"Mr Northman."
Eric felt Annie startle in his grasp as Russell spoke. She didn't move from him, but she did turn her head over her shoulder to look to the old vampire. He leant against the doorway and folded his arms over his chest.
"Yes?" Eric wondered, running his hands up and down Annie's back as his mind whirled over what he should do.
"I see a murder her occurred in my own household," Russell drawled. "Clean her up and bring her downstairs. This act cannot go unpunished."
"What?" Annie whispered and Eric's grip increased on her. She shook her head as Eric glowered over to Russell.
"Should we not hear her side of the story first?" Eric wondered, his teeth harshly ground together whilst Annie wondered what punishment he was going to inflict upon her.
"I don't think so," Russell said and began to leave. "Clean her up, Mr Northman."
Annie looked up to him and Eric kept his gaze on the doorway, unable to look away as his hands stilled on her back. He had no intention of letting Russell win this fight. How could he? Annie had done nothing but stake a vampire who was causing multiple problems. She shook her head and dropped her forehead to rest against Eric's chest, doing her best not to cry. Eric's hand gripped the back of her head and he pressed his chin on top of her ruffled curls.
"He won't hurt you," Eric promised her weakly. "I'll defend you."
"I did what I had to," Annie whispered against him. "I couldn't...Eric..."
"I know," Eric promised her. "Come on, we need to leave this room."
Eric took less than a second to pull Annie into his arms. He wandered through the halls until he came to the room he had been given for the previous night. He opened the door and quickly locked it behind him. He placed Annie on the ground once he reached the vast bathroom, resting her to sit on top of the closed toilet seat.
"Glamour me," Annie suddenly demanded from him and Eric crouched in front of her, his brows furrowing. "Eric, please..."
"Annie," he whispered her name. "Why? You killed him...he can't hurt you...not now..."
"He...Eric...he," Annie struggled to form her words as she lowered her chin and sobbed again. Her hands moved against her face and into the ends of her hair whilst Eric's mind turned.
He should have known. He had found her naked. She had been without clothes. Eric did his best not to bare his fangs in front of her, but his face contorted and scrunched up.
"He raped you."
Annie didn't confirm or deny the statement. She found herself unable to do anything of the sort. She simply remained sobbing whilst Eric looked down her body. He noticed the bruises on her thighs behind the dried blood. He could see the fear inside of Annie's gaze. He could see how she looked to him pleadingly.
"Fucking hell," Eric whispered and Annie placed her shaking hands in her lap.
"I tried to fight him," Annie muttered. "I tried to stop him, Eric...he went to the hallway after to talk to some men...and I broke the bottom of the drawer...I hid the wood under the pillow and I...I waited until he came back and turned around..."
"You did nothing wrong," Eric promised her, moving his hand to her cheek and running his fingers along the bone there. She winced and looked uncomfortable at his touch, but Eric didn't expect anything less.
"Make me forget," Annie whispered lowly to Eric. "It just hurts, Eric...it hurts so much and I don't know what to do."
"You were brave," Eric assured her. "You were so brave, Annie."
"But you're back," Annie said. "Why are you here?"
"I'm in trouble," Eric admitted to her. "But that does not concern me anymore. What concerns me now is getting you out of here and fixing you up. I didn't know that you would be in danger or else I would have been here sooner."
"You're here now," Annie said. "And I...I just want you to glamour me...just make me forget it happened."
Eric lowered his gaze and chewed his cheek for a minute. "You know that I can't make you forget everything, Annie. Russell is not to be trifled with and he knows what you did. You not knowing won't stop him from extracting his revenge."
"I know," Annie said with haste, her hands wrapping around Eric's wrists as he held her face tenderly. "I don't want to forget that. I know what I did and I don't regret it. How can I? But I want to forget that his hands were on me...that he...what he did...I don't want to flinch every time I think about it. Please, Eric."
Her eyes were so pleading that Eric couldn't remember seeing her look so broken before. She had been through a lot, but Eric was sure that this was the most pain she had endured. It even made him ache to see her like this. What he felt for Annie right then was sorrow and anger. How could anyone hurt her in such a way?
"Look at me," Eric urged her and she did as he had asked.
He inhaled a sharp breath before knowing what he had to do. How could he deny her request when she clung to him so forcefully?
...
Once Eric had finished glamouring Annie he stood outside of the bathroom to let her shower. His hands were on his hips as he thought of Jonathan and the problems he had caused. Annie had seemed oblivious to what had happened. She remembered staking the vampire but nothing else. Eric didn't know whether he had done the right thing or the wrong thing. He suspected he had taken her pain away but he had glamoured her. She had asked him never to do that.
"You left," Annie's voice suddenly spoke and she stepped into the bedroom, wrapped in a long white robe.
Her hair was in wet strands down her back, but all of the blood had been scrubbed clean off of her body. She looked pale, but Eric suspected that his glamouring had worked. She bounced down onto the bed, sitting with her legs crossed as Eric walked to sit on the edge.
"I left because your father gave me no choice," Eric promised her. "He threatened to kill Pam if I didn't let you go, Annie. I had every intention of coming back for you once I had fixed everything else."
"So nothing you said was true?" Annie checked with him and Eric allowed his lip to quirk.
"I knew you wouldn't believe me," he told her and Annie scooted closer to him, wrapping both of her arms around one of his.
"I know my father better than he thinks," she promised him. "I knew he had to have done something to make you leave. But is Pam safe?"
"Not right now," Eric muttered.
He explained everything to her then. He told her how he was in trouble with the Magister for selling V. She hadn't looked impressed with him at all, but Eric knew that was to be expected. She pursed her lips once Eric had finished telling the story and he glanced down to her whilst she looked to her lap.
"And now he will want to kill me," Annie whispered.
"No," Eric said harshly. "He will do no such thing. Russell Edgington knows just how sadistic Jonathan was. I will make him release you."
"But isn't he the king?" Annie wondered. "He's already admitted his distaste for humans. Why would he spare me?"
"Because he will have no choice," Eric promised her. "Don't talk with such pessimism, Annie. You will walk out of her alive and safe."
Annie rested her head on Eric's shoulder then, feeling his cold hand take hers. He kissed the back of her hand and she sighed.
"You were always the pessimist, not me," Annie muttered. "But it's hard not to think like this, Eric."
She was so defeated that Eric didn't know if he could say anything to make her feel better. He sincerely doubted it. He had no more words of advice or promises to make. He would do what he could, but he knew that was all.
"Northman!"
The yell from behind the door riled Eric as he stood with haste and pulled the wood open, glowering at the dirty werewolf who stood on the hallway.
"What?" Eric bared his teeth.
"The King will see you now," the man smirked, his teeth a dirty yellow colour. "You and that little fangbanger."
Eric bared his teeth but the wolf didn't flinch. He merely folded his arms and walked away as Eric narrowed his gaze and watched him walk back down the hallway. It took no time at all for Annie to be stood on the hallway, dressed in nothing but the large fluffy robe over some small pyjamas. It seemed there had been no other clothing option.
"We should get this over with," Annie said to Eric and he wondered if she was so eager for death.
He led her down the stairs, her arm inside of his as they went to the grand dining hall. There was only Russell sat there, lounging in his chair with a glass of blood. He looked to Annie as Eric dropped her arm and pulled out a chair for her. She sat down and Eric took the seat next to her, looking down the table to Russell who sat at the head.
"Murdering a vampire is a very serious offence, young lady," Russell informed Annie.
"I know," she promised him. "But is it not just as serious to kidnap someone from their home?"
Russell looked annoyed that she would even dare challenge him. She said nothing else and Eric quirked a brow, wondering if this was the same Annie he had found sobbing over two hours ago. She held herself tall and her eyes were wide, but full of wonder. Her face was stern and her hands were on the table in front of her.
"I know that you are a well respected vampire," Annie assured Russell. "And I understand that you think little of human life, but I respect vampires. I respect anyone who treats me well, but Jonathan did not do that. He has done nothing but ruin my life and I would welcome death in comparison to spending eternity with him. Do you want me to apologise for what I did? That day will never come. I have no intention of going around and staking vampires like some people. All I want is to go back to my pathetic little life as a waitress where I won't bother you again. What would killing me bring you?"
Russell seemed to weigh Annie up as Eric sat there with his mouth slightly agape, his tongue dry and his eyes concerned. He didn't know if Annie had just been brave or foolish. She had been stronger than he had thought, but he wondered if crumbling to the floor and begging for mercy would have been the better option.
"Human lives are of no concern to me," Russell promised Annie.
"As you have said," she replied.
"And there must be something about your blood to make two vampires lust over you," Russell continued.
"There is nothing delectable about it," Eric piped up. "Whilst it tastes amicable, it is nothing special. I can promise you that."
"Regardless, I do not appreciate insolence in my own home, especially when you have caused such a mess."
"I was not being insolent," Annie hissed at him. "I was being honest. You have no idea what Jonathan has done to me and why would you care? So you can kill me if you please, but don't drag it out."
Russell chuckled and stood up. Eric kept his intense stare on the kind, wondering just how far Annie would push him.
"I think death would be too easy for you," Russell admitted. "Besides, for every vampire life that is taken then another one should be give back...now what would your mommy and daddy say about that? I heard they are not a fan of vampires."
"What?" Annie whispered, unsure if she understood.
"And Mr Northman seems to have taken quite a shine to you," Russell continued. "Perhaps the best punishment for you is turning you."
"No!" Annie yelled at him, turning in her chair whilst Russell grabbed her by the chin, his grip far too tight and his fangs bared.
"Yes," he responded. "You did wrong and now you will make amends. There is nothing else to the matter."
He shoved her away and she went flying from her chair to the floor. Eric was knelt by her side instantly as Russell looked down on the pair of them, pulling at his jacket to straighten it as he did so.
"You have until tomorrow night, Mr Northman," Russell declared. "Or else I won't be as understanding."