A/N: Wow! Ty for all the reviews! The response to this story has me on a review high! Hope you all like this chapter as for the questions about why Susanna? Well it's her birth name and Sookie is a nickname. He doesn't know her well enough to call her Sookie yet. But we will get there I promise!
Previously:
"It's a date, wear something you can dance in. I'll pick you up at eight Miss Stackhouse." before she can argue I take to the sky. Tomorrow I have a date with a feisty telepath and by the end of the night I will taste my little song bird.
Chapter 3:
EPOV:
Before I went to rest at dawn, I tried to think of the perfect date for my little bird, the problem is I have never been on a real human date in all my thousand years. Of course I have taken my share of feed and fucks to vampire occasions, but I doubt a mass orgy will fly with my bird. So needless to say Google has been my best friend for the planning of this date, If my child could see me now she would have decades worth material to torment me with. Every search I conducted states romance is the key to a perfect first date. Now keeping that in mind along with my little birds telepathy I have come up with the perfect date. Now all I need to do is call my child and avoid any sarcastic comments, yea I don't see that happening. I take out my cell and hit her speed dial.
"Master." My child answers respectfully.
"I will not be joining you tonight, make the needed arrangements for my absence." Silence greets me and I know I am in for it when she opens her mouth again and she reverts to using my name instead of my title.
"Oh Eric, are you going to see a feisty blonde by any chance? Tell me after you have taken her do you plan to share? I have never tasted anything as good as she smells, we could call it a birthday present! Oh the plans I have for her!" a low growl escapes my throat before I have the chance to stop it and I snap at my child perhaps to strongly.
"She is Mine! No one will touch or taste her but me!" I feel her shock as I am sure she feels mine.
"What is she master? Surely you would not behave this way over any old blood bag." her tone is one of submission and I am once again proud to have such a loyal and intelligent child.
"Go somewhere you are free to talk." Code get away from anyone who could listen in.
"I am free Master." ok now how much do I tell her and do I tell her of my date or do I make this sound like more of an information gathering evening?
"She is a telepath. She cannot read our minds but I have little information on the minds she can read. We are having a chat tonight so I can get more details." not a lie but hopefully skirting the truth just enough where she doesn't ask questions, yea I would never have such luck.
"So are you having a meeting or are you going on a date with her? Because if it is a date I could help you. We both know you are clueless about emotions and I am a woman. So is this conference room or little black dress? Dear Abby says on a first date you should take it slow, you should prepare yourself for no sex and you have to be respectful of her human sensibilities. This means no donors for you and since she is a telepath this means no coming to the bar because hearing of you previous exploits would not bode well for your budding relationship." Good gods! I never should have said anything to her.
"I do not do relationships Pam, this is a fact finding mission and also to secure her services, I wish to speak of this no more!" she sighs into the phone.
"You know master you can lie to yourself all you want but…" I hang up the phone as I have no interest in hashing this out with her. Once I make a few phone calls to make sure everything is set up I climb in my black corvette and head to her home. This last hour feels like forever, this distance is not going to work for me when she is mine. I pull up to her house and notice no wards have stopped me from entering. Before I can even knock on the door it opens and I am standing in front of the brunette Amelia from last night.
"Is Susanna ready?" I ask because I have no need to stand here longer then necessary. She gets a confused look on her face before she laughs and yells.
"Oh Susanna, tall blonde and dead is here for you." I here a little growl from upstairs and my bird yells.
"Amelia! If you call me Susanna one more time I will call Octavia and tell her about Bob!" the witches face pales and she gets serious really fast.
"You don't have to go to such extremes Sookie…" she doesn't get to finish because we are joined by an older lady, who smacks her on her ass and chides.
"That will be enough of the name callin' and shouting little girl, where are your manners?" She looks at me and extends her hand in greeting.
"Adele Stackhouse, you must be Mr. Northman, please come in and have a seat. Sookie should be right down." we walk into the living room and though the house looks like a old farm house from the outside, the inside is completely modern. Flat screen TV on the wall and nice furniture. She sees me looking and can no doubt see me admiring the room.
"Sookie insisted on all this new stuff. I was quite happy with how it used to look but she is a stubborn mule. She says I deserve comforts and she'll be damned if I don't get them." we take our seats and As she speaks you can feel the pride radiate from her. So I use this topic to my advantage as I know of some of her successes.
"Yes, last night they came to my bar to celebrate her graduating." her smile got wider if it is at all possible.
"Yes well, those were only her most recent accomplishments. She already had a masters in psychology and minor in sociology. I swear some days I wonder where she gets it, her daddy didn't have a lick of sense and her brother isn't far behind. But Sookie's always been smart ever since she was a little girl." she was able to pull one over on me I think to my self.
"Yes, I can see that. She was able to pull the wool over my eyes last night and I don't get duped very often." her face turns a little serious but still polite.
"Yes, I heard about last night. I trust that will not happen again. I can forgive it this one time, as you had yet to meet me and didn't understand how I feel about my girl. But now that you have met me I can assume those shenanigans will cease?" oh lovely, another angry kitten. I can see where she gets her feistiness. I could kill her in a second and yet she scolds me like a child. I cant help but smile.
"I understand, and while it wasn't my intention to cause harm I can see how it may have looked. Rest assured she is in no danger from me." she looks at me intently as if searching for something and under her breath I can barely hear her whisper.
"There's more than one kind of danger though." just as I am about to ask what she means the sound of high heels get my attention and I stand and look to the entrance of the room to find I am dumbstruck. Standing before me is my bird wearing a light blue dress with a slit up the left side almost up to her thigh. It is sleeve less and shoulder less with spaghetti strap neck. Her hair is pulled up loosely with a few strands hanging over her bitable neck. I was speechless, she took my silence as a bad thing brows furrowing.
"You told me to wear something I could dance in, I can change if this is too much." the only thing I can make come out of my mouth is one word.
"Beautiful." the blush that spread across her face was utter torture, from fangs to dick my body reacted. How the hell am I going to get through the night without mauling her? She stepped into the room an went directly to the old woman and gave her a hug and kiss on the forehead. The little old woman wrapped her arms around her and whispered.
"Remember what I told you little girl, be smart and try to have a good time." 'Sookie' Laughed at her and told her.
"I'll do my best gran, I'll be staying in the Shreveport apartment tonight so don't forget, the bathroom guys will be here early tomorrow morning." she turned to the witch.
"Don't forget the meeting with the realtors at two. Make sure Lala is there, I don't care if you have to roll him out of bed and pour coffee down his throat. We cant miss this appointment." the Witch nodded
"Are you ready to go Mr. Northman?" I nod And 'Sookie' takes my arm and leads me out of the living room and to the foyer to a little table with folders. She picks one up and her purse and we leave. I help her into the car just as an excuse to touch her. I climbed in and we were off to put romance to the test. Since it's a forty minute ride to my boat I start asking my questions as to keep conversation going.
"So how do you know the wolves?" she laughs a little before she says.
"Long version or short version?"
"Since I am quite aware of what your short answers involve I would like the long version please." she sighs but tells her tale.
"Well, when I was thirteen, Some drunks decided to go hunting over on our property. I heard their thoughts and didn't think anything of it, that was until I heard the mind they were hunting and it was scared. I had never been able to read animals before so it freaked me out. I thought I was never going to get any peace at all now that I could. I focused on my cat Tina's mind but didn't get anything, and the wolfs thoughts were actual words. So instead of calling for my brother and gran like I should have I ran out of the house and through the woods as fast as I could. My gran still calls me a horses ass for it too this day. Well I was running and came face to snout with a wolf. He tried growling and posturing' but I could hear how scared he was and I looked him right in his eyes and told him if he wanted to save his Hyde then he was going to have to follow me. I was foolish enough not to check the area around us before we took off again and I caught the last thought of a hunter before a shot rang out. I pushed the wolf down and got some buckshot in my leg for the deed. The hunters heard my screams and ran for it, but they weren't the only ones that heard me. Flood and a couple others and my gran and brother too. Flood was in a pair of sweats and the other wolves surrounded us. It took me a minute to realize I was laying on a naked Alcide. The wolves were ready to attack me until Alcide told them what happened. My gran wont tell me why she wasn't surprised about the wolves and still hasn't to this day. But they got me up and took me to Ludwig. While I was in her hospital I noticed there were all kinds of different minds around me and when Flood came to check on me and ask questions, I told him I wasn't answering his until he answered mine. He told me about different Supes and explained a little about them, so I told him about me and how I was able to save Alcide. He told me of my new friend of the pack status, how because I saved one of their young they owed me. I tried to tell him it was what anyone would do in my position but he wouldn't hear anything I had to say on the matter. Since then I've gone to pack meetings acting as their shaman when I turned eighteen. They paid me well for my work and introduced me to Mr. C. the rest is history, I got contracts drawn up and I have been working for the packs and going to school. Now that I've answered two of your questions the asked and unasked. I think it's my turn don't you?" I turned my head to look at her and she had a smirk on her face. I asked how she knew the wolves but not why or if she was working for them. I nodded and she asked.
"How old are you? And what did I do to stand out?" I laughed and decided to answer her, but my way and have a little fun with her.
"I am over a thousand years old, and isn't it cliché for a woman to ask a man how they first noticed them? And here I thought you were different. I must say I am disappointed." she laughed a full on twinkling laugh. And her answered stunned me again.
"If I were just another woman and you were just another man then I would say yes it is, but seeing how I'm a telepath and you're a vampire then no it's not. Perhaps old age has gotten to you so I will be more specific. I wasn't asking when you first noticed there was a woman in the room you hadn't had, I was asking when you noticed I was supernaturally inclined so I would know not to make the same mistake again. You owe me another question by the way Do try and keep up, if it goes on like this I might be the only one walking away from tonight with any useful information." if anyone else had spoken to me like that I would have ripped them limb from limb. But with her the standard aggravation didn't come, in fact I was more amused with her than I have been with anyone or thing since Pam, not only that but she was baiting me into asking another question. So I raised my eyebrow and gave her my best panty dropping smirk, what I should have paid attention to was the mischievous look in her eyes as I took the bait.
"For the last fifteen minutes we've only been talking about you, You know my age but I have yet to tell you anything else." Her grin grew wider as she started in.
"But Mr. Northman, I started learning about you last night. Everything you do tells me something about you, from the way you sat on your "Throne" to your Choice in meals, the way you stopped us on the road to the way you left last night. Your behavior has told me many a things about you Mr. Northman. And that's another question you owe me." Even though her words could be considered confrontational, just as her voice had been last night it was tonight. No judgment just fact. Only this time instead of rolling her eyes at me her smile was wide, like she had just won something. I didn't understand until I realized I hadn't said anything to correct her statement. I should have known right then I was screwed.
Thirty minutes of silence was nerve wracking. I could have asked her to explain exactly what she thought she knew about me but that would be giving her another question, and I knew she did it on purpose which made the silence all the more heavy. When we pulled up to the marina her eyes got wide as I helped her out of the car, they continued to grow when I helped her onto my boat. She looked a round and I could of swore I saw and smelt tears but she walked away from me to the rail of the boat to look over the water before I could see her face. 'Freaking' out is something I don't do, that and worry about someone other than myself and Pam, so when I went right to her and put my arms on the railing on either side of her in an effort to comfort her even though I had no idea what could possibly be wrong, I was stunned and couldn't get the words out of my throat to ask. She sniffled a little bit and rested her back against my chest.
"It's really beautiful, thank you." be it human, vampire or telepath, some women are a fucking mystery, none that I care enough to explore till now. I found my voice then and asked another question with Viking finesse.
"Even though I know this adds another question to your ever growing pile, Why the tears?" she stiffened a little and ducked under my arm. Without facing me she walked over to the table and called over her shoulder.
"I might tell you if dinner is any good." I laughed a little and shook my head, almost like a newborn vampire, quick to emotion but not quick to explain them. I let it go and went and pulled out her chair for her to sit in then took my own. My chief came out to deliver her meal and my glass of blood. For a little while she asked some questions, just the basics. Pam, my position, fact or myth and some other mundane things. Nothing overtly personal though. When her plate was taken and my glass she reached under her purse and got the folder she had been carrying around from the house. She laid it on the table in front of her and opened it. I smelled the daemon and I knew what it was before she moved one in front of me. I was looking at a contract for her services, her telepathic services only. It stated she would come to aid me if needed and what her compensation would be, but it also had a confidentiality clause. This is not the way I wanted this night to go. I did this under the pretense of business but the truth was I wanted her, not just one thing, everything. I continued to stare at the piece of paper I began to hate more than sunrise she cleared her throat.
"If the fees are not ok then there is room for negotiation. The only part I am 100 % firm on is the confidentiality clause…" rather than explain these damn emotions she stirred up in me I take a pen out of my jacket pocket and sign the damn thing and shoved it forcibly back to her. All my planning tonight had been for nothing, well I couldn't say that. Confusion was on her face when I looked up, but then she seemed to change from confusion to understanding in a moment. A sad smile formed on her face, before she changed the subject that hadn't even been vocalized.
"I do believe you said there would be dancing?" I got up and took her hand and even as I pulled her close to me and the attendant started the music her smile was still sad. Just for an excuse to hold her closer to me I brought her off the ground with my arms around her waist I leaned in and whispered
"Hold on tight and trust me." I lift her up and stand her on my feet. I hover over the water and begin to dance with her with stars shining from above and their reflections from below. She looks up at me and I can see the unshed tears in her eyes. I have no idea how she is feeling and or why the hell this has inspired tears but rather than question her emotional state I just keep her close and danced faster. When I spun the both of us around I heard her giggle, thankful we have moved from the tears I laugh a little and throw her up in the air so high she leaves my body and I can hear her scream. I catch her just before she hit's the water, she is laughing hysterically. While she is distracted I move in and capture her lips with my own and finally get a taste of her, So fucking good. She tastes like spun sugar and sunlight. My fangs extend and nix her lips. Without thinking I latch on and a hungry growl erupts from my chest. Fucking Nirvana, that's what I feel as her blood coats my throat. She pulls back fast, so fast she almost rips her lip off. Whatever she sees as she looks at me causes the stench of fear to fill the air. Normally I would be rolling in the luscious smell of fear coming from my victims, but she is not a victim, I have to remind myself several times she was not my prey. Trying to regain control I bring us back to the boat and release her. She automatically goes and grabs her purse. Her fear is decreasing but her heart is hammering in her chest.
"Mr. Northman, I… I think it's time for me to go. Will you take me or should I cal…" I cut her off there is no way in hell I am allowing another to take her home. After our conversation and how she stands up to me, intrigues me and now with her taste… no, there's no way anyone else will ever touch her again. She is mine. I don't want to let her go but I know that I need to. She wants me. No mater what made her sad when she looked at me or what made her tears fall, that kiss said it all. She was worth the wait to possess her, hell her blood alone would be, but her inner workings fascinate me.
"I'll take you home now if you wish." she shook her head at me and let out a big huff of air.
"It's not what I wish, but I think it's best." we made our way back to the car and I helped her in again and when we pulled up outside a nice apartment building I was dreading her leaving. As I was helping her out I pinned her to the car, I had to know why, even though I could wait for her something kept nagging me at the back of my mind. Why would she cry? What had gone through her mind just then to trigger such a reaction out of her?
"You told me if dinner was any good you would tell me what brought out those tears, Now I know you enjoyed your meal Miss Stackhouse so care to hold up your end of the bargain?" her serious face turned playful.
"Sookie, My name is Sookie. And I'll answer you Mr.…"
"Eric, call me Eric." yes Eric is fine for now but 'oh god' will not be far away.
"Eric, I'll answer but you have to promise not to laugh and you have to let me go before I do." in an instant us turned to were she was pinning me against the car. She stepped back and squared her shoulders playfully and said.
"Remember Eric these are human emotions your dealing with so you may not understand and since I am tired your going to get the short version." I smiled glad she was being playful again.
"I think as old as I am I could comprehend." she looked deep in my eyes all playfulness gone from hers.
"Because you always want what you cant have." she turned to walk into the building and stopped just before she went inside and looked over her shoulder at me.
"Goodnight Eric." then she left me alone to ponder her last statement.
"Sleep well little bird." I whispered before I left. For the next three nights those words would haunt my mind while at rest and work, until my accountant walked in and I got my excuse to call her. Before the night was over I would find out the answer to the question that plagued my mind.
'What couldn't she have?'
A/N: Ok, there is the first date. I know it took a couple days for the update so I made this chapter longer hoping to make up for it! He got a little taste though not much. What do you think she wants? Y'all know I like twists and turns so that's all I am going to say! Please if you can review!