Eric held my hand on the plane, but otherwise showed no displays of affection. I assumed that we may be being recorded since the plane most likely belonged to the Queen.
Eric told me all about Bloodtest and how he'd created the company after I'd read Dr. Brandeis for him. The Area Five vampires assisted in starting the company and developing the product, but now that Eric had the approval of the NBVA and the FDA (via the Senate Committee for Commerce, Science and Transportation) as well as the vampire monarchs' endorsement in various states, he was ready to begin production.
He had applicants lined up for me to read, and once the human employees were in place, Bloodtest would be off and running. I would stay in Shreveport to periodically read the humans to make sure they continued to be trustworthy. Eric would run the company himself.
The Area Five vampires would continue to manage Fangtasia for Eric, but I could see that the revenue from a vampire bar would be a drop in the bucket compared to what Bloodtest would bring in. I assumed that the Queen would get a percentage of the profits of Bloodtest, but I didn't ask about any of that, knowing it was none of my business. I was just so grateful that Eric had found a place for me in the company, allowing me to leave the palace.
Eric said, "I regret that by placing you in Shreveport, we're also outing you as a telepath. But I couldn't see another way to free you."
"It's okay. It was just a matter of time before that cat was out of the bag. Apparently, my fate was sealed by Hadley and I never knew it," I replied.
When we landed in Shreveport, I said good bye to the pilot and co-pilot, both of whom I'd read at the palace my first week there.
We found Eric's car which was a little red Corvette, and soon we were driving to Eric's house—my new home.
We were fairly far away from the city when we pulled into a driveway and stopped at the guard gate. I recognized the man in the little booth—another person I'd read at the palace. He looked at both Eric and me and waved us through. We entered a property that was enclosed by high brick walls; the house loomed before us.
It wasn't as big as the palace, but it was still huge. Unlike the palace, it had windows and looked more like a stately plantation home.
Eric parked in the separate four car garage and showed me my new Lexus.
"If you don't like it, we can get you something else," he said.
"No, it's quite beautiful, Eric."
Then, he took my hand as he led me to the front door of the house. Before he unlocked it, the door opened and a smiling Pam stood aside and invited us in.
"Welcome to your new home, Sookie," she said.
"Thank you," I responded and tried not to gawk at the entry way.
Pam, Eric, and I toured the house, which reminded me of Tara or Twelve Oaks from Gone with the Wind. I said hello to the human staff, all of whom I'd met and read in New Orleans. I had my own cook and daytime bodyguard. There were two housekeepers and a man who took care of the grounds.
Pam excused herself as Eric and I climbed the winding staircase, I assumed so we could have some privacy. We walked down the upstairs hallway and came to a door with a keypad beside it. I watched Eric punch in the code and then we stepped into the secure wing.
We passed Pam's suite and continued down the long hall until we came to Eric's. It had a huge master bedroom with dark rich furnishings. There were drapes covering the windows, but the glass panes had been replaced with some sort of solid material so sunlight couldn't enter the room. I was relieved to see that Eric's bathroom had a toilet.
"Does that work?" I asked.
"I had it checked last week, and yes, it does. I hope it's better than a bush," he teased.
I set my purse down on the dresser and stepped closer to Eric. He gently took me in his arms and kissed me. Then he looked into my eyes and said, "Welcome home, my love."
We held each other and just rocked gently back and forth for a long moment until he said, "Would you like to see your room?"
"I thought this was my room," I said.
"No, this is our room—where we'll sleep. But you have your own room to use during the day. I wouldn't want you shut in here all day without access to sunlight."
He took me by the hand and we walked back down the hall and through the security door. Then we turned and headed down another hallway until we came to an open door and stepped inside.
I had never seen a more beautiful room. The walls were a deep rose color and the bed was covered in a rose and cream toile spread. One side of the room had a seating area with a butter-colored sofa and blue and cream striped chairs. The oriental rug was a rich mix of burgundy, rose, gold, and teal. Colorful vases full of fresh flowers sat on nearly every surface and the walls were adorned with framed paintings. Over the bed hung a huge watercolor of downtown Bob Temps. Judging from the cars and clothing on the people, it was somewhere from the mid 1940s.
The French doors opened to a terrace that overlooked the rose garden. The scent of roses filled the room. I could see the pool and outdoor kitchen with a fireplace beyond the gardens.
Eric opened the closet and it was full of clothes.
"These are for you, of course, but we can get your things from Bon Temps or buy whatever you choose. You certainly don't have to wear these if you don't care for them."
"Thank you," I said.
"And you can redecorate this room any way you'd like."
"I love it the way it is," I said.
He nodded and seemed happy with that answer. "I had hoped that would be the case."
"I've never seen a more beautiful room, Eric."
He nodded again and smiled, then reached for my hand. "Are you hungry, my love?"
"Yes, I am, as a matter of fact."
We went down to the dining room, which was warm and inviting in spite of its size. Eric held a chair out for me and I sat down. He sat beside me, just grinning at me until the door opened and the cook came in with my dinner.
She set a bowl of homemade chicken soup and a grilled cheese sandwich on hand painted Italian dinnerware in front of me as well as a coke in a cut crystal glass.
I thanked her before she left and then looked at Eric and thanked him as well.
He said, "I saw you choose this at the palace, and hoped you would like it."
"I love it." I squeezed his hand and began to eat.
"Of course, you can have whatever you like. Just tell the cook and she will prepare any food you'd like."
I ate my dinner and we talked about my schedule for reading humans that would begin the following night.
"But before you read anyone, you and I will drive down to Bon Temps to your brother's grave. You can also see your house and plan what you might want brought from there. You can see any friends you'd like, but of course, I'll have to accompany you."
"Okay," I said. "I'd like to see Sam, my old boss."
"As you wish."
"So, you're buying the property in Magnolia Grove?" I asked.
"Yes, and I have an architect who will design whatever house you'd like. I thought it would be a nice little vacation home for us, but as Sophie-Anne said, if you choose to live there without me, you may do so."
"I'm touched that you bought it."
"It's very special to me."
"I wouldn't want to live there without you, Eric."
"I hope that you don't, but of course, the choice is yours."
When I'd finished eating, Eric took me outside to show me the grounds.
We sat on a little bench beside a fountain and Eric put his arm around me. I hugged him and breathed in his scent.
"I can't thank you enough for getting me out of the palace, Eric."
"That's been my goal since the night you arrived there. I only wish I could have accomplished it sooner."
"I really didn't think the Queen would ever let me leave."
Eric removed his arm from my shoulder and took my hand in his as he turned to face me and said, "Sookie, I'm confident that you'll be happier here than in New Orleans, but I am also very much aware of the fact that you did not choose to live here with me. You did not choose me as your mate."
"I'm choosing you now," I said.
He smiled and touched my lips with his fingertip. "I love you so much, and hope to earn your love in return."
"You already have my love, Eric."
"I know, but I want you to continue to love me. To bond with me someday. To be my mate."
"I don't know what bonding means, Eric."
"Of course I will explain all that to you, but there's no rush. We'll make a life together here and grow together. I'll protect you and care for you just as you did for me in Magnolia Grove, and hopefully someday, you'll forget that you're here against your will, but will only feel at home and wish to be nowhere else."
"I already do, Eric. I could never go back to my life in Bon Temps after losing Jason. I want to live where you are. You're my home now."
"And you are mine."
We walked back to the house and went to our room together. We slowly undressed each other and made love. I forgot I had a care in the world when I was in Eric's arms, and as I lay on top of him, waiting for sleep to take me, I thought, it cost me dearly and it was a painful journey, but I had finally found peace and happiness. I'd found love, and with that I was ready to begin my new life—my life with Eric.
XXX
A/N: Thank you so much to all of you who read/reviewed/favorited/alerted this story. You amaze and humble me.
The discovery of my love of writing began with fanfiction, and now I've published three novels, written a weekly newspaper column and magazine articles, and have many projects in the works. I recommend writing fanfiction to every aspiring writer I meet.
I hope you'll take a look at my books, all available on Amazon.
My latest series of novelettes take place in a small town in North Carolina where my hero has to save the girl and save the town after being turned into a vampire. It's light and funny with a sweet romance and suspense. "The Vampire of Waller County" by Suki McMinn is Book One in the Hogback Series. Book Two is "Christmas in Waller County." My talented brother painted the original art on the covers.
"Drop Dead Gorgeous" by Suki McMinn, my first book and Book One in my L.A. Vamps series, follows a supermodel vampire around Los Angeles. This is a contemporary adult romance with suspense. It has some humor, but is darker and sexier than my other series. This book found its original publisher among my fanfiction friends.
To learn more, just google Suki McMinn. Thanks for reading!
