Well guys, I can only apologise for the very late update but I do have a good excuse
Its my first week at Lincoln University ladies and gents so very busy, but don't worry, I haven't forgotten my favourite duo
I hope you like this chapter, I think it really develops the plot, especially between Eric and Melody
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Thank you to every single one of you who have reviewed, can't wait to hear from every single one of you
As always, review, be happy and stay Tempted
"Do we have any pepper?" I asked.
Alcide opened a cupboard and threw me the pepper grinder. I caught it easily and thanked him, ready to tuck into the omelette he'd made for me. He was still wearing his dressing gown, whereas I'd woken up in the early hours of the morning thanks to poor Sookie crying in her sleep. I let her be once I had smelt Alcide's cooking.
Soon enough, the door opened to reveal an already dressed Sookie. The two of them shared a look of silence before she joined me at the table where I was minding my own business, tucking into breakfast.
"So what time do you girls wanna head back to Bon Temps?" Alcide asked while cooking his own breakfast. Sookie glared at him from her seat. "You know, since you're not looking for that asshole anymore."
"I still plan on finding him," she answered, snatching the orange juice carton to pour herself a glass.
"Ok, doormat…"
"I'm not a doormat!" she argued. "I just want him to say it to my face."
I touched my friend's arm and murmured, "You don't have to put yourself through it, Sook."
"Yeah, he's hurt you enough," Alcide agreed.
Sookie jumped up from the table to stand in front of him. "I think he's in trouble," she argued. Alcide gave her a doubtful look so she continued. "Maybe I'm wrong but he can look me in the eye and tell me it's over. Then I'll let him rot."
"If you're looking for closure, just let it go," Alcide insisted. "Move on."
"Says the man who's cooking breakfast in a wok because he's too sad to buy a new frying pan," I mumbled under my breath.
He pointed the spatula at me, "Hey, whose side are you on, anyhow?"
I raised my hands in surrender.
"I need more information," Sookie said. "Take me to that engagement party tonight."
I frowned, "Whose engagement party?"
Sookie nodded towards Alcide. "Turns out Debbie's making it official with that Were."
"Oh," I mumbled sympathetically. "Alcide–"
"No fucking way," he protested angrily, his eyes moving to me. "I've paid my debt to your fucking boyfriend, I'm done!"
"Hey!"
"I know you're still hurting over Debbie but seeing her with those creeps might help you get over her," she tried to persuade him.
"Are you two insane, or something?" he growled. "Showing up there would just be asking to get our asses kicked," he threw the spatula down, tipping his omelette onto his plate, "again! You girls go if you wanna. Don't put your shit on me."
He stormed out the kitchen and Sookie turned to me and shrugged.
"You in?"
I smiled. "Always," I promised but cringed. "But somehow I don't think we're getting in looking like we do." I looked down to my blue and white frilly pyjamas and arched an eyebrow suggestively.
"Don't worry about that," she smirked, a hand on her hip as she sipped her orange juice. "I got an idea."
The knock on the door brought the two of us out of the bedroom to answer it with nervous expressions. Sookie reached for the handle and suddenly her perkiness returned in full force. The woman behind the door was tall and blonde, wearing light jeans and a striking blue vest. She wasn't pretty but beautiful in a strong way. Very much like her brother.
"You must be Janice," Sookie greeted with a grin on her face.
"And you're Sookie Stackhouse?" The woman's eyebrow arched while Sookie replied with an eager nod. "Thank you Jesus. I mean I'd settle for a hooker to get my brother's mind of that bitch Debbie Pelt but you are cute and sweet!"
Alcide's sister pulled her beauty case inside and wrapped Sookie up in a firm hug. She turned to me and smirked. "You must be the other one, Melody, was it?"
"Nice to meet you," I replied out of politeness. Janice looked me up and down.
"Well, aren't you a little beauty!" Her words unconsciously brought an embarrassed smile to my lips.
Quickly shrugging of the compliment, the red soon fell from my cheeks once we were sat down in the kitchen. Janice began to unload her bags, placing products and clothes about the place.
"Thanks for coming over."
"When you called I was just checking my horoscope. Do you know what it said?" she asked rhetorically. "Things are looking up for somebody close to you. Nailed it."
Sookie grimaced slightly. "Don't get too excited. We're just working with Alcide for the time being."
Janice smirked. "Well, you girls don't look like you work in construction to me."
I laughed lightly. "We need to find someone that's gone missing and Alcide has…inside information, shall we say, about the folks that have him."
Janice looked at me knowingly and Sookie rolled her eyes good naturedly.
"We called you because we need to get into Lou Pine's without standing out."
Janice nodded and pointed at the blonde. "You need to look the part," she said, catching the drift. "That's my specialty."
She turned to me and her manicured nails trailed through my locks. "God, if I could get my hands on your hair…" She tilted her head. "You sure you don't wanna keep it red for tonight?"
I shrugged. "I figured being a redhead would make me look like a good girl in the wrong neck of the woods. I wanna look like I could kick some serious ass."
"You probably could anyhow, Mel," Sookie giggled.
Janice turned to her boxes of beauty products. She pulled out a long, wavy black wig and chucked it at me to catch. I smirked as I shifted my fingers through the locks. I had always wanted to know what I'd look like with dark hair.
"Alright, let's dig out some temporary tattoos for you girls." She picked up a book, licked her finger to turn the page and glanced at Sookie. "So there ain't no chance of anything happening between you and my big brother?"
"Never say never…" I mumbled, my eyes playful as I regarded Sookie.
She gave me a half-hearted glare before replying, "I'm not really looking and he's still hung up on his ex."
"Finding out about her engagement party tonight didn't exactly help matters," I added, being told all about it by Sookie the night before.
The beautician paused. "Yeah right, engagement party," Janice said awkwardly.
"Excuse me?" Sookie asked, confused.
Janice tried to recover but Sookie had already grown curious.
"Ah yeah, that's right. The engagement party," she spoke. I glanced at Sookie from across the table and noticed the intense look in her eye as she stared at Janice.
She was listening in…
"How'd you girls and my brother find out about it?"
"Erh, Hollis told us last night," Sookie answered.
I watched Sookie stare at the woman until she finished talking. Then she asked, "But if Alcide still loves Debbie, don't you think he should go and try to talk her out of it?"
Janice picked a temporary tattoo out of the collection and began to line it up right across Sookie's shoulder blades.
"No, he should not! My physic told him point blind that if he stayed with Debbie, he would get himself killed. Did he listen? No. Instead she ended up dumping his ass."
"Why stay with her so long?" I asked.
Janice pressed the temporary tattoo against the girl's skin. "She was his first love," she revealed, almost sounding bored. "Never met anybody else so alive, yada yada, all that shit…"
I swallowed and bit my bottom lip.
"But how many bullets are you gonna take for somebody? How bad has a person gotta treat ya til you realise feeling alive just ain't enough, y'know?" Janice said. My throat went dry and I thought of Eric and all the things he'd said, all the hurt he'd caused me and the people I'd grown to love. "You stay like that," she added, "you ain't getting out alive."
I itched under my wig until Sookie's hand slapped mine away.
"Don't fiddle, you'll ruin it."
I huffed. "Sorry, it's a bit uncomfortable Sook. And if you hadn't noticed," I gestured to my entire body, "I'm not exactly used to looking like some trashy, biker whore."
Sookie giggled but spun my body to face the long bedroom mirror. "Well, I think you look hot."
I scoffed in reply but took a moment to take in our sudden change in appearance. Sookie's outfit suited her all too well. She had gone from sweet, innocent Sookie to hardcore Goth-girl. Her sharp cheekbones went perfectly with the black bob wig Janice had supplied, while her small frame fitted perfectly into some leather pants and a corset styled crop top.
Like Sookie, enough of my body was on show to reveal the temporary tattoos that decorated my skin. The dark long wig I wore sat well with my black lips and smudgy eyes. Like Sookie, I wore a corset, black and blood red but accompanied by a short leather skirt that showed far too much leg for my liking. But looking at my reflection returned the smirk of a confident, no bull-shit kinda girl and soon my uneasiness drifted away. I clenched my gloved fists, feeling at home in my undercover get-up.
If only Eric could see me now.
"Girls?" the familiar voice called out as the door slammed shut.
"In here," I yelled, taking one final look at the two of us before taking a deep breath to turn and meet Alcide's gaze as he turned the corner.
Alcide's eyes instantly fell on my usually blonde friend. "Wow," he breathed out, giving her an appreciative once over before looking over to me, smiling confidently. "I guess my sister took to you."
Sookie moved straight onto business and stepped forward. "Debbie's getting initiated into Coot's pack and she's addicted to V."
The smile instantly fell from Alcide's face. "Shut the fucking door? Debbie's a blood-head, how'd you find out?"
Sookie looked at him as if it were obvious. "I went poking around in Janice's brain."
Alcide dumped his shopping on the side table and rubbed at his forehead.
"Alcide, your sister obviously didn't tell you to protect you," I tried to soothe him. "You're way better off–"
"Then why'd you go and tell me?" Alcide yelled at Sookie.
"Because I know you still care about Debbie, no matter what she did to you and I figured you'd wanna know if she were in danger!"
Alcide growled and punched the wall, earning dust clouds to fly away from the impact. "She's gonna let those fucking mongrels brand her! V's the only reason, it's gotta be."
"Course it is," I added, "but maybe it's not too late for you to get through to her?"
"You can stop her from ruining her life."
Our words only frustrated the werewolf more as he ran his rough hands through his slick hair. He sighed and huffed, the weight of the news heavy on his shoulders.
"Does that mean you're coming with us?" I asked cautiously, catching his stare as he raised his head. "We probably won't get in otherwise."
"Fine," he stated bluntly.
Sookie grinned thankfully.
"But we'll have to go in separately though. Might be able to fool them in that get-up but they're just gonna beat the shit outta me."
When Alcide looked at me, frustrated and fuming, I mouthed him a 'thank you' which seemingly calmed him a little, taking in the two of us dressed up like were-bitches. He knew we were putting ourselves at risk. He was a good enough guy to know that we wouldn't stand a chance on our own if things didn't go to plan, and he couldn't just sit back and watch.
He growled to himself and turned on the spot. "Be ready in an hour."
Sookie looked at me anxiously as we waited in line at Lou Pine's. We were surrounded by hairy bikers and girls covered head to toe in tattoos, and not temporary ones like ours I guessed. The night air was cold but once we got to the door and the bouncer let us through, heavy metal and roars of masculinity hit us like a wave. Alcide and I had come to the decision that I'd stay close to Sookie. She couldn't hear my thoughts, putting me at a significant disadvantage, but putting me beside Alcide all night would draw unnecessary attention from those who knew him.
We headed out into the middle of the floor slowly. Sookie turned slightly to glance at Alcide, the far off look in her eyes telling me he was speaking to her from across the busy room. She snapped back to me and gave me a reassuring smile. A quick nod from me sent us straight into character and straight towards the bar.
The two of us squeezed between some beefy looking guys, creating a slight distance between us to ward off any suspicion. I waved at the barman and called up for a drink. When he shoved it towards me, I cringed at the dark looking liquor.
"You gonna drink that?" A loud voice shouted in my ear. I looked to see a large, bald biker with a ginger scruffy beard looking pointedly at the drink. Without hesitation, I took the glass and gave a quick toast to the guy before shooting it down. I did my best not to squirm after the burning taste hit the back of my throat. The werewolf looked on in admiration before his eyes trailed down towards my cleavage.
"Let's get you another," he said, taking the bottle from the barman to fill my glass up himself. I glanced at Sookie next to me. The poor girl was doing shots herself next to a dark haired biker. Before I could register, the Were had passed me the glass and clinked his own against it, gulping it down thirstily. With no other choice, I did the same, my eyes squeezed shut before I gave a yell, slamming the glass back down on the bar.
The Were nodded appreciatively and slammed his hand against my back in comradeship.
"I ain't seen you around before, what's your name, creampuff?"
The stench of alcohol on his breath made me shudder before I pulled a name out of a hat. In the best accent I could muster, I replied.
"Roxanne. I'm new to these parts," I said. When his eyes flickered over me, not overly believing, I brought my hand to his shoulder and rubbed it as seductively as possible, no matter how disgusted I felt. "Mind showing a girl how to have a good time?"
The friends that surrounded him gave a sickening laugh as the large man smirked back at me. I tried to smile back but even touching this guy gave me the creeps.
"Follow me," he said, his voice noticeably lower than before as he pushed away from the stool and made for the back room. Panic rose in my chest as I made to follow the werewolf until another chest hit mine with a thud. It was firm, not huge and wobbly like the guy that was dragging me. I looked up to see the handsome face of Alcide Herveaux.
"This one's with me," he told the Were firmly, no room for arguments. The large guy looked at him irritably, but no look of recognition registered in his expression.
"I saw her first, man!" the werewolf protested.
Alcide arched his eyebrow. "Oh yeah? You wanna go a few rounds? Cause I ain't letting you touch her." The sound of authority got through to the werewolf and a look of fear sparked in his eye. There was no question that Alcide could take him, especially under the influence of alcohol which was clear from his uncoordinated movements. The Were flung my arm from his grip as he drunkenly stumbled away, giving Alcide one last glare.
"Fine," he half spat. "Prefer the one by the bar. She'd be more fun than your whore anyway."
Alcide growled at the biker and stepped forward, only stopping when my palm pressed firmly against his chest.
"Leave it, Alcide," I murmured to him, looking from him to the biker until he finally stumbled away from us. I hadn't realised Alcide was holding my body close to his until he let me go, his soft eyes staring down at me.
"You ok?" he asked carefully, quiet enough so it was just between us.
I nodded quickly but looked to the bar. "Alcide, Sookie…"
He followed my gaze to find a woman yelling at Sookie. Our friend looked like she had no escape and we were instantly spurred into action. Alcide took my hand in his large one to pull me along, reaching the bar and the two women.
"Oh yeah?" The woman said when she was in hearing distance. "And who the fuck are you?"
"She's with me, Debbie," Alcide spoke from behind her, causing the woman to turn. Sookie and I stared at the two. I shifted from Alcide to Sookie, touching her arm to check on her. We watched on as the exes had it out.
"Who the fuck invited you?"
Alcide ignored her. "Look what you've done to yourself."
She shrugged, laughing to herself. "Finally got free of you. I've never been happier in my life."
Alcide stared at her painfully. "I still care about you! You think the Mississippi pack will let you back in after you've–"
"I don't need your pussy pack!" she yelled at him, earning smirks from the others. "And I was fucking Coot when I was still with you!"
"This ain't about us," Alcide argued.
"Like hell," Debbie laughed angrily, turning to face Sookie and I. "You came here with two fucking skanks? Just to make me jealous?"
"Skank?" Sookie sneered. "Coming from you, that's just funny."
"Sookie," Alcide scolded from the back.
Debbie only laughed more. "You did not just say that to me at my own fucking party?"
I stepped forward angrily, trying to get through to the woman.
"Alcide came here, despite every good reason in the world not to, because he believes the woman he fell in love with is still in there somewhere!" I glanced from Alcide then back to Debbie. "He's willing to risk his life just to get you to hold onto her, even if he doesn't get to!"
Debbie turned to Alcide with a withdrawn expression.
"It isn't too late," Alcide pleaded. "We can get out of here right now…"
The look on her face seemed as if his words were tempting her. But the appearance of a figure behind Alcide changed her expression for the worse. A strong arm slid possessively over her shoulders and an authoritive voice was directed towards Alcide.
"What the fuck is this?"
Alcide sighed and looked at him warily. "Just a conversation, Coot."
I looked between the two men and couldn't help but think Debbie had made the biggest mistake of her life by not taking up Alcide's offer right at that moment. Her bravado automatically soured as Coot held her to him. He was strong and handsome but had a craze look in his eyes.
"Well she's all done with you, Herveaux," Coot said on behalf of Debbie. "She went and found herself a real wolf."
Alcide's temper roared as the werewolf faced up to him.
"Come on, let's do this shit," Cooter growled in his face.
"Leave him alone, Coot," Debbie laughed. "Let him stay. He needs to see this. He ain't ever gonna let us be, baby, til he understands I'm with you for good."
Her words pulled Coot away, getting the wolf to rub his face against her own. When he stuck his tongue down her throat, Alcide watched mournfully before looking to us. I could see the pain in his eyes, but seeing Debbie like this, just proved that Janice was right. This girl was a lost cause, as she proved when she licked the length of the werewolf's face.
I stepped forward and waved my outstretched hand towards Alcide.
"Come on," I murmured, understanding his need to get away from the two. Only half aware, he took my hand and I led him over to the far side of the room, standing by the wall between Sookie and Alcide. We watched at the werebitch was lifted and carried over the heads of the werewolves, her clothing being stripped from her as they guided her over towards the stage.
"Coot," Sookie spoke to us, revealing what she'd gained from tonight. "He was one of the ones that took Bill."
Suddenly, a pale figure appeared on the stage, wearing blacked-out sunglasses and a leather jacket. He stood behind Debbie as she was guided onto the stage, clad in nothing but her underwear until the pale man placed what looked like a wolf fur coat over her slick skin.
"Who is that?" Sookie asked.
"Russell Edgington," he replied, a deep frown on his face at seeing Russell on stage. The sight of the man sent the wolves around us howling, going crazy with excitement. Russell pushed Debbie onto her knees where she remained there, warm in her fur coat. When he raised his palms, the crown suddenly kneeled, silent before him.
Russell Edgington began to speak in a language, an announcement to the werewolves which they replied to him in the same language, all as one.
The man pulled down his sleeve to reveal his bare arm. Suddenly, fangs extracted from his mouth and a Were with a tray of shot glasses stood before him.
"What's a vampire doing in a wolf den?" Sookie asked in a whisper.
Alcide appeared just as confused. "Why are they submitting to this fanger?"
The vampire bit into his wrist, allowing blood to pour. The rich coloured blood dripped into the shot glasses like thick wine from a bottle. The men watched, entranced and eager, as if they were addicts awaiting their next hit.
"Oh my god," Sookie realised.
"He's the one that supplies them," I murmured.
"Holy shit…" Alcide mumbled.
Werewolves grabbed a shot glass each. Debbie looked up at the vampire as he spoke to her teasingly, blood still around his mouth.
"Oh, not tonight pumpkin!" Russell spoke. "Otherwise your brand won't last."
His fangs retracted and soon he wiped around his mouth with a napkin. He raised his hands and the werewolves automatically sat back up straight.
"Tonight you continue the grand tradition of expanding our pack," Russell declared to the entire room. The three of us watched as a woman passed us with a tray of blood-filled glasses, unaffected by our lack of enthusiasm. "My contribution is but a small token of gratitude for our collaboration throughout the ages."
The wolves howled at this, slamming their fists in the air.
"The ages?" Sookie whispered to us.
"Drink!" Russell commanded and the wolves tipped back the shot glasses, practically licking every morsel from the containers. The pack roared and laughed deliriously while their master applauded them with his own chuckle.
"Now," he called to them. "I will leave you amongst your own to celebrate." With that, Russell left the stage and passed the crowd, removing himself from our sight as the pack screamed and yelled in anticipation.
Coot took to the stage with a bunch of others, and we could only watch on as they held a willing Debbie, keeping her still as one wolf took hold of the brand and pressed it against her skin. The sizzling sound of her skin melting mixed with her screams of pain.
Alcide growled, pain evident in his own eyes. "Fucking dumb bitch!"
Sookie and I turned to each other as we saw how much this was affecting our friend. Coot's yells of happiness brought the rest of the wolves to cheer.
"This is so fucking wrong!" Alcide yelled to us.
Debbie tearfully fell to the floor, whining as the searing pain continued.
Coot moved to the side and yanked off his wife beater. Just as he unbuttoned and pulled down his jeans, a dark furred wolf took his place and moved over to Debbie. He began to slick her brand while the pack began to howl all around us. Glasses smashed onto the floor and I watched fearfully. People's skin began to tremble and one or two people seemed to disappear out of my line of sight. Looking carefully, their eyes burned red as they undressed.
"What's happening?" I yelled over their howls.
"Are they all shifting?" Sookie asked Alcide, anxious of the crowd around us.
We watched Alcide where he stood in front of us.
"You need to get out of here!" he called to us. More and more wolves appeared around us.
Alcide span round to reveal his glowing red eyes. He growled at us as we stood frozen with fear.
"Girls, get out!" he shouted at us.
"We can't–"
"Run!" he barked. I felt a hand grab mine and I was yanked away from our friend, Sookie then leading me towards the door. We raced towards it, darting around the shifting men and women. Amongst all the commotion, Sookie's hand left mine and I was caught around the werewolves with one familiar face in front of me.
The large werewolf Alcide had saved me from now stood before me, a sickening smirk plastered over his large, trembling face. I gasped as I watched the Were shift from man to wolf before my eyes. In one large pounce, I was knocked to the floor by the red-furred beast, jaws snapping close to my face as I struggled to push it as far away from my skin as possible. I screamed into the air but it was barely heard over the howls echoing against the walls. Sharp teeth snapped dangerously close as his glowing red eyes stared into my own, blocking out any sign of rescue.
The Viking fled from Fangtasia, leaving his progeny behind in the clutches of the magister. The vampire came to a sudden pause. He felt the guilt of Pamela caught in his own mess. She was taken, tortured this very minute for his own crime of selling V, under Queen Sophie-Anne's orders, but none the less, this was his fault.
But a new feeling shuddered through his body, swelling his heart with a sudden fear. Eric could not establish whether the fear was his own or another's. A rush took over him, pulling his mind from his progeny to another that he cared for. Eric's face was contorted with pain as he realised that Melody was in trouble and she was scared beyond anything he had felt in over a thousand years. His mind was clouded with the sudden need to see her, to help her. The fear she felt continued, twisting in his gut as if it were his own. And he did feel fear, more that than he'd care to admit, and the fear was for her.
He sped in the direction of Yuley Farm, keen on seeing her face and tearing apart the thing that caused her so much grief. But he was greeted with nothing but the old house, dark from its emptiness. He could neither feel nor hear her presence close by but he checked anyway.
Eric took the steps two at a time as he crushed the many cigarette buds beneath his leather shoes. With a clenched fist, he knocked loudly and yelled for her, cursing the fact he didn't think to get an invite to Melody's home before now. If he had, she would already be in his arms by now. And that thought brought only relief and excitement to the vampire, uncaring that his feelings were getting the better of him.
"Melody!" he yelled, anger seeping into his voice at the lack of answer. "Melody, you in there?"
No answer came, nor a light switch flicked as he disturbed the peaceful silent air. Eric growled to himself as his eyebrows crowded his eyes. Breathing deeply, he tried to feel for her presence, but he already knew where the human was. Anger bubbled in his chest and he gritted his teeth, seething at her disobedience. It seemed a trip to Mississippi was in order.