A/N: This is a short chapter but I needed to take a minute to introduce Karin and her backstory. Just a quick note; there is some discrepancy in the books about how old Pam is, but for my stories I have always considered her to be about 200. Also, I know Karin is described differently in the books but since we don't meet her until the last pitiful excuse of a book, I'm taking my own creative license with her. As always, thanks for reading!
"Uh…hi Karin, nice to meet you; If you'll please excuse me for a moment." I calmly turned on my heel and walked towards my bedroom to grab some clothes. It surprised me that I wasn't more embarrassed; if this would have been the old Sookie I would have ran away screaming while trying to cover myself. I guess it's one perk of being around Supes so often; modesty pretty much goes out the window. I grabbed some pink sleep shorts and a gray cotton tee out of my drawer while thinking about the guest in the living room. Eric had introduced her as his child; which was news to me seeing that I didn't know he had any other progenies besides Pam.
I had more questions than answers at this point, like why did she show up announced right before dawn and why didn't Eric know she was close by? Figuring that I wouldn't find any answers by standing around in my room, I walked out to the kitchen and heated two True Bloods before returning to the living room. Eric and Karin were still sitting on the couch talking but luckily he had put on some gym shorts.
Karin was a slender girl with a nice body and blazing red hair. She wasn't curvy like me, but she still had a nice feminine shape and emerald green eyes set off by dark, thick lashes. It only reinforced the conversation I had with Amelia; Eric's bloodline was absolutely stunning. Her appearance was a surprise though, as I was beginning to think Eric had a fetish for blondes.
"Here you go." I said handing them the warm bloods.
"Thank you lover."
"Thank you mistress." Karin replied with a nod of her head.
"Oh please call me Sookie."
"It's nice to meet you Sookie. I'm sorry to show up announced, but unfortunately I wasn't able to make it to the Coronation ball in time."
"Oh that's alright, no worries." I said only partially lying.
"Sookie I realize this must be surprising to you because I haven't had the chance to tell you of my other child yet. I haven't seen her in a long time, so you can see why I just hadn't thought to mention it until now."
"That's ok honey. I'm always happy to meet any of your family." It's true I was happy to meet Eric's family but it also occurred to me that maybe he had a reason for not telling me about her.
"So Karin, are you going to be in town for a while?"
"Yes, I decided to come and support my master with his transition to King and see if I could offer any assistance."
"Well that's very kind of you. I hope we can spend some time together while you're in town and get to know each other."
Karin turned to Eric with a sly smile. "I have heard rumors of her grace, but they do her no justice. You are quite lucky sire."
"Thank you my child; I agree. I am very lucky indeed." Eric said while rubbing circles on the back of my hand.
"Well I will leave you two alone, I must get going if I'm to make it to the hotel before dawn." Karin said. She stood to walk to the door when I looked at Eric questioningly.
"Karin you are welcome to stay with me. I'm sure Sookie would not mind." Eric said to his oldest child.
"Of course not! This is Eric's house and you're his daughter so of course you're welcome here. Why don't you two catch up and I'll go make sure the guest room is all set up." Hostess Sookie was rearing her head for sure. Eric kissed the top of my head before I scurried off to play Martha Stewart.
I went upstairs to the second floor (3rd if you count the underground level) and walked to one of the vampire guest rooms. There were three bedrooms on this floor; all of them light tight with a protective UV covering over the windows and black out curtains on top. This particular room seemed more feminine to me so I thought it would be perfect for Karin. The walls were painted a matte gold/yellow color and the queen size sleigh bed was covered in a fluffy white down comforter and more pillows than any one person could use. There was a matching dresser, nightstand, and vanity table as well as a small stainless steel refrigerator and microwave. I pulled off the comforter and shook it out before tucking it back neatly onto the bed. Going downstairs to the bathroom in my guest room, I grabbed a new bottle of body wash, shampoo, conditioner, some Body by Victoria lotion and perfume, and a few hair products.
Eric had gone a little overboard with stocking my bathroom with all the things I liked using when I started spending the night over here. When I explained to him how long it would take me to actually use all the things he bought, he just shrugged it off and said at least it will be here when I need it. I considered that I was stocking the bathroom the way I would for one of my human friends, but every girl likes to smell good whether they're vampire or not. After putting all the products in a little wicker basket, I grabbed my vase which was currently overflowing with purple orchids and went to the kitchen to grab a pack of True Bloods. I went back to the room and unloaded everything, placing the blood in the refrigerator and the orchids on the nightstand. I was putting fresh towels on the rack in the bathroom when Eric and Karin walked in.
"Oh hey, I was just finishing up. I put plenty of toiletries in the bathroom and some blood in the refrigerator. Is there anything else you think you will need?" I asked her, feeling pleased with myself for my Southern upbringing.
"Oh no everything looks wonderful; thank you Sookie." She said nodding her head.
One thing I picked up from my short time with Karin so far was that even though she was being polite, I didn't feel the same easiness that I felt with Pam. I just met her of course, so hopefully that could be corrected.
"Ok, well goodnight then." I turned and walked out of the room and back down to Eric's bedroom knowing that he would be right behind since it was only a few minutes until dawn.
I went into the bathroom and washed my face and brushed my teeth and came out to find my magnificently naked Viking waiting for me in bed. I flipped the lights and threw myself into the bed, landing at Eric's feet. With a speed too fast for me to register, he pulled me up into his lap and hugged me close to his bare chest.
"You are amazing lover." He was absently stroking my hair, which was a mixture of soothing and sensual. I couldn't decide if I should jump him or fall asleep.
"Why do you say that?"
"I'm sure you were shocked to meet Karin, since you didn't even know she existed but you still went out of your way to make her feel welcome. I do not know other humans who would do such a thing."
"It's nothing really. It's just plain decency and good manners to treat her that way; I mean she's your child."
"It means a lot to me. I was surprised by her arrival as well, but you took it especially well."
"So you didn't like feel her coming or something?"
"I'm afraid I was very distracted tonight and wasn't paying attention. I released her a long time ago and closed down our bond almost completely. The connection isn't present the same way it is with Pam, but of course I would know if she were in trouble or calling me. Truthfully since I have bonded to you, our connection is stronger than any I share with my children or my maker."
"That's understandable. I was just wondering something though…..is there any reason you didn't tell me about her already?" I asked nervously.
"She is my oldest child; my only progeny besides Pam. I turned her 372 years ago when I was passing through Northern Ireland. At the time, the Irish were involved in a war amongst themselves and the English which was known as the Great Rebellion. Karin; or Karan O'Dwyer as she was known at the time was a young woman who was widowed because of this war. She was only twenty years old, she had no children and her husband had recently been killed in battle. I came across her farm one night as I was searching for a meal and instead I found Karin in an argument with two English soldiers who were trying to force her from her land. With her husband dead, they knew they could come in and 'claim' the land as spoils of battle. She was of course fighting them because she was the new rightful owner, but she knew she was on the losing end. The filthy Englishmen said they would allow her to stay on her land as their servant; both for the fields and their own sexual pleasures."
"Oh my God that's terrible." I gasped.
"Yes; however she didn't take their offer very well. I watched her through the window as she turned around away from the men and began to sob; or so they thought. When they were distracted by her cries, she grabbed a butcher knife from the table and spun around, catching one of the men in the neck. The other soldier was so shocked that he hesitated before pulling his weapon; by the time he grabbed his sword, she was already coming at him with a deadly blow of the knife."
"Holy shit!"
Eric chuckled at my expression before continuing. "Yes she was quite the spitfire. I was very impressed by her ruthlessness. I walked in the door and she drew the fallen soldier's sword, prepared to fight me. Even after she caught on to my 'otherness' she braced herself to not go down without a fight; I was enraptured. I explained to her what I was and offered her a place at my side which she gladly accepted. She stayed with me for around 100 years before I released her and sent her to make her own way in the world."
"Wow. She does sound like your type, but it's too bad she isn't blonde."
"Yes, a pity that was. I found her looks very unique though and more desirable than many of the women I had met while in country."
"So why did you two spend so much time apart? Pam told me that she struck out on her own for a while but she always kept in close contact with you when she was away; why didn't you and Karin do the same?"
"For several reasons really. The bond that Pam and I have is closer than many maker/child bonds; we get along much better than most and she is fiercely loyal. Even though I made Karin long before Pam, our tie is stronger than it was with Karin. That's not to say that I don't love them both immensely, but there is a difference in the bond. Before I released Karin, there were some…..difficulties between us." Uh oh, I knew there was something else. I waved my hand for him to continue his story.
"You know that makers and their children often have a sexual relationship for a short while after they turn. This is because of a compulsion to connect and reinforce the bond that has been created, as well as the newborn's urge to satisfy their intense sexual needs and need to please their master." He paused to make sure I understood what he was telling me; of course I knew this because he and Bill had explained it to me before. I knew that Eric and Pam had screwed like rabbits for the first few years after she was turned before she decided she liked the softer, feminine side of sex better. It was just something that most makers and their children did.
"Right, you guys have explained it to me before. So you two had sex?"
"Yes but whereas the sexual relationship usually fades by the first few years in most cases; Karin was very….affectionate towards me for much longer than that. I would indulge her when there were not many humans around to satisfy my needs, but she continued to lust after me for much longer than normal. I didn't want to hurt her, so I tried to entice her with other human men I thought she would like. It worked sometimes, but she never stopped trying to seduce me. Even the men she would choose herself would usually be tall and blonde; as if she were trying to replace me when I would deny her."
"So she went all fatal attraction on you?" He quirked his eyebrow, obviously not understanding the reference. "She was obsessed with you?" I clarified.
"Yes. After trying to help her move on in her own way for so long, I decided that I had to release her for her own good. I wanted her to have her own life and experience everything the world had to offer; I couldn't be her constant companion. It hurt me very much to send her away because I loved her, but I did what I thought was right for her. It hurt her very much to say the least. For the first 70 years after I released her, she would go off on her own for short periods of time but then come back and try for my affections again. The last time I rejected her, she left for about 20 years; when she returned I had made Pam about a decade before. She was hurt and jealous and though I tried to assure her of my eternal love for her as her master; it wasn't what she wanted to hear. She left for South America and I haven't seen her since until tonight. I have communicated with her telepathically a few times over the years, but this is the first time she has returned to my side since Pam was a newborn. Pam cares for her because of our connection, but she really doesn't even know her."
I should have known that with the perfection that was Eric's family that there had to be a dysfunctional link somewhere; that one crazy cousin that nobody claims and apparently Karin was it. I couldn't really blame her for the attraction, I mean I have a compulsion to screw Eric constantly and he's not my maker. When you're a Norse pillar of perfection, you're bound to wind up with stalkers; just usually not your children.
"So, do you think she's gotten over this infatuation? Should I be worried about anything?"
He tilted my chin up to look him in his eyes and pulled me tighter against him. "You have no reason to worry lover. So far she seems much different than the last time I saw her and if she does try to renew her sexual interest in me then I will set her straight. Child or not, you are my bonded and I will not disrespect you in such a way."
"I know you won't Eric, I trust you. I just don't want her to be hurt in the process either."
"Let's just see how things go and figure it out from there. Hopefully there is no reason to worry at all and if there is, then I will handle it. She is very dear to me and I am glad to see her again, but I will not let anyone ruin what we have."
I nodded against his chest and kissed the marble skin over his heart. "I'm not worried; I know you're a good man. Don't worry about me, I want you to spend time with her and I'm going to do everything I can to befriend her. She's a part of you, so she's important to me too. Come on you've got to get to sleep; the sun is already up by now and I'm exhausted."
With a final kiss, I scooted down in the bed and turned my body into Eric's protective frame. He tucked us in and wrapped his arm around me before we both let sleep pull us under.