AN: Okay, the long awaited next chapter! Sorry, RL got in the way some there, but that's typical. I can say that I'm just about done with Ch 26 and am almost ready to send it for beta. In fact, I've already started on Ch 27. Thank you Glam and NYC for betaing for me! You guys are awesome! So, without further ado, here you go!

ERIC

Sookie had no idea what she'd just done. It was a death sentence for both of us, for all of us. I know she thought that this was the best scenario for the situation, the only way for us all to survive, but I knew better. Felipe would never leave us alone; the threat of death would constantly hang over our heads, even if he let us go at all.

I was hurt, yes, but I would have healed eventually. The swords that pierced me had been made with faint traces of silver, which made the wounds hard to close, but it wasn't enough to cripple me, at least not like Neave's bite had done to Bill. It was only enough to weaken, but not kill me.

What Sookie was about to do though, would hurt me more than any silver could. Worse yet, it could potentially kill her. A sword jabbed into my side as I heard the word 'yes' come out of her mouth, and I closed my eyes, bracing for what was to come. She was a strong woman, and her will to survive was greater than any human I knew. I only hoped she could survive this. She had no idea of the degree of pain in store for her.

I refused to watch Felipe forcing his blood on her, and deep down I tried sending her my love through what was left of our bond. Even through the spells cast around here, my hope was that she would feel at least something to help ease her during the transition.

When the first wave of pain ripped through me, my eyes shot open, and I stared at her face. It was contorting, and she was trying not to scream. I wanted to rush to her, to make her stop, but I was outnumbered with too many weapons trained on me some of which were constantly jabbing at me from all sides.

It started as a small tug, and then began clawing its way through me, cruelly shredding her essence as our bond was wrenched from my body. She was being torn from my body and it felt like I was dying all over again. I physically shook from the pain, but made no sound. I only stared. Sookie was weakened to her core, and Felipe's holding her up was the only thing keeping her from total collapse.

Another wave of pain washed over me; I doubled over. If this was torture for me, I don't want to even think about what she must be going through. Our shared essence scattered in pieces, like a torn piece of paper. I would be hollowed, left with only skin and bones… a shell of a vampire who was once tall and strong, proud that he'd survived this long by keeping his wits about him, and who had, until now, been able to get out of any situation.

A fleeting thought reminded me that I had once said that Sookie would be the death of me. How little I expected that quip to come true. The crushing blow was yet to come, and I glanced up one last time as Felipe held the chalice to her lips. She was limp in his arms, and her eyes held all her pain and anxiety, but somehow she had the will to part her lips and let the blood enter her mouth.

As the liquid poured down her throat, a searing bolt of pain rose up my spine and practically split me in two. A growl erupted from deep down, and the air around me sizzled. Then everything went dark.

SOOKIE

The warm liquid hit my tongue and trickled down my throat. I was barely able to swallow, but the more I did, the better I started to feel. After a few moments, I could feel my strength slowly returning to my limbs. The excruciating pain that seized my body was gradually subsiding.

A few more minutes past, and I was able to stand on my own without Felipe's arm around me, supporting me. The whole ordeal had lasted only about five minutes, but it could have lasted an eternity and would have been just as horrible.

I blinked a few times and shook my head to clear the fuzziness away. Everything was the same, yet different. There was more of a presence in the back of my head, and it wasn't pleasant. It was more like a gnawing and scratching sensation, and I realized it was Felipe. It was the bond that had formed between us.

The bond I shared with Eric was never like this. I knew it was there, but his was more of a calming presence, especially when he was nearby. So much time had been wasted, spent railing against our bond, when I should have embraced it. Now it was gone, and I was not only bound to this monster, but also married to him.

I looked down at the audience still huddled against the walls, and focused on the middle of the floor. Eric laid there, unconscious, blood still lightly oozing from his wounds.

Rage instantly built inside of me. "You said you wouldn't hurt him!"

Felipe chuckled in a low, sinister voice. "I didn't do that to him, my love. You did. When your bond was broken with him, it was too much for him."

I tried to jump down off the stage and run to Eric. I had to find out if he was at least alive, or as alive as a vampire could be. Damn Felipe! I still couldn't use my telepathy or anything else because those spells were still in place.

A hand reached out and firmly planted itself onto my shoulder. "He is of no concern to you now."

The guards standing near him sheathed their weapons, and it took several of them to hoist Eric up and carry him off. Tears flooded my eyes, and I looked around for the others—Riley, Amelia, and Pam—but they were nowhere to be found.

Patrick had disappeared as well. How could he have betrayed Eric like that? I wanted to weep for the loss of the Pythoness. She didn't deserve to meet her final death at his hands; not after such a long life. Was Patrick so greedy and ambitious that he'd kill to get what he wanted?

I turned to Felipe with my hands on my hips. "You agreed that if I went through with this that they would go free. Are you still holding to your word?"

"Of course, my dear. What would I be without my honor?" What did he know about honor? He had none, let alone any integrity or valor, and don't get me started on whether he had a heart or not.

"I want to see them. I want to know that they are okay and that they are free to leave … including Eric."

"Later, my dear. Right now, we must seal this union in front of everyone." Without even asking, he leaned forward and kissed me.

His lips were dry and rough, and it was like kissing sandpaper. I squirmed until he finally broke it off and triumphantly smiled down at me. Hesitant clapping filled the room, as I'm sure no one really knew what to do next.

Felipe turned toward his audience and addressed them once again. "My esteemed guests, thank you for being here. We are honored that you are witnesses to our blessed union." He let out a chuckle. "Please accept our apologies for the earlier interruption. Apparently, some vampires do not understand the meaning of manners and wish to cause unrest. As you can see, the matter was dealt with swiftly and with as little to do as possible. Now, if you will all follow us, we have a treat for everyone on the patio. After all, this is a special holiday as well."

I had no intention of going anywhere until I saw for myself that everyone was safe, but I was yanked along and had no choice but to be escorted out with Felipe holding my hand. There was a chair near the path I had seen from my room, and I walked over and sat my butt down.

All eyes were riveted on me, as if they were trying to decide whether they wanted to congratulate or drain me. They were certainly more frightened of Felipe than when they first arrived.

When Felipe announced that the fireworks were to begin, everyone turned their gaze upward as the sky began to fill with colorful bursts of light. Seizing my only opportunity, I slipped away and took a walk down the path. It was wide enough that there were two rows of light brown flagstones lining the way, and small decorative lanterns were situated low to the ground evenly spaced marking the way in the darkness. The farther down the path I got, the easier it was to breathe, and it surprised me at how tight my chest had been.

I needed to be alone and check in with myself after what had happened this evening. As I rounded the bend, a big pond loomed in front of me. The area was darker, and there was very little lighting, but it was enough for me to see my surroundings.

Standing at the edge of the pond, I took a deep breath and considered my next move. I was going to have to step carefully for the time being, keeping on my toes at all times. There was no way that I was going to be tethered to King Asshole for the rest of my life. My eyes closed as I thought of Eric. His freedom had been paramount in my mind. I would never stop loving him, no matter what happened in the future. I only hope I bought him enough time to heal and come back for me in greater force.

The bond I felt with Felipe was buzzing around in the back of my head, and it was full of pride and lust and urgency. It was vicious and upsetting, gnawing at my brain; a shadow trying to cloak the land in darkness.

"You should not be wandering out here alone Ms. Stackhouse, or do you prefer de Castro now?" I was startled out of my contemplation by an approaching figure. As dark as it was, the man was still recognizable. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's Stackhouse and always will be, and it's okay, Alfonso. I'm learning to expect it, being around vampires all the time." I moved to a nearby set of benches and sat down. So far, I hadn't seen anyone I could trust to talk to, so I was a little leery of him at first.

"Same here. At first I used to jump all the time, but now it doesn't even bother me. Are you okay?"

"I would be lying if I said yes. How am I supposed to be okay with all of this? I've been forced into an untenable situation and had to bond with a monster. I've let the one man in my life, which I truly love, go free. I don't think I can even look my friends in the face right now. But as long as they are unharmed and safely away from here, I don't care what happens to me."

It seemed strange for me to spill my guts. After all, he could have easily gone back and reported to Felipe what I'd just said. Frankly, considering how I was feeling at the moment, I could have cared less. It wasn't anything Felipe didn't know already.

Alfonso sighed. He leaned over to me and spoke in a hushed tone. "I shouldn't be saying this, but I can't stand what the king did … to you or to that other king. Unfortunately, I can't help you escape, or I could be killed, but you can count on me to watch your back."

For the first time this evening, I smiled. At least someone around here cared about me and was on my side. It was a start; maybe there were more on staff who felt like this. I tucked that little bit of information away for use at a later date.

"I can understand about loving someone enough to set them free. I was in love once, back in Buenos Aires, but circumstances were against us." He looked so sad recalling the memories.

"What was her name?"

The corner of Alfonso's mouth quirked into a smile. "His name was Javier."

My mouth formed an 'oh', and he didn't need to go into detail. I could imagine what problems they had. "I'm so sorry. Do you think you'll ever see him again?"

"No. He was killed about four years ago in a robbery." He placed his hand on top of mine.

That little gesture meant so much to me, and everything I'd been holding in burst forth like a tidal wave. I buried my face in my hands and cried. I'm sure I looked horrible, eyes all red and puffy, but I didn't care.

A whoosh of cool air stung my hands, and when I peeked out from between my fingers, a handkerchief was dangling in front of my face. Felipe was standing in front of me looking upset. Anger flooded the bond, and it was suffocating.

"Here, dry your eyes. You made me look like a fool, leaving the party without my knowledge. Right yourself immediately and get your ass back up there. I will not have you wandering off whenever you like. You are mine now, and you will act accordingly in your new position." Felipe threw the hankie at me and stood back with his arms at his side.

I dabbed my eyes and blew my nose before trying to hand it back to him. He just stared at me like I was crazy and turned to leave. I stood and adjusted my dress, looking around for Alfonso, but he had disappeared without a word. Maybe he saw Felipe coming and left so he wouldn't get into trouble. I'd hate to think that he would be punished for just talking to me.

I took a deep breath and followed Felipe back to the party. The fireworks were winding down, and frankly, all I wanted to do was go back to my bedroom. I stopped short and a sense of dread washed over me.

My bedroom. Would Felipe expect me to … I couldn't even think the words in my head. I hadn't even considered it when I made my decision. How the hell was I going to get out of that?

I continued along the path back to the party, and Felipe motioned for me to join him by his side. I stood there while he talked to a few vampires here and there, posturing about his plans for the future. Stifling a yawn, the corner of his eye narrowed slightly.

I agreed to this farce of a ceremony. I never said I'd be a cooperative slave. If he thought he could make me heel nicely, he had another thing coming. I could make it uncomfortable for him, just as long as I didn't push too hard for fear of retribution.

Right in the middle of his conversation, I interrupted. "Excuse me, but I am going inside now. This has been an overwhelming day, and as you can imagine, I'm rather tired."

Not waiting for Felipe to respond, I turned on my heels and walked back inside. At first, I went to the room Felipe had set up for me, and quickly got ready for bed, cleaning the makeup off my face and performing my nightly ritual. Then, as fast as I could, I hurried down the hall and up to the west wing. I had to find out for myself if everyone was in their room.

The door to Amelia and Riley's suite was open, and I wandered through it looking for some scrap of evidence that they had been there. It was completely empty, and it looked like no one had been in there for a long time. I then went across the hall to where Eric and I had been staying.

It looked the same as when I'd left it, except that, here too, it was completely empty. I closed the door behind me and sat down on the bed in my nightgown and robe. My fingers smoothed out a wrinkle in the comforter. Eric and I had shared this bed. I lay down and curled up, pulling the other pillow against me and buried my face into it, crying again.

This was such a stupid plan. It's never going to work. Now I've lost Eric for good.

'Cheer up. It's not hopeless. You know you have it in you to beat Felipe.'

How can you be so sure?

'Because I know you, duh. I know how strong you are, and don't let anyone fool you. What you did was brave and courageous. Not many people would sacrifice their freedom for their friends and loved ones.'

But…

'No buts, or I'll bust outta here and kick yours.'

I wiped my eyes with the corner of the pillowcase. You're right. I am strong, and no one can get me down except for myself.

'That's my girl. Now, get some sleep because tomorrow, we're going to work on getting out of here.'

**********

I woke up the next morning and stretched before opening my eyes. My surroundings were different than when I fell asleep. I was back in the new bedroom, and I rolled over on my side, not even wanting to think about how I got back here.

At least I avoided dealing with him any further last night; him and his lustful ways. In no way was sex a part of this deal. That's where I put my foot down, and he would damn well hear about it tonight. I would be faithful to Eric, even if I couldn't be with him.

The sun peeked in between the drapes, and a soft rapping at the door made me sit up. I pulled the spread up over me. "Yes?"

Chloe entered with a strange expression on her face, carrying some type of tray. "Mistress Sookie, I hope you had a wonderful evening last night. I brought you some breakfast."

She set the tray over my lap and lifted the silver dome to reveal a plate of food. "Thanks Chloe, but I'm not hungry at the moment. Is there any coffee?"

She looked upset that I had refused what she brought. It was sad the way they treated her, and it was obvious she had been glamoured enough that she didn't know which end of a fishing pole was up.

I scooted out of bed and walked over to open the curtains. "If you leave it here, I'll eat in a bit, okay?" She seemed to perk up, my words somehow encouraging, and I shook my head with pity in my eyes.

"Is there anything I can do for you today, Mistress Sookie?"

"Yes, you can please stop calling me Mistress. I'm not anyone's Mistress. I'm just plain Sookie."

Her eyes widened. "Oh, that would be so disrespectful of me to just call you by your first name." She paused a moment, the gears grinding in her brain. "How about just 'Miss Sookie'?"

I sighed. "That would be fine, Chloe. Tell me, is Alfonso around today? I'd like to talk to him."

She hesitated.

"What is it? You can tell me."

She looked around, as if someone might be in earshot, and then leaned closer to me and whispered. "He's restricted. He's not allowed to speak to anyone right now. I don't know what happened, cause they don't tell me nothin'."

"It's okay. I won't tell anyone you told me. Do you know where he is?"

"He's supposed to be restricted to the servants' quarters as well. He's probably in his room."

"Thank you Chloe." She left me to my own devices, and the first thing I did was pour myself a cup of coffee. I needed my brain to wake up fully. As I reached for a mug from the tray, a plain white envelope flopped onto its side and lay there with my name scrawled over the front. Three guesses who the note was from. I finished pouring the coffee and grabbed the note, sitting down near the window to read it.

Sookie,

Last night was embarrassing to me. I had expected more out of you and will not tolerate you acting out, disappearing without a trace or being obstinate. I am not Eric, nor will I pretend to be. You will act accordingly in your new position. You are mine now, and that is not going to change as long as I am alive. I am willing to let last night slide, as you are adjusting to your new role, but rest assured, I will not hold back for long.

I have taken the liberty of locking the doors to the guest suites, as your friends have been removed from the house. There is no reason for you to be in there. Consequently, I have also asked Gwen to leave the blocking spells in place. I cannot have you popping in and out whenever you like. Perhaps when I can trust you more, we can discuss removing them. Your telepathy will also not work in most of the house, although I have designated areas in which you will be able to access that ability.

As for Eric, by right I could have killed him on the spot. However, given your fondness of him, I have decided to take a different approach. This once, I will let you know of my decisions regarding business. He has been sent back with the others, but is on restriction. He is not to leave his territory for any reason, unless cleared personally with me first. He has been punished with twenty lashes from a silver chain, and been given a stiff penalty to cover the loss of my forces. Keep in mind that I could have been much harsher on him and still could be, if provoked.

Be in my office at 8:00pm sharp. We have much to discuss.

Felipe

Oh, that did not sound good. Poor Eric! Beaten with a silver chain? I choked back the tears that threatened to burst forth. At least he was free, well, as free as Felipe would let him be. He will heal, and he will come back for me. I know it deep down. I just have to be ready for that day.

Now I really wanted to talk to Alfonso. I threw on some clothes and pulled my hair into a ponytail. There weren't many people milling around, except for those from EEE that were carting away remnants from last night, so I felt it was safe enough to wind my way to the servants' quarters.

At the kitchen entrance, I spied a couple of workers. Since there weren't very many humans on staff, Felipe must not have had much use for the kitchen. They jabbered back and forth about last night's party and how they were happy to watch the fireworks. Apparently, they were not privy to the fireworks that had gone on behind the scenes.

After what seemed like an eternity, the two young men headed out the back door for a cigarette break. I waited until the door shut behind them before making my way through the kitchen and up a set of creaky wooden stairs. I turned and entered a narrow hallway with several doors on each side. I had no idea which one was Alfonso's, and just as I passed one of the doors, it swung wide open and I came face-to-face with a young man, no more than twenty-one.

"Oh, um … hi. Can I help you with something?"

"Yes, I'm looking for Alfonso's room. Can you tell me which one it is?"

He glanced down the hall and back at me, probably wondering who I was. Dang, I wished my telepathy worked. All the doors in the hall were a nondescript green, and it was a wonder that anyone could remember which was theirs.

"Yes, Miss. It's the last one on the right. But he's on restriction—no visitors." He looked concerned for me.

"It's okay, um …."

"Tommy, Miss. I'm one of the chauffeurs."

"Tommy, it's nice to meet you. I'm Sookie."

He processed my name for a moment, and I knew the moment he made a connection; his eyes widened with fright. "Miss Sookie. I'm so sorry; I didn't realize it was you. I'm new here. Please don't tell anyone I didn't recognize you."

I put my hand on his arm to calm him. "It's okay. I won't tell anyone, as long as you don't tell anyone I came to talk to Alfonso. Deal?"

Tommy paused for a beat, nodded and then extended his hand for me to shake it. "Deal."

I watched him round the corner and heard the creak of the steps as he descended them before making my way down to the last room and knocking on the door.

Alfonso answered, and his face registered his shock to see me. He stuck his head out the door to see if anyone was around, and then ushered me into the room quickly. It was such a dreary room, his single window draped with worn and frayed curtains, the room sparse with a few pieces of plain furniture—a small bed with one dresser, one lamp, one small bookshelf, and a small desk and chair. It was almost worse than a prison.

"What are you doing here? Don't you know we could both get into trouble if you're caught in here?" There was no lock on the door, but he shoved a towel against the bottom of the door to muffle our voices as best he could.

I sat down in the chair with my hands in my lap. "I'm sorry you got put on restriction, Alfonso. Was it because you were talking to me last night?"

"Yes. Though I'm not sorry we talked. It's not so bad really. Restriction will be lifted at the end of the week. It'll allow me to catch up on my reading."

"Oh. What are you reading?"

"It's called The Art of War by Sun Tzu. I'm a big history buff, especially when it comes to the military or government." I glanced over at the bookshelf and sure enough, there were several history books on different battles and wars.

"I wanted to talk to you about last night. I know you said you couldn't help me get out of here, and I don't want you to put yourself in danger any further, but there has to be something I can do, or we can do."

"Be careful who you talk to and who you trust. Felipe has spies everywhere and gets reports daily with regard to the goings on here. He's also keeping an eye on you during the day. It may not be overtly, but trust me; he has people watching your every move. He has this master plan in place and will stop at nothing to achieve it. If I had known what he was planning when you first arrived, I would have warned you to leave immediately."

"Can I ask you why you work for a guy like this?" Call me curious, but I had to know.

"At one time, I thought de Castro was a good man—uh, vampire. He treated those who worked for him fairly, especially me. When I first came to Vegas, I was bitten by the gambling bug. I was in way over my head at The Riviera. As it happened, the king owns a large stake in that casino. We worked out a deal for me to pay him back, and I came to work for him here. It seemed like a win-win situation at the time."

"I can relate. Sometimes I do something and then think about the consequences later. I guess it's because I tend to think with my heart and not my head."

"That's not a bad thing, Sookie. You have such a big heart. Although, I don't think your heart is what the king is after."

"Well, Felipe can try all he wants, but he's not going to get anywhere, especially with me. I have no doubt his days are numbered."

The smile on his face began to fade. "But won't that mean your days are numbered too?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I suppose so, unless Felipe is not killed after he's dethroned, but that would be for others to decide." I looked down at my wringing hands. "Everything about this situation rests in my hands … except for that—getting me out of here, getting back to Eric … all that is up to me. But those who will decide Felipe's fate will be deciding my own as well."

Alfonso's arms encircled my shoulders, and I leaned my head on his chest. "Some of us think you are very brave for what you did. Let me think on this some. When my restriction is lifted, we can talk again. Until then, you shouldn't come back here."

He reached over and grabbed a book from his shelf. "If anyone asks, you came to borrow a book that we had been discussing last night."

I tucked the book under my arm, while Alfonso peeked his head out the door and made sure the coast was clear before I rushed down the hall and down the steps. A few people were in the kitchen, packing up boxes marked 'Property of EEE.' I just smiled at them and moved along without so much as a word.

Instead of going back to my room, I decided to go back out to the pool area. It was a beautiful day, despite everything that had happened. It was also the perfect spot to sit and think.

Going with the assumption that everyone was still alive, Felipe owed me confirmation of that, a point I planned to bring up later tonight. Somehow I had to get word to Eric that I was okay, and that I was working on a plan to get out of here. That was going to prove difficult, especially if, as Alfonso said, my every move was being scrutinized.

I sat up straight in the chair, looked around, but didn't see anyone. That didn't mean they weren't there. When I was able to talk to Alfonso again, maybe he could find out who was spying on me. That way I would know who to avoid.

Settling back into the deck chair and with Eric a constant on my mind, I absentmindedly picked up the book that Alfonso gave me, and ran my fingers over the title. The Blue Zone. I was more inclined to read romance stories, but every now and then I liked a good mystery. At least this one looked interesting.

My fingers flipped to the first chapter, and before I knew it, I was almost half way through the book. The sun was hanging high in the sky, and the rays on my skin made me very warm. I started fighting to keep my eyes open, but it was no use.

An abrupt shaking made me open my eyes. A couple of patio lights were on, and only a thin line of light gracing the horizon remained. Felipe's face loomed in front of me, and it wasn't happy.

"Wake up. You were to be in my office at eight o'clock. It is now eight twenty. Can you not be prompt for anything or do I have to educate you on punctuality? Now, it is time we had our discussion."

******************

ERIC

My eyes popped open suddenly and nothing felt right. I rolled over onto my side, and even though it was dark, I could tell we were in some warehouse. Soft footsteps approached me from behind, but I was too lost to care who it was.

A hand reached out and smoothed my hair, as if that would help. "Eric, are you okay?"

Amelia's voice resonated in the dark expanse of the room, but did nothing to make me move again. It took several minutes for me to finally speak. "Yes, as well as one could expect. Where are we?"

"As far as I can tell, we're in some kind of abandoned warehouse in Shreveport. I'm not quite sure how we got here, but I have a feeling that Gwen had a hand in getting us here."

I sat up with some difficulty, as if every muscle and bone in my body were weighted down. Amelia kept her distance as well as her face somewhat hidden to me. "Where are the others? Did you see Sookie before we were brought here?"

"It got dark a little bit ago, so Pam and Riley went to get her car. I don't think any of us got to see Sookie." Her voice was aggrieved, the sound of hiccupping sobs coming from her direction.

"We will get her back, of that you can be sure. Felipe has not heard the last from me, and with every ounce of strength in me, I will make sure he pays for what he did."

I gently put my hand on her cheek to turn her face toward me, but she was stubborn and tried to turn away. Even weakened, she was no match for me, and I got a good look at the burn on her face.

"Do not let anyone tell you that you are weak. You fought with strength and dignity. You defended yourself and your friends against those who would seek to harm us."

Tears flowed down her cheeks, and I used my thumb to brush them off. Amelia had certainly earned favor with me. "Is it really that bad? Riley said it wasn't, but I don't know. It feels so awful, and I can't bring myself to look."

"In my time, scars earned in battle were a sign of bravery."

"I don't feel so brave. I feel like I let my best friend down." She sat down next to me, and her fingertips lightly brushed the discolored skin.

"Do you know anyone in your circles that can help you? If this was done by a curse, perhaps there is a way to remove it."

Amelia did not have time to answer me, as the bay door lifted up, and Pam and Riley stood there waiting for us. It was humiliating to me to feel weak or vulnerable, and I had every intention of getting up on my own; however, when I tried to rise, I stumbled backwards. Pam was there instantly to steady me, and, thankfully, she did not say anything. I did not need her sarcasm this evening.

Without even telling her where to take us, Pam drove us straight to my house. It seemed so strange going back there without Sookie, and I pushed it all aside to concentrate on the moment.

We arrived without incident, and filed into the living room. "I suggest we stay here for this evening. We need to recuperate our strength and then plan what to do next. Riley, you and Amelia can use the same room you slept in when you were here before. Pam, your room is still available. I will be in my office if you need me."

I slowly made my way up the stairs, half floating and half walking until I reached the office door. I looked down the hall at our bedroom, but could not bring myself to go in there just yet. Sitting down in my chair, I vowed that I would not become one of those vampires who were as cold as stone, heartless, uncaring, and unfeeling.

No, I was not going to turn into an emotional basket case either, but I would not ignore the fact that the one person I chose to spend the rest of my undying life with was ripped from me, literally. Disregarding the emotions she brought out in me or the love I felt for her would have done a disservice to our relationship. In fact, I was counting on the love we shared to make us stronger through this trying time. The weakness I felt would dissipate in time. It was not weakness of the mind that consumed me, but the pain my body felt was more than anyone—vampire or human—could endure and not be affected by. So many thoughts ran through my head, most of them about Sookie. It was an effort to organize them and move forward.

A knock at the door interrupted me, and I could sense Pam on the other side. Sense … it was good to finally be able to sense anything now. As useful as they were to me at times, I hated witches and their magic. Although after seeing Amelia, I may be slowly changing my opinion. "Enter."

Pam nodded her head and took a seat on the couch, with Riley following behind. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"I wanted to thank you for the kind words you said to Amelia earlier. She told me how nice you were to her." Riley looked to be very proud of his wife, as well he should.

"I admire her underlying tenacity and fierceness when it comes to her family and friends. She showed strength and courage, which was not to be taken lightly. They are the same qualities I admire in Sookie. She has a habit of protecting those she loves with the ferocity of a mother tigress, although it can get her into trouble at times."

What I wanted to say was that, as much as I admired those qualities in her, I wished she could have let me handle this particular situation instead of making a snap decision that could affect us both for the rest of our lives. Now, not only did I have to figure out how to take down Felipe, but try to remove their bond without killing her.

"Is what Patrick Kendall said true? Did he really kill the Pythoness, Master?" Pam's mind was restless, which was typical for her after a fight. She was still on somewhat of an adrenaline high.

"That was his inference, and I would not put it past him. The Ancient One knew of his ambitious streak, but he also knew how to shield his thoughts from her. It was a bad move on his part, but I suppose logic played no part in his decision. I believe humans call it blind ambition."

Riley nodded his head in confirmation.

"Does that mean Sookie will take her place?" Pam asked a very good question. Sookie and I were to discuss the matter when we returned from Vegas.

"I cannot answer that. The Pythoness wanted to groom her to take over one day, but she was not ready yet. Sookie had not made a decision one way or another, but at the moment, the question is irrelevant if we cannot tear her away from Felipe."

"And how do we do that? I want Felipe's head on a platter, right next to Gwen's." Riley clenched his fingers down into his fists until his knuckles turned white.

"Gwen will not go unpunished, I assure you. Anyone who aided Felipe in his plans will go down in flames with him. What we need now is to regroup and focus our attentions on the fallout. We have to plan our next moves carefully, and trust no one. I am sure Felipe is having us watched to find out if we are planning any retaliation. The less we tip our hand, the better.

"Now, if you do not mind, I need to do a few things before retiring. I will see both of you tomorrow evening."

Riley left the office, but Pam lingered behind. "Yes?"

"Is there anything I can do to help you, Master?" Interesting ... Pam was not usually one for sentiment.

"If you feel the need to do something, you can check on the bar. I'm sure there is some riffraff there who could use your … mothering." I gave her a knowing smile, and she returned the gesture before leaving. I didn't have to tell her to be careful. It was implied.

I sent out a couple of text messages from my phone before walking down the hall to the bedroom. When the door swung open, the scent hit me immediately. Everything in here smelled and reminded me of her, and I welcomed it. It would be a constant reminder that she was mine and always would be.

I undressed and slipped between the sheets, scooting over toward the middle of the bed. As I lay there, the quiet of the night permeated my consciousness, and my thoughts frittered away one by one, until the only ones left were of Sookie.

My eyes closed, and only when I was finally in a calm state, did I push past the weariness that surrounded my body and noticed something peculiar. It was very faint, but there was a little speck of something there. The last time I felt anything like that was when ….

I bolted upright and stared at the wall ahead of me, blinking a few times in disbelief. Could it be? I tried searching inwardly again for the sensation. Buried, deep down, I found it, and a smile spread across my face. Fuck, it's my bond with Sookie.

So Felipe did not sever it completely, after all. This was an interesting turn of events, definitely something I could use to my advantage. I lay my head back down on the pillow and closed my eyes again, fixed only on that one spot. For the rest of the night, I tried my best to send love and contentment through that fragment in the hopes that it would reach her.