Addicted To Love

by BonTempsBaby

Sequel to "Pour Some Sugar On Me". Sookie and Eric come to terms with their new relationship. Very romantic, with more action in second half. Told from multiple POV's. Rated M for mature situations. Eric/Sookie/Bill/Pam

21. Chapter 21

Author's Notes: I hope everyone has had a happy holiday season so far. I for one am relieved that another Christmas has come and gone. I am sorry about the delay in posting, but I just flat ran out of time. Hopefully, I will get caught up with my writing (and my sleep) soon.

**** If any of you speak or read Welsh, I could use some help with translations! Send me a PM if you are willing.

Chapter 21

Sookie's POV: Las vegas, Saturday (Coronation)

After our very intense lovemaking, I had fallen into a deep, refreshing sleep. The next day, it was well after noon when I opened my eyes. All the tension from the prior week seemed to have left my body, leaving in its place a feeling of complete contentment and happiness. My sweet vampire had gone out of his way to make me realize how silly I was to have thought he was interested in an old flame. It was inevitable that over time I would probably have to face lots of other females who had once had sex with him; but as he rightly pointed out, I was the only woman who ever had or ever would carry a piece of his very life force within me. I did feel very, very special... not to mention lucky.

I rolled over and snuggled up to my resting vampire. His big cool body felt so good to me! I pressed my lips to his muscular shoulder, and let my intense love for him flow through me. I must have put more umph into it than I had intended, because almost immediately I felt/heard … I love you, too, my Angel.... and then it faded out. I smiled in delight. I really had not intended to disturb his rest, but it was really cool to know we could do it even when we weren't being threatened.

I lay next to him for quite awhile, just savoring our closeness. I closed my eyes, and thought about our fantastic love-making of the prior night, and especially how wonderful it had felt when his fangs punctured my skin. I shivered with pleasure at the memory. I had missed that so much! Eventually, though, I had to get up for the usual reasons. Since I wasn't planning on going out just yet, I just slipped on a robe and pulled my hair back into a casual ponytail. Looking in the mirror, I was glad to see that my eyes were only slightly pink from my major crying jag of the night before; furthermore, I was sporting a very distinct set of fang marks for the first time in months... which made me grin like an idiot at my reflection. As long as I had been taking Eric's blood regularly, they were almost always gone in a couple of hours. Eric was always very particular about my skin being "flawless," but this time he was just going to have to live with them. Right now, I was ridiculously proud of those tiny holes; and I couldn't seem to keep myself from running my finger over them, to reassure myself that they were still there.

On the way back through the bedroom, I bent down and picked up a pair of Eric's jeans and a black t-shirt off the floor, where he had obviously dropped them before coming to bed. That vampire! He was so used to having maids, that he had a tendency to be somewhat messy. For example, his tuxedo pants were also lying in a heap by the side of our bed... huh. Two pairs of pants? I guessed he must have gotten up and dressed again, after I was asleep. I could see a book lying open on the arm of a nearby chair, so he must have stayed up and read for awhile. That was fairly normal, but he usually didn't bother getting dressed to do it. My vampire was extremely comfortable in his own skin, and loved to lounge around as naked as a jaybird... which was usually just fine by me! I was folding the jeans to put them away, when a pair of black leather gloves fell out of the pocket. I picked them up, and stared at them. A tiny little bell went off in the back of my head. Why on earth would Eric need a pair of gloves in the middle of a warm desert? What had my vampire been up to last night after I was asleep?

A terrible thought floated through my mind. Even though I had not gotten around to telling him about her attempt to glamour me, Eric had seen how upset I had been over Sabriel... surely to goodness he wouldn't have taken things to an extreme, and done something to her. That would be just... just... well, honestly, that would be just like a vampire. As much as I disliked her, being a pain-in-the-ass old girlfriend wasn't exactly a reason for being sent to your final death. Also, I knew that one vampire killing another was frowned upon, even if the one doing the killing was a King; and I would hate for him to get into trouble. Taking the gloves into the bathroom, I examined them closely in the light. I gave a sigh of relief when I could not detect even a smidgen of blood, gore, or ash. Obviously, I was letting my imagination run wild. There was probably a completely innocent explanation for those gloves, and I would have to remember to ask the Viking about them later. Maybe after last night, he would be less inclined to be so danged secretive... although, he was still a thousand-year-old vampire, and being secretive was a deeply ingrained part of his nature. I was not so naïve as to think he was ever going to tell me absolutely everything.

I laid the gloves on his nightstand, and was just going into the living room to get a coke out of the minifridge, when a light knock came at the door. I opened it, and one of the Royal Guards came in holding an enormous arrangement of flowers. He said, "These were just brought up from the front desk, ma'am. What would you like for me to do with them?"

"Um...please just put them on the table over there, thanks."

He did, then bowed and left. I went to admire the beautiful arrangement, which was mainly made up of some rather spectacular orange lilies, accented with a few other flowers. A little envelope was attached, and on the front was written SOOKIE. I opened it up, and pulled out the card. It was not signed, but had a big heart drawn in the middle. How sweet! I needed to remember to thank Eric for them later. Added to the huge bouquets of roses he had already given me, the suite was positively overflowing with beautiful flowers.

It was still early enough that I could have rounded up Cooper and gone out for awhile, but I found that I was content to just stay in the suite with my vampires. A few years back, I would have probably found it a little creepy to be the only live person in a room full of dead people, but now it just felt... normal. Somewhere along the way, these three vampires had become my family; and honestly, I was more comfortable here among them than in a whole room full of live humans. They loved me and cared for me like no one but my Gran ever had, and I loved them all right back. Unexpectedly, the words of the Queen of Oklahoma drifted back through my mind. She had told Eric and me to keep the members of our nest close. At the time, I had objected, because I didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea. I wasn't about to be shared in a sexual way, and I knew without a doubt that my Viking was much too possessive to ever allow that, anyway. But, like Wanda pointed out, maybe sometimes nests defy the rules. Maybe in our case, "nest" was just another word for "family"... and that definition was one I could live with.

Thinking back on the way she had stared at Bill when she had made that statement, I realized with a shock that Wanda must have been able to sense our strange, unconventional Bond. I suddenly had an overwhelming desire to see my dark vampire. I went to the door to his room, fully expecting it to be locked; but the knob turned easily in my hand. The room was completely dark, so I switched on the light since I knew it couldn't possibly wake him. There he was, my darkly handsome vampire Bill, laying on his side with the pillow tucked under his cheek. I went and sat by his side, and ran my hand over his smooth, muscular shoulder. I picked up his limp, cool hand and held it in mine, and sat staring at his face. My thoughts ran back over the evolution of our relationship, and the changes in my life that had taken place because of it.

This was the vampire that had started it all, the one who had taught me to love and then broken my heart... although I now sincerely believed that Bill had never intentionally set out to hurt me. Looking back, I realized that maybe it was Fate itself that had continually put up roadblocks to our relationship. It fact, it was Bill that had eventually led me to my soul mate; and for that I would always be grateful. For the last several months, Bill had been there for me at every turn, and I knew that he meant what he said last night. He truly believed that Eric and I were Fated to be together, and that he was meant to share in our destiny somehow. He had accepted his place as my close friend and as someone that would always be bound to me by choice as well as by blood. Equally important, though, when Bill had made it clear to Eric that he was accepting the offer to be his Lieutenant, something between the three of us had finally shifted and settled into a comfortable place. For once, I had been able to feel both of their emotions, and oddly enough, they were similar: they both felt a sense of completion, like the last piece of a puzzle had fallen into place; and then, they had both relaxed. Bill had finally accepted Eric as his true King and my rightful mate, and Eric had publicly shown his trust in Bill by making him his Lieutenant. Somehow, I knew that from now on, things between the three of us would be much easier.

In thinking about how well I could tell exactly what Bill had been feeling, it suddenly occurred to me that Eric was not the only one who had been holding back information. I had been guilty of exactly the same thing that he had done to me. For weeks, I had very carefully avoided being in a situation where Eric would realize just how deep the blood tie between Bill and myself had become. I never lied about it, I just never brought it up. I had told myself that I was doing it just to avoid trouble... but I hadn't appreciated being "protected" from the truth, and now I figured maybe he wouldn't either. I decided right then and there that I was going to tell the Viking all about it, as soon as possible. I wanted everything to be out in the open from here on out.

Suddenly, my tummy began to rumble, and I knew I needed to get something to eat. Giving Bill's hand a squeeze, I leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead. I got up and headed back to the living room, remembering at the last minute to turn the light out on the way out of his room. After hunting up the room service menu, I gave them a call. When the voice on the other end answered, I gave my order, and was slightly discombobulated when the voice said, "Yes, Your Majesty. We'll have it up right away." At first, I thought the man had mistaken me for Sandy (which was crazy because she would still be at rest), and then I gave a nervous chuckle when I realized that he really was talking to me. So far, only Eric's vampires had ever called me that, and even then it always took me a minute to adjust. I was just so American that the whole King-Queen just seemed so... weird. The very notion that I, Sookie Stackhouse Northman, former barmaid and town crazy-person, was the Queen of anything, still seemed pretty funny.

In any event, I went and fetched my notebook from our bedroom (of course, I had to stop and give Eric a few pats and kisses on the way), and then I curled up on the sofa and worked on my plans for Fangtasia until my food came. For once, I was actually starving, and ate every bite. It was amazing how much better I felt since Eric had given in and fed from me. Great make-up sex was clearly good for my appetite, and his little pep-talk had done wonders for my self-esteem as well. After eating, I went ahead and showered and dressed. I hadn't had a chance to get my hair trimmed since our wedding, and the ends were looking pretty ratty, so I had made an appointment to get it done in the salon downstairs. Even though I was sure all eyes would be on Sandy, I wanted to look my best for the Coronation.

I gave Cooper a call to remind him that it was time for me to go. In a flash, he was at the door, ready and waiting. A few minutes later, we located the elegant hair salon just in time for my appointment; but the girl at the desk apologized and said that they were running behind schedule and I would have to wait for a bit. I sat out front and talked to Cooper while I waited, and told him about discovering the ring of card-counters in the casino the night before. He was fascinated, and wondered out loud what had become of the Pit Boss. Personally, I was just as glad that I didn't know. After awhile, the receptionist came to get me. To my embarrassment, Cooper insisted that he first be allowed to check out the area, so he followed the woman down the hallway with me trailing along behind. Since I still felt bad for upsetting him the day before with the whole Carson incident, though, I didn't protest.

To my surprise, the receptionist escorted us to a private room instead of a big open area with multiple stations. What a luxury! Most of my life, Gran had been the one to trim my hair, mostly because it was free, but also because it saved me from "hearing" all the catty things the women down at Tisha's Clip-N-Curl were thinking about me. Since Amelia moved in, she had taken over the job. This was going to be a real treat. Cooper took a look around, saw that there were no wooly-boogers in the room, and then informed me he would be waiting out in the lobby. His parting words were a stern reminder that I was not supposed to leave the salon without him, no matter what. I had to resist a strong impulse to stick out my tongue at his retreating back. The receptionist introduced me to my hair stylist Sue, who gave me a cape and then seated me in the chair facing the mirror. She looked me over a little critically, ran her fingers through my hair, and said, "You have beautiful hair, but I bet it's a handful to take care of. I could give you a really cute short cut and some highlights, and you could blow it dry in a couple of minutes flat."

Wow! That sounded fun, and I thought, "What the heck? I've always wanted to try my hair short." I wondered what Eric would think. I waffled back and forth, but finally decided that maybe it was too radical a change. My life had seen enough changes lately, and maybe I should wait until another time. I thanked her for the suggestion, but said no. In any event, we decided what I wanted done, but just before she set to work, the receptionist tapped on the door and stuck her head in. "So sorry to interrupt, Sue, but the lady for your next appointment is pretty mad at the delay, and wants to know how much longer it will be," she said in exasperation, "Could you please come out front and talk to this lady?"

The stylist rolled her eyes, and sighed. To me, she said, "Sorry! I'll be right back, I swear!" and then scurried out of the room. I sat back in my chair and relaxed. Closing my eyes, I took a little time to think about the evening ahead. Just thinking about my vampire sent a serious wave of longing through me, and I could hardly wait to see him. I was fantasizing about our lovemaking (again!) and was just about to the part where he bit me, when I heard the door open. I didn't want to let go of my daydream just yet, so I kept my eyes closed. I felt the girl slip up behind me, and once again I felt her fingers running through my hair. Almost to myself, I said, "Mmm. That feels good."

I just about started out of my skin when I heard a deep voice behind me saying, "It feels good to me, too, Babe." My eyes flew open, and sure enough, I could see Quinn's reflection in the mirror. He was looking as impressive as ever, and although he was smiling in a mild manner, I had to resist a serious impulse to poof away. Getting a tight reign on my magic, I stopped myself for two reasons. For one thing, I didn't want him to have that knowledge about me; and for another, if his intention was to harm me, he could have already done it. I could raise a ruckus, and Cooper would come running, but... in a flash, I realized that this might be my only opportunity to get some answers. "Quinn, what are you doing here?" I asked angrily, "How on earth did you even know where to find me?"

He gave me a rakish grin, his big white teeth flashing. "Like almost all the human women here for the Coronation, I knew you would probably be getting your hair done sometime today. I bribed one of the workers here to tell me what time your appointment was, and then to let me in the employee's entrance in the back. I had to hang around a little longer than I thought, but as you see, it paid off... I just had to see you, and this was my only opportunity to talk to you alone."

Now that I was over my initial shock, I could feel my temper beginning to rise. I turned myself around so that I was facing him. "You have a lot of nerve coming here!" I exclaimed hotly, "You almost got my husband killed, and if he catches you, he's going to tear you to pieces."

The Were-Tiger pinned my eyes with his purple ones, and said, "And are you okay with that? The Sookie I knew thought killing was wrong, and especially without knowing all the facts. I told you that being around those bloodsuckers would be bad for you! You are turning into one of them."

"That is not true!" I said indignantly, "In this case, though, I might make an exception."

Quinn said, "At least hear me out before condemning me. I want you to know that I had no idea that Victor was intending to kill Eric. He was only supposed to capture him until after the takeover, to keep Eric from helping Felipe. I agreed to go along with the takeover, because I needed two things: some of Eric's blood, and a King that was willing to break your Bond. Victor told me that he was certain that after Felipe was dead, Eric would be practical enough to stay on as one of his Sheriffs, just like he did when Sophie-Ann died; and once he had sworn his oath of loyalty, Victor could control him enough to keep him from coming after us. He was only going to hold Eric long enough to allow us to get far away and start a new life somewhere else."

"Quinn! That's just... crazy! Why would you think that I would willingly go anywhere with you? I made it perfectly clear that I was in love with Eric."

He shook his head, and replied, "I could see that you weren't in your right mind. Those Bonds are made so that the vampire can control the human, and Eric was just making you believe that you loved him. I thought that once the Bond was broken, you would come to your senses, and realize that you still loved me... and you would have, too. In all the years I have been working for vampires, I have come to realize how evil they really are. I could have given you a normal life, far away from them and all their nastiness."

By the gleam in his eye, I knew that as crazy as it sounded, he really believed that it was only the Bond that kept me from loving him. He continued, "Then, when I heard what Victor said on the stage, I realized that everything he told me was a lie. He really intended to kill Eric, and keep you for himself! I tried to get in through back stage to help you, but he had men posted at the stage door that I couldn't get past... and by the time the fighting was over, Eric and his bunch had already won. I knew right away how it was going to look, and that he would be gunning for me, so... I disappeared. I managed to find shelter with a friend of my family's that lives in New Orleans until I could slip out of the city safely. For the last few weeks, I have been keeping out of sight, but I can't go on like this forever. I want to come to terms with Eric."

"So, why talk to me? Why not just call him on the phone, and work it out?" I asked, even though I knew it was unlikely that it would have done a bit of good. Vampires were not exactly forgiving creatures, and most especially the Viking.

Apparently, Quinn knew it, too. He said, "Come on, Sookie. The only way I'm going to get him off my tail is for you to call him off."

Instead of saying anything, I just sat and stared at him. Did I believe his story? I supposed in a way, it all made sense. "Why would I help you, even if I could?" I asked him, "Even if you really didn't know that Victor was planning to kill Eric, you were still trying to come between us."

Giving me a sad look with those amazing eyes of his, he answered, "You loved me once. Everything I did was because I still loved you... Do you really want to see me killed because I loved you?"

I thought about it. If his story was true, he really was just trying to get me away from the vampires he truly thought were so bad for me, and to give me a better life. However misguided, did he really deserve to die for it? After all, he was one of the few remaining Were-Tigers in the world. Almost reluctantly, I said, "All right. I'll talk to him, but I can't promise anything. How can I get in touch with you?"

"Call me at this number," he said, handing me a card with a number written in pencil on the back, "I'll be waiting. Thanks, Babe. I knew I could count on you to do the right thing." Giving me one last penetrating look, he turned and slipped back out the door. Only another minute passed, when the door flew open again, and my stylist came rushing back through. She said, "I am so sorry for the delay! It's just been that kind of day!" At once, she set to work. I took the time to mull over what Quinn had said, and I was wondering just exactly how I was going to broach the subject with my vampire. Speaking of vampires, I suddenly realized that because we had gotten such a late start, obviously I was not going to make it back to our room by the time he woke. After thinking it over, I finally pulled out my phone and sent Eric a message so he wouldn't worry: Getting my hair done. Running late. Sorry! Luv U! ~S. I knew I would have to handle the whole Quinn thing in person, so I had had deliberately omitted saying anything about his visit. A little while later, my phone vibrated with an incoming text, which read: Going out, back soon. B ready. Luv U 2. ~E.

After that, I tried to relax again as Sue worked on my hair, but of course all I could think about was Quinn. I was so deep in thought, before I knew it my hair was done. Putting my bad thoughts aside,I gazed into the mirror at my reflection. Because I knew Eric liked it, my hair was pulled back and up, with curls cascading down my back. I had remembered to get the stylist to put in my new combs that he had bought me, which added a touch of elegance. The stylist had done an amazing job, and I thanked her and gave her a nice tip. I went out and collected Cooper, and headed towards the suite.

Once we arrived I went in and looked around. I was hoping Bill would be on hand so that I could get his opinion on what I should do, but neither he nor Pam were nowhere in sight. Going back to my bedroom, I got out everything I would need for the evening, and transferred my ID and things from one tiny evening bag to the other, remembering to slip in my cell phone. I bathed quickly, being careful to not let my hair get wet, and then sat in front of the mirror, and took extra care in applying my make-up. I wanted Eric to be proud of his "Queen."

Once it was done to my satisfaction, I carefully slipped into the beautiful white evening gown that Eric had bought for me. I struggled a little getting everything into place by myself, but I managed; and then slipped on the strappy high heeled sandals that went with the dress. Taking one last look in the mirror, I patted my hair, and checked my make-up. From the other room came the faint sounds of piano music. The suite contained a full sound system, and I supposed that Pam or Bill had turned it on. Grabbing the little inlaid wooden box that contained my new necklace and earrings, I opened the door to our bedroom and stepped out into the living area of our suite, where I was bowled over to discover the source of the music. Pam sat at the piano, playing up a storm. I don't know why it came as such a shock that my friend could play, but it did. I didn't know a thing about classical music, but whatever she was playing was hauntingly beautiful. She was already dressed, and looked as lovely as I had ever seen her. Her sleek gown was covered in black sequins, and fit every curve of her petite figure to perfection. Around her neck was a fabulous diamond choker, and from her ears hung diamond drop earrings. She must have caught my reflection in the window, because she turned her head in my direction and watched me as I walked towards the piano. Her deft fingers never stopped moving across the keys as she gave me the once-over. Eyes glowing in appreciation, she said, "Mistress, you look quite beautiful. That gown is perfect."

"Thank you. You and my husband have good taste," I said with a smile, "That necklace is amazing!"

"Thank you. Robert gave it to me, years ago. He is just as fond of jewels as my Master."

Bill was gazing out of the window. He was as handsome as ever in his formal black tuxedo. He turned and came towards me, then kissed me on my cheek. He said, "Pam is right. Your gown is perfect, and I especially like the way you are wearing your hair. It is most becoming."

"Thank you. I almost got it cut really short today," I said casually, patting my new combs to make sure they were still in place, "Do you think Eric would like my hair short?"

The music came to an abrupt halt. In unison, Pam and Bill said a vehement, "NO!" I gave them both a look. Pam looked shocked to her core that I would even suggest such a thing, and Bill looked downright horrified. Amused at their reaction, I asked, "Why on earth not? It's very fashionable."

Of course, my old-fashioned Bill stated firmly, "Women's hair should be long." At that, I rolled my eyes. Pam's take on it was, "Sookie, my Master loves your hair. He would not be pleased if you cut it... if you don't believe me, just ask him. And by the way, I think you like his just the way it is, as well. Even if he could wear it short, would you want him to?"

"All right, point taken." I replied. My Viking with short hair? I tried to picture it, but just couldn't. His long golden hair was my favorite thing about him... right after his fabulous butt... and maybe his muscular chest... or the Gracious Plenty. Well, heck, I guess I had lots of favorite things about him!

After a minute, Pam resumed playing. I said, "Pam, I had no idea that you could play the piano. I'm impressed!"

She smiled faintly and replied, "My father was very fond of music, and insisted that his daughters all learned to play. I was always in trouble for sleeping when I should be practicing! ...but eventually, I learned to love it, just as he did. In those days, we didn't have so many things to do, and we would often keep each other amused by singing and playing musical instruments."

Bill had come to stand by me at the side of the piano. He spoke up, and said, "Yes, it was much the same for us. My mother loved to play, and taught me."

Pam gave him a look of disbelief, and drawled, "Really!"

"Really," he stated firmly. Walking around to her other side, he slid onto the bench with her. Placing his hands on the keys, he began to play something that blended right in to her music. The look of astonishment they gave each other was so funny I burst out laughing. These two had finally found one thing in common besides just being vampire, and they didn't know what to do about it! After a minute, Pam shrugged slightly, and asked him, "Do you know this? My sister and I used to play it."

Bill jumped right in, and they played a wonderful duet. After that, Bill asked her if she could play ragtime. She snorted and disdainfully said, "Of course!" as her fingers began to fly across the keys.

I leaned on the piano, and listened and smiled as they tried their best to out-do each other. At one point, they stopped long enough to argue over exactly how a particular tune went, and apparently Bill won. They went at it again, and I didn't know who was right, but it sounded great to me! During the middle of this song, the door to the suite opened, and in strode my Viking. It was the first time I had seen him that evening, and he looked wonderful. He was wearing his new white tuxedo, which of course fit him to perfection. Mr. Hsu had out-done himself. Oddly enough, I realized that had never seen the Viking wearing white before... well, except for the picture of him as Mr. January in the Fangtasia calendar. Of course, even then, he was technically not wearing white, only laying on it.... but I had to admit, it certainly suited him. His previously discussed golden mane was loose, but had a small braid down one side, the way I liked it best. From across the room, his eyes took in the unusual scene, and then came to light on me. A slow, sexy smile spread across his handsome face. Completely ignoring the other two, he came across the room, pulled me to him, and said, "You are lovely, my Queen." Bending his head, he delicately touched his lips to mine. Running one finger lightly down the side of my face, he said softly, "You were not here when I rose. We will have to make up for it later."

Just the way he said it sent shivers of anticipation through me. Sparks of energy were flying back and forth between us, and I knew without a doubt that before the night was over, I was in for some serious, mind-blowing sex. It seemed that our little talk from the night before had made us closer and more in love than ever. Somehow, I knew that his finally giving in and feeding from me was partially responsible for that feeling. Although our sex life was still great without it, something magical happened when I could feel my blood flowing into him. I couldn't even put it into words... it was just... necessary, somehow. He had given in last night, and I had decided that tonight, it was going to be me. Instead of making it better, the little drop I had tasted from two nights ago had made my craving for my vampire's blood nearly overwhelming. I no longer cared what effects it was having on my body. I wasn't sure exactly how I was going to ask... but ask I would. I was going to try my best not to feel embarrassed about it, either, because he clearly enjoyed it just as much as I did.

For now, though, just the anticipation was making my little hootchie sit up and do the happy dance. Eric's fangs went from half-mast to fully down almost instantly, and his eyes began to burn with an inner fire. My heart began to pound in my chest, because I knew that look very well... it was the "I don't care what else is going on, I'm going to fuck my woman right now" look. Apparently, Pam knew it, too, because she quit playing and said rather loudly, "All right, you two. We have to be downstairs in 20 minutes in order to be seated before the ceremony begins. Master, since you are the guest of honor, it will be a great insult to Sandy if you are late."

Although I really wanted to grab him by the hand, lead him back to our room and have my way with him, Pam was right; so I figured maybe it would be more helpful if both of us had something else to think about. Holding out the little wooden jewelry box from the top of the piano where I had set it down, I said, "Care to give your wife a little help with her jewelry?"

Taking the box, Eric opened it and put in each earring. I held up my hair, to make it easier for him to put on my necklace; but before putting it around my neck, his eyes went to the little punctures that he had left there. I thought for a minute that he was going to insist on healing them. Instead, he leaned down and delicately ran the tip of his tongue over them, and then pressed his lips against them. Ah, god! I nearly melted into a big puddle right there. He straightened up, and then deftly slipped the necklace around my throat After fastening the clasp, he lightly kissed the nape of my neck, and the soft touch of his cool lips made me shiver. He turned me around and surveyed the results, and I knew he approved by the way his eyes were glowing. "Just perfect," my vampire said huskily.

I knew he was referring to what he had said to me the prior night, and I felt myself blush. The Viking just chuckled. Strangely enough, although they could not possibly have any idea of the significance of that phrase, both Pam and Bill were quite obviously suppressing grins. Huh. Eric was looking at me very intently, and a minute later he ordered, "Close your eyes and hold out your arm."

I did as he asked, and felt something cool and heavy sliding around my wrist. He ordered, "All right, open them." I did, and immediately gasped. Around my wrist was a bracelet, and not just any bracelet either... this was a thick band, covered in diamonds flashing with fire and light. The largest diamonds formed a pattern, sort of like a figure eight lying on its side. This bracelet really was fit for a Queen... there was no telling how much this had cost. For once in my life, I was completely, totally speechless. My vampire traced the figure eight with one finger, and said softly, "This is the symbol for infinity, Sookie. It represents that which has no limits... like my love for you."

As sweet as that sentiment was, I was about to open my mouth to object to yet another over-the-top gift. It really wasn't necessary for Eric to keep showering me with all this fantastically expensive jewelry for absolutely no reason.... but then I got a good look at his eyes. I could see something in them that made me keep silent. My ancient vampire was much too proud to apologize for keeping me in the dark about Sabriel, and this was his own way of saying he was sorry. I would just as soon have gotten the apology, but for once I was wise enough to know when I was ahead of the game. My eyes shifted a bit to the huge floral arrangement sitting on the table behind him. Reaching up and touching Eric's cheek with my fingertips, I said, "Baby, the bracelet is gorgeous. I absolutely love it, but you know, the flowers you sent would have been plenty. Thank you very much for both gifts."

Raising one eyebrow, he asked, "The roses? You already thanked me for those..."

"No, silly. The lilies... those." I pointed at the arrangement. He turned and looked at them, frowned, and said, "I did not send those. Was there a card?"

I nodded, and produced the card. He looked it over, and then looked at Bill, who shook his head and said, "Sorry, it wasn't me."

Who could it have been? Luke?... or maybe... Quinn. I really had to speak to Eric before we left, so I took his hand and said, "Eric, before we go, I need to speak to you... alone."

Much to my surprise, he said, "Actually, I was just about to say the same thing."

*****

A few minutes later, we emerged from the bedroom. Outwardly, my vampire was as cool and calm as ever, but on the inside, he was seething in a twisty, snarly mass. After I had explained to him what had occurred in the salon, we had a brief argument, but finally he had agreed to allow Quinn to go ahead with the Coronation Ceremony unmolested in return for the Were-Tiger's agreement that he would never come near me again. Consulting the card Quinn had given me, I had called him from Eric's cell phone. The issue had not been entirely settled, but negotiations through an undetermined third party would begin soon. Eric had suggested the Ancient Pythoness should be the one to settle the dispute, but Quinn had objected, saying that she was clearly biased in Eric's favor. Frankly, I had been shocked to my core that Eric had agreed to any of it, but he had. The gleam in his eye made me a little nervous, but still, I expected him to keep his word. I had noticed that as always, Eric had chosen his words very carefully. His promise to let Quinn go completely unmolested really only covered the formal activities tonight, and no longer. I wondered if Quinn had been sharp enough to catch that small detail; but I figured the Tiger was lucky to get that much of a concession.

Once we had put the whole Quinn issue to rest, I asked Eric what he had wanted to tell me; but just then, Pam pounded loudly on the door and called out, "Master, we are going to be late! We have to go, now!"

The Viking seemed like he was on the verge of telling her to forget the whole thing, but then he gave a huge sigh, kissed me, and said, "I suppose what I have to say can wait until after the party. Come, my Queen, let us go." We got off the bed, he offered me his arm, and we went out to collect the rest of our little family. Flanked by the Royal Guards, the four of us hurried down to the Ceremony. It was being held in one of the ballrooms of the Eternity, which were all located on the second floor, the same level as the pool. Afterwards, the formal Ball would be held in the adjacent ballroom. Just before arriving, Eric called his guards off to one side and spoke to them in low tones as the rest of us continued on towards the ballroom. Looking back over my shoulder, I saw him taking out his money clip, peeling off some bills and then handing Atticus a big wad of cash. As soon as he was finished, both of them headed back down the hall without a backward glance. I suppose since technically they weren't allowed inside for the ceremony, he was letting them off for the rest of the evening. It looked like maybe they were headed for the casino, and I hoped Eric had given them plenty of money to gamble with. In my opinion, that Atticus needed to loosen up and have a little fun. For once, he had been smiling, so I guessed gambling was something he enjoyed.

The big double doors into the ballroom had already been shut, but on recognizing Eric, the Nevada Royal Guards bowed, and opened them for us. It was a little uncomfortable going in so late, because everyone else had been long since seated; but Eric regally strolled down the aisle, taking the time to nod at a few of the other monarchs, as if this was his ceremony. I was busy trying not to trip in my extremely high heels, and fall on my face in front of a crowd.

We were escorted in and seated in a special section in front of the stage where a bank of four seats that had been roped off just for Eric's retinue. Bill was seated to my left, and Pam was on Eric's right. I had just a moment to take in my surroundings before the Ceremony began. During our walk down the aisle, I had glanced at the rest of the audience, and had been surprised and amused to see that everyone was dressed in black; all except for the monarchs, who were easy to spot in their white outfits. Finally, a vampire event where black attire was required! In contrast, though, the stage was draped with sheer white and gold draperies liberally dotted with crystals. Instead of the dark, mysterious atmosphere I was expecting, everything was well lit, causing the crystals to shimmer and wink.

Only a moment after we had taken our seats, the sound of a single loud gong rang out, and a hush fell over the murmuring audience. Almost instantly, Quinn the Were-Tiger emerged from backstage looking downright magnificent in a pair of gold-lame genie pants. From his neck hung a single thick gold chain, which just served to emphasize his huge muscular chest. His shaved head gleamed in the stage lights, and he looked very powerful and completely in control.

Of course, the very instant my vampire had sighted Quinn, the surge of his dark vampire emotions nearly bowled me over. It was a good thing I was seated, or I probably would have collapsed from the sheer intensity of it. I squeezed Eric's hand as hard as I could, and he took his eyes off the Tiger long enough to glance at me. I must have looked as pale as I felt, because immediately I could feel him trying to reign himself in. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bill start forward, and I quickly laid my free hand on his arm in restraint. Since Eric was by far the dominant vampire, and my also Twice-Bonded, I could only feel his extreme emotions and not Bill's right at that moment; but I figured I knew what was on my dark vampire's mind anyhow. I saw Bill glance over a Eric, who gave him a curt shake of the head in warning. I was a little relieved, because it looked like the Viking was going to keep his word, and not interrupt Sandy's Ceremony with a very messy public shredding. Bill reluctantly sat back in his seat.

Before he said anything, Quinn very deliberately glanced over at Eric and gave him a flat stare. In turn, Eric gave his very best vampire King glare right back at Quinn, and honestly I was amazed that the big Were was still able to stand afterwards. It was clear to all present that these two were barely able to resist trying to kill each other at any minute. I had fully expected Quinn to appear a little more humble, since it was only by Eric's good graces that he was able to be on that stage at all; but then I realized that it just wasn't in the Were-Tiger's character to cow down to anyone in public. After a long pause, he finally tore his eyes away from the Viking and in his big, booming voice, welcomed all the guests to the ceremony. Then, with a dramatic sweep of his hand towards the double doors of the ballroom, he announced, "And now, the formal ceremony for the Coronation for the Vampire Queen of the Nevada Territories shall begin." The Were-Tiger bowed low, and backed offstage.

The ballroom doors burst open, and a line of beautiful, muscular vampire dancers ran in. In true Las Vegas tradition, both males and females were very scantily clad, and what little they did have on appeared to consist of tiny scraps of gold lame, crystals, and a few strategically placed feathers. They gyrated their way down to the stage, and then gave an absolutely outstanding dance performance. Since I had no preconceived ideas of what this ceremony would be like, I had decided to just try to relax and enjoy it as much as I could. Eric was still holding my hand, and he glanced over at me during the dance performance once, and gave me a smile. I was glad to see that he was at least making an effort to relax, even though his emotions were still roiling. I couldn't very well complain, either. At least he had not blocked our Bond again. I was still a little upset about finding out that he could even do it. Even though he claimed he could "only blunt it a bit," I found the idea very disturbing.

In the middle of the dancing, the doors opened again, and a group of drummers (also scantily clad) came slowly up the isle, keeping a stead beat. Directly behind them, came four stunningly beautiful vampire women, scattering a path of white rose petals. Rather cattily, it crossed my mind that Sandy had been watching too much late night TV. This all reminded me somehow of the big scene in "Cleopatra" where she enters the city of Rome, cheered on by a cast of thousands. In any event, behind the rose bearers was something quite startling but very unique. Two handlers came in calmly walking alongside two enormous white tigers, who were making low chuffing noises. The dancers had by now disappeared backstage, and the drummers took their place along the sides, all the while keeping up a steady beat. The rose ladies laid a thick steam of petals all the way onto the stage, and then vanished behind the draperies. The tiger handlers took their wards up on stage, and then made them perch on two elaborately carved marble platforms which were placed on either side of center stage. Oddly enough, a moment after they passed, I felt an immense jolt of anger from my Viking... and then I realized they must have made him think of Quinn. Once the tigers were in place, the drums fell quiet for a moment, and again, the sound of the gong rang out. The doors opened one last time, and in came Sandy, seated on an ornately carved and gilded throne. It was fastened to an elaborately decorated platform, which was carried by four muscular, completely naked vampire males. Yep, just as I suspected, Sandy had a thing for "Cleopatra," all right.

The drums had taken up a slow cadence as they made their way up the isle. As they passed, a flush of embarrassment pass through me,. Still, I could not help but admire the nice bodies of the vampires men... Wow! Those guys looked good! Since I was sitting between the two of them, I could tell that both of my vampires were not all that happy with my reaction... I started to feel guilty, but quickly realized that the admiration of a perfectly formed male body was a fairly normal reaction in a human girl with 20/20 vision. Vampires obviously did view nudity differently, but that didn't mean that I could or maybe ever would! All too quickly (at least in my opinion), the vampires arrived in front of the stage, set the platform down, and knelt down before their Queen (too bad... I had been sort of hoping for a low bow instead). Regally, Sandy rose from her seat. Her dress was absolutely magnificent. It was white, trimmed in gold, and had an elaborate train. What must have been thousands of tiny crystals were sewn in patterns all over the gown. In addition, the new Queen was positively dripping in extremely ornate diamond, pearl, and gold jewelry, which literally must have been worth a fortune.

After leaving the platform, Sandy walked up the rose covered steps onto the stage, and then turned to face the audience. From the wings emerged a vampire male, and even though I had never met him before, I was willing to bet that he was a vampire King. I was beginning to recognize the look... danger and power barely concealed under a cool exterior. Honestly, this one was fairly short, and not all that handsome as far as vampires go; but the air of confidence and power he exuded made him quite attractive. Eric leaned his head towards mine, and said softly, "That's California... apparently a friend of Sandy's."

Huh. The King of California proceeded to ask Sandy some questions like, "Do you, Sandy Seacrest, lay claim to the Nevada Territories.... yada yada yada...."; pretty much exactly what I expected. Then, from the wings of the stage, another vampire came out bearing an elaborately embroidered pillow. On the pillow sat an ornate gold ring. The ring bearer knelt by Sandy and California (whatever his name was) and offered the ring. California took it from the pillow, held it in the air, and recited some incantations in what I assumed was Latin, but could just as well been Swahili for all I knew. He laid his hand on Sandy's head, said another incantation, which she then repeated after him. He held out the ring to her, and she took it and placed it on her own finger.

With that, the gong sounded once more, and the doors opened again. Down the aisle came three ethereally beautiful young humans, dressed in shimmering, sheer golden gowns. There were a set of female twins with ash blond hair, and one golden-haired male. They made their way slowly up to the stage, and once there stood in a little line in front of Sandy. One by one, Sandy called them up, bit them on the neck and fed a little from each. It was all I could do to keep from squirming in my seat, I was so uncomfortable; but I wasn't about to embarrass Eric, so I sat very still. He gave my hand a little squeeze. This time, it was Bill who leaned leaned over and whispered in explanation, "Virgins."

Oh, right. Where in Las Vegas (or maybe anywhere) had Sandy managed to find three beautiful virgins over the age of twenty-one? Or even eighteen? Then I remembered that it was actually possible, since I had been a virgin myself at twenty-five... but I was definitely an oddity. As soon as Sandy had finished with the last one, the King of California turned to the audience, and said, "May I present to you the new Queen of the Nevada Territories, Sandy Seacrest."

There was a thunderous round of applause, and Sandy just stood there looking somewhat smug. Turning her head in our direction, she looked directly over at Eric, and gave him a nod. He very regally nodded back, thus making it clear to all that he supported her. The King of California made his way off stage, and Sandy's band of merry men brought her throne up the stairs and onto the stage. It was placed between the two white tigers, who were still on their marble pedestals. They had been remarkably quiet during the brief ceremony, but had begun to make short growling sounds as if they were getting restless. Completely ignoring them, Sandy went and sat down on her throne. As soon as she was seated, Quinn again came on stage; and almost immediately the tiger on the left gave a loud, prolonged growl... he didn't sound too happy. Quinn turned his head, gave the tiger a serious glare, and a low growl issued from deep in his own muscular chest. The sound sent chills through me, and the white tiger must have felt the same way, because immediately he was quiet. I could hear the audience behind us murmuring in appreciation; but off to my right, I heard a loud snort. I turned my head quickly enough to catch Pam rolling her eyes at the display. Eric's face was expressionless, but those blue Viking eyes were glittering dangerously.

A moment later, Quinn turned back to the audience and asked all those who wished to swear their oaths of fealty to their new Queen to come forward. Reading from a scroll, he called out their names and positions as they approached. The first up were her Lieutenants, and then the Sheriffs, and after that some of what I later learned were the wealthy and influential vampires of the state. I had been dreading that part, because I had been afraid that all the vampires in the state would have to swear, and we would literally be sitting around all night. Before the ceremony, I had asked Eric exactly why vampires even bothered with all the oath-swearing business. He had said, "It is tradition. It is very important, and most vampires are in fact quite loyal to their monarchs." I rather rashly reminded him that he had sworn an oath to Felipe. Those Viking eyebrows had drawn together in a serious frown, and he patiently explained that it had been Victor that had actually killed de Castro, and Sandy had been the one who had allowed it; so therefore he had not technically violated his oath... I thought that was kind of splitting hairs, but I could tell by the look on his face that it was probably better if I didn't go there... so I stopped while I was ahead. Besides, I shouldn't complain, since the butt he had saved by doing so belonged to me.

Once everybody was done, Quinn announced that the ceremony was officially at an end, and then invited everyone to step outside to watch the fireworks display in the new Queen's honor. The guests all stood, and after a good bit of rustling around, filed out to the pool area to watch the show. Being the closest to the stage, our group waited for some of the crowd to thin out before attempting to leave. To my surprise, Sandy made her way rather carefully down the steps, and over to us. She went straight up to Eric, kissed him on both cheeks, and said, "Well, I am glad that is over! Everything went quite well, don't you think? Next it will be you."

"Very entertaining," Eric said dryly, "The tigers were an especially nice touch."

She gave him a wink, and said, "Oh, yes, I know how fond you are of tigers. As I told you before, I was very disappointed when I was told that the magnificent Quinn was on personal leave. Of course, I knew the real reason he wasn't going to be here; so imagine my surprise when he popped up at the last minute! He told me the two of you had come to an agreement, and I knew immediately you had given in just so my ceremony would be perfect. I just had to come tell you how much it meant to me." With that, she turned her eyes on me, and said, "Isn't our Viking thoughtful?"

"Our" Viking? As Eric had taken great pains to assure me last night, he was my Viking; and of course the only reason he had allowed Quinn to go on with his job tonight was because I talked him into it. However, I figured that where vampire politics were concerned, it probably wouldn't hurt for Sandy to think she owed Eric a favor; so I gave her a fake smile, and said, "Yes, myhusband is very thoughtful."

"Sookie, I want to thank you for your help in discovering my little problem in the casino last night," she said, giving me a brilliant smile in return, "What a wonderful gift you have, my dear... I can see how valuable you are, and the Viking is a very clever vampire to have Bonded you. In the casino business, we are always running into these little problems, and I hope that your Bonded is willing to share you with me." With that, she turned her eyes back to Eric, and raised one shapely eyebrow in question.

Even though his emotions were already in a state from dealing with the Quinn episode, I felt a sharp spike of irritation, tinged with... anxiety? I supposed that maybe he was worried that I wouldn't care for the suggestion, and might say something politically incorrect. The Viking just stood and gave Sandy a rather flat stare, and seemed to be about to say something in reply, when Pam spoke up and said, "I hate to interrupt, but shouldn't we be getting outside? Sandy, it would be a shame if you missed your own fireworks display."

For just a minute, Sandy and Eric continued to stare at one another. Finally, Sandy tore her eyes away from his, and said brightly, "Of course! Let us go!"

Eric had already tucked my hand around his forearm, in preparation for escorting me outside. Sandy stepped forward and slid her hand around his other arm, and said gaily, "I suppose King Eric wouldn't mind escorting two Queens outside!" Through our Bond, I could feel another jolt of irritation from the Viking.

Our little group made its way down the long isle and out of the ballroom. After traveling a short way down the wide hallway, we went through a set of doors and stepped out onto the pool area. The place was quite crowded with onlookers. Just as we stepped onto the patio, I heard a faint whistling noise and a second later, the first volley of fireworks burst on the horizon. I gasped! It was just beautiful! Wave after wave of brilliantly colored embers covered the sky.

Bon Temps was just too small and too poor to be able to sponsor any big public fireworks displays, and so the only ones I had ever seen before this were on TV. One of my clearest memories of my father was on the Fourth of July before his death, when he set off some roman candles and other interesting things in the field to the side of our house. He had also bought a box of sparklers, and allowed Jason and me to hold them by their stems as they burned. My mother watched anxiously as I twirled mine around and around, afraid that I might burn myself. My dad had just laughed, and said that his special little girl was much too smart for that; and then he gave me a breathtakingly beautiful smile; the one that I would see in my dreams of him for the rest of my life. My father was an absolutely gorgeous man, and now I understood that it was the fairy in him that made him so irresistible. I remember being completely enthralled with the brilliant sparks flying from the tip of the little rod he lit for me. It had been a sweet, magical moment, and even now the memory made my heart swell and tears come to my eyes.

Eric must have felt it, because he quietly disentangled himself from Sandy. He stepped behind me, wrapping me up in his big arms. Leaning his head down, he whispered in my ear, "What is it, my angel? Is something wrong?"

Smiling, I shook my head, and softly replied, "No! I've just never seen anything like this... it's so beautiful!"

My vampire smiled indulgently, and kissed the top of my head. "If my Queen enjoys fireworks so much, I will be certain to add a display to my own Coronation festivities," he promised, and hugged me a little more tightly to him. As we stood and watched the fantastic fireworks display, we both relaxed and let the waves of love flow back and forth between us through our Bond. It was another totally magical moment; and I knew that no matter how long I lived, I would never forget my complete happiness at that precise point in time.

Almost immediately after Eric had stepped away from Sandy, I noticed that Pam had inserted herself between the two of them, and was now standing directly to Eric's right. I suppose thinking about my human family made me feel sentimental. Suddenly, I wanted my new family around me, so I reached out and took Pam's cool hand. She glanced at me in surprise, and I gave her one of my best smiles; then I tugged a little on her hand, pulling her closer to me. Eric slipped one of his arms from around me, and put it around her. Bill was standing a little off to my left, and I just couldn't bear to leave him out, so I held out my other hand to him. At first he hesitated, and I could see him glance at Eric. Since he was standing directly behind me, I couldn't see my vampire's reaction, but I guessed he must have given his permission, because Bill suddenly stepped a bit closer and took my hand. Now I was completely surrounded by my vampires, and as I watched the rest of the magnificent fireworks display, I realized that I was utterly happy and content. If nothing else, I felt like the Queen of this little family, and for someone like me, that was an indescribable feeling.

I wished like crazy that all my vampires could share the sense of joy and contentment that I was experiencing right then. No sooner had the strong sentiment passed through me than I felt my magic rising within me, and something deep within me told me that it was my gift to bestow if I wanted... so I let go, and let it flow out of me and into them. Of course, I felt a wave of pleasure coming back from Eric, but he was sort of used to my magic... the real reactions came from the other two. Because I was touching Bill, I could feel his total shock at the magic that had just flowed through him, but then I could feel that my little gift had done what I had wanted it to do. I was pretty proud of myself. My magic had been pretty unpredictable since we got back from New Orleans, and although I had not exactly planned this, I had actually had a point where I could have stopped it, or let it go. I knew that was a step in the right direction. Because I did not have the ability to feel Pam's emotions, I turned to see her reaction, and was tickled at her expression. She looked both shocked, and a little bit in awe. Her fangs had come down, she was smiling, and her eyes had taken on a lovely glow. I don't think I had ever seen my friend at such a loss for words, but she stammered, "Sookie... that was... that was just..."

"Magical," Eric said softly, and then added proudly "Amazing, isn't she?"

In answer, Pam just squeezed my hand, and said, "Amazing doesn't quite cover it."

Somewhat belatedly, I realized that maybe I shouldn't have used my Fairy magic in such a public forum, and glanced around nervously. Scanning the crowd, it appeared that for once everyone was watching the fireworks, and not paying our little group a bit of attention. Even if they had, I supposed that they would really have no way of knowing what had transpired, because it was all internal... but still, I reminded myself to be more careful in the future. Sandy was the closest vampire to us, and she was looking towards the sky, an absolutely neutral expression on her face. In fact, while I was looking at her, "California" (I still had not found out his actual name) sauntered up to her and spoke in her ear. He took her arm and tugged a little. The new Queen resisted a minute, and then laughed and allowed him to tow her off in the other direction.

Not long afterwards, the fantastic fireworks display came to an end. When the last ember fell to earth, the crowd groaned a little in disappointment, but then began to filter back inside towards the ballroom. Our group was close to the door, and so we were some of the first back inside and to the ballroom where the party was to be held. It had been decorated similarly to the stage at the Ceremony: very glitzy and as Eric would probably say, "totally Vegas." Luckily, it was not nearly as brightly lit, and was actually very romantic, with low lighting and candles burning everywhere. We found a table that was relatively near the dance floor, and sat down. The band was already beginning to play, and in contrast to the nightclub's very contemporary selection, this group was apparently going to play actual ballroom-type music.

There were buffets and blood fountains scattered throughout the room, as well as a row of scantily clad donors lined up along one wall. Eric took a look around and said, "Lover, I want you to eat something. Go select what you want. I will get a waiter to bring our drinks."

I did exactly as he suggested, and in no time was back at the table with a plate full of tiny little hors d'oeuvres that looked absolutely yummy. An amazing sight was awaiting me at the table. All three of my vampires were laughing together, each of them looking as carefree as I had ever seen them. Huh. Both Eric and Bill jumped up to help me with my chair. What the heck had gotten into these guys? They were all three staring at me with rather sappy grins, almost like the drunks at Merlotte's used to look.... Oh, Holy Cats! I had knowingly passed some of my happiness to them, but I had never expected it to work this well! My vampires were... lit!Wow! I had to hide my smile behind my linen napkin.

Even if he was in a good mood, I knew that Bill was probably still pretty sensitive to watching me eat; so I looked at both him and Pam, and said, "Um... I know you guys are probably hungry. Why don't you go grab a bite while I eat?" I didn't exactly mention the word donor, but I figured they knew what I meant. I still was a little uneasy about the whole thing, but obviously it was something I was just going to have to get used to eventually... I might as well start now. In fact, like a worried mother, I began to wonder if drinking all that synthetic stuff was really all that healthy for them... surely fresh was better... Suddenly, I snapped myself out of my reverie, and realized that now all three vampires were looking at me with identical expressions of shock on their beautiful faces. Suspiciously, I asked, "... what?"

Smiling broadly, Eric answered, "You were obviously thinking out loud. I was just a little surprised by your musings... however, you are correct. For relatively young vampires such as ours, fresh is definitely better. Now, Pam, Bill... obey the Queen, and go feed... before she changes her mind."

My dark vampire stared at me intently, as if he had never really seen me before; and then gave me a heartbreakingly beautiful smile, the kind that used to make my panties wet when we were lovers. He never said a word, but jumped up, bowed in our direction and sauntered off towards the donor wall. Pam just grinned, gave me a big wink, and said, "I hope they have a brunette A negative... enjoy your dinner, Mistress."

Luckily, my chair was facing away from the donor wall, so I didn't have to watch. I wasn't anywhere near ready for that just yet... and maybe never would be. Eric scooched his chair a little closer to mine, and said, "Now, my thoughtful Queen, I have a desire to feed you myself. Let me see... this looks like salmon. Did you know, when I was a boy, I ate this all the time? We ate a lot of herring, too." Picking the bite-sized morsel up by his long fingers, he delicately placed it in my mouth. Since he hardly ever mentioned his human years, I was both surprised and happy that he seemed relaxed enough to bring it up... and then realized it was due to the soothing effects of my magic. Bit by bit, he feed me almost everything on the plate; all the while telling me about the Viking diet, including the fact that his all-time favorite thing to eat had been reindeer steaks. Yuck!

Eric had already managed to get me a glass of champagne, so without waiting for him to ask. I took a big sip and then leaned in to kiss him. He very delicately ran his tongue along my lips and then kissed me deeply. Oh, boy! That vampire could kiss! My hoochie was fired up in no time, and I was going to ask if he could have another bottle delivered to our room for later. After I had given him several tastes of the champagne, he asked me to dance. He stood, offered me his hand, and led me out to the dance floor. The band was playing a slow dreamy tune, and he pulled me in close and off we went. He rested his cheek against my hair; and unbelievably, I could hear my Viking actually humming along with the music. Oh my goodness! I was completely and totally floored by that miraculous event. I had never once heard him hum, or sing, or anything like it... maybe I had overdone the "happy" magic a little!

I rested my head on his broad shoulder, and we continued to twirl around the floor. I could see that Pam and Bill had both made their way back to our table, and had been joined by Stan and Deanna. Pam was positively glowing, flashing her dimples flirtatiously at Deanna, who looked a little stunned at the transformation. Bill looked in my direction, smiled a relaxed, totally un-Bill-like smile, and winked at me. Even from the dance floor, I could see that he looked pink and happy, so obviously the donor had been to his liking... and for once, I was glad. Seeing him reminded me, though, that I had vowed to tell Eric all about Bill and me, as soon as I could. Maybe now was a good time to do it, before the magic wore off. Taking the plunge, I said, "Baby, there's something I want to tell you. I have been avoiding this for weeks, but it just isn't right for you not to know. Okay... you know that I am completely and totally in love with you, right?"

He stopped dancing for just a minute, looked at me, and saw that I was quite serious. Just as seriously, he replied, "Yes, my Lover, I do. Now, what is this big secret?" We began dancing again.

"When we had our Second Bonding ceremony in New Orleans, you know the part where all prior bonds were supposed to be broken? Well, it didn't quite work out that way... you know that tiny little Blood Tie that I had with Bill?" Uh oh. I could feel him stiffen slightly. I plunged ahead, "You know how our Bond got stronger, even when it wasn't supposed to? Um... the same thing happened with me and Bill. I know you may not like it much, but I figured that you needed to know the truth. I'm really sorry I didn't tell you before."

At my announcement, a tiny little jolt of jealousy and possessiveness ran through him, but to my surprise it was quite mild, and he seemed to recover quickly. We kept right on dancing, and he was silent for awhile. I almost wished that I could hear his thoughts, but at the last minute, I stopped myself. Finally, he stopped and looked down at me. His lovely blue eyes were a little sad, and he said, "I am glad you finally told me. Exactly how strong is it?"

"Like I said, not nearly like ours. It's pretty much like it was before, just more intense. If you are anywhere near, I can usually only feel you. He isn't... inside me all the time, like you are. I miss him if I don't see him for awhile, but nothing like the intense longing I have for you when we're apart. It's more like our first Bond."

"To be honest, I wondered at the time exactly what had occurred, but... I suppose I was afraid to ask," he admitted, "I am not exactly thrilled, but I am not exactly surprised either. I need to think about this a little more... but for now, I want you to quit worrying. Luckily for all three of us, I do know how much you love me."

"Eric, Bill told me last night that he truly believes we are Fated. I think he feels that he somehow shares in that destiny."

A far-away, thoughtful look came over Eric's handsome face, and he was quiet for a long time. Finally he said, "Yes, I think perhaps he may be right. I doubt that something as unheard of as a secondary Bond could possibly be accidental. In any event, nothing has really changed, except that my Beloved wife has finally learned to trust her husband enough to tell him things he should have known weeks ago."

The last part was said with a little twinkle in his eye, and I knew he wasn't mad at me at all.

I was so relieved! He was being so calm and practical! Now, for the second thing I wanted to get out in the open... I started to say, " Honey, I want to..." just as Eric opened his mouth at the same time and said, "Sookie, there is something I..."

We both stopped speaking. With a smile, the Viking said, "You go first."

I started over, "Baby, there's one more thing that I wanted to talk to you about. After last night, I realized I how stubborn I've been about taking your blood. I... I... well, if it's all right with you, maybe later I could have some?" I knew my face was as red as a beet with embarrassment.

Through our Bond, I felt a sudden burst of elation, love, and lust, in equal proportions. He hugged me tightly to him, and said, "Oh, Sookie, I thought you would never ask." Before I knew it, his fangs had come down, and he had pierced his forefinger. A fat drop of dark red blood welled up on the tip, and he said, "Indulge me. I want to feel some of my blood in you right now." He put his finger in my eager mouth, and as before, I gently licked and sucked at the tiny wound. Instantly, I could feel the magic in that one big drop of his ancient blood rushing through my body. He removed his finger, and leaned down to kiss me deeply, the sweet, rich taste of his blood lingering on both of our tongues. The love and desire was careening back and forth between us, and once more I wondered exactly how much longer we had to hang around at this party before we could politely go back to our room. As if he read my mind, he said, "We do not have to stay late, but I would like to show off my beautiful Queen a little longer, if she is agreeable... although, judging from the show of fang in the vicinity, I think we have plenty of attention right now."

He started us dancing again, and as we floated past the tables surrounding the dance floor, I glanced around; and sure enough, every vampire within spitting distance had fangs flashing and eyes glowing. Instead of being at all embarrassed, Eric seemed to be preening a little... of course. I sighed. My Gran would have been horrified. She had always maintained that public displays of affection were not ladylike, and I figured that would include licking blood off a vampire's finger and then doing my best to screw him right on the dance floor. I was just going to have try harder to maintain a sense of decorum, since I was now a "Queen," and should probably be setting an example. To make matters worse, I realized that once again, I was being a little hypocritical. Was there really any difference between me taking Eric's blood in front of God and everybody else, and Pam and Bill taking advantage of a willing donor? Not really.

While these conflicting thoughts were tumbling through my head, I happened to catch sight of the last vampire on earth I wanted to see... Sabriel. She was looking as glamorous and sexy as ever in a long, slinky black evening gown that was slit in all the right places. Even from across the room, I could see the fabulous diamond earrings and bracelet she was wearing, and I wondered with a pang if Eric had given them to her. He had not gone into any specifics last night, which suited me just fine. I was insecure enough without all the gory details. It was too bad I could not give myself a dose of my own magic, because in spite of Eric's pep-talk from the night before, just the sight of his former lover gave me a nasty shock. She was staring a hole in us, but with absolutely no expression on her gorgeous face. No doubt she had been witness to our little display... and frankly, instead of being embarrassed, I was glad. Eric and I were both married and Twice-Bonded, so there should be nothing wrong with me taking his blood, in public or anywhere else.

In fact, I guess that little drop was enough to give me some of my Viking's self-confidence, because my next thought was So the slinkly little 'ho thought she was going to lure him away from me, huh? We'll just have to see about that! Luke's advice from the prior evening came floating back through my head, something along the lines of "never let her see you sweat." I lifted my chin a little, and plastered a smile on my face. However, my inner turmoil had made its way to Eric, and he immediately followed the direction of my gaze to see just what was upsetting me. He took one look at her, and then stared down into my eyes. "Remember what I said, Sookie," he commanded, those blue eyes blazing, "I never loved her. You are my one and only love, and always will be." Once again, he stopped in the middle of the dance floor, and this time, he gave me the softest, most tender kiss imaginable; and then he raised my hand to his lips, palm up, and kissed the bands of my wedding rings. My loving husband then gave me a loving smile. "Come, my Queen," he said, offering me his arm, "Let us re-join our friends."

He escorted me back to our table, where we were warmly greeted by Stan and Deanna. Our group sat and chatted about our opinions of Sandy's Coronation, and the other events of the past couple of days. The vampires gossiped freely about all the other vampires in attendance, just like a bunch of old ladies at a church social. Other couples came and went; we all took turns dancing; and in general, had a pretty fun time. At one point, Bill asked me to dance, and so off we went. I could feel Eric's eyes on us the entire time, but no jealousy... more like curiosity than anything. Once we were out of earshot, the first thing Bill said was, "I saw Eric giving you some blood. I am relieved to see that everything is back to normal."

"Thanks. Listen, Bill, I guess I had better tell you... I told him about us... about our bond. He seems okay with it, though."

For a moment my dark vampire was quiet, and then he said, "Honestly, I think that's for the best. Is that why you wanted to see me earlier? I knew you had been in my room earlier today... I could smell your perfume the moment I woke."

Embarrassed at having been in his room without an invitation, I said, "I'm sorry, Bill. I shouldn't have intruded. That was wrong, and I swear I won't do it again. And the worst part of it is, I really didn't want anything... other than to sit with you awhile. Crazy, right?"

"Don't be silly, Sookie. As my Queen, you have every right to come into my room... but besides that, as my friend and... what shall we call it?... nearly-Bonded, you can sit with me anytime. It was actually very pleasant to wake to your scent again." He was silent for a few minutes, and then said formally, "I want to thank you for earlier. I will treasure the incredible gift you bestowed on me forever. You are truly an amazing woman, and you deserve to be our Queen."

I could tell he meant every word, but still I rolled my eyes, and said teasingly, "Oh, yeah, I make a totally awesome vampire Queen. If only the bar rats at Merlotte's could see me now. Do you think that Maxine Fortenberry would have a stroke, or what?"

At that, he had to laugh right along with me. We continued to dance and talk until the music changed and then we returned to the table. Not long afterward, I had to go to the ladies' room, and so Deanna and I went together. She was done a little sooner than me, and she called out that she would meet me by the the dessert table just outside the hallway to the restrooms. Just as I had exited the ladies' room door, I was nearly run down by a little oriental man, apparently in a hurry to get to the men's room. When we collided, he managed to knock my little evening bag right out of my hand. It popped open, its few contents spilling out on the floor. Immediately, the little man bent to retrieve it, saying, "Oh lady! So sorry! You hokay?" He deftly shoved everything back inside my bag, all the while apologizing profusely. I assured him I would survive. He stood, handed me back my purse, and then scurried on down the hallway. Shaking my head, I continued on my way, and met up with Deanna. As luck would have it, she seemed to be deep in conversation with none other than Luke. They both turned to me with big smiles, and Deanna said, "Sookie, I think you have met my friend, Luke."

"Oh, yes, Sookie and I are old acquaintances, aren't we?" the handsome vampire replied.

Smiling, I said, "How are you tonight, Luke? Did you enjoy the ceremony?"

"I suppose so, but just between us, I am glad this is the end of the festivities," Luke admitted, "In fact, I am happy that I ran into you. I was just about to leave, and I wanted to say goodbye."

Since the party was no doubt going to continue until the wee hours, I was a little surprised that he was leaving so soon. I gave him a warm smile and said, "Goodbye, Luke. It was nice seeing you again."

He bent over my hand and kissed it, and for the first time his lips lingering on my skin just a minute longer than was absolutely necessary. Even though his long dark hair had fallen forward and I could not see it, I could tell he was inhaling my scent; and this time when he looked up at me I could see that his eyes had dilated slightly. Uh oh.

Luke gave me a piercing look, and said slowly, "That is an enchanting perfume you are wearing... may I ask what it is?"

Thinking quickly, I used the same excuse that Eric had once given Felipe. "Eric bought it for me in the Virgin Islands," I said quickly, "I think the secret ingredient is a couple of drops of Fairy blood."

While this exchange was taking place, Deanna was looking back and forth between the two of us, trying to figure out what was going on. Fortunately, it appeared that Luke was going to be gentleman enough to drop the whole issue, whether he believed me or not. He raised one perfectly shaped dark eyebrow, and drawled, "Really? I must say it suits you perfectly, my dear. Now, I will bid you adieu until we meet again... which I am hoping will be sooner than later. Deanna, I will see you next week..." With that, he bowed to us both, and headed for the door.

Deanna watched his retreating back, sighed blissfully, and said, "Now that is a vampire. Mysterious, rich, and sexy as hell. Too bad Stan just about has a conniption every time I speak more that two words to him."

Even though it was absolutely none of my business, I had to ask. "Deanna, Luke said he would see you next week...?"

The beautiful actress laughed and explained, "I start work on a new film next week. Luke is heavily invested in the industry, and has a large percentage in this project. This will be our second film together."

"If Stan is so jealous of Luke, why does he allow it?"

Deanna picked up a luscious looking little petit four and took a bite, rolling her eyes in pleasure. She swallowed, and then said, "Allow it? We aren't married or Bonded. He really has no say over what I do or don't do, and for now I intend to keep it that way. When Stan finds out about the movie deal, he'll blow his stack, but he will eventually come to his senses... and I dearly love good make-up sex, don't you? "

I thought about the night before, and said, "It's too bad you can't just have the make-up sex without the fight."

Deanna just laughed, and said, "Two intense, passionate people are bound to butt heads from time to time.. . I think it is just part of loving! Listen, Sookie, I'm really going to miss you! If you and Eric are ever coming to Austin, call first to see if I'm home. I'd love for you to come stay with me. I have a place in L.A., too, but I'm guessing the Viking is going to do his best to keep you out of California.... for obvious reasons."

If I hadn't seen a glimpse of Stan's true nature the night of the battle in New Orleans and again just last night, I would never have believed that he was either passionate or intense, but clearly under that mild accountant-like exterior he was both. "Thanks! If you are ever in Louisiana, I would love for you to stay with us... in fact, Eric is having his own Coronation really soon, and I imagine Stan will be staying with us at the Residence in New Orleans. Do you think you will come?"

"Well, it depends on the new shooting schedule, but hopefully, yes," my new friend told me, "I love New Orleans!" She put the last bite of the tiny cake in her mouth, and said, "After tonight, it's back to starving myself... oh, well."

Deanna dug a card out of her purse with her number on it, and handed it to me. I slipped it into my evening bag. She linked her arm through mine, and we started back to the table. Eric turned his head at my approach, and as I went passed him to take my seat, he reached out and pulled me on to his lap. He whispered in my ear, "You are a bad, bad girl. I saw you talking to that pest Luke again... you love to tease me, don't you?" He then blew in my ear and nibbled a little at the lobe, and of course I could feel that he wasn't really mad at me at all. I shivered in pleasure, and then leaned in and whispered in his ear, "I am a naughty girl. What do big, bad vampires do to naughty girls?"

"Hmm," he murmured thoughtfully, running his big hand up and down my exposed back, "I believe a spanking might be in order..."

"Let me guess," I said teasingly, "I suppose I would have to pull down my panties, and lay across your lap to get this spanking?"

The corner of his mouth twitched up, and his eyes began to glow, but he said very seriously, "Why, yes, that is the usual procedure."

"Oh... I see. Well, that sounds like it might hurt a little. Will you kiss it better afterwards?"

That got the full Viking grin. He was just about to reply, from behind me, I heard, "Oh, my, I can see the lovebirds are at it again." It was our hostess, Sandy, trailed by one of her Lieutenants..

Looking me directly in the eye, she said, "Sookie, my dear, please forgive me for borrowing Eric for one last bit of business. It shouldn't take long, and then we can all get back to celebrating. The evening is young!"

She said it very politely, but something in the back of her eyes was making me very nervous. I slid off of Eric's lap and into the seat next to his, and said, "Of course."

For a minute, I thought Eric was going to refuse. He had been in a wonderful mood, ever since the fireworks display, but now he was irritated all over again. Finally, he took my hand, kissed it, and said, "I want another dance with my beautiful Queen as soon as I return... and this time when I get back, I hope I do not find her with Luke." He gave me a wink, to show me he was just teasing. Standing, he glanced across the table, and said, "Pam, come with me. Bill, keep the Queen amused in my absence."

Sandy stepped over, took his arm, and off they went. Bill, who was sitting in the seat next to me, silently watched them leave the room, and then asked me to dance again. I accepted, and we spent the next little while twirling around the dance floor. Once we got back to the table, I was really thirsty, and of course there was not a waiter in sight. Bill, ever the gentleman, went off to fetch me a new drink. Everyone else was still dancing, and so I decided to get out my little compact and check my hair, to make sure my combs were still in place. The minute I opened my evening bag, though, I realized that my cell phone was missing. At first, I thought maybe I had just left it in the room, but it seemed like I distinctly remembered shoving it in the bag earlier. Crap! I was very, very fond of that phone, since my Viking had been the one to give it to me and it matched his.

After a moment of thinking about where it could be, it dawned on me that the phone must have gone flying out when I had dropped my purse in the hallway. The little oriental man must have missed it when he picked everything else up. I glanced over at Bill, who was still standing at one of the bars across the room, patiently waiting on my drink. I really wanted my phone back! I figured if I hurried, I could dash over to the hallway to look for it, and be back before anyone knew I was gone. Rapidly crossing the room, I entered the hallway and started looking along the floor for my phone. There was no sign of it, but there was a narrow table along one wall not far from where my little mishap had occurred, and I realized that my phone could very well have slid underneath. Looking under that table in my tight evening gown was going to be quite a trick, and I thought about calling Bill to help... but no one was coming, and I really wanted my phone back, so I knelt down and peered under the table. Darn it! No phone. Where could it be?

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of someone coming down the hallway, and I started to scramble to my feet. Before I had made it all the way up, a huge hand grabbed my arm and roughly hauled me to my feet. "I've been looking for you everywhere," said Quinn urgently, "I have to talk to you, right now."

He had changed out of his genie pants, and was wearing a pair of black slacks and a silky black shirt. There was a faint flush to his skin, and his eyes were burning with some intense emotion. He looked... dangerous. I took a full step away from him, and then said angrily, "Quinn, you are breaking your agreement. If Eric catches you, he is going to kill you, and I won't be able to stop him."

"I don't care! I absolutely have to tell you this!" he exclaimed, "Just before the ceremony started tonight, I was talking to Sandy. She was quite excited to see me, and seemed to think I was there because Eric had wanted to make her happy by settling our differences so that I could perform her ceremony. Her last comment to me was, 'Now that you and the Viking have made up, it looks like your services may be needed to perform another important ceremony quite soon.' I thought she meant Eric's Coronation, which of course was absurd; but I didn't fell like getting into the whole thing, so I just let it go.

Then, just a few minutes ago, I went to Sandy's office to let the staff know I was leaving, and to pick up our check. I saw Eric and Sandy and their Lieutenants going in to her office... and right behind them was Thomas Reynolds, the Royal Marriage negotiator."

He said it like that was supposed to mean something to me. I shrugged and said, "So what? Is Sandy going to marry California? They looked pretty chummy earlier."

"No, Sookie. Sandy's secretary was in the outer office, and has been a friend of mine for years. She told me who is in negotiations with Sandy, and it isn't California... it's Eric. Apparently, the negotiations have been going on for weeks, but he's been holding out for more money."

I laughed and said, "Oh, come on, Quinn, that's crazy. Eric has more money than God, and besides, he's already married!"

"I just knew that son of a bitch was keeping you in the dark!" Quinn said, "Under vampire law, a King or Queen can marry in spite of any prior marriages to humans. Eric is about to marry Sandy and he hasn't even had the guts to tell you it was even possible! I told you! He can use that Bond to make you feel whatever he wants, to keep you so dumb and happy you wouldn't ask any questions. Vampires are cruel and evil, every last one of them."

Instantly, my head began to swim, and my heart was pounding like I had just finished a long distance race. As if from a distance, I heard Quinn saying, "Now, will you come with me? I can get you away from him right now, and we'll figure out what to do about that Bond later." I stood frozen in place, Quinn's words were echoing in my head. All I could think was that surely he was mistaken. It simply could not be the truth. Eric would have told me. He loved me. He did.... he.... The room began to spin, and I thought for a minute I was going to pass out. "Come on, we've got to get out of here, before he catches us," Quinn insisted, and then he must have seen that I was about to fall, because he grabbed my arms, gave me a slight shake, and said anxiously, "...Sookie? Are you all right?"

Suddenly, from the end of the hall, I heard Bill shout, "Take your filthy paws off of her, Quinn!"

Bill must have been able to feel my distress, and come to help me. In a flash, my vampire was pulling me away from Quinn and inserting his body in between us. Hissing, he bared his fangs at the Were-Tiger. Obviously in full-out attack mode, Bill looked completely deadly. Immediately, I could see Quinn begin to ripple, and it was obvious he was just about to change into his tiger form. I yelled, "Stop it! Both of you!" They both hesitated just long enough for me to say angrily, "Bill, Quinn says that Eric is going to marry Sandy. It isn't possible... is it?"

Even though my own emotions were in an awful state, I could still feel shock from my dark vampire. Hesitantly, he answered, "While it is true that it is possible, I have heard nothing of any such alliance."

So it was possible! Through gritted teeth, I snarled, "Why didn't you tell me? I trusted you! God, will I never learn? I should have known better!"

Quinn said, "He's lying! He's Eric's Lieutenant, he had to know!"

"Shut up, Tiger, before I rip your tongue right out of that bald head of yours!" Bill hissed, and then said to me, "Sookie, I never told you because it never occurred to me that the subject would ever come up. I don't believe that Eric would put your relationship at risk, even for political gain. He loves you too much. I know you can feel it... even I can."

Instantly, the whole Sabriel situation flashed through my mind, and I was reminded of how good Eric really was at concealing things from me. The Viking had been practicing deception for more than a thousand years, which made him an absolute master at it. Tears of anger and humiliation flooded my eyes, and I said bitterly, "Eric can still hide things very well when it suits him. All right then, Bill Compton, if I can't count on you to tell me the whole truth, I guess I had better get it from the horse's mouth!"

Abruptly, I whirled around and stormed down the hallway. Behind me I head both tiger and vampire cry out, "Sookie, wait!" At that moment, I could care less if they tore each other to pieces. I had more important things on my mind. I practically ran through the Ballroom, and out the double doors. The minute I was out in the main corridor, I stood still for a moment, and tried to feel my Bonded. I could tell he was near. Oh... he was out by the pool! I found the nearest door that led to the pool area and flung it open. Bill must have decided that following me was more important than fighting with a tiger, because I realized that he was trailing closely in my wake. I could see that only one of the cabanas was lit, and knew without a doubt that was my vampire's location. I had just started across the cool-decking, when I felt a tidal wave of pure lust coming through our Bond. What in the hell was Eric doing? Bill was right behind me, was close enough that he had undoubtedly felt at least a portion of it coming through me. He said urgently, "Sweetheart, no!" I could feel his clear intent was to stop me; and so, almost without thinking, I popped from one end of the patio to in front of the cabana.

I reached out a trembling hand and jerked back the filmy netting, just in time to witness the most horrible scene I could have possibly imagined. The vampire who had sworn his fidelity and his undying love for me just the night before, was firmly planted between the legs of a very naked Sabriel. They had clearly been feeding from each other, and no doubt fucking. I could see my vampire's blood smeared on her perfectly shaped lips, and some of hers was dripping in twin rivers down his chin. Sabriel turned her beautiful raven head in my direction, and smiled triumphantly. My heart felt like it was literally being ripped from my chest. The pain was so severe that I could no longer breathe, and instantly tears begin to roll down my face. Bill slid up behind me, and managed to wrap his arms around me, just before my knees gave out.

Even in his lust, Eric must have felt me; because at that very moment he raised his head and looked me directly in the eye. His own eyes were so dilated in their passion, they were almost completely black. His mouth red with Sabriel's blood, he started to speak; but whatever it was, I just couldn't hear it. In that one instant, I knew that Quinn had been right all along. The Bond was nothing more than a way for the vampire to control the human, and make her believe anything he wanted. Everything that Eric had ever told me had been based on a lie, with Bill and Pam to back him up. I had been a trusting little idiot, and now at last I was seeing them all for what they really were... manipulative, lying, evil creatures. With one last cry of complete anguish, I popped myself away from that terrible place.