Firstly, I own nothing to do with True Blood, or SVM. I just love Eric and Sookie, like most I'm sure. And still do, even though it's been a terribly long time since I've update. For that, I truly apologize. My life has been completely hectic, and I've been thrown out of balance. I haven't given up on this story, and I intend to complete it because it's something I feel I need to do.
I am so sorry guys for leaving you hanging for so long. I truly thank you all so, so much for your interest in this, and anyone who still remains interested. It is truly flattering, and I love you all so much! Hoping you will forgive me!
And, I am sincerely hoping this long-overdue update will make up for it! So sorry, lovelies! xx
Chapter Twelve
I came around to something soft underneath my backside. Vaguely, I came aware that I was sitting on a chair. And, as I gauged my surroundings shrewdly with my ears, I gathered I was not alone.
Men. I was surrounded by a bunch of men.
One was talking ceremoniously to the others, a deep voice I distinctively recognized the instance my hearing cleared.
Eric? Eric Northman?
At first, I felt my heart swell and burst with relief. He was here. He could protect me now. Or so I naïvely thought.
When my eyes popped open a moment later, I felt over four eyes watching my every movement. My eyes first landed on Mr. Compton, who was scrutinizing me carefully from where he stood motionless, roughly a meter away from me. His mouth was curled into a smug grin. I glared at him with full-blown hate in my eyes, before sweeping my eyes over everyone else.
A man, who I did not recognize by appearance, but heard his name fall from Mr. Compton's tongue. Talbot? I turned my head to the side to where a man was speaking across from me and, holy hell!
My heart about plunged down into the depths of my stomach.
"The fate of vampires everywhere rests in her hands. It's quite the wondrous thing, isn't it?" Eric Northman was saying to the men.
It was like he was part of the entire operation; a group of vamps who maliciously wanted my blood. It hurt and stung me the most, because I could not tell, for sure, whether he was putting on some façade or not. No one could act that well, or lie that seamlessly, surely.
He chuckled, and eyed me speculatively. It was... weird. What in God's holy name did he think he was playing at? He was supposed to be protecting me from the very likes of these men, so why on earth was he acting like a man among them?
"Eric Northman," I whimpered out to him meaningfully through a raspy, sore voice, pleading with my eyes alone for any logical explanation into what he was aiming for.
I couldn't understand his intentions at all, right about then. All he did, was stare right back down at me uncomprehendingly, grinning like an elated fool who's won the lottery, along with the other vamps.
He walked around me slowly, ignoring my squirming in the chair, like a shark that circles his prey. I couldn't turn my face to see him any longer- my neck wouldn't stretch that far, darn it- but I could certainly feel him right behind me. I could certainly hear him, in the ways his shoes scuffled against the floorboards as he walked. And then, I felt him kneel behind me. He grabbed a handful of my hair, and God knows what he was doing with it. I felt his fingers rub into it gently, like he was luxuriating in the texture of the strands, or something. And then, he moved to my side. I looked up at him questioningly, my mouth bobbing open and shut very nearly like a fish out of water.
His blue eyes held my own, bright and gleaming. And then, sending me gasping, he bent down and brought the handful of my hair up to his nose. He gave out a long sniff, holding my side-long look all the while, and when I cringed in disgust, he then let rip a small, bemused laugh.
He turned to look behind his shoulder at this curly-haired man- Talbot, was it?
"I would handle this Tiny Stackhouse delicately, if I were you. As we're all highly aware, she is quite valuable. She is the only key left in order for the King to completely fulfil his long, sought-after plan's of actively day-walking, as the last standing relative of the Faerie race. Therefore, we must keep her unharmed and untasted at all times, until he makes his safe arrival into Bon Temps."
I gasped aloud, shooting him a searing look. I couldn't believe him at all. "You damn traitorous son of a moth- Mmmph!"
Before I knew it, one of his large hands shot out to cover over my mouth. I wriggled then, trying to get my mouth free, with all my might. I moaned shrilly into his palm, I opened my mouth wide as it would possibly go and attempted to latch onto his fingers tightly with my front and lower teeth. Everything and nothing was no darn good.
I had an unwilling set of spectators then, in this strange Talbot man and creepy Mr. Compton, was who watching me like I was some fabulous mysterious creature from another planet designed specifically as a product to cause him great amusement, and nothing less.
Hell, I even had Eric amused, which was the very last of my spiteful intentions. I had only meant to somehow pierce into his hand with my teeth, and cause him great anguish over the way he had deceived not only me, but my Gran, in such an unforgivable way in turning on me the way he had, and yet I couldn't even successfully have that.
"Oh, she's a feisty one, isn't she?" He remarked, his deep voice slick with humour.
This Talbot man threw his head back and laughed, all at my expense. And well, as for Mr. Compton, he was sitting quiet as a mouse on my Gran's sofa, knocking his knees together, the epitome of clarity. God, I hated him. In fact, I was becoming to realize, I hated all vampires. They were all solely good-for-nothing, lying asswipes. Every single damn one of them!
"I do have to admit, however unutterable it is for me to speak in such a favourable light about a human... that she's been such fun to have around. It will truly be a tragedy to have to lose her, once the King's finished with her."
I squealed into his hand, and moaned, when he raised his other hand. He ruffled the top of my hair with his palm, jostling my head around forcefully.
"But... seeing as the King has yet to arrive, I suggest we move her into another room, until he does so. During the short amount of time I've spent with her, I've learned she can become the most provocative little human when she desires to be. And- do trust in me when I say this, gentleman- to a short-fused vampire like myself, it was almost unmanageable to resist killing her, when she pushed me to extremes the way she did. Which was, I have to say..." He paused dramatically into an eery silence for effect.
Just when I was wondering what was going on, he grabbed me by the chin, and pulled my head, neck straining, until my tear-striken eyes met his from where he hovered from behind my chair.
I swallowed thickly against his hand at the look in his eyes for me, when he finished slowly, "...a daily occurence. In fact..." My heart felt it had leapt up into my throat, when the fangs popped out menacingly in-between his lips, "I find myself scarcely able to resist now." He ran his tongue over his lips loudly.
What the hell, Eric?
My mind was screaming up at him in outrage.
"Enough, Mr. Northman!"
Talbot's voice came from my right, loud and furious.
"Has no one ever told you, it is in bad manner to play with your food, hmm? Most especially, in front of your guests, handsome. Put the girl away, as you insist, so that we all won't become just as tempted to play."
Eric threw a conspicuous wink down at me, before lifting his gaze and sweeping it over Mr. Talbot.
"Certainly," he whispered, in a more serious tone of voice. "It would be a pleasure." He cleared his throat loudly, and finally, at true last, unfurled his thick fingers from my chin.
He didn't remove the hand that was pressing tightly into my lips, not even when he pulled me out of the seat by the crook of my elbow. He towed me along with him, smiling tight-lipped all the while at the other two vamps, and it was only when we were trudging up the staircase that he loosened his clasp from around my mouth and let his hand fall limply to his side.
I turned back to look at him sharply, glowering. He was gnawing his teeth together, his eyes ablaze in fury.
And, why the hell should he be the one angry here? Damn hypocrite!
I paused from my walking deliberately on the last step to the second floor. Deliberately, on his part also to make me resume walking, he bumped into my shoulder and sighed loudly through his nostrils when it dawned onto him I wasn't gonna budge.
"What the hell do you think you're-"
"- Shut up," he interrupted me in a low voice, vehemently.
"You're a liar, Eric Northman," I hissed back up at him petulantly. "A big, old traitor! I will never forgive you for this, you bastard!"
He started breathing strenuously at my uncontrollable insults. My verbal filter was clearly not working all that well. I knew I had made him beyond irritated, but I just couldn't help it.
He grabbed me by the shoulders, and started steering me along the hallway with him, all the while grudgingly listening to me cuss my heart out. I was truly unstoppable once I got started, that was for sure all right.
Once we reached my bedroom, he shoved me inside and then turned back to close the door loudly behind us.
"Hi, Tiny Stackhouse. My name is Eric Northman, and I have been assigned to protect you!" I dropped my mocking tone, when I observed the way he paced back and forth around my bedroom like a madman on fire. I threw my head back and laughed over at him viciously. "What a load of crock! If there is one thing I've learned about vamps since you came along into my life, it's that all of you are full of no more than blood and shi-"
"Quiet." The word came out of his mouth absolutely flat. He stilled momentarily from his pacing to give me a side-long look of pleading. "I am trying to concentrate here. Would it be possible for you to keep your hysterical, little teenage mouth shut, even for a minute or are you incapable of doing even something as simple as that?"
I scoffed at him. Ouch. Well, that stung something shocking. Thanks for protecting my easily-wounded teenage feelings, you big heartless oaf!
"I don't care if you need to concentrate!" I couldn't help myself. I started sobbing, and hard. It felt like I had a big hole in my chest, all due to everything. All due to learning of Mr. Compton's betrayal to my Gran, and now... Eric's. And, most especially, that my Gran has somehow mysteriously disappeared somewhere. She was nowhere in the house, and no one would even so much as show me the courtesy I deserved in telling me just where she was at present. Everything right now was so damn stressful. All I could do was cry, and cry loud. "All I know, is that Eric Northman, you are a big liar and a phony!" I clutched at my chest, wheezing for air. I saw him staring at me through my wet vision, and his face looked almost... less severe somehow. Sympathetic, almost? Hell, unless it was my eyesight playing tricks on me. Probably was, no doubt. "And, my... my poor Gran! I... I don't even know where the hell she is... she's probably dead because of... because of all this!"
I probably came across as so pathetic to him. I could feel my nose running all over the place, and I desperately needed a tissue. I turned away from him, avoiding him out of my own sense of pride and attempted, without dignity, to clean up my leaking nose with the sleeve of my cardigan. I was a slobbering mess.
"Somebody put me out of my misery," I cried weakly, "Lord knows I deserve it right now!"
"Stop being so melodramatic," he hissed over at me, short of a guttural growl. "All you need right now, in your uncontrolled state... is a handkerchief." Turns out, I was right. It was a trick of my wet vision! The man held no sense of pity for me at all! "Now I don't say this to make you cry even more, but please, Tiny... by the grace of God and all that's good, shut the hell up! I need a clear head to think all of this through!"
"You know what, I actually hate your guts," I seethed, through angry tears, "And, even if it's the last thing I ever get to do before this King gets to me, I'll pay you back for all of this! Every single damn one of you, I swear to God! For Gran, for myself, for-" So quickly, he pushed me backwards until I felt my backside knock into the spongy mattress of my bed. "What the hell, Eric?" I enquired loudly, half a startled shriek, when he crawled onto the bed over me with his legs at my sides, pushing me deeper into the mattress. His hands came up over my head, his face almost inches from mine and our noses very nearly touching. It was affecting me in many ways, to the point where I felt on the dangerous verge of hyperventilating. I was too wary to even so much as breath while we were being close like this.
"Be quiet, Tiny. I am trying to deal with you very leniently here. I am trying to figure out how we can bide some time, before the King finally get's what he wants and everything has come to fruition!"
His words surprised me, in a whole new way. What? So, he wasn't trying to purposefully get me killed after all? I sniffled loudly, and wiped my nose all over my sleeve again, as safely as I possibly could over the lack of proximity he had placed between our faces.
"All righty, then." I tried to breathe slowly and deeply as the only way to calm myself, attempting to coax myself out of my silly hysterical antics. "Tell me," I demanded unsteadily. "What the hell is going on through that head of yours right now? Because I... I fail to see how any of this is helping my cause when you're acting like you're on their side of the table in... in trying to kill me?"
"Because, it would be more beneficial if I seem to be on their side, Tiny." His voice lowered. "I will gladly tell you the half of it, if you would kindly shut up and let me without crying like a wounded dog."
"My God." I eyed him critically. "You have no idea how to talk to a girl, do you? You have no concept of just how upsetting your-"
"You're absolutely correct on that, Tiny." His words were as quiet as a whisper, and stressed. "I have no fucking idea whatsoever, and it is terrifying, quite frankly." He was uttering the words so fast, in a strangled voice, that I had to strain my ears to catch every single word carefully. "In fact, I want nothing more in the world than to never have to be placed into a situation similar to this ever again, because I am coming to understand, very quickly, that children your age are extremely difficult to associate with and, truthfully... I find it now a blessing in disguise, that I am unable to breed and have tiny humans like yourse-"
"- What in all that's glorious in the world is going on in here?"
Oops. Eric stiffened at the sound of another man's theatrical voice, and so did I in unison. He recollected himself a moment later, and pushed off the bed, climbing away from me.
It took me a moment to recover myself. I felt so friggen flustered by everything.
"Let us alone, if you please." This unidentifiable man said and, without even so much as a further glance or word back at me, Eric did what he requested dutifully, at once.
I stared him down, wishing so badly I could have had the ability to singe holes with my eyes, like laser vision, through his back when he crossed the room.
How could he do this to me? Leave me alone with this... man?
I swore to myself then, I would trust no one.
There had to be some way I could make it through this alive, all by my good, old self.
Trust no one. Not even damn stinking vamps. A new motto to live by, and a sensible one, at that
Hope you're still enjoying and interested? Please let me know, love you guys! So sorry for leaving you all waiting! I'll update more quickly now and get into a more frequent routine of it :-)