The Healing Heart – Chapter 14
Bill and Eric faced forward and began to move around each other in a slow circle. Each man was looking for an opening to strike. From where she was standing with Judith and Claude, Sookie could see Eric's face; his fangs were fully extended, and he had an arrogant, confident sneer on his lips. He clearly thought beating the younger, weaker vamp would be an easy task; he didn't expect the fight to last very long. Sookie's heart clutched in fear. Claude and Judith, both sensing her fear, each took one of her hands in their own. The three of them stood together; Sookie drew support and comfort from her cousin and Bill's sibling.
In the ring, the combatants had eyes only for each other. Circling half way, Bill now faced Sookie. She could see that his fangs were also fully extended and his lipswere drawn back in a feral snarl. His eyes were filled with bloodlust. Ferocious, rumbling growls emanated from somewhere deep in his chest. Bill was not afraid of the larger, older vamp and Sookie knew it. She knew Bill had always been tough; he did not look for fights, but he was a ferocious fighter when he had to be. Back in Shreveport, after Eric tricked her into taking his blood in Dallas, she had seen Bill rock Eric with one punch. He had been so angry with the older vamp that Sookie had thought he lost his mind; she had to pull him away before there was more fighting.
She knew that vampire bodies did not produce testosterone, but air reeked of it tonight. The fairies and the vampires were all caught up in the scent of battle and were excited. They stamped their feet, hooted and howled their encouragement to the two fighters. War cries arom both sides rent the air at ear splitting levels. Even Claude and Judith were caught up in fight frenzy. Sookie was affected too; she could feel her own bloodlust rising and she was sexually excited as well. The only one who seemed unaffected was Nyall. He stood and watched the proceedings impassively from the other side of the ring.
The spectators ooh-ed and aah-ed as both men feinted and parried. Eric landed a hard, solid blow to Bill's face and blood spewed all over his chest. Bill, at least eight inches shorter, much lighter and with a shorter arm reach than Eric, came back with a blur of punches faster than a jack hammer. The blows rocked the viking back several feet. A ribbed cracked and Sookie could see Eric's eyes open in surprise. "This won't be as easy as you thought, will it?" she screamed at him.
Pam lunged at Bill. She was caught up in the bloodlust too, and she wanted to defend her maker. The taller, more powerful Deidre moved in a blur; she swatted the small blond vamp away like a fly. Pam bounced back, and Deidre smashed her with a punch her so hard that Pam flew backward into the vamps behind her knocking two of them over. "Stay down, bitch! They fight alone!" the old female warrior commanded. Pam struggled to get back into the ring, but the other vamps held her down.
Bill and Eric took no notice of the mini drama that played out between their seconds. They traded blow after blow, punch after punch. The sounds echoed with sickening reverberations. Blood, spit and flesh flew every where as the two tore out huge chunks of each others body with their fangs and claws. Their grunts, snarls and growls were loud and terrible to hear. Both men gave as good as they got, but so far neither was winning.
When the fighting started, Bill could feel Sookie pouring her love and support through their new bond. It made him even more determined to win. As the fight progressed, he felt his hold on conscious thought slip with each blow and each bite until he didn't know who or what he was; he sometimes didn't know his own name. One thought, and one thought only, consumed his whole being: kill the male who stole his mate; destroy the male who wanted to take her now.
Sookie felt Bill's mind retreat to a primitive level as his limbic lobe took over. He was no longer a sentient being. He was governed now by the most primitive reptilian part of his brain. He was a raging killing machine. That frightened her to the very center of her being.
Eric seemed to sense the change in Bill too as the smaller, younger vamp's blows became harder, more vicious, more punishing. Sookie's voice kept echoing in his mind. "I love Bill, and I always have. If you kill him, I will hate you forever." Eric would not believe that; he could not believe that. She would change her mind, he just knew she would, so he fought on. He was determined to destroy the usurper who took his wife. He wanted to kill Bill and erase every trace of him from Sookie's mind.
A particularly hard set of blows from Eric, sent Bill reeling. Sookie screamed; she didn't want to see anymore. She turned and hid her face in Claude's chest, but her cousin made her turn around. "Don't turn your face, Sookie! You must watch. You are Bill's mate, and he is fighting for you. If you turn away now, you will shame him. You will shame his family. You will shame us all. You must watch; it is the fairy way." he said fiercely.
Sookie looked up and saw the pride in Claude's face as he watched Bill fight. Bill had fae blood in him and pride radiated from the other fairies too. She looked over at Judith who nodded in agreement. Claude and Judith each grabbed one of her hands again. Stiffening her spine, Sookie forced herself to face the fighters. She would not shame Bill tonight after what he was going through for her, but tears filled her eyes blurring her vision.
Fear for Bill and a flash of hatred for Eric Northman burned like hot coals in her heart. Her thoughts raced like a speeding bullet: Eric had to know there was no point to what he was doing. She would never go back to him, never! But, if he couldn't have her, he seemed determined to kill the man she loved. Over and over she asked herself why had she ever turned to Eric in the first place. If she hadn't done it, Bill would not be fighting him tonight.
She swore to herself that if Bill died tonight, she would find a way to kill Eric if it was the last thing she ever did in this life. Bill hesitated for a moment and looked back over his shoulder at her. She knew he was reading her emotions through the bond, and it was distracting him. Eric took advantage of Bill's distraction and ripped out a piece of his shoulder. Sookie hated Eric even more for that, but she closed her mind down tight. Bill fought on.
Time slowed to a crawl as Bill and Eric continued to trade blows. Suddenly, Bill went down on one knee; his head sagged forward limply. Eric gave a triumphant snarl; he knew he had won and stepped forward to make the final kill, but Bill was only faking, trying to lure the older, stronger vamp in closer to him. As the viking neared, Bill leaped to the side and delivered a breathtaking sledge hammer blow to the older vamp's chest. The side of Eric's chest caved inward as all the ribs on that side broke. He staggered backward and went down on his knees. Pain contorted his features and blood poured from his mouth.
Suddenly, Sookie's words echoed in his mind again. "No matter what happens tonight, I will never be yours. Bill is mine! He is the only husband I want; the only one I will ever want."
Why am I doing this? he asked himself. Bill was fighting harder and more ferociously than a vamp his age should have been able to fight. He wondered if it was Bill's fae blood, or his love for Sookie that made him so fierce, but either way, Eric knew it didn't matter. Bill had everything to gain by winning tonight, while he had nothing to gain at all. Eric knew he was being ruled by his emotions; he was fighting mindlessly out of pure hatred and the need for revenge. Even if he won the fight tonight, he would still lose Sookie.
In that moment, Eric acknowledged to himself that he could not beat Bill. At best, he could only tie the younger vamp. At worst, he could be seriously damaged, perhaps even killed. Hatred and the need for revenge evaporated. Common sense took over, and Eric Northman , the Sheriff of Area 5, held up his hands and said, "I yield! I concede!"
If Bill heard Eric's concession, he gave no evidence of it. He flung himself at Eric once more only to crash into an invisible barrier. He was flung back at least ten feet. "I said no one dies tonight!" Nyall shouted. He had erected the barrier because he knew Bill would not be able to control himself. Bill flung himself against the barrier again and again until finally he realized he had won. His rage and bloodlust started to subside. All the vamps, except Eric, flew off into the night. Sookie breathed a sigh of relief and turned to hug Claude.
Bill was still standing alone; he was exhausted and his body was trembling all over when a strong breeze blew Sookie's scent to him. His head snapped in her direction as if being pulled by a string. He sniffed the air, and smelled her scent again, but he also scented the male standing beside her. He smelled Claude. His bloodlust started to rise again; he had to get his mate away from the other male. Pure sexual lust surged through Bill. He emitted a deep rumbling snarl as he flew toward his mate and the other male.
"Oh, shit!" Claude said. "Go to Bill! Now, Sookie! Go!" He popped away.
Sookie didn't hear Claude; she felt Bill's surging lust through the bond and her body responded in kind. On automatic pilot, she turned and sped toward him; her mind was just as insensate as his. When they met in mid-stride, Bill snatched her up and flew into the air. They came down seconds later in the cemetery on top of her grandmother's grave. Under a starry sky, with soft night breezes blowing, on the soft grass and amid the flowers that covered the spot where Adele Stackhouse lay, Bill Compton finally claimed his mate.
Sookie would remember every moment of that night for the rest of her life. She had often felt that there was something wild and savage inside her. That night proved she was right. There was nothing soft or tender in their coupling; it was wild and primal. As they joined together, their mutual savage fae blood, combined with Bill's vampire nature, took over and claimed them both. They whirled down, down, down into a maelstrom of sex and blood and pure animal pleasure. Each intent on pleasuring the other.
Within moments of their landing, Sookie's clothing and Bill's pants were in shreds. She wanted to kiss him, but after one short kiss, he pushed her back on the ground and spread her legs wide. He buried his face and nose deep in her sex and inhaled her scent. She was hot and wet already; the heady perfume of her arousal drove him wild. He began to lap at her; his tongue tortured and probed as he began to suck lightly at the sensitive tissues of her clit. He slid two fingers inside her hot, wet channel;he could feel her body clamping hard against his hand. His other hand massaged one breast as he found his rhythm, fucking her hard with his fingers and kissing her swollen mound. Sookie bucked and thrashed under his ministrations and mindlessly begged him not to stop.
Within seconds a shuddering orgasm rushed through her sending waves of tremors down her body. Her toes curled inward as she gasped for breath. Sookie's salty, spicy sweet essence washed across Bill's lips and he drank her in. Sookie shouted his name as Bill reared back on his haunches and howled triumphantly to the skies. "She's mine! Sookie's mine!" She howled right back, "I'm yours, Bill. Only yours!"
Their lust was raw, and strong like a primal force of nature. He flipped Sookie over on all fours and entered her from behind. He grunted and groaned wordlessly and gutturally as he pumped furiously into her. Sookie moved to his rhythm; she was insensate with the pleasure he gave her. Finally Bill leaned over her back and bit down hard on her shoulder. He sucked and lapped, sucked and lapped, again and again as Sookie felt a sweet, but welcome pain in her shoulder. Bill tasted her wonderful sweet, spicy blood in his mouth. He drank deep, reared back and roared again. Together they reached a climax so strong she thought her body would melt. They called out words of love over and over.
Bill sealed the wounds made by his fangs with his saliva, but that was not enough for Sookie. She wanted his blood and she struggled to bite him back. Sensing what she needed, Bill turned her to face him. Using his sharp fingernail, he slashed himself across his right nipple. He didn't even have the time to pull his finger back when Sookie attacked. She latched onto his nipple sucking for all she was worth, growling like an animal as Bill's blood poured down her throat and into her body. By the time the wound stopped bleeding, Bill was inside her once more and moving fast until they both climaxed over and over. Finally the lust subsided and love took over completely as they lay holding each other. They kissed and caressed each other as their bodies rippled with a series of aftershocks. After a few minutes they became aware of their surroundings. The night air was fragrant and balmy; it cooled her heated skin.
They were so involved with each other, neither of them saw the tall, blonde vampire standing at the edge of the cemetery watching them intently. Eric's wounds had healed, but pain ripped through his heart as he watched Sookie with Bill. He felt like a voyeur, but he could not stop watching. He had hoped Sookie would reject Bill and say that she wanted him, but she didn't. He hated seeing them together. How he wished that he was the one she was touchingand caressing; how he wished that he was the one exchanging blood with her and giving her so much pleasure. As he listened to them exchanging words of love, Eric could finally take no more; he had enough. With a savage cry of his own, he jumped into the air and flew toward Shreveport and home.
Bill was fully himself now. "Sookie, sweetheart, did I hurt you? Are you cold?" he asked. Worry was painted across his face. "No." she said. "Lets go home, Bill." He started for her house, but she pulled him back. Together they walked naked through the night toward his house. They had just enough time to shower and get into his big bed by the time dawn arrived.
Bill had light-proofed his bedroom some months after they separated, and Sookie was glad for it as they lay together naked and clean. As daylight's deathlike sleep overtook him, Bill pulled her in close to him and put one arm over her body and one leg over hers. Sookie slept for hours beside the man she loved with her head resting on his arm and one arm encircling his chest. Around nine, she stirred and turned over. Even in his sleep, Bill was loath to let go of her. Automatically, he pulled her back to him spooning himself around her backside leaving no space between them. His leg still covered hers and his hand cupped her breast.
Around two, Sookie woke up again and gently disentangled her body from Bill's. Since her shredded clothing had been left in the graveyard, she pulled on one of Bill's shirts and found a pair of jeans. She rolled up the cuffs as best she could and walked through the graveyard to her house. Claude was there packing his things.
Quickly scrambling some eggs, she talked to Claude as he put his boxes in the living room.
"Why are you leaving, Claude? I will miss you. Can't you stay a little while longer?" she asked.
"I will miss you too, Sookie, but since you and Bill are back together, I think you two need your privacy. It's time for me to go home. I don't think you two need a third wheel hanging around. Besides, unless I miss my guess, you probably won't be spending too much time here anyway." Claude laughed, but he sounded sad as he spoke. Sookie nodded at the truth of his words.
"Will you be okay? I mean, won't you be lonely in Monroe?" she asked.
"No. Uncle Dermot is going to move in with me permanently when he's recovered. He's decided he would rather stay here on earth. I intend to visit you a lot, so you are not rid of me by any means. Besides, I think I may have another house guest soon." Claude gave a big pleased smile.
"Bridget?" Sookie guessed. "Did you convince her to move here? Will she move in with you?"
"Almost, but not yet, but I'm sure I will convince her when she finds out she's pregnant. If I am right about her, she will be happy to move in with me." Claude laughed triumphantly.
Sookie was shocked. "How can you know if she's pregnant? It has barely been a week since you saw her. Anyway how do you think she will react. How do you feel about it, if she is pregnant."
Claude snickered softly. "I knew when I took her to the airport. Fairies are never wrong about these things. She will just love it, and so will I. You know, I never thought I would become a father after all these years, especially since I usually prefer men. She is the first female that I have been attracted to in a long, long time."
Sookie was worried. "But Claude, do you think you can be in a committed relationship with a woman without wanting cheat on her with a man? Isn't that kind of denying who and what you are? Won't that hurt Bridget a lot if you decide you want to be with a male partner?"
Claude countered, "I thought I explained that I like both men and women, and when I am with someone, I never cheat. I never want to. I think I half fell in love with Bridget the night we met, and I know she feels the same way about me. I feel so good when I am around her; I want to see where this feeling leads. I think fate brought us together, and now there will be a baby. A boy I think. Father and Grandfather will be so proud. Of course, I want to be with her, and I know she wants to be with me. I want to raise our son with her. If she will have me, I want to marry her. Sometimes you just have to play the hand that you are dealt, Sookie, and I am very happy with this hand, cousin." Claude was firm.
"Oh, by the way, Judith is sleeping in the closet in the small bedroom. She didn't want to sleep at Bill's today for obvious reasons. I told her it was all right that she could stay here. Is that okay with you?" Claude continued.
Sookie nodded. She owed Judith a lot and someday she hoped to get the chance to tell her so. "That's fine, Claude. I will bring her things over later, just in case. I think Bill and I will be pretty busy tonight." she giggled.
Two hours later, Sookie returned to Bill's with a few groceries and an overnight bag packed with toiletries and some clothing. She gathered all of Judith's things which wasn't hard to do; they were all in a small bedroom upstairs. It was clear that Judith had not slept in Bill's bed this visit, but used the spot hidden in the floor behind the living room wall. Somehow that made Sookie happy and made Judith seem classy. Sookie wrote her a note to thank her and asked her to stop by Bill's to talk one more time before she left for Little Rock. She went home, placed Judith's things and the note in the small bedroom and walked back across the cemetery once more.
An hour before sundown, Sookie took a long leisurely bath, brushed her teeth, washed her hair and brushed it dry. From her overnight bag, she took out a blue silk teddy that Bill and bought for her before they separated. The garment had been hanging in her closet; it had never been worn. She turned on a lamp, and slid back into bed with Bill and waited. She was in his arms and facing him when he awoke. She softly touched his face as he reached out for her. "I was afraid that it was only a dream." he murmured as he kissed her.
At the touch her her sweet lips, Bill knew it wasn't a dream; it was real. He kissed her slowly, thrillingly. He lit the flame of her desire just as she lit his. This time their lovemaking was slow, deliberate and tender. It was a "Welcome Home" lovemaking. He knew she loved him, just as he loved her.
'I love you, Sookie." he said. A year and a half had passed since they separated, but finally they were together again. All the pain, loneliness and anger that filled his heart for all those months was gone forever. He had been a fool, but he had gotten a second chance, and he was determined not to screw it up this time. His heart that had once been so broken and shattered was now finally healed. Now, he looked forward to a new beginning with the woman he loved.
"I love you too, Bill." she said once more. She could hardly believe that they were together again. She was in his arms, and she knew that this was where she belonged. For eighteen months, her life had been mostly confusion and loneliness. For eighteen months her life had been incomplete. She had been such a fool, but she had gotten a second chance, and she would not screw it up this time. Her heart that had once been so broken, was now finally healed. Now, she looked forward to a new beginning with the man she loved.
Sookie fell asleep in his arms; it was a deep peaceful sleep. Bill watched her while she slept, and he was grateful.
As he lay beside, Sookie, he gave thanks to his sibling and former lover, Judith Vardamon, without whose help this would never have happened. He knew Judith was in love him; she had never fooled him for a minute. He knew that he would always be a little in love with Judith too, but Sookie was his soul mate; she was the one he was born to be with. He prayed to God that Judith would find happiness and a new love soon. In fact, he knew she would.