Chapter 2

I let out a sigh as I walked back inside my Gran's house later, or early the next morning, rubbing my sore neck. I immediately smelt blood, Sookie's blood, and bolted up the stairs to her room. Opening her door without invitation, I caught her changing out of her bloodied Merlotte's uniform. I gave her a glare before growling. "What happened?" I demanded.

Sookie sighed before motioning for me to close the door. I did and sat on the bed. She explained about what Gran asked of her with the vampire, then to what happened with said vampire at Merlotte's, and the argument she had with Sam and Tara. Then she explained the fact that the Rattrays jumped her in the parking lot, which is why her clothes were bloodied.

"Why don't you have any wounds?" I asked confused. As far as I was aware, Sookie couldn't heal as I could.

"Bill saved me," she replied excitedly. "His blood healed me. We talked about things, and he is just so sweet and funny."

I raised an eyebrow at her giddy fascination with the vampire. "His name is Bill?" I asked to which she nodded. "What did you two talk about?"

Suddenly Sookie looked rather sheepish. "I may have told him that I'm a telepath," she admitted. I just raised my eyebrows at her. "I can't hear him. It was so quiet. Aren't you mad at me?"

"You didn't tell him about me, did you?" I countered to which she shook her head. "Then who am I to be angry with you."

"It's just everyone keeps getting mad at me for trying to get to know him," she admitted sheepishly. "I wasn't sure that you wouldn't be mad at me as well."

"Sookie," I said slowly, so she would pay attention to what I was gonna say. "I'm gonna tell you to be careful, but I'm not your mother. I'm also not gonna get mad at you for wanting to get to know him. Just be more careful. Like tonight, I wasn't there to help you and this vampire won't always be there, especially during the day."

Sookie sighed but nodded, and I gave her a hug goodnight. Going back downstairs, I locked the house back up. After changing for bed, I climbed into bed and was asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.

*Queen of the Wolves*

The next morning, I yawned as I walked down the stairs for breakfast, dressed for a run afterwards. I waved to Gran as she was putting the wash in, and I walked into the kitchen to find Sookie watching a news report about the VRA. It was a debate between Reverend Newlin of the Fellowship of the Sun, and Nan Flanagan of the American Vampire League.

"We never should have given them the vote and legitimized their unholy existence," the Reverend was saying as I got a cup of coffee. "The American people need to know these are creatures of Satan. Demons, literally. They have no soul."

"But Revered Newlin, you must be aware of the polls that show consistently growing support for vampire rights," Sharon, the news woman, tried to explain.

"Those polls are fixed," the Reverend argued. "Do you know who much money these monsters have given to politicians of both parties? As well as the corporate media?"

"That's nonsense," Nan fired back. "Vampires don't seek to control human policy. It's of very little interest to us. We simply want the same rights-"

She was cut off by the Reverend as I sat down with my coffee. "You can't trace any of it. It's all been laundered."

"Are you accusing my organization of criminal activity, sir?" Nan asked with a frown.

I frowned as well. Just because vampires had been alive longer than humans, doesn't mean that they're criminals. It just makes them survivors, surviving the only way they can. I tuned out the rest as I sipped my coffee. That's when Gran came back into the kitchen, and she came to put eggs on my plate.

"I don't think Jesus would mind if somebody was a vampire," Sookie commented.

"I don't either honey," Gran agreed.

"If God doesn't have a problem with me, I doubt He has a problem with vampires," I commented to which Sookie nodded. I smiled at Gran as she put eggs on my plate, and Sookie took a bite of her sausage.

"Is this sausage different from what you usually make?" she asked, and Gran shook her head. "It tastes so much more complex than it usually does."

"Oh, dear, you think it's gone bad," Gran worried.

"No, it's delicious," Sookie countered. "It's like I can close my eyes and I can see the farm the pig lived on, and feel the sun and the rain on my face, and even taste the ear the herbs grew out of."

Gran gave her a concerned look, and I just raised an eyebrow at her. I knew that the vampire's blood would increase her senses, but I thought the vampire, Bill, would have explained it to her. 'I guess not,' I thought.

Before Gran could say anything, Tara came in the back door. "Hey Mrs. Stackhouse," she greeted.

"Good morning, Tara," Gran replied. She over to Tara, who was getting a cup of coffee. "No, you sit down. I'll make a new pot."

"All right," Tara relented. Gran went off to find the coffee and Tara turned to sit in the seat between Sookie and me.

"You look awful," I commented off handedly.

"Thanks," she groaned. "I feel even worse."

Tara turned to Sookie and opened her mouth to ask a question, but Sookie beat her to it. "Yes, you can take a shower here. And you can borrow some of my clothes."

"Thanks," Tara said. "Any new about Jason?"

"What about Jason?" I piped up curious. This was something that I didn't know about.

"Bud Dearborne and Andy arrested Jason because they thought that he killed Maudette," Tara explained quickly. "How do you not know this?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "I was in a meeting last night and didn't get in until early this morning. I haven't had time to ask about any of these things specifically."

"We heard from Everly Mason already," Sookie told us. "They let him go last night."

"I knew they would."

"I didn't."

Tara gave her an unimpressed look. "Well, I'm glad to see you're still alive. You obviously did not hook up with that vampire last night." Sookie looked down to the table, and Tara scoffed. "Oh, Sookie, sometimes you are just plain dumb."

"Shut up!" Sookie hushed quickly as Tara's voice got louder. "Lucky Gran was already in bed when I got in last night."

"Did he bite you?" Tara questioned immediately. When Sookie said not, she turned to me. "Is she telling the truth?"

I nodded as I took a bite of my eggs. "He didn't bite her," I confirmed.

"Are you sure?" Tara asked Sookie. "Cause you know they can hypnotize you."

"Yeah, and black people are lazy, and Jews have horns," Sookie whispered back to her.

Gran walked in at that moment with the coffee to start a new pot, and Tara changed her tone to speak to her. "You must be glad they let Jason go, huh, Mrs. Stackhouse," she said.

"I can't believe that they arrested him to begin with," she said in bewilderment. "I have a good mind to call Bud Dearborne and chew him out. Jason's a good boy. Everybody knows that."

I snorted into my orange juice as Sookie and Tara exchanged a look. The phone started to ring, and Gran put down the coffee to answer it. "Hello," she said. "Oh, hey, Everly."

She walked away to talk, and I got up to fix the coffee while Sookie and Tara spoke. "I'm sorry I was such a bitch to you last night," Sookie apologized.

"Well, I'm sorry I've acting like I'm your mother," Tara apologized as well. "I just worry about you Sookie. You're basically my only friend."

I had just sat down when Jason came running in the backdoor. "Am I too late for breakfast?" he asked. "Hey Tara."

"Hey. Hey Jason," Tara stuttered, and her voice rose in pitch. "I'm so glad they didn't lock you up."

"Yeah, me too," he muttered as he got into the fridge for food. "I don't even know why they suspected me." He then took a bite of sausage. "I think somebody hear I'd been with Maudette."

"Had you?" Sookie asked.

"No," Jason answered, exasperated.

"Are you sure?" Sookie questioned in a sarcastic tone. "She was a woman."

"That's funny," Jason deadpanned as I snorted. "At least she was human."

"Ouch," I snapped with a frown. "Right here asshole. That's twice in two days."

Jason's expression then turned sheepish. "Sorry Teddy," he apologized. "It wasn't meant for you."

I was a werewolf, but a different breed than the normal ones. We called ourselves wolves, since we were more human. Not all of us could turn into wolves and we were more about subtly than the others. We valued our human side to keep our wolf side in check. The packs all around the country all had an Alpha, and the rest were all Beta's. I, myself, was the Queen over all the packs. My brother, Zander, was one of the Alpha's in my personal pack, along with his wife, Georgette. Not everyone who gets bitten turns into one of us, only the Alphas could give the Bite.

At that moment, Gran walked back into the room with slight excitement. "You'll never believe what happened!" She then noticed Jason. "Oh, hey, Jason."

"Hey, Gran," he greeted.

"Sit down," she encouraged. "I'll fix you breakfast."

Jason sat down quickly at that, and Sookie spoke up curiously. "What happened?"

"Well, heh, apparently, a tornado touched down at Four Tracks Corners," Gran replied while getting biscuits out of the oven. "It turned over that rent trailer in the clearing. You know the one?"

"Uh-huh," Sookie confirmed as Jason was getting biscuits. I snatched one off his plate and he gave me a small glare. However, what Gran said next to us both looking to her.

"Oh, and it killed that couple that's been staying in there," she told us.

"Mack and Denise Rattray?" Jason asked.

"They were trapped under the trailer," she confirmed. "Mike Spencer said they were crushed to a pulp."

Sookie looked concerned and I gave her a look to keep quiet. I finished breakfast quickly after that, and got up to go on my morning run. I put my plate in the sink and then gave Gran a kiss on the cheek before going outside.

*Queen of the Wolves*

I came back after my run, walking inside and doing some cool down stretches. Gran was vacuuming the rug, getting ready for the vampire that was coming over that night. She was talking with Sookie who was smelling the air. Sookie turned to me as I was stretching out my back. "Hey Teddy, do you smell that?" she asked me.

I sniffed the air but shook my head. "Just me Sook, sorry."

"No, no, that rotten food smell," she said, then she sniffed again. "Although, you do stink. Don't you smell that?"

I knew that her senses were heightened, but I never made a big deal about mine. Almost all of my kind lived like humans, so we down play many of our senses as to not seem out of place. I just do it out of habit now when I'm around my family. I took a long breath, and I could smell what she could. I nodded to her. "Yeah, now I can."

"Well, find it," Gran encouraged.

Sookie sniffed around before moving a chair over to find an old cracker. Gran was looking at her in concern, and Sookie looked a little concerned herself. "You can't smell this?" she asked, and then looked away nervously. "I better throw this out."

Sookie went to walk away white I went upstairs to take a shower.

*Queen of the Wolves*

After my shower, Sookie was already in my room, rummaging through my closet. "Um, what are you doing?" I asked her.

She jumped as she saw me, standing in my doorway in a towel. "I'm getting you an outfit for tonight," she declared. "I want things to be nice for him when he comes."

I raised an eyebrow in curiosity, and knowing that she was over doing it. Sookie was busy going through my closet, looking for a dress for me to wear. I extended my hearing to her heart, and her heartbeat was sightly irregular, which meant that she was nervous. "So, who else is coming?" I asked casually.

Sookie jumped, which told me that I was right. She turned to me with a pout as I went to put on some undergarments. "Are you sure that you're not a telepath?"

I chuckled at her. We found, when I got back, that if Sookie purposefully projected her thoughts to me, I could hear her. Also, when we were close, we could have mental conversations. It was strange since I couldn't read anyone else's mind. I tapped my hear as I put on a bra. "Your heartbeat is quick," I told her. "That only happens when you're nervous about something."

"Both Jason and Tara are coming tonight," Sookie admitted. "Both of them aren't gonna be very nice, so I want to have some things at least to look nice. Besides, this is the first time that you're meeting Bill after saving him, right?"

I hummed in confirmation, guessing that she was right.

"Oh, this is cute," she said, and I turned to look at the dress in her hand. It was a maroon, off the shoulder, short sleeve skater dress. It was a dress that I bought when I went shopping with Georgette and the other girls in my pack. It was one of the few casual dresses that I owned.

"I suppose that would be a good choice," I commented as I took the dress from her. She went back to my closet and got out a pair of white wedge heel sandals.

After getting dressed, Sookie helped me with my hair, and I did my make up lightly. Sookie then let me help her with getting ready for tonight.

*Queen of the Wolves*

Later that night, Jason and Tara came over just as the sun was setting. Jason was upset with Sookie's choice to have the new local vampire over to the house. "Look, I'm just saying," Jason said while getting a beer out of the fridge. "Do you want a vampire sucking blood out of you?"

"I'm just trying to get to know the man, that's all," Sookie defended with a shrug. Gran was taking sandwiches out to the living room while they were talking.

"Cause that's where it's gonna end up," Jason countered. "Always does."

"What do you know about vampires, anyway?" Sookie asked in annoyance.

"Yeah, I know a lot more than I care to," Jason muttered with a frown.

"Oh, please, Jason, you ain't even got enough sense to pour piss out of a boot," Sookie said angrily, getting up and stomping off.

I sighed as I got up to follow her but stopped to talk to Gran as Sookie went outside. "Hey Gran," I called to her. She hummed as she was making sure that everything looked presentable. "Can I ask you to do something for me?"

She looked at me in surprise. "Of course, sweetheart. What is it?"

"Can we keep what I am between us?" I asked, and she looked confused. "He can probably tell that I'm not human, but I don't want him to know who I am just yet."

"Of course, Teddy," she consented with a smile. "I'll just keep it to myself."

I smiled back at her. "Thanks Gran."

At that moment, Sookie came in with Bill. Gran immediately went over to introduce herself and went to go get Jason and Tara from the kitchen. I walked over to the two of them with a smile and outstretched my hand to shake. "Hi, I'm Theodora Stackhouse," I introduced myself as he took my hand with surprise. "It's nice to meet you officially. You can call me Teddy if you like."

"Bill Compton," he replied with a small smile. "I didn't get a chance to thank you for your help the other night."

"It's no problem," I told him. "Just don't make a habit of it, okay?"

Bill chuckled at my joke as I lead him and Sookie to the living room to sit. They sat on the couch together and I sat in one of the chairs near the fireplace. Jason and Tara came in and took a seat in the chairs across from the couch. Gran introduced the two of them to Bill before passing around the sandwiches. When she reached Bill, she looked a little startled. "Oh, my stars," she said, and Bill smiled awkwardly, but kindly at her. "Of-of course. Y-you don't-. I…I'm sorry."

She sat the plate down, before sitting down on the couch next to him. "You're people, Mr. Compton, they were from this area I believe."

"Yeah, my father's people were Comptons, and my mother's people were Loudermilks," he explained.

"Oh, there are a lot of Loudermilks left," Gran told him excitedly, but then turned somewhat somber. "But I'm afraid old Mr. Jesse Compton died last year."

"Yes, ma'am," Bill said with a small smile. "That's why I came back to Bon Temps. These were no living Comptons, so I've set up home in the old Compton place. And as I expect the VRA to pass…"

"I wouldn't be too sure about that if I were you," Jason interrupted. "A lot of Americans don't think you people deserve special rights."

"They're the same rights you have," Bill defended.

"No, I'm just saying there's a reason things are the way they are," Jason fired back.

I just glared slightly at Jason, upset at how rude he was being. If it were my people trying to get rights, Jason wouldn't hesitate to support us.

"Yeah, it's called injustice," Bill told him flatly with a hard stare.

"Listen, it's called, 'This is how we do it'," Jason said aggressively.

Gran interrupted whatever else he was going to say. "Jason! This is my house. I will not tolerate rudeness." Jason sat back in his chair with an angry groan. Gran then turned back to Bill. "Did you know the Stackhouses, Mr. Compton?"

"Yes, um… I remember Jonas Stackhouse," he told her with a smile. "He and his wife moved here when Bon Temps was just a hole in a road. I was a young man of sixteen." He then looked around the room with a smile. "Isn't this the house he built? I mean, at least in part."

Gran said that it was, looking happy, and I smiled. I was glad that he was being kind and respectful towards her. It was nice to see her excited about something.

"Did you own slaves?" Tara questioned with an annoyed look.

"Tara!" Sookie admonished.

Bill looked slightly awkward at her question. "I did not, but my father did. A house slave, a middle-aged woman whose name I cannot recall, and…And a yard slave. A young, strong name named Minus."

Both Tara and Jason looked annoyed at the information, but Gran just looked excited. "Oh, this is just the sort of thing my club will be so interested in hearing about."

"About slaves?" Tara asked in offense. I reached over to pat her arm in comfort.

"Well, about anything having to do with that time," Gran told her in an understanding tone.

"I look forward to speaking to you club, Mrs. Stackhouse," Bill told her with a smile, then stood up and stepped around to the edge of the couch. "Now, if it's all right with you, I thought that Sookie and I might take a walk. It's such a lovely night."

Gran looked a little flustered. "Well, it's all right with me if it's all right with Sookie."

Jason looked done with this conversation and stood up. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"I don't think it's any of your business," Sookie snapped at him. I just pinched the bridge of my nose to keep a headache at bay. I knew that Jason would try to have a pissing contest with the local vampire.

"She's right, Jason," Gran agreed.

"Look, Gran, I am the man in this family," Jason tried to reason, and I couldn't hold back the snort at that. Jason gave me a hurt look, before Gran cut him off.

"You are a man in this family," Gran told him, standing up. "But I am the oldest person here and this is my house. You better respect me, boy."

There was a tense moment before Bill broke it. "Actually, I'm the oldest person here." I chuckled at that with Gran before he held his hand out to Sookie. "Shall we?"

Sookie stood up with a defiant look to Jason and took Bill's hand. "We shall."

Bill sent a nod to Gran, who nodded back, and had a slight stare off with Jason. Jason took a small step back before Bill passed him to the door. They left and Jason turned to Gran with a put out expression and a scoff. "Well, thanks for making me look like a fool in front of him, Gran."

"Jason," she sighed walking up to him, patting his cheek. "You don't need any help looking like a fool."

Gran left the room with the tray of sandwiches to put them away. Jason then turned to me. "Why didn't you say something Teddy?" he demanded. "You can't be okay with this!"

I frowned at him. "Jason, Sookie is a grown woman. We have a respect her decisions." Jason went to argue, but I beat him to it. "Not to mention, if it was anyone of my kind, you would never be this rude. We are just as dangerous as vampire, which you seem to forget."

Jason looked scolded as he looked to the floor. I stood up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to bed, so drive safe when you leave. You too Tara. Goodnight to you both."

I went to the kitchen to give Gran a kiss and say goodnight. When I got to my room, I changed and took my make up off. Climbing into bed, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

*Queen of the Wolves*

The next night, I was helping to bring more beer to the front with Terry. Jane Bodenhouse, a widow, was already drunk at the bar and tried to get Tara's attention. I learned that Sam had hired Tara as a bartender when she helped out.

"Hey, sugar," Jan called to Tara. "Make Mom another singer, would ya?"

Tara walked over to her, chewing on a straw as she went. She leaned over the bar in Jane's face and held the straw so she could speak. "You listen to me, Jane Bodenhouse. You're already drunk as a skunk. Ain't no man in here is gonna wanna take you home. Sam will have to call your son to come and get you just like he always does, even though everybody knows it humiliates him to death. Ain't you ashamed of yourself?"

Jane looked confused for a moment. "What'd you just say to me?"

"I said, any particular brand of cognac?" Tara replied, putting the straw back in her mouth.

"No," Jane answered. "Whatever you have that's nice and cheap."

Tara turned with her glass and Sam walked behind the bar. "Tara, I told you where you could buy your uniform."

"Sam," Tara greeted. "How come you don't wear a uniform?"

I laughed lightly as they were going back and forth. Tara's personality was to take no one's shit, and she owned it. "Because I own this place and I wear what I want," Sam replied with a chuckle.

"How come Terry Bellefleur don't wear a uniform?" Tara continued.

Terry looked startled, being brought into the argument. I felt bad for Terry. He had been in the military and suffered from PTSD. I had known a few wolves that went into the military and came back different. "Because I've spent enough time in uniforms," Terry defended himself before Sam could.

"No," Tara countered as she fixed the drink for Jane. "Because you're a man. And Sam don't feel the need to sexualize the men in his employment the same way he do the women."

"Okay," Sam conceded. "You don't have to wear the uniform."

"Thank you," Tara said knowingly.

"Remind me why I hired you again," Sam inquired as he walked away.

"Affirmative action."

I laughed with Terry as Tara gave Jane her drink with a heated stare between them. I finished helping Terry and he gave me a smile. "Thanks for helping me out Ted," he said.

"No problem Terry," I told him with a smile. "Anytime."

As I walked back to get my tables, I noticed that Rene was helping out Sookie with a few guys that got handsy. I didn't really know Arlene's boyfriend all that well, but I was grateful that he helped her out. There had always been something about him that rubbed me the wrong way. My instincts were never wrong about people, so I tried to keep my distance from him. Sookie walked away from Rene, looking slightly flustered.

I decided to take her tables as she got herself together. Getting lost in serving, I only realized that she was back when she asked for the TV to be turned up. I looked up from the bar as I waited on one of the drinks from Tara.

"In other news, a tragic car crash in Dallas has claimed three lives today," the news caster was saying. "Theodore Newlin, his wife, Yvette, and their 18-month-old daughter, Bethany. All pronounced dead on arrival at Baylor University Medical Center. There were a total of seven other casualties as well in the freak accident, apparently cause when a freeway…"

I tuned out the rest as I turned to Sookie. "Hey Sook," I called to her and she looked away from the TV. "I took care of a few of your tables for you."

Sookie let out a massive sigh of relief. "Thank you so much Teddy. I haven't been real focused tonight."

I gave her a worried smile. "I noticed that. Is everything okay?"

She nodded at me, and when I raised my eyebrow at her, she sighed. "I promise that I'm fine," she reassured me. "Just a lot on my mind."

"As long as you're sure," I relented. "If you need to talk, I'm here you know."

She smiled at me. "I know. Oh! I have to take something over to Bill's place tonight, so you don't have to wait up for me."

I got a bad feeling from that, but the excited look on her face kept me from saying anything. "All right," I said. "Just be careful. Bill probably not the only vampire in the area."

She nodded in consent, and finished up my end of the night prep. I worked earlier that Sookie, so I got off earlier than her. When I got to my Gran's house, I went to bed with the bad feeling not going away.