A great big thank you for everyone who's been kind enough to read and review. You make my day.
As always, these characters are not mine.
"I would like to offer you a business opportunity."
His offer hung in the air as the telepath stared at him suspiciously. She didn't speak for a long moment. The vampire waited her out, forcing her to break the silence his offer produced. The quiet was shattered a few moments later by her soft, melodious laughter.
"You need to come all the way to Bon Temps to find waitresses?" She laughed again and Eric recognized her maneuvering for what it was.
"I have all the waitresses I need," he replied with a small smile. Fangtasia received a dozen applications a day.
"Then perhaps you have the wrong person," she suggested, "I can't imagine what you would want with me," she finished tartly, her eyes warily watching him.
"Oh, it's definitely you I want," he drawled out as his eyes made a rapid, but noticeable, scan of her petite, lithe frame. Her body temperature rose as her heart beat faster in response to his blatant perusal of her abundant assets.
"Then why don't you tell me what it is you think I can do for you?" Eric noticed the look of genuine puzzlement in her wide blue eyes. Could she really not suspect the truth?
"May I ask you a question?"
"Sure," she capitulated easily, but the wariness in her tone warned him she was no pushover. She was much more than he had anticipated, in every sense possible. Her beauty was obvious; her golden hair and blue eyes were almost a perfect match to his own. Her compact, curvy form was bouncy in all the right ways; Eric couldn't get enough of the lush roundness of her figure. Bountiful curves appealed to him in a way today's lean, muscular ideal of beauty never could.
"Are you a telepath?" Eric immediately noticed her eyes filling with surprise, but not confusion.
"Strange question to ask a person, wouldn't you say?" Her control over her facial expressions was impressive. He could only assume she'd perfected her poker face in response to the deluge of other people's problems she had to hear.
"But a very easy one to answer, wouldn't you say?" he countered simply. He turned and strode across the room to the couch. Dropping his long frame into the corner of the well-worn navy plaid couch, he waved his hand in invitation.
Sookie ignored it, as he expected, choosing to remain in her position near the door. He watched as she chewed on her bottom lip, her teeth pearly white against the deep rose of her full bottom lip. Her face bore a look of deep contemplation and Eric waited patiently for her to decide whether or not to admit her secret.
"If I said yes?" Her stormy blue eyes looked straight at him as she posed her rhetorical question.
"Then I would offer you a very lucrative contract in exchange for your services."
"And if I said no?" Her voice was strong as she asked the flip side of the equation.
"Then I would apologize for wasting your time and be on my way." He paused as he noted the relief flooding into her eyes. "Before I left, however, I would feel obligated to tell you there are others who have learned about your ability. Whereas I am offering a contract which will benefit you more than it will benefit me, they are not the sort to offer contracts. They're more the snatch and grab type."
She was masking her reaction well, but there were physiological signs she couldn't possibly control. The vampire watched as the blood drained from her face, leaving her pale beneath the sun-kissed skin. There was no pleasure at her reaction, even though he knew it signified a swing in his favor. For reasons he couldn't fathom, he despised how the light had dimmed in her bright, intelligent eyes.
"How do you know this? How did you know about me at all?"
He regarded her quietly for a moment before answering. "An acquaintance of yours spoke of your ability to my second-in-command. She reported it to me." He waited until she looked at him before he asked the important question. "Can you read vampires?"
"I can't read you at all," she admitted with a shrug, "but you're the first vampire I've met, so I can't say for sure."
Eric paid close attention to her expressions as she issued her denial. Conjuring up brutal, bloody images in his mind, he envisioned all manner of disturbing subjects while watching her face for any sign she was receiving anything from him. Her countenance didn't change, except for the hint of impatience edging through her.
The fact she couldn't read vampires was a plus. There wasn't a vampire on the planet who would tolerate letting another being that close, especially one who couldn't be glamoured.
"Loose lips sink ships," she said with resignation. "I'm surprised it took this long."
Eric regarded her with something akin to admiration. She was taking the conversation well.
"Loose lips brought you to the attention of the Queen of Louisiana, as well," he paused until she looked at him again. "Do you know someone by the name of Hadley Delahoussaye?"
"Hadley? She's my cousin. We haven't seen her in years. Everyone thought she might be dead." Color returned to her face in a furious wave as his meaning sank in. "Oh, no. She didn't? Hadley ratted me out to vampires?"
"Your cousin is a vampire. She is the Queen's child." He waited for the blood to drain from her features again, but her high color remained. Her eyes became even stormier as she thought.
"Vampires first, huh? No loyalty to blood at all?" She spoke bitterly, her eyes trained on the floor. "Sounds like Hadley."
"I don't really know her," Eric replied kindly. All he'd ever seen of Hadley was the Queen fucking and feeding from her in open court. He felt he could spare her that information.
"So, let me guess? The Queen's the big bad who's after me?"
"Yes, and no. She's the 'big bad' as you say, but she won't be coming herself. She's sending someone else, a vampire by the name of Bill Compton, a procurer in her court for a couple of decades. He's known for his relentless approach."
"Our nearest neighbours were Compton's," she said without surprise. "Old Jessie Compton died about a year ago."
"Bill is originally from here, so that's likely his house." Eric frowned at the idea of the vampire insinuating himself so close to the woman in front of him. It was no longer just a matter of securing the telepath before his regent did. The Viking's instincts were muddled, but he knew the situation was no longer straight forward.
"What's he going to do, glamour me into going with him? Kidnap me from my bed?"
"He probably plans to glamour you," Eric nodded his head, "but I'm not sure it will work."
Sookie looked at him in disbelief. "What do you mean? I thought vampires could glamour anyone."
"I tried to glamour you earlier. It didn't work." Eric draped a long arm across the back of the couch as he made his casual announcement.
Sookie thought of the strange pressure she felt in her head earlier and glared at Eric in outrage. He had tried to glamour her.
"You tried to glamour me? What did you try to make me do?"
"Nothing to worry about, I assure you. I was simply trying to put you at ease and make you more amenable to speaking with me. It didn't work, though."
"So if you can't glamour me, no vampire can?"
"Basically, although I'd like to have my progeny attempt it, as well, just to be sure. There are a few vampires who are gifted with advanced glamour, however. I wouldn't be so certain about them."
"If he can't glamour me into going along with him, he'll just take me?"
"He might, although he might decide to threaten you, or those close to you, to gain your co-operation." Eric paused and gave Sookie a long, sober look. "There are many methods he could choose, but he will not stop until he has passed you over to Sophie-Ann."
"And a contract with you would stop him from coming after me?" Her eyes were doubtful as she shook her head.
"No, but she will have to go through me to get to you, although I would have to agree to let you work for her. A binding contract between us will slow her down, though, at least until she figures out another plan."
Eric observed her as she considered his words. A contract really didn't mean much in his world, but he didn't want to upset the delicate edge he was walking with Sookie. Bonding with her would be the only way to make sure she was safe from Sophie's grasp. It wasn't a move Eric would consider lightly. The last human to have his blood had been Pam. He was surprised he was even thinking of it, but something about the delicate telepath ushered forth his protective instincts. It wasn't a conversation for the moment, though, and he pushed it away as best he could.
"What type of work do you expect me to do for you?"
Her question was unexpected in the moment and Eric blinked before he formulated a response.
"I would ask you read my human employees, screen any new hires, etc. You might be asked to sit in on business meetings, negotiations, things of that nature. I would ask you spend at least a couple of hours at Fangtasia through the week to scan the patrons for anyone wishing to do harm, or engage in anything criminal." He studied her face intently as he spoke, but her expression gave away nothing of her thoughts.
"I see," she replied absently after a moment. "What would the Queen expect of me?"
Eric was baffled by her calm demeanor. Surely she wasn't truly weighing her options? The vampire's jaw clenched tightly.
"Much the same, I would imagine, only I expect she would have you read the donor pool frequently, and you would likely be coerced into taking part in interrogations, as well. It's hard to say what Sophie-Ann has in mind. But you would be expected to live and work within her compound. There would be no freedoms. In all likelihood, she would force you to bond to one of her progeny."
Stormy blue eyes turned contemplative as she absorbed his words. He wondered what was going on inside her head. An errant thought wormed itself around his brain, tauntingly whispering the truth he was trying to avoid.
He would know her feelings, at least, if his blood was inside her.
"Either way, my life is uprooted and disturbed," she eventually replied. "I'd prefer to remain here and not be bothered by any of it, honestly."
The vampire stared at her, uncertain how to answer her. He'd come to Bon Temps to secure a telepath, but from the moment he'd walked through the door and seen her drop the glass she was holding, he'd been intrigued on a more personal level. Her beauty attracted him, but her bright spirit drew him in. He found himself changing his game plan with every word they exchanged.
"I will not force you into anything," he replied calmly, even though his mind was in turmoil at the very notion of walking away from the beguiling creature. "I will walk away, if it is what you choose. But Sophie-Ann will not give up and I cannot protect you if you don't let me."
He watched as the color in her cheeks rose even higher. She shook her head and spoke in a knowing voice. "The only way you could really keep your Queen from taking your asset would be to claim me as yours, right? Mark me with your blood, or something?" Her blue eyes blazed defiantly.
Her knowledge was surprising, especially since she'd claimed to have not met a vampire before. He wondered briefly where it had come from. He didn't think it was the shifter. Sam Merlotte tried very hard to distance himself from the supernatural community.
"It would be the best way to keep you from her, but I didn't think it was an option you would consider," he replied smoothly, glossing over the truth as best he could. "Claiming you personally offers some advantages over just a contract, as does giving you my blood. Would you have considered either?"
"Hell no!" she retorted passionately, her eyes flashing in her flushed face. "Just like I'm going to give you a hell no to your proposal. Completely identical to the hell no I plan on giving Bill Compton, and your Queen, too, if she lowers herself to come sniffing around!"
Where the hell was this coming from? Eric stared at her, uncertain what to think or say. He'd thought he was swaying her. Did she not understand the dangers she faced? Had she completely lost her mind?
"I'm sure they will be deterred," he said snidely. "This isn't a game, Sookie. She plays for keeps. You need protection."
"I can protect myself, Eric. I don't need anyone to help me. I belong to no one but myself and I will not be taken and forced into slavery. A business arrangement is one thing; being seized as chattel is an entirely different matter."
Her voice was calm when she spoke, and her demeanor matched her tone. It was his turn to look suspicious. How could she be this calm in the face of the shitstorm coming for her? Eric knew he hadn't misread the intelligence shining in her eyes. She wasn't stupid. What the fuck was she playing at?
"How do you plan on defending yourself against very determined vampires?" His temper was starting to rise. This night was going so fucking wrong.
"Don't worry about me, cowboy," she replied with a sweet, mocking smile. She straightened her spine and held herself tall. "I've got skills you can't even dream of."
Eric closed his eyes, willing his fangs to stay in place. Her words, while unexpected and cryptic as hell, had lit a fire in his body. His twitching cock was all but demanding a test drive of those skills. He opened his eyes again and faced reality. All five foot six inches of it.
"I'm sure your skills are impressive," he swallowed reflexively, "though I doubt they are enough."
"Wanna bet?" She flashed him a devilish grin. Merriment chased the turmoil from her eyes, leaving them bright and twinkling. Eric's tight jeans became even more constricting as his body responded to her lightning-fast mood change.
"I'll take that bet," he offered. He had to prove it to her. He had to show her she needed him. He'd come here tonight to recruit a telepath, but Eric found himself interested in far more than just her special skills. It was an outright lie to promise to stay away from her.
"Touch me," she challenged. His eyebrows rose, quickly followed by the rest of his body. Sauntering slowly, as if he had not a care in the world, Eric advanced on the blonde beauty waiting with a smile in her eyes. His own eyes never broke contact. He stopped inches from her, close enough to feel the heat emanating from her tanned skin.
"What are you waiting for?" she prompted him when he didn't make a move. A teasing grin played along the outer edges of her lips. "Touch me."
The vampire lifted his large hand and raised it until it hovered just millimeters from her skin. He closed the distance, laying his strong, cool fingers against her fragile cheekbones. His skin warmed with the connection. He reluctantly broke their contact a moment later.
"Touch me again," she demanded brightly. Her smile was infectious and the vampire felt the corners of his lips lift as he again reached to touch her.
To his utter shock, he could not make contact. His hand stopped a scant inch from her warm flesh. He pushed against the invisible barrier, but it held as firmly as she stood. Eric stepped back and studied her body. He could detect no magic surrounding her, but the barrier was firm. His hand reached for hers, but was again denied.
"Very impressive skills," he murmured as he examined her thoroughly. "What magic is this?"
Sookie grinned at the vampire. She was clearly enjoying herself, and Eric couldn't blame her. She held the upper hand, it was clear.
"Perhaps you might recognize it better like this?" The gorgeous telepath raised her hands and held them palms out, as if in supplication. Eric was about to reach for them when wisps of blue light started to dance on her palms, writhing and twisting together until they formed a brilliant ball of light.
The ancient Viking vampire warrior stared at her with unqualified astonishment etched onto his strong face.
"Fairy," he rasped out. His fangs fell into place as his control shattered. The telepath was a fairy.
Pam's favorite sentiment echoed in his head.
Fuck a goddamned duck.
Another chapter down, and fairy Sookie's come out to play.
What do you think?