Dark Desire – Chapter 18
When Katy arose Saturday morning, she kept the news of her engagement to Eric to herself; he wanted to be the one to break the news. All day long, a smile was plastered on her face. Connie and the three telepaths kept asking her what was up with her, but Katy only grinned at them.
Today, Katy and Marcy had one only patient in the clinic's infirmary: the human wife of one of vamps on Eric's security force. Except for Daniel, Eric had not wanted Katy to mingle with the vamps on his staff. However, since the palace was now her home, it was inevitable that she would interact with a few of them, at least.
Katy found that she was more comfortable with vamps who had been turned relatively recently and who maintained a relationship with their human families and friends. To Katy, they seemed more human and less scary than some of the older vamps who often made her nervous and wary. Katy began to like some of the vamps. Tommy Lee Larson was one of them, and Rita Jo was his human wife.
Both Rita Jo and Tommy Lee had been orphans and raised in a series of foster homes. Abused, cynical and without much hope for the future, they met each other at the age of sixteen at their last foster home. Love came slowly to the two teenagers, but they found in each other a reason to live. They wanted to build a life and a family together.
Married at the age of twenty, and with Rita helping him, Tommy Jo finished two years of college and joined the NOPD at the age of twenty three. Rita took business courses herself and worked as a bookkeeper for a small bank in the French Quarter. For years, the young couple tried to have a baby with no success.
Rita Jo and Tommy Lee had been married for five years before Tommy went missing during the surveillance of a well known drug dealer. One year later after he disappeared, Tommy showed up on her doorstep. He had been attacked and turned by that suspect who happened to be a vampire; his first year as a vampire was so filled with horror and bloodlust, he was afraid to go anywhere near his beloved wife. It was only after he felt his hunger for human blood was under control that he felt safe enough to come back home.
When Tommy Lee went missing, Rita Jo began a search for her missing husband. She went on America's Most Wanted and several other TV programs to try and find out any clues that might lead to her husband's whereabouts. She posted handbills with his picture on it; she went door to door; she searched and searched. She never gave up, but her efforts proved fruitless for twelve months.
The night she answered a knock at the door, turned on the porch light, and saw Tommy Lee standing there through the window, Rita Jo broke down and cried; she thanked God. She stepped out onto the porch and held her husband in her arms, kissing his face all over. She knew something had happened to him; he was pale and cold, and he couldn't enter the house without an invitation.
That night he told her what he was and swore he would never hurt her. Rita Jo was shocked at his revelation, but she didn't care. She loved him, and she knew he wouldn't hurt her. For two weeks, she had no idea where he slept during the day, or that he fed on animals in the woods. During those two weeks, the Great Revelation occurred and Rita Jo started stocking synthetic blood. By that time, the two of them had light proofed their bedroom. The vampire, Tommy Lee Larson, slept with his human wife from then on.
It was only after he started using True Blood that he trusted himself enough to bite and drink from Rita Jo during lovemaking. He only took a little sip each time; he was too afraid of hurting her. Soon she began to bite him back. Without a maker to teach him about the dangers of blood swapping, Tommy Lee and Rita Jo formed their own blood bond shortly after that. Once Tommy Lee started working at the palace, Daniel Brady took the young male under his wing and began to teach him how to be a vampire. The two men had a lot in common and became good friends.
Tommy Lee and Rita Jo both wanted a large family. Six months before he went missing, the young married couple began treatments at a well known fertility clinic in New Orleans; they had ten embryos frozen for implantation at a later date.
After Tommy Lee's return, Rita began to distrust the fertility clinic she had initially used. They knew of her husband's return, and they had somehow learned he was now a vampire. They had started asking too many invasive and personal questions to suit her. She became wary of their intentions and had moved her frozen embryos to another facility ran by a vampire. Nine months ago, after three previous unsuccessful attempts at impregnation, two embryos were implanted, and a successful pregnancy ensued.
When Katy first examined Rita Jo, she suggested it would be safer for the thirty year old woman to give birth in one of the city's many hospitals, but Rita Jo refused. If the baby came at night, she wanted Tommy Lee to be at her side during the birth. That never would have been permitted in a human hospital. Besides, her child would be the first recorded human child of a human/vampire couple born in New Orleans, and both mother and father were terrified that the baby would be taken away by the human authorities. After finding out that Katy had opened a clinic at the palace, Rita Jo became Katy's second patient.
Katy admired the woman's spunk and determination. Although she she did not think it was a good idea for a human baby to be born with so many vampires around, she finally consented to accept Rita Jo as a patient. Today, Rita Jo was was in labor. Perhaps it was the result of her husband's blood, but the labor was fast and easy. It looked like the baby would be any time. On Saturday evening, two hours before sundown, Thomas Lee Larson, Jr. was born.
Later, shortly after sundown, Eric stood with Katy in front of Jillian Brown, Marcy and Robert Godwin, Connie Madrid, his child, Pam, Daniel Brady, and the rest of his vampire staff and announced that he and Katy would be wed in Vermont on New Year's Eve. A second human wedding ceremony and reception would follow at the palace on New Year's night followed by a vampire wedding ceremony before dawn. All palace staff would be invited to participate in the festivities. The humans and the vamps erupted in applause.
Eric then announced the birth of Tommy Lee Larson, Jr. if the vamps were shocked about the announcement of their boss' impending marriage to his human, they were posititively excited about the birth of a son to one of their own. After congratulating the happy couple, everyone including Eric, crowded around Rita Jo's bed in the infirmary, watching her as she nursed her tiny son. Katy, Connie and the human telepaths stood in the background; Pam stayed on the outside of the room looking bored with all the human bullshit.
Tommy Lee unwrapped the child and lifted him up face forward so that all could see his sex. With both hands firmly holding the baby under the arms, he held his naked son up in the air high over his head. "I have a son! I have a son! He's mine!" he crowed in elation.
There was no doubt as to the parentage of this tiny human; not only did he look like his father, all of the vamps in the room could smell Tommy Lee's blood in the small boy. They sent up a shout of joy and clapped their friend on the back.
Katy could see happiness, but also naked envy and longing in the faces of most of the male vamps, including Eric. They would never know that joy themselves, and she felt pity for them. It wasn't the first time that she realized that in certain respects, male vamps were no different from human males: they all wanted a son from their own loins. Katy hoped that, perhaps one day, science would be able to help them.
Tommy Lee walked over to Eric and placed the newborn in a startled Eric's arms. He said, "Your Majesty, I present to you my son, Thomas Lee Larson, Jr."
Katy held her breath and everyone gawked as Eric gingerly held the wiggling, squalling child in his arms. The tall viking looked totally nonplussed for a moment. Suddenly, he held the baby up, much as Tommy Lee had done, and announced, "As your king, from this day forward, let it be known that Thomas Lee Larson, Jr., son of Thomas Lee Larson, Sr., is forever under my protection, as is his mother, Rita Jo Larson." Katy could have sworn, Eric gave a sigh of relief as she took the baby from him and gave him back to his mother.
Eric, Daniel, Pam and the other vamps left the infirmary, each going to their respective ways. Eric had court tonight and his agenda was filled. Pam, sick of all the mushy human crap, decided to hit Fangs II for a while. There was a pretty, new human waitress who struck her fancy. She hoped to get lucky tonight. Daniel had reports to make, plus he wanted to call Judith and tell her the news. Connie and the telepaths left to go home.
Katy stayed with Rita Jo until Tommy Lee came off his shift; then she showered and went to bed. She was so tired, she barely moved when Eric finally crawled in beside her. Kissing the hand that wore his engagement ring, Eric pulled her close and fell asleep beside the woman he loved.
Over the next few days, word of King Eric Northman's engagement to his human lover, Katy Dumont, spread like wildfire through the vampire community both in the United States and abroad. Eric's cell phone never stopped ringing as a flood of congratulations from business associates, and vampire kings and queens around the world came in. Most of the callers expected an invitation to the ceremony at the palace; it was going to be a grand affair of state.
Sunday night, Bill and Sookie Compton and Judith Vardamon arrived at the palace to offer their own congratulations. Sookie thought it was finally time to meet the woman who had captured her former lover's heart.
Katy was in the infirmary with Rita Jo helping her to get ready to leave for home when Judith and Sookie walked in. Tommy Lee was waiting patiently outside in their SUV. After checking to see that the car had a proper baby seat, Katy let the two parents leave.
Judith had told her all about Katy, but Sookie wanted to see for herself. She was impressed by the quiet and reserved woman; Katy carried herself with an air of self-confidence that was very attractive. She seemed very intelligent and had a caring heart. It was clear that she was liked at the palace. Sookie could recognize the affects of Eric's blood on Katy, but she could tell the other woman was beautiful in her own right.
Later, when she saw Eric and Katy together, Sookie could tell that the two were in love. She tried and failed to read Katy's mind, but Eric's was an open book. She read his feelings for Katy loud and clear. She could also read the echo of Katy's feelings for Eric in his mind; it was a strange sensation. Sookie knew that Eric had formed a blood bond with Katy. Just for a moment, she felt a twinge of jealousy, but it quickly faded when she saw Bill standing beside Eric.
Even though Katy felt her own brief twinge of jealousy when she first saw the beautiful blonde telepath who was introduced to her by Judith, meeting Sookie was much easier than meeting Pam. Sookie was nothing like what she expected. Katy knew some of Sookie's story, and knew she had been through a lot. She was amazed that the telepath had managed to survive it all and not go insane.
Sookie seemed to radiate her own brand of happiness. The effects of her own blood bond with Bill made her positively glow. She was clearly in love with her husband, and her marriage to Bill was a happy one.
Over the last year and a half, she finally talked to a psychologist and learned to deal with the post traumatic stress caused by the violence, and the many vicious attacks on her life, including the vicous mental assault by Eric's maker, Appius. This last year and a half of her life with Bill had been peacefu and almost staid with their growing human and families. Sookie was more so grateful for that.
Sookie had matured during this past year in ways that she never expected herself. Gone was the judgmental, immature girl who hated her special gifts, and who always acted before she thought. Gone was the girl with the ponytail who wore cheap perfume, and tacky, too tight clothes that revealed too much cleavage and skin. Gone was the girl that most people thought was not too bright, who wore a false smile on her face to hide her feelings. In her place was a well dressed, graceful, clearly intelligent, self-assured woman.
Under Judith Vardamon's friendship and guidance, Sookie had developed her own sense of style and taste in clothing. Bill could afford the best and he delighted in taking her shopping at the best couturiers in the United States and in Europe. Judith often accompanied them, and the two most important females in his life had a field day, much to Bill's amusement.
At first, Sookie protested the expense, but soon she discovered that she liked beautiful clothes, shoes and jewelry. She began to like the attention. She a body that most women would die for; good clothing always looked right on her. With her hair cut and properly styled, she looked nothing like the waitress in shorts and a T-shirt who worked at Merlotte's; in fact, she had stopped working there months before marrying Bill.
Katy liked Sookie's quick wit and friendly manner. She was feisty and brave and earthy and spoke her mind. She seemed to have no hidden agenda, and Katy could tell that Eric's former lover bore her no grudge. Sookie liked her as well. As she foretold many months before, she and Katy would become friends.
Sookie asked about Katy's medical profession. She admitted that she was seriously considering going to college and studying medicine herself. During the past year, she had discovered a new ability: she could touch someone and tell if they were sick. She could even tell what was wrong with them. She wanted to do something with that ability. She laughed sarcastically when she said it was a "gift" from Appius, Eric's maker. He attempted to destroy her telepathic gifts before he was killed by her great grandfather, but instead of destroying them, he had actually enhanced her abilities.
Later that night, Sookie sat naked in front of an antique dressing table in their guest bedroom at the palace. They had just finished showering, and Bill stood behind her and began to brush her freshly washed hair. The strokes began to lull her into a state of relaxation and pure bliss.
When Bill was done, he sat the brush down and ran his hands lightly down her arms. He sighed happily as he pulled her back against his naked body, inhaling her delicious scent as he did so.
She could feel his erection high and strong against the bare skin of her back. Familiar silvery shudders began to course through Sookie's body. A sweet languid liquid heat warmed her groin. Her thighs began to tremble and feel weak. Bill's touch always made her feel that way, and she knew it always would. She sighed with happiness.
Standing up, she turned and pressed herself up against Bill's chest, deliberately brushing her tightened nipples against his skin. Bill groaned and grabbed the soft round mounds of her butt and pulled her closer to him. Lifting one of her legs and wrapping it firmly around him, he dipped a little and rubbed his hardened shaft between her legs, against the soft, silky and deliciously wet folds of her sex, but he didn't enter her.
Holding her with one arm, he slipped two fingers inside and laughed against her throat as she began to rock against them. She cried out as her first orgasm hit.
Bill trembled at the feel of her soft, silky skin as it touched the super sensitive skin of his organ. He got harder, longer and wetter. Sookie shuddered and reached up to pull his mouth down to hers, but he stopped her.
"Katy is a very nice woman, and I like her. Are you sorry now that you aren't married to Eric? Katy will be his royal consort; someday, Eric may even make her his queen. Does that make you jealous, sweetheart?" he whispered softly Through their bond, he knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her say it out loud.
"Oh, Bill. There never really was anyone for me, but you. Don't you know that by now?" she whispered to him as she kissed him until he was panting. It was something he did for her just because he knew how much she liked it.
"Show me!" he demanded in a hoarse voice. Sookie pushed him backward on the bed; she kissed the tip of his penis and flicked it lightly several times with her tongue. Bill let out a guttural moan and tried to grab her; he wanted to pull her under him and mount her. Instead, Sookie shook him off and mounted him like a stallion and rode him, each stroke slid him deeper and deeper inside. She bucked up and down, grinding against his pelvis, until they both came in a shattering climax For the next several hours, Sookie Compton showed her man exactly what he wanted.
Another love scene was playing out in Eric and Katy's bedroom, but Katy didn't ask Eric anything about his former lover. She didn't need the bond to know exactly how Eric felt about her. She could feel Sookie was only a distant shadow in Eric's heart.
Both of them were naked and laying close together on the bed. Holding both of her hands above her head with one of his, Eric was lightly stroking her body with the other, and watching as her skin reacted to his touch. He laughed lightly as he slowly and deliberately started to erotically torture her.
Starting out with her mouth, then her throat, her nipples, her stomach and finally her swollen clit, he aroused her with his mouth, his tongue, his other hand and his damp, hardened erection. Eric sucked, licked, nipped, touched and rubbed her super heated skin until he brought Katy to the peak of climax time and time again, then backed off only to started again. He was driving her crazy.
With the way, he was holding her, she could only squirm and twist to try and get close to him, but he backed off inches away and wouldn't let her. He did this until Katy thought she would explode into a million piece from wanting him. Her body was slick with sweat and quivering from head to toe; every nerve ending screamed for him to take her.
"Oh, please, please..." she begged. "You're killing, me, Eric." Finally, he could no loner hold back his ever growin, urgent need to be inside her and slammed his full length hard into her channel and began to stoke with vampire speed. Katy shuddered and cried out with each movement. Unbelievable sensations engulfed her and made her lose all coherent thought. Passion, pleasure and an exquisitely erotic, but wonderful pain, rippled through her like waves on the ocean.
She could feel the muscles of her inner core tighten, and tighten, and tighten again, like a coiled spring. Finally, Katy came in one hard explosive burst as she cried out "Eric, my love!"
"Are you happy now, lover?" Eric sighed happily as he looked deep into her glowing eyes. The love and the lust in her beautiful gray eyes, endlessly fascinated him. Knowing that look was all for him, thrilled and exciting him on a deep level. He had never wanted to pleasure, or be pleasured by, a woman as much as he wanted this with Katy. He had never loved a woman as much as he loved this woman.
Katy shifted upward, and clenched her inner muscles tightly around his still engorged shaft and began to move herself. The creamy, liquid heat of her orgasm flowing arounding him felt like heaven to him. "Oh yes! I'm happy!" she cried as he bit her neck and came hard deep inside her.
Later, lying side by side, their bodies spent and exhausted, they held each other close and proclaimed their love for each other. They both knew exactly how the other felt, but they loved hearing it too. Surrounded by his arms, Katy told him, "I was born to be with you[ I want to be with you forever."
"Do you mean...? Eric was terrified to complete the sentence.
"Yes, after we are married, I want you to turn me, if you want to. I have no reason to stay human, and I don't want to lose you, ever," she declared.
Eric couldn't answer. He buried his face deep into her throat. She could feel the tears on his face; she could feel his body shake with emotion. She knew through their bond how happy her words had made him.
Several days later:
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving brought welcome news for Katy when two official letters from the FBI were delivered to the palace: The first letter released Katy from the Witness Protection Program stating that her testimony was no longer required. The second letter confirmed that she was not, and never had been, considered a person of interest. This letter also confirmed that her parent's estate was being released to her, immediately.
Upon receipt of the letters, Katy contacted the estate attorney in Wakefield Cove. He had received a similar notification that the Dumont Estate was no longer blocked. He assured her that as soon he received a signed bond from her, he would finish all estate business, file all tax returns, and disburse the remaining funds according to her instructions. He told he she should have the money before Christmas.
Before the end of their conversation, the attorney also gave Katy the name and number of her Aunt Mathilda's estate attorney in Philadelphia who had been trying to contact her ever since her aunt's death. After a short conversation with the second attorney, she was informed that she was the sole beneficiary of the Mathilda Rothschild Estate.
After reviewing emails from both lawyers that gave detailed reconciliations of each estate, Katy was floored. With her own sizable wealth, Katy knew that she was now worth well over five hundred million dollars. She was absolutely staggered by that news. Since Judith Vardamon was staying at the palace all this week, she decided to talk to her about handling her finances.
Judith had come down the past Sunday for the meeting with Eric and his vamps on Monday. She wasn't Eric's subject, but she happy to have any excuse to visit the palace. It had been over two weeks since she had seen Daniel Brady, and she missed him so much more than she thought she ever would. Judith had known for a while now that she was starting to fall in love with the short, sandy haired male vamp, and he seemed to be falling in love with her. Both Katy and Sookie had teased her often about her growing feelings for Daniel.
That Wednesday night, Judith met Katy in the sitting room of the master bedroom. When she reviewed the FBI letter and the faxes from the two estate attorneys, the small vamp's mouth dropped.
"Oh, my God, Katy. Did you know about this?"
"No." was the simple reply.
"But how is that possible?"
"I knew my parents were wealthy, but I had no idea of how wealthy, especially my mother. My father was from a wealthy family himself, but most of this came from my maternal grandfather Harold Thorsson," Katy explained.
Having been in the investment business for more than seventy years, Judith knew exactly who Harold Thorsson was; she actually met him several times. One of the richest men in America for a long time, Thorsson was a wealthy shipping magnate from California, who was also invested heavily in the new, up and coming, computer industry when it was brand new. He also owned an investment bank that Judith had done business with when her own company was in its infancy. Harold Thorsson had died five years Katy was born. At that time, rumors had it that his estate was in excess of one hundred million dollars. Under the capable management of her grandmother, Enid, the estate grew sizably.
"I had no idea you were related to Harold Thorsson, Katy. I knew him and liked him," the small dark haired vamp said.
"Yes, my grandfather was a very private man. No one knew all that much about him or his family because he deliberately kept out of the limelight. My mother and my Aunt Mathilda were his only children. Now I am his only living relative.
My parents never discussed money with me; they considered it tacky to discuss finances; it just wasn't done. I know now that we lived a privileged life, but we were never ostentatious. My parents wanted me to be independent, and not spoiled. I didn't get everything I wanted. They kept me on a small allowance when I was growing up. They sent me to public school, even though most of my best friends went to private school. We went once a year on vacation to Europe, but most of my friends traveled more. My mother always said, she wanted me to live a "normal life."
As planned, Katy asked Judith to be her financial manager. Judith readily agreed. Katy Dumont would become one of her company's top clients
Katy then discussed her plans to set up a foundation for sexually abused children from any money she received from her father, John Dumont. Katy didn't want any of her father's money. She she felt it only appropriate to use his money to help abused children since he had molested so many children in his life. She asked Judith's help in getting the foundation set up. Because of her many philanthropic works, Katy asked Judith to be CEO of the foundation which would be based in New Orleans., and she agreed.
Judith was getting ready to leave when she turned and suddenly asked, "Does Eric know about the size of your estate?"
"Not yet. As far as I know, Eric knows nothing about my grandfather, Harold Thorsson. Most people don't even know that I am related to him. Eric knows I have inherited my parent's estate, and he may have guessed that I have inherited my aunt's, but we have never talked about either. We have never really talked about money, but I guess we should. Anyway, I don't see any reason to tell him right now, do you? I want to surprise him after we are married, so please don't tell him." Katy replied.
"Good move, Katy. For your information, I never discuss a clients affairs with anyone else, unless authorized to do so. I would never have stayed in business so long, if I had done so," Judith assured her.
She continued. "You know this could not have come at a better time. I have been considering relocating my investment company to New Orleans for a while now. I am going to be down here for at least a month while I look for a house and a place for by business. I can do that at the same time I start setting up your foundation. Hopefully everything will be taken care of by the time you are married."
"You're moving here because of Daniel, aren't you? I know you are falling in love with him," Katy teased her friend.
"Perhaps," was the cryptic reply Judith gave, but she had a big smile on her face.