Hey, my little cinnamon buns! So I know things are a little crazy right now with this virus but I just wanted to emphasize the point of coming back to the things that we love and just not letting the fear and uncertainty ruin everyday life. We still have so much to be thankful for and I for one, count you guys among those numbers.

So yeah, I hope that this chapter brightens your day. Unfortunately, my job is considered missions essential so I'll remain at work but I'll still try to update these coming weeks. Much love, Lovely


Chapter 21: Hard-Hearted Hannah

Something's coming.

I let out a breath, reaching for my sister on instinct as we neared the lobby of Hotel Carmilla. My teeth ached, something cruel and feral crawling along my skin like a fever. Instinctively, I reached out, catching across the nightmares of the people around me and finding only bland normalcies and petty grievances. This one was scared of meeting his lover's maker. That one wondered if she had drank too much from that girl last night - but she had tasted so good.

"What is it, Runa?" Sookie murmured to me, turning from where Bill stood silently behind her, his eyes grim as they scanned over me.

I didn't answer, seeking out Eric's gaze as if on instinct before remembering that he had stayed behind to speak to Isabela alone. He had still found the time to give me a quiet warning though.

"If I come back to that hotel and find that you've gotten yourself into more trouble, I swear to every god, goddess and underling that I will make sure you regret it," he had snarled down at me, his eyes glinting as I stared up at him in mild boredom. I assumed his foul temper came from the fact that he had had to also tell Bill that evening about Godric's being Eric's maker. A risk that had had to be taken in order to keep my sister's talents in this mission.

I gave him a toothy grin, running a hand up his arm boldly. His eyes darkened, that predatory gaze following the trail of my fingers as it ran over his forearms to the bulge of his biceps and then across his shoulders before I let them play across the short hair at his nape.

It was a light guess that he had felt no one's fingers along the bare skin of his nape yet because of the newness of the haircut.

I felt the quick draw of his breath as he gave a soft gasp, his eyes growing hooded. The response was more enticing than I had bargained for. I smirked, watching him closely as he gave a snarl, his fangs clicking down. Looking furious. Looking like he wanted to do very, very bad things.

"I'll see you at the hotel, big boy," I promised, winking as I forced myself to turn away, leaving him where he stood, furious and sounding like a caged bull.

I had wanted to stay as well but… Well, that seemed like something an actual lover would do. And Eric had seemed eager to get me back to the hotel where he had promised me that there would be a discussion later. Joy. I loved it when we discussed.

My brows furrowed as that tiny niggling voice gave a silent wail, making my skin crawl. But...I searched around once more. Nothing. Nothing abnormal just the average debauchery.

"I-" I stopped, fighting back my anxiety as I turned back to my sister, giving her a searching glance. Had she heard anything? No. By the concerned, widening of her pretty eyes, she hadn't even been looking. Usually, especially insidious thoughts broke through her barriers… I blinked, gulping. "Nothing. It's nothing. Just tired. And - and nervous for tomorrow."

A single brow rose as Bill gave me a small tilt of the lips. "I had assumed that Eric would have dissuaded you from that particular plan."

"He hasn't had the chance," I murmured distractedly, taking another long glance around.

The plan was simple. Sookie and I would be going into the Fellowship of the Sun a new recruit - Sookie playing the God-fearing Christian that needed a spa day and the safety of a vampire-free church - and myself as the invisible backup. I had made a deal with Eric to get him to even agree to that little bit. The deal being that I would remain behind until Sookie called for me. In all honesty, she should only need to get a little tour and read a couple minds on the way to see if she could find out if Godric was even there.

Once we were sure on both the location and certainty of his presence, then Eric and Isabela would have a nice chat with the good, little kidnappers and then it was a ticket back to Bon Temp. Plan complete. No fuss.

Which meant that Eric's ultimate plan was to lock me up in the hotel until this whole thing was over. Genius if you really thought about it - giving me a compromise that wasn't really a compromise.

"Runa." I flinched, yanked back to reality at my sister's soft, cajoling voice, her hand rubbing along my arm. Her eyes were wide, brown pools, running over me in long sweeps that made it all too clear what she was thinking about. She was thinking about when we were little and she had to sleep with me because I would wake up screaming, unable to control my abilities. Or maybe about my nervous breakdowns in school, my screaming fits, and hysteria when some other kids came in with bruises under their clothes. "What's going on?"

I gnawed at my lips, shifting on my feet for a moment as I took one more furtive look around the lobby. Nothing. Still nothing. But my teeth felt like they were being drilled into with a rusty sickle probe and my stomach was turning in that way that it did just before I dreamed of the other mares.

I tugged her to the elevator, itching to be in the privacy of my own room where the doors locked and the walls were made of concrete. Sookie and Bill followed warily, sharing a silent glance as the elevator dinged and we stepped inside.

"Something's… not right," I finally forced out, feeling edgy and sick all at once. I ran a firm hand along my nape, wincing. "I felt something when we came inside - like a - a call or a warning or - I can't explain it. But all I know is that something's not right." I turned to her, grabbing onto her hands. "Promise me that you'll be careful tomorrow."

Her eyes searched mine out, her face tight with worry. "Of course. You know I will… I just don't understand, Runa. What's going on?"

Words crawled along my tongue like little insects that wanted to make a permanent residence in my mouth. I wanted to give her an answer. I wanted to have an answer to that myself but… I shook my head as the elevator doors dinged open, my hallway waiting quietly behind me. "I don't know, Sookie. But something's coming and I don't think we're going to like it."


I gasped, jerking awake, fumbling with my own thoughts for a moment in the panting confusion of wakefulness for a moment. I had gone back to the great tree in my dreams. I knew it. I could still taste the frigid dew of the mountains on my tongue. Thank god, none of my sister's had been there with their cryptic little messages.

2 A.M. the clock blinked at me, shining lowly in the moonlight that I had allowed in my room. The room that Eric had paid for was lavish, the sheets made of some otherworldly silk that made my skin feel like gravel. Too nice for the likes of me with my clothes sprawled across the sitting area just a few feet away, the floor to ceiling windows making my room look like a sad after-party.

Beside me, my phone buzzed a quick call. It had been a few hours since we had gotten back and I had fallen into my bed after shucking off my jeans and bra. In all honesty, the meeting at the Area 9 nest had been short and to the point even with the bickering.

Hotel bar. 15 minutes.

Eric. I glanced at the clock again, confirming the time. Where had he been since midnight? Two hours talking to Isabela? Plausible. Maybe even palatable if it weren't for the fact that I was not exactly her biggest fan. And I had thought Eric was of the same mind.

I got out of bed, running a hand through my wavy, knotted hair, catching on the array of braids with a wince. I had had them in for a day or two now and they were starting to make my scalp hurt. Grumbling, I yanked on my jeans, highly irritated that I had to not only put on pants but also a bra if I wanted to be decent.

I stalled out in front of a mirror just across my room, catching sight of the smeared charcoal makeup that lightened my eyes to a thunderous. My lips were chapped, near cracking and as I watched they parted just enough to give a view of my sharp teeth. Frumpy. A little too chaotic to be completely sane. Wild, that's what Eric had called me. I shrank from my reflection, trying not to let my own insecurities make me burrow back into my bed.

In Bon Temp, it was easy to ignore my oddities mainly because everyone there was a little over the edge. No one seemed to actually want to be in the small town. Instead, the people of Bon Temp walked around like they were tethered to the ground, unable to see beyond our borders. Oddities sprouted up like the moss on the trees.

But here in Hotel Carmilla, where everything was elegant, it was hard for me to feel comfortable. I hated how outlandish I was as I passed by a couple in the hallway, their eyes widening a bit as I slunk by. I hated how tall I was as the elevator opened silently and I was faced with four walls of myself, lean and angular.

Now that I thought about it, why exactly was I going downstairs in a hotel filled with incredibly attractive people to meet the most attractive one of them all?

Ding!

Well… Gulping, I stepped out of the elevator. One thing that my grandmother didn't raise was a wimp. Maybe a homicidal psycho, a pervert and a naive fang-banger (guess which one I am) but not a wimp.

"In old Savannah, I said Savannah…" The voice was a bit too manly for the song, brash over the frilly embellishment of the piano. Sighing, I sidestepped a particularly lengthy brunette, her lips lush and glossed beneath the low light.

For a moment, I paused, taking in her height and the straight set of her back. She towered above almost everyone who passed her and was even an inch or so taller than me. The dismissive way that her eyes stayed completely forward, completely ignoring the people around her, was evidence enough of her personality. But there was a cruel glint in her dark eyes that contrasted dramatically with the altogether sophisticated aura that she gave off. Vampire. Definitely vampire. My powers sparked for a moment and I was mildly surprised to find her nightmares to be centered around one person. Her maker.

I pulled back, revolted by the few images that filtered to me before I could shut myself off to them. Horrible. One of the worst that I had come across.

"Meet anyone interesting on your way here?" I blinked, pulling back from the automatic response that my body had gone into. While I had been riffling through that woman's subconscious, I had kept up my pace, turning into Hotel Carmilla's bar area and coming almost immediately into contact with Eric.

Looking thoroughly annoyed, the Sheriff of Louisiana's Area 5 was an imposing figure in a room of imposing figures on the expensive red couch that sat at the far corner of the bar area. He was still dressed in his earlier outfit minus the leather jacket which lay discarded on the seat next to him in an obvious repellent to anyone seeking company. A short table and three leather stools sat just in front of him, his long legs nearly overtaking the area.

Briefly, I debated the pros and cons of sitting next to him. Pro: being near Eric was always a pleasure. Con: it would make me look like a blood hooker. Pro: I wouldn't have my back to the lobby of which the bar area dissolved into. Con: being near Eric made me think, nasty, dirty thoughts and more often than not I gave in to those. That last one could be considered under both categories if I was being completely honest.

I flopped onto the couch, landing comfortably onto his leather jacket. "I should have known that you had something up your sleeve."

For a moment, his eyes strayed to where my ass was squashing his jacket into the couch an amused glint lighting his tired, blue eyes before he was smirking over at me. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

"The girl," I clarified, waving a waiter over. "Cruel eyes. Tall. Generally dislikable. Who is she?"

"What can I get you, Miss?" He was a cute one with curly black hair and a quirky smile. A little less harsh than I thought you would have to be to work in a vampire hotel. Hell, I worked in Bon Temp and I looked like I was ten seconds from slicing out someone's kidney on a good day.

For some reason, his general look of vulnerability made me feel bad for him. I gave him a pitying smile. "A coke and all the blood cocktails that you have."

Eric gave a short grunt, the sound somewhere between a laugh and disbelief while the waiter blinked, his eyes flicking between the hulking Viking and me and then back. He did that about three more times before he finally cleared his throat, ducking back behind his notepad. "We have about ten versions-"

"Wonderful!" I exclaimed, giving him a cheeky thumbs up and a wink which made his cheeks turn a ruddy red. I was almost positive that having anything other than predatory consideration threw him for a loop. Eric's eyes darkened, his smile going a bit sour.

"I-They'll be out in a few moments," he stuttered out, blinking a few times but staying rooted to the spot, his eyes fixed on my face.

Eric's fangs snapped down in an instant, his smile deadly. "Bye."

That got him going, poor thing. In truth, his attention was probably less from my stunning physical appearance and more from the fact that I was hanging around a powerhouse like Eric and actually seemed happy about it. Rather morbid wasn't it?

"That wasn't very nice," I admonished, settling back into the corner of the couch so that I could face him more fully. Not that he was looking at me, however. His eyes were still tracking the little human waiter, probably dreaming up ways that he could use his bones in his home decor. I sighed, reaching out a hand to nudge his shoulder. "Who is she, Eric?"

Slowly, his eyes drew back to me, looking all the more brooding and pouty as he retracted his fangs. "An old acquaintance of mine named Lorena Krasiki. She, my little mare, is Bill's maker."

I perked, leaning forward in shock. How had-? Well, Eric had obviously invited her to the Carmilla for - for what? Only personal gain. Perhaps a bit of tit for tat in all honesty. It was a powerful weapon to know a vampire's maker and an even more powerful one to have them at your beck and call. Bill would be sure to receive Eric's message loud and clear.

My eyes narrowed, my tongue working along the sharp edges of my teeth. While I appreciated his strategic maneuvering, I did not appreciate where it put my sister. "If I didn't have all the faith in the world for you, I would say that you're trying to stir up trouble, Mr. Northman. Trouble doesn't seem particularly wise at this point in finding Godric."

Mulling my words over, his gaze flicked lazily around the bar area, his eyes red-rimmed as if he had been sleeping far less than he should. Finally, he met my gaze again, his voice deep and sure. "When I first met Bill he was flitting around San Francisco with Lorena, torturing and draining prostitutes. They made their way through America like animals, slaughtering people mindlessly."

I reeled back, absorbing the information like a physical blow, flinching as I thought about my sister sleeping in the same bed with him. Did she know? She couldn't. Not to the extent that Eric was describing. Eric took in my expression much the same way that he took in the world around him, calm, analyzing.

It made me want to punch his lights out.

"Why are you telling me this?" I gritted, finding it increasingly hard to sit across from him. "And why exactly did you bring a homocidal spawn of satan here with her obsession in the same bed as my sister?"

You better have a good fucking reason, buddy, I silently warned, my temper warming to a near fever pitch as he eyed me.

"Lorena's temper has always been uncontrollable. She's like a child with a toy most days, playing happily until someone takes it from her." His message was clear in the way that his eyes ran over me, the muscles in his arms bulging as he leaned closer to me, looking all the more like a wolf in the chicken coop. In the low light of the bar, his eyes were luminous, a strikingly feral shade of winter blue. And… I drew in a breath scenting the air as he continued. "It was a matter of time before she came searching out her progeny. She's been content these last years to idle away, periodically checking upon him to make sure that he hadn't settled but he has, Runa. He's found Sookie and he intends to hunker down no matter the cost."

I gave a sarcastic smile. "And you've just boosted along the process? How helpful."

"Spare me your self-righteous sarcasm, lover," Eric drawled, quirking a brow. I bit back a snarl, wanting to reach across the small space between us and wrap my fingers around his neck. It wouldn't do much considering the fact that my powers didn't work against him but he might humor me for a moment and allow me to ease some of my frustration. "You knew full well that Bill didn't have a clean slate-"

"Knowing and having it dragged to a hotel that he's staying at and goaded into action are two very different things, Mr. Northman," I snapped, riled beyond belief. He was the only one that could poke and prod me into this state, nearly rabid with my own emotions. I held his hard stare as the waiter came back and placed my drinks upon the table in front of us. By the end, I could hardly see the glass top beneath the various wine glasses on the table, assorted candied ornaments floating in the scarlet liquid.

Blue waves seemed to crash against the darkness of his pupils, dragging me down until I could taste the frigid, arctic water. I had drowned too many times in his eyes. In my dreams, I had traced along his lashes, watching as the tempest turned into gentle waves that had lulled me into a deeper sleep.

I knew his rage like it was my own. For a month, I had cajoled it, poked it into embers and then fire. But as I stared across at him, I realized that those moments had been one-sided. While he had invaded my every waking thought for that month that his blood had been in my veins, I had remained completely within the waking realm. The thought was like a cold blast after I had just become warm, shocking me for a moment, making me dumb with the realization.

"I grow tired of being at odds with you, mare," he whispered, his voice deep and earnest in a way that made my heart hurt. His head tipped to the side as if he were trying to get a deeper hold onto my heart, twisting this way and that until I was so close that I couldn't even breathe without feeling as if he were the cause. "Especially when you and I are so alike. Alike enough for me to know that you understand my reasoning."

"Understanding and agreeing are two very different things, Eric," I snapped, spitting with words out with enough venom to make him blink, his lips twitching. I sneered, leaning closer so that I could be sure that he heard my next words very clearly. "But to a barbarian like yourself, I'm sure that the sentiment is lost. You mistake me, Mister Northman. You and I may be cut from the same cloth but I would never, ever risk the things in my life for whatever personal gain this gives you. You are playing a one-sided game - one that only makes yourself the winner."

This seemed to rile him, his eyes rolling as he glared down at me. "I have given you and your sister every leniency that I can. I have saved both of your lives on multiple occasions-"

"Please," I scoffed, a bitter laugh bursting from me. "Don't insult me by making it seems as if you didn't receive anything for those mercies. Furthermore, I find it hard to believe that you don't have an endgame. As of this moment, you have two very rare, very unusual creatures under your thumb. Let's talk about your plans. I'm sure you've spun something up by now other than using me as a mind whore-"

A low snarl cut through the tense air between us, his eye's murderous. "Never call yourself that again."

I blinked, knocked off balance for a moment at his disdain. His jaw worked, the corded muscles of his shoulders rolling in irritation as he took a deep breath, working to calm himself.

"I've only mentioned your existence to Pam and at that, she barely knows the basics," he finally whispered, looking highly annoyed by the admission. "If you haven't gathered, I would rather step out at dawn than give your name over to anyone else." He paused, letting that sink in. It did. And it made me unbearably aware of my affections for the blonde giant in front of me. My stomach gave a happy leap, my muscles tensing against the urge to jump him right there. "As for your sister… only your obvious affection for her has kept me at bay. Many would want to find out what she is. If it weren't for you, I might even be tempted myself."

The tinkering of glasses decorated the silence between us for a moment, lulling me. I stared at his hard jaw, his tired eyes, the strand of hair that had fallen from where he had gelled it away from his face. I wondered what he would look like after I ran a hand through it. How his fangs would feel against my lips. How-

I couldn't help myself.

"What are you thinking of?" I jerked, noticing the sharpening of Eric's gaze, the way his breath had deepened, his nose twitching as he scented the air. A small, knowing smirk curled his lips, his eyes deepening as he leaned closer, taking up too much of the space on the small couch. "Where did your mind go, little mare?"

"I-" I stumbled, trying to formulate a non-commital response and coming up blank. "I - you-" I stopped, my insides fighting against the pull of his gaze. And losing. "I was thinking about how unfair it is that you're a no good, dirty Viking with limited morals and a singularly awful personality-"

"I love it when you compliment me," he drawled and I could feel the cool whisper of his words against my lips. When had he gotten so close?

"And how if it wasn't for the fact that you just released a crusty, old vampire bitch onto my sister, I think we could be doing some very bad things right now," I whispered, my barriers crumbling further as my tongue formed the words without me even thinking. Because I was staring at his lips and his fangs and the peek of his tongue as he ran it over the tip of one canine. I nearly caught fire, my thighs pressing together as I tried to ease some of the ache that had started there.

"Fucking," he supplied, his eyes darkening to an impossible deep blue. I gulped, lost, twitching as I felt the flutter of his fingers against my thigh, like the kiss of a butterfly's wings dancing tentatively across my skin. Never pressing, only teasing. Eric's head tipped to the side once more, his eyes straying to my lips like an animal that was deciding where to bite into his prey first. "You mean that we would be fucking."

I pressed my lips shut, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of my confirmation. But yes. We would be fucking. "If only you weren't such a dumbass."

A single brow quirked. "You would have rather I played coy, waiting until Lorena decided to sink her claws back into Bill? I assumed you would have wanted my honesty."

I couldn't help myself. One of my hands fluttered out, the tips of my fingers grazing along the back of his knuckle, only allowing myself the barest moment of contact before I was pulling away again. I would only give myself this. Because to be able to touch him fully would end us both. He was a drug, a nasty drug. And I refused to be caught up in him in the middle of not only finding Godric but also stopping my sister's untimely death.

That didn't stop me from tracing the line of his forearms (when had those become sexy?) up to the impressive bulge of his bicep.

"Honesty, yes," I breathed, tipping closer still until I could feel the ghost of his lips along mine. Not a kiss. A kiss would open up too many doors. Doors that only led in one direction. Every nerve in my body ached. "However, dragging Bill's ex-lover who also happens to be a serial killer to my sister's doorstep? A bit messy even for you, darling."

I felt more than saw his lips quirk up, his eyes sparkling. "Darling?"

"Don't read too much into it," I muttered, wondering if I would be able to control myself if I ran my fingers through his hair. I could do it. Maybe.

"You do love to shoot me down," he murmured, his fingers dancing dangerously high on my thigh. "Is it a kink? Some kind of plan to make sure that I stay within your grasp?"

"Haven't you already found out?" I batted my lashes up at him, coming to the sharp dip of his collarbone. "I don't think ahead." I let some of my aggression seep out, my nails biting into the skin of his shoulder as I leaned close enough that my lips grazed his cheek, enjoying the sharp intake of breath from him. "Maybe it's because you like to keep so many secrets."

A low rumble rolled from him moments before his hands are biting into my waist, lifting me effortlessly and splaying me across his lap. My legs straddled his, his big hands moving possessively to squeeze down on my ass. My whole body catches fire, my breath hitching in my throat as he stares up at me, looking consumed with half parts agony and anger. I completely agree with him on that sentiment.

"Ask me anything," he growls, those fangs of his flashing as my nails bite into his shoulders. He's driving me out of my mind. His fingers are kneading along my ass, rocking me against him in a way that makes it all too clear what he wants. I can feel his erection just beneath his jeans, pressing into my aching folds. "You've already led me around on a chain for months - what's a night of giving away my worst secrets if it will get you in my bed? Just one goddamn taste of you and then I can finally get you out of my head."

I snap, baring my teeth at the last sentence, unable to stop myself from swaying into him, trying to press down a bit more of just a little bit of friction. He growls, clearly agreeing as his hands go to grasp the back of my knees, forcing me wider on his lap so that I can grind down a bit more on him.

"I'm not a fang banger or one of your worshippers, Eric Northman. I'm not here for one night." His eyes snap with arctic winds and lightning, the muscles in his shoulders rolling as I lean forward so that I can feel his lips against mine. A drug. My drug, specifically designed to ruin me. I stared into those eyes of his, drowning myself. Was this a form of suicide?

Yes, I realized.

Because I'm sure that he had killed more than one person. And I just wasn't sure if I wanted to be on that list.

I pulled back, running a thumb along his bottom lip, the fragile skin there grazing his fangs. His eyes swirled to darkness, a feral snarl rolling through him as his hands continued to run along the curve of my bottom, up to my ribs, dancing under my shirt. As if he was just as addicted to me as I was to him.

"Find me after you've gotten rid of Lorena," I breathed, enjoying the flash of his fangs as he snarled up at me.

"I am a vampire over a thousand years old," he started slowly, his words tinged with barely leashed anger. "And you wish me to run around getting rid of vermin like pest control."

I gave him a mocking pout, pulling away from his grip even as my skin pulled painfully against the act. "Maybe if you hadn't brought her in the first place you wouldn't have to go through this chase. As it so happens, you booked my room so I'm sure you'll know where to find me."

The low, guttural sound that followed my steps was unholy, sending a shiver of excitement and dread down my spine. Someone was mad.

I hoped he found her soon.


I just wanted to say that while I didn't have the time to go through all the reviews, I LOVED THEM AND YOU FOR GIVING THEM TO ME. Ugh seriously you guys were awesome this last chapter. Please keep it up because I could use some cheering up as well.

Stay sane, stay safe, and wash yo hands.