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Lavender Lady3! Yes it's true you are just plain great. Thank you for reading thank you for reviewing. This was my favorite of yours so far. "A wedding, Kovall's, Niall and wild monkey sex at the end... Excellent chapter!" Wild monkey sex! Hilarious

Sookie

Chapter Seven

Settling Down

Now if ever I was having a party for vampires I knew what to get for entertainment. The death dealers were something else. It was like gymnasts met strippers and then someone trained them to use a wide array of blades. The women were all tan skinned dark haired beauties. Their ensembles were emerald and gold. They were wearing gold jewelry from head to toe. All the vampires in the room were no longer looking at me. Their inherent taste for aggression had their fangs running out and they looked all kinds of excited. I was thankful. I was made queen before their eyes and I thought someone would have a heart attack. With no heartbeats you can imagine what such a thing would take. Despite the fact that no one else the room was breathing I had felt like there wasn't enough for me. Nothing disastrous or bloody happened. It was all thanks to Cohan. But I felt like his pledge some how made us bigger targets because now we were bigger threats.

I was looking around the room wondering if I was the only one that was worried that the fire alarms in the ballroom were not working. There were dancing bits of flames surrounding the scene of the death dealer's performance. Atéyo was doing it but with all the side conversations he was having you would never know it.

Princess Eráh was at my elbow. She was beaming with pride and affection. "She is my lover" she pointed to the star of the show. Erah appeared so sweet. She had bright red hair and big green eyes even her demeanor was very gentle. I would never peg her to be with someone as ferocious as this. At the moment her lover was in a full split swinging her chained sickle above her head. It appeared to be a five on one fight. She moved like lightening and always seemed to narrowly avoid removing someone's head.

Eric sidled up next to me like he had never left. He kissed my head. I smiled at him. I was eager to find out where we were going. It didn't matter where we went. More than anything I wanted it just to be the two of us.

"How was the show?"

"It was something" That was true enough.

"Are you ready to leave" I nodded too eagerly. He smiled. Our group left Pam unfortunately was unable to shake Isaiah. He liked her a whole bunch.

A bag was packed with warm clothes when we returned to the hotel room after the coronation. We left as soon as we got changed. I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to anyone. Pam was hiding from her husband to be. Anthony and his family left before we did. I laughed at his message to me. "I still very much enjoy being a know it all" He also said he would see me soon. He didn't say under what circumstances. That was a little worrisome.

The flight was disorienting. I slept so had Eric but when I woke it was still dark. It was three thirty in the afternoon. There was only one place where that could be the case; Alaska. When I said I didn't care where we were going I meant it. Being from the South I had a natural fear of cold and all things snowy especially in these quantities.

My stretching pulled Eric out of downtime. "Look" He pointed out my window. I turned and gasped. The northern lights were plain as day. At this height I could see the quiet arc of rich green as it painted the night sky in its light. It shimmered and glowed and it all but took my breath away. I stared until it fell out sight.

"That was beautiful" He nodded

"I think we may see a different color before we leave if we are lucky" That was exciting. I didn't have any plans to leave the sanctity of a warm fire when we got where ever we were going but I would for that.

The drive to the cabin was long. The ride was quiet. The silence was comfortable. I was lost in my thoughts. "How am I supposed to uphold vampire law?" I had agreed to a lot of things. Many of which common sense told me not to. That one I had no idea how to tackle. I know more about vampires and supes than one human ought to but I didn't think it would be enough.

"I will teach you if you care to learn but it is something I would handle" I thought about it and didn't come up with an answer as to if I cared to learn or not so I moved on.

"What am I supposed to be doing as" I tried to get the word out without making a face. "Queen"

"Do you actually care or are you humoring me?" I thought he had nerve for sounding snippy.

"I care to pull my own weight in this. I care to know what's going on around me. I don't need the fluff though" I knew I had lost him when I said fluff. I should get him a word of the day calendar with modern phrases and idioms. "Fluff is anything extra, unnecessary or extravagant" I may have added a little to that definition but so what?

For the remainder of the drive he explained to me about my position in his kingdom. Human relations were on his list of things to address. It was a good idea. He was already working with Copley Carmichael but he needed me to give him pointers on things. I would have to attend functions with him or in his place. He felt like we would be able to get things done in half the time because he trusted me to make good decisions. He would handle the gritty vampire stuff. My word was law same as his. That sounded dandy but I wouldn't be using it. I was also informed I was getting body guards. I hated the idea but it made sense. That was it for business. We soon arrived at our destination.

The cabin was almost invisible. It was tucked away on the side of a series of small mountains and tall trees. The cold was unbelievable. Eric whisked me inside. He had a fire going before I had taken in my surroundings. The inside was cozy. It had a homey feel about it. There were no animal heads mounted on walls or a bear rugs on the floor. It was decorated with warm and soft touches. The person that built this place was a genius. I wondered around and found the bathroom. There was a fire place in here too. I was going to take a shower but the tub was big enough for two. I found a scent of bath bubbles I liked then lit the fire.

When Eric caught up to me he didn't need an invite. He climbed right on in. "This belongs to Pam. She built it before the great reveal in case we were not received well" The preparedness of vampires was nothing short of impressive. Even the most hateful person wouldn't come all the way out here to hunt a vampire. I could still hear the wind howling. We soaked and relaxed until the water lost its heat. In front of the fireplace in the living room he placed blankets and pillows. Instantly I was transported to the nights when he wasn't Eric. The nights he had been cursed and we spent time in front of the fire in my old farm house.

It wasn't the plan but I slept there that night. We made love over and over again. After we lay with our limbs intertwined. I told him what I did while we were apart. He told me about his new chain of command and how it left him with more time during the night. Being the way I am I couldn't help but notice that he was worried about time even though he was the vampire. I wasn't going to open that door at least not here. The next two days were spent much like the first. The second night the aurora borealis shone red. The last it was blue which was supposed to be rare. It was the happiest days of my life. Leaving was hard because I knew we would be lucky to find half the tranquility we had here at home. Onto vampire politics and royal pains we go.

0o0o0o

Before moving in with Eric and quitting my job I had been afraid of being stuck in the house with nothing to do. I had planned on volunteering. There were books that I had in mind to read. I had even thought of taking a class or two now that school wouldn't be hell. During the weekdays though I usually had a full plate. I met with people that Eric did business with. I signed off on work orders and checks and reviewed paper work with Mr. Cataliades. Sometimes I made the drive to see Dermot. Other times he would meet me somewhere in Shreveport. In the past month I have been with Eric to meetings with his Sheriffs. I have sat in on calls he had to make to other royals and different vampires of importance.

The most challenging thing for me was the least expected. The training sessions with Gideon were making me crazy. I had been right about him. He could project thoughts so much so he could tamper with your scenes. He would be a weapon. Given his personality he was more than excited. Unfortunately he was having difficulty grasping the fundamentals of his mental ability. It was different from mine the best I could provide was a loose blue print. I thought because I was telepathic it would easy for Gideon to send to me or for me to read him but it wasn't. My telepathy caused a mental glitch that made me immune to all vampire mental effects. All I got from Gideon was a void with static.

"It's like trying to talk and listen at the same time" Eric was watching us. For all intents and purposes he was the test subject.

"Ready" He nodded. He looked at Eric and I could tell when Eric began to "go blind" (it was what we were calling it) His body stiffened and despite him knowing he was perfectly safe I could feel his anxiety. It was disconcerting to go from being the strongest in the room to the most vulnerable in the blink of an eye. I waved my hand in front of Gideon's face and snapped my fingers, nothing. I tapped his shoulder.

"It's not working" I could tell he wasn't one who has had much difficulty with achieving things much less failing. In the beginning when I got pulled into peoples thoughts I could barely hear or formulate my own. The problem he was having was when he played with someone's senses his too were affected. It was a beginner hang-up.

"Think of it as a separate part of your mind" I have been repeating this to him over and over I mean I just didn't know how else to explain it.

"It doesn't work for me that way" Yes blame my teaching skills.

"Well why don't you come up with another way that works" I sat down. He was getting on my nerves.

"I'm not a freaking telepath" He growled in frustration

"I'm not a freaking whatever the hell you are" It was close to mid night we had been at this for over an hour. I wasn't fitting to take any shit from anyone.

"Gideon" Eric said. I hadn't realized I had stood up and was getting ready to face off with a vampire twice my size. My fist were balled at my side and my whole body was humming. Eric pulled me to sit on his lap. The hold he placed around my waist was more for restraint than for comfort.

"I'm sorry Sookie. It's not your fault I suck at this" He sounded sincere enough but I still wanted to hit him upside his head.

"Lover he is young and eager to learn. You must be patient" My mouth dropped open with an audible gasp. While Eric had a point I couldn't help but feel hurt that he hadn't taken my side. Childish I know but still. I had to be patient. He has been at this for a month and was blaming me because he wasn't getting it perfect.

When I got angry I cried. Though my anger had faded as quickly as it had come I was hurt. Crying made you look weak no matter the cause. I stomped off because they weren't going to see me do it. Eric let me be. He didn't come find me until I was in bed.

"What exactly are you so angry about?" He wrapped his arm around me kissed my head.

"I don't know" I admitted. Right now I felt plenty embarrassed for losing it like that. It was worse because I couldn't exactly say why. There were nights when we had worked at it longer than that and the both of us had gotten frustrated but nothing like today.

"Your temper has been escaping you a lot as of late" What could I say to that. I guess if anyone would know it was him. His fingers were interlaced with mine and he we were quiet for a few minutes.

"I think you will benefit from a break" I was happy that I was going to see Pam in a few days. But I didn't feel stressed out or overwhelmed. It didn't feel like I needed a vacation. In fact in comparison to the things I had been expecting and fearing it was quiet, boring almost. When one hung around vampires boring was the absolute best case scenario.

And no my temper wasn't the only thing that has been escaping me. My libido was out of control; completely bonkers. Sometimes during the day I would have to take cold showers. I arched my back into him. His hands were skimming the edge of my silky night gown. I didn't have to ask him to give me what I wanted.

o0o0o0

The next week I worked with Gideon because I would be going away. There were no improvements but we worked at all the same. Maybe he was right in his thinking so we began exploring other ways of getting the results we wanted. After all there was no hard fast method. It wasn't like anyone ever did a study or wrote a book.

By the time Eric woke up that Friday. I was packed and ready to go. I was half naked trying to decide on an outfit. This closet was huge and full of clothes most of which I have never seen. It wasn't at my behest. On some level it was a necessity because of all the events. There was a woman on his staff that was responsible for shopping for us both. I hated the idea. On top of many other things I found it slightly insulting and extremely pretentious. It was so not me. I took comfort in the fact that Eric hated it more. He was a t-shirt and jeans kind of vampire. He rarely got to wear his preference these days.

Eric snuck up behind me. He wound his arms around my waist and kissed the base of my neck. "If you don't tone it down you might make me jealous" His voice was a playful growl. I smiled. Frankly I was a little excited. I missed Pam. I hadn't seen her since the night of the coronation. Not that she cared but I wish i had said good bye.

I turned and planted small kisses down his chest. I began pushing for him backwards. He moved dexterously until he hit the edge of the bed and I pushed him down.

I was on my knees and moved my kisses down his body. I was being painfully deliberate in my movements. Knowing full darn well I really didn't have the time. I helped him out of his pants. I kissed everywhere except the place I knew he was begging for me to.

"Lover" It was an urgent cry.

"What is it baby?"

"You are being cruel" I smiled against his skin.

"Beg" This wasn't going to be easy for him to do so I gave him incentive. My lips were close enough to his hardness that he could feel the warmth of my breath. He shivered.

"Please, please lover I'm hurting" He sure sounded it. His eyes were dark and they were boring into mine. I moved my lips to warp around him. He moaned just from the relief the contact brought. He seemed to be fighting. He wanted me to take him deeper but he was squirming away. The fact that I had brought this powerful being into such a state made me feel devilish. I picked up the pace and he moaned out my name mixed with curses and another language. He was close to his release and strangely I was close to mine. He threw his head back with a shout when I lightly dragged my teeth along his shaft and grazed the head of his length. He was undone and so was I. His hands were no longer tangled in my hair. They were full of the sheets. I swallowed all he gave and milked out a few extra drops. He was a quivering mass under me.

My kisses moved to his inner thigh. My finger nails dragged up and down his chest. He shuddered and held me to him.

"You are looking for trouble" I smiled and gave him a little bite on my way to his lips. I was rewarded with a delightful growl.

"Good trouble or bad trouble"

"Trouble of the worse sort" The look on his face was heated. Mine mirrored it. I wanted him in the worst way. He could feel it. He moved. No longer was I on top of him he was behind me. I was in a world of trouble that he promised and I was going to love it. He was merciless. My orgasms were running into each other. Tears escaped my eyes. He bit into me and I saw stars. If I died here and now I would be a happy woman. I was tucked into his side for an interlude of cuddling. My breathing still wasn't normal.

"Pam is going to be angry" He said. I guessed we had been at each other for some time. If my flight wasn't already gone it was close to it.

"Pam who" I murmured. He chuckled. Like always he got his act together long before I did. Once again I returned to the ridiculous closet looking for something to wear. Being in a rush helped me decide. I grabbed the closest thing. A blush colored dress sun dress. I found matching shoes then I was ready to go. Everyone else was waiting. On my trip to Arkansas for Pam's union to Isaiah I would be taking Thalia, Edgar, Ty and Rob.

Ty and Rob were twins. They were my day time guards. They were also were lions. They came recommended by Alexis and Alex the saber tooth weres from Vegas I met some time ago. They were nice but we were still getting used to each other. We were in that awkward stage of a new relationship.

Edgar was one of the many new faces to the Louisiana rooster. If at all you know a grain of American literature and poetry than you will know this Edgar. Picture him with no mustache and a low cut; that was almost militant. No one ever recognized him for the life of me I couldn't tell you why.

It turns out when you make a vampire the mood they are in when you turn them will be their predominant one. A fun fact that I found both disturbing and interesting. Makers used glamour in place of taking a human out for ice cream before they turned them. Whoever made Edgar either didn't bother or Edgar must have been in bowels of depression and this was the best they could do. He was all doom and gloom. Honestly the man could depress the devil. While Thalia wore a hostile expression all the time he looked pained and sighed for no good reason at times. He only did things for people he liked. Eric trusted him (as much he trusted a vampire he didn't make) Edgar didn't care about anything or wanted anything. It was true. He fed from everything from rodents, to Red stuff to humans it depended on his mood which from the looks of it never changed. Confused? So am I. I didn't know whether to be sad or scared around him. I felt like any day now he would be meeting the sun on his own accord. Every night I was surprised to find him miserably amongst the living dead.

The only parts of flying that ever made me anxious were taking off and landing. The minute we took off I became violently sick. While I was no fan of flying this was a first. I also didn't have a weak stomach. I was a Stackhouse it would have been an embarrassment. Thankfully first class came with the added advantage of vomit bags. The vampires were blank faced but their disgust of this human function was evident. With their heightened senses it was probably unbearable. It wasn't like I enjoyed the audience. The seat belt sign was still flashing so there was nothing I could do. The plane rose and the feeling got worse.

"We should inform the king that you are unwell" Thalia said. She wasn't concerned about me. She just didn't want to sniff vomit for the duration of our time in Arkansas. She tried as much as I imagined she could to make it sound like she wasn't telling me what to do. She and Edgar were my night guards. But she was in charge of the entourage arrangements. Eric said she would see to my needs. Between you and me if asking Thalia anything was the only way to go then I will cheerfully be going without.

"Its fine, motion sickness" Judging by the look in her face I may as well have said I had bubonic plague. She looked around for someone to explain exactly what motion sickness was. I wasn't up to it. I was dry heaving into a small bag. It required a lot of concentration. Ty told her and she nodded. When I got it out of my system I went to the restroom. The plane reached cruising altitude and I began feeling much better. The decent into Arkansas brought much of the same nausea but my stomach was empty. After brushing my teeth for the fifth time this flight we finally touched ground.

Pam's humor and wit was not something you could ever really get used to. It was unnerving mostly because she found humor in people's discomfort. Mine especially, she never gave me a break. The doors to the airplane opened. I saw her waiting with a hand full of vampires. She flashed in front of me. Her first words were so true to form that I had to laugh.

"Sookie you look terrible" it was a greeting of sorts. After an hour of vomiting I suppose I did. She wrapped her hand around me.

"I've missed you too" She laughed. Never had I been gladder to set foot on solid ground. I saw Tristan and gave him a smile and a deep nod of my head. He returned my greeting. We aren't familiar enough to be hugging each other but I liked him. And I thought he wouldn't kill if he didn't have to.

The drive to Pam's estate was lengthy. During which her and Tristan laughed at my motion sickness. I didn't share the amusement which only made Pam more delighted. The real kick for her was that I have seen corpses and didn't react like "an idiotic human" I wasn't sure what to make of that comment so I let it go. I was also much too exhausted for a suitable rebuttal.

The home we went to was her country estate. It was the scene of her wedding tomorrow night. The house was much like the country estate that Eric had in Louisiana. I haven't been since the night we fought Felipe's people. Only hers could be accurately described as a private town. I was in awe. It appeared so tranquil and quiet. In the backdrop of everything you could see small mountains. It was complete with a lake. The abode wasn't a mansion. It was an enormous bungalow. That was circular in design. It was picturesque.

We walked into the house. It gave you the feeling of being in a small cabin despite the fact that you were in over ten thousand square foot of home. Note to self Pam liked the feel of cabins. She took it upon herself to show me to my room. I heard her kindly remind Thalia that if she killed anyone here she would lose her fangs. Vampires regarded Thalia with an air of caution I can only imagine the things she had done to earn it. The people from Kentucky would be arriving at some point before dawn so Thalia went over some security arrangements with me. As we would all be sharing Pam's home. Nothing really applied because I had no intention on roaming around alone while I was here.

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Can everyone see the trouble coming? I sure can...lol

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