A/N - Thanks again for reading and for your encouraging and helpful reviews!
Chapter 19
Pam had been conscious for several moments before she allowed herself slowly to open her eyes. Through the red mist of her blood she perceived an ornate sitting room kitted out in a faux-Georgian manner that managed to appear highly expensive but also utterly tasteless. Weres! Huh! Even through the searing pain she was quite pleased to note that she was still sufficiently in command of herself to recognise bad style when she saw it. She remained motionless and tried to assess the damage. She was chained upright to a low-backed chair. Her blood was burning, her stomach cramped and every muscle in her body was twisted and stretched, screaming in agony. Silver poisoning. Yes, she remembered, in the Tru Blood – Edgington had herded them together and doped them up like they were three stupid little wide-eyed fucking sheep. But if she was capable of coming round and having even half-coherent thoughts, then she must have been fed. Silver was so toxic to a vampire when ingested that it was impossible for the body to flush it out without a significant dose of human blood; otherwise, the vampire would remain comatose and would eventually die. The fact that she was conscious meant that Edgington and his allies did not mean to kill her – at least not yet. Whether the same could be said of Bill and Franklin was not clear; they were not in the room, but as Pam's attention became more focused and her vision cleared somewhat she perceived that she was nevertheless not alone. At the far end of the room, on a long sofa by the window, was a petite young were girl flicking idly through a glossy magazine. She seemed as yet oblivious to the fact that her captive had awakened. Pam tried to assess how securely she was chained; the metal wasn't silver, which surprised her, and there was enough room for her to move her hands and feet a couple of inches either way. She wondered if she might have the strength to work herself loose…but no, the faint effort of shifting her limbs even slightly caused her to gasp in pain and the were looked up, giving an ice cold smile and throwing her magazine to the ground.
'Pam, I'm delighted to have you back! I'm sorry we're not in a position to be more hospitable, but you should really count yourself lucky – privileged, even. Sheriff Edgington seems to have quite a soft spot for you. Your king and your colleague have not been quite so, um, fortunate.' Pam flinched. 'Oh don't worry, they're still alive – for now. But Russell wishes to make a deal. He sees you, for some reason, as a quite an extraordinary vampire and would like to enlist your support. He assumes, for one thing, that you remain loyal to Northman. It is no great secret that you're hardly enamoured of your king and if your king falls, well, what happens to you? If you join with Russell your future is assured and if your Maker returns, which we have reason to believe he almost certainly will, he will surely be persuaded to support the monarchy in return for a high stake in the new regime. Northman as the king's deputy? You as the new sheriff of Area 5 and Fangtasia redeemed from that fuckwit, Franklin? It's got to be tempting, hasn't it?'
There was a long moment of silence. Pam's stomach reeled and retched, her scorched throat tightening as she struggled to find the means to speak. A thin, viscous strand of blood ran from her lip as she opened her mouth to speak.
'Fuck you.'
Some thirty miles south east of Gatlinburg, Pam's maker and his human lover were bathing in the glow of a full moon. As Eric slowly washed Sookie's back, luxuriating in the feel of her warm, human flesh against the cold of the water running through his hands, he became hard. She felt his excitement as he moved his hands across her body cleaning off the moss and dry autumn leaves that still clung to her skin. He wanted to turn her around to meet him, to crush her to him, but he made no move. She seemed willing, but she might still be sore, or tired at least, and he didn't want to make love to Sookie if her senses weren't alive for him. It was Sookie, finally, who turned to place a shy kiss on his lips.
'Sookie?'
'Please.'
Eric shook with desire as he placed a hand between her thighs, stroking, not moving in.
'Are you sore?'
Sookie shook her head and gave a wide smile that was almost child-like in its glee, its anticipation. Eric groaned her name as he pressed his lips to her cheek and rested her against the grassy bank. With cool drops from the mountain stream flickering against his back, he slipped inside her still mindful that it was so soon after the last time, that she might find it painful to have him go so deep again. Sookie felt him holding back and was touched by his hesitancy, even as she wondered, incredulous almost, at the depths of this wilful, strong vampire's tender concern for her. She placed her hands behind him and pulled him in to her, murmuring sweet reassurance to her lover to push, to take what she was giving to him, her body, open for him, and her love and her desire growing to a fever as she came around him, softly breathing his name against his cold, wet skin.
Wrapped in her lover's arms, Sookie fell into a light sleep and was dreaming of her gran's house, and of Jason playing on that little tricycle he'd had when he was no more than three or four years old…..
'Pamela! PAMELA!'
She snapped awake, confused, and found Eric kneeling a few yards from her, moaning, his head bowed in his hands.
'Eric! Please, honey, what…'
He turned, panting and shaking, struggling to regain control. He crawled to her and she took him in her arms. 'Your child, Pam…?'
'She's in a terrible state, Jesus – the pain.' Eric's body seemed to spasm for a moment, his head lolling back, before he steadied himself again. ' Sookie, I have to go to her. Alone.' Sookie tensed. 'It's too risky for you, lover. I'll take you to Gatlinburg and find a place for you to stay. I have the money, and it won't be for long darling, I promise…'
'No way Eric, I'm coming with you. You can leave me in Bon Temps – but don't abandon me here, I'll be sick with worry – please.'
'It's not just the danger, Sookie. I'm…not too strong right now. I haven't fed in a while and… I'm not sure I could carry you back. I'm sorry lover, there is no other way.'
Sookie released him from her embrace and met his gaze steadily. 'There is another way, Eric.' She moved back slightly and raised her wrist to his trembling lips.
'Drink.'
Several hundred miles away, a few moments earlier, Dawn Legendre had taken from a black case on the floor by her feet a long syringe filled with what looked like blood. Not human blood, though – too dark, and even from across the room, with her senses dulled to almost nothing, Pam flinched at the rank, earthy, smell.
Were blood.
Dawn moved around to the back of the chair where Pam's arms were chained and levelled the syringe against a vein. As she pushed down, she lowered her lips to Pam's ear and murmured: 'This is for Cooter.'