Hey guys,
how are you all? Good i hope. It's Christmas Day tomorrow! Well, actually in a couple of hours here. Anybody got any special plans? I'm not doing anything, just a pj and duvet day watching movies and eating a good ol' xmas dinner. We're usually in florida for christmas so it's actually rather strange to be in England for the holiday season. I do have a great early secret santa present; a Sookie style Merlotte's Bar and Grill t-shirt. I do have a rather strange new found love and addiction to Rocky Horror Picture Show, hence why that's the movie that features.
I want to say a really big thank-you to my betas campyrs and trajedy99, they help make this story what it is so a big hug to them.
Charlaine Harris owns the wonderful Southern Vampire Mysteries. Oh, and i have a new oneshot out now too. It's called The Old Ones are the Best and it can be found via my profile. On with the chapter.
"You've reached Fangtasia, the bar..."
"Hey, it's Sookie, I need to speak to Eric." I didn't recognise the voice on the phone, all I knew it was female, but judging by the smooth sexiness it was a vampire.
"Eric is busy and has asked not to be disturbed."
"Listen, I don't care who you are but I need to speak to Eric, he will want to know about this, now, put him on the phone!" My voice was becoming shrill due to the frustration of not being put through to a vampire when I needed help.
"He is not to be disturbed, I don't care who you are." I wasn't a popular figure at the bar but every vampire there had at least heard of me due to my working for the Queen and usually when I called anywhere needing to speak to a master vampire I got through. If I was panicked there was usually something bad going down.
"Carmen?" I heard Eric's deep voice over the phone. I didn't get a chance to say anything before I was hung up on leaving me alone in the house with what was a very likely to be a hostile vampire at my door. And luckily for me, the knocking had started up again.
"I had another option available to me so I grabbed my purse which was hung up on the pegs near the kitchen door, it just so happened to contain my cell phone. I quickly scrolled through my contacts' list for Eric's number. Unluckily the phone just rang and rang before going to voice mail.
"I might be in trouble, come over here please." I kept my voice as quiet as possible in an attempt to keep the waiting vampire oblivious to my call for aid. "Fuck." I muttered, putting as much emotion into the word as I could muster. I still hadn't gotten round to having the peephole installed that Sam had bought for my last birthday and I was truly regretting that decision so with no other option available to me realistically I opened up the door, slowly, to peak around the edge.
I was met with a broadly grinning face staring right back at me and I immediately felt relief wash through my body. Floppy jet black hair was a complete mess as though his hands had been running through it in frustration but it didn't take away from the wonder that filled me whenever I saw this vampire. The sharp toothy grin was quite disturbing when you were used to see his famous face with a bit more of a smirk. He was still handsome, especially when he was scrubbed up nicely although currently you had to look below the surface to see it due to the unkempt hair, smudged bits of mud on his hands and just a ragged appearance to his outfit.
"Bubba!" I squealed happily as I pulled the door open wider. Bubba, while not being exactly harmless, was the best vampire I'd ever met and he had a rather large soft spot for me that made me feel safe in his presence.
"Miss Sookie," he exclaimed right back at me with his arms thrown open wide to invite me into a hug. Of course I stepped forward, my arms wrapping around his waist while his went around my shoulders to hold me tightly.
"How you doing Bubba?" I asked while he was still hugging me; he didn't show signs of letting go so I might as well have started the conversation.
"I'm doing good. Sophie Anne is letting me stay with her for bit; I've been down in New Orleans for a little while now. They like me down there. How 'bout you?"
"Not too bad." It wouldn't pay to tell Bubba about everything that had happened.
"I hear you're with Mr Eric now, he'll keep you safe." I didn't get a chance to respond to his statement as a cold, vice like hand clamped down on my wrist painfully and I was dragged from the safety of my house. I was pulled from my feet and I grabbed desperately onto Bubba to try to stay upright.
"Argh!" I screamed, alerting anyone that could possibly hear me that I was in trouble. It was completely useless though; I lived out of the main town and the only person around that might hear me would be Bill. I suppose his rescue would be better than no rescue. Bubba finally let me go and I went spilling to the floor even though I was still being held up by the wrist.
I got my first shocking glance up at the vampire that held me; she was tiny, easily smaller than Sophie Anne but she felt older, much older than the Queen. Her appearance was strange with close cropped black hair teamed with tight pink gym wear that would have suited Barbie. Her bright green eyes stared down at me with a coldness I'd usually associate with blue eyes that can't show you anything.
"Shut up," she snarled at me. Her accent was one that I just couldn't place; I knew she wasn't American but apart from that she could have, at least originally, been from anywhere else in the world. "I don't know what they all see you in, pathetic human." My free hand reached up to grab hers so that I could desperately try to ease her grip on me. It was futile.
"What do you want?" I rasped out as I scrambled for my footing, finally getting a grip on the wooden boards of the porch with my bare feet. I followed my hand upwards until I was actually standing up, only to discover the vampire that had me hostage only reached my shoulders.
"What did I just say? Shut up!" She hissed out in boredom before shoving me roughly in the direction of the rocking chair that was in the corner. My back bashed against the side of the house, a second later I stumbled into the chair where I collapsed into a panting heap. "Now, I need to check this. You are Sookie Stackhouse?"
"Yes." Her glare told me that I still wasn't supposed to be speaking even when asked a direct question. Sometimes I really, really hated vampires.
"You are cordially invited by the Queen of Louisiana, Sophie Anne Leclerq, to her home in New Orleans. Once there you will make up part of her security squad, using your telepathy to screen any guest to the royal house or indeed anyone you can that is outside the main entrance." Her bright eyes seemed to light up with an internal fire as she continued to stare at me. It was only when she snarled, actually hissing so much that spit came out of her mouth that I realised she wanted a verbal response in some way to her statement even though this one wasn't a question.
"What happens if I refuse?" I knew I shouldn't be but I was bored; it got tiring being treated like shit by vampires and now that this vampire was no longer promising immediate physical harm to me I wasn't as scared as I should have been.
"She warned me that this might be the case."
"What's your name?" I couldn't resist interrupting her. I knew that if I had her name I had power over her. She wasn't that old, three centuries maybe, which meant I knew many older vampires that probably wouldn't mind kicking around a fledgling for fun, namely a certain Viking I knew.
"I don't have to tell you anything."
"She's Adyra Miss Sookie." Bubba piped up and when I glanced up in his direction for only a split second I found him backed into the other corner, his back pressed into the corner created by the porch fence and the house.
"Both of your shut up." To emphasise her point she stepped forward, making me shrink back, and slapped me a glancing blow across my face. She'd held back, the little amount of pain I felt told me that much, and the lack of a sound to accompany it meant she was only trying to shake me up. "Now then, I have been given permission that if you refuse to attend willing you are to be forced by any means I see necessary that won't result in your incapacitation. I gather all you need to use your telepathy is a head so you won't be in desperate need for any fingers or toes." I swallowed at that, instinctively pulling in my limbs to wrap around my torso too. She laughed out loud at my movement, a hearty belly laugh that filled the night. "So what do you say?"
"I am not going." I still didn't have a plan of how to get out of this situation. I knew I had to get back into the house because unless I invited her in, which I wasn't going to be doing any time soon, I was relatively safe. Of course she could still throw things at me or even set fire to the house to literally smoke me out, but in there I had a defence. I could phone anyone I wanted from in there; the fire brigade, vampires, even Sam would come and help me in a pinch if I needed it. Being a shifter Sam wouldn't be able to take on Adyra on his own but with me and Bubba helping him too, she would be forced to back down. "Why should I go? I'm fed up with god damn vampires telling me what to do." I vented and I knew as soon as the words had left my mouth that I'd stepped too far out of line.
"Sit down!" Adyra roared and she stalked toward me. Bubba was faster than the slinking vampire and his hands clamped down on her arm, stopping her in her tracks. "Let go." She growled at him. Bubbas face was determined.
"Don't hurt Miss Sookie." He yanked on her arm, pulling it out of slapping distance of me.
"Sit down over there, useless." She shook him off as in she simply pulled out of his grasp easily, as though he'd been merely human.
"Don't hurt her." He reiterated before following his instructions. Adyra only huffed in response and then turned her attention back to me.
"Now then, let's try this again." She bowed forward at the waist so that her face was only a few inches away from mine, letting me clearly see the outline of her sharp fangs. "Will you come with us to the Queen's?"
It was suddenly that I discovered the presence of another vampire. One second I was just sitting trembling against the house, the wood rough against my back and then I felt hope when I realised I could sense the presence of another vampire. Inexplicably I knew exactly who the vampire was from the blank spot in my head even though I didn't have a clue what that brain was thinking. My vampire was on his way here and he wasn't very far away.
"My answer is still no! I am not going!" I growled out, using more volume than I had done since I'd first been dragged out of the house. My last word was accompanied by a loud thud as something hit the roof of the porch sending the timbers shuddering with the weight above. Both vampires, even poor Bubba who was huddled in the other corner stared upwards to see what was going on. I took my opportunity and pushed upwards with my legs, using the wall behind me to get leverage and then I was on my feet, scrambling for the door.
I never turned my back on the vampires which was why I saw what happened next. There was a blur of blackness, darker than the still twilight night, which dropped quicker than I could really follow to the ground, creating another thud on impact. Adyra spun around, hands already curved into claws and a snarl on her face to meet Eric's already outstretched hands. He grasped the front of her shirt, the shriek letting me know that his fingers had gone through the material to gouge her flesh, and then spun around, throwing her into the yard. Adyra spun through the air, reaching the height of the porch, before dropping to the ground near the tree line.
"Sookie," Eric roared, sending a shiver down my spine. He never turned around to look at me, instead he began to stalk forward toward Adyra who was only just beginning to stand, she'd hit the ground that hard. "Get inside the house!" I didn't need the command, I was already moving toward the door yet still unable to tear my eyes away from the vampiric drama taking place in front of me. Finally I felt the doorframe with my hand, feeling my way inside I stood shaking just inside the safety of the threshold.
My vampire rushed forward as Adyra leapt into the air, her feet hardly touching the ground her strides were that quick. At the last possible second she ducked to the right, under Eric's outstretched hand. She wasn't quite fast enough; he spun around in midstride to grasp her shoulder to hold her in place. A sickening crunch filled the night air as her shoulder dislocated under Eric's immense strength.
"Bubba?" I called out, unable to turn around to see if my second favourite vampire was still sat on the porch. "You out there Bubba?"
"I'm here Miss Sookie." He came into view just to my right, his hair even more dishevelled than the last time I'd looked and there were marks on his forehead from where his fingers had been pressing in deep. "I'm sorry." He stated in a tone of voice that if he'd been human I would have said bordered on whimpering.
"Don't worry," I replied back, trying to sound as strong as possible. "Now, Bubba come on inside." I reached my hand out to grab his wrist, using the meagre hold I had on him to pull him inside with me. Essentially Bubba had deferred sides since he'd arrived with Adyra; he'd refused to help frighten or persuade me to do what the Queen desired. On the other hand he'd also not really helped me but that could be because he simply wasn't strong enough to do so. It wouldn't be safe for him to return to the Queen for a good long while and I had no doubt that Adyra would be willing to take out her anger on him.
The vampire sidled into the hallway to stand beside me at the door; he too was watching the fight that was still playing out down on the yard. Adyra was running as much as she was able to get to the porch without bothering to lay too many blows on Eric; her strength was ineffectual against my vampire's power. She was faster though, much faster and her small frame was just enough to evade his true brutality. She dipped underneath his arms when he tried to throw a punch and even managed to dive over his leg when he tried a roundhouse kick to her side that never connected.
Suddenly Adyra managed to slither out of Eric's giant hand, swivelling around to loosen his grip which seemed to mainly be on her clothing rather than her body. She sprinted for the stairs, even managing to plant her foot on the first step and just as she was about to leap forward she was ripped from her place. Even though I knew she wouldn't have been able to actually to land a hand on me personally she could have still caused damage; sadly the laws which governed whether a vampire could enter a property didn't dictate that things thrown by uninvited vampires couldn't breach the threshold.
Eric snarled as he threw her up into the air slightly before punching her already injured shoulder with all of his strength behind him. Another crack filled the air followed quickly by a scream of agony the likes of which I'd never heard before. Adyra still got back up, the difference being that this time she ran for the tree line instead of the porch. Eric took off after her, a blur against the night backdrop. Adyra was too fast to follow, soon disappearing into the trees to be swallowed up by the darkness.
"Mr Eric always makes things better." Bubba said with a simple confidence that made it seem like his belief was a fact. I found myself believing him because since I'd met Eric he really had always made things better for me. It was while I was still watching the yard, searching for any sign of movement that Eric appeared down near the bottom of the drive, running up toward the house. "See, we're fine now."
"You go on inside." I mumbled to him, not taking my eyes off of the running vampire. "There's some blood you can get from the fridge."
"Okay."
I didn't dare take a step outside to greet him; I couldn't feel another blank spot apart from the two accounted for vampires but I didn't entirely trust my telepathy at the minute. I hadn't realised there was another vampire out on the porch until after I'd already put myself in danger. Of course, I think that was because I'd already felt one vampire and wasn't on the lookout for another. It's a little strange but it's harder to detect vampire minds than human ones because they're silent; active brains almost seem to want my attention with the amount of noise I can hear from them.
Eric reached the stairs, bounding up them in one stride from the ground until he was stood directly in front of me, his eyes scanning my body for any signs of harm. I was actually fine apart from some bruising and what felt like battered feet. No blood had been drawn and nothing was broken so for me it was very good.
"What happened?" Eric asked quietly. With his hands gently grasping my shoulders he pulled me outside with him, shutting the door softly behind us so that Bubba hopefully wouldn't be able to hear us. Eric's fangs were still elongated giving him a bit of a strange appearance; kind, sincere words accompanied by a mouth that was literally ready to tear into something.
"There was a knock on my door, it was a vampire so I called. I found Bubba and when I hugged him to say hello I got dragged outside. Adyra said the Queen didn't like your idea of sending someone to help so she sent those two to take me. Bubba to help persuade me nicely and Adyra for more physical manipulation if I wasn't keen on the idea." His hands were still resting on my shoulders but I didn't care. I stepped forward, my own arms fastening tightly around his waist as I pulled myself in for a safe hug, letting my head fall against his chest. "Adyra didn't exactly stick to the plan. Poor Bubba, he didn't know he was being sent for this. He tried as much as he could. Don't blame him."
"I do not." I felt a kiss being pressed into my hair and smiled at the notion.
"What happened to Adyra?" At this question his body stiffened.
"She ran off, I could not catch her. It seems she is so tiny that it manages to beat me. If I had laid my hands on her." His last word trailed off in an unintelligible growl that was barely audible it was that deep.
"Will she be back?"
"I doubt it. She knows that you are under my protection and she got lucky this time. She evaded me once; it will not happen again."
"What injuries do you have?" Vampires weren't usually the easiest people to read; right now I could easily feel his anger and what appeared to be guilt coursing through his body as he tried to find out what had happened to me again.
"Just bruises. I have another question for you." I felt him nod, his head bobbing so that his chin touched my forehead. "How did you know to come? I couldn't reach you."
"I heard Carmen on the phone. I got enough out of her since she did not bother to get any details that you were in some form of trouble. Never a dull moment." He chuckled, barely, before kissing my hair again.
"I couldn't get through to you when I called your cell."
"I was already flying over here." I couldn't help but smile at that statement; my boyfriend meant literally flying over to save me and it made me feel special in some warped Disney princess way. I had given up on ever feeling anything like that years ago, though I was still a hopeless romantic at heart. "Where is your Gran?" He asked after a few more seconds had passed. When I glanced up at him, as best as I was able, I found his head tilted to the side while he tried to hear minute noises in the house that might tell him where she was.
"She's at a "Descendants of the Glorious Dead" meeting, she should be back real soon." I gave him one last squeeze, which was more for my comfort, before releasing him and standing back, inching toward the door. I still didn't have anything on my feet and it was beginning to get mighty cold outside.
"We need to get Bubba to leave unless you want to tell your Gran about everything." My Gran is a wonderful lady, very accepting of me with all the strangeness that I bring into her life. I wasn't about to turn her world upside down by telling her that a singer she greatly admired was not in fact dead, but sitting in her kitchen drinking bottled blood, had a strange affinity for cats and did not like to be called by his former name.
"Get him outta here." My words sounded harsher than I'd intended them and I really didn't want anything bad to happen to poor old Bubba. He wasn't exactly innocent in this but rather his simple mind had been exploited in this situation, he didn't deserve anything truly horrible. "Nicely." Eric nodded in consent before entering the house, ahead of me but holding the door open for me like a true gentleman. He disappeared into the kitchen quickly and by the time I got there, having not actually heard any of their conversation, there was an empty, rinsed bottle of True Blood in the recycling container and Bubba was standing near the back door.
"I'm going now Miss Sookie, Eric here says I can stay at Fangtasia for a few days. I can have as much blood as I want." He was grinning again though there were some wrinkles around his eyes that said he wasn't entirely back to his normally cheerful self quite yet. "Plus, Shreveport's got lots of stray cats." I smacked a smile across my face, because if I'd let my true revulsion of his last statement show I would have been near gagging.
"That's good Bubba. Have a safe journey." I gave him another hug before he disappeared out of the back door. Less than a minute later his brain signature disappeared out of my range. I bolted the door behind him and that's when I saw the dark purple bruise on my wrist from where Adyra had originally grabbed my arm to drag me out of the house. "Shit." I muttered, running my fingertips over the marks, wondering how I hadn't noticed it before because now that I knew it was there, it hurt like hell.
"We had better cover that up. Come on." Eric walked from the room and I followed him, knowing that he'd have some form of plan to sort me out before my Gran got home. Judging by the clock I only had about five minutes, if that, because the meeting had ended about an hour ago. The coffee and biscuits afterward could only take so long. "Do you know how to cover bruises up?"
"Only with clothing." Vampires didn't really bruise that much, and when they did, covering up a few bruises was usually the last thing on their minds as they normally accompanied what would be a mortal wound to a human. "Put a jumper on and some socks. You're walking staccato." I didn't have a clue what he was on about.
"Staccato walking?"
"Quick steps, detached." I grabbed the extra items of clothing I needed and sat down on the bed so that I could pull the socks on. I'd just about got the first sock to my toes when I was stopped by a pair of cool hands. "Hold on." I looked at him quizzically but it did no good; he didn't bother to explain himself, instead he sat down next to me and pulled both of my feet into his lap. Slowly his hands began to massage the balls of my feet, gentle pressure that felt heavenly against my aches. "Why weren't you wearing any shoes or socks?" He kept the motion of his fingers going and I knew without having to look that he was improving the marks by simply increasing blood flow and dissipating any swelling.
"I'd been taking a nap. You tired me out last night." I grinned at him wickedly as the memories of last night filled my head. Of course, it wasn't just our antics that had me tired; when I actually got up this morning I discovered I'd only had about four hours of sleep.
"Your Gran is here." Surprise flickered through me for a second before I realised it was perfectly plausible for him to know. I flapped his hands away from me and pulled my socks on so that I could run safely for the front door
"Gran?" I called out as I whipped the door open, my eyes already searching for her. My gaze landed first on her empty car, which happened to be my old one, which was empty in her normal parking space. "Oh!" I exclaimed as I finally saw her. I couldn't detect any other minds around but I still ushered her inside as quickly as I could without her getting too suspicious. "Come on inside, it's freezing out here."
"Okay, okay, I'm going." She laughed as she rushed into the kitchen to set her bag down on the table. "Oh, Eric! Hello. I didn't realise you were here." She turned around to stare pointedly at me for not warning her about our guest. "Would you like a blood?" Nothing seemed to faze her when it came to being a good hostess.
"Yes please." I nearly gaped at his use of 'please' I didn't think he really had it in his vocabulary. He really did know how to turn on the charm.
"What are you two kids up to this evening?" She grabbed the heated up bottle from the microwave and handed it over, top already discarded, to Eric.
"We are going to watch a movie or two." I nodded appreciatively at him.
"Okay, well, I'll give you two some privacy, I'm feeling quite tired anyway. I'll be in my room if you need me." She gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek as she passed.
"We're watching a movie?" I hadn't actually considered whether he was staying or not; I'd pulled him from Fangtasia on what had obviously been a working night so I just presumed that he would be heading back sooner rather than later.
"Yes." A small smirk played on his kissable lips at my expression. "I am not going anywhere tonight. I seriously doubt that anyone else will try anything but I am not going to be taking any chances. If it had not been able to feel you through the blood connection I would have been too late." His words sent me thinking about how closely connected we were.
Eric had taken my blood a few times, only a small amount, but it was enough. Even a single drop was enough to form a connection between donor and vampire; the vampire was able to sense basic emotions and the general area where the person currently resided. The affect soon faded if no more blood was taken and it wasn't a close enough bond to be used accurately. If the human took some of the vampires' blood however the connection became much stronger and faded much slower.
With Eric's blood in my system I would have all of the usual advantages of taking vampire blood; improved strength, better senses, more control over my telepathy, a healthier glow and, this one was quite a girly positive point, my hair would develop a sheen, appearing a lighter blonde. I would also get the disadvantages of an increased sex drive, like I needed that right now, the possibility of my skin beginning to glow ever so slightly like a vampires did and my telepathy might also improve in the sense that I might be able to read more minds. I was dreading the day that I was finally able to read vampires minds reliably or properly. The day that happened was the day that I met my death.
At the minute the advantages seriously outweighed the disadvantages, and I had to remember the pleasure that even taking a vampire's blood could bring. I'd only ever taken blood from two different vampires, only one of which had been mutually pleasurable considering that one of them had been Pam when I'd been injured. She had told me that I had been wonderful for several weeks afterward. Thankfully that connection had faded away pretty much completely a few months ago and even more thankfully, Bill's blood connection to me was nearly gone too now. That would be another positive; having Eric's blood in my body would erase Bill's just by the sheer strength of a new connection.
"Have you eaten?"
"Yes, I had a large afternoon tea with my Gran before she went out." I plopped down on the couch, immediately pulling one of the fleece blankets over my legs as soon as I was comfortable.
"Oh no." My eyes widened in shock at his words; I had no idea what he was disagreeing with since I didn't think he had a problem with me eating before he got here. "You do not get away from me that quickly." The only warning I got of something a little surprising, frankly it was quite scary to be whisked through the air, was the devilish smile that lit up his entire face and then he was on me. His hands gripped my waist so he could pick me up. I was almost thrown into the air while my vampire lunged underneath me to land, somehow, softly on the sofa laid out on his back. I was gently laid down on top of him, chest to chest. I don't think I'll ever get used to how vampires can move. "That is better."
"You're ridiculous." I giggled as I calmed down a little and when my heart realised that I was never in any true danger.
"Yes, but we both prefer this." He wiggled his eyebrows and showed off his fangs that had elongated at some point during the past couple of seconds.
"Stop it." I slapped his chest softly because even if I used a lot of my strength I was only going to end up hurting myself and I couldn't say I was that angry. "My Gran is awake, it's early. Control yourself. Now let's watch a movie as you suggested." I grabbed the remote control from its place in the little basket we kept beside the sofa that also contained a little box of tissues, spare batteries and whatever else I chucked in there when I was too lazy to get up. I switched the television on and flickered to a movie channel without bothering to check what was actually on. "Ooh, Rocky Horror." It was a bit of a guilty pleasure for me, I really shouldn't have liked the film and it was true that most people I knew hated it but I loved the film. It was fun, the songs were catchy and let's face it Rocky has a pretty good body. I chuckled to myself when I realised I had my very own muscle man with blond hair, the exception being that mine would never have a tan and of course, he had an even better body.
"What will the Queen do now?" I asked after a few minutes of watching the movie which had only just started; Janet and Brad were only just breaking down on the dead end street. My question was met with no response and it was only after I'd carefully poked him in the ribs that I realised he'd already switched into down time as I called it. My jab did wake him. If I'd known before I would have just let him sleep for lack of a better term.
"She will undoubtedly be calling Fangtasia demanding to speak to me and not believing the answer when the Staff says that I am not there. I will have to answer for my stunt at some point. It will likely just be a cash sum because Sophie Anne knows that she can't really enforce much else."
"Will she be safe?" The Queen definitely wasn't one of my favourite vampires but I knew that we could have a much worse leader of the state. With Eric being so much older than her he was pretty much free to run his area how he pleased, especially since he did it so well, which meant that things could get a lot easier for me now.
"Did you get invited to New Orleans or St Louis?"
"New Orleans."
"She will be fine. It would have to be a very determined attack to get through her defences there." I heard the start of the time warp from the television which drew my attention back to the movie. Underneath me I felt Eric's body still as he again dropped into down time much easier than a human would fall asleep. I gently laid my head down on his chest and watched the rest of the movie in comfort; I'd speak to him about the blood giving after.
"Hmm. Lover." I never got a chance to wake him up after the movie finished. Like he'd managed to develop another sense he stirred about five minutes from the end, right as the final Frank song started. He started with kisses to the top of my head while his hands wandered down my body to finally rest on my ass for a few moments before roaming back up. As soon as I turned my head to look up at him to see what he wanted he captured my lips in a kiss that would have made me weak in the knees if I'd been standing up. When his tongue brushed against my lips I knew I had to stop this or I'd never get to talk to him about what I wanted.
"Stop." I said forcefully, letting him hear my stubbornness. He pulled back immediately, with what appeared to be the beginnings of a hurt and perplexed expression on his face as though he simply couldn't understand why I was stopping him. I actually had two reasons; needing to talk and the fact that we were blatantly lying in the living room of my home with my Gran in the next room. We couldn't exactly lock the door to the lounge, it was suspicious enough locking my bedroom door. "I need to talk to you." I kissed his lips, pulling back before he could tempt me into more, to let him know that it was nothing bad. Rather awkwardly I shuffled to a standing position, turned the television off and walked to my bedroom, leaving the door open for Eric.
"What is wrong?" He locked the door behind him and then joined me on the bed where he wrapped his arms around me tightly, pulling me in protectively to his chest.
"Nothing is wrong exactly. I've realised that I really do have a nose for trouble."
"Yes, the best. You are a lot of fun." Only a vampire could describe the amount and type of trouble I often found myself in as fun.
"Well, tonight was a bit of a close call. If you hadn't been around to hear Carmen talking to me on the phone I may have been dragged off to the Queen's home."
"If you reached immediate danger I would have sensed it."
"I know, but it may have been too late, I would probably have been knocked unconscious and loaded into a car on my way to New Orleans. So..." I trailed off, a little unsure about how to proceed exactly; it wasn't something I'd ever asked for before. In fact, I had actually refused his blood in London when he'd offered it to me.
"If you had some of my blood in you I would have known as soon as you got pulled from your house. I would know what you were feeling, where you were." He'd softened his voice, hopefully understanding what I was getting at rather than trying to encourage me into taking his blood. I wanted to be in control again at this point. I may have come to this decision on my own but I was still rather apprehensive about being tied in any way to another vampire.
"Yes, exactly. I know I didn't want to take it before but, the easiest way to put this is that I've changed my mind. If you're still willing I would like to, ah, take some of your blood." I didn't get a verbal response straight away; his hand gently gripped my chin to turn my head to the sound. He kissed me, deep and passionately as soon as he was able to and I kissed back, my hands going into his hair to keep him in place. It was only my lack of oxygen that eventually made us pull back.
"Having a direct line to your trouble?" I couldn't believe that was what he was thinking about at a time like this. I could feel how excited he was by the prospect since I was sitting in his lap at this point. He chuckled, dispelling the beginnings or my ire. He kissed me again, this time using his hands to spin me around so I was straddling his waist. "Yes lover."
So what did you think? Looking forward to the next chapter? You know I love feedback almost as much as i love a certain Viking vampire. Speaking of, i want to say a really big thank-you to everyone that sent some feedback, this story now has the most reviews of any of my stories and it isn't even finished!
This weeks title is taken from the Dashboard Confessional song Reason to Believe and the full title is more along the lines of, 'I know that you are strong enough to handle what i need'.
So, thanks for reading and have a very good week. Happy Holidays everyone!
*hugs*