Dark Desire – Chapter 9

Katy showered quickly and dressed in a pair of black dress slacks and a pale gray top with spaghetti straps that showed off her toned arms. High heeled sandals and a small clutch completed her attire. She looked elegant without being overdressed. Eric was proud of her as she walked out of the bedroom.

He drove her old Honda Pilot to a small cafe in New Orleans not far from his palace. The cafe catered almost exclusively to the supe community. The owner was a vamp named Reggie. By the time they got there, a light summer rain had started, so Eric grabbed her hand, and the two made a dash for the front door.

Just before the two entered, a camera flashed in their faces. After a sharp intake of breath, Katy turned her face toward Eric and put her other hand up to hide from the lens. The camera man was a fiftyish, gray haired, pot bellied human. He was stringer for one of the local TV channels and a small newspaper and had been hanging around outside the cafe. He knew the cafe's reputation for catering to vamps and other supes. He covered them all for the station, and he was waiting for opportunity to make make the gossip columns. Eric flashed a hard look at the man and memorized his face.

Inside the cafe, the owner greeted them and started to escort the two of them to a small private room usually reserved for the Vampire King. All eyes in the cafe turned to look at Eric Northman who was holding the hand of a tall unknown redhead. They all wondered who she was.

Eric noticed Bill, Sookie, Daniel and Judith sitting in a corner with drinks in front of them. The two couples were looking at them too. He nodded to the four of them. He turned to her and said. "Katy, Reggie will get you seated and take your order. There are some people I have to talk to; it will only take a minute. Order me a bottle of Royal Blue, okay." She smiled at him and proceeded after Reggie.

Katy walked behind Reggie as the vamp plied her with inane blandishments. The small vamp looked and sounded Italian. He reminded her of an actor she had seen once in a silent movie she had watched in college for an elective drama class. He kept complimenting her on her good taste for being with the great Eric Northman. He really seemed to be pouring it on, and she wanted to laugh at the silliness of his words.

Because she was looking at Reggie, she just didn't notice Ralph Thompson sitting in a booth on the other side of the small room. He was looking straight at Katy with hatred barely concealed in his black eyes. Ralph was a pharmaceuticals salesman. He was entertaining a prospect who was a hospital administrator for one of the largest hospitals in the city. He was also a shape shifter, but Ralph didn't know that. The hospital was an account that Ralph had tried to land for years without success. The shape shifter had no intention of doing business with Ralph, he was just along for the spiel and the meal.

Jealousy, anger and contempt flooded Ralph as he watched Katy and the tall blonde vampire walk into the restaurant. He hated the male vampire, but he hated Katy more for rejecting him for a vampire. He blamed her for his humiliation in front of the clinic. He vowed revenge against the redheaded doctor, but his handsome face was smooth and benign as he turned back to his companion. He made a racist joke about human women and vampires. His guest just laughed; he didn't like vampires that much either.

Eric walked over to the corner table where Bill, Sookie, Judith and Daniel sat. The four of them greeted him. He said, "There's a paparazzi outside, Daniel. He took pictures. I don't want any pictures of Katy showing up in the papers, understand?" Daniel nodded.

"So that's the woman that the big fuss was all about the other night. When will we all get to meet her?" Sookie said with a bright smile.

"Not yet, Sookie, but soon, perhaps. Bill, Daniel, could I talk to you two for a moment?" He didn't wait for an answer, both vamps just got up and followed him into the hallway outside of his private room.

"Are you and Sookie still going to be in New Orleans tomorrow night, Bill?" he asked. Bill said yes. "Look, I want to meet with you and Daniel in my office tomorrow night. I have a special project for you both. I have no doubt that you can handle this by yourself, Daniel. But I think I will get faster results with the two of you working together." Bill and Daniel both nodded.

He dismissed his two subjects and entered the room where Katy was waiting. The room was small, but well decorated. It was clearly meant for a private tete a tete between two lovers. It had a small loveseat in a blue and gold print with a coffee table in front. A cozy, but small dining table and two chairs with seat cushions covered in the same material as the loveseat adorned the center of the room. Along the other side of the room, a large credenza filled with expensive liquors and crystal stemware completed the decor. The room was filled with fresh cut flowers and lit mostly by candlelight. Soft music filled the air. It was very romantic.

Katy was sitting at the table when he walked inside. She had ordered her meal already. A beautiful crystal goblet and a large bottle of Royal Blue sat on the table. Katy was enjoying a glass of wine that Reggie had recommended. A few minutes later, a pretty waitress walked in with her food. She had ordered a large sirloin steak with a baked potato, broccoli and a salad. She finished it off with a caramel glazed flan and two cups of black coffee.

Eric sipped his Royal Blue and watched her carefully as she consumed her meal. He didn't care for the odor of cooked meat, but he liked watching her eat. She ate with gusto as if she really enjoyed herself. She didn't seem to be worried about her weight. In the last two nights, she had burned so many calories due to long and vigorous bouts of lovemaking, she was starving.

They talked as they waited for her food and then later as she ate. He asked her about the clinic and why she worked there, and not at a large hospital in the city. The clinic was in a bad neighborhood, and he thought she was wasting her time working with the poor patients she served there. He offered to get her a position in a private hospital in New Orleans where she could doctor patients who had money and power, a better class of people according to him.

"I like where I am working. I like the people I work with and I like the patients I serve. For your information, I was born and raised in a family that had both wealth and power. I married into another powerful and wealthy family. Power and wealth don't make a better class of people; sometimes they just help hide what kind of monster a person really is. I know that from personal experience." she said bitterly. She was thinking of Richard, her father and her father-in-law.

She wanted to change the subject, so she about his reaction when she bit him. She tingled all over and her heart began to race as she remembered how he went crazy after she bit him. "You liked it when I bit you, didn't you?" she asked. "Why?"

He smiled as he picked up the sound of her racing heart. He liked the effect he had on her. "Blood and sex are inseparable for vampires. The sensation of teeth breaking the skin is very erotic; it really excites us, and when we feel a lover directly drinking blood from us, it inflames us even more. The need to feed and the need for sex are both primal urges and intertwined for vampires. Even if we are not hungry and don't need to feed, the urge to bite during sex is instinctive; it is part of our nature. As you saw, as much as we like to bite, we like to be bitten back just as much."

"Is it the same when you have sex with another vampire?' Katy was curious.

"No. When we have sex with a human, we have to hold back and not use our full strength. Your bodies are so fragile and easily broken. If we didn't hold back, we could easily kill you. If we lost control, we would not be able to stop ourselves from draining you, but when we have sex with another vampire, we don't have to hold back at all. Our bodies are naturally very strong and heal quickly. We give in to our animal nature; we not only bite, we claw and rip at each other. Our passions are both violent and bloody. We are indefatigable; we can go on for hours and hours, and not get tired. Human bodies would not be able to withstand vampire sex."

Katy didn't like the sound of that and shuddered. Yet, his explanation only raised more questions. "Why do you do it with humans then? It sounds like it sex is better for you with a vampire. It can't be much fun to hold yourself back that way."

"It's not so complicated. We need your blood to live, at least we did before synthetic blood, and as I said, blood equals sex. We are naturally attracted to your warmth. We are cold and your bodies are so warm, hotter still during sex. Your skin is so soft and alluring. Just the very smell of your human blood sexually excites us. The very sound of your heart beating is the most powerful aphrodisiac we know." He explained.

"We are even attracted by your futile efforts to get away from us. We are natural predators, and we enjoy the hunt. Although we don't have to hunt our food anymore, many of us still enjoy the art of glamour and seduction. We have deep passions, but human emotions are so much deeper and more interesting than ours. You are so full of life and so involved with living your short mortal lives, it is fascinating to watch you. Your scramble for life can be an endless source of entertainment, you know."

"Wow. Humans provide you with food and sex and a big, belly laugh too. Golly, aren't we the lucky ones." Katy said sarcastically.

Eric laughed. "Well you asked, so I told you. But the truth is some vampires actually form deep attachments with their humans in a way that is almost impossible with another vampire. We can fall in love with a human although it doesn't happen often, and when it does it almost always poses problems for us. We rarely fall in love with another vampire; we are not made that way. When we love another vampire, eventually our nature and the need to dominate the other takes over. Obviously, that does not bode well for a long relationship."

He added, "Look, Katy; when you bit me, you took my blood inside you. I have to warn you about that. As a doctor, I am sure that you know vampire blood can have devastating affects on a human. Although our blood has great healing properties, it can also make you feel high like alcohol or drugs. It can be very addictive and have other really serious effects that you may not want. My blood is very powerful, so it can be even worse, especially if a human was foolish enough to form an attachment to me." His voice was soft, but matter of fact.

He was thinking of the blood bond he had with Sookie. In his effort to take Sookie away from Bill, he had connived and tricked her into a blood bond. He had paid a mighty price for his arrogance when she left him to go back to Bill. He had loved Sookie and his heart had ached for months after he lost her. He did not want that kind of pain again. He vowed never to form another blood bond with a human woman again, no matter what the circumstances.

Katy felt a sharp stab of pain in her heart. For a second, she felt like crying. He was giving her fair warning. She clearly understood the import of his words: Don't invest your heart with me; it would be a bad investment.

She recovered her poise quickly and commented lightly, "You don't have to worry about me. No commitments or promises, remember? I move around a lot. I never know from one day to the next how long I am going to stay in one place. I really don't do attachments, and I don't do the girlfriend scene either. I just want to enjoy being with you while this thing lasts. It could end today, tomorrow or next month and that's okay with me. I don't want complications anymore than you do."

She went on, "Anyway, barely a week goes by that I don't treat several patients that are addicted to V. There is little I can do for them, so I know full well the results of V addition. It is so much worse than the usual drug addictions. At least with normal drugs, there is a chance of a cure, even if it's a small one. I am definitely not foolish enough to get addicted to V. But explain to me, why do vampires let their blood be sold that way? It's disgusting!" she said emphatically.

He didn't tell her that the tiny bit of blood she might take directly from him during sex wasn't likely to make her addicted, especially if there was an emotional attachment on her part. He knew she cared about him; he just didn't know how much. Even without an emotional attachment, blood taken fresh from a vampire was not as addictive as V drained and sold later in a vial. There was something about the aging of exsanguinated vampire blood that affected it and made it more addictive. But her remarks hit home and bothered him more than they should.

As the Sheriff of Area 5, he had been in the V trade himself in Shreveport. At first, it had been under Queen Sophie Anne's orders, but after her death, he continued doing it on his own. The V business was very lucrative, and he had no moral qualms about supplying humans and getting them addicted. If humans were stupid enough to use V, that was their problem.

However, that was all in the past. He was out of the V trade now. As part of the negotiation to obtain his crown as King of Louisiana, he had agreed with Nyall Brigant and Judith Vardamon to give up selling V. He didn't regret the decision one bit. As king, too many people and groups were looking over his shoulder, so he had to make sure all of his businesses were legit and above board. He made a lot of money in so many legal ways that breaking the law just to gain a little bit more was hardly worth it. Besides, trying to keep one step ahead of the Magister and the feds was taxing. He was glad he didn't have to worry about that anymore.

For a second, the thought that she might be an undercover agent working for the feds or the Magister occurred to him. He wondered if she had arranged to meet him that night at the charity dinner so she could spy on him. He turned his head away for a minute to think about this. Then he realized how foolish that thought was: not even the FBI or the Magister could cause a hurricane. She had never once attempted to contact him, and he was the first one to make advances to her. He knew that suspicion was ridiculous.

"Vampires are no different than humans when it comes to greed. Some will do anything for money." he answered stiffly. Her judgmental attitude angered him, but not as much as her breezy comments about not getting attached to him.

Sensing that he was angry for some reason, Katy took the opportunity to go to the bathroom and freshen up. When she reentered the room, the low lighting made her appear almost ethereal. He had begun to believe she was beautiful, but the little bit of his blood in her made her positively glow. He was moved by what he saw, his heart did a double take. He grabbed her and pulled her down on his lap and began to kiss her.

"I think you must be a witch, for surely you have cast a spell on me" he laughed lightly, but his throat constricted with emotion.

She began to run her tongue over the cool bare skin of this throat, paying attention to the sensitive hollow at the base. She could feel his body getting hard. "You're not bewitched, silly. You're just horny." To prove her point, she grabbed his crotch and squeezed a little. He grunted and got even harder.

"If you keep that up, I will have you right here." he whispered in her ear.

"Oh no. You can't do that here. You make too much noise." she teased.

"Me! I make too much noise?" he said, then he did a perfect imitation of the small sighs and moans she gave when they made love. He loved the sounds she made.

"Come on." she said. "Take me home, and I will serenade you some more."

They returned to her house and made love again, but neither drew blood. Even so, the sex was just as satisfying as before. Katy's body was completely sated, her stomach was full, and she felt happier and safer than she had in years. She was relaxed, so Eric caught her unprepared with his next comment.

"Look, I know your name isn't really Katy Jones. I know you used the name Emily Canton in Little Rock. I know Judith Vardamon. You used to work for her husband, Doc Hampton. Why don't you tell me what's going on with you?"

Katy tensed for a few seconds and then made herself relax. "How do you know Judith?" she asked; then she continued. "I met her once at a Christmas party. I did work for her husband, Doc, and he introduced us. She and Doc were both very nice, and I liked them both. Vampires had not been out that long, and I never met one until Doc hired me. He had several of them working at his lab. I had no idea that vampires and humans could love each other until I met those two. I was sorry to read about Doc's death after I left. If you see her, please give her my regards." She said quietly, but didn't volunteer any more information.

"Judith and I have business dealings together. And your name?" Eric persisted.

She realized that if he knew that much, there was no point in not answering, but she didn't have to tell him everything. "My first name is Katy, well Kathryn, actually. My last name isn't Jones, but does that really matter? I am not a criminal. I haven't stolen anything or killed anybody. I am not on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List." she joked lamely.

"It does matter if you are in some kind of trouble. I can protect you. I can help you." he offered.

"Thanks, but nobody can help me. Anyway, I am not in any serious kind of trouble. I am just trying to get away from some guys who are after my ex-husband. He has gambling debts and owes a lot of money. They are after me because they think I will pay them. That's all. It's a long, boring story, and it's kind of embarrassing. I don't like to talk about it. I can assure you, it has nothing to do with you." The lie came easily. It was a lie she had told before. She didn't embellish her story; she tried to sound reasonable and keep her voice calm.

Eric knew that she was lying, or at least not telling the whole truth. He decided not to press the issue. He had decided earlier in the restaurant that he would have Daniel and Bill investigate her. "Okay, no problem. I'll drop it." For, now. He said to himself.

Still curious about her, he asked, "Why can't you be glamoured? Are you a witch? I think you must be a witch." He said that almost solemnly; he sounded quite put out. He didn't like the fact that he had met another woman he couldn't glamour.

Katy almost laughed at the sound of his solemn tone. He sounded like he actually believed what he was saying. "First a telepath or a fairy; now a witch. You're not serious, are you?" she asked. He nodded, indicating that he most certainly was.

"Well I am not a telepath, or a fairy, or a witch. I couldn't cast a spell with a fishing rod. When I was a little girl, my Uncle Martin determined that I am what's called a "null." A "null" is someone who can't be hypnotized. We are called "nulls" because psionic energies have no affect on us "

Eric looked perplexed. He never heard of that. "Why?" He asked.

"I almost became a psychologist, but I decided I could help more people by becoming an MD. Anyway, I studied a lot about the human brain. We know so little about it, but we do know that most humans use only a small portion of their brain. Research has shown that some people have strong psionic abilities, like telepathy, clairvoyance, empathy and many other types of ESP. Actually, almost every one has some ESP to a certain extent, but those abilities are latent for the most part; they are weak and have never really developed in most of us. Like anything else, with the right training and support, these abilities can be strengthened, and finely developed."

"But even though these abilities are latent in the overwhelming majority, they are still there. My uncle believed that a certain structure in the the brain acts as a receiver of psionic resonances. That part of the brain makes most people susceptible to hypnotism, telepathic probes and other psionic energies. People who have fully developed ESP gifts also have a structure that act as a transmitter, like a telepath, or an empath, for instance. They usually are immune to hypnotism because of their ESP."

"Then there are people like me who are completely blind and deaf to any type of psionic resonances. We neither transmit, nor receive psionic energies. Since we lack the those structures in our brain, our brains simply don't register them. Our brain structure and brain wave patterns are very different than most humans. We are not susceptible to telepathic probes or hypnotism. Uncle Martin theorized that it was either evolution or a physical defect.

"How did he know that? Is he still alive, I would like to talk to him about this." Eric asked; he was interested.

"No, he died almost five years go. Anyway, Uncle Martin was a parapsychologist and claimed to be a telepath himself. He did a lot of classified work for the government before the Soviet Union broke up. His unit did research in telepathy, remote viewing, and things like that. He later said both the U.S. and U.S.S.R. did it to try and get an advantage in case of a hot war. They were looking for secret bases where secret weapons were being built. He wrote a book on the subject after the Soviet Union fell and after his work was de-classified. He had a theory that ancient proto-humans used telepathy to communicate for hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of years before speech was developed. As humans evolved, we lost that ability."

"Uncle Martin was really funny and liked to play practical jokes. When he and my Aunt Mattie visited, he would do parlor tricks and hypnotize everyone in the room, except me. One day when I was about ten years old, on a dare, he made my father bray like a donkey. He had my mother jumping up and down at the word cat. Everyone got a big kick out of it, and he hypnotized everybody. I was the only one he could never hypnotize."

"At first he thought it was because I was young, but he started working with children younger than me at his lab. He asked my parents if he could test me, and he did. None of the doctors there could hypnotize me. He said I was a null. He told me that nulls are rare; maybe one person in every ten million is a null."

Eric didn't know whether to believe Katy or not. Except for Sookie, he had never met a human he could not be glamour.

He asked Katy if he could try to glamour her again, and she agreed. He tried several times...nothing. That irritated the hell out of him. He couldn't help but wonder what the fate of his kindred would have been if vampires did not have the power to glamour their human victims over the centuries. He didn't like the thought of that. He decided he would do a little research on his own into nulls.

As they lay together, it started to rain heavy. The sound of the rain against the tin roof of the small ranch house was soothing. The sound lulled Katy to sleep about four o'clock in the morning. She began to talk in her sleep. She was having a bad dream and was arguing with someone named Richard. He was probably an ex-husband or an ex-boyfriend. It was clear that she both hated and was afraid of him. He wondered if Richard had ever hit her because her hands went up to protect her face and she yelled for him to stop.

Eric lay by her side and watched her sleep for a while. He watched her as she moved restlessly and fought with her invisible attacker. It made him angry to see that. He leaned down and touched the scar on her left leg. He could tell that the leg had probably been broken within the last few years. The scar was ugly and red and marred an otherwise beautiful leg. Biting into his finger with one sharp fang, he massaged his blood into the scar. If he did this often enough, the scar would eventually fade until it couldn't be seen anymore.

As he dressed to go, He considered what he had found out about her. It wasn't much, but it was a start. Her first name was Kathryn. She was definitely running and hiding from someone and she had lied about it. Whoever it was, he didn't think it was someone trying to collect a gambling debt owed by her husband. She came from a wealthy family, and she had once dated, or had been married to a man named Richard who beat her. She had an ant named Mattie and an uncle named Martin who used to work for the government on top secret projects. She could not be glamoured. She didn't like entanglements and could skip town any time. He intended to turn this information over to Daniel and Bill and have it thoroughly checked out.

He left her house twenty minutes before dawn. It took him less than five minutes to fly home. As he prepared to lay down for his day's sleep, conflicting emotions warred for dominance within his heart. He realized that in just the few short hours that he had known Katy, he was beginning to fall in love her. He knew her mysterious past should be a red flag, but for some reason he didn't care.

Still, he didn't want to be hurt again. He made a decision: as much as he wanted her, he would stay away as long as it took to find out more about her.