"You're looking well for the undead."

Eric merely gestured obscenely at Pam rather than speak as he trudged wearily across the threshold into Fangtasia. He couldn't chide her too harshly for teasing him with the truth; he'd stumbled from the basement as weak and palsied as an old mortal after three days of sucking and fucking which almost completely wrung him dry, especially since he hadn't allow Pam to return to the house with food for him. He knew to break the physical connection between him and his new child could set her back again as she wasn't completely sane just yet.

"I need girls delivered to my office, and now."

"But Eric..."

He nailed her with a look and she trailed off, bowing her head slightly. Nothing mattered right now except feeding on blood which could sustain him; drinking another vampire was for functional and ritual reasons, not a recommended part of a daily diet.

A few moments later, seated behind his desk (the real place of power instead of the gaudy throne in the main room) Eric quickly sorted through the last several days receipts, dividends, and deposits. He frowned heavily as he saw the gift shop's revenues weren't as stellar as they should be, and normally were. A quick rap on the door distracted him from his musings, but he put the matter on the back burner. Something was obviously going on he would need to keep a close eye on.

"Come."

"I certainly hope you will, " Pam purred, preceding two delectable redheads dressed in identical tight barely there outfits. Upon closer inspection, he could see they were identical in appearance as well.

"Twins! Oh, you do spoil me."

"As soon as they entered, I knew they'd be the perfect snack, Master."

Pam split them up, seating one on the large leather couch taking up the opposite wall, while directing the other to round the desk to Eric. He lounged back against the chair with spread legs and allowed her to step between them. The girl was young, maybe twenty, and quite delicious with a long pale neck and sumptuous breasts showed off to their best advantage in a low cut top which barely contained her lush ripeness. Eric flared his nostrils and could scent nothing more than a sweaty tang and deodorant mixture; he was pleased by her healthy glow and beckoned her closer.

"Your name?" He normally cared less what his food was called, but he was still a little raw over his nameless child.

"Sandy," she breathed quietly, her lips delicately brushing his ear. "My sister is Mandy."

Eric mentally rolled his eyes at the cutesy rhyming. "Delectable, as are you, m'dear. Sit."

She obediently bent her knees to him and perched herself gingerly on his lap. Eric gently drew her closer to him and buried his nose in the fold between neck and collar bone, breathing in the aroma of her skin. He was vaguely surprised to feel no sexual desire, but ignored it as trifling in place of feeding his more pressing need; fangs burst from his gums with deadly speed and he pierced her just as swiftly.

Sandy moaned and curled her arms loosely around his shoulders, cradling his head and giving him a deeper angle. The rich blood was alive with her mortal memories, but he blocked his awareness of her life as he sought relief from his gnawing hunger with each deep pull of his needlepoint fangs. Within moments he stopped, though the gnawing hunger remained, because he had no wish to kill her.

"Pam," he snapped, never taking his eyes from the cerulean ones blinkering at him in stupefied wonder. An instant later, Sandy was replaced with Mandy, who giggled and fluttered her eyelashes in silly flirtation. This time, instead of the neck, he was drawn to the snowy expanse of bosom temptingly heaving beneath his nose.

She squealed when he drew the silky top down, along with her bra, and drew a pouting nipple into his mouth, allowing her a small pleasure before clamping down and sliding fang deep in search of her life-giving elixir. This time, though, he didn't lose himself in her taste because of a thready lust bouncing along his Maker-Child bond.

Swiveling so Mandy's back was to the room, he looked over at Pam and saw her kneeling before the other twin, blond head beneath the tiny excuse of a skirt. He grinned wickedly and felt a slight stirring beneath his belt as his libido took notice of his child's wicked proclivities. She enjoyed playing with her food because a racing heart made the blood spurt out faster from the femoral artery. Well, that and she genuinely enjoyed the touch and taste of women.

Soon - too soon - Eric lifted his head and retracted his fangs from the delectable mortal, easing her to her feet and guiding her to the couch. Pam smirked up at him with crimson stained lips.

"Done?"

"You can partake. I must go see to the vermin."

Her brow furrowed. "I can still feel your hunger Eric. And you didn't..." she motioned towards the healthy bulge straining his black jeans.

"This was for your performance more than them. And I don't think this is my hunger we're feeling. Fuck."

He thrust Mandy at Pam and stormed to the door barely aware he ripped it from the hinges in his haste. Eric had left specific instructions to his child to remain in the house with the until he returned, but he somehow doubted he would find she'd obeyed his command.

Upon first glance the patrons of the bar were milling and drinking, their desperation for one night on the "dark side," as palpable as the cologne they wore; Eric settled his approach at once as it wouldn't do to appear out of sorts before either the humans or his coterie. He sensed his child's presence among the throng, but he must make the rounds before tracking her down.

He could, of course, reach out to her mentally, as they'd discovered in their last day together that she could "hear" him, but not "talk" back to him; for her the bond was a mesmerizing force of emotions with a small telepathic link. Eric wondered what this would mean for her developing powers in this second life. Every vampire had at least one, though it sometimes took years if not centuries for it to fully manifest itself; he was nearly four hundred before he discovered his gift of flight.

Eric lounged in the spot-lit gaudy throne, fingers flying across the keypad of his phone when Pam appeared at his side.

"Girls taken care of?"

"Mesmerized and sent to the store room."

"Good."

"Are you going to do nothing about her- " she motioned towards the dance floor where her blood-sister twisted sinuously around an awestruck human male. "She is disrespecting you before the others."

The "others" Pam spoke of were collected at the fringes of the crowd like vultures circling a kill. Some were part of Eric's retinue while most were from different Areas, potential witnesses who had no stake in the outcome of battle between Maker and child, but were sure to report to their own Sheriffs or Royals about Area Five's troubles. It was a quandary Pam summed up quite succinctly. It was one of the many fine qualities he enjoyed about her.

"They don't know she's a wayward child."

Her snort was quite eloquent. "She reeks of your scent and is obviously newly turned, but instead of taking food from you hand, she hunts for herself. What else are they to think?" Especially after everything Sookie has done publicly to embarrass you, was thankfully left unsaid, though they both heard the damning words hanging in the air.

Eric was in a tenuous position as he no longer enjoyed the long leash held by Sophie-Anne, but bowed his neck to the much harsher and stricter Felipe de Castro. He was still a very powerful Sheriff and this often caused envy among those who were also unwilling subjects of the new King. Sookie's presence at his side had much to do with the continuing position he held, as de Castro was keen to have the services of a telepath and was enough of a statesman to lure with honey instead of vinegar.

Yet, she was also the source of many problems he had with other vampires because she refused to settle into her role as his bride and companion, preferring to sparring and mouthing off in front of others instead of behind closed doors as he urged, commanded, and blackmailed her into doing time and time again.

The only reason he wasn't a complete laughingstock was his fighting abilities and survivability skills; he was one of the oldest vampire in North America, and everyone knew he didn't rule because he chose not too. His newest child would understand she was his and lived upon his sufferance.

"The phrase "I brought you into this world and I can take you out," seems oddly apt at this moment," Eric mused quietly, his eyes never leaving the small screen of his phone.

The tinkling laugh was bell-like in clarity and beauty, causing several heads to turn in their direction. Pam was not easily amused and to hear her laugh was quite extraordinary. Speculation ran rampant among the vampires as they wondered at the conversation between Maker and Eldest Child.

As the evening wore on, anticipation roused Eric's hunting instincts and for the first time in a long while he felt closer to his true nature instead of bound to civility and fucking servility as he was most days. His honeysuckle girl was an unexpected gift regardless of her origins and possible end. He had no desire to destroy his perfect creation, but to protect everything he had gained and fought for, he would do what needs must be done.

At the appropriate hour, Pam's "Vermin get the fuck out," sent the mortals to the door while the vampires in the room remained, their eyes and fangs completely focused on her. She'd spent most of the night weaving a seductive spell over the human men she danced with, though surprisingly she never left the building with her more than willing victims. Her eyes had routinely sought his out, her lips drawn back over elongated fangs, the dainty points a taunt of the last three days and how they felt sunk into his body.

Eric stepped from the dais and stalked towards his new child, each step echoing dully in the silence. His fangs snapped down like a round racked in the chamber and he relished towering over her.

"You called?"

"I am...hungry...Master"

Without further word or warning, he grabbed her hair and forced her to her knees before him with pointed reminder of how she'd spent some of their previous moments together. Her nimble fingers unzipped and slipped into his jeans without further instruction and she drew out his cock with a sigh of wonder before delicately suckling him into her mouth, careful of her fangs.

Unmindful of her care, he pushed over her soft tongue into the dark haven of her throat, the strands of her dark hair wrapped around his hand like a rope. It wasn't often he had a lover who could take his entire length, but one benefit of a vampiric lover was the lack of need for air. He ignored the avaricious eyes trained on them, and cupped her cheek as he thrust in and out of her wonderful mouth. Her brown eyes were wide with adoration and he blinked at it in wonder and disbelief.

The lush pad of her tongue combined with the burning pain of her fangs scoring his skin, drove his need higher and higher as his thrusts grew faster and faster, wilder and wilder until his balls felt like plum sized weights aching to burst. Drink every fucking drop, he mentally commanded even as his cock seemed to split its skin with the force of his ejaculation he poured down her welcoming throat.

He withdrew reluctantly and tucked himself beneath unforgiving denim with slightly shaky hands. She remained kneeling with her face tilted to him, her breasts heaving with the force of her own desire. Eric could feel her lust inundating the bond even as he scented it in the air around her; she'd spent most of their three days together twined around him, embedding her delicious aroma into his skin until he felt like it was a permanent part of him . Now, he was angered that others saw her like this, so he roughly grabbed her arm and brought her to her feet.

If anyone would see her vulnerable and adoring, it would only be him. And maybe Pam.

"This is Holle, my Child." He brought her round to face the impromptu vampire court formed a few feet from them. Tradition demanded he introduce her to his King first, but he didn't know the next time he would see Felipe as the Royal resided in his home state of Nevada, so he ignored the niceties with breath-taking arrogance.

Shock lanced through the crowd as they absorbed the breach of conduct; at most they expected him to continue her punishment, maybe even allow some to partake of her luscious body. But to formally introduce her? By name?

Eric was irritated, aroused, and a tad melancholy, so in true Viking fashion, he decided to drown his sorrows in food and flesh. "You've had your goddamn show, get the fuck out."

No one dared tread on his temper and the vampires fled as quickly as the mortals had earlier. He knew the news of tonight's fiasco would probably be crawling all over the networks by evening's rise tomorrow, but found he had no regrets.

Eric changed his grip on Holle, shifting his hand from her arm to her nape. She was quiet beneath his touch, her silence an assent to whatever he planned. He had many plans involving blood, the dungeon, and testing her obedience.

"Master, what were you thinking? You've just shit on all the bowing and scraping and fucking ass-licking we've done in the past few months to the toad de Castro!" Pam stood before him, her hands on her hips as she scolded him like a harridan fishwife. "What was the point of trying to rebuild if you're going to tear it all down again?"

He stared at her, trying to put how he felt into words she would understand. It was strange to him how just a few moments ago he'd been willing to sacrifice his second-born to protect everything he owned, but now it seemed pointless. He was not meant to cower beneath the boot heel of another, especially a little shit like de Castro who wasn't nearly as strong as he was himself; the pleasure seemed to burn the doubts from his mind and clarify their situation.

"If Felipe comes after me, so he does. I feel like the Sword of Damascus hangs above our heads and I'd rather have it fall now when I can prepare for it rather than what I least expect it. I've been tracking the oddities happening here in the past few months and I'm pretty sure someone is stealing from us to make it look like I'm hiding profits from the tithing process."

Pam started, worry shifting from his surprising conduct to Fangtasia's business. "Another Long Shadow?"

He shrugged. "I don't think so. It has to be one of Felipe's little stool pigeons or someone turned against us for the right price. I'm pretty sure none of the humans are involved with it this time, but I"ll have Sookie suss out the girls in the next couple of days."

"You think she'll come back, especially after how you've disregarded her? She's a fucking human with mortal desires. Even I can feel her anger and hatred, muted as it is."

"Ah, but I have the contract she had Mr. Cataliades draw up which is iron-clad. She cannot withhold her services from me if the need is sufficient, and I have to pay her half up front the agreed upon amount and pay the other half within seventy-two hours."

"Holy - why didn't you tell me about it? When did this happen?"

A grimace crossed his face as he remembered the night she'd thrown it down before hin, flush with triumph at having put one over on him. No one, but no one, could wiggle out of a Cataliades contract. It was the reason Royals used his services almost exclusively; for Sookie to have gotten him to give her one, meant he'd taken a liking to her. Then,Eric had been pissed, but now it filled him with smug resolve.

"After her experiences in New Orleans."

Holle wiggled then, her movements breaking Eric from his tainted memories. "Still."

Her immediate adherence to his command contented him and his smile to Pam was full of fang. "Put in a call to Sookie in the evening tomorrow. I will have her here in two days hence or know the reason why."

"Of course." Pam nodded with a slight bowed head, her eyes flashing with rapid emotion. Eric didn't bother to read her because he trusted her as he trusted no other and knew she would do as he bid.

"Also, send the twins to the basement. We're staying here tonight."

"Holle and you?"

"Yes. Go home and return tomorrow to take care of the Sookie situation."

A pregnant pause then, "Her name is Holle?"

"It is now."

A/N: I'm finding writing a story strictly from Eric's p.o.v. is oddly freeing and I think that's what is pushing this continued story. Also, for those curious enough to know, Holle wasn't chosen randomly. I wanted a name that would hold some significance to Eric, especially since he didn't know her name before, and I think this one is perfectly suited for her.