AN: Here's another one. I hope you guys like it and I'm so happy you're enjoying the story so far! It makes me smile. :) So, enjoy!

Chapter 13

He appeared from the shadows, emerging from the blackness like a spectral villain. Maria tried to keep distance between them, but could manage nothing more than a single step at a time. She wanted to run, to flee as fast as possible, but she couldn't.

He loomed over her, staring down at her with those cold, empty eyes. Maria's heart raced as a result. It slammed against the inside of her ribs, banging loudly in her ears.

"Maria," His voice glided easily to her ears and it made her have to fight the urge to vomit. The bile was rising in her throat. "I have missed you, my love."

Tears sprang from her eyes. She'd begun to shake uncontrollably.

He reached forward with his long, slender arms. His boney fingers curled as the neared her face. Maria tired once again to run, but she couldn't move. Every muscle in her body had been petrified. She couldn't even lean away from him, completely immobile and forced to endure whatever was coming.

Maria slammed her eyes shut as he dragged the back of his curled fingers down her cheeks. She whimpered. It was the only thing her terror would allow. She felt him close the distance between them. The scent of his cologne and musk filled her nostrils. She gagged on the scent.

"My sweet child."

Maria shook violently, yet her body was so rigid that her muscles ached.

He leaned so close that she felt his breath on her cheek when he spoke again.

"I will find you, child." He whispered. "I will always find you. I own you. I've marked you. You're mine."

Maria opened her mouth to scream.

Her eyes suddenly shot open in an instant. The world around her spun and she couldn't breathe. Something was wrapped tightly around her body, and something else had clamped down on her mouth.

A soft, kind voice whispered in her ear. "Shh," Cold breath rolled across her neck. "You're safe." Her breathing began to calm and her shaking slowed. "You're safe."

It was then that her vision cleared and Maria was forced to remember the room she found herself in. She was in Russell Edgington's mansion, in a bed with Eric Northman, who was currently wrapped around her.

She was lying on her side staring at a patch of garish wallpaper. Eric's arms -strong, sold, and as cold as ice- encircled her completely. His massive hand covered her entire mouth and half of her face.

As her breathing returned to normal and she finally stopped shaking completely, he gradually removed his hand. The moment it was gone, she did her best to draw in more air through parted lips.

Lying there, Maria was smart enough to know what must have happened. She'd had another nightmare and to keep her from thrashing or screaming in her sleep, he engulfed her. Maria was genuinely grateful.

To her surprise, Maria wrapped her glove-covered hands around the portions of his arms that crossed her chest. She clung to him, holding him close. Even more shocking was Eric's apparent willingness to remain as he was.

Minutes of nothing passed before Northman spoke. "What do you see?" He asked.

For a moment, Maria struggled with what to tell him. Twice the nightmare had happened around him. She almost felt obligated to tell him something.

"The worst person I've ever met." She said in a weak voice. "A monster."

Maria felt his muscles flinch ever-so-slightly behind her. She wondered if he was surprised by her answer. Maybe he thought he was the worst she'd ever met.

No one spoke after that. Silence stretched between them, and Maria was glad for it. She reveled in it, actually.

Maria soon felt him conform to her back. She felt him almost completely surrounding her. For those few moments, Maria somehow knew that nothing could get to her. For however long Eric remained, "he" couldn't get to her.

When Eric awoke that night, Maria was still in his arms. They hadn't moved while they slept. He was still lying on his side, cradling her to his chest. The only difference was Maria had rolled over. He no longer held her back to his chest. Instead, she was curled against him, burying her face in his shoulder and beneath his chin.

She clutched at his torso, digging her fingers into his back, and holding on as though she was subconsciously afraid he'd leave her. Almost every inch of her was pressed to him. They weren't entangled, but there was little to no space between the two.

He thought back to what brought them to the situation they found themselves in.

In the middle of the day, Eric felt a wave of fear so strong that it nearly swept him away. It electrified his body completely and filled him with such a pure form a dread that it nearly caused him to vomit. The worst part was, the feeling was familiar.

Eric opened his eyes and immediately noticed Maria was in the throes of something terrifying. She was lying on her back with the blankets kicked the majority off her sweating body. Her fists were clenched tight, one around a corner of her pillow, and the other so securely shut that he wondered if those claws of hers were piercing her palm.

A sheen of sweat covered the skin he could see. She was tinted pink, her heart was beating out of control, and she was breathing quickly, but the saddest thing was her face. It was twisted, her brows furrowed and her lips parted as she desperately struggled for air. She was so afraid.

Eric knew what would happen soon. If the nightmare she was experiencing was anything like the one she'd had in his house, Maria wasn't far from thrashing and letting loose a horrifying shriek –neither of which he could permit. He couldn't let her react that way in the king's house.

Before it happened, the Viking pulled her to him, pressing her back to his chest. He placed her arms across her chest, wrapped his long, strong arms around her, and simply held on. Sure enough, within what felt like seconds, she began to react. He felt her muscles clench and ripple beneath his hold, but he wouldn't let go. Shortly after that, he heard her take in a deep breath. An instant before she would have screamed, Eric's hand clamped down over her mouth. The power of it vibrated against his palm, but little sound escaped.

When Maria awoke, still panicked and afraid, he continued to keep her secure. It took a few minutes for her to calm, but when he felt her body go lax in his arms, he removed his hand from her mouth. She began to tremble and shake. Even if he couldn't feel her fear through their bond of blood, he could taste it. Each droplet of sweat on her skin reeked of the emotion.

Eric had planned to release her entirely, but when he loosened his hold further –signaling his intent- Maria did something that both surprised him and stroked the ego she seemed bent on ignoring. Small pinpricks of pressure dug into his forearms. They were her fingers –small spots of concentrated strength and sweltering heat.

An undeniably arrogant smile twisted his lips as a wave of the emotion swept through him. For those few moments Maria needed him. There was no denying the fact. She clung to him, refused to let him go because she wanted him to stay with her. It delighted him, honestly. She was always so proud and defiant, and yet, now, she seemed desperate for him to remain.

For that short time, Eric was glad to swim in it, until he chose to speak. He didn't know what compelled him to ask anything about her nightmare at the time, but he did, and he wasn't inspired by what she said. Her response shocked him, frankly, because he knew he'd never once instilled such terror in her, but this memory did.

A cold and unsettling feeling took him. It was unfamiliar at first. He didn't like it because he recognized it too late. It wasn't until Eric realized he had committed to lying with her at least until she fell back asleep that he felt anger on her behalf. Eric was very angry at whatever hurt her enough that she woke in a cold sweat screaming.

Eric didn't know when he fell asleep, only that he woke again with her in his arms and everything from that day came back to him.

The longer he remained motionless, the stranger it became. Eric was consciously staying as still as possible while she slept and he didn't know why. Her comfort shouldn't matter to him. He shouldn't be actively accommodating, and yet, he was. The truth was, Eric should have woken her up so they could attend to business that day. He was in the right to do so, and knew she'd not only understand, but expect it.

But, no. He didn't move or let a single muscle tense.

He stared at the wall across from him in confusion, as though it would somehow offer any answers to help clear his muddled brain. It didn't. Of course it didn't.

He had no way of gauging the time that passed before Maria moved. He'd thought at first that she was finally waking, but her heart rate never changed. It remained low and steady as she adjusted herself in his arms.

Maria pushed herself against him. Eric complied with her silent, unconscious demands and rolled onto his back. Maria continued to cling to him, crawling partially onto his body like a woman might with a lover, even going so far as to drape her leg over his lap.

The hand that had clutched at his arm for the majority of the night glided up his chest, over his shoulder and the side of his neck. She threaded her fingers through his hair and gently held the back of his head while she buried her face in the crook of his neck.

The way Maria moved against his body, the way she shifted and stirred couldn't quite be considered writhing, but it was undeniably sultry. There was a lustful undertone that Eric recognized and found himself willing to accept.

Simply reacting to the moment, Eric placed his hand on her bare thigh. Her skin burned his palm. In fact, it burned everything it touched. She was so warm that for those few seconds, Eric could pretend he had body heat as well. He could pretend he was alive.

Maria nuzzled her nose against his neck. His eyes drifted shut as she breathed deep and let out a soft, sweet sigh. He was more than willing to remain that way, to stay entwined with her because he had grown surprisingly comfortable with the prospect, but it wasn't meant to be.

No sooner than he made the decision to stay as he was, Eric felt Maria's entire body tense. He knew in that instant that the moment had passed. Sure enough, shortly after, Maria shot up. She stared down at him with a blank expression, but eyes wide in shock. He couldn't help himself and instead of letting the subject rest, his natural sarcasm emerged.

A grin, as arrogant and cocky as those before it, spread his lips. Eric lifted his arm and used it to prop up his head while the other stroked the small of her back.

"Good evening." He said with a low, sultry tone that rolled through his words. "Sleep well?"

Maria's cheek instantly blushed and her glare returned. Without a word, she shoved herself out of bed and away from him.

When she could no longer see his face, Eric's smile faded. His entire right side was cold in her absence, deathly so, and it felt wrong.

As she tugged her clothes on, Eric knew he should rise, too, and did. Without a word to one another, they dressed.

Eric went about his business that night with Maria still lingering in his shadow. She refused to look him in the eye, even when there was no one around, and he knew the reason. She was embarrassed. Truthfully, he was, too. Eric felt as though he'd slipped just as badly as she did, so he was more than willing to ignore the entire situation.

He marveled at her ability to play her role as perfectly as she did. Maria kept herself just close enough while remaining an appropriate distance away. She kept her chin slightly down and her eyes averted from those around her. She even kept her gloved-hands clasped unsurely in front of her. The young woman's ability surprised Eric, despite his being well-aware that it shouldn't. He knew Maria wasn't dim. In fact, never once since meeting her did she give the impression that she was anything other than an intelligent woman, but her apparent willingness to take on the role of a servant to someone she loathed astounded him. Not even within the walls of Fangtasia or around the vampires of Louisiana did she pretend as convincingly. It was as though she knew exactly what was at stake in front of the king of Mississippi.

Eric respected her conviction and admired it as well, whether he was aware of the fact or not.

As Eric smiled and played his part while Talbot led him on a long and winding tour, a commotion brought the two vampires out of their thoughts. There was a fight happening just out of their line of sight, something that wouldn't remain unattended by the Man of the House.

Eric followed behind the dark-haired vampire and was surprised by what he saw.

"Say that again." Lorena's voice was tight, her body rigid, and clasped within her hand and aimed at an uncaring Maria's throat was a glistening blade. The young woman simply stood there staring defiantly at the brunette with her chin up. The tip of the blade couldn't have been a foot from her throat, but it might as well have been a mile with how "worried" she looked.

"What is the meaning of this?" Talbot asked with a level of detachment that seemed to always accompany him when speaking to women.

"This… this little cunt," Lorena's voice trembled, she was so angry. Eric wondered briefly if she had any control over herself at all. "Doesn't know her place."

"Aw," Talbot's voice dripped with such thick derision that it might have choked anyone else. "Did the little blood sack hurt your feelings?"

Lorena was so tense that her body shook. She could only take one shaking breath after another. Eric couldn't help but grin. How terrible it must have been to be so easily provoked. If he cared enough, he might have pitied her.

"The girl belongs to me." Eric said with casual disinterest. He was sure to lace his words with the same amount of care one might use when someone threatened to key their car, or abscond with something of theirs, nothing more. He had to be sure to make it clear she was an object to him because Lorena would happily tell the king otherwise. "If you slit her throat, you will have to compensate me."

Lorena's painted lips curled into a smile. She kept the knife in place, but took a step forward. She seemed to genuinely enjoy the idea, and Eric noticed, so he spoke again.

"Unless," He turned to Talbot with a smile of his own. The vampire met his eye. "I could always snap my fingers."

"Hm," Talbot smirked and arched a thick brow. "And what will happen then?" He cooed.

"She'll do what all well-trained dogs do." Eric lifted his hand, pressing his middle finger to his thumb. "Attack."

A sparkle of intrigue glittered in Talbot's eye. Eric could see his internal battle, the battle between the prospect of a fight and worry over his furnishings.

"It's up to you." Eric said in a seductive tone.

Talbot was practically giddy with the thought, but at the last moment, he withdrew. The glitter in his eyes vanished and his shoulders slumped.

"Perhaps later." He said. He hooked his elbow with Eric's. "We don't want to ruin the furniture, do we?"

"No," Eric grinned. "We do not."

As he turned with his guide, Eric heard Lorena behind him taunting Maria.

"You're lucky your master is keepin; you on such a tight leash. Otherwise, I'd happily spend the next hour peelin' your muscles from your bones."

Before he and Talbot left the foyer completely, he heard Maria say in Russian, with no fear, "How can you be so confident when you have to paint your face with so much shit? I'm not frightened of clowns."

Eric grinned to himself and her willingness to antagonize Lorena, but it had the desired effect. Lorena let out a loud shriek and a choking sound was heard shortly after. Eric and Talbot spun just in time to see Lorena grasping Maria by the throat. Without hesitation, Eric snapped his fingers.

Maria sprang into action almost immediately. She lunged for Lorena, tore her arms away from her throat, and threw the vampire to the tiled floor. Lorena cried out when her back slammed into the floor so hard that Eric felt it vibrate in his feet.

It took seconds for the world to settle once more, and when it had, Eric couldn't help but laugh. Maria had her body pressed to Lorena's, hovering over her like a murderous creature. She was contorted strangely, yet gracefully. Lorena's right wrist was pressed against the tiles beneath Maria's left foot. Lorena's left wrist was held down by Maria's right hand, while Maria's left was wrapped securely around the vampire's throat.

Their chests were nearly touching, Maria was so close. Her face was inches from the twisted features of the woman beneath her. Eric thoroughly enjoyed what he saw. Maria, deadly little Maria, had subdued a nearly three-hundred-year-old vampire with little to no effort.

"Oh, my," Talbot crooned. "Impressive little beast, isn't she?"

"I require the best and expect perfection from my underlings." Eric told him.

"I'm sure you do."

Eric looked to the man at his side and made sure to exude the appropriate amount of flirtatious desire. Talbot was beaming. Eric wondered if Talbot was unaware of the obviousness of his craving, or simply didn't care. It was likely the latter.

They shared a moment before Talbot glanced briefly to the scene again. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Call her off."

"We wouldn't want to get blood on the tile, would we?"

Talbot scrunched his nose playfully and smiled again. "No. We don't."

Eric offered a wink and lifted his hand. He snapped again, and as before, Maria responded. She slowly rose and eventually released Lorena entirely. She kept her eye on the vampire as she backed toward Eric and Talbot.

Lorena was clearly enraged by what was happening and instead of going against the king's husband, she stormed off in a huff. Eric did his best to keep from beaming. Her utter frustration was delightful to him. He didn't like Lorena in the least and if they weren't in the king's house, he would've let Maria kill her.

He did want to give Maria something, though. That was why he gave her "permission" to react. The fact was, Eric could see that Maria was taunting the unstable vampire and could see how badly she wanted the fight. He genuinely wanted to give it to her, too. He wanted to give her the release.

It was hard to describe what happened. Eric only knew that the two of them were on the same page. He knew that Maria was aware of how dangerous their situation was, of how she had to act and portray herself. And he was just as aware that it took all of her strength not to instantly put the vocal wench in her place. He also knew that she had reacted to Lorena's attack a millisecond before he snapped his fingers. The snap was simply to give the illusion he allowed it.

Referring to her as a trained dog left an odd taste in his mouth, but it was the best way he could think to handle the situation. Not only was she meant to be his servant, but unable to speak English. The snapping cue just made sense to him, but the way he said it made him scowl internally, and he didn't know why.

"Perhaps you can teach Russell how you trained your dog." Talbot cooed as he led Eric back to the den where more of their collection rested within a large armoire.

That odd twinge followed Eric into the den. He didn't like Talbot referring to Maria as a dog. When he did it, he knew he didn't mean it. Talbot meant every syllable, and Eric hated it.