Living with Eric had been interesting these last few nights. When I woke the first afternoon, I'd sobbed my eyes out for the loss of my grandmother until I had no tears left. Then I'd went and got food and ate mint chocolate chip ice-cream and cookie dough. I'd also gotten a text from Tara and I had asked her for a list of people's contact details from my grandmother's phone book, so that the next day I rose I could contact Mike Spencer at the funeral home.

Then around sunset I'd head back into Eric's room and snuggle back into bed with him until he rose. It'd been about a week since my man entered my life and I hadn't really given much thought to how much life had changed within a week.

I now felt someone's emotions, one whose mind I couldn't read. To have a rare connection with him and discover that Vampires were actually real and that I was not alone in having something that wasn't normal for an average human. Thankfully, Eric was the only person whose emotions I could feel and we believed it would stay that way.

The only other time Eric has felt someone's emotions was when he turned his child, Pamela, who I had yet to meet. He wanted to keep me away from his kind for as long as possible. I thought as I made my way back to my man's room. I had spent the day on top of his rooftop garden and sunbathed for the last six hours of the day until I felt hungry. I wasn't hungry when I woke up at midday.

It was the third night of my stay with Eric in New Orleans. We'd gotten into a comfortable pattern. I knew that tonight he had a big meeting somewhere in New Orleans, so it would be strange being here without him with me. I could already feel myself missing him. I'd gone twenty-four years without needing a man in my life, and Eric had been in it for a week and I was already turning into one of those girls. That was something I never thought I would be.

Some of the things I'd learned about Eric's penthouse was that all the windows were made of special glass so that the sun couldn't come through during the day. The curtains and canopy around his custom-sized - bigger than a super king four poster bed - were also tied tight to be extra careful. He had wanted light to still come through during the night. Plus, all of the lights in rooms were automatic, so as soon as you entered a room, they turned on. I noticed that this was the same in the Shreveport penthouse as well.

Slipping out of my bikini, I slipped in through the sheets and curled into Eric's sleeping form. I preferred to think of him as asleep rather than the other way.

Eric.

My eyes flew open as they usually did when the last ray of the sun was down for the night. And I found my woman wrapped around my body, asleep and smelling of warm sunshine. Her skin also felt sun-kissed. She'd clearly taken advantage of my rooftop garden.

I rolled us over so that I laid on top of her, resting my weight on my arms so I wouldn't crush her, and leaned in to start pressing kisses over her beautiful tanned face and skin. I knew when she woke because her heartbeat picked up a little and I made my way down the middle of her throat, licking and kissing. I felt a strong need to mark her. Tonight I would have to leave for the meeting, and I found myself feeling rather reluctant to be too far without my mate, my woman, my love. She had become a big part of my life in just a short week and I wanted to do a second blood exchange with her tonight.

I knew the others would most likely smell the change within me, but fuck them. She had become my universe, the reason to keep on walking through the night, and I knew deep down that at some point, she would become Mrs. Northman. I needed her like I needed blood to survive. Like she needed air to breath. I would do everything in my power to keep her safe and by my side.

I'd just made my way to the centre of her perfect breasts when her hands found their way into my hair, and so I licked and sucked my way up the right whilst my hand massaged her left, and then switched to pay the same attention to the other. She tugged on my hair and as I moved up, she widened her legs.

Capturing her lips with my own, she wrapped her arms around my neck. Something new flowed between the bond we already shared and the new blood-bond we had created, which had intensified the one we created when we first met. I literally could not imagine life without this woman in my arms, in my bed. I had a feeling that after this second blood exchange, things would be even more different for us. The third... I would have to talk to her about as it would mean marriage in my world.

"Do you have to go?" she asked me, when she needed to breathe, and then wrapped her legs around my waist. I made my way down her throat, to the base of her neck.

"Unfortunately, I cannot avoid it. All of the hierarchy and other Sheriffs will be there. I have no idea what it's about, I can guess, but that could be false information. I am thinking I'd rather have the facts. We don't usually do this big of meetings, with all the figure heads," I said, kissing her neck. She turned her head to the side as she moved her hips up, trying to get as close to me as she could.

I moved my hand between us as I tested to see how ready she was for me, and pumped my fingers inside of her. The sounds she was making was what I was going to remember when I sat through the meeting that was bound to be boring, where there was no doubt going to be a fight between someone at some point. I'd bet my fangs on it. It wouldn't surprise me.

"I want to create our second blood-bond. I need to feel you more strongly," I said, slipping a third finger in her before taking them out and using her juices over my dick. I slid inside home. Both of our bodies seemed to come alive as though we were one.

"What will happen with our second?" she asked me.

"Not much. I believe it just makes our bond stronger than it already is."

"Then I want this, I want you. I wouldn't have agreed to the first blood exchange if I didn't," she answered me. I kissed her, sending her everything I was currently feeling, and the bond we already shared exploded between us in a swirl of emotions that I found grew the faster I moved within her. The noises she was making, and the sounds coming from my mouth that I never knew I could create. As I licked and sucked down to the base of her neck, she met me for every thrust in perfect timing.

I quickly bit down on my wrist and offered it to her, watching her beautiful lips take what I was giving as I moved in, licking and kissing the area before sinking my fangs into her delicious skin. I'd never feed from another again, man or woman, only Sookie or the Royalty Blend.

Sookie was licking my wrist clean as I retracted my fangs and cleaned the area I'd bitten. Both of us were completely content and relaxed as we finished our coupling. Still inside her, I was completely unprepared for the knock on my bedroom door.

Even knowing who it was, as she'd be the only one with access, I was pissed off and angry at being interrupted. I went into overprotective mode and snarled at the door in warning as I kept my love from view, not that she could see anything with the thick drapes surrounding us. If she dared to come in to my sanctuary that only Sookie was allowed in.

"Fuck off, Pamela," I warned. I felt a slight fear and curiosity from Sookie. I would not be introducing my child to my mate this night. Pamela better be right.

"Get your dick out of your new vagina and hurry the fuck up. Obviously, you haven't checked your phone or else you'd know there's been a change of plans." I growled. When she was a good distance away and felt somewhat comfortable, I settled back down with Sookie for a little while longer and buried my face in her breasts, not ready to leave my woman... When did I become one of those men? Although we aren't just an ordinary couple. Was this the effect of the second blood exchange?

We'd have to explore it tonight. Sookie's fingers ran through my hair, and I found myself calming somewhat. Knowing I apparently didn't have much time left, I reluctantly removed myself from her body and leaned down to kiss her lips one last time before pulling her with me into the shower.

It took everything I had not to press my mate up against the wall and claim her. Fucking Pamela and political bullshit that I unfortunately had to deal with. I'd completely forgotten my child had spare keys. Luckily, she actually had thought not to enter or else she would have been punished.

As we dressed, I suddenly realised our dilemma. Pamela was somewhere in the penthouse waiting for me, and Sookie was here. Fuck!

"What's wrong?" my love asked me as she came over in her pretty yellow lace dress and wrapped her arms around me from behind. I'd just pulled my Armani suit's pants up when Sookie placed a kiss on the middle of my back.

"Pamela better be correct with that information or else I will not be pleased that our second bonding was interrupted. I have more ways to show you how we can be connected."

"We can do that when you get back. What would you like to do about myself and Pamela? I know we both agreed about the no other Vampire thing." She was simply perfect. I took hold of her small hand and pulled her around to face me, wrapping my arms around her.

"I think it should remain that way for now. Let me see what tonight brings and we can go from there. I still don't want to expose you to any of my kind just yet, not even my own child. She'd never let me have a moment of peace." A knock on the door proved my point. I closed my eyes and tried to suppress my annoyance and anger.

"The quicker you get this over, the quicker you can come back," she said to me. "I think I'll phone T at the place, to catch up on things there. See if there's been any news on the other situation." I'd completely forgotten about the shifter.

"Fine," I told her, kissing her lips. I growled, really getting pissed off with my child when Pamela knocked again. "FUCK OFF PAMELA!" I snarled in the direction of the offence. I felt Sookie's lust spike and I groaned. Sookie laughed and went over to our bed... Wait? When did I start thinking it as our bed?

I finished getting ready and went over to check my phone. I guess my child was correct. I even had missed calls from the King of Texas Stan Davies and my own Queen. I wrote my address down for Sookie in case she wanted to order anything in. I pulled out of my bedside drawer my car keys and my spare credit card that she could use for it as well, and left it on her bedside table.

Walking back around to my woman's side of the bed, I pulled the curtains back to find her resting against the pillows as she looked at her own phone. Her gorgeous blue eyes looked up to meet mine, and I felt really reluctant to leave the beautiful vision before me.

"Don't argue with me, lover, but do use my card if you need to order food. I've left you the address as well on your bedside table. Sookie's eyes roamed over my Armani covered body and I felt her lust and desire rise between us.

She surprised me by taking hold of my tie and pulling me down to capture my lips with her own. I didn't think it would be this hard to leave her. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket and another knock on the door. I growled into our mouths. Could I not get a moment's peace with my woman?

"Go, my Sheriff. As I said earlier, the quicker you go, the quicker you can come back." I kissed her one last time before I rose and reluctantly left my love.

I opened my door to find Pamela standing directly in front of it. Annoyance was an understatement. I grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her away from my door.

"Nice try, Pamela," I told her as I pulled us to the front door that housed the lift.

"Asshole," she said once we'd entered the lift.

Time to face the shit storm.