself." All traces of humor left his face. "Face it, Northman, you have no other option."
Something told me that I was not going to win this argument. I knew how the Queen was, and I knew that she would find a way to take Sookie if she really wanted her. What the fuck was I supposed to do? I instantly began to plan ways in which to keep Sookie away from the Queen. I would not let anyone touch the mother of my child. I would kill anyone who even thought of taking her from me, and the Queen was of no exception.
Andre watched me in silence while I thought intently about the situation. After what felt like ages, he finally got up from the lounge, and made his way over to the door. "I must go if I am to going to make it back to the Queen before morning," he said, while opening the office door. "I will inform my Queen that you will be there tomorrow night...with the telepath." He looked at me and nodded before stepping out of the room.
Once he was gone, I got up from my chair, and picked up the closest object on my desk (which happened to be my computer screen) and threw it across the room. I then turned and punched my fist into the closest wall. I had never felt more pissed off in my entire existence. How was I supposed to take Sookie to see the Queen? How the fuck was I supposed to keep her safe? I had never felt so powerless
There was only one thing I was sure of; Sookie was mine, and I would not allow any harm to come to her, or our child. I would find a way to protect them.
When I finally pulled into my garage, it was after three in the morning which meant that there were only a few hours until the sun would rise. I sighed before I got out of my car, and made my way through the door and down the hall. I went straight to the living room which was where I found Pam sitting in front of the fire with a bottle of True Blood in her hands. Sookie was still sleeping in the exact same place I had left her earlier.
"She went back to sleep after the doctor came," Pam stated, her eyes fixed on the flames in front of her.
"How did it go with Dr. Ludwig?" I questioned, while I made my way over to stand in front of Sookie.
"The doctor told Sookie that she has high blood pressure which means that she will need to get plenty of rest and try to keep herself relaxed." Pam took a sip of her blood. "She also told Sookie to quit her job at the bar, and to go and see her own doctor when she had a chance."
I couldn't help but feel excited about that idea. There was nothing I wanted more than for Sookie to quit working at that bar. I did not like the thought of Sookie working for the shifter. I looked over at my child and nodded. "Can you phone the shifter and tell him that Sookie will not be returning to work? Tell him that I will organize a replacement waitress for him until he finds someone permanent."
"Of course," she nodded.
I turned away from my child to look at Sookie. I knelt down beside her and allowed my hand to gently caress the side of her face. She remained fast asleep. As I watched the mother of my child lay comfortably on my lounge, I couldn't help but wonder what tomorrow night would bring. I held back yet another growl when I thought of taking her to visit the Queen. I wondered how I had allowed this to happen. Why did I not see this coming?
"How did it go at the bar?" Pam's words caused me to snap out of my trance. I pulled my hand away from Sookie, and turned to look at my child.
"It was Andre who came to visit me," I stated while I went to stand in front of her. "He wanted to inform me that the Queen knew about Sookie, and that she wanted to meet with her." Anger dripped from my words.
Pam was silent for a moment while she processed what I had just said. "What are you going to do?" she finally asked.
"I have been summoned to go to see her tomorrow night. I have to bring Sookie with me." I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. I was so fucked.
"But if she goes, then the Queen will know that she is pregnant..." Pam drifted off.
"Yes, I am well aware of that," I inhaled a deep, unnecessary breath, "but, what other choice do I have?" I looked at my child and raised my brow. "If I do not take Sookie tomorrow night, then the Queen will find her and steal her from under me."
She was silent for a moment while she thought about what I had just told her. "I guess you have no choice."
"How the fuck did this happen?" I had to hold myself back from screaming out in pure frustration.
"I do not know." She shrugged. "How do you think the Queen found out about Sookie?"
"I can only assume that someone went to her behind my back." That thought angered me to no end. "Pam, I need you to organize a few things for me before tomorrow night."
Pam nodded before she got to her feet. "Of course, what is it that you need?"
"I will need you to organize a ball gown for Sookie to wear tomorrow night. Also, go to her house and collect some of her things. She will need a bag packed of her clothes and toiletries."
"Yes, of course, Master." She gave a deep nod. "Will there be anything else?"
"No, that will be all. I will take Sookie down to my sleeping chambers to spend the day. I do not want to risk having her run from me while I am asleep."
"Okay." Pam nodded before finishing the remainder of her blood. "I will leave now to arrange Sookie's things. What time do you plan on leaving tomorrow night?"
"We will leave as soon as I have explained everything to Sookie." Pam nodded at me, said farewell, and then disappeared down the hall. When she was gone, I went over to Sookie and gathered her up into my arms. I could not explain the feelings that passed through me when I held her like that. I had missed having her in such close proximity to my body. I couldn't help but rest my nose into her hair, and inhale deeply. I closed my eyes for a moment, while I enjoyed her familiar scent.
I found myself wondering what exactly was going to happen the following night. Would the Queen try to take this woman from me? Would Sookie ever forgive me for getting her into this situation? Could I ever forgive myself?
SPOV
It didn't take the doctor long to give me a thorough check over. I was stationed on the large leather lounge in Eric's oversized living room while the dwarf sized woman treated me. The last time Dr. Ludwig saw me was under much more stressful circumstances. I could remember that night like it was yesterday. I suppressed a shudder when images of the creature that sliced open my back and poisoned my bloodstream came rushing through my mind.
Pam remained standing with me the entire time. She was silent while the doctor (who reminded me of an awful lot like a hobbit), asked me questions and checked my vitals. I felt thankful for having Pam beside me. Even though she was a vampire, she was one of the very best friends I had.
"The baby is fine; the heart rate is strong and healthy." Finally the doctor broke the all too long silence. Dr. Ludwig started packing away her things. "Your blood pressure is high which can be a problem. If it gets too high you will be in danger of miscarrying or going into early labor." Her words hit me like a slap in the face. Warning bells instantly began to sound in the back of my mind. What if something happened to my baby?
"Are you saying I am in danger of losing the baby?" I asked, while I sat up straighter and looked at the doctor with wide eyes. My heart rate instantly sped up. I had never thought about all of the problems that could arise while I was pregnant. Thousands of women had lost their unborn babies during the first trimester of their pregnancy. What if I was one of the unlucky ones?
"No, you have no reason to be alarmed at this stage." She looked at me from over the top of her thick glasses. "Ms. Stackhouse, I am going to suggest that you get as much bed rest as possible. You will need to keep away from anything stressful. I would also suggest that you quit working at the bar; I do not think your job is the right environment for you while you are pregnant."
"I need to give up my job?" I asked, hoping I had misheard the woman.
"Yes, if you wish to keep your blood pressure low, then it will be necessary. Maybe if your work environment was less stressful you would be safe to work a few days a week, but I would not recommend waitressing in your condition." I knew she was right, and part of me expected that I was going to have to quit working at some stage; but, how was I supposed to support a child if I didn't have a job? I swallowed my pride, and nodded at the doctor.
"I think your best option would be going to see your own doctor as soon as you can. I am sure she will be able to assist you with anything else you might need." The doctor picked up her small leather bag, and turned towards the door. "If you need me for anything else, you have my number. Tell Northman I will be sending him the bill." A second later the doctor was gone.
I flopped back in the chair and covered my face with my hands. What the hell was I supposed to do? I knew the doctor was right. I knew I couldn't work if it was going to be bad for the baby...but how could I have a baby without any income?
"Sookie, are you okay?" Pam's words pulled me from my silent and depressed musings. I looked up at the concerned face of my vampire friend, and nodded slightly.
"Yeah...I think so." I shrugged.
"My Master will be back soon; is there anything I can get for you while you wait?" Pam came to stand in front of me.
"No, I'm okay...thanks!" I replied, while smiling up at the vampire.
"Okay, I'll give you some time alone...call me if you need anything." Pam made her way towards the hall. I thanked her one last time, before relaxing back on the couch.
I curled up on the comfortable lounge and snuggled under the warm velvet blanket. My eyes closed on their own, while I worried about what I was going to do next. I started to think of ways I could get by without a job. Maybe I could sell my house? The thought pained me to no end, but what other option did I have? If I sold my house I could find somewhere smaller and cheaper to rent. I would have enough money to get by for a little while, and then I could go back to work when the baby was old enough.
It depressed me when I thought of selling my family home. That house had belonged to the Stackhouse family for generations, and my Gran would be sad if she knew I was thinking of selling it; but, if I had to make a choice between keeping the house, and having this baby...I knew which one would need to come first. After all, the house was only a possession...I could survive living somewhere else.
At some stage during my painful thoughts, sleep took hold of me.
The next time I woke up, I was snuggled deeply under the comforter in my own bed. I was surrounded by my soft pillows, and my head was comfortably nestled on Eric's all too familiar chest. I smiled to myself before I tightened my grip around him, and pulled myself closer to the vampire. Everything was back to normal. Everything was great.
Only it wasn't. I quickly sat up straight in the bed, and took in the strange room around me. The only form of light came from what looked to be a bathroom to the left side of the room. There wasn't a lot of light, but there was enough to see that I most definitely was not in my own bed.
I yelped out when my eyes locked on the naked vampire who was dead to the world beside me. I couldn't help but gaze upon Eric's bare body lying next to me. It seemed my imagination hadn't done Eric any justice. I licked my lips before I quickly pulled myself out of those thoughts, and jumped out of the bed. I made my way over to the room where the light came from and was glad to see that it was in fact a bathroom, the biggest damn bathroom I had ever been in.
This bathroom was at least three times the size of my bathroom at home. It had a massive bath that looked like it could have easily seated four people. The tub was raised up off the ground on a platform, and it had push buttons, which I assumed to be for the jets. I couldn't even imagine how good it would feel to soak in a bath like that. To the right side of the room was a counter with a large mirror, and across from that was a gigantic shower, and it was just as impressive as the bath. At closer glance I noticed that it had at least six nozzles, and it was twice the size of an average shower. Everything about this bathroom screamed extravagance.
After ogling the room for a moment longer, I was relieved to see that this bathroom did in fact have a toilet. I quickly took care of my business, and then went to wash my hands. That was when I noticed the note that was propped up against the mirror on the counter. It had my name written on it in Eric's elegant scroll. I finished washing my hands before I picked up the paper and read the note.
Sookie,
I brought you to my daytime chamber; please make yourself at home.
I will speak with you when the sun permits.
-E
P.S- Remember to use the remote.
What on earth did he mean by remembering to use the remote? What remote? Part of me was angered by Eric's words, and the other part was excited to be in his resting place. I had never thought I would ever be allowed on the inside of Eric's sleeping chamber. I pushed away all the angry thoughts I had for the vampire before I opened the bathroom door and made my way out into the bedroom.
It was hard to see anything in the darkened room. I looked around for a light switch, but was confused to see that there wasn't one. How the hell was I supposed to turn on the lights? I furrowed my brow before I went to sit back on the bed. I allowed myself one last peek at the naked vampire before I finally decided to cover him over. I chuckled before I grabbed the comforter and threw it over his waist. I really didn't need to see that right now. I reminded myself to talk to him about this sleeping arrangement he had decided to make last night. I could not believe that Eric had slept naked beside me. What the hell was wrong with him?
I wondered what the time was. There was no clock, well none that I could see, and there were no windows to see how light it was outside. For all I knew the sun had only just gone down. Then I began to wonder what Eric had done with my shoes. I knew that my footwear was probably the least of my worries at that moment, but they weren't cheap, and I really didn't want to loose them. I sighed before I laid back down on the bed. I made sure to keep a large and safe distance between me and the Viking. I rolled over onto my side, and looked around at the room. My eyes had finally adjusted to the darkened area, and that was when I noticed the remote sitting on the nightstand beside me. I sat up straighter before I picked up the device and studied it intently.
Eric had said in his note to use the remote; was this what he was talking about? I shrugged before I pressed the biggest button on the device. I yelped out in shock when loud music began to play from somewhere over to my right. I instantly pressed different buttons trying to stop the sudden loud noise. I knew that Eric was technically dead, but it just didn't seem right having loud music blaring out while he was 'sleeping'.
While I attempted to turn the noise off (or at least turn it down) I managed to switch on the air conditioner, the ceiling fan, and the fluorescent lights. I scolded myself before finally pushing a small red button. The music instantly went silent, and I let out a sigh of relief. I looked over at the vampire, and was satisfied to see that he had managed to remain dead throughout my little outburst. I was also satisfied to see that I had managed to turn the lights on. I smiled to myself before I quickly placed the remote back down on the night stand, and climbed out of the bed.
His room was huge. It was at least double the size of my room at home. I wasn't at all surprised to see that his walls were painted a dark shade of red, and the color of his carpet was black. Eric had all kinds of pictures and paintings hung around his room. His floor was scattered with clothes that he had worn the previous day, and used towels that hadn't quite made their way back into the bathroom. I cocked an eyebrow at the vampire. Had he seriously not yet learned how to pick up after himself?
Eric had told me to make myself at home, so I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I looked around a little. I smiled to myself before I made my way over to the set of double doors on the right side of the room. I wasn't sure what I had expected to be on the other side of the doors, but I was shocked to see that Eric had his very own home theater room. It had two leather lounges (with built in cup holders!), a huge plasma television and a massive stereo system. After ogling the room for a moment longer, I quickly stepped out, and made my way across the room to the next door.
Behind this door was Eric's walk in closet. He had hangers filled with designer jackets, pants and shirts. Down the opposite end was a huge floor length mirror that covered the entire wall. I had never seen such a big closet in my entire life. Was it even called a closet? In my opinion it was more of a room devoted to clothes. I swallowed the lump in my throat, before I walked out, and closed the door behind me.
The last door was locked nice and tight. It had one of those fancy keypads like Eric had on the rest of his house, so I didn't even bother trying to open it. I sighed before I turned around and looked at the rest of the room. I till found it hard to believe that Eric had brought me here. Bill had never allowed me to go with him to his resting place, but something told me that Bill's hidey-hole was nothing compared to this.
I smiled when I noticed that the vampire had left a few things for me on the cupboard opposite the bed. He had a bottle of water, an apple and a banana. Sitting next to them was a brand new toothbrush and some toothpaste. I couldn't help but smile at the gesture. It was nice of Eric to remember my human needs like that, even if he was the one who had kidnapped me.
I went over and removed the lid off the bottled water, and took a drink. I hadn't even realized my mouth was dry, until that moment. Next, I picked up the apple and took a bite. I wasn't feeling very hungry, but decided I had to eat something. I continued to eat the piece of fresh fruit while I sat on the side of Eric's king sized bed. After I had devoured the apple, I went in and brushed my teeth, hair and splashed some cool water on my face. I felt much better when I came out of the bathroom a short while later. I wasn't sure what to do next, so I climbed back into the oversized bed beside the Viking. I tried not to think too intently about his nakedness; instead, I rolled onto my side, closed my eyes and drifted back into a darkened sleep.
When I woke up the bedroom light was still on, and the fans were still going. I thought about turning them off, but decided against the idea. I really didn't want to pick up that damn remote again, not after the trouble I had with it the last time. I chuckled to myself at the memory before I rolled over onto my other side.
"Sleep well?" I yelped out in surprise when I noticed the Viking sitting up in the bed beside me. He had the covers pulled up to his waist, and his bare chest was giving me an eyeful. "Sookie, why do you have the fans and the air conditioner turned on? It is the middle of winter...are you feeling hot?" he sounded slightly concerned about my wellbeing.
"I couldn't figure out how to turn them off. Here, you do it." I grabbed the remote and handed it to him. "Eric, where the hell are we, and why are we sharing a bed?" I raised my brow at the vampire before I sat up beside him.
"We are in my sleeping chamber, and I brought you here because I did not want to risk you trying to escape me before I awoke. I need to speak with you, and it cannot wait." He gave me a rather blank smile before pressing a button on the remote. The fans and the air conditioner instantly stopped. He then pushed another button which dimmed the fluorescent lights.
"I wasn't going to run away!" I climbed out of the bed, and turned to look at Eric with gaping eyes. "I know we need to talk, and I wasn't planning on going anywhere until we did. For crying out loud Eric, can you please put some clothes on?" I picked up his pants that were laying on the floor next to my feet, and threw them at the vampire.
"Sookie, you are not a prisoner here," he made that idea sound ludicrous. I had to quickly look away when the naked man climbed out of the bed. I bit down hard on my bottom lip, spun around as fast as what was possible, and closed my eyes in hopes of pushing the image I had just glimpsed out of my mind. "You do not have to look away. Sookie, you have seen this all before." Eric sounded more than amused about the situation.
My cheeks burned bright red at his spoken words, and I decided to ignore that statement. I was already feeling awkward enough without thinking too hard about his comment. It was only a second later when I felt a cool hand touch my shoulder, urging me to turn around. I inhaled a deep breath before I spun around to look at the now fully clothed Viking.
"Come with me." Eric started towards the locked door that I assumed was the exit. He typed in a code before holding the door open for me. I remembered my southern manners and thanked him before stepping through the now opened doorway.
We walked out into a short corridor. After closing the door of his sleeping chamber, Eric guided me a small way down the hall towards another code locked door. He typed yet another code into the keypad before he pulled the door open and gestured for me to go through first. I instantly complied. That door opened into a pitch black room. I suddenly felt rather claustrophobic at being in such a dark, tight space. Eric who stood on my right, seemed to pick up on my sudden burst of anxiety. He didn't say anything before he stepped closer to me, and lifted me up into his arms. For once I didn't say anything in objection.
Eric carried me up a large flight of stairs, and gently placed me down at the top. I couldn't see anything in there, but I could hear Eric typing in more numbers. I was then surprised when the wall in front of us opened, and we walked out into Eric's huge garage. I looked at the vampire with wide eyes. Neither of us spoke a word while Eric lead us through the garage entrance to his house. He quietly guided me down a long hallway and back into his familiar living room.
"Take a seat." I looked at the vampire and nodded before I took my place down on the leather lounge. "I have some things to tell you, and they cannot wait any longer."
"Eric-" he cut me off.
"No, you will be silent while I speak; is that clear?" His piercing blue eyes told me not to argue with him. I closed my mouth and nodded my head to show him that I understood. I wasn't sure what was with the suddenly serious version of Eric, but something told me not to question his authority right at that moment. "Good." He gave me one last look before he took a seat across from me. "Last night I was called into Fangtasia for a business meeting. Did Pam inform you about this?" I nodded. "Well, the business meeting was with a vampire named Andre. Andre is the Queen of Louisiana's child and servant. Do you remember when I told you about the Queen?"
"Yes, I remember," I replied, my voice only a whisper. What the hell was he talking about, and why did this have anything to do with me?
"Well, the Queen sent Andre to inform me that she wants me to go to her estate tonight in New Orleans. She is having a party and has requested my attendance." Okay, now I was more than confused. "And she has also ordered for you to accompany me. She has heard about you from one of her sources, and now I am afraid that she wants you for herself." Eric's eyes seemed to be filled with anger and frustration. My heart missed a beat at his words. To say that I was shocked, would have been an understatement. I had no idea what any of this meant.
"What does this mean, Eric?" I asked, surprised by how level my tone remained.
"It means that we have no choice but to go. When the Queen wants something, I must obey her wishes." The look that crossed Eric's face scared me to no end.
"No!" I shook my head, and ignored the tears that slipped from my lashes. "No! I won't go...I can't!" I jumped up from the lounge and went over to the other side of the room. "I don't want to go; I don't want the Queen to take me!" I didn't care how loud my voice sounded, and I didn't care how upset I was, there was no way in hell that I was going to get involved in anymore vampire shit.
"Sookie, you must calm down!" It only took Eric a second to cross the room and stand in front of me.
"Don't tell me to calm down!" I was all but screaming at him now.
"Sookie, if you do not relax, you will be at risk of fainting again." Eric stepped closer to me, and I fought the sudden urge to hold the vampire. I craved for him to comfort me; I craved for him to tell me that everything was going to be okay.
I nodded at the vampire before I wiped my now wet face on the back of my hand. When I had calmed down, I asked, "Okay, so what are we going to do?" hoping he had some kind of plan.
"Tonight we will travel to New Orleans to visit the Queen; we make it clear to her that you are mine, and then we leave." He made it sound simple.
"It's not going to be that easy, is it?" Another tear slipped from my eyes.
"Sookie, I promise you that I will not let any harm come to you or the child. I promise I will get you out of there, but you must have faith in me. Can you trust me, Sookie?"
I only had to think about that for a second. "Yes...I trust you." I nodded.
"Good, now come and sit back down, and listen to what I have to say," Eric replied while he went to take his place back on the lounge. I followed him silently before I sat down opposite him. "Sookie, if you promise to do everything I ask of you, then we will have a better chance of getting out alive; is that clear?"
I swallowed the lump in my throat. I looked up and gave him a slight nod. "What...what do I need to do?"
Eric leaned forward on the chair, he clasped his hands together on the top of his knees, and continued to look into my eyes. "First, I am going to suggest that you allow me to drink from you." Okay...I was not expecting him to say that. "Sookie, we must make the Queen think that I feed from you."
"Will it be safe for you to take my blood while I'm pregnant?" I asked, hoping to find an excuse to get out of his suggestion.
"I will only take a small amount; I assure you that it will not be enough to harm you or the baby."
I sighed. "Fine, but only a sip, that's all." I gave him a look that told him I was serious.
"A sip is all it will take," he replied, sounding satisfied by my response.
I could not believe what I was agreeing too. How on earth had I managed to get myself into this situation? How did my life turn into such a big mess? One minute everything was normal and okay, and then the next minute I was pregnant with a vampire, jobless, summoned to visit the vampire Queen of Louisiana, and then to top it off, I had to feed Eric my blood. What the hell had happened to my life?
"Sookie, you must promise me that you will do everything I tell you to do when we are in the presence of the Queen. You must promise me that you will not speak unless I give you permission, and you must obey every order I give to you. Do you understand?" I suddenly felt nauseous. The idea of submitting to this man was not something I was excited about; but, I knew that I had no other choice.
I answered, "Okay, I promise."
"Good, and remember that you are to only listen to me. You are my human; no other vampire has the right to control you, not even the Queen."
"Okay, I understand." I inhaled a deep breath in an attempt to calm my nerves. "Is there anything else I need to remember?" I asked.
"Yes, there is one other thing." Eric's eyes drifted down to his hands.
"What?"
"They must not find out that your child is mine."
"What!...Why?" I looked at him in confusion.
"Because, if anyone else is aware that I am the sire of your child, your life we be at risk. You must understand that my enemies would jump at the chance to get to me through you. I cannot let that happen. Do you understand?" I could understand what he was saying, but that didn't mean I had to like the idea of keeping my baby's father a secret. I didn't want my child to be born into a web of lies. I reminded myself to talk with Eric more about this later; this definitely was not the end of that conversation.
"Okay, I understand, I won't tell anyone." I looked at Eric and gave him a small, nervous smile. "But, what are we supposed to tell the Queen? If Bill could smell that I was pregnant, wouldn't she be able to as well?"
"Yes, she will know the second she sees you." he nodded in agreement. "We will have to tell her that you had a one night stand with another human." I repulsed at Eric's suggestion. Anyone who knew me, knew that I was the last person to ever have a one night stand, but I guess I didn't have any other options. "Sookie, you will be fine as long as you remember not to say anything to anyone, okay?"
"Okay." Was all I said in response before Eric rose out of his seat.
"Pam has arrived. It is time for us to go." My stomach turned at the thought of leaving. I found myself wishing that I could have a pair of red sparkly shoes, just like the ones Dorothy wore in The Wizard of Oz. Oh, how great it would be to tap my heels three times and appear back home. I let out a sigh when I thought about being in my own bed, and sitting in my own kitchen. The thought almost brought a smile to my face. The saying was definitely true...there really was no place like home.
A/N: Okay guys!! so tell me what you thought of this chapter!! what do you think will happen in the next one? and what would you like to see happen?
I promise you that I will try to get the next chapter out soon!!!
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