Chapter 1

"Teddy, sweet honey, your order is up!" Lafayette shouted at me from the kitchen.

I came over to the window with another order that I put up to the window. "Thank you, Chocolate Adonis," I said with a wink. "I got one more for your fine ass."

Lafayette winked back to me, and I took the order put to the table. As I walked towards the bar, I noticed that my cousin, Sookie, had stopped and closed her eyes. I watched as she took a deep breath and opened her eyes again. She met my eyes and nodded with a smile. I smiled back. I always felt bad for Sookie on our busy nights. Sookie was a telepath, and most of the time, was very good about staying out of everyone's heads. But sometimes she couldn't control it.

As the night wore on, I took a break and slipped into the kitchen. Lafayette noticed me and sent me a wink. I normally came back here for my breaks. Lafayette's cooking was the best and the smells were even better. It allowed me to reset my senses. With the scent of his food to the sizzling of the fryer to the conversations Lafayette and I had. I was able to recharge my energy and reset my mind back here.

It was at that moment that Sookie came up to the window. "Onion rings, and if you drop a few of them on the floor, that's fine with me," she said with a strain to her voice.

I caught her eyes and she smiled at me. I smiled back as Lafayette answered Sookie. "Got it," he said grinning, and then turned to look at Sookie. "Oooh, Sookie, chika-chika-bow-wow."

I laughed a little when Sookie's face scrunched up in confusion and slight embarrassment at his words. She was always so innocent in so many things, this talk included.

"You look like a porn star with that tan and pink lipstick," Lafayette said sauntering over to the window. "You got a date?"

"No!" Sookie said immediately. "When I wear makeup, I get bigger tips."

"Yes, girl, that's it," Lafayette laughed, and then shook his chest with a pout. "These damn rednecks are suckers for packaging. Just look at your cousin, gorgeous with or without makeup and beautiful both inside and out."

Lafayette winked at me, and I grinned back. Lafayette was a close family friend and knew about me. He was always delivering me compliments and always had some way to make me more confident. Sometimes even I needed cheering up.

"She always is," Sookie said with a smile to me. I just smiled at her. "And I get even bigger tips when I act like I don't have a brain in my head, but if I don't, they're all scared of me."

As she said this, Arlene, one of the other waitresses with red hair, came up to the window. Lafayette spoke at the same time. "They ain't scared of you honey child," he said with a giant smirk. "They're scared of what's between your legs."

I laughed with Arlene as Sookie looked chocked and uncomfortable. "Lafayette! That's nasty talk!" she admonished. "I won't listen to that!"

"Do you even know what's between a woman's legs, Lafayette?" Arlene asked while still laughing.

"I know every man, whether straight, gay, or George ma-fucking Bush is terrified of the pussy," Lafayette stated in his fabulous way.

"Lafayette!" Sookie chastised.

"Calm down Sook," I laughed. "He's just telling the truth." Arlene and Lafayette were both laughing at my comment, but Sookie just gave me an unimpressed look. I had only been with one person, but that didn't mean I had to act all innocent.

Dawn, another one of the waitresses, walked up to the window at that moment. "Ooh! What are we talking about?"

"Pussy," Lafayette said at the same time that Sookie answered with "Nothing."

Arlene and I laughed at them before Arlene was talking to Lafayette. "Hey! Listen, not everybody is gay! Okay? Not everybody wants to have sex with you."

"You would be surprised, Arlene," Lafayette said, walking closer to the window, and pointing to her as she scoffed. "People you know. That's all I'm saying."

"Well, I don't wanna have sex with you," Dawn commented, and Arlene agreed with her.

"Oh please," I jumped in with a whine. I got up and wrapped an arm around Lafayette's shoulders and pouted at the girls. "We all know that if he weren't gay, we would be all over him. I know I would be. Every woman is being robbed of this Chocolate Adonis."

"That's right sweet honey," Lafayette agreed with a grin and a wink. "Y'all bitches don't know what you're missin.' I got six gears on these hips."

"No, baby," Dawn countered as she turned to walk away. "You don't know what you're missing. You can tach her walk away, make you wanna slap it? You wanna slap it?" She slapped her own ass as she walked away from the window.

"Everybody knows that," Lafayette scoffed. "Everybody been there. Ain't that right? John's been there!"

John, the other cook, just stayed quiet as he worked. I could never tell if he just wanted to work and ignored these conversations, or just didn't talk much. But with how many parties Dawn goes to, I wouldn't be surprised if he had been with her.

"Take these, baby," Arlene said the her hands under her chest, displaying them. "Peaches and cream."

I could only laugh with a giant smile as Arlene and Lafayette went back and forth. Sookie just stood there looking completely uncomfortable and mortified by the conversation, and she quickly got out of there. I talked with Lafayette for a few more minutes before I had to get back to my tables. I was then that I saw Tara walk in.

"Hey Tara," I greeted with a smile. "Who said what that pissed you off this time?"

"Now, what makes you say that?" she questioned in a defensive tone.

I scoffed. "Because someone always says something, and it always pisses you off. And then you pick a fight in order to quit."

"Bitch don't get me started," she snapped, but then smiled and winked at me. Tara has been best friends with Sookie since they were in kindergarten. We had become pretty good friends over the years.

I had left years ago after my mother died to learn about what I was and my kind. When I returned a few years ago, Tara and Lafayette were the only people outside of my immediate family that I told. Tara, being the curious person she is, asked all kinds of questions about me, and I answered what I could. Both Lafayette and Tara surprised me by being so accepting of me and what I was.

The only thing that I couldn't tell them was where I had been all these years. It was forbidden by my people to tell outsiders, even for me, but I told them as much as I was allowed to. My cousin's and grandmother didn't even know the full extent. Now, with the Great Revelation of the vampires two years ago, it was even more important that our secrets are kept secret.

The only other person in the small town of Bon Temps that knows about my secret, besides my family, Tara, and Lafayette, is my boss, Sam Merlotte. Sam know about me the second I walked in and the same when for him. I immediately know what he was. He had asked for me not to say anything to anyone else and I gave him my word that I wouldn't if he kept mine as well.

I went up to the bar for a breather and stood next to Tara as Sookie walked up on her other side.

"My life sucks," Tara groaned, staring at the margarita in front of her.

I scoffed as Sookie gave her a disappointed look. "Oh, Tara, don't you be feeling sorry for yourself. That's just lazy."

"Well, why can't I keep a job?" she whined.

"Maybe because you can't keep your mouth shut," Sookie answered immediately.

"Bitch, who asked you?!" Tara snapped, she then smiled and winked to show she was kidding.

"How're you doing Sookie?" Sam asked, walking over to the three of us. The thing was, Sam has been practically in love with Sookie for years. It was completely obvious to everyone, but Sookie. I think that she always suspected, but because of her powers, she would never make the first move. That and she maintains that he is her boss. Thus, nothing could ever happen.

"I've had better nights," she responded.

Sam smiled at her as he leaned on the bar. "Anything I can do to improve this one for you?"

Sookie just kinda looked at him in befuddlement. There was an awkward silence that followed, but before she could respond, a sort of silence seemed to fall over the bar. Sookie slowly turns as if in a trance, as my senses flared, and the scent of fresh dirt and gunpowder filled the bar. I looked over to see a tall dark haired, pale stranger walk over to Sookie's section. His blue eyes caught onto Sookie's.

Sookie suddenly spun around looking totally excited. "Oh, my God! I think Merlotte's just got its first vampire!"

"I think you're right," Sam agreed with tension in his voice.

"Can you believe it?!" Sookie exclaimed. "Right here, in Bon Temps?! I've been waiting for this to happen ever since they came out of the coffin two years ago."

With that, she spun around with her pad and walked over to take his order. I smiled nervously at her enthusiasm. Sam, Tara, and I were silent as Sookie spoke to the vampire. I was a little concerned that Sookie might let something slip. Any time that girl gets nervous, she just keeps talking.

Vampires, especially the older ones, covet power above anything. And a girl who could read minds would be invaluable. Not to mention if they find out about me. That would be bad. The vampire then looked over at the three of us. I used my hearing to listen in on the two of them.

"Oh!" Sookie said, after glancing back at the three of us. "Don't worry about Sam! He's cool. I know for a fact that he supports the Vampire Rights Amendment. And that's just my older cousin, Teddy. She's a big supporter of the VRA as well."

"How progressive of them," the vampire joked, the low timbre of his voice catching me off guard. I always had a thing for deep voices. But I knew that I couldn't think like that when it was obvious that Sookie was starting to like him.

I snapped myself out of my daze and muttered to Sam that I was going back to my tables. I quickly got lost in serving and delivering to notice much going on. I was just about to take another break in the kitchen when Sookie came out of nowhere and grabbed my wrist. She also grabbed Tara's wrist as she exited the bathroom.

"Tara! Teddy!" she shouted as she dragged us along. "We have to stop them!"

"Stop who?" Tara questioned. "Why?"

"The Rattrays!" Sookie answered in a hurry. "They're gonna drain him and sell his blood! We have to stop them!"

Tara immediately pulled her arm away. "No, we do not! We don't have to get anywhere near that vampire!"

Sookie just looked at Tara in disappointment. "Tara, I am very disappointed in you and your small-mindedness."

"Sookie!" Sam exclaimed to get her attention. "Vampire can take care of himself. I promise you."

Sookie immediately turned around and found the booth that they vampire was in empty. "Shit!" she snapped and threw off her apron onto the bar counter. She ran from the bar and out into the parking lot.

I frowned and cursed silently in Celtic as I quickly too off my apron as well and placed it next to my tray on the bar. Moving quickly after my cousin, I found her moving towards the outer part of the parking lot. I walked quickly after her but stayed quiet. Sookie grabbed a heavy chain off a truck's bed. I got closer and then I heard both of the Rattray's voiced.

"Hurry!" Mack urged his wife.

"We should've have taken him home!" Denise argued as she messed with the tubed and bags.

"Too dangerous," Mack shot down, sounding exhausted, in pain, and rubbing his head. "Where are we gonna hide a dead vampire in our trailer?"

"Well, at least we wouldn't be out in the fucking open like this!" Denise kept on. The two of them started to argue about Mack being on V.

'Well, that explains a lot,' I thought and Sookie, who was in front of me, jumped a little and turned around to me. I gave her a soft nod. 'I got ya.'

Sookie just smiled and nodded to me. She turned back to the situation at hand, and I moved to stand just behind her. The vampire either heard us or smelt us, but he turned to look at us with his fangs out. He looked to be struggling and breathing heavily. There was a thin chain across the top of his chest and over bother wrists against which he was struggling. I could also smell the scent of burning flesh that made my nose scrunch up and twitch.

Sookie nodded to him and held up the chain. She walked up slowly as the couple continued to argue.

"Woman, would you just shut the fuck up?!" Mack snapped. "Sometimes, when you talk, this is what I hear: A-yada-yada-yada- "

He was cut off when Sookie threw the heavy chain at his back. He fell to the ground with a cry of pain before he spun around to glare at Sookie with a crazed look on his face. "You crazy bitch," he growled as he pulled a knife.

As Mack lunged at Sookie, I jumped in front of her and grabbed his hand with the knife. I used my other hand to punch Mack in the jaw and there was a resounding crack of a bone. He fell down with another yell of pain. Mack held his now broken jaw as Sookie moved for the knife that Mack had dropped. Denise moved to grab the knife as well, but Sookie snatched it up first. Sookie held the knife out with only slightly shaky hands.

I taught Sookie how to shoot and fight when I came back a few years ago. She's a very good shot, and she's descent with a knife. However, this is the first time that she's been in this kind of situation.

"This ain't yer business, you stupid cunts," Denise sneered at us, an angry expression on her face.

I just raised an eyebrow at her. "Now, that's something that I find funny," I told her. "Since you're the biggest cunt in Louisiana."

Denise practically snarled at me and stepped forward. But Sookie stepped up next to me, the knife still raised threateningly, and Denise stopped short. "Now, see, that just proves how low-rent you really are," Sookie remarked with a disgusted smirk.

"You have any idea who you're messing with?"" Denise growled, taking a step forward. "You don't wanna be on my bad side."

"I'm not so sure you have another side, you no-account, backwoods trash," Sookie fired back.

Denise looked absolutely appalled by Sookie's comment and rushed over to collect the blood they drained to take with them. But I got in front of her. "Uh-uh," I said popping my knuckles. "Don't even think about taking this blood. Get your bastard husband and leave."

"I will kill you both for this," Denise sneered at me.

"Get out. Now," Sookie emphasizes, holding out the knife.

Denise just looks like she swallowed a lemon as she grabbed her oversized bag. As they argued but leaving, Sookie dove down next to the vampire and dropped the knife next to her. I stood just beside Sookie as she lifted the silver chain that held the vampire. Once it was off and the vampire stopped breathing heavily, the wounds on both his wrists and chest healed instantly.

"Shut up," Sookie whispered to which I snorted at her less than intelligent response.

Suddenly, I heard car tires and an engine coming towards us. I pushed Sookie into the trees before grabbing the vampire under his arms and dragged him out of the way. Denise drove right over where we had been, shouting, "I'ma get you bitches!"

"Oh, bless your heart," Sookie breathed to the vampire as he leaned against a tree trunk. "I'm so sorry that I didn't get here faster or do much with my cousin. You'll be okay in a minute, right?" The vampire just glances back and forth between us and the road in confusion. "Do you want us to leave?"

"No," he answered immediately in a gravelly voice. "They might come back, and I can't fight yet."

Just then, a collie pushed its way between Sookie and me. It barked a few times at the vampire as Sookie greeted him. The dog looked up at me and I smiled down at him. "We're okay," I told him, bending a little to scratch him behind his ears.

The dog rubbed his head against my hand, and then turned to lick Sookie's neck. He then barked a few more times at the vampire, before running off.

"He's checkin' on you two," the vampire commented.

"That's just some old dog that hangs around the bar sometimes," Sookie explained. "He must live nearby."

"Oh, no doubt," the vampire said.

I chuckled at him before handing the knife to Sookie. "I gotta head home," I told Sookie and the vampire. "I'm glad that you're okay, vampire. Sookie don't forget to go back to work."

Sookie gave me a look and I just smiled at her. Waving over my shoulder, I walked back to the bar, seeing Sam standing there. "Teddy, everything okay?" he asked worriedly. "Where's Sookie?"

"Sookie's making sure no one comes after the vampire," I told him with a small smile. "And everything is fine. Just don't giver her a hard time okay?" Sam sighed but nodded at my request, and I smiled at him. "I'm gonna grab my stuff and head home for the night."

Sam nodded at me, and I went inside and grabbed my stuff. After wishing everyone a goodnight, I hopped on my 2000 Harley Davidson Fat boy motorcycle and headed home.

*Queen of the Wolves*

The next day, both Sookie and I were sunbathing in the front lawn. I wore a lime green bikini top with a pain of plain white cotton shorts. Sookie sore a white bikini top with strawberries on it with white and black poke-a-dot shorts. Just then my other cousin, Jason, pulled up and jumped out of his black truck. "Hey!" he shouted as he walked over to us all heated. "How come neither of you told me you two beat up the Rattrays last night?"

"We haven't even seen you since then," Sookie snapped.

"Well, where's Gran?"

"Hanging the laundry out back," Sookie answered with a bite in her tone. "And you keep your voice down. I don't want her to know about any of this."

"Fortenberry couldn't wait till I got to work this morning to tell me all about it!" Jason countered.

"Hoyt Fortenberry?" I questioned, sitting up a bit. Jason hummed in confirmation. "How the hell does he know?"

"He went over to the Rats last night to buy some weed," Jason explained to us. "And Denise drove up like she wanted to kill somebody she was so mad. The only way she would sell him any weed was if he would drive Mack to the hospital in Monroe."

"Uh huh!" Sookie snapped, sitting up in her lawn chair. "Well, did Hoyt tell you that Mack came after me with a knife?"

"Motherfucker," Jason swore, now angry and bet over to look at Sookie. "You want me to kick his ass?"

"I already took care of that, thank you," I told him with a smirk, as I laid back down.

"I bet you did," Jason agreed, smirking and sent me a wink. He then looked confused before turning to Sookie. "What are you two doing messin' with him anyway?"

"Well, did you know that in addition to dealing drugs, that the Rats also happen to be vampire drainers?!" Sookie told him, raising her voice slightly. At Jason's shocked look, she continued. "Yep! One of my customers last night was a vampire, and they were draining him out in the parking lot. I couldn't have that."

"Sookie, you do not want to get mixed up with vampires. Trust me," Jason scolded, then he turned to me. "Why didn't you stop her Teddy?! You both need to stay away from vampires!"

I let our a feral growl that made Jason take a step back. I stood from my chair and glared at him, putting my black sunglasses on my head. "I am perfectly capable of fighting and defending myself against anyone or anything. You know that too damn well."

I then brushed past him, walking towards the house. "Where you goin'?" he called out to me.

"To get ready for my meeting tonight!" I shouted over my shoulder.

"Well done dumbass," I heard Sookie snap at her brother as I walked inside.

*Queen of the Wolves*

"Do you want the rest of that?" Jason asked as he speared some food on Sookie's plate. I sat with both Sookie and Jason at the kitchen table for lunch.

"Yes!" Sookie replied as he took the meat and shoved it in his mouth. Sookie gave a mix between as scoff and a huff.

"Thank you," he said with a smirk, and a mouth full of food. "If you're gonna wear that suit, you might want to start watchin' what you eat."

Sookie laughed at Jason's teasing, and I just smiled at the two of them. It was nice to be with the both of them like this. The nice and normal half of my family. One of the few moments that I have before tonight.

I wore a pair of dark wash jeans tucked into black knee high boots. My tight dark gray crop to showed off my six pack abs. I had my black leather vest hung on the back of my chair. To anyone else, this wouldn't be appropriate for a business meeting, but it is for my people. Just then Gran came in with a stricken look, and I sat up straighter in my chair. "Gran, what's wrong?"

"That was Everlee Mason," Gran explained, holding the phone close to her chest. "Guess who was found strangled to death in her apartment. Maudette Pickens!"

"Oh, my Lord," Sookie said, shocked.

I only blinked, not knowing who they were talking about. I had been gone for years and been back a year or so ago. Even in the old, small town where everyone knows everyone, I still didn't know everyone.

"She didn't show up for work, wasn't answering her phone and so her boss called Bud Dearborne," Gran explained. "He rode over, got the manager to let him in, and they found her."

"I went to high school with Maudette," Sookie mentioned to me when she was my confused expression. I mad an aha face when I caught on.

"Can you believe it?" Gran questioned as she sat down across from Sookie. "A murder in Bon Temps."

"Well, why are you surprised?" Jason countered ruefully. "Now that we got ourselves a vampire."

"Just because he's a vampire doesn't mean he's a murderer!" Sookie denied.

"Ah come on!" Jason continued. "Fang-bangers go missing all the time in Shreveport, New Orleans! They never find them, but everybody knows the vampires are killing them and disposing of the bodies!"

"What's a fang-banger?" Gran asked in complete confusion.

"A vampire groupie," I answered her. "Men and women who like to get bitten and other things."

"My stars!" Gran exclaimed with a gasp.

"Maudette was a fang-banger?!" Sookie queried with a shocked look. "How do you know that?"

"I don't know, Sookie!" Jason exclaimed in an angry tone. He banged his fist on the table as he gets up. "The was that you just know things sometimes!"

Jason walked over to put his plate in the sink and tried to calm down in the silence that followed. He turned back around and leaned against the sink. "There's also… hookers… who specialize in vampires," he told us. "They drink Tru Blood to keep their supply up, and they keep a bodyguard there in case the vamp gets a little too frisky." All three of us looked at him in stunned silence. "I read that in a magazine."

"Of course, you did," I muttered, and Jason gave me a look.

"Wonder how much one would charge for something like that?" Gran asked in curiosity.

"A thousand bucks," Jason answered.

"See, now that just makes me sick," Sookie groaned which I echoed.

"I know," Gran concurred. "What kind of cheap woman could ever do something like that?"

"You would be surprised Gran," I mentioned with a shrug.

Sookie nodded to me. "That and it makes me sick that they're gettin' a thousand bucks to lay there and do nothin' while we bust our asses for ten bucks an hour plus tips."

"I don't think they just lay there, Sook," I contradicted.

"I think they're expected to, you know, participate," Jason continued, smirking at his sister.

"Eww," Sookie voiced with a disgusted face. She then looked at Jason with a look that I recognized. It was a look that said she realized something was wrong with Jason.

I had noticed that Jason had been a little twitchy the moment that we heard that Maudette was dead. Jason had always been a horn-dog, but I had always thought he had higher standards when it came to women. It was as if he had accidently run over Tina and didn't want Sookie to find out.

"Well, um, thanks for lunch, Gran," he muttered as he walked away.

Sookie stood to go after him, and I just sighed. Getting up, I put my plate in the sink. I went over to give Gran a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be one late Gran," I told her. "So don't stay up waiting for me, okay?"

"Alright dear," she agreed with a smile. "Just be careful tonight."

"I always am Gran," I grinned as I walked away. I said my goodbyes to Sookie and waved to Jason as he left. Getting onto my motorcycle, I put my helmet on before driving off to my meeting.

*Queen of the Wolves*

I pulled up to the house that I owned and got off my motorcycle. As I took off my helmet, I noticed my brother's wife, Georgette, waiting at the top of the wrap around porch. Georgette's chocolate brown skin glowed in the afternoon sun, and it shown off of her pitch black hair that fell to her waist in long ringlets. Her black eyes looked at me with warmth and she had a warm smile on her full lips. She opened her arms to greet me as I came up the stairs. I wrapped my arms around her curvy figure in a hug with a giant smile. "Hey there GG," I greeted her.

"Hey there Teddy," she replied with her Brooklyn accent. "Good to see that you could come early."

The screen door to the house opened and out walked my half-brother, Zander Maddox. His tall broad frame and full tattoo sleeves on each arm took up most of the doorway. Zander's shoulder length, dark brown hair was up in it's usual bun and his dirt brown eyes caught the light making them look amber. He smiled at me and reached to give me a hug as well. "Hey there little sis," he said.

"Hey there big bro," I replied with a content smile. Zander's hugs always made me feel safe and warm.

We pulled away and he smirked at me. "Are you ready for this?"

"Let's do this shit," I smirked at him.