Hello everyone! I apologize for the long wait. Unfortunately real life interferes sometimes but I can promise that this story is not destined to be a forgotten WIP. I'm excited by this story and am eager to share it with all of you. I can't thank you all enough for all the reviews, favorites, and follows that I have received over the past month or so. It means so much to me that so many people are enjoying this story and I hope that it continues to entertain.
I appreciate all of you that have taken the time to review. Your words encourage and inspire. Hopefully you all enjoy this next chapter and please, if you have a moment or the inclination, reviews are much appreciated.
Sookie couldn't make her body stop shaking no matter how hard she tried. Her hands were still behind her back the way Godric had placed them, and she dug the nails of one hand into the back of her other one, the sharp, dull pain giving Sookie something else to focus her mind on while she attempted to collect herself. She struggled to hear Godric behind her and wondered how long he was going to make her wait for him like this. It seemed to Sookie as if she had been standing in the corner with her nose pressed to the wall for an hour now but she knew in her mind it could only have been a few minutes at most. The longer she waited, though, the angrier she became and it wasn't long before Sookie had convinced herself that Godric was completely out of line.
Sookie inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled slowly and evenly through her mouth. She steeled herself then, and very deliberately removed her hands from behind her back, bringing them to her sides before spinning around and away from the corner, now determined to tell Godric exactly what she thought of him. Sookie's mouth was already open ready to give him a piece of her mind when her eyes met his; Godric was sitting in a chair not four feet away from her, his hands folded in his lap and a disappointed look in his eyes.
"Oh, my sweet girl, how I was hoping you would have been able to do as I said." Sookie's furrowed her brows indignantly and her mouth opened again, ready to scream at Godric for treating her the way he was, but once again he spoke before she could utter a word. "Sookie, I urge you to keep your thoughts to yourself. If you decide you are incapable of following this rule at this time, the consequences will be dire."
Sookie didn't look convinced but Godric seemed unphased. "I would remind you that you agreed to be mine and I agreed to have you. We sealed this agreement with a blood exchange. I explained the gravity of this gesture to you and you said you understood."
Godric stood up then and was in front of Sookie before she could blink. He threaded his fingers gently through her hair in a way that was immediately comforting before continuing to speak, now whispering in her ear as he nuzzled soft the skin of her cheek. "I know you do not really wish to be alone. I know you wish to have someone upon whom you are able to rely. Be strong for me now, Sookie. I am disappointed that you failed to follow my commands, and you will be disciplined because of this, but do not think for a moment that I do so out of malice. Do not for a moment think this means that I do not care for you. In fact it means the very opposite."
The look Sookie shot Godric at that point was filled with as much fury as she could muster, but Godric could see how scared and confused she really was. He took a long, unneeded breath, letting it out with a heavy sigh before bringing the hand not buried in golden curls at the back of Sookie's head up to capture her chin in a firm grip. Sookie jerked her head sharply, trying in vain to break away from Godric's grasp, but he only tightened his hold on her with both hands. Sookie gasped then whimpered at the prickle that shot through her scalp as Godric tugged on her hair and the dull pressure of the pads of his fingers against her cheek. As the sound broke ragged from her throat Godric's fangs ran out and he released a low growl that sent a shiver through Sookie all the way down to her toes.
"Can you trust me, Sookie? Or can you not? It is that simple." Godric's fangs were still fully extended when he spoke, but ever so gradually he began to loosen the grip he had on Sookie. "I can smell your fear, sweet girl, and I regret it. You have no reason to be afraid of me. I think you know this. You must calm yourself now, my Sookie, and consider what you asked of me yesterday. Last night you were brave enough to ask for my help. You were brave enough to agree to be mine but now the first time things do not go your way you want to give up."
Godric paused to make sure Sookie was looking at him, giving her a moment to think. Sookie watched as Godric's fangs retracted out of sight. As she studied his face, she only became more confused. Godric was so soft-spoken and in her heart Sookie felt that he genuinely cared about her. It was all just so overwhelming. She was drawn from her thoughts when Godric spoke to her again.
"Well, Sookie," he said, making sure to hold her gaze with his own, "are you a quitter? I must tell you I did not take you for one. I would not have extended an offer of my blood if I thought you were weak."
Sookie's eyes began to fill with tears again as she felt sure Godric was about to turn her away. "I promised to have you as mine. I do not go back on my word. So allow me to remind you of our agreement one more time: you are mine, little one. I have always cherished and protected Eric and now I will do the same for you. And yes, that sometimes means discipline. But you will always be safe, Sookie. You will always have a home; you will always have family. You will always belong to me."
Sookie's chin dropped down to her chest and she felt like she might collapse from the weight of both her relief as well as her shame.
"Now, Sookie, you will yield and accept your punishment for your poor behavior. Unfortunately, however, we still have a meeting to attend, so that will have to wait until we return." Godric lightly nudged her chin up with his fingers until her eyes found his, albeit a bit reluctantly. "Let's go get you dressed, little one. The sooner we go, the sooner we get back."
Godric led Sookie over to the bed where she now saw that he had laid out an outfit for her to wear already just as he said. It was a sundress, pale blue with white flowers cascading down the skirt. He had chosen a pair of dainty white flats for her to wear which she appreciated; she never much liked heels. But as she scanned the bed, Sookie noticed the absence of what were, in her mind, some very essential items. She turned to Godric in question and although he wasn't smiling, it was clear his humor had returned.
"There is no problem, I hope?"
A light blush crossed Sookie's cheeks and after a moment of indecision she attempted to pantomime putting on her underwear, looking back up to him hopefully to see if he understood.
"The clothing I have chosen and that you are permitted to wear is laid out for you on the bed. I was not joking before when I said undergarments were to be prohibited tonight due to your outburst." Godric spoke slowly and carefully not wanting to spook Sookie after just managing to calm her down. Sookie did react, but the anger in her eyes was there and gone again in an instant, and Godric felt a twinge of pride that this time she was able to keep control of her emotions.
Sookie was still staring at the dress on the bed with a look of trepidation when Godric interrupted her thoughts again.
"I apologize for rushing you, sweet girl, but this meeting really cannot wait. Change into your dress now, please."
Sookie looked at the dress indecisively for another moment before grabbing it up off the bed. She shot a glance back at Godric then, blushing even more profusely as she scurried off to the bathroom, his low chuckle chasing after her.
After finally fighting her way into the dress, struggling to get the zipper up on her own but only managing to pull it halfway there herself, Sookie had to muster up the courage to leave the bathroom – without underwear. She looked in the mirror and saw that her light pink flush had now deepened to a lurid fushia that was staining not only her cheeks, but had also spread down her neck and to her chest. Sookie felt humiliated and she didn't even know why. Just minutes before she was standing with Godric wearing nothing but a bathrobe. Heck, Eric had even seen her. Somehow this felt different, though. Dressing up with the intention to go out and purposely excluding her underwear? Ladies did not do things like that, Sookie was sure. What did that say about her, then, that she did so for Godric just because he told her to?
Sookie had not realized how long she had been standing in the bathroom lost in her own thoughts so the sound of the light knock on the door did not register until Godric's face came into view around the side of the still mostly-closed door. Godric's soft voice seemed to float across the room to her, and although she didn't mean for it to, (she was still supposed to be mad at him, wasn't she?), the sound had an almost immediate calming effect on her.
"Are you decent in there?" Godric asked, although he was already stepping fully into the bathroom as he did. "We really must get moving now." Godric paused then, noticing that the back of Sookie's dress still needed to be zippered the rest of the way.. He turned her so she was facing the mirror, and when he stepped up behind her he trailed a finger down the center of her back, tracing her spine lightly before finding his way to the zip. Godric pulled it up so slowly that she felt like she could hear each tine tooth locking into place, and for reasons that both confused and frustrated her, Sookie became inexplicably aroused.
Only half aware she was doing so, Sookie slowly allowed her head to fall to one side, exposing the expanse of her neck to Godric. He leaned into her, taking in the scent of her hair, and Sookie could feel his mouth against her skin as his lips curved into a boyish grin. She heard the snick of his fangs running out and her pulse speeded up in anticipation of his bite. Godric grazed his fangs lightly against the sensitive skin of her neck before pressing his lips gently to her skin.
"Sweet girl," Godric whispered, pulling back enough to catch Sookie's eye in the mirror. "Later, perhaps. After we return from the meeting and after we deal with your punishment."
Those words made the bottom drop out of Sookie's stomach. In the heat of the moment she had forgotten the trouble she got herself into.
"Oh little one, do not worry yourself unnecessarily. Have I not told you that everything will be alright?" Godric's smile returned, looking decidedly devilish and he added, "you smelled quite delicious just a moment ago."
Godric's comment had the desired effect, and Sookie crinkled up her nose and rolled her eyes, playfully conveying her disgust. His smile stretched further across his face at seeing her reaction, and he started to guide Sookie out of the bathroom, and hand resting low on her back.
"Grab your shoes and then we'll go. They will already be waiting on us."
They were outside the door of the room where the meeting was to be held when Godric stopped Sookie and pulled her to the other side of the hallway.
"When we go inside, Sookie, I need you to be mindful of your behavior. Since you have become mine, the only other to see you has been Eric. I cannot say that went as smoothly as I had hoped, but this will be quite different. There will be several vampires present at this meeting, many of whom you have never met before. It is essential that we present a united front. You must not question me, Sookie. Do you understand?"
Sookie stared at Godric for a moment, before nodding her head slowly in acquiescence.
"Good girl," Godric said warmly. Then, she was being led through the doorway.
Godric guided her immediately to an unoccupied seat. She felt like every eye in the room was on her and was so distracted by this that she did not notice she was seated beside Eric until Godric reached over from her other side to take her hand in his.
"Finally. Now that everyone is her was can begin." The vampire that spoke was Nan Flannigan; Sookie recognized her from on television. Up close like this, Sookie couldn't help but think that she preferred Ms. Flannigan on the screen. In person, the woman was absolutely terrifying.
Godric stroked the back of Sookie's hand with his thumb as Ms. Flannigan began her verbal assault. The repetitive motion helped to keep her calm and she tuned out the mostly one-sided conversation that she was sitting in on, the voices around her becoming a dull thrum in the back of her mind.
Sookie was pulled from her peaceful trance by the sound of Godric's voice, his tone as soft-spoken as ever but with a note of urgency present that let Sookie know this wasn't the first time he had called for her.
"Sookie," Godric said again, relieved when Sookie's eyes finally focused on his own, "Mr. Compton, it seems, is under the impression that you belong to him. He is claiming that I took you and am holding you against your will and brought these claims to Ms. Flannigan. Now Sookie, Ms. Flannigan needs to hear your side of the story to corroborate either my or Mr. Compton's version. Can you do that for me, little one?"
Sookie stared at Godric incredulously. Was he really asking her to break the no talking rule? She was already in deep enough water. Maybe it was a test? With that thought in mind, Sookie shook her head from side to side and used her fingers to act out zipping her lips closed.
"Do you see that, Ms. Flannigan? He doesn't even let her speak. It is obvious that she is being held against her will and I demand that she be released back to me at once. This is nonsense! His age doesn't make him above our laws."
Sookie's eyes darted over to find Bill; how had she not realized he was in the room? Suddenly her whole mouth felt dry and Sookie licked her lips, trying to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling. She uncrossed and recrossed her legs and the fingers of her free hand clutched at the fabric of her dress skirt. She turned back toward Godric then and he could see the fear in her eyes, but it wasn't fear caused by the useless excuse for a vampire that was cowering behind that bitch Flannigan, all the while trying (and failing miserably) to intimidate he and his child. No, it was plain to Godric that Sookie was afraid of disobeying his order to remain silent.
"Sookie, you must speak, my sweet girl. It is my wish that you tell Ms. Flannigan what she needs to hear, despite how offensive I find Mr. Compton's accusations in the first place," Godric finished with a pointed look over at the two vampires in question and he felt a slight, perverse pleasure as they both shifted uncomfortably under the weight of his gaze.
Nan Flannigan recovered first and shot Godric what he was sure was meant to be a scathing glare, before leveling her eyes on Sookie. To his right, he heard Eric growl in warning, his fangs dropping into place with a snick.
"Sookie is Godric's. How dare you threaten her, and in his and my presence, no less," Eric snarled.
Nan Flannigan rolled her eyes and Sookie absently thought that the juvenile gesture made the female vampire look ridiculous. She mentally shook herself in an attempt to focus on the fight that seemed to be ready to break out at any moment.
She must have missed whatever Nan Flannigan said in return, though since the next thing she knew Eric and Godric were both on their feet. Eric had Nan Flannigan pinned to the wall by her throat, his fangs bared menacingly and poised to strike. Then Sookie was being pulled to her feet and pushed roughly by Godric who moved just in time to block her from a very feral-looking Bill, lunging toward them both in fury.
"The girl belongs to me!" Sookie couldn't even recognize the voice coming from Bill's mouth. She could see his face over Godric's shoulder and the vicious creature in front of them seemed nothing like the southern gentleman who first approached her. It made Sookie feel like a fool. She already knew that Bill was deceiving her; thankfully Eric had found out before it was too late. But the fact that she knew the truth didn't make seeing it for herself any easier.
As she took in the scene in front of her, Sookie thought idly that it was strange she felt no fear. Every vampire in sight had their fangs extended and one of them had actually attempted to attack her. But Godric was there and somehow it seemed that she unconsciously knew that he would never allow any harm to come to her. Nevertheless, she had no desire to bear witness to the blood bath that was ready to explode in front of her. She just wanted to be back in the hotel room, alone with Godric.
No one seemed to be paying any attention to her, but Sookie cleared her throat nervously anyway, taking a deep breath before speaking the words that got every vampire's attention.
"Stop it! Everyone just stop! I am not yours Bill Compton. I never was and I never will be. I am Godric's. I offered myself to him willingly and he accepted. Now get the hell out of here before he's forced to kill you…permanently. And if the rest of ya'll wouldn't mind? I've had about enough of this little vampire get-together. I'm tired, I'm angry, and I still have my punishment to deal with tonight, so – "
Sookie stopped mid-sentence, her eyes wide as she realized what she had said. Godric looked over his shoulder at her as Bill struggled ineffectively in an attempt to free himself from the ancient vampire's iron grip. He quirked an eyebrow at her, and Sookie could read both amusement as well as exasperation clearly in Godric's eyes. Godric opened his mouth to speak to Sookie, to make sure she was alright, to reassure her that she hadn't done anything wrong, but before he uttered one word his child's interested voice came from across the room.
"Punishment?"