A/N: Okay so most people really want me to get past the sad parts and move on to the happy times. I really want that too so I am going to try to keep writing as fast as possible and not get distracted (which I easily am unfortunately lol). I've already been coming up with new ideas for upcoming chapters. I really have not decided on a solid ending yet, but that won't be for awhile. I'm calculating the story will be around 30 chapters, but certainly no more than that. I have other ideas for future stories that I would like to try. The next chapter will be all Sookie and what she has been doing, then after that let the happy days begin! lol As for this chapter please just pretend that it is still daylight in some parts. I looked up the Air France website and saw that it is an 11 hr flight time from Bordeaux to New York so in real life it would be dark when she gets there.
Sookie's POV:
It felt like the whole world was crashing down on me. I couldn't breathe but yet sobs of despair were coming out of my mouth. The pain that I felt was so immense that I literally couldn't move my body. Fortunately Etienne was there to carry me up the stairs and away from that horrible scene that I had just witnessed.
We reach the bedroom again and he goes to sit on a chair with me in his lap. He tries to comfort me by stroking my hair. I feel an unbearable ache in my heart as I replay the scenes in my head. Those pictures will forever be embedded within my memory. It is a reminder of a deep betrayal that has penetrated my soul. Tears run down my face as I wail loudly.
Finally after what seems like an eternity, I begin to calm down, but I continue to whimper in his arms.
"I am deeply sorry that you had to see that Sookie, but you are my friend. I couldn't bear to not let you know what he is really like. You deserve better," he says still running his hand through my hair. A few times during our many chats he had discussed with me the natural characteristics of a vampire. He told me that vampires were not monogamous by nature, that it was in their blood to have sex and feed from more than one partner in their lives. I had told him that Eric was not like that, that he had overcome that natural desire that was in other vamps, but I guess I was wrong.
"I need to go home," I croak. "I can't be there when he comes back. I can't bear to look at him ever again!"
"Shhhhhh..." he says as he wipes the tears from my right cheek. "You wish to return home? Well in that case, I will help you."
I get up from his lap and sit on the bed. "How can you help me?"
He stands. "Well I can get you a flight home as quickly as possible. All I have to do is make a few phone calls."
I start to look around the room for my purse, but then I remember that I had left my purse and phone at Marten's castle.
"I don't have my passport or money," I counter.
"I can give you money," he says. "As for your passport, you must return to the castle anyway before your were guards realize that you are missing. Just after dawn you must leave your room and meet your guards just to make them aware that you are still there. Tell them that you are suffering from jet lag and convince them that you require more rest and to not disturb you. They will not bother you for at least several hours. Afterwards retreat back to your bedroom and take the items that you need. You will receive a phone call telling you where to go as I will arrange some kind of distraction for your guards that will allow you to make your escape. The transportation will then take you to the airport."
"But what if Eric returns there before dawn?" I squeak.
"He won't, he will rest here for the day with Rosamund," he says sympathetically.
I feel another stab in my heart and I break down once more. He sits beside me and gives me a hug. I weep into his chest.
"Sookie," he says soothingly rubbing my back. We stay like that for a few minutes. "I must make the necessary phone calls." He gets up and whips out his cell phone. He talks rapidly to someone in French.
I gaze out the window forlornly, feeling my heart ache knowing that Eric was somewhere in the basement having sex with his wife and other women. Luckily I was still able closed despite my turbulent emotional state.
"Sookie we must go, it is another hour before dawn," he tells me. I nod and he leads me out of the castle. We drive off in his car and stop on the same road as before. He opens the trunk of his car and pulls out a plastic bag. I climb on his back again and he runs quickly to Marten's castle.
"You must put this on," he says handing me the bag. We are standing at a safe distance from the castle. "You are covered in my scent. I will turn around so that you can change."
He turns his back on me and I quickly change out of my clothes and into the new ones. I put my old clothes back into the bag. He turns around once I am done.
"I must return," he says looking at the sky which is getting a little bit lighter. He takes the bag from me. "You remember Rosamund's daytime manager?" I nod. "He will be the one calling you, telling you what to do next. He will also take you to the airport and give you money to complete your journey home."
"Thank you Etienne for everything that you have done," I say, my throat hoarse.
"There is no need to thank me. Friends always help each other in their time of need. Send me a message once you have arrived home safely," he tells me. I nod again and he disappears into the night.
I take a deep gulp and run back inside. As soon as I reach my room, I close the door and collapse against it sobbing, slowly sliding down to the floor.
I sit there for about twenty minutes but soon afterwards my self-preservation starts to kick in. I need to pull myself together if I want to get away from Eric. I get up from the floor and go to the bathroom to wash my face. My eyes are completely red and swollen from crying. I go to the desk and pull out some stationary in order to write a note for Eric.
If you are reading this then you know that I have left. I know it is futile to ask you to not look for me but I will. Please do not come to me, do not try to look for me and reclaim me. I don't want you, I don't want to marry you and spend an eternity with you. If you have any love for me, just please let me live out my life alone, without you. Tonight I realised that it was wrong of me to expect you to change who you are. I also realised that I could never fit into the life that you have built. You have betrayed me in the worst possible way. If you have ever had any respect or love for me, then you know that you have to let me go.
Sookie
A few tear drops land on the paper as I begin to fold it. I find an envelope and stuff the note inside. I look at my ring that is still on my finger. I take it off and put it inside the envelope as well.
The sun is starting to peak, so I change my clothes again. I gather up the stuff that I need into a backpack. Once I have done that I head downstairs to look for my were guards. I find Taylor in the breakfast room eating a bowl of oatmeal.
He looks up and smiles, "Good morning Sookie." His smile turns into a look of concern when he sees my eyes. "Are you alright?"
"I'm not feeling very well," I tell him truthfully. "Me and Eric had an argument last night that didn't end so well." He starts to look more concerned.
"Don't worry, he didn't hurt me physically or anything like that. I just think I'm a little bit stressed out. It probably doesn't help that I got absolutely no sleep last night. It must be the jetlag," I explain.
He still looks worried, "Oh then you should try to get some sleep Sookie. I'll make sure the cleaning staff doesn't go in there and bother you. Okay?"
"Yeah you're right. I should head back to my room and try to force myself to sleep. Have a good day Taylor, I'll see you later on this afternoon," I say.
"See you later Sook," he says.
I head back upstairs and sit on the bed cross-legged. I sit there for a few minutes and suddenly my phone rings and right away I answer it.
"Hello?"
"Miss Stackhouse?" the voice asks.
"Yes this is me." I say quietly.
"Good. This is Ari, I have put together a last minute escape route for you. From what my surveillance has said, only two of your were guards are awake. The other three are still sleeping in their quarters. You must follow my exact instructions..."
I listen to him as he explains which door to leave from. He seems familiar with the floor plan of Marten's castle. I make a mental note to tell Marten that. That is if I ever see him again. I put on my backpack and jacket and follow Ari's route. I make it outside and begin running towards a field and into the forest. I stop in order to catch my breath and lean against a tree.
"Miss Stackhouse," a voice calls behind me.
I spin around to see Ari standing there in a fleece jacket and jeans. "Yes."
"Please follow me, I will take you to my car," he says.
He walks briskly through the forest and I have a hard time keeping up with him. Twenty minutes later we reach his car. We drive off heading to the airport.
I look out my window, recalling my horrible fresh new memories.
"I was surprised when Etienne called me, telling me to help you get home," he says. "You are running away from the vampires I assume?"
I don't really feel like having a conversation with him so I just nod.
"I don't blame you. Vampires are ruthless, conniving individuals with no souls," he says.
"No argument here," I reply. "Then why do you work for them?"
"Because fortunately for them, I have no conscience. They pay very well. I used to work for MI6 before Rosamund offered me a job. She gave me an offer that I couldn't refuse," he says. The rest of the ride is silent and we finally reach the airport.
"Here is your money," he says handing me a leather wallet. "There is more than enough in there to get home. Your ticket has already been paid for. You will be boarding an Air France jet. There will be a stopover in Paris and New York, then after that you board the next plane that will take you New Orleans, then to Shreveport. I have arranged for transportation to pick you up once you get to Shreveport."
I thank him and go into the airport. An hour later I board my flight that is taking me to Paris then to New York. The flight is long and I manage to get a restless sleep. After a lengthy flight time, the plane lands at JFK airport.
I have something to eat while I wait in the terminal for my next flight to New Orleans. As I wait I look through my bag and find the banking information for the money that Bill left me. It starts to dawn on me that I can't go home. More than likely, Eric will probably be waiting for me at the airport in Shreveport or Pam will be there. Even if I object, he will force me to go back to him. He will break me to the point that I will have no other alternative but to accept him as who he is and also to accept my place as his human concubine. He will probably also put me on a tighter leash so that I will never have the opportunity to run from him again.
I get up from my chair and make my way through the airport. I see a large charity donation bin for the humane society. I throw in the leather wallet full of money. I look through my address book to find Amelia's phone number and search for a pay phone to call her. I use the change from my own purse and dial her number.
She picks up on the third ring, "Hello?" she asks.
"Amelia!" I say sounding relieved.
"Sookie? Is that really you? Where are you?" she asks.
"I'm at the airport here in New York."
"What! What are you doing there?"
"I can't explain over the phone, but can you give me your address?"
She offers to pick me up but I decline so she gives me her address. I wait outside and hail a cab. I had $214 in my own wallet so I use that to pay for the cab.
I get to her apartment building and find her waiting outside for me. I rush out of the cab to hug her and I start crying all over again. She holds me as she leads me into her apartment. Once we are inside she offers me some water and I drink it. After I settle down, I tell her everything that has happened in the past few months up to last night. She listens to me as I see tears form in her eyes.
"That's terrible Sookie!" she says hugging me again. "Stay here with me. I have plenty of space here, you can start over."
I shake my head. "I can't stay Amelia. He will come here and force me to go back with him. I have to keep going. I don't know if he already knows that I am gone," I say.
She looks at me with sympathy in her eyes, "Is there anything that I can do?"
"Yes help me find a branch of this bank," I say showing her the bank statement. "I need to make a withdrawal. Then take me to a bus station."
She looks up the bank name on the internet and finds the address for the bank branch that has Bill's money. We go to that bank and I head to the teller in order to make a withdrawal of $15,000. Once I get the money we head to the bus station and I hug Amelia outside.
"I'll wait with you till you get on your bus," she says.
"You can't. You can't know where I am going; it would be too dangerous for you to know. Be careful, Eric will definitely be contacting you very soon," I tell her.
"I won't tell him anything Sookie I promise," she says crying. "Please call me. To let me know that you are alright."
"I'll contact you when I find a place to stay," I tell her. We say goodbye one last time and I head into the bus station. I mull over my options of where to go. It is probable that Eric has a lot of contacts all over the states. I may need to leave the country. I speed through my memories trying to think about all the times that Eric has discussed his travels in Canada and there has only been a few. I decide that Canada is my best option for now.
I purchase a ticket to Toronto. Forty minutes later I get on the bus. I have a hard time trying to sleep in the uncomfortable seat so I take the time to ponder about where I should go once I reach Toronto. I know that I have stay out of the major cities. My mind wanders off to my fond memories of Eric as they help me drift off to sleep.
Eric`s POV: The night of Rosamund`s party
I storm out of Sookie's room feeling outraged. How dare she kick me out of the room and shut me out by closing the bond! I have done almost everything in my powers to keep her happy but still it is not enough. I have given her a comfortable home, love and my complete attention. I have been attentive to all her needs and I have given her idiot were brother more than enough money and gifts to live comfortably. No doubt he has spent my hard earned money foolishly. But no matter what I do it is never enough for her. I jump into the waiting limo that will take me to Rosamund's home. I force myself to calm down enough in order to get through the evening.
Once I get there I stick with my plan of persuading Brandon to cooperate with Rosamund. A servant directs me to the Great Room where a large group of vampires are mingling with one another. Some of the vampires have brought their human pets.
I continue to look around the room and lock eyes with Rosamund who immediately comes to me.
"Eric, my dear husband, you have finally arrived," she says, she is about to embrace me but refrains, perhaps remembering our deal.
"Where is Brandon?" I snip at her.
"He's over there," she points out. He is chatting with a sheriff.
I walk away from her without saying a word and approach the red haired English king.
"Brandon Rolfe, it is a great honour to meet you once again. It has been over seventy years since we last saw each other," I say as I greet him.
He looks at me, "Northman," he acknowledges. The sheriff leaves. "Yes it has been that long, though it feels like yesterday. It was in Alsace I believe where I last saw you. You had dreams of becoming wealthy in America and I have heard that you have accomplished that and even more. Now you stand here before me as a king. Tell me how do you like it so far?"
"It has been great. The people who are below me are loyal and work very hard to please me. My businesses have been running smoothly also."
"The people below you, you say?" he comments with a raised eyebrow, "I take it Rosamund has been performing her duties 'underneath you' brilliantly?"
"She knows her place," I remark.
"I was surprised when I found out that you had chosen her to become your queen," he says.
"Brandon..." I say but he interrupts me.
"Please do not think that I am jealous of your marriage. Quite the contrary, I admit that I was more than displeased when she married Ulric, but quickly found myself relieved when I saw what she drove him to become. Which was a worthless, pathetic, weak vampire."
"That won't happen to me," I adamantly tell him.
"I surely hope not. I like you Northman. I have always had a certain amount of respect for you," he tells me.
"Then you will aid Rosamund and I with our predicament?" I ask.
"Yes but only because you have asked me. I seem to remember that it was you who immediately came to my assistance after the Germans bombed London. I believe that I owe you some favours."
"Thank you," I tell him.
"There is no need to thank me. Call me anytime that you need my help. I must go. I wish to have dinner with my wife before the sun rises. I see that she has already found a suitable course," he says. I look in the direction that he is looking at and see his vampire wife standing by the entrance with a female human.
He leaves and I contemplate if I should go back to Marten's castle now that I have achieved my objective. After a quick internal deliberation, I decide against it. I still feel angry and frustrated with Sookie. Knowing that she doesn't want me near her tonight just makes me even angrier. I spend quite a great deal of time at the party talking to old acquaintances and discussing future business endeavours. Rosamund wisely stays away from me and my mood begins to improve.
Not before long I start to feel a desire to be with Sookie. I excuse myself from the party in order to try to reach her through our bond. I wander off to the balcony and look at my watch. It is nearing 3 am and she is probably still awake.
Just as I am about to try, I smell something incredible. Something that is more incredible than Sookie's scent. Right away my fangs descend and I follow the scent into the castle.
I go through the entryway of the drawing room, through the library. I continue to walk through the castle and finally come to a long hallway. At the end there is a door ajar with light seeping through. That glorious scent is coming from behind the door and as I walk closer it starts to get stronger.
When I open it I see an incredibly beautiful woman standing there in nothing but a transparent white negligee. I stare at the outline of her body and notice her ample breasts, long legs and curvaceous ass.
I continue to stare at her and not notice Rosamund's arrival.
"See anything you like?" she asks walking towards the woman and standing beside her. Rosamund brushes away the caramel coloured hair from the woman's neck. I stare at the pulse on her neck fighting the urge to feed from her. "This is Natasha. She is half fairy and is very tasty," Rosamund's comments. She takes the woman's hand and leads through a door and down some stairs.
I try to fight the urge to not follow but to no avail as my weeks of pent up sexual frustration starts to close in on me. I walk to the door and down the stairs to go after them.
"This is my play room," Rosamund says smiling seductively. She is still beside the woman and raises her hand towards me.
"Come have a taste of her Eric," she says. "She is truly delightful." Rosamund extends her fangs and takes the woman's finger into her mouth. She pricks it and a drop of blood forms from the wound. She once again extends her arm and hand to me.
I immediately lose control once the scent of her blood reaches my senses. I rush to her, take her hand and put her finger into my mouth. Instantly my blood lust is ignited after the first taste. I smash my lips against hers as I shred her transparent negligee off her body. I run my hands all over her body enjoying the feel of her warm soft skin as I lose control and let my natural desires take over. I become vaguely aware that there are now other people in the room as I ravage the half fairy woman. I can hear voices and giggling as suddenly my own clothes are being ripped from my body. But I keep my focus on this half fairy as I plunge my fangs into the pulse on her neck.
Her fairy blood engulfs me as I feel it coursing through my body lifting me up into an unbelievable high. I start to laugh uncontrollably after taking my fill of her rich tasting blood. I lift her, holding her up by her thighs and go towards the bed.
I put her on the bed and lie on top of her positioning myself between her thighs. She touches my fangs and pricks her finger again. A drop of her blood lands on my tongue and I push into her. She moans in passion as I plunge in and out of her in my vampire speed. I feel a mixture of guilt and lust. The feeling of guilt starts to get stronger but I cannot bring myself to stop fucking this woman beneath me.
I do not know how long I continue to fuck her but I can feel my impending orgasm approaching.
Just as I am about to climax, I feel lips sucking on my earlobe. "It's my turn now," another woman's voice says.
I turn my head and see Rosamund lying beside us grabbing my arm. "I need you inside me," she moans.
Seeing her there snaps me back to reality. Immediately I pull out of the woman and stand. I grab Rosamund angrily and hurl her across the room. She crashes into the wall leaving a dent.
I hear screaming as I look at the bed and see two other women there along with the half fairy. They are clearly frightened.
"Get out," I growl angrily at them. They scramble off the bed still screaming as they stumble to the door and up the stairs.
I look back towards Rosamund who has now picked herself up from the floor and is brushing off the pieces off drywall from her skin and hair.
"How dare you do this to me!" I yell at her. The urge to end her life right now is overwhelming.
She smiles at me maliciously. "I didn't do anything to you Eric. This was all you."
"You tempted me with that woman, that half fairy," I seethe.
She put her hands on her hips. "This is who you are Eric. This is what it means to be a vampire. This would have happened eventually. I just wanted it to be with me, your wife. Your relationship can only go so far with that telepath, sooner or later, your vampire instincts will take precedence over whatever you think you feel for her."
"I have lived this life longer than you and I know more about what it means to be a vampire." I snarl at her. "You know nothing about me or my relationship with my woman!"
"We shall see about that," she smirks. "Looks like you'll be spending the day here with me."
I focus intensely and can sense that that the sun is about to rise. I will not be able to make it in time back to Marten's castle.
"I will not go to rest in the same room you, get me a coffin!" I demand.
"There is one in that room," she says pointing. I look down to search for my clothes but see my tattered clothing scattered around the floor.
"Oh husband," she says sarcastically, "I will see you this evening." She leaves the room in her vampire speed up the stairs.
I look around the room and find my phone from my tattered jacket. Unfortunately it is broken. I go into the room and securely lock it. Afterwards I get into the coffin to die for the day.
The next night I rise and immediately I feel the guilt of my sexual encounter with the woman. This guilt that I feel is too strong so I don't try to reach her through our bond as she may have opened up her end.
This begs the question of whether or not I should tell Sookie. If I tell her she will be hurt and she may not be able to forgive me. I can still feel that the sun is burning in the sky so I think about my dilemma until it finally sets.
I need to find clothes, I think to myself. I go upstairs naked and find a startled male servant and order him to get me something to wear. He brings me back some track pants and a t-shirt.
"You are leaving already?" Rosamund says as I stand outside on the balcony ready to take flight.
I don't bother to look at her, "If you mention this to anyone, I will kill you," I say in my deadliest tone.
When I land at the castle I immediately decide to look for Sookie. When I walk in I hear the voices of the weres, Clint, and Savannah in the library. The weres sound panicked as Sookie's guard Savannah talks rapidly on her phone.
Once I walk into the library they stop talking amongst each other and stare at me.
"What is going on here?" I demand.
There are only two of the weres in the room and they have fear in their eyes.
"Sookie is missing," Savannah responds.
I quickly run up to Sookie's room and find it empty. I tear through the bed and her belongings looking for clues of her whereabouts. Once I find nothing I speed downstairs back into the library. I grab one of the weres by the throat.
"When did you notice she was missing?" I ask roughly.
He is wheezing, trying to breathe. "Around three o' clock this afternoon," he manages to say.
"We have looked all over the grounds your majesty. We could not track her scent as it has disappeared. She must have left early in the morning," she says.
"What has been done so far?" I say as I drop the were.
"Clint has gone to the airport to find out if she got on a plane. Three of the weres have searching the city and the area since they first noticed that she was gone," she says.
"How do you know that she left on her own free will and was not kidnapped?"
She holds up an envelope. I take it from her and open it. Her engagement ring is in there. I take out the piece of stationary. Once I open it I can smell the scent of her tears on it. The feeling of remorse starts to increase in me as I read the contents of the letter.
I must push aside these feelings for now and focus on trying to find Sookie. I start to give more orders to the weres and to Savannah. I look at the clock and unfortunately Pam and my underlings in Louisiana are still resting; it is still daylight over there.
Savannah's phone rings and she answers it. "It is Clint," she says and gives the phone to me.
"She has gone back to the states," he says.
I growl. "Get my jet ready for immediate departure." I hang up.
I try to will myself to calm down. I need to find her before I lose her forever.