Author's Note: Hey everybody, thank you so much for the reviews, they have meant so much to me. So this is a chapter that almost caused a lot of problems. All of these past chapters I wrote several months ago, so I have just been proofreading, making necessary grammar changes, then posting them. Well, this one somehow managed to hold a major story flaw involving the werewolves that I did not catch when I wrote the chapter or the two times I proofread it. I did not end up catching the mistake until much later when I was taking a shower! Wow, stupid me. Well, thankfully I got it all cleaned up and even managed to make the next couple chapters I have already written flow more smoothly.

So once again, thanks to all you awesome readers! If it wasn't for your encouragement, I'm not sure I would have paid enough attention to catch my own mistake.

Disclaimer: I own Gemma Leland and part of the plot associated with her. The rest belongs to Alan Ball, the creator of True Blood, and Charlaine Harris, the author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels.

Chapter 5

Eric and I walked up to room 205. When Eric slid the key into the door, the light above the lock turned green, signaling that it was unlocked. He turned the handle, opening the door for me.

"After you," Eric said, gently pushing me into the room. Giving him a hateful glare, I stepped inside. The hotel room obviously hadn't been used for a while because the two full-sized beds were perfectly made, the floor was spotless, and the television screen was speckled with dust. I flipped on the light to the bathroom and stepped in. Several towels were folded and ready for me. Small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body soap were arranged next to the sink.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw Eric standing just outside the doorway, a devious smirk on his face.

"Well come on," he said, "you can't take a shower with your clothes on."

"What am I supposed to do when I'm done? I can't change back into those filthy clothes and I'm sure as hell not running around naked," I spat back. Eric's face became stony, obviously thinking of an answer.

"You didn't think about that, did you?" I asked with a chuckle.

"Just take your shower," Eric answered. "By the time you're done, everything will be taken care of."

With that, Eric pulled the bathroom door shut. Turning toward the shower, I unfortunately caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I gasped, shocked by what a terror I looked like. My usually strawberry-blonde hair was stained brown by the dirt that hung in clumps around my face and shoulders. My skin was almost invisible through the dirt and blood on my face. There was one thing, though, that really struck me. My normally hazel eyes were bright green, shining with a light from within. The brown that has always lined my pupil was smaller, almost unnoticed next to the vibrant forest color. My eyes were so beautiful, so bright, I almost didn't believe they were mine.

It took me a moment to rip myself away from that mirror. Turning away from it, I quickly stripped off my clothes, stuffed them into the tiny garbage can under the sink, grabbed the miniature soap bottles, and jumped into the shower.

The next fifteen minutes were like heaven. It took quite a bit of scrubbing to get the mud and blood off my skin and out of my hair, but with the help of a washcloth and all the soap in that bathroom, I was eventually clean. I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in one of the undersized white towels the hotel provided. It just barely covered all my private parts, so I made sure to walk carefully.

When I opened the door and walked out into the room, Eric was sitting on the bed, watching an episode of The Big Bang Theory on the dusty television. In the dim light of the hotel lamp, I could not help but notice an undeniable sexiness about him. Eric was obviously attractive, that I realized from the moment I first saw him a few hours ago. However, sitting on the bed, pressed up against the headboard, he had this added sultriness that made me believe he wasn't quite as heartless as he seemed, that he would stick around to cuddle even after some good sex. He was an enigma that I really wanted to figure out.

"How can humans watch this idiocy?" Eric asked, his eyes never leaving the television screen. "None of the things they do make any sense. Why doesn't the small human just tell the blonde he wants to fuck her already?"

I let out a loud bark of laughter, completely taken by the hilarity of his words. Seeing a vampire watch sitcoms is a truly entertaining experience. Shaking my head, I looked over at the desk beside the entertainment center. On top of it were a pile of clothes, perfectly folded, a pair of black flats, and even a round hairbrush. I was touched that Eric had thought about all the things I would need and had gotten those items for me.

"Where did you get this stuff?" I asked, picking up the piece of clothing on top. It was a lacy black bra, surprisingly in my size, with a matching pair of panties. I looked at him with one eyebrow raised. "How did you know my bra size?"

Eric did not even look away from the television as he answered me. "I've known many women in my lifetime. They are somewhat of a hobby of mine. Guessing breast size based on only a few looks or feels is a skill I've picked up," he answered with a shrug, as if he was telling me that he enjoyed model cars and could tell by looking at one what make, model, and year it was. I rolled my eyes, not wanting to know any more.

I got dressed quickly, soon realizing the outfit Eric had picked out for me was rather more on the revealing side than I was used to. The top was a white, lace-up corset type of shirt, which combined with the push-up bra gave me rather over-the-top cleavage. The navy jeans were also tight, but thankfully not so much that I had a muffin top. I would have expected something like six-inch stilettos after looking at the rest of the outfit, but I was grateful for the comfortable flats instead. Once my hair was all brushed out, I walked out into the bedroom.

Eric Northman

I heard her soft padded footsteps as she walked out into the room. Looking up, my eyes met the piercing green orbs of somebody I did not recognize. Her porcelain skin was flawless, freckles dotting her face slightly on her cheeks. Her petite body looked perfect in the outfit I picked out for her. My eyes settled on her breasts, taken aback by how amazing they looked pressed up by the bra and tight shirt. I had to admit, she looked even more amazing than I realized.

Gemma's arms crossed over her chest, forcing me to look up into her face. She was glaring at me, though behind the angry eyes I knew she was secretly flattered. What woman isn't flattered by open admiration of her body?

"Did you really need to pick out such tight clothing?" she demanded, turning to look at herself in the floor-length mirror stuck to the wall by the door. It was clear she approved of the new look, but she was determined to seem otherwise.

"I like when the women in my presence look appealing," I admitted, still admiring her. It was hard to tell when she was caked in filth just how breathtaking she really was. Looking at her, I found myself nearly forgetting about Sookie. Almost. This beautiful vampire was perfectly fuckable, but I still wanted that human woman so bad, it pained me. I wished she would love me back, choose to be mine instead of Bill's, but that would never happen as long as she believed he loved her.

"You have sad eyes," Gemma said quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed. My eyes snapped to her in surprise. She looked back at me with pity and concern. I felt embarrassed that she saw the crack in my armor and I quickly put my haughty, condescending mask back on.

"If I'm sad, Miss Leland, it's because I'm stuck with a baby vampire that isn't mine. Let's get you to the Queen already so I can hopefully get you off my back," I said coldly, pushing myself off the bed to my feet. Without another look at her, I brushed past her, opened the door to the room, and walked out into the hall.

"What about all my dirty clothes and stuff?" she asked, making me stop in my tracks. "Shouldn't we clean this place up?"

"Leave it. It's not our problem anymore." I turned and looked at her with an icy smile. "We were never here, remember?"

Gemma Leland

I was fuming as I got into Eric's car. He had a way of making me feel like shit for trying to get to know him. Maybe I wasn't his progeny, but that didn't mean I chose for this to happen to me. And I certainly didn't choose him to drive up and save me from those wolves. He just as easily could have driven by or left me after he killed the wolves if he didn't want anything to do with me.

Despite my anger with him, I couldn't help but think about the incredible sadness I saw in Eric's blue eyes back in that room. I knew that look; I had seen it in the mirror many times throughout my life. It was the sad, lonely look of someone with a broken heart. What could have possibly broken Eric's icy, non-beating heart?

As he sat down in the driver's seat, Eric's phone began to ring. He answered, his voice strained. I could tell he was talking to Pam, but I could not tell what they were saying to each other because they were speaking in a different language. Not that I was very interested in what they were saying. I was not particularly fond of Pam, or Eric for that matter. After a few seconds, Eric ended the call. With a huff of frustration, he started the car and slammed it into reverse, throwing me forward in my seat.

"What's going on?" I demanded, straightening my top.

"I have business to attend to at Fangtasia, unfortunately. Hopefully it will be quick."

"Yes, of course, we wouldn't want you to be put out by my presence too much longer, would we?" I spat venomously. He did not answer, instead simply turned his head and glared at me.

We were soon parked in front of Fangtasia. With his superhuman speed, Eric was out of the car and through the front door before I even had my seatbelt off. Sighing, I chose to take my time. Just because I could be fast did not mean I had to be. And every second I did not have to spend with Eric was a moment of freedom.

When I finally walked into the club, Eric was standing near the bar, staring at a piece of paper in his hand. A short, blonde woman stood in front of him, her back to me, speaking rapidly to him. Pam was leaning against the bar, a redheaded vampire standing beside her. No one noticed when I walked in, so I just stood by the entrance.

"You found this branded on a dead man's neck?" Eric asked the woman.

"Bill summoned Jessica there," she answered, her face turning toward the redheaded vampire. "I think he was trying to show us who kidnapped him."

I looked to Eric in confusion. He did not look at me, though I knew he must be aware I was inside. Someone had been kidnapped. Was this normal with vampires?

"Nazi werewolves," Jessica said, strangely happy despite the situation.

Gasping, I put my hand to my mouth. Suddenly, I saw those werewolves that had attacked me by the highway as clear as if they were right in front of me. Their glowing yellow eyes stared at me from the darkness, ready to tear me to shreds.

Every eye in the room was locked on me. I met every one of them, embarrassed. Turning back to Eric, the blonde girl asked, "Who is she?"

Eric stared at me coldly, unhappy that I had made my presence known, it seemed. I couldn't help it. First, I had been attacked by these werewolves. Now, it seemed they had taken another vampire by the name of Bill. Were the werewolves that had come after me the same as the ones that had kidnapped him?

"That is a baby vampire I intend to dispose of very soon," he grumbled. "Do not mind her."

Giving me an unsure look, Sookie turned back to Eric. I could not even bring myself to get mad at Eric's comment. I was too focused on my own thoughts.

"That dead guy was strong and fast enough to take Bill, he had to be something supernatural. I was hoping you could tell us more."

Eric's face was devoid of emotion, but I could tell this conversation was bothering him. I didn't blame him. If werewolves were anything like in the movies, they were evil and murderous. There was no way I would volunteer to deal with that.

"Never seen it before, sorry," Eric stated, throwing the card down on the table that separated him and the blonde. There was something about the way he said it that made me think he wasn't exactly telling the truth. I began to wonder if Eric knew more about my attackers than he was telling me.

"Why do I get the feeling you're blowing me off?" she asked, her voice tinged with aggravation. Whoever this Bill was, he must have meant a great deal to her. I began to feel very sympathetic toward her.

Eric cast his eyes shiftily from side to side, looking like he was backed into a corner. He turned his gaze over to Pam and said something I did not understand, to which Pam answered with a nod.

"Let's go to the ladies' room and stare at ourselves in the mirror," she said, getting the attention of Jessica. She turned her eyes to me, obviously indicating that she was speaking to me, also. With a sigh, I followed them. I wanted to hear more about the werewolves, but this was a conversation I wasn't invited to attend.