Chapter Four

With Eric taking an unexpected night off, Pam set herself up in the Master's chair on the raised platform in the middle of Fangtasia. She was the queen of all she surveyed – the mistress of her domain – kneel before Pam. A scrawny human in a spiked collar approached and told her that she was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. She answered him with a boot heel to the chest.

It was good to be the queen.

She'd spotted Sookie as soon as she walked through the door, and sat regally waiting for the surprisingly tolerable human to approach.

"Where's Eric?" Sookie demanded.

Pam raised an imperious eyebrow. "Oh good, we're dispensing with all of those tedious human pleasantries. He's not here."

"I know that," said Sookie. "And he's not answering his phone. What's going on?"

"We've had drama."

"Does this have anything to do with that crazy woman from last night?" asked Sookie.

"Do you mean our new Captain of Security? Why yes, yes it does." Pam glanced at the door and sighed. "Speak of the devil."

Hope walked directly to Pam and handed her an envelope. "I've been ordered to give this to you."

"And I've been ordered not to kill you," said Pam.

"Good, then our business here is done." Hope turned to leave, and Sookie grabbed her arm. It was Hope's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"What did you do to Eric?" Sookie demanded.

"I broke his nose."

"Why?" Sookie exclaimed.

"Because he was choking me."

"And why would he do that?"

"I don't know." Hope wrenched her arm out of Sookie's grip. "I guess because he's a Viking and that's how they roll." She drew a centering breath. "Listen, I'd love to stay and shoot the shit about hair and clothes and boyfriends, but I've got fifteen more vamps to meet with tonight, and three of them don't want to be found. The last time I saw Eric, he was at home and he was healthy. Take it for what it's worth. Now, if you'll excuse me…" Hope made her way over to the bar, slapped an envelope in front of the bartender, and then left the club.

Pam looked down at Sookie from her temporary throne and smiled. "Like I said, we've had drama."

One security guard allowed Sookie into the gated community where Eric lived and another much more intimidating security guard let her into his home. She went directly to Eric's bedroom, where the security guard told her he had been all night. She found him dressed only in a pair of jeans, sitting on bloodstained sheets, and holding a letter. He wasn't reading the letter. He appeared to be lost in thought.

She knocked on the open door. "Eric, is everything all right?"

"Sookie." Eric got up and pulled her into the room, shutting the door behind her. He brushed a cool kiss against her lips. "No lover, everything is most definitely not all right. But it's better now that you're here."

Sookie took his face in her hands and gave him what she considered to be a properly passionate kiss. "Tell me what's wrong," she whispered against his lips.

Eric crossed his arms over his chest and stared off at nothing in that utterly still way that only vampires could manage. After a long moment he spoke. "Godric believes that the Slaugh are gathering for an attack at the crossroads in Hot Shot."

"I don't understand. What are – who are the Slaugh?"

Eric struggled with his answer. As if speaking of the Slaugh aloud would conjure them to appear. "They're horrifying, even to vampires. The Slaugh are said to be the reanimated souls of the unforgiven dead, but no one really knows for sure what they are. They ride in hunting parties at night and destroy every thing in their path. Almost no one – human, vampire, Were, or fae – survives an encounter with the Slaugh. The few who have survived went insane."

Sookie swallowed hard. "And Godric believes that these Slaugh are coming to Bon Temps?"

Eric nodded. "There are places on earth – Hot Shot is one of them – where the barrier between the realms is weak and beings can cross over. We call them crossroads. They have always been heavily guarded. Hot Shot is guarded by the werepanthers in this realm and by Seelie fairies in the other."

"But the panthers are a mess. So many of then have trouble shifting and there are hardly any babies," said Sookie

"And the fairies are also weakening," said Eric, completing her thought.

A cold chill went down Sookie's spine. "Can these Slaugh be stopped?

Eric nodded his head slowly. "There's nothing we can do to help the fairies on their side of the portal. Our only option is to destroy the Slaugh as they come through. The werepanthers aren't up to the task. Godric says that the Slaugh will all come through at once and that we need to assemble an army of shifters and vampires to defeat them."

"I'll talk to Alcide," said Sookie. "I'm sure he'll want to help."

"Thank you. That would be helpful. He trusts you more than he trusts me."

"What about Victor Madden and King Filipe? Will they listen? Will they send vampires to Bon Temps?"

Eric shook his head. "This is bigger than Louisiana. We'll need hundreds of vampires to defeat the Slaugh."

"So you'll need the cooperation of all the Kings and Queens."

Eric shook his head again. "No, Godric is right. This isn't business; it's war. There can only be one king."

Sookie stepped back and looked at Eric. The realization of what was about to happen dawned on her. "And he wants you to be that king."

Eric nodded.

"But how does he expect you to do that?" asked Sookie. "Uniting vampires is like herding cats. Not to mention, I think the current vampire royalty will object."

Eric chuckled grimly. "No doubt. Fortunately, Godric also sent me a gift – a weapon of vampire mass destruction if you will – that will bring the other kings and queens in line."

"What kind of weapon?"

"A daywalker - an unusually talented human tracker with the speed and strength of a vampire, who can walk in the sunlight."

"Hope?"

"Yeah." He looked away. "Sook, there's something you need to know about her."

Uh oh. That didn't sound good. Sookie eyed him apprehensively. "What?"

"Do you know how when you take my blood, for a time you feel stronger, quicker…healthier?"

"Yes. Go on." Sookie really didn't like the direction the conversation was taking.

"Well, that's how Hope was created, except that Godric was much older than me and they exchanged blood almost everyday. So, she's a lot healthier, if you get my drift."

"Why didn't she turn vampire?"

"I don't know. Godric had a knowledge I lack."

"So they were blood bonded," Sookie clarified.

"Yeah. Big time."

"What happens now that he's dead?" asked Sookie, knowing that she wasn't going to like the answer.

"She'll fade, and eventually die unless she establishes a new blood bond with another vampire."

"And?" He wouldn't be staring at his feet unless there was more to the story.

"And as the only vampire Godric ever created, the blood bond has to be with me." There. He'd said it. Now he braced for hurricane Sookie.

"I knew you were going to say that," said Sookie, shaking her head. "Have the two of you…yet?"

"I ordered her to drink my blood earlier this evening. I have not fed from her yet."

"I see." Sookie's lips formed a tight line. "And did the two of you…"

"No!" He looked at Sookie incredulously. The thought of having sex with Hope had honestly never crossed his mind. Why hadn't it crossed his mind? Odd that. He shrugged it off and turned his attention back to Sookie. "No, I didn't and I don't intend to."

"You say that now, but wait until the bond kicks in." She sat down heavily on the bed, and flopped back against the mattress. "So let me see if I've got this right. She has to drink your blood every day or she goes back to being a plain old human."

"Right."

"And you have to feed from her."

"Only from her," Eric clarified. Sookie's shoulders sagged and her mouth fell open. "Hey, I don't make the rules," he said.

"Why can't Pam do it?"

"She's too young. Hell, I'm not sure I'm old enough to pull this off." He lay down on the bed next to Sookie and pulled her close. "Let's keep our eye on the ball here, Sook. We need her if we're going to win this war. She's no use to us at all if she's human."

Sookie couldn't find any flaw in his logic, but that didn't mean she had to like it. "What happens to our bond now?"

"The bond will fade, but my affection for you will not. I wanted you before the bond was created, and I will want you after it fades. Can you say the same?"

She looked up at him with big blue eyes. "I'm afraid. I'm afraid of all of this."

"Just between you and me," Eric stared at the ceiling. "so am I."

Author's note: To answer some of your questions, this story takes place after Rhodes. Eric and Sookie are together and blood bonded. You've probably noticed that I'm pretty flexible with canon when I write. I hope you enjoy the story anyway.

And now, I have a reached the point in the story where I have a creative decision to make. Shall I keep this story rated Teen, or shall I write a rated Mature version?