Thank you for your reviews so far. This is my first attempt in a long time to write. This story has been in my mind and the characters have inspired me to write. Thank you to Miss Charlaine Harris, all characters as we know belong to her. I am just inspired at the moment and want to borrow them.

Chapter Three

Sam opened the door to Merlottes to get ready for another day. He didn't feel like it as it was such a beautiful morning. The sun was so warm, what he wanted to do was shift and run in the woods all day. Everything smelled so crisp and clean, it was definitely a shifting day.

He sighed to himself and started to prepare for the day. It was a full moon tonight so a run in the moonlit woods would have to do. Sam wondered if everyone would show up for work. It was Saturday night and it was always a busy one at Merlottes. The menu was all set for the day, Lafayette had helped with that. Boy that man could cook. Sam was glad to have him around.

He thought of Sookie and his heart picked up its pace. He was so angry with her about this whole bonding this with Eric. Sam had been in love with Sookie for years, but never told her. He tried so many times but she always shut him out. She had made it clear that they were just friends and were going to stay that way. Yet there were times he could swear he got that more than a friend feeling from her.

Sookie was special. He knew it from the moment he met her. She had a distinctive scent. Unlike anyone or anything he had met before. It was a sweet smell. He didn't know what she was but he did know she was not entirely human. Plus there was her gift. She called it a curse. They rarely spoke about. Early on in their friendship he started to wonder how she knew all the things she did. She knew stuff about people at Merlotte's that he could never know. It was odd, because a lot of these people were his regulars, in the bar business people tended sometimes to spill their deepest darkest secrets. Yet he was constantly surprised by the way Sookie knew the things people didn't talk about.

There were a few occasions that she opened up to him a little. She told him of how she knew things even at a young age. It set her apart from people, made them wary of her. As a result it made growing up very hard and lonely for her. He had so many questions for her. There were a lot of things he wanted to know about her ability.

"Can you read me Sookie?" he asked.

"I can't read you like other people Sam, it's different with you." She answered and was a little hesitant to tell him what she knew.

"Different how?" he replied.

"Well Sam, to be honest there are sounds mixed with the words in your head. I know it sounds crazy." She said.

"Sounds huh?" he said. "Well go on. Tell me more."

She smiled and blushed. "Yes Sam sounds, like animal sounds." She laughed then. She leaned in closer to him and whispered "You sound like a dog sometimes, but a talking dog. You seem to be a mix of the two."

He smiled at her then and felt a true friendship with her more than he ever had with anyone else.

"That sounds about right Sook. One day I'll tell you all about it." He answered her questioning look.

That day still had not come but one day they would have a heart to heart about each other. He wanted to tell her more but he wasn't sure how much she knew about the supernatural world. He did not tell her what he was. and she never mentioned it or asked either. They just knew that the other was different and that kind of made them the same, it brought them closer.

This thing with Eric and Sookie in the vampire world ,worried him. Vampires only looked out for themselves. He had yet to meet one without ulterior motive to every action. He did not believe that Eric was any different. He had hoped her thing with vampires would have ended with Bill. He tried so hard to talk to her after Bill, hoped it would be his chance. She was so heartbroken and the last thing he wanted to be was a rebound guy. So he listened to her, comforted her, and kept his silence. There was a price for his silence though, his own heart was breaking.

He wanted to kill Bill for all the heartache that he caused her. He was pretty sure he could do it too but he knew Sookie would never forgive him. There were times when he just wanted someone, not just the sex part, but someone to be with, to come home to. Sometimes he thought if he had someone he would get over Sookie. He was sure the feelings for her would change more to friendship if he had someone to fill the void in his life. Like any man he loved the sex with the women he had, but he never let it go past that. He couldn't let anyone in. That sad thing was that he wanted to.

His thoughts wandered to Eric. How that bastard had managed to bond with Sookie. He only hoped she knew what she was getting into. He thought of the ways you could break a bond, and unfortunately none of them would end well for Sookie.

She would get hurt either way now. Being with Eric or being without him could kill her.