Eric's POV.
'Ah...ahhhh, mmmmmm, don't expect me to move...for at least...ten minutes...I can't feel my legs right now'. Those are the out of breath words a post orgasmic Tyra just spoke to me before her head thudded down on my chest, after an impressive two hours of being on top of me. Well, I think that is what she just said. My head is too foggy with my own post orgasmic clouds of rapture to really concentrate on anything other than how incredible the sex we've been sharing for the last three hours has been; since I decided to wake her up with my tongue. A tongue that like the rest of me is now very, very tired from making sure the beautiful, sweat drenched woman astride me right now is nothing short of fully satisfied.
'So are these beautiful legs of yours still dead?' I ask her a few minutes later as I stroke said beautiful legs.
'About as much as you are, yes' she replies, looking down at me, still slightly out of breath and very dishevelled, but still so gorgeous. Even with smudged makeup and messy hair she's still very radiant.
'Then I shall have to carry to the shower I think we both need' I reply, getting up with her in my arms and doing just that, heading through to the bathroom and into my huge corner shower, turning on the water and then carefully placing her down on the floor. I have to laugh a little when her legs start to wobble, and she puts her arms around my neck to keep herself steady. And once her legs have stopped quivering so violently she's able to let go, shampooing her hair and allowing me to wash the rest of her while she does, piercing my fingertip with one of my fangs and trailing it across every bite mark and knife wound on her, preventing her beautiful skin from being the subject of permanent scars which I hate to see on women, tattoos or otherwise. I much prefer the clean look. And once we're both clean and dry we head back to bed, actually making it under the covers this time and spending this portion of the early morning locked in discussion rather than locked around each other in sexual abandon.
'How are you adjusting to your new found supernatural status then?' I ask her, watching her sitting in the middle of the bed and combing her damp hair.
'To be honest, I don't really feel any different. And I know what I am is rare and important, certainly to you, but I just don't really feel all that affected by it to truthful. Is that wrong of me? Should this be something that stirs my excitement more?' she asks me, wincing as the comb breaks through a knotted clump of hair.
'I don't think there is a standard textbook reaction to knowing what you are. If you hadn't have been wiped out it would have been something you would have learned from your mother, how to correctly harness your abilities and conduct yourself in the noble manner associated with Wolverina's. Not that I don't consider your manner to be anything less than that, but you would have known from birth what you were, and therefore it would have been something you were naturally accustomed to. I must say, discovering this has made me begin to think about something, namely your mother's murder. You see, Wolverina's pass on that gene to their daughters, it's exclusively a female trait. So I do wonder if her unsolved murder was because of this, whoever killed off all the other Wolverina's saw to her demise too. But that wouldn't explain why you were left alive, and it also doesn't explain the fact that your kind has been extinct for so many years, so your mother and her predecessors just couldn't have been Wolverina, they'd have met the same end. And as I believe, your paternal grandmother on her side lived to quite an age did she not?' I reply, watching Tyra begin to braid her long hair now all tangles have been removed successfully by her meticulous combing.
'Yes, she was eighty eight when she died, and that was on liver cancer, nothing suspicious. Which leaves a massive blank to be drawn once more over how the hell I can actually be what I am, because also do you remember that I told you last night my mother had a massive fear of dogs? Well it all stems from her neighbours' dog biting her when she was a little girl, not badly but enough to draw a little blood and make her frightened of them for life, so if she did carry the Wolverina gene surely the dog wouldn't have done that' she replies, while I nod in agreement.
'A very insightful observation, and indeed not, she wouldn't have been bitten by that dog if she was what you are. It wouldn't have happened. Which leads me to the only conclusion I can think of, and that is to contact Agnes, for that vampire will hold the answers to so many of our questions, I know she will. She's an expert on your kind as I iterated to you last night' I tell her, welcoming her into my arms as she lies down beside me, resting her chin on my chest.
'You think she'll know why I've suddenly appeared after so many years? And also, do you think she'll even give you the time of day, well, night I suppose, to actually hear you out on the subject?' she asks me.
'That I just do not know. Agnes is immensely wise because of her age naturally, but I'm unsure if she could even begin to find an answer to such a phenomenon. And as for whether or not she would even discuss it with me, well, it's only nine in the evening in Norway, so now is a good a time as ever to try that out. I just need to contact someone who's a little less hostile in attitude towards me first to even get her telephone number, Philip Bjorn the vampire king of Finland being that someone' I reply, excusing myself to get out of bed and retrieve my cell where of course his number is stored.
'So why do they have kings and queens of countries over there, and only states over here? Because of how big the USA is?' she asks me.
'Yes, exactly that reason. Now if you'll excuse me' I tell her, scrolling through the contact list on my cell and hitting call when I reach Philip's private cell line. It doesn't take him long to answer, and (to Tyra's ears) the call to go something like this-
'Good evening, Eric Northman speaking...I am well thank you, I trust you are the same...good to hear, listen I need a favour from you Philip, a contact for Agnes Bynhild...no I have not changed my mind over her proposition...yes I am prepared for the fact she will probably hang up on me...yes I'm very much aware of the grudge she can hold, but this matter is of the upmost importance and I'm prepared for her reaction to be unwelcoming...okay yes...thank you Philip'. I type out the digits of her telephone number into my cell as he recites them to me, and then end the call before he can begin to ask me too many questions. He's extremely nosey like that, as well as being way too friendly for a vampire for my liking. He's almost like softened down caricature of a vampire, no longer feeding from humans, respecting them with the same level of fondness as he would fellow vampires. But then again at three hundred he is young; no doubt he'll find them as nauseating as I when he reaches my age.
'Right, and now to see how long it takes Miss Bynhild to hang up on me' I tell Tyra, after saving Agnes' number in my cell and then pressing call, watching Tyra watching me, her face full of nervous energy as she starts to chew the corner of her bottom lip in anticipation.
'Good evening, may I speak with her highness please? Yes, this is Eric Northman' I tell one of her servants who has answered the phone and immediately asks for a name.
'Certainly, one moment please Mr Northman and I will ask her majesty if it is possible to connect you to her office telephone' she speaks politely before I hear the line switch and then begin to ring out again.
'Changed your mind have you?' comes the sultry, yet too young to rouse sexual interest in me tones of the Norwegian queen down the line as she answers.
'No Agnes, my decision on that subject matter still remains an absolute no, but I...' is as far as I get before she predictably hangs up.
'Wow, you managed a whole fifteen seconds' Tyra chimes at my side, laughing behind her hand a little while I just frown. 'Eric, persistence is your number one tactic. Stop frowning at me and try again' she then adds, while I do just that and also decide there can be no gentle build up to what I have to tell her, that I have to (and to use a terribly human term) pull out the big guns straight away. Once again the same servant answers the telephone, but has a different message for me when I ask again to be put through to the queen.
'I'm very sorry Mr Northman, but her majesty asks that no more calls from you are put through to her this evening, or ever' I'm told.
'Tell her I have found a Wolverina here in Louisiana, and then ask her if she wants to persist in being so childish just because I will not fuck her in the face of such news' I drawl confidently in reply, hearing the servant gasp a little at having it put to her so bluntly, before excusing herself.
'I shall pass on the message to her majesty, but in slightly less crude terms Mr Northman. One moment please' she replies, leaving me waiting for about twenty seconds before I hear Agnes' voice once more.
'And how on earth have you managed to find a supernatural species that has been extinct for more than a thousand years exactly Eric? I feel already this is some sort of ruse being cooked up for an alternative purpose. Have you tested her?' she asks me, sounding a lot more curious now despite her disbelieving tone.
'Yes, and I can guarantee you one hundred percent that she is Wolverina. You can tear my fangs out of my gums with silver pliers if I'm lying too, an activity I know you would relish in' I reply.
'I'll be on a plane to Louisiana within the next forty eight hours. And when I arrive, I had better find what you've told me is true, or else a lot worse will be bestowed upon you than having your fangs ripped out. I don't enjoy leaving my palace or its grounds, lest of all my country, unless it is entirely necessary. Goodbye for now Eric' is all she says before the line goes dead with a click again.
'Well that seemed to be enough for her to get herself on a plane and come and witness you first hand. She informed me she will be leaving within the next two days. Agnes will never be any more precise than that, so now we play the waiting game until she arrives' I tell Tyra.
'Can I suggest that for now, we play the sleeping game? It is coming up to 6.30am after all' she tells me, stifling a small yawn.
'Of course, a very good idea' I tell her, watching her settle down next to me and drift off within minutes, my own tiredness not quite enough to send me to sleep too with everything I have revolving around inside my head. And so I lie there and watch her, and note to myself how this revelation is the first thing to really excite me and capture my interest so strongly since I've been a vampire. When you've been around for as long as I have, life can become quite dull. You don't find much enjoyment in the world around you or the people in it, because you've been there, done that, brought several t shirts and in general nothing is new to your eyes. Except for now of course, for the woman lying next to me right now sleeping soundly is very new to me, of course since I've only known her for six months and been involved with her for two. And my interest in her has started to go beyond what she is, and who she is to me being my last living descendant. I actually find myself liking having her around more, whether that is because of the blood I suspect is bonding me to her slowly, or whether there is room in my heart and head for a woman in the long term romantic sense, and actual relationship, I am yet to clearly decipher. I do know for one thing that the thought of not having her around isn't pleasant, but yet when I think of her being the only woman I will be faithful to until she dies, well, I still do not think it's something I am capable of doing. And she is worth more than what I feel I am capable of giving right now too, a 'for this moment in time at least, we have something' promise.
But then I think on it, and I know that Tyra accepts me for exactly who and what I am, and because of how rare that is to find in a woman in itself, thus far I have actually remained faithful to her when no formal bonds of a relationship exist. And of course I have received many, many offers, but each of them I have flatly turned down in favour of her. She even said to me once that she never expected me to remain true to her in a sexual sense, that she didn't consider it to be in my nature and she accepted that. But upon hearing that I felt it quite the challenge, to show her that perhaps she doesn't know me as well as she thinks she does; that I can be capable of monogamy. But, for how long I just do not know, and I do not ever want her to expect something of me that I cannot promise her in the long term sense, and the more we become involved with each other the more I suspect that she will change that opinion. Or perhaps I'm second guessing her as much as I know she does with me. It's very hard, all this. Not since Ida have I devoted myself to one woman entirely. Could it be different with Tyra? History does dictate that as a Wolverina she is perfect for me, an ideal mate, could that perfection hold my interest enough to care for her even when she's old and grey? To still find interest in being with her and her alone until the day she dies, and furthermore, could I handle the possibility of allowing myself to (dare I even think it) love her and then have to watch nature, often life's cruellest injustice, take her away from me? Love is a word that I can only just about extend to Pam, could I actually love a woman in the way I loved Ida? I just do not know. Is it even worth it?
But I do know one thing for sure, when I drink of her that is exactly what I want, her blood effects me so strongly and pulls me in so close that the thought of being parted from her drives me to distraction. It is why I am so adamant not to drink from her again, until I can learn more about vampire/Wolverina blood bonds, information I hope Agnes will be forthcoming with. I can feel it grow even by just biting and not drinking from her, and licking blood from the knife wounds I covered her in last night, but I do know for blood bonds to efficiently work it has to be done a certain number of times (depending on the supernatural creatures in question), and does have to be a proper intake of blood from an artery, not just enough to wet the tongue. How I've had the self control not to feed from her thus far I do not know, and it does take everything I have within me not to drink from her when I bite her, and it gets more and more difficult to control that as the days pass.
'I was right, you are challenging me' I whisper to her, stroking a few wisps of hair away from her face and kissing her cheek, before I settle down and am finally able to turn my thoughts off and join her in pleasant and long lasting slumber.
Tyra's POV.
'Well I'll say one thing mister, being involved with you definitely fucks up my body clock' I tell a sleeping Eric, at around 3.30pm the following afternoon after I've got up, switched on the lamp in the far corner and gotten back into bed with him, resting his arm back across my middle where it previously was. He won't wake for another few hours yet, but my body has decided eight hours is more than enough sleep for me, even though I feel like I could easily sleep for another three hours my head just will not allow me to drop off again. No matter how lovely and warm and cosy I am next to the big vampire by my side, his skin warmed through being next to me all night (well, day). But still, I'm in no rush to actually get up, so just lie there and stroke his forearm where it rests across my stomach, turning to just about be able to see him since his face is crushed into a pillow. I then reach over to the nightstand and grab my cell, deciding to flip through my emails while I'm still in the stages of thinking about getting up, not actually wanting to do it. And it's when I take in today's date that I realize something; it's been exactly two months today since Eric and I became involved with one another. I cannot say the R (relationship) word just yet as that is not what we are. Right now we're two supernatural creatures trying to see if we fit with one another, and so far I do have to confess; he fits well with me. And no, look at that dirty mind of yours, assuming I'm on about how well his cock fits me (don't lie! I know what you were thinking over there!). No, I'm on about how well he fits into my life, how I've finally found someone who I actually really enjoy being with.
There's so much I like about Eric, and okay I'll be honest and say sex is very high up on that list, because when he takes you to bed it truly is an unforgettable experience. He's thorough, he invests in your pleasure as much as he does his own (sometimes even more so), and he's capable for going for six hours or more (not that every time we have sex it does last for that long I hasten to add) and he's so, so passionate. Another thing I like best about him is how he never wastes words, never talking unless what he has to say is important, interesting or relevant. So many people feel the need to chatter on and on about unimportant, irrelevant bullshit and it's always been something that's annoyed me; so I enjoy how concise he is. Also, I love his intelligence. He'd be smart as hell even if he wasn't a vampire believe me. One time over at my place I was taking one of those online IQ tests, a proper one not one of these silly Facebook ones too I must add (I don't even have a Facebook account, I have no time for cyberspace networking) and after I had done it he sat and took it too. I got a commendable 130, he got 170. He's seriously intelligent isn't he? And then there's the fact that because he's a vampire and a very old one at that, he's seen so much, known so much, lived through so many ages and watched the world and society grow. To hear his stories of times gone by is becoming one of my favourite pastimes. He's so very fascinating; I don't think I could ever become bored of him. But it's that thought that leads me to a very big 'but' in all of this. And that is that no matter how much I like him, how much he interests me and how one day I would like to refer to him as mine and mine alone; I do not expect or think that day will ever come. And if it does, I know it'll be a relationship with an indefinite expiration date.
He's told me before that even though he enjoys my company he just does not know if being in a relationship is something he'd be capable of doing long term, and I do not blame him for that either; having a relationship with a woman is something he's never done as a vampire, only as a human and as we know that was a very, very long time ago. But I do have to say so far he isn't doing a bad job of it at all. I'm not exactly a high maintenance kind of woman, I do not expect to be wined and dined or treated like a princess, which I think has helped somewhat. But still, I do have to wonder how long this will last for, how long I will be interesting to him for. Because I think that's what it boils down to most with him, not knowing whether he will find me interesting enough to commit himself to long term. And if he does, how can I be sure it's me he really wants, whether he wants me for who I am, and not what I am. Could I be content in knowing the only reason he's with me is because I'm Wolverina? I keep asking myself if I'm enough for him, but also I must question the following; is he enough for me? Is a relationship with no promises toward its longevity something I could enter happily, be content with? I've been very considerate of his feelings, his adjustment to this. I have hardly considered my own really; I've just gone with the flow. But I do think now is the time to decide what I want, and what I need, and then discuss it with him instead of us hanging in limbo like we currently are. Alas, right now is probably not the greatest of times to do this though, with the threat of Russell Edgington reappearing suddenly (Eric suspects strongly his thirst for revenge against him will not go away as quickly as he's gone off the radar) and queen Agnes' visit impending, now isn't the right time. And I know this for sure...or do I?
A loud bang on the door rouses me from my deep train of thought, and Eric from his sleep, sitting bolt upright and pushing his hair out of his eyes.
'Yes?' he calls, before rubbing his eyes and then giving me a kiss on the cheek and a small smile, while I pull the sheet up around myself to cover my nakedness to Pam, who's blur stops by the side of the bed, laptop in her hands, and a look of urgency on her face.
'You both need to see this, it hit the headlines this morning' she tells us, passing the small white laptop to Eric's outstretched hand, and then perching her pink satin pyjama clad self on the edge of the bed, while Eric presses play on the video on the CNN world news web page, the following report being broadcast to us on the little screen-
'And back to our top news this morning, the American Vampire league, also known as the AVL have confirmed this morning that terrorist vampire Russell Edgington has been captured and remanded in their custody. Edgington, the 2,800 year old vampire who brutally slaughtered a newscaster live on air, was said to be found in the early hours of the morning in a safe house in Jackson, Mississippi, and immediately arrested by AVL officials. AVL spokeswoman Nan Flanagan had the following to say in the hours following the arrest-
'I can confirm that Russell Edgington was arrested and detained at just after 2.30am pacific time, after a tip off lead to his capture at a safe house just outside of Jackson, Mississippi. At this point the AVL are reviewing information and evidence gathered concerning not only the murder of Jerry McCafferty, newscaster for the TBBN network, but also his crimes within the vampire community, all of which he will go on trial for. I cannot comment any further at this time'
But there are a few things she did confirm, to Eric at least when after we'd took a shower together and got dressed, when he called her after I went out in search of something to eat, returning to the office and chewing down half a packet of mints on my way before I kiss him. If I've eaten anything he absolutely cannot stand to kiss me; he only just about manages to without pulling a sour face if I've drank a cup of coffee. He doesn't mind if it's alcohol too much because he says it's the one thing he misses from being a human. 'Believe me, if I could still drink now, I'd be able to drink Keith Richards under the table. No problem' he once said to me. Yikes.
'So what did she tell you? Whatever it is, you don't exactly look thrilled about it' I say to him, walking around the desk and easing myself up to sit on it in front of him, watching him turn to me and rest his hands on my thighs.
'I'm in half minds over his arrest to be truthful. On the one hand he's out of the way now, Nan made it very clear that this was the beginning of the damage control in the face of the vampire rights amendment, and that he wouldn't be walking free any time soon. So this means you're safe from him. But on the other hand she did tell me the maximum punishment for his crimes would only be the removal of his fangs and ten years imprisonment in a silver lined coffin. That is not the justice I sought for my family; for our family Tyra. Not enough by far' he tells me, his face blank as he stares past me, and then his beautiful blue eyes suddenly fix on me. I watch lines forming across his head as he frowns, and then rests it down on my legs where I begin to stroke his hair.
'I agree with you, it's not enough by far. But the AVL can't charge him with that can they? And I know that by capturing him themselves it means you cannot get what you promised your father, the vengeance Russell more than deserves. But it is better than nothing at all, better than him being out there somewhere on the down low, ready to come and reap his revenge against you' I remind him gently, looking down to see him nodding.
'Yes, you are of course correct. There is nothing more I can do about him now, life must carry on. And at least I can be safe in the knowledge he won't harm you, that was a primary concern' he replies, rising from his seat and putting his arms around my shoulders, hugging me tightly and kissing me atop my head. This is something else I've noticed about Eric, how his actions always speak so much louder than his words. I suppose that's yet another thing I must ask myself if I can be comfortable with.
Authors note - BIG, BIG thanks to the lovely ladies who tirelessly review this (you know who you are!), please keep those reviews coming, I love hearing what you all think of it! And thanks to each and every silent reader I receive too :) I love that this is being enjoyed, you have no idea how much so :) xx