Chapter Six

Well Then

Cressa had been nothing but a pain in my ass since she had met Sookie; all she did was ask about her, why she looked like her, why Sookie had reacted when she saw her. Question after question, until I was ready to kill her. She had refused to stay in the hotel room unless she was told she was simply not allowed to attend, and annoyingly she had made a friend with one of the other pets that kept her up to date on when she was allowed. It made lying to her much more annoying. When she did leave she looked ridiculous, wearing extravagant gowns and fawning all over me. Pam was completely thrilled and took every chance she could to point out how annoying she was.

I had managed to pry Cressa off my arm tonight though; I was standing in the lobby once again having been trapped into conversation with the deplorable Eddy. He didn't seem very old and whoever his maker was they had not taught him proper etiquette what so ever. Didn't he know it was rude to speak of someone's bonded as a blood bag? I could do nothing though, it was obvious he knew someone high up in the clan, or he wouldn't have been here.

"Yes the taste was very nice, sweet as you said with a smell of honey and sunlight that always lingered." I replied.

"Interesting, interesting and most odd, I never believed that sunlight nonsense but you're saying its true?"

"Yes it was." I looked around again seeing a blur of motion by the stairs; it appeared Sookie had finally appeared once again when I was without my anchor. "In fact I might be able to arrange a meeting between someone that was partially fae so you could sample their blood."

"That would be delightful, thank you Sheriff."

I nodded my head and excused myself. Why was she in such a rush? Surely she had learned to regulate her feedings already? I walked into the donor pen and scanned the room; it seemed she had been in a rush as she wasn't in the room. Perhaps she preferred to feed privately? Going door to door I cracked each one open until I finally found her. On yes I found her, just not in the position I had expected. She was glorious, her fangs fully extended and when her eyes opened and looked at me I was instantly hard.

I shut the door as she toppled over the edge and couldn't help smirking. Had she fell so quickly because she had seen me? Or just because she was with a good lover, it would be amazing if it was the former. Still it was shocking to see Sookie so uninhibited when she used to be so reserved in front of everyone. Well whichever way it was I needed to speak with her, had she left with Sophie-Anne of her own will? Or had she been abducted like I believed? The questions had been brewing in my mind since getting over the shock of seeing her, seeing the Queen and having to be civil was almost unbearable.

We also needed to speak about Cressa, but that conversation would come after the one about the queen, I had a feeling if I opened with it that she wouldn't listen to another thing I had to say. I heard the door open and grabbed her arm, my, she really was in hurry and I didn't understand why. Could she really not stand the sight of me? Was that why she was so eager to leave? No impossible, even when she had been angry before she had always wished to see me despite what she said.

You could have knocked me over with a feather when a vampire burst through the door attacking the first donor he saw. It was the young male that I had seen with Sookie two nights before. I was so shocked I barely noticed when Sookie broke free to run over and try and pry the vampire from the donor. It was chaos around us, screaming humans yelling for guards and causing a stampede in their rush for the door. I moved closer realizing in that moment that apparently Sookie was the boys maker.

She listened to my advice and the boy was instantly on her causing me to snarl, I was about to intercept when I realized that I simply didn't need to. Sookie had it under control ripping the boy's hands from her and nimbly snatching a running donor. She hustled both of them to a private room and completely diverted the boy's attentions onto the girl, I thought he might kill her as it was obvious how deeply into bloodlust he had fallen but no, Sookie once again surprised me directing him when to be gentler and sometimes even changing his grip.

I was so astounded that I had to lean against the wall. The last thing I'd ever imagined Sookie being ok with was watching someone have sex and directing them on how to do it properly. I'm pretty sure my mouth was hanging open again. When everything was over and done I opened the door as the donor left, my god she had been nothing but bruised, I was so impressed and didn't understand why Sookie seemed so distraught, she had successfully saved two blood bags lives tonight and yet she wasn't beaming with pride like I felt she should be.

"Uh Sookie do you have anything to change into?" I looked at her body instead of her face, realizing for the first time that I hadn't been distracted by her breasts being bared to the world. Her pants were only that in description and I didn't understand why the boy would be objecting, oh yes weren't they cousins of some sort?

"I could go retrieve some clothes for you." I was gone before she nodded her head, having extracted the information of where her room was the night before from the desk boy.

Walking into the room was interesting, it smelt heavily of sex and I had to wonder who had been having it. Walking into the bedroom I saw clothes spread on the bed, men clothes. The boys perhaps, turning and going into the closet I almost wanted to laugh, Pam would be so pleased, and it seemed Sookie had finally gotten some fashion sense. Grabbing a strapless halter top and a pair of jeans I smirked, she wouldn't have to wear a bra with this shirt, excellent. Turning I grabbed jeans and a green shirt for the boy, what was his name again?

I had no idea. Oh well.

I left making sure the door was locked and took the stairs back and moved through the lobby swiftly walking back to the room I tossed Sookie her clothing.

"Your fashion sense has improved it seemed." I said smirking.

Maybe that was the wrong thing to say, she didn't look very happy. "Get dressed; I'm sure we will be rousted from the room soon."

Instead of asking me to leave like I had expected she simply stood up and pulled the ruined clothing off along with her bra. My eyes had probably never been so round or large.

"SOOKIE!" The boy screeched, I wanted to smack him, but she was already pulling on that top and it was almost worth covering her beautiful tits.

"Oh grow up Hunter, I've already seen you fuck twice tonight and trust me I'll probably see you nude more than once in the coming years. Eric's right get changed, I have to deal with the PR fiasco we've probably created."

She said all this while pulling her pants on and then she was on her way out the door. So the boys name was Hunter, good to remember. I turned and smirked at Hunter raising an eyebrow at his pouting. "Do as your mistress says boy, I wouldn't want to displease her if I was you."

The brat had the nerve to hiss at me, fangs fully extended and my smirk turned to a glare, which got him moving at least. I turned and left leaving the door open, at least he was smart enough to follow me. I looked around the room, the Queen had arrived it seemed and she was standing with Sookie. Lovely.

I walked over my hands in my pockets, Hunter kept pace with me and I added another mark to his intelligence, thank god Sookie's child wasn't an idiot. I bowed when we got to the Queen and added another mark to Hunters intelligence when he followed my example.

"You're Majesty, how wonderful to see you."

"Northman, maybe you'd like to explain your part in this mess?"

Oh she wasn't pleased at all it seemed. "I was standing in the lobby speaking with Eddy a vampire that travels and does research for making different flavours of True Blood when I saw Sookie come in here, I followed because I've wanted to speak to her, anyways I delayed Sookie from leaving after she was finished feeding and that's when Hunter came in, it seems he had trouble controlling his urges, Sookie immediately went to him and got the situation under control, it was quite impressive."

"Well of course he had trouble controlling his urges, he has just risen."

Just risen? As in he had only awoke tonight?

"Sookie what were you thinking leaving Hunter in the room alone, you know from your own experiences how disastrous this could have turned out!" The queen spit out turning back to Sookie.

I didn't think that was entirely fair, Sookie had done a remarkable job controlling Hunter once she caught him and what did she mean Sookie's own experiences? Had she been a badly behaved new born or had she just lacked direction? More questions to add to our talk it seemed.

"My Queen, I am sorry, I thought it would be more provoking to feed in front of Hunter than it would be if I just came down here. He had fed both appetites already, I'm sorry; I know now in the future to have my meal in my room."

This bashful and timid attitude was completely unlike what I knew of Sookie, plus this was nothing, there could have been a slaughter and no one had even died. It could all be remedied with a quick glamour.

"Your highness I am truly sorry for all the hub-bub I've caused, Sookie told me to remain in the room but I was overcome with my need." Hunter said looking at the floor. Apparently he wasn't completely stupid, even though he should have just stayed quiet; at least he wasn't trying to look her in the eye.

"Yes well, it would probably be best if you and Sookie retired for the night, donors will be sent up every hour for the both of you. Goodnight." The Queen turned after this, clearly dismissing them both; she had said nothing to me so I followed them.

"Go away Eric, I have nothing to say to you, and I doubt I want to hear anything you have to say." Sookie said turning to look at me, she sounded tired, like she was already ready to rest for the night. Well that wasn't going to happen, we had to speak tonight.

"I think you would actually love to hear what I had to say, but come the elevators here." I placed my hand on the small of her back only for her to turn and hiss at me, still got the sass it seems.

I pushed the number for her floor and took out my phone texting Pam that I wasn't to be disturbed for any reason whatsoever. I hope she understood that that meant no Cressa. We stepped out onto her floor and walked to her room, she pulled her key out of her pocket, and we walked in. I took the time to look around the living room this time, even though we were in a hotel room there was still touches of Sookie throughout the room. A fuzzy white blanket draped across the back of the sofa, flowers on the counter, even a coffee pot although she had no need for it anymore.

"So spill, what do you want." I glanced at Hunter pointedly instead of answering her and she waved her hand at me. "Hunter deserves to hear whatever you need to say. How about you start by explaining why you left me with Andre and the Queen?"

Well that answered one question, she had been taken, which means I would be having words with the Queen. "I didn't leave you with anyone, I thought you had been taken but I wasn't able to find you." I lifted my hand and held it up as she opened her mouth, probably to tell me I was full of shit. "I could feel you through the bond but I wasn't able to discern your location, I believe a witch was involved." I hated fucking witches. "I even asked the Queen for help as you were my bonded she should have, but it appears she was lying to me. In fact she shouldn't have taken you at all, you were mine."

"How was I yours? I was dating Quinn at the time if you recall." Sookie said her brow furrowed.

"You were my bonded regardless of the relationship you had with the were. By vampire law it was illegal to take you."

"Illegal? What was the penalty? Surely she wouldn't have broken the law just to get me; I had already agreed to work for her."

Indeed why had she so recklessly stolen Sookie? That would have to wait till I spoke to the queen though, "Death, death is the penalty for harming another's bonded, and while it could be said you weren't harmed, you were stolen." I took a breath trying to calm my anger. "I tried to find you, and I will try to get you out of this situation if it pleases you Sookie, I cannot however give you back your human life or the time that you've missed."

She was sitting on the couch now, her head in her hands. This wasn't the reaction I had expected, anger yes, but the despair I could see her face when she lifted her head to look at me. I caught her hands as she let them fall.

"Don't cry lover, I'll fix this." I was promising things that I might not be able to deliver." I promise I will try at the very least." I squeezed her hands and was surprised when she squeezed back then snatched her hands from me.

"Oh so you're just going to swoop in and save me? You would be dead, the queen and Andre would be dead, and everyone that was at Rhodes would be dead if not for me! Why yes, Sookie, I will save you, not when you were still human, no now that you're a vampire and your life has been totally fucked for twenty years I WILL MAKE EVERYTHINGBETTER."

I took a step back, as she shot up from the couch, moving towards me, Hunter was behind the couch snarling, looking like he wanted to rip my head off. He wasn't a concern though; he was probably just feeling Sookie's anger, probably.

"I NEVER WANTED TO BE THIS. I LOVED THE SUN. I LOVED FOOD. I WANTED BABIES." She was screaming now and hitting me with every word but I let her, they hurt but I deserved to be hit. "I CALLED FOR YOU EVERY DAY DURINGTHAT MONTH. I BEGGED GOD AND WHATEVER WAS LISTENING FOR YOUTO COME. Why didn't you save me? Why didn't you come? How could you leave me there?"

I wrapped my arms around her as she dissolved into tears, ugly sobs racking her body. Smoothing my hand over her hair I tried to make soothing noises rocking her gently. She had been all alone with vampires she didn't know, all because she had been brought to the attention of a greedy bitch who just happened to be Queen. Hell even I had wanted to use her when I first met her.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Sookie."

It was a useless platitude but it seemed to help her as she started pulling away, her face had blood tracks all over the front of it, and I didn't even want to think about what the front of my shirt looked like. She was glaring again. Fuck.

"Oh I'm sure you're sorry. I'm sure you were so upset when the bond broke, so upset that you were interrupted during fucking some floozy probably." She hissed.

"No I was much too busy wrapping my car around poles to be fucking some floozy as you say, much to busy wanting to meet the final death. You remember Godric; yes he was so pleased when I tried to meet the sun." I shouted back at her stepping into her personal space. "I loved you, still do maybe but you wouldn't believe then and you probably won't believe it now!"

She shoved me, hissing in my face. "Yes, I'm so sure you still love me what with that fucking copy of me! 'Yes, she knows how to please me'." She laughed wildly then shoved me again. "OH tell me, is she a good fuck, does she suck your cock really well? Or is it just that she looks exactly like me? Is that what gets you off? A mindless replication to fuck and feed from? How long did it take you to find her, to convince her to dye her hair blonde, to get a boob job?"

"You are being ridiculous Sookie. Yes she looks like you but that was just a benefit, I missed you." She was shaking her head unconvinced still. "I'll get rid of her, hell I'll fucking kill her if you want. This isn't the important thing; we need to make a plan for how to get you out of the Queen grip."

"Oh and then where am I supposed to go? Besides it's not the Queen you'll have to pry me from, it's Andre."

Andre that fucking bastard. I stared at her in shock, her maker was Andre? She had fucked Andre? Apparently she could read my expression perfectly, as she always could.

"He turned me yes, but we didn't have a common maker child relationship. No if anything he was as good as he knew how to be. But why am I telling you? I have nowhere to go even if I was allowed to leave the palace. You need to forget about this before you get yourself killed."

"Andre really isn't that bad of a guy, he's the one that told me about my Aunt in fact." Hunter piped up. I turned to stare at him. "Really, I probably would have offed myself years ago if not for him -"

"Hunter, shut your pie-hole." Sookie snapped it seemed she didn't want me to know anything about her nephew. I raised an eyebrow at her. She fumed silently then relented. "Hunter has a talent similar to my own, that's all you need to know. Andre got him a tutor and then brought him to me; he chose to become a vampire."

"Why were you chosen to turn him? You're young yet and it's obvious he's Hadley's get."

"Yes, well she was deemed inappropriate for the task so it fell to me." I raised both my eyebrows. It seemed Hadley was still letting her little cousin clean up her messes, like she hadn't brought enough trouble into Sookie's life.

"Ok, so why didn't the Queen or Andre make him? It would have been easier than having you do it."

"I suppose, but if you take into account our similar abilities and the fact that Andre let me run wild until I settled my urges myself I believed that I would be the better prospect. Why don't you think I'll be a good maker?" She asked scornfully.

"You're a fantastic maker already Sookie, I'm proud to be your child." Hunter answered; you could hear the awe and devotion in his voice as he spoke.

"Thank you, but I've already messed up so I don't believe I agree with you." There was the remorse from earlier.

"What are you talking about? You stopped me from killing anyone!" Obviously Hunter and I thought alike.

"Yes it was very impressive; you took control of the situation beautifully. You should be proud lover."

Sookie scoffed, turning her back and going to the small fridge and pulling out three blood bags, she filled the coffee pot and filled it with water, putting the blood bags into the water she sat them on the element and turned back around.

"Yes well I intend to never let it happen again, you will not be like I was Hunter. I swear it."

It seems I will have to be doing some investigating into Sookie's first years to find out what she was talking about. It was apparent that she hadn't been restrained or educated properly.

"Either way Eric I believe it is time for you to go, I'm sure you have things to be attending to, like your pet." She was still pissed about that it seems.

"Shall I kill her or simply throw her out?" I asked sarcastically.

"I don't care what you do with her; I have zero claims on you so it has nothing to do with me."

"You will not talk to me like that, you were my bonded." I growled.

"Exactly, were is the important word there Eric, I was your bonded, now I'm just another vampire, one a fraction of your age in fact so I don't see why you'd want anything to do with me. You can't even drink from me so the fairy blood aspect is out. Why do you even care?"

This woman was completely dense, I had been telling her I cared for her long before we found out she even had fairy blood, her insistence that I had only cared about her because of that was preposterous. "Yes because that is obviously why I bonded to you isn't it?" I asked sarcastically.

"I have no idea why you helped me that day other than to control me." Her expression twisted at this making me believe that she didn't even believe the bullshit she was saying. "But I am thankful you did, I can't imagine being bonded to Andre as well as being his child. I am grateful but I still don't understand why you're still interested in me, especially when you have you pet Tessa."

I sighed rubbing my hands over my face. "Because I cared for you, I let someone with my protection be taken from me, not only is that humiliating but it was illegal."

"So you only care because your property was stolen? Wonderful. You can leave now; I'm more than capable of taking care of myself." She hissed out.

"Do you not listen woman? I care about you, why will you not let me try to help you?" She was as stubborn as a kicked mule. She even looked like a mule with that stubborn jut to her jaw. "Let me make some calls, speak to the Queen, and then at least you will have options."

"Fine. Goodbye."

She walked over to the door opening it and gesturing for me to leave. I walked over to her, bending and kissing her forehead her scent engulfed me, honey and sunlight, how was it after all these years she still smelled like sunlight? I walked out and heard the door shut behind me, moving to the elevator I stepped on and pressed floor fifteen.

She was the same as ever it seemed, able to make me want to throttle her that is. Why was she so unable to ask for help, even when it was freely given? She could never appear weak, although maybe that had changed? After all she had cried in my arms but I could put that down to the tumultuous emotions of a new vampire. I rubbed my hands over my face again as the elevator doors opened on my floor. I had forgotten Cressa would be in my room. I stepped out into the hall only to hear a screeching, looking down towards my room I saw Pam standing with Cressa by the hair.

"What is going on here Pamela?" I asked as calmly as I could, there was spectators watching the show as Cressa twisted to get free only succeeding in twisting her hair out.

"Master I was watching your pet as instructed, she asked me where you were and when I told her you had business she presumed to threaten me, I told her to be quiet and she tried to leave saying you were probably with and I quote 'That fucking piece of shit white trash whore' I caught her at the door but she bit me, drawing blood. I was so startled I let her go and she made it through the door before I caught her, I was just about to bring her back into the room."

I had been looking at Cressa the entire time, she was in nothing but a pair of black lace underwear and bra, had she planned to storm through the hotel not even clothed?

"Let us end this spectacle and go back into the room." I said grabbing Cressa's arm where she wrapped herself around it and smirked in Pam's direction.

After shutting the door I threw her onto the couch glaring and crossed my arms. Comparing her to Sookie after seeing her in nothing but a pair of panties earlier I had no idea what I had been thinking, she may look like her but she was indeed fake. Why had none of that popped out over the five years I had been fucking her?

"You bit my child and drank her blood; do you feel proud of that fact?" I growled at her.

"Master she wouldn't let me leave and I knew that you didn't actually have business tonight because nothing was going on or Melissa would have told me. So I figured you might be meeting with that psycho bitch from the reading and I didn't think you'd mind me being there."

"You're wrong; I would have very much minded you being there as Sookie is an old friend of mine. You will not refer to her in that way ever again do you understand?" She simply glared at me so I grabbed her by the chin and stared into her eyes. "You will call Sookie nothing but Sookie; you will not use any kind of derogatory name for her ever again." I said harshly, releasing her chin and stepping back I rubbed the hand on my jeans. How had I ever put up with that fake smell of flowers, it made me want to gag after smelling Sookie's clean scent.

"Master, please I didn't think you would mind me being with you while you dealt with how she treated me the other night, I don't know why you're so pissed that I bit Pam, she hates me and is always a bitch towards me, yet you do nothing to stop her." She was actually pouting.

"Cressa you are human. You are a useless blood bag, Pam is my child, and Sookie is also a vampire and part of the Queens inner circle. Who do you think I care more about, Sookie and Pam or a blood bag that had upset one of the Queens vampires that was closest to her?"

"Sookie and Pam?"

Oh lala, maybe there was a brain in there.

"Exactly." I grabbed her chin again lifting her face to look directly into her eyes. "Now, you shall remain in this room until we leave to go to Shreveport, even then you will say nothing, you will feed me and this is all. When we arrive back home you will forget you ever had any dealings with vampires, you may keep the belongings I gifted you as I have no use for them, but you will believe that you got them yourself from an inheritance from a relative." I paused and thought for a moment, looking towards Pam I asked, "Anything else you can think of?"

"Personally I think you should send her out to the donor pen, but that's just me. Actually thinking about it I wouldn't want to feel the pleasure she got from it so no, nothing to add."

I nodded my head and looked back down into Cressa's eyes. "Do you understand everything I have said?" She nodded her head and I smirked releasing her chin. She didn't say anything just got up and went into the bedroom and I fell back onto the couch, once again covering my face with my hands. What a fucked up night this had been.

"What brought on your change of heart? Is Sookie willing to be social with you?" Pam asked sitting down beside me.

"No, she was quite vehement that she could look after herself. Obviously she's wrong since she is in the Queens grasp as we speak. That's another thing, I want you to call and schedule a meeting with the Magister for just after we return home, I have some accusations make against the Queen and if anyone won't hang me for treason it will be him."

Instead of saying anything Pam simply pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number. This is why she was such a good child; she never asked questions if it was obvious they would be answered later on. Yes, I would be bringing charges against the Queen and Andre both, despite what Sookie had said they had stolen her from me, letting me believe she was dead. No it wouldn't stand, if it was anyone else I would simply kill Andre but I didn't think the Queen would be very pleased to see a stake protruding from his chest. A pity really.

"Eric, perhaps we should call Godric?"

I looked over at her, my brow furrowed. Would it be wise to call him? He was older than me, and there was no speaking of his maker outside of private conversations. "Maybe, but we will wait and see how the meeting with the Magister pans out first."

Pam nodded her head and fiddled with her phone for another second before looking up at me. "I am going to resume my friendship with Sookie, regardless of the fact that you two are fighting like idiots. I missed her as well. Plus it seems she finds me attractive now so I might be able to convince her to fuck." The last bit was said with a waggle of her eyebrows causing me to growl at her. I knew she was mostly joking, but Pam had never lied about her desire to bed Sookie, indeed she had been much more upfront about it at first than I had.

"I wouldn't stop you Pam, me and Sookie will work out our own problems, and I wouldn't dream of interfering in your friendship."

She nodded her head and leaned over kissing me on the forehead catching me by surprise. It was rare for Pam to show physical affection unless you counted being slapped on the arm, which I didn't. "I will leave you then, have a good night."

I stayed sitting on the couch until I felt the pull of dawn, and instead of going into my bedroom I walked into the guest room, it was light tight as well but I got into my coffin and locked the lid behind me once I was inside. I had glamoured Cressa but who knew if she might get a spiteful thought into her head. I fell into my slumber troubled by all the things Sookie had said to me, all the things she had accused me of. I couldn't even fault her for it because everything she had said was true.