a/n Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter, hope you like! I want to thank everyone for their reviews on Chapter 8, especially those of you who gave brand names/fashion advice... it was so much fun browsing the interwebs for threads I would never buy for myself! Also, I want to give a special thanks to *hearttorn* ~~ there's a little shout out to her in this chapter... her words were so perfect I had to use them (sorry it's not Burberry plaid, hearttorn)!

a/n Also, thanks to Northwoman, my spectacular beta who makes me excited all over again about this story when I send her a chapter. Have fun in SF, NW!

a/n Finally, last but certainly not least: These characters are NOT mine... they're just fun to play with!

Chapter 9

Sookie's POV

When we left Fangtasia, we took the same Mercedes I had ridden in to the Shreveport Regional Airport. There, we drove to a private terminal and approached a private jet on the tarmac. It was strange to me to do it this way – especially since the only experience I had with planes or airports was from movies - but I just followed the lead of Eric and Pam. The airplane was small, but roomy and comfortable; the seats were made of dark blue, buttery leather and the interior was all red and blue.

We were quickly seated and buckled. As we taxied out onto the runway, I was gripping the arms of my seat so hard my knuckles were turning white. I felt the nose of the plane drift upward off the pavement, and I had to lean my head back and shut my eyes tight. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. . . Does that cover flying too, Lord?

I heard Eric chuckle a bit and felt him lean close to me. "You're perfectly safe, Sookie. I did not realize you might be afraid of flying."

"Me either," I said through clenched teeth.

"You've never flown before?" he asked, surprised. I shook my head. "I am sorry, Lover. I should have asked." He took my face in his hands and kissed me softly. He moved one hand down to stroke my side as he deepened the kiss. He continued his thorough exploration of my mouth until the airplane finished its uphill climb. Somehow, I was much more relaxed than when we had taken off.

As we flew, Eric outlined the general itinerary for our trip. Since Pam and I had been instructed to spend the rest of the darkness shopping once we got to New Orleans, I would meet Sophie-Anne tomorrow night. Eric and Pam spent much of the almost two hour flight telling me about the Queen's retinue – Andre was her Pam; he was described as totally devoted to Sophie-Anne, sneaky, and cruel. I didn't know what it took to earn that description from a fellow vampire, and I was quite sure that I didn't want to find out. They told me about Sigebert and Wybert (pronounced See-ya-bairt and Way-bairt respectively; I had to make Pam spell them for me - twice), Sophie-Anne's huge, Saxon vampire guards.

Then, I knew something bad was coming, when Eric and Pam exchanged a meaningful glance and then Eric took my hands in his, peering into my eyes like he was looking at my soul. "There's something else, Lover." Yeah; figured that out.

Instead of being a smart-ass (which, let me tell you, took all kinds of self-control), I merely raised my eyebrows and said, "Oh?"

He nodded sagely. "I think Bill mentioned that the dinner hour is a rather extravagant affair at the Royal Residence." I nodded, so he continued, "I think you can imagine what I mean when I say 'dinner hour,' so I will not elaborate on that. However, as a human employee of Sophie-Anne, you will unfortunately be expected to attend."

"I figured that," I said calmly. What was the catch?

Pam rolled her eyes. "Human? Vampire dinner?" motioning with her hands. It's not that hard, said the look on her face.

My eyes widened. "You'll mean I'll be attending as an entrée?" I exclaimed incredulously. This is one aspect of the job that should have been included in the contract – so I could have rewritten it.

Pam nodded with a satisfied smirk. "Finally, Sookie."

"But. . . what . . ." I came back eloquently. Forgive me if I was at a loss when finding out that I was expected to let any ole vampire nosh on me because I had an unfortunate species assignment. That could not happen. Period.

Eric grinned. "There is a solution," he said with a look in his eye that made me wary. Was this solution of his going to be better than the alternative? It had to be.

"Which is?"

"I must claim you publicly."

Claim me? How delightfully caveman. "Explain, please?"

"If I were to claim you as mine, all other vampire would be required to leave you alone. To our kind, this kind of claiming says that you are my human and then it is up to me whether or not to share you."

Pam frowned a bit. "And he will not share you, unfortunately," she said, sighing dejectedly.

I laughed. "No offense, Pam. You're pretty but I just don't swing that way."

Eric grinned at our banter. "It is permissible, then?"

I shuddered. "Anything to keep me from being passed around like a hors d'oeuvre platter."

Pam smirked. "You should have asked for more, Master. No telling to what she would have agreed."

I laughed. "Anything else I need to know?"

"Just one more thing for now," Eric said seriously. "Since I am claiming you for my own, we will be expected to share a room. The arrangements have already been made."

How handy. My eyebrows lifted and Pam snorted. "If you do not want to share with him," she purred with a wink, her fangs running out, "You are more than welcome to share with me, Sookie." I was really beginning to like Pam.

Eric shot her a deathly look. Jealous, much? I knew I was playing with fire, but I couldn't resist replying, "If I don't like what he gives me, I may just have to do that, Pam," with a wink of my own.

I giggled when Eric's look swung to me and he growled in his throat, but my laughter quickly turned to panting when he ran a hand up my thigh and the tip of his tongue up my neck to my ear to whisper, "Believe me, Sookie. You will like what I have to offer very much." Playing with fire was very likely to get you hot, apparently.

By this time, we had landed and the plane was just coming to a stop on the tarmac. Within ten minutes, our luggage was loaded into the back of a stretch limousine and Pam and I were ushered into an Escalade for our shopping excursion. Eric waved to us as he crawled into the limo and was whisked away.

Our own driver leaned back to introduce himself as we drove off the tarmac and toward a freeway. "I am Rasul, a guard of Queen Sophie-Anne, and I understand that we are going on a shopping spree?" Pam nodded and they began chatting in that annoying way vampires have – too fast and low for me to catch any of it. If I had to wager a guess, I'd say Rasul had originated somewhere in the Middle East because of his strong features and brown skin.

After a while, we pulled up right in front of Saks Fifth Avenue. The windows of the store were illuminated and there was a well dressed man standing just inside the double glass doors, peering out intently. While I was gawking, Rasul had gotten out and opened my door, holding his hand out to help me out. "Miss Stackhouse?"

I shook myself out of my reverie and gratefully accepted Rasul's assistance. Pam placed a hand on my arm and smiled. "Are you ready to shop, Sookie?" she asked, with an almost childlike giddiness. I guess I'd found Pam's real element; I was just now absorbing that she wasn't dressed in her usual flimsy black outfit, but instead in a pastel blue and white pantsuit with stylish pumps to match. It looked good on her; she looked like a well-to-do soccer mom. A lethal, well-to-do soccer mom. I snickered to myself as I wondered if she drove a mini-van, too.

I managed to contain myself as we approached the doors and the man inside smoothed his jacket then opened a door for our entry, nodding at each of us as we strode inside. "Good evening, my name is Sebastian. I understand that you require some assistance this evening on behalf of Ms. Leclerq?"

Rasul nodded. "Ms. Leclerq requests that the bill be sent by mail. Ms. Ravenscroft and Ms. Stackhouse are to have whatever their hearts' desire. Is that clear?" You could practically see the dollar signs rolling in poor Sebastian's eyes as he nodded his understanding. "Good," Rasul continued. "I will be back at 4:00 to take them to their lodgings, and you are to call me if anything of importance arises." He nodded at Pam and me. "Have fun, ladies." And with that, he exited and Sebastian steered us further into the gigantic store.

Sebastian was telling Pam that if we needed any assistance not to hesitate, but he didn't want to hover so we were free to roam when she took my hand and practically drug me to the shoe department. "Couldn't we have just gone to Dillard's or something?" I whispered. It seemed like talking too loudly would damage the wares.

Pam snorted. "Don't be ridiculous, Sookie. Think of it like an adventure." Her eyes widened and a grin haunted her face as she motioned with her hands, "We're on the hunt for perfect attire. Outfits that are accessorized perfectly. The tools that women have always used to make themselves sexy, confident, and daring."

I laughed. "Are you always so dramatic?"

She gave me a little half-grin, her eyes sparkling. "Perhaps," she replied seriously. "Now. Under no circumstances are you to look at a price tag. If I catch you – and I will – I'll find you something twice as expensive with half as much material. Got it?" I nodded, smiling a little to myself. Pam meant business. She ticked off what I needed on her fingers. "A few outfits for business meetings, a couple of formal dresses, some fancy lingerie for my master to rip to shreds," she eyed me here, daring me to protest, then smirked when I didn't, "A bathing suit or two, then we'll see what we find just for fun."

As she pulled me from department to department, I tried to feel ashamed at how much fun I was having at someone else's expense, but I couldn't quite get to ashamed; somewhat abashed, maybe, but not penitent by any stretch of the imagination. I was having a great time. I had never had a girlfriend I could totally be myself around except for Tara, and we were never prone to shop-till-you-drop expeditions. I had also never been able to shop without having to block out hundreds of voices – even at Wal-Mart.

I only had to ask Pam to not follow me into the dressing room once, and she hardly argued when I promised to model all of our findings for her. I could quickly assess the overall success of an outfit by the state of Pam's fangs. Fangs hidden – something was off; Fangs springing to attention – definitely a keeper. We were joking about her built in hit-or-miss meter almost all night.

When I stepped out of the dressing room in my last of many formal dress attempts – a cerulean, one-shouldered, chiffon number and a pair of impossibly high Jimmy Choo sandals – Pam's face softened and she smiled, fangs out. She came over to me, taking my hands in hers and looking into my eyes.

"Sookie, I must be honest. I'm beginning to see what Eric sees in you. You're quite charming and lovely. Forgive me for being so aloof before."

I grinned. "Oh stop it, Pam," I said with a wink. "You still can't come help me out of this dress." The sudden softness from blunt and hard Pam was surprising, and very touching.

She grinned back at me and squeezed my hands, then sent me back into the dressing room to change back into my own duds. When I came out, she had Sebastian take the dress and shoes off to wrap with the rest of our booty and we walked to the front door. I couldn't believe it was already time to leave for the Royal Residence. I practically had a whole new wardrobe – Pam had even made me select new underwear - and it seemed I had made a new friend. Trip to New Orleans? So far, so good.

Eric's POV

I was lounging in my quarters in the Royal Residence waiting for Sookie and Pam to return, hoping it would be sooner than later although I knew that Rasul would be lucky to get Pam out of there at 4:00 as scheduled. All of our belongings had already been unpacked and I had managed to refrain from going through all of Sookie's things even though my curiosity was practically unbearable. I'm not sure why I cared what kind of panties she brought; I would only be ripping them off, with any luck.

I had met Sophie-Anne when I arrived and we had spent an hour or so talking about Sookie and how she could be of assistance in Sophie-Anne's current disaster. I think I made it clear that I was accepting responsibility for the local telepath, although I'm not sure whether or not the Queen managed to pick up the shadings of personal interest. I am confident that she wouldn't care, even if she had; she would assume it a brief infatuation and that Sookie was more secure because she was likewise infatuated with me. Was it a brief infatuation on my part? It was getting harder and harder to compartmentalize it that way; I couldn't deny that Sookie was more intriguing than any other conquest I had pursued in my long life. The next couple of hours had been spent refreshing connections and seeking out old friends; I had politely declined the Queen's offering of a favorite pet for a meal. She knew, at least, that I was feeding from Sookie.

Finally, Pam led Sookie in, followed by a trail of helpers laden with boxes and bags of all shapes and sizes. Sookie was desperately trying to help someone but they wouldn't allow her to carry anything, so she was wringing her hands and looking to Pam for guidance. Pam opened Sookie's share of the wardrobe and drawers and began to pilfer through it all, throwing some over her shoulder into a pile and allowing some to stay safely put away. Sookie's wild eyes finally found my own. "Eric, help!"

"What seems to be the problem?"

"She's throwing away my clothes!"

"Did you not get suitable replacements?" I asked, quirking a brow. It was so fun to watch her out of her element; she was like a snarling kitten. Sookie huffed in frustration as the helpers began unloading and putting each item away with care. Finally, she grabbed her small overnight bag and headed for the adjoining bathroom.

"I am going to take a shower," she growled, her brows furrowed. She shot me a look, "I do not desire company," then swung her look to Pam, "Or require assistance," before shutting the door and sliding the lock home with a small click.

Pam came and sat in the overstuffed chair next to the sofa I was lounging on, chuckling under her breath. "She's a fiery one, Master."

I nodded. "Did you find suitable selections?"

"Yes," she replied then after a pause added softly, "I had fun." At my raised brows, she hastily went on, "I was wrong about her, Eric. I'm sorry." Humility was not an attitude that Pamela exhibited often, and she quickly recovered. "I will kill her if she endangers you, regardless." She got up and continued directing the wardrobe replacement. There were several lacy items being tipped into a dresser drawer I found most interesting, although Pam prevented me from snooping.

Within thirty minutes of their arrival, everything was put away and Pamela had gone to find a snack before dawn, which was fast approaching. Sookie finally emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a bathrobe and wet hair trailing down her back. When I grinned at her, she glared back at me. "I do not appreciate being bought, Eric Northman." We were still on the snarling kitten bit, I see.

"Who's buying you, Sookie? Not me."

"Are you saying that you wouldn't have bought every stitch if Sophie-Anne hadn't volunteered?" She had me there. Sophie-Anne had only volunteered as a good-will campaign, anyway.

I shrugged. "It's for your job, Sookie. If I had been needed to provide it, then I would have."

"I'll admit that I didn't have clothing appropriate for Royalty," she said with her teeth gritted, "But I did not need my entire wardrobe replaced."

"I never said you did. Pamela got carried away, but can you say that you did not have a good time?" Her angry look faltered then. Success! "Do not be angry, Sookie. We don't have long until dawn." I got up off the sofa and approached her, watching her eyes roam down my body then back up again when she realized I was only wearing a pair of silky boxer shorts. When I wrapped my arms around her, she submitted willingly enough but still had frustration in her eyes. "What is really bothering you, Lover?" I asked softly. I didn't know Sookie perfectly, but I would be willing to bet she didn't just get upset for nothing; and Pam filtering through her under things hardly seemed a worthy cause.

She laughed then, a short burst with no real humor in it, and looked up to meet my gaze. "I guess I'm feeling a little hypocritical. These clothes were all something I've just dreamed about and I've done nothing to earn them. I feel like I shouldn't have accepted them, but I had a blast with Pam. I guess it didn't really sink in that I was taking them with me until we drove over here with all of them."

"How big was Pam's pile of goodies?" I asked pointedly.

"Twice as big as mine. But it's different."

"You're right – but the only thing that is different is that Pam accepts what is offered to her, knowing that she'll earn it. You will earn it, too."

"We probably spent my entire year's salary, Eric. Easy."

I rolled my eyes. "You think too much of money. Why have it if you cannot spend it? Think of it as a bonus."

She shrugged halfheartedly. "Maybe you're right, but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it."

I laughed then, squeezing her to me. "That's better. Now, come to bed with me?"

She nodded, yawning. "It's been a long night."

We moved to the large, four-poster bed. The room we were in was one of my favorites in the Residence, decorated in rich, vibrant colors and soft, welcoming furniture. I nudged the robe from Sookie's shoulders before she sat on the edge, waggling my eyebrows when I found her bare underneath.

She blushed immediately, but scooted back to lie down and patted the spot next to her. "How long do we have?" She was becoming more daring by the day, which was fine by me.

"About an hour. But I unfortunately have to brief you on what will happen tomorrow," I replied, pulling my boxers down and joining her on the bed. My pride swelled when I caught her eyeing me, chewing on her bottom lip and her pulse quickening.

"Did you, um," she cleared her throat nervously. "Did you eat tonight?" I liked where this was going, most definitely. I shook my head. A small smile danced across her face. "Well, let's get the business out of the way first."

I quickly outlined the next day for her. She would be free during the daylight hours and expected to be dressed presentably for dinner at 9:00. Then, at 11:00 she was having a meeting with Sophie-Anne to be informed of the current situation and to draw up a plan of action, then question any suspects that were in custody. I went over what I knew of the circumstances, which was unfortunately not very much – just that one of her underlings had been staked during the day and they hadn't been able to figure out who was responsible.

Sookie was looking a little overwhelmed by the time this was over, so I smiled and kissed her gently. "Don't worry. I will be with you the whole time." She nodded and shifted a little closer to me, bringing my dick to attention. "Now for something a little more pleasurable," I whispered in her ear, pressing kisses to her neck. She reached toward me and wrapped her hot hand around my hardness; more pleasurable, indeed.

Sookie's POV

I couldn't fight the fuzziness taking up residence in my brain when Eric began kissing down my neck. I don't know what had made me think it, but I was somehow afraid that the devoted vampire in Shreveport might not stay so devoted given a broader selection, but a ripple of pride had gone through me when he said he hadn't eaten tonight. I wanted my vampire well cared for; or at least as well as I could muster.

He kissed my mouth and I slid my hand up and down on his erection, remembering how he had done the same the other night as he tasted me. I moaned at the memory, suddenly wanting to reciprocate. I lifted myself from the bed and he leaned back, accommodating me as I settled between his legs on my knees. His fangs shot out when I began kissing and licking down his chest; a growl started in his throat when I swirled my tongue around the tip of his dick, then burst out of him when I lowered my mouth onto him.

I settled into a rhythm, using a hand on what my mouth couldn't take. His hands were snarling in my hair and his hips were rising to meet me. I was amazed I could have this affect on such a powerful being. Feeling empowered myself, when his warning came this time I locked my eyes on his and swallowed as he pulsed, then exploded into my mouth. Before I had a chance to sit back, he had me laid back on the bed and was nibbling and kissing down my body.

I closed my eyes and relished the feeling of cool hands and lips caressing me, but looked down to meet his gaze when I felt his breath on the slickness between my legs. He slowly, purposefully leaned closer and licked me in long strokes before settling his mouth on my nub and his fingers inside of me. My hips were pressing up toward him and my breath was coming in short bursts; I felt a heat rising inside me, my muscles were beginning to pulse. "Oh, Eric," I moaned over and over again. Just as I felt like I couldn't take anymore, I felt his fingers curl up inside me and he turned his head to bite into my thigh.

Colors burst across my vision and I collapsed, boneless, on the bed. I felt Eric crawl up beside me and kiss my lips softly. "Good night, Lover," he said, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me tightly to his chest.

I sighed contentedly, my heart full of unspeakable emotions. "Good night, Eric." Then I was pulled off into slumber, just as I felt Eric go limp with the dawn.

I know! They STILL haven't had lemon tart! Blame them, not me! *ducks and runs*

:K Let me know what you think about this chapter!