Chapter 8: Waking Up
There were no windows, no other entrances, and I was pretty sure that the ducts that I found in the ceiling were too high for me to muscle my way into. The doors were locked from the outside and even though I could hear the beat of music just outside of the doors, I wasn't sure I was willing to risk drawing the attention of the person who had brought me here. My teeth ground together, the chalky sound of my molars rubbing against each other echoing inside of my skull and making my headache worsen.
"Son of a fucking whore!" I whimpered, slamming the heel of my foot into the desk repeatedly.
There was only really one option for who could have taken me. Roughly, I pressed a hand to my eyes, trying to push the bubbling memories from resurfacing back by sheer pressure. Maybe I should have been grateful that I was here. If I was with my sister, she would be grilling me about my abandonment. And about Eric. A pop of pain zipped through my skull as my nails dug into my eyelids.
I remembered being tired. Exhausted. Pure, bone melting exhaustion - that's what you get after you suck all the pain and lucidity out of a 17-year-old girl. I had honestly been kind of impressed that I had remained conscious. But then again, maybe I would rather have been knocked out just so that I wouldn't have to suffer the indignity of having to look like even more of a weak, pathetic fuck doll for Eric fucking Northman.
"I'm surprised to see you handling a human so delicately, Sheriff," a blond female vamp had mused, her eyes doing very little to hide the nauseating jealousy that she was obviously feeling. Her fangs were still clicked down from the earlier display of bloodletting that seemed to be one of those fucked up rituals that vamps partook. The fact that they remained down told a whole 'nother story. Especially since her eyes remained fixed on me - poor, little human with the big bad vamp.
Eric's eyes caught mine as he glanced down, the muscled slopes of his arms tightening around me. I shrugged, blinking groggily up at him as I waited for the heaviness that was waiting at the edges of my vision. At the moment, I honestly couldn't care less about an old, undead hag who probably glamored every man she took to bed. Reflexively, my fingers reached out, curling into his shirt as I turned into him. For now, I would depend on him - big bad viking vamp that he was. I would depend on him to get me away from all the people that wanted to eat me because - well, it was his responsibility wasn't it. I definitely didn't trust him. But I did trust in the fact that he took his responsibilities seriously. And as of right now, I was one of them.
You always did like your meals to be scared little rabbits, Meredith," he rumbled and I felt the sound in my fingertips as he hefted me a bit higher into his chest.
"They taste better when they're a little…" Her eyes leered down at me, a strange glint entering them as she stared down at me. "Unsure."
I snapped out, hissing lowly as one of her fingers ran a slow line down my arm, snarling as she jerked back in unexpected surprise. A single raised brow from Eric sent me falling back into his chest, the sudden outburst draining me further. He could handle the rest, I was sure. It was no benefit to him if vamps came snooping around his bar for a hint of the unexpected.
I wouldn't advise you to touch things that aren't yours," he murmured, his eyes snapping as he gave her a dangerous smirk that sent her reeling back farther but strangely blushing at the same time. "Someone might think that you're trying to take what doesn't belong to you. They might get angry and anger is such a delicate emotion - who know what could happen?" His smile turned mockingly sweet as Meredith paled. "It's a good thing that we both know that sometimes your hands get away from you, isn't it, Meredith?"
I'm sure there was more than the scared, little flutter of, "N-no, Sheriff. I-" that came from the blond vampire but I was already drifting off.
The couch that I fell into was itchy and felt like a palate that refugees would sleep on in barren hostels. Not to mention that it was barf green, making the OCD part of me shrivel up and die an agonizing death as I caught sight up the ratty red rolly chairs in front of the long oak desk at the back of the room. In fact that desk and the matching oak bookcase pressed up against the wall in back of it were the only nice, organized things in this room. The rest was all strange flyers and ugly, tacky metal storage units and mismatched furniture.
I didn't want to think about how pathetic I was anymore. I should have never gotten myself into that position in the first place.
Glancing quickly back at the door, I slid around the desk. The tip of my finger skimmed along the classy lamp sitting on the edge of his desk. It was made of colored glass and probably more expensive than my monthly mortgage. My fingers immediately pulled away at the thought. He already had so much over my family - there was no need to add a priceless artifact to the list. My eyes zipped back to the pile of papers on his desk. I could risk snooping. If I found something - anything - that I could use, it was worth it. I dug through the ungodly pile of papers, trying and more than likely failing to keep them all in order. Numbers jumbled together, becoming their own language. There were no real headers either to tell me what they meant either. I put them aside, moving on to another pile and stopping. Every single one was in another language - so many that my mind could process the amount of correspondences Eric had. I flipped through a few more before gritting out an agitated groan and putting them back.
Nothing. I couldn't understand a thing. I stared down at the mess of papers. Would records from Fangtasia help me? I gentle opened a bigger with the flamboyant bar name scrawled across the red cover. Tallies and bar codes met me, long drawn out sums of money lining the paper. It was normal expenses and correspondences with suppliers. The only thing that was vaguely odd was the amount of money coming in through the bar. I knew the average price of a bar with a high influx of occupants. These numbers had to come from tripling maybe even quadrupling the prices... But I had also never worked with blood. The uptick could simply come from the fact that this bar was run by vampires for vampires.
I closed the binder, pressing my hand to my eyes again as the headache spiked.
It was... odd. a mix of strange whimsy and gruesome bloodshed. It spoke of humans finding horse hair tangled in branches and their horses manes and praying to the Gods because a mare must have rode them that night. We fed on fears, riding the backs and sitting on the chests of humans. It was said that we could slip through the thinnest cracks, slide into the folds of sheets and reach out from the darkness to suck the life away from any living other creature that I could think of seemed to be touched by the whispers of a mare. Poltergeists were old but… we were older. So old that the strange happenings in nightmares that always seemed to be blamed on ghosts was at first rubbed away to hint at mares instead. Succubus seemed to just be a fancy term for lesser mares that could barely suck the life out of an unconscious victim. Witches took our forms, twisting into our skin for a moment and then beseeching us to kill their enemies with offers of blood and wine.
I shut the book hard, staring down at the antique cover that was so detailed that I thought it was sewn in silk. The words sat bitterly at the bottom of my brain, pressing heavily into my eyes. It… was a lot of information. My eyes wandered blurrily to the disaster zone that used to be Eric's office. I was too confused and...angry (I think I should have been angry) to be proud.
Experimentally, I flexed my fingers, watching as they crackled with purple light before dimming. There was no power behind it. My abilities were run by my emotions. In the long run I was pretty sure that that was going to get me killed if I wasn't more careful.
"I can smell your fucking human from across the goddamn bar!" My head snapped up at the voice, my back straightening as all of my attention focused down on that door.
"Like chocolate and vodka," a deep voice rumbled and my insides tightened, my feet uncurling from under me to tap lightly down to the wood floors. Erik.
Chocolate and vodka? I blushed.
"Fuck! It just got stronger." I flinched, my eyes watering as I kept them focused on the door. I didn't move. My lunges started to burn - I didn't breath. They could smell when I was blushing.
"If you come near this fucking room, I will pull your lunges out from your throat just so that I can find your air ducts and rip them out directly." There was a lilt to his voice that made me think that he was smiling. "Understand?" The door opened. He was smiling - smirking really. All he ever did was smirk. His eyes flicked coolly to the desk and my stomach sank as they took in the mess of papers like a fisherman looking at a tangled fish in the lines. He knew that I had been snooping. "I've always heard that pets can be quite a mess to keep."
I scrambled to my feet, hurling the book of mythology at his head with a hiss. "How long have I been here, you piece of absolute shit?!"
He caught it, glancing at the cover before tossing it aside. His eyes lit with amusement as he glanced up from beneath his lashes. Damn him. Heat shivered through my stomach at that glance. "Reading up on some distant relatives?"
"Has sleeping fucking beauty finally woken from her slumber?" Pam slid in beside Eric before stilling, her eyes drifting to where I was standing, chest heaving. My shoulders stiffened, feeling uncomfortable and hot beneath Eric's unwavering gaze. A slow smile slid into place as she drawled, "Love the new decor."
"Put away the documents on my desk," he replied smoothly, never taking his eyes from me. I stayed where I was, back against the wall. At least here no one could sneak up on me. Not that they would need to.
"I was a whore not a fucking maid in my human life, if you'll recall," Pam spat, her eyes lighting to a blaze. "They may seem similar but I can assure you that I rarely bent over without getting paid first."
Eric's eyes rolled heavenward before finally meeting hers. "Then find someone else. Just get it done." He caught her arm before she left with a huffy turn. "And I do pay you."
"Oh, honey," she murmured with cold honey freezing along her words. "That's barely enough to cover my shoes."
I didn't dare laugh. The thought was funny but right when it bubbled up, it froze somewhere in my throat as Eric gave an appreciative snort and turned the icy depths of his gaze back on me.
We stared at each other. For how long, I had no clue. All I knew was that the first one who moved would be the deciding factor on what this meeting would be like - violent and angry or cold and distant. And in my little satin nightie I didn't feel up to the responsibility.
"You look good in my office," Eric said smoothly, his eyes slipping along my curves, landing the longest on my neck and breasts and then sweeping over my thighs so many times that I thought he was under the impression if he just kept looking, they might open. His fangs clicked down, his shoulders hunching in that primal way that he always had about him. I shivered.
"At least now I know that the only way you can see a girl after a good night's sleep is when she falls unconscious," I snarled snidely, trying my best to glare instead of letting him see how much he was affecting me.
"Runa." I stilled, all of my scenes heightening. His eyes crinkled as he gave me an almost sympathetic smirk. My breath hitched, stuttering as he suddenly appeared in front of me. Too close. I caught a whiff of meadow dew and earth as he leaned down, his hands coming up to grasp the bookcase behind me as he caged me in. My nipples peaked painfully, arousal shivering through me and melting my insides. "If I wanted to rip your clothes off and plunge my dick into that sweet little pussy, I would. Making you moan my name until you come is all I've been thinking about lately."
I blinked, gulping down a breath. I couldn't look away from his eyes - those sexy blue eyes staring at me now with a heat that was threatening to burn me up. Fuck. My panties were drenched. He took a long breath.
"Mm," he tumbled out, the words vibrating through his chest and straight into my nipples, causing a whimper to escape. Gritting my teeth, I resisted the urge to rub myself against him like a cat in heat. "You smell even better when you're all wet and ready for me." My breath caught as he leaned closer, tipping his head to the side as his eyes crinkled in a wicked smile. "Are you a screamer?"
I took a shaky breath, trying to regain some semblance of control. Runa Stackhouse did not stand speechless while a sexy undead viking gave her sass. Sexy, mind-numbing, panty-drenching sass. But here I was, panting, flushed and leaning into him like at any moment I was going to reach up and yank him to me. Was it a battle or lust? With Eric Northman was there a difference?
"Why have you kept me here?" My words were so soft that I knew that if he were human that I'd have to repeat myself.
His fangs flashed in a wolfish grin and he leaned closer, his voice rumbling over me. "I asked first."
"I dont give a f-"
"Manners."
I huffed, staring up at him. I rarely had to stare up at people. I was always as tall if not taller than any male in my vicinity. So I was a bit thrown off my game if I was being completely honest.
It was time to change up the game. Open aggression obviously wasn't a way to get anything from this man.
I leaned into him more, bringing a hand up slowly (I didn't want to become a vamps meal just because I touched the king) to slip beneath his leather jacket. His eyes tracked the movement, sudden caution stilling his features. There we go. I smiled a sweet, slow smile, letting my southern accent thicken and turn my voice into a low drawl.
"I am a screamer, sweetheart," I murmured. emDamn/em. He was more ripped than I could have ever imagined. My hands skimmed up to his collarbone and slowly back down to his abs. Slowly, I went up on the tips of my toes, bringing my lips close to his ears. "Want me to scream for you?"
A snort was the only reply I got as he deftly moved away from me, leaving me to grope the air. Rage quickly took the place of slyness as he leaned against his desk.
"Submission really doesn't suit you, pet. It makes me almost wonder if you're trying to get something from me," he drawled, tipping his head to the side to give me an irritatingly puzzled stare. I sneered in return. He snorted again, his fangs clicking back into place.
"Can't blame a girl for trying, sweetheart," I said with enough sugar and false innocence that I could have made a cake out of thin air.
"Next time you try to top from the bottom, I'll have you bent over my desk, screaming."
I spluttered, blinking rapidly as he turned to pick up a stack of papers.
"I would rather eat a bowl of rattlesnakes than have sex with you, Mr. Northman," I hissed indignantly.
His fangs clicked down again as he flashed me a smirk over his shoulder. "I've been told that vampires are very similar to rattlesnakes, pet. Perhaps I could convert you over to eating me instead."
I was very close to tearing my hair out and then trying to create a noose with the strands. This man was insufferable. He had a quick remark to everything. I took a breath. And then another one. Slowly, I forced my hands to uncurl from their fists.
"Why am I being kept here?" I whisper, watching as Eric picked up a few more pages.
"You have something that I want," he murmured, turning serious all at once. I licked my lips. He turned to lean against his desk once more. His brows lifted expectantly.
"After this, you will release me from the contract that you made with my sister," I whispered, standing straighter. Maybe if I faked indifference I would feel less naked.
Eric's brows raised, his smirk turning up even more. "I don't remember saying that."
"I've done a great deal for you," I continued, just as lowly, trying not to let the desperation seep into my words. But the way that he was looking at me - like he knew that I was smarter than the words that were coming out of my mouth - it made me want to stop speaking. "Those vampires - they are important people. I - I-" I stopped, shaking my head as I stuttered.
"I don't think you realized the depths that you're in, pet," he suddenly murmured and there was something in his voice that made me stop and look at his with a bit too much. I could feel all the emotions - pure, unadulterated vulnerability - bubbling up and spilling into my eyes. He saw it. I knew that he did.
"I don't need your pity," I spat, shoulders going up as I shifted - suddenly realizing that I was literally backed into a corner.
"Don't use words that I don't understand." He smirked and I resisted the urge to throw another book at him. My eyes narrowed on him as I felt a sudden surge of tears. It was the angry kind of wave that overtook you at your most vulnerable moments. At that moment, I could only think of my grandmother. And my sister who had fallen apart in the most delicate way possible - caving in on herself until all you could see was the barren bones of the structure she had once been. And then this deal with the vampires - the final slap to the face. I felt suddenly trapped, a broken kind of enslavement that made my breath heavy and my limbs stiffen.
He didn't understand. I jerked back, suddenly becoming aware of the fact that I was close to tears. I gasped sharply, looking away.
"What more do I have to pay you for?" I whispered sharply, swallowing as I tried to regain some semblance of control. "My sister has offered our services but I was under the impression that gaining such valuable information would repay our debt in full."
Before he could say anymore, there was a light knock on the door and a dainty female entered with a bucket. Her eyes briefly flitted around the room before she gave a bow to Eric.
"Mademoiselle Pam zent me to clean ze mess?" Her words were heavily weighed down with a French accent. I rolled my eyes, choosing to stare pointedly at the bookcase as Eric gave a nod. She was a vampire so it was done within seconds, all the papers either stacked neatly into drawers or tacked back to the wall.
Her arrival was advantageous though. By the time she gave a final nod and left the room, I had regained my stability. My armor was back in place and I was willing to finally do battle. Eric's eyes tracked me as I moved to sit in one of the chairs across from his desk. I wouldn't let him use my family up and then dispose of us like dirty trash when the time came.
Dainty and deliberately slowly, I crossed my legs, not missing the way Eric's eyes darkened at the action and wandered to the extra inch or two of exposed skin as my skirt slid farther up.
"You will release us from our deal, Mr. Northman," I murmured, forcing his eyes to snap back to mine. For a moment, I thought he might not have heard me.
"I will not waste anymore time, mare," he said suddenly, straightening to his full height. "Your brother has gotten himself involved in some… unhealthy habits." A flutter of panic ran through me and for a moment I stopped breathing, trapped as Eric held my gaze. "The only thing keeping him out of my custody is my involvement with your sister - well, perhaps I should simply reduce that down to you. Since you have clearly taken it upon yourself to deal with this on your own."
"My siblings are useless," I hissed, hackles raising as I thought desperately of anyway to minimize my sister's telepathic abilities. "I am the only one that you need to complete any mission."
"Confident," he mused, smirking. His gaze turned serious again. "Jason Stackhouse's crimes against my kind are grave. I have dealt with humans for far less than what he has sunk himself into."
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"I gulped, searching desperately for something to say. "If - if I corporate - if I do what you say then you'll - you'll let my brother… go?"
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I will ignore the crimes that he has committed," he agreed. His eyes turned deep, considering. "You do this for your family?"
Jason, what have you done?
"Who else would I do it for?" I finally replied, trying for a smile and failing miserably. I suddenly felt tired - like something essential had been sucked out of me and all I had left was a bone-deep kind of panic. "Would you like to know what I found, Mr. Northman?
His eyes narrowed at the sudden distance in my voice but he nodded, sitting down behind his desk.
"The female vampire was an Underground Railroad transporter. She was unlucky enough to pick up a stray vampire and was drained in her own bunker. Now she's terrified of confined spaces and…" I stopped, considering my next words. "Equality among vampires and humans is not what she seeks. If you want to manipulate her - she will always choose the argument that allows for vampires to be on the superior spectrum."
"You are far more of an asset than I had imagined," was the only reply that I got and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
"I'm only halfway through, big boy," I said sarcastically, earning me a wolfish grin. "The magister was...harder. He was an inquisitor in the 1400's, nearing the 1500s. Ironically, he can't handle any form of physical abuse. He will cave under any form of silver work. He also has a...pet… There is a human that he keeps in a bunker at one of his homes. She is his only secret."
"You don't know which home?" Eric inquired, his eyes sharp. I shook my head. It was exhausting enough to dig around inside the man deep enough to find the information that I had. He stayed quiet for a moment, brooding over some horrible plan or another. "You have been very helpful, pet."
"Are we done?" I sneered, crossing my arms under my breasts and then rolling my eyes as my Eric's smirk grew at the sight of my boobs lifting. "I have things I have to get back to."
"Your brother and sister?" The way he said it made it sound almost mocking. "Their debt will still be there no matter how long the time you are away."
I grimaced. "What exactly did my brother do?"
Eric's expression darkened. Outside of the bar, I could hear the beginnings of a rowdy night at Fangtasia. "Your brother got himself involved in V. I'm afraid he's quite addicted at this point."
I paled, my mouth going cottony as I stared up at Eric. Not only was V highly addictive, but it was also highly illegal. That wasn't even putting into perspective the fact that he had to get the stuff from somewhere.
"He came here a couple of nights ago and left with a known trafficker," Eric continued, his voice dipping into a controlled rumble.
My brain snapped into focus. "It wouldn't be-"
"A tiny, little hippie girl who too much body odor to be ignored," Eric supplied, looking slightly bored.
"Fuck," I spat, one Amy Burley's face flashing across my mind. No wonder the girl had kept my brothers attention for so long. She was supplying him. Not to mention how incredibly gullible he was by nature. It was the crazy ones that always knew the plan. I got up from my seat. "Are we done here?"
Eric's lips twitched. "I would say yes but-"
The door to Eric's office suddenly burst open, leaving a fuming Bill in its place followed by - I glanced down, swallowing hard. Jessica Hamby, recently turned from the state of her clothes.
"I can't take this anymore," he burst, his eyes not even catching sight of me until after he had stormed into the room. Jessica's attention was short-lived, only to send a rather thorough glance to Eric that had my skin crawling and my mind Not worth it, little vamp. "R-Runa?"
"Cat got your tongue?" I questioned sweetly, settling a hip against the desk as Eric chuckled, making his way around the it to stand beside me. For good measure, I sent Bill a wink, getting a little too much pleasure out of the appalled look that froze his face.
"What are you-?" He didn't seem to be able to finish the sentence and by the way that he was looking at me, I got the jist of where his mind was going. And I didn't really appreciate it. "What are you doing here, Runa?"
I put on a pout, turning into Eric's side so that I could rub up against him like a cat. I nearly purred as his eyes darkened to a stormy blue, my breasts rubbing up against his arm as I sent a hand to wander up his torso.
"Guess." I smirked, trying my best to look entranced as I stared up at the big, bad viking who looked like he was more than enjoying how low my hand was going.
"Eric, did you glam-" I sent a stapler straight for his head, whirling to growl at him.
"No, you idiot!" I snarled, feeling like an animal that had had its tail pulled one too many times. "I've been holed up here for fucking days unconscious!"
"Well, how was I-" I sent a bookend this time, sneering as I rounded the chairs to poke at his chest.
"Considering the fact that you just walked in here like he's your college roommate, I get the impression that there was a way," I snapped, whirling around to go and sit glumly beside Eric on the desk who looked like he was more than enjoying himself.
"Glorious, isn't she?" He grinned, leaning against the edge of the desk so close to me that I considered scooting over. But honestly, what was the point?
"If it wasn't for her sister, I would never go near her," Bill said dryly and I rolled my eyes. He tipped his head in my direction. "Apologies for any offense."
I gave him the finger.
"I assume this isn't a social visit," Eric said, cutting to the real issue as he eyed the dirty ginger girl that was currently curled around his door like a dog waiting to be let off a leash. His next words were dry. "She turned out rather well."
"Have you fed her?" For the most part, Jessica was doing a good job of not paying us any mind.
A sudden helpless desperation entered his eyes. "I tried to feed her Tru Blood but she wouldn't take it."
"Probably because it tasted like shit." Jessica jumped, as if surprised at the word and then giggled. "Fucking shit." Obviously feeling naughty, she bit her lip with a grin and turned back to the door.
It was really hard to feel sorry for her when she was being like this. She looked liked she enjoyed being a vampire. My brows furrowed. She had been so different at the tribunal.
"Your point?" Eric drawled, beginning to sound bored. Slowly, a long finger reached out to play along the edge of my tank top, causing me to jump.
"You stop that," I hissed, slapping at his hand and sending a glare his way.
"Make me?" He dared darkly and I was half tempted to take him up on the offer as he gave me a smirk.
"I need you to take her for a bit." The plead in Bill's voice must have drawn the Viking's attention because he stopped playing with my slip and glanced the other vampire's way.
"She's your punishment, not mine." Eric scoffed and for a moment his incredulous gaze met mine. I shrugged. I never really knew what Bill was going to pull. His mind was a lot more snakey than I had thought upon our first meeting. "What am I supposed to do with her?"
"Excuse me." Jessica glanced back from her position at the door. "I can hear you, Mr. Rude."
I gave a low whistle and she flinched, eyes widening as she touched a finger to her ears. Obviously, the new senses were a bit overwhelming still. The way that she was talking to Eric - either she was incredibly brave or just plain stupid. Eric's brows lifted slightly, taking the insult with a lot less bite than I expected.
Jessica's shoulders slumped at she gave a huge sigh, leaning back into the door. "I wanna go to the bar. I wanna be one of those dancers." Bill's face tightened in irritation. Obviously, he had heard this speech a variety of different times in different ways. "Ooooohhh, I'm hungry," she whined.
Bill looked to Eric, helpless. "She won't listen to me. It will take more time than I have to teach her obedience."
"I don't obey anybody," Jessica snapped. "Those days are over."
Eric smirked.
"Can't handle one little girl, Bill?" he mocked, chuckling as Bill slumped heavily into a seat in front of his desk. Roughly, he patted the dark-haired vampires shoulder. "Newborns can be like this. Man up, my friend. She's not even one night old."
The blond-haired vampire straightened, the muscles in his shoulders rolling as he took off his leather jacket. And handed it to me. My nose wrinkled.
"What am I?" I demanded, glaring up at him. "Your coat check girl, now?"
"You looked cold." He raised a brow in a silent dare. I was actually a little bit cold. And his jacket looked pretty comfortable. I sniffed, turning my nose up as I slipped it on. It nearly engulfed me, running so big that the arms draped over my hands.
In the back of my mind, my gran gave a sharp reprimand. I shot him an icy stare. "Thank you."
"You must be the town's little darling," he drawled back playfully and I grimaced, snapping at his fingers as a thumb drifted roughly over my bottom lip.
"I have a real problem here," Bill sniped and Eric turned, settling in the chair beside him.
"You want to stay with your maker, right?" Eric inquired, drawing Jessica's attention once more.
"No," the redhead snapped. "He's a dick. Dick, dick, dick."
I tried not to smirk as Eric let out an appreciative chuckle.
That one sound seemed to draw Jessica's attention. I tried not to look too alert as she smiled. "You're cute. Can I sit on your lap?"
I let out a sharp laugh, the sound coming out a lot more harsh than I meant it to be. Jessica's eyes snapped to me and she let out a low hiss, her fangs clicking down. Oh fuck that.
"Put your baby fangs away before I rip them out myself," I seethed, my fingers crackling beneath the leather of Eric's jacket. There was no way that I was letting a newly turned brat fuck around with me - especially when I had so many other things to deal with.
"Sit down and shut up." His voice boomed out so suddenly that I had to quil the instinct to jump, my eyes snapping to the blonde-haired vampire who was leaning forward in his chair.
essica jerked, swallowing heavily and then blinked, taking an unsteady step toward a chair.
"Close the door," Eric finished, almost offhanded as Jessica fumed but followed orders. His eyes stayed locked on her for a bit before he turned back to Bill. "You see, you have to be tough with them or they'll walk all over you."
"I was sure about that. You have a human that matured up to a regular age where they were expected to make their own choices and then you thrust them into the body of a vampire who was only considered "old" once they got in the hundreds of digits. There was bound to be some conflict.
"I am well aware of that but you can see how she is," Bill snapped, watching Jessica with a degree of loathing that I hadn't seen before. "And there are urgent matters to which I must attend."
Eric sighed. "Sookie Stackhouse?"
My head whipped around. "You haven't gone to see my sister yet?"
Bill had the decency to look slightly embarrassed. "I just barely emerged from the ground. There was no time…"
"My sister isn't that great at waiting, Bill," I warned, staring hard at the vampire. "Just remember that."
"Haven't you already done enough for her?" Eric burst in, looking slightly more bored than usual.
I flinched as the degree of violence went up a notch, Bill snarl as he glared at the viking. "If any harm were to come to her-"
Eric was on him so fact that my head spun, his movements like that of a snake before it struck.
"What?" His voice was low, belaying the overall threatening aura that dripped from his every pore. I stilled, freezing where I was as I kept a heavy gaze on the encounter.
Bill gulped. I reached out, my fingers curling tentatively around a pair of scissors. The black-haired vampire blinked, quickly backing down. "Without her helpful services."
My fingers tightened even more on the object, not daring to look away from the exchange.
"LET ME OUT!" Jessica suddenly shrieked. "I wanna do something bad."
For once, I was relieved to have the new vampire in the party.
"I would be in your debt." It was like the words were drawn from him, painfully. "I would return the favor."
"Oh yes," Eric murmured. "You will."
Even Bill looked surprise. I spluttered, blinking as Eric stood from his chair. "You most definitely will."
"You're taking her?" I questioned, incredulously, blinking up at him as he came to stand in front of me once more.
"I like favors," he said with a smirk, his eyes twinkling as he stared down at me.
"I've noticed," I sniped, pressing back a bit as he leaned down, his broad arms caging me in on either side. My next words came out tighter than I wanted them to. "Am I to assume that I'm free to go, Mr. Northman?"
"Until I need you next," he clarified and I resisted the urge to lean up and take his lips between my teeth and bite it. It would be easy - and wouldn't he be surprised? I wonder what he would look like - it almost made me do it just to catch a sight of that expression on his face. I was already leaning forward, my breath catching as his breath drifted along my lips. His eyes had got low, heavy-lidded as he watched me. I leaned forward even more, gasping as my breasts slid along his chest.
"I hope my services are never needed," I whispered, wanting so bad for him to lean that little bit closer. Instead he gave me a smirk.
"On the contrary. I have a feeling that I'll need your services more and more, Ms. Stackhouse." I jerked, breaking free of the spell that had been cast so quickly that I lost my breath. It was the last name - Stackhouse - that was what snapped me out of it. If it weren't me in this office then it would be my sister.
"That's a shame," I rushed out, ducking beneath his arm to make my way hurriedly to the door. "I'm afraid I'll be keeping your jacket for now, Mr. Northman."
"Eric's eyes were calculating as he stared after me, his face solemn. "I will call you when I need your assistance again," he finally said. His eyes snapped suddenly to Jessica who looked to be trying to claw her way out of the room. "Jessica! Would you like to learn how to feed?"
"Well, she seemed absolutely delighted by that. I scoffed wheeling around to tear open the door.
"Runa." I turned at the voice, staring into the worried eyes of Bill. Was he worried? What an odd vampire. "Would you like a... ride? I am going to Sookie as well."
"I appreciate the thought." I forced a smile. "But I would like a walk more."
It was a lie but as I saw Eric take Jessica's elbow in a firm grasp and her turn those big, blue eyes on him, I was more inclined to tear out of their than ever. I gave him a tight smile, whirling to Fuck Eric Northman.
"On second thought, I would like to get out of here as fast as possible." I nodded to the exit. "It would be safer with you - shall we?"
There was a look in Bills eyes that I didn't want to read into too much. So instead I wrapped it all up tightly and gave him my best smile.
