Chapter 6: Trouble in Paradise

"Sookie, I wish you would let me just fly us to my place, it would be so much faster than taking my car."

Eric muttered as he drove us to his place in his Mazda RX8. I replied,

"Well Eric, I want to see your place as we drive towards it and I might catch a cold if we flew in the night sky. I am cold as it right now."

Eric grinned and said,

"Well, don't worry my beautiful fairy princess, cold is the last thing you will be feeling when I get you into my bed. Besides, we are nearly there."

I looked up to see a huge modern complex approaching as we were getting close. It was big and white and looked like it had at least 20 rooms. I gasped and said to Eric,

"It is beautiful, it is the last thing I would have imagined as your home, Eric."

He asked,

"Well, where did you think I lived?"

I smiled and answered,

"I dunno, like maybe a dark cave with lots of bats for company."

Eric laughed as he pulled up the car to a stop and said,

"Haha, now you are just teasing, Sookie."

He opened his door and used his vamp speed to be a gentleman and open my door. I took he proffered hand and got out of the sleek car. Even closer to house, I still couldn't believe how breathtaking the house was. So huge and majestic.

The inside was just as I had imagined; elegant, archaic and pristine. I couldn't help but allow my mouth to hang unattractively open. Eric smiled at my expression and asked,

"I assume you like it then?"

I quickly replied,

"Yes I do indeed."

We were about to head further into the house when we heard a whoosh of air and the front doors banged open. I turned around to see Pam staring us up and down.

She frostily said,

"So, THIS is what you have been up to Eric."

I quickly said,

"And hello to you again Pam. Always a pleasure."

Eric let go of my hand and walked over to Pam and asked,

"What do you want Pam? I thought I told you to look after the club while I was gone?"

"Tara can take care of it and you know I wouldn't interrupt your … activities... unless it was important and it is."

Eric turned to face me and asked,

"Sookie, would you please give me and Pam a minute. The Kitchen is just through there and I made sure it was stocked with plenty of food. Help yourself to whatever you like."

I weakly smiled at him, nodded and made my exit into the Kitchen. The Kitchen was a complete contrast to the rest of the house, it was all marble worktops and modern cabinets. It looked lovely, but it had expensive written all over it.

'Why does a Vampire need a Kitchen? And an expensive one at that? Oh well, at least and I can settle my hunger."

I opened the huge black double door fridge to see what Eric had. Half of it was full to the brim of just about every food you could want, while the bottom half was full of blood bags labelled with the different types. I remembered that Eric like O positive, so I took out some strawberries for me and a blood bag for him. I shoved the blood bag in the microwave and set it to heat. As I waited for it to ding, I took my time indulging in the juiciest strawberries I had ever had. I couldn't help but moan in pleasure as I ate them. By time Eric came into the Kitchen I had poured his blood into a bag and I was moaning over my 6th strawberry.

"Oh you are going to be making that noise lots more tonight."

Eric said as he put his arms around my waist and kissed me. I looked into his eyes and saw no worry which reassured me that the news Pam had given him was not too bad, however I still dared to ask,

"So, what did Pam have to say? Not anything too bad?"

Eric quickly replied,

"No, nothing bad, just surprising. The AVL, or American Vampire League have been trying to sort out leadership over America since the problems with Hep V and imprisoning vampires 8 months ago. They finally came to a decision a few days ago. Instead of having a King or Queen over each state,which they found was too many, they are splitting the country up into 6 zones. I cannot believe it but they are making me King of Zone 4."

I squeal with happiness and hug Eric tightly while saying,

"Oh my God, Eric, that is amazing! Which states are included in your Zone?"

He hugs me back while replying,

"Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and obviously Louisiana."

I smiled and say,

"Phew, I am so happy that you don't have to move to some other part of America to govern another Zone."

Eric then holds the tops of my arms and looks at me seriously. He asks,

"You do know what this means Sookie?"

I shake my head showing I don't. He elaborates,

"It means in order to protect you properly, I must present you as something to me."

I ask,

"As what?"

He solemnly replies,

"As a human, you would be my human pet. However, as a …. Vampire, you would be my Queen and consort."

"WHAT!"