A huge shout out to all you lovely people who've been leaving such kind reviews.

Thank you to Weewoman1 who's been kind enough to pre-read this chapter for me.

As always, these characters are the sole property of Charlaine Harris. I own nothing.

"How did it go with the telepath?" Pam gave Eric an appraising look as he walked into the office.

Eric didn't reply, but instead crossed to his desk and arranged his big body in the comfortable leather chair behind it. As per habit, his legs kicked up until his boots were resting on the corner of the desk. He leaned back in the reclining chair and crossed his arms behind his head.

"The telepath is a princess, Pam," he replied with a self-satisfied smirk.

"She's difficult to deal with, then?"

"No, she's a princess," he repeated. He watched as Pam's eyebrows drew together.

"What, like little Miss Cornhuskers Louisiana kind of princess? With the sparkly, fake crown and big hair?"

"Wrong state for cornhuskers, my child, and no, not that kind of princess." Eric gave Pam a full on shit-eating grin. "The fairy kind."

Pam stared at him with her mouth hanging slightly open. "Don't mess with me, Eric," she warned with a steely glare. "Are we talking Tinkerbelle or Fae?"

"Fae," he replied.

Pam stood from her perch on the arm of the sofa and crossed the office to lay her palms flat on Eric's desk. Leaning in until she was inches from her maker, Pam looked directly into his eyes. "If you are fucking with my head, Eric, I swear I'll glamour every single man in the bar to believe you want them," she threatened.

Eric laughed at her ominous glare. He didn't doubt she would do just that.

"We don't want that," he laughed. "I promise, I'm not messing with you. Sookie Stackhouse is indeed a telepath, but she is also one-eighth Fae, from the royal House of Brigant."

Pam dropped back and fell into the waiting chair behind her, momentarily stupefied. Eric watched her with amusement, wondering if he had looked anywhere as foolish as she.

"Fuck a goddamn duck, Eric!" Pam finally spoke and Eric burst into uproarious laughter. If he'd thought about it, he would have known she was going to say that. "What's so funny? Are you going to tell me this is a fucking joke?"

"No," he assured her when the laughter died down. "I thought the exact same thing when she told me."

"Alright," she replied, looking anything but convinced. "Have you secured her yet?

"Miss Stackhouse has declined my offer."

Shock and surprise raced across her face all over again. Women didn't often say no to Eric, no matter what he was asking of them. She wondered if it were the fairy connection. Vampires and Fae did not mix, mostly because of the former's unquenchable thirst for the blood of the latter.

"Did you warn her about her options? She must be crazy to turn down protection."

"She's not crazy at all, it turns out. She's got skills you can't even dream of." Eric laughed as he pictured her saucy grin as she'd thrown those words at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Despite her weak blood, she possesses the spark. Her magic is incredibly strong, especially her defensive skills. She feels she is capable of defending herself."

"She turned you down?" Pam asked incredulously. "Are you seriously going to walk away from a telepathic fairy, Eric, just because she says no? Glamour her, for fuck's sake! If you don't, Bill Compton will."

"Ah, but there's the rub. She can't be glamoured."

"What? Everyone can be glamoured!"

"It may be the telepathy or the fairy magic, but I could not glamour her." Glamouring was an innate ability for all vampires, but it was a skill that improved with age and finesse. Eric had both, in spades.

For reasons he hadn't yet examined, he found he wasn't truly upset she couldn't be glamoured. Other than female vampires, he'd never spent time with a woman he didn't eventually glamour. It would be a novel experience and the ancient vampire didn't have many of those.

"What are you going to do?" Pam asked with genuine curiosity. It was a strange and unique situation.

"She has agreed to see me again tomorrow."

"Is she still considering your offer?"

"No, she made it pretty clear she wants nothing to do with my offer."

"But you're going to try to change her mind?" Pam pressed.

"I guess," Eric replied musingly. He'd asked to see her again because the idea of not seeing her didn't sit well. He was simply content she agreed.

"You guess?" Pam regarded him with misgiving in her eyes. "What's going on here, Eric? Why else would you see her? Unless she's hot. Is that it?"

Eric's eyes drifted closed as he recalled her heart-shaped face and perfect, lush body. Yes, she was hot, but there were unexpected depths, as well. It was more than her beauty calling him, even though his body hungered for her with a voracious need.

"She's quite beautiful," Eric replied, opening his eyes again. "But there's more than looks with her."

"Oh, my god," Pam started to laugh as she took in Eric's dreamy expression. "You have a crush on a girl! Are you going on a date tomorrow?"

"It's not a date," Eric defended as he glowered at his teasing child. He just wanted to see her again, but he wondered now what she thought his request implied. Did she think it was a date?

"Then what is it?" Pam asked mockingly. Eric knew right then he would never, ever live this down.

"She could be useful," Eric replied, stubbornly not meeting Pam's eyes.

"I'm sure she could," she laughed. "When do I get to meet our fairy princess?"

"She is not "our" anything," Eric retorted. "And who said you get to meet her?"

"Your fairy princess, then," Pam said with a sigh. "And you wouldn't dare deny me, Eric! When would I ever meet another fairy princess?"

He laughed at her outraged look. "Behave yourself, and I might arrange an introduction."

"I could just go to the shithole where she works in that other shithole where she lives," Pam responded with an evil grin. "Public place and all."

"And I could make you wear black forever," Eric responded automatically. He didn't know why she still bothered to needle him. He always won, even if she made him pay for it in not so subtle ways.

"Fine. Have it your way," she pouted, standing and stalking to the door. "You always do."

"And I always will," he retaliated as she closed the door behind her.

The ancient vampire dressed with care the following evening. The fitted black suit he wore floated above his frame like a second skin. He knew the steel grey shirt made his eyes even bluer. Eschewing a tie, he instead left the top two buttons undone. His black shoes, a departure from his usual heavy motorcycle boots, were buffed to a shiny mirror finish.

As shiny as his shoes, the cherry red Corvette pushed the boundaries of the speed limit and beyond as Eric drove to his non-date with the telepathic fairy. He didn't give a flying fuck what you wanted to call it if it meant he would get to see the beguiling beauty again. If it was a date, so be it.

Eric Northman had never dated before. There had been no need to wine and dine, or go to movies, and all the other things humans did on their dates. The women Eric consorted with were there to provide for his basic needs, not to socialize or engage with. The vampire had never felt the need to know any of them in a meaningful way. His interest in Sookie Stackhouse was unprecedented.

There hadn't been a moment where she hadn't been in his thoughts since he'd reluctantly walked away from her the previous evening. He'd fought the temptation to fly to Bon Temps, just to see if he could catch one more glimpse of her intriguing beauty before the sun pulled him to rest. The first thought to cross his mind had been her.

Anticipation began to build within him as he pulled into her graveled drive,. He knew she'd been as attracted to him as he had been to her. He wasn't foolish enough to think he would sway her into his bed this night, but he certainly hoped he could build on the attraction between them.

Elegantly pulling his long frame from the low-slung vehicle, he walked toward her enclosed porch. He could see her sitting pretty as a picture on the gently swaying porch swing. She stood up as he approached, smoothing the innocently sexy white dress which clung beautifully to her curves. The red flowers scattered across the fabric looked like spilled blood from a distance. Her honeyed scent wafted on the evening air, teasing his senses until his body tightened in response.

"Good evening," he spoke quietly as he reached the bottom step. "You look beautiful tonight."

"Why thank you, kind sir," she laughed and gave a small, adorably awkward curtsy. "May I say you looking dashing yourself?"

"Dashing?" Eric laughed. It wasn't a term in common usage anymore, but it was a word he'd always liked. He thought he looked dashing, too. "You are too kind," he bowed with a flourish before pulling himself to his full impressive height and giving her a devastating smile. "Your chariot awaits, milady,"

The part-Fae telepath giggled and blushed lightly as he held out his hand. "May I?" He asked with a teasing glint in his beautiful eyes. He took her proffered hand in his larger one and gallantly assisted her down the three steps until she was standing in front of the vampire. The candy apple red heels she wore elevated her height, and made her legs look impossibly long.

Her small hand ended up tucking in the crook of his elbow, his cool hand resting lightly on top of tanned skin. His pale flesh was nearly luminescent against her golden glow. Sookie's eyes darted to their joined hands several times, fascinated by their differences.

Her hand reluctantly returned to her side when they reached the powerful beast he'd arrived in. Eric opened the passenger door and held it with a flourish. A shy smile was his reward as the telepath stepped around him before disappearing into the close confines of the vehicle. The door shut carefully behind her before he joined her. His wide shoulders brushed against her as he settled into the bucket seat; the soft leather seat made a sighing sound as he settled his muscular frame. Sookie agreed completely as she watched him from the corner of her eye.

Eric deftly turned the purring vehicle in the close confines of the gravel driveway and they were on the road quickly. Fiddling with the radio for a moment, he sat back into his seat when he located the channel he was searching for. Though the volume was low, the unmistakable voice of Neil Young filled the car. Sookie looked at him with surprise.

"Classic rock?" she asked with a smile.

"Do you mind?"

"Not at all. I love this music." She grinned, her pearly teeth flashing in the dark. "As a Southerner, though, I'm duty bound to change the channel if he starts doing Southern Man."

Eric laughed heartily. "I get your point. I won't object if you feel duty bound."

"A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do," she laughed cheekily in response. Creedence Clearwater Revival came on and Sookie tapped her foot to the music, comfortable in their silence.

"You weren't going to invite me into your home, were you?" His unexpected question made the telepath tune in.

"Maybe later," she answered honestly, and then blushed, the blood flowing freely to her cheeks. "I didn't mean – I mean, what I meant was," she stammered adorably. Her mouth clamped shut in time with her eyes and an audible breath rushed from her lungs. A small bit of composure was regained before she could continue. "I know you need an invitation to enter a human dwelling; I also know an invitation can be rescinded. Let's just see how the evening goes. Maybe next time, I'll wait inside for you." She finished with a small laugh. The very idea of having such an imposing creature in her home made Sookie's pulse race. Everything about the tall, magnificently handsome vampire made her pulse race.

He laughed easily, putting her at ease once more. "Then I shall have to make sure you have an excellent evening. I would be honored if you would invite me inside."

Even the virginal fairy couldn't miss the innuendo in his words. Her blush grew deeper as totally inappropriate, but extremely sexy, visions rose in her mind. She was at a loss for words, but Eric helpfully filled the growing silence.

"How do you know so much about vampires?" He turned his blonde head toward her. Blue eyes pierced her own. He really was too handsome for his own good.

"My godmother told me most of what I know," Sookie replied. "Claudine Crane. Do you know her?"

Eric nodded his head. "I knew of her a very long time ago. I wasn't aware she was in this area now."

"When I first learned about my fairy family and decided to visit the Realm, it was not long before y'all made your big come-out. Claudine told me all she knows of vampires so I could be better prepared, should I run into one." She paused for a moment before continuing. "My family was against me returning here, mostly because of the vampire situation. Grandpa Niall felt I would be in too much danger, but Claudine understood why I wanted to come back here."

"Your grandfather may have been right," Eric mused.

"And that's why Claudine taught me so much about vampires, including how to avoid them and how to defend myself from them." Her pause was longer this time. The telepath struggled to find the right words to express what was in her head. "The gift of sight is relatively rare in fairies, but it is one Claudine possesses, even though it's not really all that strong sometimes. She 'saw' my involvement with vampires, and knew I would face serious problems. She knew it was inevitable, so she coached me on what to do when the problem arose."

Eric regarded the part-Fae telepath seriously. His intelligent gaze burned with inquisitiveness.

"What did she advise?"

Sookie sat quietly for a long moment, her hands fiddling with the strap of her small purse as it lay in her lap. Eventually she raised her clear blue eyes and looked directly at him.

"She advised me to go to you," she finally admitted in a soft voice. "She told me you were the only vampire I could trust."

Eric's eyes remained trained on the road, but the powerful car slowed. He pulled over to the side of the road and put the car in park after turning on the emergency blinkers. Sookie's fingers twisted the purse strap round and round her fingers as she waited for his response.

"Would you care to explain?"

The vampire turned his eyes on her and Sookie shivered. She could take care of herself, but she still hoped she hadn't made a mistake trusting the enormous, powerful vampire.

She was really starting to like him.

So, how's everybody liking it so far?