Episode 9

SPOV

Before I knew what was happening, Eric had finished his cup of my blood and was looking into my eyes as if he could see directly into my soul. The heat I felt rising in me had only happened one other time, after sharing blood with this Vampire in his little cubby hole of the farmhouse.

Without hesitation, I place both my hands on his chest as I reach up on my toes to kiss him. Willing the fire I feel up through me to share with him. All I can think of is sharing everything I am, everything I ever will be with this creature. This beautiful creature that has suffered for so long just because he thought that I'd reject him, walk away from him, and let him suffer.

No more.

I want to give him everything I am and I want us to join as we should have so long ago. Closing my eyes, I focus my feelings, my emotions and my light and direct it toward him.

"Sookie," I hear him gasp.

Looking down I see my hands aglow with a beautiful golden hue. It's different than the light balls I've created in the past. This heat is warm, breathing and alive. I smile as I look back up at my vampire and reach up to kiss him once more.

Once our lips touch everything falls away. All I feel, all I see is Eric.

Our kissing intensifies as his arms come around me. I feel the same flutter in my stomach I had when I wished myself to the security of the farmhouse. No the security of Eric's cubby. It is only a moment but I feel it and know that something's changed. For the life of me, I can't stop kissing him to investigate. It has been far too long since I've had this Vampire in my arms. I may have wanted to walk away from him but my body knows him without hesitation.

We move in tandem. To where, I don't know until I feel something behind me and I'm being lowered onto something soft and plush. Without taking my eyes off of Eric, I know that we've found a bed. Though, I didn't see one in the room when I walked in. No doubt, he had it behind some wall or hidden door. Then again, maybe I decided to spirit us away somewhere safe and secure. I don't care as long as I get to have him soon.

Coming up for air, Eric turns his attention to my outstretched neck and that oh so perfect place right behind my ear. Kissing me as I feel my clothes give way and feel his naked chest against mine.

"I really liked that dress," I say gasping.

"I'll buy you a hundred more, Min Sol," he kisses further down my body. "I will buy you any dress you want as long as you allow me to undress you anytime I wish."

Eric moves further down my body without waiting for my reply and though I wish to experience his marvelous fingers, there is something I want more.

"Eric," I say as I pull on his hair.

He doesn't stop his descent but growls as I pull harder.

"Eric, I want you," I say and pull his head to look at me. "I want you now. Everything else can wait for another time."

Smiling, my Vampire moves back up my body as if he's floating. Just grazing my skin with his fingers and making me moan at the feeling between us.

"Eric don't tease," I groan and try to move him faster.

My Viking smiles and moves no faster than before but takes extra care to kiss and caress every place he did on his descent. The sores I saw earlier seem less pronounced now. His smile doesn't seem to be as strained and his face is beginning to smooth out.

Taking my hand, I brush two fingers over his forehead as he makes his way up my body.

"You are beautiful, my Viking," I say to him.

He smiles at me and kisses me. "You are the beautiful one," he says as his fangs come down.

Without any hesitation, I take my finger to his mouth and prick it on his right fang. Eric breaths in deeply as he smells the droplets of my blood coming to the surface. Running on instinct, I take my finger and brush it over his lips and I swear I hear him sigh.

"My blood to your blood," I say to him. "My light to yours."

Eric moves his thumb to his other fang, pricking it and rubbing his blood on my lower lip.

"My blood to your blood," he says. "My light to yours."

Leaning in, he kisses me and it feels like a bolt of lightning has crashed into us. Every nerve in my body is on fire and I swear if I looked down, I'd see sparks coming from my fingertips, feet, hands, everywhere.

Growling, Eric enters me and the feeling of fire streaks through me again. I can barely breathe as the intensity of everything he is fills me up and explodes all around me.

I hear Eric talking in a language but I've no idea what he's saying but I know it's something good.

"MINE," he growls as he pulls me legs higher to deepen his stroke.

"YOURS," I arch my back to allow him further access within me.

"Together," he growls, "Always, Mine, you…" he says each word and he pounds into my flesh.

"Take," I gasp. "Take me. I give you myself freely," I whisper out.

Just when I don't think I can take any more and am about to explode Eric leans and latches onto my neck. Without hesitation, I reach up and latch onto his. Feeling something fall within my mouth, I swear if I didn't know any better, I'd say they were fangs.

A roar like nothing I've ever heard before resonates around us, through us and between us. Opening my eyes, I see nothing but golden light.

Time could have sped up or stood still for all I know. Eric and I could have been like this for a day, a month or even a second. Everything felt like nothing and nothing felt like everything in that moment.

Once I catch my breath and opened my eyes, I'm gifted with the beautiful face of my Vampire. Smiling up at him he brushes the hair from my face as I touch the side of his.

"You're healed," I say softly but know he can hear me.

"And you are mine," he says and kisses me.

Smiling into his kiss, I bask in the feel of his body on mine; his arms around me and his beautiful lips on mine.

I feel him rising again between us and smile harder. I'd forgotten that Vampires rarely, if ever, need recoup time.

I look at his questioning eyes and nod my answer without needing him to ask it.

The question in his eyes turns to fire as he lines himself up again and enters me. This time it isn't as harried or as passionate but the feel of him entering me as he looks into my eyes is just as intense. This time he uses long, luxurious strokes to create ebbs and flows in our love making.

The words seem foreign to me but that is exactly what we are doing, we are making love.

I feel the heat, passion and need rise up between us but he keeps his pace steady as he takes me to the brink again and again. This is what I'd been missing. This is what I've wanted all along. This is what my whole being was missing.

There is nowhere I'd ever want to be again.

Vampires all over the island, turn their faces to the sky as they feel the shift in the energy of their line. Many smile at the good fortune they know will now grace their existence. One, however, snarls at the thought that Eric Northman has gotten all that he ever wanted. As others see this as the beginning, he sees it as the end

Adilyn's POV

I'd been up for hours pacing the floors of this cold house. How did Jessica think I could sleep after watching my father be held by men as she rushed me away? If I hadn't been so scared, I'd have used a light ball on them or Jessica to get to my Daddy. Sometimes I forget all that I could do. How could I have been so stupid not to listen for these men and Vampires coming to the house? He is all I have. I should have protected him better. When I realized what was happening I should have done something, anything to make it stop. I know Jessica had come to help but how could Jessica just leave him like that? He's my Daddy.

Oh sure, I have Holly but she's not my real mom and even though I know she likes me enough, I'm something of Daddy's and not hers. I don't think she'd ever hurt me or anything like that but she has her boys and I'm Daddy's girl. I hate that I'm all that's left but it's just the way it is. Jessica didn't mean to eat my sisters. It's what Vampires do to my kind. I remember her being so upset and freaked out. Hell, I was freaked out. I just didn't know what to do. I mean there were two of them, Jessica and Bill not to mention how many other Vampires were around. I'd no idea how we tasted to them. No one, not even Sookie had told us about that. Not that she would. I mean, why would she? It wasn't like we were going to be around a horde of them. But we were and daddy and I lost all the others. It was just me and him.

So why am I here with a Vampire asleep somewhere in the house when she could potentially wake up and eat me? Yeah, that's the million dollar question right there.

"Adilyn, you are so stupid sometimes," I say to myself as I curl up on the couch, I try to decide what to do.

I mean, I don't even know where I am. Am I in Louisiana, Texas or somewhere else? How far can a Vampire run? How fast can they run? I'd no idea and Jessica wasn't into telling much more than to stay put this morning.

My initial investigation of the house found nothing of value. There is no mail, magazines or anything that tells me the address of this place. There isn't even a house phone so I could call someone. But who would I call? Daddy was being hauled off by those men and Holly wouldn't know where I am.

I had turned on the TV to see if I could get the local news or something but all I got was snow. On further inspection, I saw that there isn't any cable box so the TV is useless. I couldn't even find a radio anywhere and I even checked the attic. This is so weird and scary. It reminds me of an old show that Daddy had me watch with him a month ago. I think it's called the Twilight Zone. The people in the episode had no idea where they were and they couldn't leave the house. Every time they tried, they found themselves somewhere else in the house or worse.

Thinking of that show gives me the chills. Getting up, I decide to look through the downstairs again.

The kitchen is stocked with long term perishables like soup, pasta and other canned goods. There is nothing in the refrigerator and the freezer only holds ice cube trays. The cabinets have been cleaned out and there seems to be only enough dinnerware for four people. There aren't any photos of people I know on the walls as I walk down the hall and the two bedrooms on the main floor only have beds, dressers and small chairs to sit on while changing. The closets have exactly five hangers and the drawers are completely empty. Even the bathroom has generic supplies that look like they'd be from some hotel or something.

"What the hell am I doing here?" I ask as I walk back into the living room.

As if on cue, I hear a knock at the door.

Startled, I almost fall over my own feet as I look toward the door. Jessica told me to stay put and not answer the door until she woke up but what if she was lying to me? What if she wanted to keep me away from Daddy for another reason? I don't want to think Jessica would hurt me but I know from watching the news that Vampires are getting anxious over of all the Hep-V scares not to mention the infected ones that are around. We all know it. Blood is hard to come by and my blood would be particularly tasty for someone who was looking at maybe starving to death waiting for a cure...

"Adilyn," I hear someone say from the porch. "Honey, I know you are in there and I know you are probably scared but I'm not here to hurt you."

Yeah, I think I've heard that before.

"What do you want?" I ask without moving closer to the door.

"I want to help you," she says. "I know you were taken from your home last night and I know it was by a Vampire."

"I," I hesitate before answering.

"Honey," she says again. "My name is Claire and I've come to help you. The people who took your father aren't going to stop until they find you. We've gotten him away from those folks and we need you to come with us so that we can get you to him and help you both get away."

"You know where my Daddy is?" I ask as I move to the door.

"Yes, but we have to hurry," she says. "The sun is going to set soon and we need to make sure you are as far away from that Vampire as we can get before she rises."

"Jessica didn't want to hurt me," I say as if I need to defend her.

"I know she doesn't want to but it's her maker you have to be careful of," she says.

"Bill," I say. "What will Bill do?"

"He is in trouble Adilyn," she says. "He promised those men that he'd give them someone else from your town. He failed and he's going to be using everyone and everything around him to make sure they don't send him to his final death."

"Sookie," I say. "They wanted Sookie?"

"Yes, but she's safe and now we have to get you to safety," she says.

"How do I know you are telling me the truth?" I ask moving closer to the door.

"If you open the door, I'll get your father on the phone," she says.

Not caring that this woman may be lying to me I reach for the door and open it quickly to see a small woman with a lovely smile on the front porch.

"Hi there," she says with a smile and pulls a phone out of her pocket.

She hits a few buttons and puts it to her ear.

"Yes," she says without taking her eyes off me.

"One moment," she says and holds the phone out to me.

"Daddy?" I choke out as I put the phone to my ear.

"Baby," he says and I can hear the relief in his voice.

"Daddy, I was so scared," I say softly. "Jessica just…"

"I know baby," he says. "But you need to listen to me right now. You need to go with that nice lady. She will bring you to me. We will figure out what to do then. I just need you safe right now, okay?"

"But Daddy," I say softly. "How can we know they aren't the bad men?"

"Adilyn right now they are better than the men that are after you. Honey I've seen," he chokes up. "I've seen what they plan to do. Go with this lady and let her bring you to me. I swear to you honey, nothing will happen to you."

"Okay," I say. "I love you Daddy."

"I love you too, sweetheart," he says and the line goes dead.

"You ready?" Claire asks me and reaches an arm out to me.

I nod and come out of the house.

Claire takes my arm and ushers me to a black SUV that is waiting at the curb. Getting in the back, I see two other men in the front and Claire slides in beside me.

"Hurry," she says to the men in the front. "We have twenty minutes until the sun goes down."

As we pull away from the curb, I turn to look at the small house that I just left. Seeing nothing special about it, I wonder if the neighbors know that a Vampire is sleeping right beside them. I wonder how many of them would care.

When the house is no longer in view, I turn around once more and sit in the seat beside Claire.

"How long until we get to my father?" I ask.

"Not long, sweetheart," she says and taps my hand. "You will be with him soon."

I just hope Daddy was right and these are the folks we need to trust. Otherwise, I fear we are in a heap of trouble.

Andy's POV

I look at the man and hand him back his phone.

"Are they going to be alright?" I ask him.

He nods. "They will be here soon."

"Mr. Barrack," I say to him. "I think you need to explain this all to me again."

"It's quite simple," this Mr. Barrack motions to the monitors that line one wall of what I'd assume would be a living room in a normal house. "As I said, we work for Eric Northman."

"The Vampire that owns Fangtasia," I say trying to clarify.

"Among other things," he smiles. "Mr. Northman along with many of his colleagues and associates have made it their mission to assist children like your daughter from falling into the hands of the military and the DE USC."

"Wait a minute," I put my hand up. "Vampires are attracted to the blood of Fae. Why would Eric Northman be helping her kind? That is, unless he's using them for a meal. And if that's the case, you better give me my daughter and get out of my way, son."

I get images of my daughters after being slaughtered by Jessica. I know she didn't mean to do it. But the girl killed my babies.

"I assure you that Mr. Northman's intensions are pure," he says and hands me a folder. "That is what is happening to Halflings that are being taken to the research facilities."

I open the folder and almost drop it when I see the first photo.

"What the hell is that?" I ask pointing to the offending picture.

"That is what the government considers an acceptable casualty of their efforts, Sheriff."

"Is this what Northman is doing?" I ask.

"On the contrary," Barrack says. "Mr. Northman is looking for a cure but he is doing it in a most refined and congenial way. No halflings or their families are being harmed. Vampires and others are working side by side to resolve this problem before it escalates out of control."

"I understand why a Vampire would want to find a cure for Hep-V but why would he care about helping kids like Adilyn? I thought Vampires only cared about their own?" I ask.

"In most cases, Vampires stay out of issues with humans. But this," he points to the folder and then to the monitors. "This is directly affecting the Vampire race and if we aren't careful, it will affect other races as well."

"I understand that but again, why would Vampires be helping the Fae?" I ask.

"There is a covenant," he says. "Made long ago between many ancients to protect one another and defend the balance."

"I don't understand," I say. "What balance?"

"Between light and dark," he says with a smile. "Sheriff," he says. "Mr. Northman is trying to save us all."

Alcide's POV

"You need to leave," I say as I pull up my pants and zip them.

"Oh," Rikki laughs. "I don't think so," she says as she stretches out naked on the guest bed that we've just spent the last three hours messing up.

"I'm serious Rikki," I say and turn around to face her. "You don't understand what is going here. I have to find Sookie and get her away from all of this. Shit has seriously hit the fan. If I don't find her and get out of here, I'm a dead man."

"What is it to you if she's lost?" Rikki pulls herself upright, still naked and glares at me. "She's in trouble, ditch her. You have me, you have your pup and you have the pack. You don't belong here Alcide," she says and stands. "You never did."

"Rikki," I push her hand away as she tries to embrace me. "I love Sookie, okay? I need to fix this. Bill fucked us over and has screwed everything up. I need to find her and I need to make this right."

"Where the fuck is she?" Rikki asks looking around. "If she's in trouble, why didn't she come find you?"

"Because she knows of his betrayal," I hear from behind me.

I spin around to see the old faerie standing in the doorway.

"Fuck Niall," I growl and move in front of Rikki. "Do you know how to use a fucking door?"

"To enter my granddaughter's home," he raises a hand, "I think not. But you," he points to me, "you bring another into her home. Defiling her dwelling with the stench of this wolf," he hisses.

"Niall this," I motion to Rikki. "This isn't what you think."

"What I think is that you mated with this female while playing house with my heir. I think you have pushed everyone she loves away from her because the thought of her with others not of the human race has soured you to her. I think you have taken great pleasure in lording over your wants, needs and desires over my granddaughter who was so sad and depressed over losing her love that she didn't realize what you were doing to her. I've tolerated your Alpha ways Wolf because you served a purpose. You protected her while things were arranged. Your usefulness has come to an end."

"I've done nothing but love Sookie," I growl at him. "She didn't want anything to do with any Supes and I wanted her to be…"

"To be what?" Niall asks. "You wanted her to be normal? You wanted her to give you the pretty house with the perfect housewife and the perfect family? All while mating with a Wolf?" he points to Rikki.

"I," I look back at Rikki. "You don't understand."

"I understand that you are weak," Niall says and moves closer to me. "I understand that you betrayed my Sookie. You think you are the only species that feels the pull to mate? You think you are the only one that desires to increase their numbers?"

"You don't understand," I shake my head. "I had no control."

"You are weak and pathetic. Are you so caught in your own delusion that you would have thought that I'd believe the lies you tell yourself?" he moves another step into the room.

"I didn't have a choice."

"You planned to turn the woman you love over to those that would harm her. It was only fate's intervention that she was removed from your grasp before I could reach her. Pity really," he smiles and it makes my blood run cold. "I would have enjoyed tearing you apart," he says and I see a glint of small needle like fangs peeking out between his lips.

"Do you know where she is?" I ask him trying to control my fear. I may not know much about the Fae but I do know what I've heard from stories. They were once thought to be as lethal and ruthless as Vampires.

"She is exactly where she should be," he says to me. "She is with exactly who she should have been with all along. You lived by her wish and nothing else. Now, you have a debt to settle."

"What do you mean where she should be?" I ask him. "You don't understand. The government,"

"The government will get no prize of my line. The Viking will see to it. You are of little consequence now. You live and die by my hand and I see no reason for you to exist after such an insult."

"You know Sookie," I say as what he is saying registers with me. "You know she would never want me killed"

"You can't kill him for doing what is in his nature," Rikki says. "I have no idea who you are but this is a Wolf thing. It's a mating thing and it's what we do. Your granddaughter couldn't give him what he needed. He needs a real woman, a real Wolf to help him."

"Then he should have left her," Niall says looking at me. "My granddaughter is of a royal line."

"She's what?" I ask.

"You know little about the Fae and what we are. Sookie is of my line, therefore of royal blood. Her destiny was of my choosing, not yours. If you knew she could not give you the life you required, you should have walked away."

"No," I shake my head. "Sookie and I are good together."

"Alcide," Rikki screams but I don't turn around. "I would have given her the life she wanted. She wanted a home, a man and a family. I'd have given it to her."

"And had her children abjured?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.

"No," I shake my head. "I left the pack."

"And yet you mated with this bitch," he points to Rikki who is still naked standing behind me.

"As I said, you should have walked away," he shakes his head.

"I couldn't," I shake my head. "If I had she would have gone running right back to the bloodsucker."

"She would have run to her heart's desire. You kept her from it."

"I kept her safe," I growl at him.

"Down boy," Niall smirks at me and before I can blink he is standing in front of me and has placed his glowing hand on my forehead.

I can hear Rikki screaming but for the life of me I can't move. What is this old coot doing to me?

"Let him go," I hear Rikki scream. "You, I'll kill you."

I see Rikki start to shift but just as she goes to bend over, she falls to the floor.

I want to go to her. If he's hurting her, I need to protect her. I need to protect my pup.

I struggle once more against Niall's hold. Just when I think I'm never going to move again, I feel his hand leave my forehead and I collapse onto the floor panting and crying.

"I own you, Wolf," he growls near my ear. "Your life, your existence, your very being is now in my hands."

I try to stand but can't

He laughs and stands before me. "You leave this dwelling now and never return. Leave nothing of yourself and take nothing of my granddaughter's. I will be in touch," he says.

"Why didn't you just kill me?" I ask in a whisper.

He turns and smiles at me but the smile is pure evil. "You are worth more to me now alive than dead. Pray that doesn't change. You will never speak of my granddaughter again. Take your," he looks over at Rikki who is trying to rise herself, "mate and leave Louisiana. Find somewhere else to call your home. Have your pup and wait for me to contact you. When I do, you will begin to repay your blood debt to me."

"I don't answer to you," I growl again. "I answer to no one."

"Oh but you do, Wolf," Niall moves quicker than lighting and is directly in front of me once more. "The world will be changing and we will have much to do. You will be called upon to serve when the time comes. Until then, leave and never return."

I blink and the old man is gone.

"What the hell was that all about?" Rikki asks.

"Shut up," I say to her and move out of the room to the bedroom I've shared with Sookie.

"Shut up," she growls and comes after me. "The fuck I will. What the hell was that all about," she points toward the other room. "He stopped me from changing, Alcide. What the fuck kind of magic is that?"

"That man is Sookie's Great-grandfather. He's a Fae," I move to her. "Do you know what that means?"

"Faerie?" she asks and looks around. "Sookie is a faerie?"

"Yeah," I nod. "And that old man is probably one of the oldest faeries in existence. With a flick of his wrist he could have destroyed me, you and this house. If he knows what I've done, that means Sookie does too."

"So," she shrugs. "You fucked me and we are having a pup. There is no reason to sic her pappy on you."

"You don't get it," I shake my head. "I knew I wasn't Sookie's mate. I knew what I was doing with her was wrong. She's a Fae. They mate, they reproduce and they increase their line, their blood and their power. Sookie accepted me but that was all I was to her, an acceptable bed partner. I knew it probably more than she did. Fae are more ancient than most. They have laws," I run my hands through my hair. "Shit, I thought that it was all made up. I never believed that there were many faeries left so why would they hold to the old customs."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" she growls and tries to grab my arm.

"I committed a blood offense against a Fae. I'm not her mate and I knew it. Shit," I shake my head. "I didn't think this shit still happened outside the Vampires."

"Who's her fucking mate then?" she asks.

"I," I shake my head.

"What?" she asks. "If there aren't many Fae around anymore than who could possibly be her mate? What the fuck does that old man care? She wanted you. It's not like a pack thing."

"No," I shake my head. "It's a covenant thing," I whisper.

"What the fuck are you talking about Alcide?" she asks.

"I didn't want to believe it. But I saw them together," I shake my head. "I saw them in the woods and then again after he drank the faerie."

"Who drank a faerie?" she asks.

"Northman," I growl.

"The Vampire?" she asks.

"Yeah," I say and move to the closet to grab my clothes.

"Wait a minute," she says and reaches for my arm. "Northman is a Vampire. How can she be his mate?"

I shake my head. "I didn't want to believe it."

"What is this covenant you are talking about? Faeries have covenants?"

"No," I shake my head. "Our universe, realm or whatever you want to call it has one."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" she asks. "I swear, you would think that old man was going to kill you."

"Look," I say and move away from her. "I don't know the whole thing. My father told me something a long time ago about some covenant of the ancients. He said that it was some folk tale or something. Hell, I don't know. He was drunk at the time and I thought he was making shit up."

"Well, what did he tell you?" she asks.

"He told me that as his son, I needed to know. I needed to understand about the covenant of the ancients."

"Alcide, you aren't making any sense," she shakes her head. "I've never heard about this covenant."

"That's because you weren't born of the Alpha," I say to her.

"Then explain it to me," she crosses her arms under her breasts.

"Ancient Supes were different than we are now. Many different kinds of Supes garnered strength and power from one another. He said that they knew where this world was heading. He said millions and millions of years ago, those in power and control made a covenant to protect us all. That when the covenant was fulfilled, it would bring everything back into balance."

"I've never heard of other Supes playing nice," she shakes her head.

"It would come to pass to preserve the dark and the light, night and day, moon and sun. Something like that," I shake my head. "He said that everything would begin when light and dark found one another. When that happened, the balance would be called upon and those of old would return to protect and guard the covenant and see to its fulfillment."

"What the fuck does that mean?" she asks.

"I don't know," I shake my head again. "Like I said, he was drunk. But he said the light and dark were fae and vamp. That much he did know. That once the Light and the Dark came back together, things would start to happen. I thought he was fucking with me because they couldn't get anywhere near one another. Vamps are too addicted to fae blood. But he said when it happened, everything would turn on its fucking ear."

"And you think that Sookie and Northman are this, what, this covenant?" she asks.

"I don't know. But I sure as shit saw the light from both of them," I put as much as I can into the duffle bag I keep under the bed. "That day she called me to help her find him, I saw it. I wanted to ignore it but it was there."

"So you knew that she was connected to Northman and you still played house? You still tried to make her yours?" she asks.

"I wanted to protect her," I say to Rikki. "I love her."

"You love shit," she slaps me hard across the face and turns to leave.

"Rikki," I say and try to catch up to her.

"NO!" she growls. "I'm leaving. Don't fucking follow me. You were never going to leave her, were you?"

"I told you I loved her," I say again.

"That's bullshit," she pushes me up against the wall. "You mated with me and you were never going to leave her."

"I wanted to protect her. You can protect yourself."

"Who's going to protect him," she points to her stomach. "Who is going to raise your pup?"

"I…" I shake my head. I honestly didn't have an answer for that.

Before all this shit happened with Bill, I would have done everything I could for my kid as long as Sookie never found out.

"Stay away from me Alcide," she points at me.

"You heard Niall," I say to her. "We have to get out of here before he changes his mind."

"You fucked up," she shakes her head, "not me. I'm going back to my pack."

"They can't protect you."

"And you can?" she asks with a laugh. "You were going to walk away from me and live with your precious Sookie. Knowing her heart and soul belonged to another. Even if it's a fucking Vampire, you are seriously fucked up."

She turns to walk out the door. Before I can reach her she's run to the tree line and I know in an instant that she's shifted and is gone.

"Fuck," I say slamming my hand into the door jam.

Turning around, I head back to the bedroom. Zipping up my bag, I grab my leather coat and take one more look around. Deciding that there is nothing else I can take right now, I head toward the door, close, lock it and head to my truck.

Throwing my stuff into the passenger seat, I turn the key and head down the driveway, turning right onto the road I've traveled a hundred times in the last few months. Looking in the rearview mirror, I see the old man standing on the porch with a smile on his face. I feel his mark on my forehead and it burns. I reach up but nothings there. I know without a shadow of a doubt that no matter where I go, no matter what I do, I'm marked and owned by that old faerie. I've never known anyone marked by a Fae but I have known those marked and owned by Vampires. If that is any indication of what is in store for me, I think I'd rather have been killed.

"Your existence is mine," I hear him whispers in my ear.

I look back again and he's gone. But I know that I'll be seeing him soon. I just hope that when I do, I'll get a chance to see Sookie one last time and apologize. Until then, I'll just have to make myself scarce.

I look up and see that the sun is just heading to the backside of the trees. Bill will be rising in the next few hours. If I'm lucky, I'll be out of the state before him or his military friends come looking for me.