Felton looked crazy. Sookie recognized she wasn't exactly objective in observing the man, but as she took in his exaggerated movements and wide eyes, her stomach clenched at the realization that he was either still high on V or simply insane, maybe both. She thought of what this meant for her brother. She pictured Jason, her strong, goofy big brother, bound and gagged somewhere, shivering and starving as the ropes bit into his flesh. Or maybe Felton hadn't gone that route and instead had murdered his captive long ago. Sookie prayed that her brother's possible death had been a quick one, then quickly shuddered at the direction of her thoughts. She reassured herself with the idea that Jason was more valuable to Felton alive rather than dead, and she thought that she might somehow sense it if her brother had passed away. Although illogical, she presumed her world would feel a bit off, if only for a moment, as her only sibling left the earth.

Felton was gesticulating wildly and he seemed to be yelling at Carl, although from this distance and with his double-nature, Sookie could neither hear him on a physical nor mental level. She wondered if Eric could read lips. She wanted to ask him if he knew what was going on between the men, but she scarcely dared breathe, let alone speak.

She felt the wild urge to run away from this nonsense. To grab Eric and drive off into the sunset, never to be heard from again. Not too long ago, she and her brother never would have been involved in such a mess, never would have even been able to dream up such a nightmare. She felt she had aged a tremendous amount in such a short span of time, and she looked back on her innocent and naive self with a blend of pity and longing. The sun was beginning its western descent, and although the chill in the air made her eyes water, she willed it to travel faster. She wanted this to be over. She wanted to hold her brother's hand and tell him everything would be alright. She wanted Eric to tell her everything would be alright and be able to believe him. Although she knew for a time that would be impossible, at that moment, as she watched her brother's abductor stalk around the clearing, she allowed herself the fantasy.

Suddenly, Felton froze. His chin lifted and he sniffed the air sharply, his nostrils flaring. Beside her, Eric stiffened. Sookie pressed her lips together and held her breath, and she swore her fear made even her heart screech to a halt. For an agonizing moment, Felton looked in their direction. Eric crouched on the balls of his feet, prepared to spring as they both remained completely still behind their cover of branches and leaves. As he glared, Felton's eyes began to glow an eerie yellow and his pupils contracted until they were tiny dots. His shoulders lifted and his head lowered at an almost imperceptible rate. If possible, he looked even crazier. He looked, Sookie realized, like an animal about to attack.

With a quickness and intensity that could only be attributed to the panther within, he whirled and pounced into the bushes to his left. The leaves shook and flew around as he wrestled with something out of sight. Sookie let out a breath. 'What the hell?' Was he getting a snack? Attacking a small woodland animal?

All of her relief drained swiftly from her body as he reemerged carrying his prey. In an instant, Eric's hand was over her mouth, muffling her startled cry. His other arm wrapped around her and pulled her tightly against him, restricting her movement. Sookie struggled against him instinctively, but when he pressed his lips to her ear and shushed her, she sagged in his arms, although her eyes continued to take in the scene in front of her. Felton, still in human form, dragged the body behind him, barely seeming fazed by the kicking and protests of his victim. He threw the man on the ground and watched as he rolled in the dirt. The man jumped up and defiantly wiped a smear of blood from his lip.

Sookie's heart lurched. 'Sam.'

When Eric was reassured that Sookie wasn't going to draw attention to them, he slowly released her. She nodded at him to signal her compliance, but her mind was racing a mile a minute. What was Sam doing here? She thought guiltily back to her last conversation with her boss and remembered telling him that she would be leaving to find Jason. He had wanted so badly to help her, as he always did, and she had ignorantly remained mysterious, hinting at aid that she would have. She should have known the man would worry, that he would want to assist her, that he would tail her on the day he knew she was leaving so he could do what he believed to be right.

She watched helplessly while Carl restrained Sam and Felton hit him, the wind carrying his furious screams back to their hiding spot as he demanded to know Sam's identity and why he was there, who he was working for tonight. Sam remained silently and Sookie brought her hands to her face as he doubled over with the pain of another strike from Felton. He dropped to the ground and blood seemed to poor from every orifice of his face.

Felton reared back to land another blow and Sookie heard a cry rip through the air. The look of bewilderment on Felton's face mirrored her own as she looked around to find the source of the bellow. The horror etched in Eric's face beside her revealed instantly to her that it had been she who had screamed. Felton was staring at their hiding spot again, and Sookie knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she had given them away.

'Well, I'm all in now.' She stood and ran to the clearing.

"Don't!" She called out as she skidded to a stop a few feet from the men. "He's here for me."

Sam lay flat on his back, gasping for breath and Felton looked more amused than angry at the moment. "And who the fuck are you?"

She felt Eric's presence behind her and Carl's face darkened. "Hey," he growled. "These are them people I told you about. That slut and this guy," he jerked a thumb toward Eric and began walking forward. Eric immediately brushed Sookie behind him. "This guy's the prick who came to my work and started shit."

Without another word, he threw himself at Eric and the two men began to scuffle on the ground.

"That doesn't answer my question," Felton's voice drew Sookie's attention away from the fray.

"What?"

Felton rolled his eyes and placed a boot on Sam's throat. "Who are you? And why are you here?"

The sound of flesh meeting flesh behind her made her wince, but she dared not take her eyes away from Felton to check on Eric. "Sookie," she said calmly. "Sookie Stackhouse."

"Stackhouse?" Felton's voice had a dangerous edge to it.

"I believe you have my brother. I want him back. That's all. I don't want any trouble. Just Jason."

"Jason," Felton repeated, his voice still sharp, but low.

"Yes. I don't know what he did to offend you, but I can assure you, he didn't mean it, and he's sorry, and he won't do it again, I promise. Please, just tell me where he is."

Eric resumed his position by her side, stained with blood and dirt. She didn't bother to investigate Carl's whereabouts.

"Jason," Felton said again.

"Yes," Sookie was getting impatient.

Felton grinned. "You three came all the way out here to die for that piece of shit?"

Eric's stance became defensive, but before Felton could make a move, the air around Sam began to quiver. They all watched while Sam's body began to shift and grow hair. Sookie willed him to turn into a lion or a dragon or something exceptionally fierce, but her hopes were dashed as she recognized the familiar collie to which Sam defaulted.

Felton's foot had lifted during the shift, and Sam scrambled to his feet, all four of them, and growled angrily at the man. Felton had the grace to look stunned for a moment before bursting into uproarious laughter.

"This," he cackled, holding his stomach. "This is your savior?" He continued chuckling and Eric slowly backed Sookie behind him, his face wary. "Well," Felton said wiping tears from his eyes. "If that's the game you want to play."

Once again the air became charged and practically crackled with energy. Sookie couldn't hold back her gasp as Felton vanished, and in his place appeared a lithe and spectacular panther. Sam growled again and took a menacing step forward, but when Felton roared, the whole forest went silent and the hair on the back of Sookie's neck stood on end. Sam's ears flattened against his head, but he did not retreat.

"Sam," Sookie entreated, and as the dog looked back at her, the panther pounced on him, his great jaws grabbing hold of the canine and tossing him through the air. Sookie screamed and she and Eric watched helplessly as Felton grabbed Sam's little body and began shaking him violently. The sounds of yelping and the smell of blood filled the air.

As he held Sookie's trembling body from interfering, Eric took inventory of the situation. The sun was beginning to dip under the horizon, but it would be at least twenty minutes before Pam awakened and arrived to defuse the situation. By that time, the dog, and presumably he and Sookie, would be dead. Damn that stupid shifter for following them and then being stupid enough to get close enough for the Panther to smell him. It was really his own fault that he was in this mess.

Eric glanced at the truck beside them; the keys were still in the ignition. The panther had torn a piece of flesh from Sam's body and was glowering excitedly at the bleeding animal. Felton was clearly lost in a fit of predatory blood lust. It would be easy to scoop Sookie up, jump into the truck with her and drive away from the scene. It would save both of them. They could even, he reasoned, come back when the sun fully set and Pam arrived. Felton would most likely still be feeding on the carcass of the other animal, and they could force him to reveal Jason's whereabouts; the goal of the evening would be complete. Then, he and Sookie could arrange for care for her brother and vanish from the area to begin their life together. He knew, now more than ever, that such a dream was what he truly wanted.

Eric's fingers tightened on Sookie's shoulders as he prepared to drag her to the truck, knowing there would be a stuggle. He faltered as he realized the degree of her shaking. Tears were running down her face as she watched her friend being attacked. The amount of blood spilled on the ground was foreboding, and it was obvious the life was quickly draining from the shifter.

"Sam," Sookie murmured, making one last attempt to free herself from Eric's grasp and help her friend.

Eric blinked. This wouldn't work, he realized with a sinking sensation. Sookie would never be the same after this; after they both watched her friend die and did nothing. She would lose herself, just as she feared she would. The shifter was of no consequence to him and he would give little thought to the man's demise, but Eric knew that Sookie would be tortured. She would feel guilt and remorse and shame. She would lose another person for whom she cared deeply. She might not recover from such an experience.

He realeased her, but in her horror, she barely regestered her freedom. Eric distanced himself from her carefully.

"Release him!" He screamed, and Felton looked up from his meal in surprise.

Licking his jowls, he rose slowly and stood a few feet away from Sookie and Eric, almost perfectly in the middle of the two lovers. His gaze finally settled on Sookie and his body lowered in anticipation of a second attack. Sookie watched the animal with wide eyes, feeling a primeval fear fill her. She knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that she would die here in this clearing.

'IloveyouIloveyouIloveyou'

The thought hit her so hard, it was as though the thinker was screaming it aloud. She turned sharply to look at Eric and their eyes met.

"Eric," she cried, raising her hand and talking a step toward him, but before she could interfere, the potion was to his lips and the contents were swallowed.