A/n: Hey, guys! Just wanted to say that I miss you and I hope you all will forgive me for being terrible at updating.
Chapter 20: Area 9 Nest
What outfit would you pick out for your own funeral?
That was the main question in my mind when I had decided on an oversized hoodie and jeans. Preferably, I would be without a bra but some sacrifices needed to be in place to er on the side of logic.
Still, with a 300-pound block of muscle and Viking superiority staring down at you, I was confident that I would have felt uncomfortable in anything.
"I take it, you two didn't discuss tonight's arrangements," Bill drawled, his southern accent thickening under the noticeably tense atmosphere.
I crossed my arms, noting the way that Eric loomed over me, his face drawn into an expression that I would say… Well, he definitely wasn't thrilled to see me.
"Oh, we discussed it," Eric murmured, his voice holding a sharp edge that would have cut any lesser human in half. His gaze was cutting as they ran over me. "As I recall, I told you that you would be staying at the hotel or-"
"Or you would chain me in your room in what I'm sure would have been a very romantic gesture," I cut off, forcing a sweet smile even though my insides were jittering. Clinging onto Bill, Sookie gasped, her eyes widening. I had chosen the wrong outfit, I suddenly realized. The hoodie was so big on me that he would be able to catch an edge if I tried to run away. "I chose to take it more as a gentle suggestion."
Eric let out a hiss, his eyes burning as he took a step closer to me. His next words were harsh, spoken in old Swedish. "Gentle? If that was a gentle suggestion than this is about to be loud and clear, pet."
I bulked, giving him a flash of my teeth in my own snarl as he drew a little closer. "You try and manhandle me, buddy and I'll knock-"
A low snarl tore from Eric, filling the space between us as his fangs snapped down. Even though we were stuffed into an alcove near the front door of the lobby, some of the passing vampires flinched, their eyes dilating as some primal instinct told them that something very dangerous was creeping in the shadow. I returned his snarl with my own, my hands clenching as I bulked at the threat. If he thought that I was some meek, submissive damsel than he was about to have a rude awakening.
"Oh, will you two stop it," Sookie suddenly hissed, her eyes flicking around at all the unwanted attention that Eric and I were getting. Eric's eyes stayed on me, his lips curling up in an almost mocking challenge which only made me bristle even more. "We have to be at the nest in under an hour and at this point, you two will take three to just get over this argument."
"Or one second if Runa would just see some sense," Eric drawled out.
"Or two seconds if Eric would stop being a controlling ass," I snapped right back and Sookie gave a sigh, looking to Bill for help. I glared up at the big Viking of a man, debating my options. There was no way that I was letting my sister go into a vampire hive without coming with her. "If you don't let me come with you, I'll just follow behind using my powers."
"And I will stop you," he countered, flashing his fangs. "I can still track you using the blood you last took."
I gave him a grim, pitying smirk, leaning forward so that only he could hear my words. His eyes burned a heated shade of blue, his lids growing heavy as I ran a hand over his chest. "Can you? It's been a few weeks and I can barely even feel you slithering around in my head anymore."
His fangs bared in a feral snarl. "Then I'll simply hold you down and make you take my blood again."
"I'd like to see you try."
Sookie's heels tapped impatiently at the marble floor. "Oh for the love of Jesus. Runa, if you don't stop this nonsense-"
Eric's head tipped to the side as he gave me playful smirk. "Yes, Runa. Stop this nonsense."
"How about we come to an understanding," I suggested, decidedly ignoring his earlier comment. I splayed my hands in mock submission. "Here's my understanding: There is no such thing as me staying behind. I either come with you or I go straight to this crazy, religious camp-"
"You don't even know where-" Bill started and I held up a finger, a little bit miffed that he had butted in.
"Thank you for pointing that out, Bill." I gave Eric a innocent smile. "First I go aroud town asking vampires and humans where this place would be, making me look very suspicious and more than likely getting myself kidnapped-"
Eric's jaw tightened, his fangs glinting as a low growl echoed through his chest and into mine. It startled me for a moment - his closeness. When had we gotten so near each other?
"But not to worry because once I get the answer, I'll catch an uber straight there and destroy all the wonderful Christian murderers and save the day." I shrugged, playing it up as Eric's eyes ran a cold, cold blue. A few unruly strands of blonde hair fell across his forehead, making him look unfairly charming. In all honesty, if he didn't agree to this then I wasn't going to go gallivanting around Dallas making an ass out of myself. But - and this was a gamble - I was willing to bet that Eric wasn't going to even allow that possibility to happen. I flashed him a smirk, putting down my final bid with false bravado. "So, what's it going to be, cowboy?"
The silence that followed was so full of anger that I could almost taste it coating there air. For a moment, I savored it, relishing my sudden position of power. It was...flattering. More than flattering it was almost disarming to have Eric so utterly helpless at the prospect of my possible capture. For a moment, staring up into his brooding, angry face, I felt a threatening flutter in my stomach, an answering call.
"Du är okunnig, huvudstark flicka," he snarled, his temper rising for a moment as he cursed down at me. His knuckles bled of color as he spun, cursing out a string of violent Swedish before he turned back to me, jabbing a finger at me. "You will stay by me. You will not speak. You will not reveal yourself to be anything but my lover-"
I spluttered, bulking. "Excuse me?! Your wh-"
"Lover," he growled, stepping closer as he crowded me against the nearest pillar. "Why else would I have you with me? You will be my human lover for the remainder of the trip-"
"How about I'm a hired human like my sister-" I started, jabbing a finger back at him.
"How about you stay in your room like a good little mare?" he growled right back. "You wanted to come play detective, you've gotten it and this is my counter offer-"
"How flattering," I seethed. But I was already conceding. It would be the best bet to pretend to be a helpless fuck toy for the great Eric Northman if he would be hovering around me like a guard dog. Even this...was revealing. It meant that the vampires we were going to be with weren't to be trust. Which was an absolutely joyless revelation.
"And if you even spark up while your in that house-" His silence was enough to complete the sentence. "Do we understand each other?"
Sookie sent me a mental zing, her gaze murderous. Obviously she was impatient to get going. Forget the fact that her sister was all but selling herself off as a fang banger for the duration of the trip.
I worked my tongue along the sharp edges of my teeth, staring daggers up at the giant in front of me. "Yes," I forced out tightly.
"Bra," he snapped right back and for a moment we were left to glower at each other in stubborn silence. Slowly, I saw his shoulder ease, his hands unclenching as he forced himself back to that nonchalant control that he seemed to wear around him like a cloak.
"Well, now that that's settled…" Sookie breathed, smoothing a hand over her red bandana print dress. She looked like a rodeo queen in that get-up, her hair delicately coiled to one side of her face.
I turn, ready to walk out of the door behind them and away from the maddening presence of Eric Northman. A deep rumble makes me pause. "One more thing."
A squeak bursts from me before I can stop it, strong arms catching my arm and spinning me before I can even think. "What-"
There's no hesitation, no pause or consideration as he takes my lips, one of his arms slinging around my waist so that he can lift me to his lips. For a moment, my mind spins dumbly, letting him bite down on my bottom lip, those long fingers of his free hand-knotting into my hair. He's a bruiser of a man, his kiss mirroring the unforgiving nature of his personality.
"Open," he mutters against my lips, his blunt teeth nipping at my bottom lip in reprimand when I don't obey him immediately.
But I do, dumbly, my eyes still wide open in shock as he grunts out his approval. What an arrogant man, I think moments before our tongues meet and my mind goes completely, deliciously blank.
Kissing before Eric… Everyone always writes about it like it's the best part of a relationship like every moment after the formation of a couple is on the shaking edge of that moment. Like kissing and sex are the ultimate outcome. In my experience with the boys from Bon Temp, that was the farthest thing from the truth. Kissing had always been a chore, a step that needed to be climbed before you could get to the good part. The fucking part. It was an awkward combination of saliva and teeth. And then tongue - ugh, tongue. Most guys treated it like a serpent that was trying to burrow into its new home. A disappointing beginning to an act that usually ended in a mediocre orgasm at best. And if I was being honest 90% of that outcome came from my singular efforts.
But Eric - Eric kissed like he was conquering. He pillaged and took and barely gave enough time for me to think as his tongue ran along time, his fingers digging into my hair as he tilted my head for better access. He kisses like it isn't a step at all. He kisses as if he's already inside of me as if we're already making love.
I lose all conscious thought other than his chest against mine, my fingers diving into his hair, dragging him closer to me. His teeth sink into my lip again, a low groan vibrating from his mouth to mine before he's taking my mouth once more.
He's teasing me, I realize, dazed and frustrated as I try to rub against him, desperate for any sort of friction my aching breasts. Aching everything really. He's setting me on fire, holding me far enough away to burn me gently. Against my lips, I feel the tell-tale tilt of his as he lets me up for air.
"There we go." I blink, dazed, my mind blurry as I try to regain my bearings. Slowly, almost affectionately his nose rubs along mine, his arm still keeping me glued to his front as he massages my nape with his other. "Horny and smelling like me."
My mind's a mess at the words, heat rising in my cheeks even as I try to muddle through the meaning. He gives a low coo, rubbing my back as if he senses my confusion and is amused by it. Even so, I can feel the very large evidence of his own reaction to our kiss against my hip. He isn't unaffected either.
"I hate to interrupt this frankly heart-warming display," a voice drawls from somewhere behind Eric. In the heat of the moment, he had somehow maneuvered me around so that his big body blocked the rest of the lobby from view. Which included Bill and Sookie. "But we are about to be late to Area 9's nest."
Eric's lips meet mine for a slow kiss, his attention-stealing any coherent thought once more and making my heart go crazy. My thighs press together as I try to ease some of the ache. Grunting, Eric pulls away once more, his eyes running over me with a singularity that has my head spinning. If he wasn't so infuriating, I would think that I loved him. But… He would like that thought too much.
"Ready to fly again, pet?" Ah, there it was. The clouds cleared quickly, my heart seizing as he gave a slow smile.
The Area 9 nest had a lot of windows.
In fact, it had a lot of everything - windows, chandeliers, monochromatic color schemes. It was the farthest thing from Fangtasia (the only other vampire lair that I could bring to mind) that I had ever seen. The whole house seemed to be owned by a pair of well-to-do relators with six happy children and a dog.
It had been a shock when a few younger vampires had led us to an area big enough to offer itself as a greeting room with a long dining table, a comfy, gray couch, and a roaring fireplace.
"You should have told me Eric hired a fucking human, Isabel." And that was where the charm ended because there was nothing pleasing or welcoming about the two vampires that had been there to greet us.
Apparently Eric mirrored my thoughts because he had kept a protective hand on my back through the entire, awkward greeting and the following explosion.
"Now wait just a minute," my sister started, obviously offended. I didn't entirely blame her either. Right when I had seen the dark-haired, dark-eyed vampire dressed up in what had to be a child's cowboy outfit tailored to fit a grown man, I had been offended as well. There was a singularly displeasing way that Stan Baker held himself that all but screamed haughty contempt. Which was rather ballsy considering the fact that I was pretty sure Bill and Eric could rip out his spleen in two seconds flat.
"Respect her," Bill snarled and I sensed Eric's growing frustration in the way that his fingers bit into my hip. My eyes moved to the quietly seething giant, his own gaze hawk-like and hateful as he eyed the two Area 9 nestmates.
Sookie gave Bill a shy smile. "Thank you."
"I couldn't tell you, Stan." And there came the second vampire of our welcome party, dressed like she was ready to walk down the aisle in an all-white dress, her hair pulled into a coy bun at her nape. Classy may have been a way to describe her but there was something altogether unappealing about her that made it hard to appreciate her presence. I narrowed my eyes on her, trying to pin it down. "You've been off on your own for days."
There it was. Like a scorned lover that you had to live with, her own bitter hatred almost seemed to roll off her. I frowned, my eyes flicking back to the impressive mass of Eric standing just a bit behind me, his expression cloudy. It was odd - these vampires. For Godric to have gone from a creature like Eric to these two - I resisted the urge to scoff.
"Are you certain Godric was abducted by the Fellowship of the Sun?" Eric finally cut in, obviously growing tired of the petty bickering. His chin tipped up a bit and I noticed the stance. He was putting on the face he used when he was trying to keep his temper in check, aloof, calm.
"Yes," Stan answered immediately, earning a sharp glare from Isabel.
"No," she retaliated.
"Well, that's helpful," I muttered, earning a sharp look and a tug on one of my braids from Eric.
Stan's eyes scanned over me in an altogether flattering manner - as if I was a rat that he had just found in his closet nibbling on his cowboy boots. The glance was over within a second, dismissed as if he was totaling me up and finding me lacking. From the low snarl from Eric, the glance wasn't lost on him either. Stan barely blinked. "They're the only ones with the organization and manpower."
"But they're amateurs," Isabela argued and I forced myself to look anything but bored to tears at the back and forth. "It doesn't make any sense. This is Godric we're talking about. 2000 years old."
I blinked, taken aback. I had assumed that Godric was old since Eric himself was already a powerful vampire but for the age to be actually spoken…
"Old don't make you smart," Stan drawled and I felt Eric's fingers go rigid with anger as he resisted the urge to walk across the room and tear out the vampire's tongue.
Isabela seemed just as agitated as she took a breathe, keeping her own train of thought. "Besides there's no proof."
Sookie's eyes met mine across the room, her brows going up as if she were asking me if I believed this. Petty. Disorganized. And apparently unable to agree with each other at even a base level. If this was what Godric had been listening to for the last 200 years, no wonder he disappeared.
"If they've got him, I'll hear it," Sookie piped up, obviously trying to push a bit of positivity into the exchange. "That's my job."
Isabela's brows furrowed a bit, her attention obviously caught by my sister.
Stan, however, was another matter entirely. "There's no reason to wait."
"This is ridiculous," Eric growled softly to me. A pang of sympathy burst through me before I could stop it. Obviously these squabbles were driving him out of his mind. He loved Godric, I realized. In the way that someone loves their own blood, their creator and protector.
"We need to take these fanatics down," Stan was saying, his words tinged with self-righteous rage. "Full-out attack." The sigh that Isabela gave was enough to cue everyone in on the fact that this wasn't the first speech Stan had given on the subject. "Exterminate them like the vermin that they are, leave no trace."
Eric's eyes met Bills over my head, his jaw tightening against whatever he was thinking. The two seemed to almost share a thought at that moment. Maybe something along the lines of: This Stan guy's a real dickweed and I wouldn't follow him even if he said he was leading me to the promise land.
"Hmmm," Isabela hummed sarcastically. "Vampire-hating church annihilated. Wonder who did it? Fucking brilliant."
Bill's shoulders rolled, his neck popping as he shifted. "I doubt the King of Texas would approve of the destruction of our international political agenda."
"This is a fucking waste of time," Eric muttered and I could feel the mounting anger that was boiling up inside him like a volcano that had waited a bit too long to erupt.
"Fuck that," Stan drawled. Hm. How did I guess that he was also against any relations between humans and vampires either? Guy had to be having a rough go in the sack too since he was altogether detestable. "The great revelation is the biggest mistake we ever made."
Isabela whirled, baring her teeth up at Stan. "Don't use Godric to make your own little power play."
Eric's growl reverberated off the walls as he let go of me, his body tensing with barely leashed violence as he moved to stand just in front of me. "You're completely incompetent!" Sighing, I peeked around his bulky side at the two befuddled vampires. "What's happened to Godric that he surrounds himself with clowns?"
"We invited you as a courtesy." Oh no. I snarled, baring my teeth as Isabela stalked forward, her body coiling in on itself like a serpent ready to fight. How dare she speak to him like he was the outside here? My mind went nearly blank at her next words. "This is not your territory. You have no voice here."
My hackles raised as she got closer, my body moving on its own as I lunged forward, coming in contact with Eric's arm before I could meet her halfway. I could feel his eyes burning into my skull with a warning, a reminder of our deal. Fuck the deal. How dare she?
Chocolate eyes met mine, a silent dare goading me past any rational thoughts.
"How dare you?" I hissed, slipping under Eric's arm swiftly enough that for a moment he was surprised enough to let me. She better be glad that he had positioned across the room, behind a couch. I jabbed a finger at her, not caring that her eyes were wandering over me in a feral sort of interest. Eric growled something to me in Swedish, regaining himself as he slipped a restraining arm around my waist. "Whose voice is represented in this room then? All I see are two children who can't even decide upon their next meal time much less the next step to regain Godric." Isabela's eyes narrowed, her mouth opening. I sneered. "Don't think for a second that the reason you called us here was from anything but desperation. You have no clue how to regain Godric and you're frantic for help so don't you ever talk to Eric like that again."
Isabela's brows raised, her smile mocking. A smile I was about to wipe off her face in two seconds - I felt my blood rising to a fever pitch, my powers responding in kind.
Slowly, dismissively, her eyes slid to Eric. "You have a good pet, I see." She winked. "Best to get a muzzle though."
Eric's fangs clicked down, my back vibrating with the force of his snarl. "Interesting suggestion. Perhaps your pet would be open to the same advice."
"Better yet," I bit out, watching as her eyes ran black with rage. "Why don't you put us in a room. See who comes back without a tongue in the end."
"How dare you-" Her fangs clicked down as she jolted forward, the only thing stopping her being Stan's sudden appearance at her side, his hand branding around her forearm.
"As I recall," he bit out. "We didn't need you or your puppets to come around and offer up useless threats-"
"I am no one's puppet," Sookie hissed from her place across the room, her cheeks coloring with rage.
Bill stepped forward, his hands spreading out as if he were offering a silent truce. I glowered, my eyes still locked with Isabela's. I was about to tear those pretty, gold earrings right out of her lobes.
Bill's voice was tired, practiced. "What we need is a plan."
"I have a plan," Stan snapped, clearly irritated that his mass murder idea was being so thoroughly ignored.
And just like that Isabela was turning back on her nest-mate. "It's not a plan, it's a movie!"
"It's not a movie, it's a war," Stan said gravely.
I resisted the urge to laugh, rolling my eyes as Eric's arm loosened around my waist, instead of drawing me to the curve of his side. His eyes met mine, their depths revealing a bit of his own exacerbation.
"Have we fallen into an early 2000s teen drama?" I grumbled.
He grunted, his fangs retreating with some effort. Quietly, he switched to Swedish. "What did I tell you? Do you love to put yourself in danger or do you do it to vex me?"
I blushed, resisting the urge to pout. For a moment, I wrestled with my own emotions, trying to decide on the best course of action. "She was being disrespectful."
A long silence followed, thick enough for me to second-guess my own words. Finally, a gentle tug on one of my braids was the only response I got. I resisted the urge to purr in satisfaction.
"Don't either of you care that there is a traitor in your midst?" Bill's voice suddenly cut through the quiet moment that we had created.
I blinked, coming back to the present with startling clarity.
Stan blinked, obviously offended by the thought. "No."
Isabela was quick to follow. "Impossible."
"Someone tried to kidnap me from the airport," Sookie supplied, agitation making her words sharp. Sookie had filled me in the night before, assuring me that everything had been fine and that while it was a close call, it had been a near-harmless encounter. How quickly it could have gone south still jarred me.
"You were the only ones that knew she was coming," Bill hedged.
I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling Eric straighten to his full height beside me. "Explain."
The shock was instantaneous and altogether disheartening as usual. They whirled on each other like children.
"Unless it was you-"
"Unless it was you-"
Sookie let out a grumble and I groaned. "Look, if ya'll argue any more I'm either going to fall asleep or start screaming so this is what we're going to do: I will infiltrate the Fellowship of the Sun."
I grinned, meeting her eyes as Eric's brows raised. If I wasn't sure that it wasn't in his genetic makeup, I would think that that looked like he was mildly impressed with my sister. I grinned at her. "I love it when you get bossy."
Her eyes flicked to Eric teasingly. "Yeah. It does seem to be a kink of yours."
I blushed. Touche.
Bill, however, was completely and utterly un-thrilled with the idea. He whirled to her. "Absolutely not."
Eric yawned. "Let her speak."
"Since Bill glamored the kidnapper, no one now knows who I am," she explained. "I'll pretend I want to join the church and check out all their thoughts."
"No," Bill snapped. "During the day none of us can help you."
I raised my hand. "What am I? The laundry lady? I can help." From Eric's snort, it was more than clear that that statement was up for debate. I sent him a glare, turning to stare up at him. "What? Am I not allowed to go out past bedtime now too?"
His jaw tightened. "I think you already know the answer to that."
"Well, the good news is that neither of you can stop us," Sookie snapped and I smirked up at the now thoroughly agitated Viking in front of me.
"Waste of time," Stan grumbled, brushing past Isabela to go to the fireplace where his hat lay. Eric's eyes rolled heavenward, seemingly praying for patients. "When we could drink them all. I want no part of this."
And with that, Stan walked out the door.
"Toodles!" I called sarcastically, earning me another warning glance from Eric. Yeah. Like he was a fan of Stan's either.
Isabela barely even batted an eyelash. "There's no easier way to find out if they're involved."
Eric nodded. "If it leads us to Godric, we'll do it." The way that his eyes lingered on me was a clear signal that this conversation on my end at least was not over. But for the moment, he let it rest, his gaze moving to where Bill stood, looking like a pinned butterfly. "The decision's made."
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