Chapter 26

Sookie was too excited to rest much past quarter to four, even though her wolves wouldn't arrive until eight-thirty. She was going to be bouncing off the walls. She was glad that she and Eric hadn't stayed at the hotel, and not even because of the bad memories. The hotel's penthouse suite was bright and cheery and had a wall that was all windows. The only treated glass was in the bedroom. She would have had to have stayed put or been extremely careful, unless she had wanted to set her maker-slash-boyfriend on fire. Or whatever the hell he was to her now.

She was used to the Bossier City condo with the treated glass throughout, where she could just come and go as she pleased. Here, only their room and the guest room upstairs were safe, but the staircase with doors on each end made a very effective airlock — or, she supposed, lightlock — just like in the house in Shreveport that Bobby had burned down.

The New Orleans house had a raised basement and the master bedroom (or the Master's bedroom, as Eric liked to say, just to make her pretend to be mad) was the same size as the entire upstairs. The windows were safe and there were books and a sitting area and a television and even a deck of cards, and she could run a brass band through the middle of the room without disturbing him, but she was too restless to amuse herself down there. She heard Tray moving around some upstairs in the main part of the house and really wanted some company, so she went up to join him.

Tray looked over at her and smiled when she walked into the living room. He was sprawled out on the couch reading a book.

"Hey, Sunshine. You're up early. You'd think you were excited or something."

She grinned. "And hungry. I'm gonna go and grab some blood."

It had kind of squicked him out at first, but he'd gotten used to it quickly enough. Now, it kind of just felt like a weird little quirk that she had. She really wasn't like any vampire he'd ever known, especially now that she could walk around in the daylight. She was pale but not really any more than an Irish girl he'd used to date. Her scent was slightly spicy, but it was so sweet that it made him think about Christmas a hell of a lot more than vampire. But maybe Christmas in Brazil or Peru or Australia. Somewhere sunny. And there wasn't even a hint of darkness in her. She wasn't devious or cunning or vengeful or vindictive. She was happy, almost all the time. Alcide had gotten her name just right.

Really, the only things about her that screamed vampire were fangs, the blood, and the lack of a pulse, and he could claim two thirds of those himself three nights a month, although the blood he drank wasn't human. Plus he'd only seen her fangs a handful of times, and always when she'd been looking at Eric.

His folks loved her, and he and Sookie had dropped by their place one day when Flood was there. The Pack Master had let her give him a hug just as soon as they'd walked through the door. Hell, he'd hugged her back. Said that she was exactly like Alcide and Maria-Star had described, even though she was dead. Tray had introduced her to friends and two of them — a Were and a werepanther — had begged him to put in a good word, at least until they'd found out that she was Eric's.

And, really, if Eric wasn't in the picture, Tray would want her, too. He'd even dreamt the night before that they were making love. He'd woken up when she'd bit him and his stomach had been covered in cum. It hadn't been the first time. But, somehow, it was never awkward between them. Even between him and Eric. Sometimes, Tray even thought that Eric knew that he was in love with her. And strangely, that Eric approved. Of course, that would change very quickly if Tray ever touched her, outside of a hug or maybe a kiss on the cheek. But Eric didn't even try to rein those in. That was a battle he would never win. She hugged just about everybody.

Tray wouldn't even think about coming on to her, anyway. Weres put on a good show, but when push came to shove, a thousand year old vampire could squash him like a bug. That wasn't why, though. Sunshine wouldn't want him to, and that was enough. And so was having her as a friend.

She drank her blood in the kitchen. She always did when he was around because she knew that it made him uncomfortable. Even though she knew he didn't really mind. She curled up in Eric's chair across from him with her own book. Having some company had calmed her down a little. They read, but also chatted now and then.

Tray noticed her sly grin at just past seven and he rolled his eyes at her. "Have fun, Sunshine. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

She grinned and headed for the bedroom.

I dunno, Tray. Do you swallow?

His laugh followed her down the stairs.

…

Eric had meetings and things all week long, but thankfully Sookie only had to attend a small reception on Wednesday and a more formal meet-and-greet with the delegations from the visiting states on Friday. The ball was on Saturday, and she was looking forward to wearing a pretty gown and dancing with Eric, but not the rest. It all felt so precarious. Had the queen killed Pam? Were they in danger? She tried not to worry about it.

But it was Monday and she was free to spend that night, the next, and most of Wednesday with her wolves. And then they had a gig on Thursday. And she'd have a little time to spend with Eric near sunset and sunrise every night. She was planning on having an amazing week.

The doorbell chimed and Sookie squealed, running at top speed for the door. She got there before Alcide's finger had left the button.

She was in their arms and they were all laughing and crying and holding each other. Eric stood back and watched, smiling softly. So much had changed since the last night she and her wolves had been together. He had been so jealous, both because she'd had sex with them and because of how she acted around them. He'd wanted so much for her to be like that with him, too.

And now she was. The irresistible mix of sweetness and innocence and fun and mischief and stubbornness and joy and sexiness and love and sunshine was his. He felt how happy she was. He trusted her. She ran over to give him a kiss and then left for the night with her wolves.

He dressed in his suit and headed for the palace. He was not looking forward to the politics or the forced pleasantries. He gritted his teeth and prepared himself for what he expected would be the first night of a week of boredom and pomp for pomp's sake, with everyone trying to out-do everyone else.

He knew that Sookie would outshine them all.

…

Jake found a place to park a couple of blocks down from Bourbon Street and they all poured out of the van. They just walked, holding hands and laughing and talking and flirting. Sookie closed her eyes, smiling happily. God, she'd missed them. She loved her new life, but she'd loved her old life, too. And Alcide, Jake, and Maria-Star had been there for her when nobody else had. She'd been the youngest. The most vulnerable. The one who'd needed them. They'd raised her, in a way. Doted on her. Kept her safe and taught her how to drive a car and change a tire and trust people and love herself.

They slipped easily into this new dynamic. There was a lot less inappropriate touching but more than a hint of corny nuance and innuendo. Especially from Alcide. It felt familiar. Right. Enough like old times for it not to matter that it kind of really wasn't. It was just Sunshine and her wolves. Almost just like it had always been.

They people-watched and called out to a few kids they knew and stopped for beignets. Sookie's fangs even ran down a little at the scent, although it didn't really make her want to take a bite. It was more like the memory of how eating one had made her feel triggered the pleasure centres in her brain, or something like that. It paled in comparison to how she craved Eric's blood, but she felt a pang. Part of her did miss pizza and French fries and fried chicken and ice cream and her uncomplicated life in the back of the van with her guys and gal.

After a night spent with her very best friends, she nearly floated inside an hour before sunrise. Eric wrinkled his nose when she popped her head into the office to say hi. She rolled her eyes and laughed and then took a long hot shower. He was waiting in bed for her when she walked out of the bathroom. She climbed in and snuggled up next to him. He kissed the side of her head and smiled. There was no sarcasm in his voice at all this time around.

"Did you have a good time?"

"So so so much. It felt just like it used to. Just like it should."

He felt it when she had a pang of guilt. He made himself pause and really probe how she was feeling. She hadn't done anything to betray him. There was a hint of sadness. A bit of wistfulness. He gathered her into his arms and kissed her temple again.

"I miss Pam very much. Sometimes the pain eats at my heart. But I would not give you up to bring Pam back to me. And I know that you would never begrudge me indulging in my grief. Missing her takes nothing away from my love for you. You can miss your old life, Sookie, even though you would never give up what we have to go back to it."

He raised his eyebrows, waiting, as if it were really a question. She snorted and poked him in the ribs.

"No, I sure wouldn't."

She grinned up at him and he smiled back. The guilt was gone and she would be glowing with happiness if she hadn't been glowing already.

"I love you, Eric."

He kissed her slowly and then showed her exactly how much he loved her back.