Dark Desire – Chapter 17
The following week was busy for both Eric and Katy, but was an exceptionally difficult time for Katy. Except during the time they made love, Eric kept his bond with her closed down so that she could not feel his emotions. Katy was a doctor. She was dedicated to the saving of life, and Eric was in a killing rage most of the week. He was afraid Katy would be overwhelmed and disgusted by his violent emotions. He did not want her to know how worried he was for her. He especially did not want her to know what he had done that week.
In the past two weeks, Katy had grown used to their shared blood bond. Feeling Eric through the bond had become as natural and normal as breathing to her. When Eric shut the bond down on his side; she felt the loss of their intimate connection keenly; she felt incomplete. She tried to talk to him and tell him that, but Eric was evasive. He assured her that he loved her, and Katy did not doubt that for a moment. However, when told her not to worry, and that everything was all right, Katy got really concerned. Katy knew Eric was up to something that he didn't want her to know about. She was worried for him; she was frightened too.
What Eric didn't want Katy to know was that he had sent his vamps after more of the human defendants on the FBI's list. With their deaths, there were only a three more left. He also didn't want Katy to know that four of Califano's vamps showed up at the the palace early in the week to present themselves as visitors in the area. The California vamps were unaware that because of Daniel and Bill's continuing investigations, Eric had a file on each of them and knew exactly who they were.
Before the end of week, all four had been captured on palace grounds trying to sneak inside the mansion. During their initial visit at the palace, the four vamps spent a great deal of time with Eric's vamps in the employee lounge. They each drank from a fangbanger, had sex and swapped stories with the Louisiana vamps.
By seemingly inadvertent comments by a new vamp guard, Califano's men had been deliberately led to believe that security at the palace was extremely lax. The young male vamp bragged how he got his human lovers into the palace for trysts. He spoke in a conspiratorial voice when he told them that King Eric was too overconfident of his security measures. He laughed when he told them that it was so easy to get into the palace unnoticed right under his boss' nose, and no one was the wiser. It was a trap, of course.
The vamps fell for the trap and plotted to kidnap Katy from the mansion, but they were immediately caught. They were tortured for information in a special room above the garage. Eric staked and killed each one personally after finding out what they knew:
Although, Gaetano Califano knew by now that Katy was no longer a witness for the FBI, he was still driven by the obsession to find and kill the woman he thought was responsible for the huge loss of his revenue. Because of Tiffany Coulter's telephone call to Dante Capelli, he knew Katy was living with Eric at the palace. He sent four of his top men to New Orleans to get her and bring her back to California. He had a particularly nasty fate in store for her.
That Friday, Katy met Eric's child, Pam Ravenscroft, for the first time. The meeting did not go well for Katy. Pam arrived from Shreveport to spend a few days with her maker before a meeting with all of the vamp sheriffs scheduled for the following Monday night.
Pam was aware of Katy Dumont's situation: she had listened to Eric talk about it for hours on the phone and when he came to Shreveport. He had also told her what Bill and Daniel's men were doing in California; she knew Eric was slowly taking out the humans involved in the sex scandal. She also knew that he even had some vamps killed both in New Orleans and California, and that frightened her on a deep level. Pam was convinced if word of any of this ever got out, only trouble would follow. Pam wanted to try once more to convince Eric to dump the troublesome human woman that he now called his.
Earlier, during the five weeks that Eric had searched for Katy, Pam began to actively dislike the human female she had never met. She could sense Eric's growing love for Katy and his increasing worry and distress as the search showed no results. Eric often raged at his men for not being able to find Katy. Pam thought he was out of control once more and began to worry all over again.
Most of all, Pam feared that Katy would eventually want to run again and hurt Eric, as she believed Sookie had done. All during the search, she had argued vociferously with Eric, insisting that he come to his senses and forget about Katy, but he ignored her.
Pam arrived at the palace about midnight. Eric and Katy were playing chess in his office when she walked into the room. Eric jumped up to embrace his child then introduced her to Katy. Pam could tell that he was strangely excited, and that he wanted her to like the tall, thin human woman, but Pam greeted Katy coolly.
After the introduction, Eric, Katy, Pam and Daniel Brady went to Reggie's restaurant where Katy ate a late meal while the vamps drank True Blood. Pam was disgusted watching Katy eat. Later, the four of them stopped off at Fangs II and stayed until closing. All during the night, Pam watched Eric's human lover closely, looking for signs that she was playing Eric false.
In front of Eric, Pam was was civil and almost courteous to Katy, but behind his back, she made her contempt and dislike for her maker's lover obvious. Katy did not know what to expect from Pam, but she had not expected open hostility. The vamp's constant scrutiny and dislike made her feel uneasy, but for Eric's sake, she tamped those feelings down hard.
Katy knew the small vamp clearly disliked her, but she had no idea why. Through their bond, she knew how important it was to Eric that she and his child like each other. Katy tried hard to be friendly with Pam, but her attempts were futile. She did her best to hide her discomfort over the situation, but Eric noticed it anyway.
When they returned to the palace, Katy went upstairs to go to bed. Eric asked Pam to come into his office.
"What are you doing, Pam? Why so hostile with Katy?" he furiously asked his child.
"You should be asking yourself what you are doing, Eric. Why are you getting involved with another human? What is so special about this one? Haven't you learned your lesson yet? You have said yourself that humans are inferior and not to be trusted. Do you really think you can trust her?" Pam hissed at him.
"Be careful what you say, Pam. Katy is my human, and I love her."
"But, Sookie..."
"Katy is not Sookie, in case you haven't noticed."
"Yeah, well you loved Sookie too, and look what happened. This woman will betray you just like Sookie did; she just can't help herself; it is her human nature."
"Sookie and I were not meant to be, Pam, and I think you know that. I took her from Bill. She loved me, but she always loved Bill more, and I always knew it. That's why I hated him so much."
"You had a right to take Sookie. You are Bill's superior in every way," Pam insisted.
"Did I? We both know that I broke our own vampire code by taking a human that belonged to another vampire. It wasn't just that Sookie was a telepath, or even that she was so different from other humans; she was so obviously in love with Bill Compton, really in love with him. I was jealous of that. Humans don't usually love us. They are glamoured by us, they are addicted to our blood, they want sex with us, but really love us, no. I wanted what Bill had. She wouldn't come to me willingly, so I connived and tricked her, and then I lost her. Sookie wasn't meant to be mine; I know that now."
"But..." the little blonde started to say.
"No buts, Pam. You hate Sookie, I know that, but I don't. If I hadn't loved Sookie, I don't think I would have understood what I feel for Katy now. From the first night that I met her, I felt a strong connection to Katy, much stronger than what I ever felt for Sookie. I know now that Katy felt that connection too, but because of Sookie, I fought those feelings. I didn't want to love Katy, and I drove her away because of it. I almost lost her for good; I won't lose her again." Eric warned.
"But, you just can't trust a human, Eric. Humans are inferior; they are only good for food and fuck. You taught me that. Katy is just like Sookie; she ran from you, remember? She will end up hurting you just like Sookie; is that what you want?" Pam replied in exasperation.
"She ran because of what I did to her, and I don't blame her. It was only during the search for her that I finally admitted to myself how much I love her. We are blood bonded now, so I know she loves me..."
"You bonded with her? Oh, God, Eric! I don't believe it. How could you yoke yourself to another human that way? How do you know she loves you? It could be the blood bond making you think that, just like Sookie..."
"Enough Pam!" Eric raged. "Katy is not Sookie: I tricked Sookie into the bond and into the marriage; I never gave her a choice, and she resented that deeply. She did not like sharing herself with me, or feeling my emotions. She never really knew if what she felt for me was real, or if it was only the blood bond at work. I always sensed her doubt, confusion and resentment, and I don't blame her for that."
"With Katy it is so different. There is no doubt, no confusion and no resentment. She loved me before we bonded, but I gave her the choice, anyway. Katy thrives on the blood bond, she wants it. You are my child, Pam, but Katy is my bonded mate. You don't have to like her, but you must understand that she is part of my life now. I will not let anyone or anything separate us," Eric warned his child firmly.
Pam opened her mouth to argue more, but the look on Eric's face stopped her. "Yes, Master," she said quietly as she started for the door of his office. She turned and asked him. "Have you asked to turn her?"
"Not yet, it's not the right time, but I will one day, and you know what, Pam? I think she will agree."
Pam nodded her head, walked out the door and headed upstairs to the bedroom next to Eric's. She could hear Katy moving inside Eric's bedroom as she passed. She hoped for Eric's sake that he was right, but she vowed to kill Katy if she ever hurt him.
Katy had showered and was laying naked in bed with the lamp on medium. She had on one of her favorite CDs; it was a collection of love songs. She was reading a novel as Eric walked into the bedroom. He showered quickly and slipped in beside her. He took the book out of her hands, set it on the night stand and drew her close. He began to kiss her, trying to drive away the uneasiness he knew she felt.
Katy was wild as they made love. For the first time she actually asked him to bite her several times. He was delighted that she wanted her blood inside him. She bit him several times too and greedily sucked at his blood. It made him even happier that Katy wanted his blood inside of her. This was the first time she took his blood since they bonded. Eric didn't need the bond to understand that Katy needed the security of their shared blood bond more than ever tonight after the cold reception from his child. He gave his blood to her willingly
If Katy was wild, Eric was pensive and thoughtful. Katy felt he had something on his mind. "What is it, love?" she asked him afterward as he held her close. Suddenly, as if he had come to some momentous decision, Eric got up from the bed and walked naked into his closet and switched on the overhead light. Katy could hear him muttering something as he rummaged around, opening and shutting drawers. He was clearly looking for something.
The room was cool, so Katy put her nightgown on and sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed waiting for him. When Eric returned to the bed, he was holding something behind his back in one hand. With his other hand, he pulled her to a standing position in front of him and presented her with an antique, gold encrusted, wooden box. The wood was so old it had a shiny patina and was almost black. When Katy touched it, she knew the box was ancient. It felt warm and magical somehow.
"What's this?" Katy asked.
"Open it and see," was the enigmatic response Eric gave as he sat down on the bed and pulled her onto his lap. She opened the box. It was lined with red satin and contained a heavy gold ring. The ring had a large, stunning, perfect ruby in the center. Katy owned a large collection of jewels herself; pieces that she had inherited from her grandmother and mother, plus what bought herself. She recognized immediately the value of the ring in the box; it was priceless.
Both the inside and the outside of the golden band were filled with strange markings that looked like writing. The letters looked upside down, backward, L-shaped lines of varying size and height. From the color of the gold metal, the weight of the ring, and the odd cut of the ruby, Katy could tell that the ring was not a modern ring. In fact, it seemed very, very old.
Eric took the ring out of its nest in the box and cradled it for a moment in his palm, then slipped it on the tip of his pinky. It barely went down past his fingernail. After playing with it for a second, he slipped the ring on the slim, third finger of Katy's left hand. It fit as if it had been made for her; it felt good.
"My parent's marriage was an arranged one. My mother was the daughter of a neighboring prince, and their marriage brought not only a large dowry, but a much needed political alliance. My mother was beautiful, and my father grew to love her very much. He had this ring made for her, but he never had the chance to give it to her before she died. He gave it to me before he died himself. I planned to give it to Aude, but for some reason, I could never bring myself to do it. I think it was because I never loved her. The markings are runes asking the gods for both a blessing and protection for the loved one who wears it. I want you to have it. I love you Katy. Will you marry me?"
Katy was flustered; she had not expected this. For a moment, she was so shocked, she could not talk, or even think. Eric read her silence as rejection. His blue eyes darkened with pain as he started to turn his face away.
Katy reached out to him and turned his face her again. "Eric, you know I love you, I just wasn't expecting this. You've made me so happy. I will be proud to be your wife," she whispered as she brought his mouth down to hers. She spent the last few minutes of nighttime, showing him exactly how happy she was.