A/N: I'm so sorry this has taken so long. Next semester will be my last in college and I've been incredibly busy with work and school. This chapter is a little shorter than what I usually write so I apologize once again. But it seemed like an appropriate stopping point. Thanks for reading and I promise I'll get right on the next chapter. A slight warning, this contains a little lime? Beginnings of lemon? Not too sure. Just to tease all of you I suppose. Don't forget to write a review to tell me what you think. :D
In the process of checking in, the tall brunette at the counter pulled up Eric's information.
"Good evening Mr. Northman, I have you down for one light tight suite."
Sookie shot Eric a scowl and fought the urge to roll her eyes. She should have predicted this would happen.
"We need two rooms, one light tight and the other with a view." She mumbled, "Preferably on opposite sides of the hotel." Not because she didn't want to be near him but because he had the uncanny ability to make her stop thinking when he kissed her. The trip was for Godric and she couldn't afford to be distracted.
"No, we don't. One room, one bed." Eric's easy smile as he handed the woman his card said it all. He would glamour her if Sookie continued to contradict him and she was sure he had heard her comment.
"Excuse us for just one second." Thankfully, there wasn't a line at the desk and Sookie was able to pull Eric to the side so as not to make a scene. She hoped he was feeling her ire through their temporary bond and she hoped Godric felt it as well, if he was even alive. It could have been her sleepless night or that she had to drink Eric's blood but she was feeling particularly irritable. How naïve she was to think that she would have a semblance of a "normal" life. She would never be able to be a human. There was no longer a point in her trying to hide it or cling onto her childish wish. If her sisters got wind of what she was doing…she shuddered to think what they would do to her or to Godric and Eric.
"We never agreed to sleep in the same room much less the same bed."
"A room in this hotel is expensive and since I'm covering your expenses, I'm being financially responsible."
"No, you're trying to take advantage of the situation." She left out the part about him trying to get into her pants.
"I'm an opportunist."
"I'll pay for the room myself if I have to."
"A suite here costs $1,200 a night. I doubt you have that amount of cash to burn Ms. Stackhouse."
He was right. It would be the equivalent of blowing through almost three weeks' worth of paychecks and tips. Plus, she took time off work to be in Dallas.
"This is an invasion of my privacy, Eric." Crossing her arms across her chest, she glared at him.
"The vampires here have to believe that you're mine. If they don't believe that you're mine, they'll spend their time trying to obtain you or at the very least drink you dry. Do you think the words from your pretty mouth will be enough to deter them? It is a claim, a very important one to vampires and one that is respected."
Sookie searched his eyes, wondering what he thought about the claim which he had just said was an important and respected relationship. But she couldn't find anything there. She would give anything to read his mind. Sookie desperately wanted to know what he was thinking. The logical part of her realized that Eric was right and that the only option was to share a room with him, something that she found scandalous rather than abhorrent. "This is just temporary Eric. Once we find Godric, it will be as though this trip never happened." Reluctantly, Sookie agreed to the single room and followed the bellhop as he escorted them to their room.
With one look at the room they were staying at on the top floor, Sookie's earlier ire at sharing it with Eric faded. Extravagant wasn't a word she used lightly. She was after all, a child of gods and her home would always be Valhalla. Though the colors were a bit muted for her tastes, everything in the room was top of the line from the carpeting to the king sized bed with cream colored silk sheets. She had no doubt Eric secured the most expensive room in the hotel and was nowhere near the amount he had said before.
Though it was a light tight suite, it appeared that during the night time hours, the windows revealed a gorgeous view of the Dallas skyline. Her acquisitive nature had caused her to almost forget about her fatigue and the reason for her trip. Something she wondered if Eric had tried to do it on purpose. His secret ability had to be to make her forget because she was captivated by the sight. So much so that she hadn't felt Eric appear behind her until he clasped her shoulder.
While Sookie had been all but mesmerized by the room and the view, Eric had been watching her intently, trying to figure out the puzzle she presented for him. He wasn't sure if it was her scent, her telepathy, or her continuous secrecy. Perhaps it was a combination, the mere fact that Sookie Stackhouse both confused him and sent him reeling. The desire to touch her arose and so he reached out for her. He wasn't one to deny himself what he wanted and he wanted Sookie to be his.
Not noticing a flinch, Eric found her more receptive to his cold hand. Slipping the other across her abdomen, he pulled her against his hard chest. "This doesn't have to be temporary Sookie. You can have this every day if you become mine."
She scoffed even as she physically melted into him. Another thing that delighted him was that Sookie was full of contradictions. "So you can bring me out for party tricks and use me for my telepathy?"
He shook his head. "You're more than just a telepath. You won't tell me and you deny it but I know you are. You wouldn't smell like this if you were just a human." He heard her heart begin to beat faster, something that he wasn't sure was a sign of lying or from his proximity. Eric inhaled, committing her scent even deeper into his memory.
"I'm sorry Eric. I can't be yours." Through their bond, Eric sensed that she was disappointed. Out of character, rather than analyzing and thinking of ways to manipulate her, hope flared.
"Why not?" He murmured into her ear before pressing his lips to her warm neck. It flushed, growing hot and he took another deep breath, taking in her delicious scent. The need to bare his fangs grew to the point he barely heard her response.
"I'm not something to be possessed."
A few thoughts broke through the haze of thirst. He had to drink. Wanted to drink from her. Wanted her to offer her blood to him. Against his better judgment his fangs descended. It would take him less than a second to puncture her vein and find out if she tasted as divine as she smelled. But rather than turn her neck for him, Sookie stiffened in his arms. It was enough for him to remember her "ground rules". Despite his instinct telling him otherwise, Eric stepped away from her, severing all contact and retracting his fangs with minimal effort.
When she wouldn't face him or speak, he made his way to the door. "Rest." He would have to order off the menu and try to dig up some information before he slept for the day. If he was lucky, she would be more willing after some sleep and he would be in a better position to think clearly after feeding. It wouldn't be long before he experienced the bleeds.
After hearing the door click, Sookie slumped onto a nearby leather chair in exhaustion. She would have to avoid all physical contact with Eric for the duration of their stay or she might do something regrettable. She wasn't sure why she smelled so good to Vampires; she could only guess what she would taste like to them. Sookie made a mental note to ask someone. Perhaps Godric or the witches could give her an answer.
Sookie was too tired to think of what she should do after finding Godric, whether it was going back to Valhalla, moving, or trying to retain a semblance of a normal life. Sookie wanted to ask her sisters for guidance or ask her parents directly whether it was a failed notion from the start to want to be with Eric. Perhaps it wasn't the relationship that was doomed but her existence outside of being a Valkyrie. With Godric and Eric knowing what she can do, "normal" was no longer an option.
Though considered the children of both Woden and Freya, Valkyries weren't born in the human or biological sense. They were created from the lighting and earth, taking sustenance from nature. Trained to fight and serve the gods. Perhaps Woden and Freya chose the fate of each Valkyrie. If so, was there such a thing as free will for one such as her? Her fatigue was getting the better of her she reasoned, it was insane to think such a thing. With that, she fell into another dreamless sleep, seeking answers no one could give.
Dream
Faintly, Sookie heard the sounds of birds and leaves rustling as she looked out onto the field of flowers. The sun was shining so magnificently that the scene appeared to be right out of something in Valhalla. It was beautiful, more than that, it was calm. She'd never felt so at ease. Sookie didn't know how long she stayed there but she couldn't find the will to leave the small haven she had found. From the picturesque scenery to the smell of flowers and heat of the sun, everything was in harmony.
Her tranquility was interrupted by the sound of someone calling her name. Confused, she turned to see Eric striding towards her. Before she could stop him, he entered the sunlight without a flinch. Stunned, she could only watch as he stopped in front of her and smiled.
He cupped her cheek and leaned down to her, his smile faltering at the bewildered look in her eye. "What's wrong?"
"I…you're…" She held out her hand and pressed it against his chest, feeling a heartbeat. It was then that she noticed his hand wasn't cold and unforgiving, it was warm and calloused. "You're alive." She said, unsure why that was an impossible statement.
He chuckled, probably thinking she'd lost her mind. The sound was welcome, boyish and endearing. Her unease lifted somewhat. "Of course I am. Did you think I would be killed so easily? I will always return to you."
"I don't understand."
"You must have overexerted yourself in the sun. Let's go home." Home…their home? She fought to understand, to make sense of things but fell short. This felt so real, his arm around her shoulders, guiding her away from the flowers. Even the change in temperature as they entered a shady area could be felt on her skin. It was real. Had to be. Then, what was it she thought wasn't real? Why did this feel wrong? She couldn't place the cause.
What was she? Valkyrie. That was what she was. But by the time Sookie worked through it and pulled away from Eric, they were inside the house and in what she could only assume was their room. "Is this…a dream?"
"I'm right here." He cupped her cheeks, forcing her to look at him and the sincerity in his eyes. The rest of her confusion and discontent evaporated. "I'll always be right here."
His head dipped down and their lips touched. Eric coaxed her to respond to him, and she did by wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing herself to his warm chest. The tentative kiss turned more urgent as she pulled at his black shirt and ran her hands under it to touch his bare chest, forgetting about why this was impossible. He flexed then groaned against her lips and all thoughts about stopping him or what they were doing ceased. Sookie needed this, needed him.
He picked her up easily and she vaguely registered the soft bed he laid her on. Eric leaned back only to pull the straps from the yellow sundress she was wearing and to take off his own shirt, revealing faint scars which she had an inexplicable desire to kiss and trace with her fingers. She raised her arms to him wanting to pull him down to her. He braced himself with his arms next to her head but she wanted his weight on her, to touch him.
Sookie moaned and her eyes slid closed as he placed soft kisses and nips around her collarbone and neck. Turning her head, she arched into him and felt him thrust against her. Despite the barriers in their way, Sookie felt his hard length press down on her core.
With his fangs in one of the live blood donors available at the Hotel Carmilla, Eric tried to ignore her moans. Eventually he grew tired and pulled away from her though he should have taken more of her blood. The few pulls he managed to keep down would have to do. Motioning to the money on the table in front of them, she took the cue to leave without a word. He was disappointed, especially since he had to settle for a blonde who didn't smell as sweet as the one he had upstairs. The donor's blood was enough to keep the bleeds away at least and give him some of his strength back. One tiny slip of a girl was keeping him so preoccupied, he couldn't even drink properly. It was a foreign concept for him; to care for a human and instead of taking what he wanted by force or manipulation.
Eric undid the front clasp of her bra as he trailed his lips down to her breasts and then to her navel. She'd never had a man this close. Sookie moaned, trembling in uncertainty. She grew hot, unable to stop her whimpers and soft pleas for more and rolled her hips, as if to lure him closer. Eric obliged by thrusting against her once more, sending a shock of pleasure up her spine and causing her to arch her back off the bed. To experience this, with him. It was like a dream.
Hearing a growl, she opened her eyes suddenly and snapped her head to the side for the source of the sound. Eric was standing near the wall with his fangs bared. Dressed in a dark shirt and black leather jacket, it was obvious he was a vampire even without the fangs as a dead giveaway. She looked down at the unmistakably human Eric still running kisses across her abdomen.
More confused as to what was happening, Sookie glanced back at the new Eric and gasped when she saw him right next to the bed. In the next instant he had her pinned down and her head pressed against the blankets, exposing her neck. He became the only thing she felt. She attempted to struggle but was too weak to overpower him.
Vampire Eric slowly knelt beside the bed, still keeping her in place. His fangs trailed up her vulnerable neck to her ear. "You want this Sookie." His voice was so confident; she didn't doubt it was what he believed. With a snarl, Eric's fangs punctured her porcelain neck, sinking straight into a vein. Sookie felt a pinch and heard the terrifying sounds of Eric feeding. But rather than scream or cry, she moaned anew.
The hand forcing her head down grew gentle as she stopped her useless struggle and he began to run the back of his long fingers over her cheek. "Eric." She gasped as he growled and eased his bite slightly, still drinking from her. Her hands, which had been trying to push away his unyielding chest instead held him closer to her.
After a few deep pulls, Eric pulled away. She looked up at him dazed as he cut open his wrist with his fangs and held it to her. Sookie hesitated before taking his hand and bringing the fresh cut to her lips. Their eyes met as she drank his blood, creating a bond between them. "We are one. Sanngriðr."
Sookie awoke abruptly. Startled at what she had experienced, she sat up and leaned against the wooden headboard. Drawing in deep breaths, she fought to keep herself as calm as possible. It took her long minutes to finally get her bearings. After she came to her senses, she searched the dark room; saw the burgundy drapes covering the metal blinds, the leather chairs, and the flat screen TV mounted to the wall. Finally, she looked at the clock and saw that it was over 3 PM. She'd slept for almost 10 hours. Sookie turned to Eric who was dead to the world, sleeping peacefully beside her on his back.
An idle hand went to her neck, as if to make sure there were no puncture marks. Finding nothing but smooth skin, Sookie remembered she'd fallen asleep on the chair and assumed Eric had carried her to the bed. It unsettled her that she didn't wake up at his presence much less when he physically moved her. She had never been in such a deep sleep and the last time she had had a dream was more than a millennia ago. It was more disorienting than she remembered.
Reaching out a steady hand, Sookie gingerly touched the vampire next to her, felt his cool skin and let out a breath she had been holding. As cold as a vampire.
Sookie spent the rest of the day desperately trying to think of anything other than her dream. Unable to stand being in the same room as the slumbering vampire, Sookie took a shower, freshened up, and left the room for some food and anything to occupy her. She wandered the hotel until sunset, visiting some of the stores in the hotel and even stopping by the pool. When she was sure Eric would be up, Sookie made her way back upstairs, uncertain how she would be able to look at him without thinking of the dream or its implications. The bond, even as a temporary necessity had been a mistake.
As soon as Sookie stepped into the room, she heard the shower running and decided to change her clothes before going to meet some of Godric's underlings. Stripping out of her red and white checkered sundress, Sookie donned a longer dress with similar colors. She should have questioned her sanity in choosing red when stepping into a vampire nest but didn't. Instead, Sookie took a seat on the couch and attempted to patiently wait for Eric. But as soon as she sat down and thought of facing him, her heart started to beat more rapidly.
The dream was still fresh in her mind, even though she spent the day trying to forget about it or at the very least put it in the back of her mind. Every time Sookie thought of Eric telling her that she wanted to be bitten, a shiver ran down her spine and she shuddered. It was definitely not in disgust either, much to her confusion.
Forcefully shaking her head, Sookie almost didn't hear the door open. Her head snapped up to the sound and Eric emerged from the bathroom utterly naked and still glistening with moisture. The remainder of her sanity snapped as Sookie openly gawked at the nerve. A white towel was slung carelessly over his shoulder. He would have heard her enter and now, he probably heard her heart rate speed up yet again.
"You're staring."
Sookie zeroed in on a bead of water dropping from his wet hair to his chest and almost followed its decent further down before regaining her composure. With effort, she forced her eyes to his face which was so smug, she wanted to scream. Still wondering what it would be like to trace the path of the droplet with her tongue, she forced the words out. "Put some clothes on and let's go." She turned for the door and felt a vein in her temple throb. Eric had successfully given her a migraine. Without intending to, Sookie rubbed her hand over the side of her neck as she exited the room to prevent her from going utterly insane, like jump the Viking and fall into bed.
Eric definitely knew how much of an effect he had on her and she was powerless to avoid it.
"A human, Isabel? What a waste of time." Sookie should have taken it as an insult but she decided to let it slide. Eric had been on edge since she saw him in the room and he had begun pacing like a caged animal. She stood next to the couch, trying not to let the movement distract her from the conversation.
"Are you certain Godric was abducted by the Fellowship of the Sun?" Eric hadn't even acknowledged Stan or tried to defend her. It was to be expected of course. Godric was his maker and Sookie was just as anxious to find out who was behind the abduction.
Stan and Isabel answered at the same time except with different answers. It only took Sookie a second to figure out their personalities. "They're the only ones with the organization and manpower." Stan added.
"But they're amateurs. It doesn't make any sense. This is Godric we're talking about. Two thousand years old." Logical, concise. Sookie leaned towards agreeing with Isabel but the Church was their only lead.
"Old don't make you smart." Sookie barely contained her desire to crush Stan's windpipe.
"Besides, there's no proof." Eric continued to pace beside her as Sookie watched the two bicker like children. She supposed they were in comparison.
"There's no reason to wait. We need to take these fanatics down, full out attack. Exterminate them like the vermin they are, leave no trace." She watched as Isabel sighed, exasperated and fought the urge to roll her eyes.
Eric's pacing stopped and Sookie wasn't sure if he was going to implode or explode from the pent up aggression he was giving off. She didn't know if it was the dream or the fact that she had his blood, but Sookie felt more attuned to his demeanor and the little changes in his tone.
"Hmm. Vampire hating church annihilated. Wonder who did it. Fucking brilliant." Isabel quipped.
"You're completely incompetent! What's happened to Godric that he surrounds himself with clowns?" She didn't completely disagree with Eric's little outburst but the conversation was officially going nowhere. They provided no new information and no way to resolve the issue.
"We invited you as a courtesy. This is not your territory, you have no voice here." Isabel and Stan approached Eric and Sookie was certain a vampire brawl was going to break out in front of her, wasting even more time.
"Yeah, Sheriff, why don't you run on back down to Louisiana, we don't need you or your puppet."
"Oh, I'm not going anywhere."
"Enough! I've heard enough. Godric wouldn't want us to attack a congregation of humans even if they were the ones who took him. But someone here is a traitor. Someone who knew Eric and I were coming planned to have him drink tainted blood and kidnap me." After she had raised her voice, all eyes turned to her and she realized she needed to take the initiative as it was clear the three vampires in the room were going to continue to place the blame on each other. Leon had said he had been ordered to take her to the Church. Perhaps she should have let him.
"Impossible." Isabel sounded too sincere to have anything to do with Godric's disappearance. With that and as the Church really was their best and only lead, Sookie made a decision.
"This is getting us nowhere and Godric has been missing for almost a week!" Finally something clicked inside her. "I will infiltrate The Fellowship of the Sun."
Stan groaned, no doubt disappointed in not being able to use brute force and cause the deaths of dozens if not a few hundred people. The aftermath of which would turn into an all-out war. Sookie had no time for his little action movie fantasy.
"Let her speak."
"I'll go to the church, pretend I want to join and listen in on their thoughts to find out if they've taken Godric. Meanwhile, in case the church isn't behind this, everyone will look into other possible reasons for why Godric is missing. We're running out of time." Every hour they wasted meant a colder trail. Sookie ignored the fact that if there was a traitor in the nest it would be easy to find out what she looked like. This was for Godric. She would take any risk.
"It's a waste of time. We should just drink them all."
"And where would that get us Stan?" Like two petulant children, Stan and Isabel were at it again.
"It'll send a message. Taking a sheriff is equal to starting a war. I want no part in this." Thankfully, before they could start another yelling match, Stan stepped out.
"She goes tomorrow." It had a ring of finality Eric had made the decision and there was nothing else that needed to be said. It was then Sookie saw that if it was for Godric, Eric would take any risk as well. Even if it meant her safety. She admired his loyalty all the more.
She sat down wearily, if Godric had been taken by the Fellowship, she would slaughter every human that stood in her way. It was an exaggeration of course, as she didn't want to kill any of them. But it made her feel better.
As she had been doing constantly throughout the day and whenever she was in Eric's presence, Sookie's hand rubbed the side of her neck. It felt hot.
For some reason, Sookie felt like a clock was ticking. Dread built up inside of her and she didn't know if it was because of Eric or because of Godric.
And this is the end. Hopefully the next chapter will be longer. Thank you for your continued support and don't forget to write me a review of what you think! I think I'm a little rusty.
