Chapter 26

A Little More Than A Minor Disagreement

It had been a whole week since I'd been home. I missed my house, I missed the sun, I missed my job. Don't get me wrong, Eric had been very entertaining to say the least. I loved spending time with Pam at Fangtasia every night and then, there was all the wonderful sex afterwards. I couldn't imagine ever getting bored with my new lover, he was the master at bringing me to new heights with each orgasm. But there's got to be more to a relationship that screwing. I was feeling the pressure to make sure we had more in common that a desire to pork each other until we were crippled.

Lately, Eric had started to become withdrawn and distracted. At first I chalked it up to the upcoming trial but when I tried to comfort him and tell him not to worry about it, he'd laughed.

"Sookie, really. I am not worried about the tribunal in the least." I knew he'd meant it.

Just as I had found out that I could block my thoughts from him, he'd learned to do the same to me. I hadn't really been fond of reading Vamp inner musings in the first place. They left me with a type of brain freeze and it wasn't any more pleasant than the ones you get from eating ice cream too fast. The ability would have been really handy on this night though. Maybe I would have been able to avoid my first fight with Eric.

Eric walked out of his office at home and closed the door behind him. He still had that pissy look on his face. He saw me waiting out in the hallway for him and immediately came to my side and kissed me with clear intent. He was trying to distract me with a little slap and tickle between the sheets. I wasn't having it.

"Eric, Eric... STOP!" I yelled in his face and pushed him away with all I had. A big part of me was already screaming mad that I did.

His face was stunned. This was the first time I had raised my voice to him since we had become somewhat more deeply involved.

"I wanna go sleep in my own bed tonight. I miss my house and I need to get my mail and pay some bills. I have phone calls to make. And honestly, I think you need a chance to miss me because you haven't exactly been Mr. Congeniality lately." I hated the whiny sound in my voice.

"Your mail has been gathered for you, your bills have all been paid and I have notified Sam that you will not be returning to work at Merlotte's. Was there anything else?" He leveled his smug gaze at me as he leaned back against the wall and folded his arms.

If I had been a cartoon character, my head would've turned into a huge steam whistle, I was that pissed.

"You WHAT?"

"Is there something wrong, Sookie?" He tried to look innocent, like he'd had NO idea that what he had done would anger me. That turned the heat up on my boiling kettle quite a bit.

"How DARE you, you arrogant, assuming, damn........ VIKING!" I grabbed the nearest projectile, which happened to be a very expensive looking piece of art deco-shit vase and hurled it at him. My aim had always been good but since I was enhanced by V-Juice, it was dangerous. It glanced off his forehead and left a huge gash that began to heal immediately.

He was holding his hands up defensively, but he was also laughing. LAUGHING. At me. Worst thing he could have possibly done.

"To hell with you Eric Northman. I'm leaving."

The laughter stopped and his voice sounded serious from behind me.

"No, you are not."

"I DARE you to try and stop me." I was still angry but had lost some of my conviction. Probably not the smartest thing in the world to have said. Eric loved a dare at the best of times and probably even more during the worst.

"I forbid you to leave. I FORBID IT!" The volume of his voice made my ears feel like they might bleed. If I were to scream at the top of my lungs, into a megaphone pointed at a microphone blasted over loudspeakers I could still not come close the deafening level of his voice as he erupted in anger.

His fangs were out, his chest was heaving even though he had no real need to breathe, and the cords of his neck were bulging out. I was scared to death, but I was way to proud (read that as stupid) to back down.

"You told me that we were equals in this. No master, no servant, but equals. Equals do not FORBID each other from doing something. It's not like I'm breaking up with you." I lost my grip on sanity and found myself giggling like a mental patient as the last of my words came out. You 'broke up' with a boy from school or the guy down the street, you did NOT break up with a 1000 year old vampire.

"You mock me now? Is that all I am? Something for you to conquer and then reduce to a dog that should feel content to wallow at your feet and beg for your attention? I have NEVER had to beg for anything and I WILL NOT start now. This is what I get for being weak, showing emotion. My maker told me that emotion would never be of any benefit to a vampire." He was still angry enough to visibly shake. I hadn't meant to mock him but now I could see how he might think I had. All that and a Sunday hat still wouldn't change the fact that I was mad at him for taking liberties with my personal choices.

"Me? Conquer you? You have got to be joking! YOU pursued ME! And I have never treated you like a dog or made you beg. Ridiculous!" I was rushing about, looking for my shoes that had carelessly been tossed aside when we had come back the night before. There had been a mad dash to the bed while undressing and things had gone flying. Screw it, I would just go barefoot. I would leave ALL the things he had bought me, with the exception of the Juicy Couture sweat suit I was currently wearing. And I would fed-ex that right back to him the first chance I got.

I was halfway up the spiral stairs when I felt his cold hand on my ankle. He wasn't the slightest bit gentle as he pulled me back down by my leg, my ribs and boobs bounced off of every step all the way to the bottom.

"You will not defy me, Sookie. The answer is no. You belong to me and that is final. I cannot and will not tolerate your insolence! Do not disobey me or there will be consequences." His voice was low and dangerous, and the look on his face as I stared up at him in disbelief put the fear of god in me.

"Then I guess you'll have to kill me Eric. And if you do, I promise to pray for your soul in the hereafter. But you ain't keeping me here against my will. I belong to myself."

I stood up and brushed myself off indignantly. Without looking at him again, I turned and started making my way back up the stairs. I waited for the cold hand again but felt nothing. In true Stackhouse style, I decided that I had to get in one more parting shot before I made it to the top of the steps.

"And here I thought Bill was the lying asshole."

I opened the trap door that led into the small bathroom and crawled out. I was sure that I had just seen the last of the man I loved with all my heart. I was two blocks from his home before the tears came pouring out and my heart felt like it had fangs ripping it apart.

***** Hey Ya'll!! Sorry, I know I'm horrible. I missed a day of posting. I have had the worst bug but am feeling better now. I promise to try and catch up tonight with at least one more post. In the meantime, don't forget to review and let me know what you thought of this chapter!!! *******