Chapter Three

First Sighting

As I walked into the ballroom I could have swore that I smelt fae, looking around and catching the glimpse of a short blonde in a purple dress as she departed I shook the thought from my mind. Now was no time to be worrying over something that happened decades ago. Turning and looking for Eric I couldn't help but smile seeing him talking to the other Sheriffs of Louisiana, it had been so long since he was last social with anyone other than me and immediate underlings. He always turned my worrying around on me, saying that I was going to give myself wrinkles and that there was nothing to worry about. But I knew, I knew he still pined for her, for that blasted little telepath that had swept into our lives and stolen my master's heart.

Walking towards the donors I surveyed the offerings, each one wore a name tag with their blood type over their right breast. Smirking I grabbed the hand of a voluptuous brunette and led her away to a separate room reserved for private feedings. The Amun clan had done well setting up this summit, it was tasteful and yet extravagant enough to impress any vampire that was over twenty years old. Pulling the girl onto the large lounge I laid her back and took in her body, she was an hourglass with large breasts a tiny waist and large hips, exactly my type of woman.

"Tell me, do you enjoy pleasure?" I asked with my smirk firmly in place while trailing my hand down her arm.

"Uh...uhh, yes ma'am I do." She stuttered back at me, the stupid bloodbag.

"Have you ever received from a woman?"

"No ma'am I haven't."

That irritated me, I never liked being the first experience, I was always left wanting. It's never fun having to teach someone what to do and completely took the pleasure out of it for me.

"Never mind then, sit up and tilt your head like a good little meal."

I have to say she did exactly as I said, she was probably relieved that I hadn't forced her, no matter she would have a teacher soon enough and I wasn't the kind of person to force anyone despite the threats I've given out over the years. Picking her up I sat her in my lap and gathered her hair to the side biting into her neck gently, although she wasn't going to get anything else out of me, she would probably derive pleasure just from my bite if she was accustomed to them. She was a sweet AB negative, very rare indeed and I was once again pleased with our clans planning. Licking the wound I let her hair fall back to cover the bite mark and patted her on the shoulder.

"Delicious, thank you." Eric had taught me manners, never mind the fact that I never used them half the time.

"You're welcome ma'am, thank you for honouring me with servicing you."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes as I deposited her back onto the lounge, moving to the door and back into the crowd I once again scanned it for my Master. Walking up to him and standing silently beside him for a moment before I could contain myself.

"Master, they have the move delicious brunette, she is an AB negative and would probably love to give you some attention." I burst out, completely ignoring the short squat vampire my maker had been speaking to.

"Pamela, how nice of you to join me." Eric said a sardonic lilt to his voice. "This is Eddy Howowitz. Eddy, this is my child Pam."

I looked over an offered a smile while my eyes scanned his colors. Grey, which meant he probably didn't belong to any one area and was a drifter, far beneath my makers notice. I turned back and looked at Eric once more raising my eyebrow, why was he with this little man?

"Eddy here tours the country looking for rare blood types and was just telling me of the new manufacturing that they're doing to make new types for True Blood, they are trying to make a synthetic fae tasting one apparently and Eddy had heard that I was once bonded to someone with Fae blood. We were discussing the taste."

"It really is so hard to find donors that will let you taste their blood especially if they have any fae in them; they always assume we want to drain them." The small man said, if anything sounding regretful that he couldn't as it was his job not too.

"Oh really?" At least I tried to sound interested; these matters have always and will probably always bore me.

"Yes, but I'm afraid me and my child have business to attend to, it was a pleasure to meet you Eddy."

As we turned to walk away I couldn't keep the smirk that had been itching to show off my face, especially not when Eric pinched my arm after he saw it. As we wove through the crowd we happened upon the Queen, Eric had been putting off presenting himself to her so that she wouldn't try to attach himself to her party, well at least more so. As one of her Sheriffs he was always under her thumb, but hopefully she wouldn't want him stuck to her side like she had before.

Bowing in front of her like infants Eric looked up with a charming smile on his face. "Your majesty you look as beautiful as ever. How are you enjoying the summit?"

Sophie-Anne child queen as I liked to call her tilted her head back and laughed motioning for us to rise from the ridiculous bows we were forced to perform. "Wonderful, I'm having a fabulous time." Turning to look at me she smiled, looking up and down my outfit. Black and red but stunningly fashionable. "Pamela you look as gorgeous as always what designer is that?"

"Camilla Johnson your majesty, but not as stunning as you I'm afraid. You look absolutely beautiful." Thank god she couldn't hear the falseness in my voice. Although I may scorn Versace it didn't mean I was allowed to shit on the Queens clothing.

"You are too kind." Maybe she could tell that I didn't like it.

Whatever.

"Eric have you heard of the telepathy clinic we are having at the summit this year?" Sophie-Anne asked.

What? What telepathy clinic? I knew for a fact that there had only been two found and one of them was dead and the other belong to Stan Davis unless she had somehow found another I didn't believe for a second that Stan would have loaned out his telepath. I knew that he was grooming him for being turned at this very moment and had declined coming to the summit for that very reason.

As these thoughts raced through my brain I couldn't help glancing over at my Maker although I kept my face blank. His was too but I could see the strain in the rest of his body, it may not be obvious to anyone who hadn't spent countless years with him although, hopefully.

"Yes I did indeed, such a wonderful service isn't it? I brought some of my donors and a pet to be read, hopefully everything turns up well."

HE HAD A PET? HE HAD A PET AND DIDN'T TELL ME? HE KNEW? I could feel my eyes squint slightly and tried to fix it but this was completely unacceptable. Eric had never hidden anything from me, and he had led me to believe he was still mourning Sookie. I forced a smile onto my face that probably looked more like a grimace and started scanning the room again. I could see Isabel standing with a group of vampires, probably underlings from her posture as she seemed quite bored.

It didn't take long for their conversation to be over thankfully and I followed my master to the elevators quietly. Making a scene in public would do nothing good for his or my own image; I was much too old to be throwing hissy fits in public.

When we got back to the room I walked in and waited till the door was shut. I knew I couldn't make a scene in front of other vampires, and I certainly hadn't wanted to have this conversation in front of anyone else.

"You have a pet? Why you have left me thinking you're still mourning her if that hasn't been the case? I have been worried sick about you, and here you are frolicking around with A PET!"

"Pam, calm down. You didn't need to know and it isn't anything serious." Eric said calmly.

As if. I wasn't going to let him just get off acting like this wasn't a big deal. Before Sookie he hadn't had a pet since before he had changed me. This was completely ridiculous and I didn't understand how he didn't see that. I needed to know these things, how was I supposed to watch his back if he had other people in his life that I had no idea about. Hell I even worried he hadn't been feeding enough because I never saw him take any donors.

"That is besides the point Eric; don't you think I should know these things? How am I supposed to look out for your best interests if you don't tell me anything?" I said quietly looking down at the floor. "When did it start? Have I not pleased you in some way that you would keep this from me? I know I didn't get along with So-" I cut myself off before I could say her name. "With her well at the start, we fought, but I like to think she regarded me as a friend by the time it all happened."

When the blood bond had broken Eric had been driving his corvette and wrapped it around a tree from the suddenness of it breaking. I had been frantic, leaving Fangtasia and driving recklessly to get to him. He had been fine after a donor or two to regrow his skull but it had shaken to me my core. It was a month after Rhodes that that had happened and we had been looking for her since then, thinking that she had perhaps fled or been taken by some government agency after helping to find survivors. It should have been easy, their blood bond was fresh and new but we hadn't been able to locate her so when the bond broke it had been extremely shocking. Godric had had to be called just to get Eric to eat anything for the first month after it had happened, I had stayed with him at his home to make sure he didn't meet the sun and now he has a pet?

"Eric, you must understand why I'm so shocked." I said carefully.

"That's enough Pam you will meet Cressa tonight after she's been read. I'm sure you'll like her." Eric said turning away, and I knew that would be the end of the discussion.

I nodded my head. It was obvious I couldn't say anything to him to make him explain his actions in hiding his new pet. Hopefully she was good enough for him and wasn't just using him as I feared Sookie would when I first met her and recognized the obsession my master had with her.

It was close to three when there was a knock on the door. I had been going through the TV channels fruitlessly searching for something to capture my attention. There was never anything good on at night unfortunately. Thank god for DVR is all I have to say. The knock came again and it was obvious Eric wouldn't be answering the door regardless of the fact that it was probably his pet. Huffing I moved to the door to answer it.

"Hello." I said a brittle smile on my face which quickly disappeared when I saw it was a hotel employee. "What do you want?"

"Uh...Uh is Eric Northman here?" The bloodbag stuttered.

"Yes." I shut the door and went to Eric's room, pushing open the door without knocking to see him lying on his bed on his computer. "There is a man at the door asking for you."

"Did he say what it was about?"

"No I didn't ask."

"Fine."

~~Eric's POV~~

Pam was a good child although she could be meddlesome sometimes. She had been a complete mother hen for the last decade, though maybe she had had reason to at the start. Getting up from the bed I made my way to the door pulling it open with a scowl on my face.

"Yes, is there something you need?" I asked.

"Mr. Northman?" He asked. I nodded. "Sir, I'm sorry but there seems to have been a problem at the telepathy clinic that was hosted tonight and it involved your pet, you have to come retrieve her."

I growled a problem? What kind of problem needed retrieval, maybe she was betraying me? "Very well I will be down in a couple minutes."

"Pam would you like to join me in retrieving Cressa?"

"Yes master, I would like to meet her."

I didn't want her to meet Cressa because there was no doubt in my mind that she would notice the similarities between Cressa and Her. I hadn't done it on purpose but it had happened that way. She was taller sure, around 5'10 which was more appropriate for my height than 5'2 but she was also a busty blonde with blue eyes. She could have been twins with my bonded. Instead of saying all this I simply nodded my head and opened the door and stepped out. Moving to the elevator I pressed the button, hearing my door shut with a click of the lock engaging and then Pam arriving beside me as the elevator arrived. Stepping inside I turned and looked at Pam.

"You will be nice to her, you will not mention Her name and you will not say anything disparaging about her appearance. Understand?" I had a feeling Pam would be on the best of her behaviour but it was always good to remind her of what I expected.

When the elevator dinged open to the bottom floor we stepped out. There was a young man still in the lobby although it was quite late, he looked familiar in a way I couldn't put my finger on, and he smelled delightful. Looking closer I realized he looked a little bit like Hadley the Queens newest child. Maybe he was her relation somehow? Oh well, I didn't have time to wonder about it now, I wanted my woman and then I wanted Pam to go back to her room so I could spend the time until sunrises saying hello to her in the proper way.

Walking into the small conference room the smell hit me like a ton of bricks. I had smelt a lingering scent of it earlier but it seemed it had covered this entire room. Honey and sunlight, home. I looked around the room looking for the source, there was no way on earth that someone else smelled like my bonded. There were a couple vampires standing around and then there was Cressa, standing toe to toe with a light blond vampire in a purple dress. It seemed the smell was coming from them.

"Cressa." I said.

That was when the blond vampire turned and looked at me. I froze, I couldn't move, it was her. She was here, she was vampire, and she smelled delicious. Of course! Why hadn't I thought of the fact that the Queen had wanted her own telepath not one she could borrow. She looked beautiful, her hair was down to her waist a much lighter shade, like it had always gotten when she took vampire blood. Her blue eyes looked deep enough to swim in and her mouth, oh her mouth was still the perfect pout of red just waiting to be kissed. I was moving before I realized it, Sookie was here! She was here and she wasn't dead. Something was stopping me though, I looked down and it was Pam's hand on my arm. I hissed.

"Let go now Pamela." I growled.

"Master, är du säker på att det är henne?" Pam asked speaking in Swedish.

"Naturligtvis är jag säker på. Nu ska vi gå, min är i rummet och är inte död, det är underbart. Varför är du anhålla mig?" I couldn't believe she was still holding on to me, and what was that wary look on her face.

"Varför är vi här, varför skall vi finna ut om det här nu? Varför hade vi kallat ner här och vad om Cressa? De verkar bråka om något. Varför har inte hon komma tillbaka till dig ännu?"

These were all very good questions but I had no time for them. Shaking off her arm I started to make my way over to Sookie when I was hit with a body it seemed. Had she run to me? I looked down and instead of seeing a light blond head I saw a golden one. I couldn't stop my lip from wrinkling with displeasure, but Cressa had been a good pet. She was honest at least and treated me with respect.

"Oh Master, I'm so happy you're here, that crazy bitch over there was trying to kill me." Cressa cried her face in my shirt. I looked up and over and saw that Sookie had crossed her arms under her arms. The young man from the lobby was standing beside her now.

"Shush tell me what happened."

"Well, you sent me here to be read right?" I nodded. "So that vampire was doing the readings and when she got to me she suddenly started acting crazy. Instead of asking the normal questions she just started flipping out. She jumped over the table and grabbed me and started demanding questions of me, I-I-I couldn't say no, it was like she was forcing me to answer and even when I didn't she knew." Cressa was sobbing in earnest now. I ran my hand over her hair and looked back over at Sookie; she was so close but her so far all at the same time.

She had attacked my pet, so maybe she remembered what we had been to each other, or what I had been to her at least. We had never gotten to get the chance to find out if she would love me before she was ripped away. I did believe she had loved me though, I had been able to tell through the bond, the little of the time that we had had it and I hoped when I was in my darkest hours that she had been able to tell I loved her before her end came. Well it was obvious now; no end had come for her, or rather not the final one at least.

"Shh, go up to the room and I'll get this sorted out. Don't you worry."

As I sent Cressa from the room watching until she was gone I glanced at Pam, she was standing with her arms crossed as well a raised eyebrow. Turning completely around I was presented with Sookie once again and that man. Was he her pet? This was absurd, why were we just standing here, she had been my bonded before it broke; I wasn't going to stand around like some lovesick fool.

"Come Pam, it's time to reintroduce ourselves it seems."

Translations:

Master, är du säker på att det är henne? - Master, are you sure it's her?

Naturligtvis är jag säker på. Nu ska vi gå, min är i rummet och är inte död, det är underbart. Varför är du anhålla mig?" - Of course I'm sure. Now, let's go, mine is in the room and is not dead, it's wonderful. Why do you ask me?

Varför är vi här, varför skall vi finna ut om det här nu? Varför hade vi kallat ner här och vad om Cressa? De verkar bråka om något. Varför har inte hon komma tillbaka till dig ännu?" - Why are we here, why are we finding out about this now? Why had we called down here and what if Cressa? They seem to fight about something. Why has not she come back to you yet?