Ta-da, another chapter. Hope you enjoy it! Reviews are very, very welcomed, as always. I still can't believe I got over a hundred! This chapter I had great fun writing because I can totally picture Sookie getting very, very pissed at all the males in her life :)!
Enjoy! Love you all!
xoxo
'Sweet Baby Jesus. Witches? What witches?' I muttered, looking from Pam to Eric and back again.
'Damn it. What do they want this time?' Eric barked at Pam. 'Can't they fuck off and let us be?' Wow. The swearing was really out of character for Eric. I couldn't help but giggle. I could feel just how horny he was and it was starting to get to me.
'They want to talk to you in private.' Pam muttered.
'How many are they tonight?' he continued, not bothering to answer my question. I clamped my mouth shut and waited for them to remember my presence. Have I ever mentioned how much I despise vampires sometimes?
'A dozen. But I can smell some more in the area. They mean business, Eric.' Pam replied, cocking her head at a bunch of people that had just entered. They were all dressed in long black draped coats. Their chief, a tall, quite stunning woman stood in the middle, a man who resembled her very much at her side. Her brother, I read in her mind. She was skinny as hell, model skinny, the kind you want to feed Crisco grease for her to fatten up. She had long sluggish brown hair and a beautiful bony face. She exhaled an air of power and strength. The man next to her was slightly taller than her with the same bony features. He, however, didn't look one bit appealing to the eye. He looked mean and dark and cruel with a bad twist to his lips that made him look like he was going to bite someone's hand off.
'Take them to my office. The last thing I want is them taking an interest in Sookie.' Eric growled. Pam strolled towards the group and ushered them towards the back of the bar. Eric grabbed my hand and took me outside so quickly I didn't even realise we were out until he dropped his leather jacket on my shoulders. I couldn't see my navy vest anywhere. It must have remained inside.
'I'm sorry I must cut this short but I don't want to risk them discovering what you are.' He swiftly explained, opening my car door for me and shoving me in it.
'Who are they?' I asked, still stunned.
'Witches. Bad ones. Usually we're capable of dealing with them. I just hope they're not looking for trouble, because I'm not in a mood for trouble.' He replied, giving my hand a last kiss before he showed me out of the parking lot. 'I'll keep you informed, my dearest.' He said before I rolled out towards the highway. I drove as fast as I could towards Bon Temps, wondering how much trouble could a bunch of witches cause a thousand year old vampire.
When I arrived home, I was suddenly terrified to get out of my car. Something was wrong. Someone had been here not long ago. It was as if I could still feel that person's thoughts, whoever it was. Whoever it was, they did not want to join me for coffee. I looked through my purse for anything at all that might be used as a weapon. I hadn't felt that kind of terror since I'd been fighting for my life with Lorena. It was as if someone had trapped my heart in an icy fist and was tightening their grip slowly and painfully. What the hell was happening to me? I thought, putting my head on the steering wheel to take deep calming breaths after having ensured all the doors of my tiny yellow car were locked. And just like that, the terror was gone. I opened my shields up to listen in on any minds that might be in the area. Werewolves. A whole bunch of them. They were the ones that had been here, waiting for me to come out, unaware. Shit. I'd have to call Eric to tell him. For now, the danger had passed and I finally crawled out of my car, an old umbrella that I kept on my back seat in hand, ready to pounce. But no one came. I scrambled up my porch steps and slipped in the door, my heart beating fast and hard in my chest. Locking the door, I turned on all the security lights around the house and looked out in my backyard. I froze in place. There, about a dozen meters from my backdoor stood a vampire. He was very still and looking straight back at me. Bill. I carefully opened the door and gestured for him to approach, which he did, slowly.
'What in heaven's sake are you doing here?' I snapped, angry yet happy to see he was alright.
'You're in danger, Sookie. I know you do not trust me at the moment but you must believe me...' he replied, his cool voice genuinely worried.
'You're the one to blame for my not trusting you, Bill.' I retorted, my arms stubbornly crossed on my chest. I felt Eric's leather coat slip and pulled it back around my shoulders, the weight slumping on me in a comforting way.
Bill sniffed the air and looked at the jacket.
'Eric's not with you?' He questioned, pained.
'Why would he be?' I replied, my voice as cool as I could make it. 'And even if he were, what business of yours would that be?'
'None. It's just that you smell of him.'
'Coat.' I simply replied, a Isn't-it-Obvious smirk on my face. I would not crumple in front of him.
'Russell's wolves were here earlier.' He informed me.
'So what? You're like camping outside my home now? Aren't you supposed to be in Peru or something?' I replied, ignoring the danger his comment implied.
'No, I am not camping! I merely escaped McAlister's surveillance to come and warn you. The wolves didn't take it well that Eric took out their V source. My guess is they'll want to take you from Eric as payback. And Sophie-Anne is still interested in...acquiring you.' He completed, his gruff voice sending tremors down my spine. Damn him and his dark romantic looks.
'Well who must I thank for that?' I said, cool as a cucumber. No vampire could enter my home without invitation and for the werewolves, there really wasn't much I could do for the time being.
'And then there's Debbie.' Bill finished, his disgust for the woman quite obvious. At least we agreed on this: the girl was insane and repulsive in the non physical manner. Though the gash I had left on her face surely didn't help her in that department either.
'What about her? Isn't Alcide taking care of her or something?' I asked, puzzled.
'She escaped. I don't know what she intends to do but I couldn't leave without warning you.' Bill said, eyeing me in a way he hadn't in a few weeks. He looked loving and pained and I almost felt like kissing him but I refrained. The guy had lied to me, time and time again. I was not going to fall for the same trick twice.
'Consider me warned. You may go have tea with the Magister now if you wish. Or find new pets for the Queen. Whatever it is you intend to do in Peru.' I said, dismissive.
'You are harsh, Sookie' he murmured. 'You used to be very different.'
'You used to be my fiancé and my first love.' I retorted, my anger rolling through me in hot waves. 'As a matter of fact, have this back. I can't bear to look at it anymore.' I whimpered, tears filling up my eyes. I removed the delicate ring from my left hand and held it out for him to take.
He looked at me for a long time before he actually took the ring and dropped it in his pocket, his fingers lingering way too long on mine.
'Not everything was a lie. I did love you. I still do. And it will take a long time for me to rip it out of my heart. Good bye, Sookie, take care.' Bill whispered before running out into the woods. I was so shaken by this visit that I closed the backdoor, locked it and slumped to the ground, crying like a baby. I simply wanted to crawl in bed right now and that is exactly what I did after I stripped off my dress, washed my face thoroughly and brushed my teeth. I turned and turned in bed. I couldn't find sleep and was nervous as hell. I felt empty and realised I was hungry. Looking at my alarm clock, I was startled to see it was almost four in the morning. The sun wouldn't rise for another four hours since we were headed for winter. I slipped on a robe and walked to the kitchen to have a snack. I decided on a piece of chocolate cake. Sure, in a few days I'd regret that chocolate cake when I'd put on my bathing suit for a late season tanning session, but right now I needed the comfort food. I suddenly heard a thud on my back door. As if someone was throwing tiny stones at it. What the heck, this time!
I stood up and grabbed my frying pan which was still dirty from my morning eggs and held it over my head. I carefully pulled the curtains aside to look at whoever or whatever was making the annoying and scary noise. It was Jason. A very, very drunk Jason.
'What the hell!' I barked at him when I opened the door. He walked in, smiling a googly grin as if he was really glad that I had actually opened the door.
'Sis' he slurred. God where had he been this time?
'Jason, it's four in the morning! What the hell are you doing here? Where's your truck?'
'I walked' he giggled. Oh. So. Very. Funny.
'You walked?' I asked, incredulous. 'What are you doing here anyways? What's wrong?'
'I don't know. Sookie, stop moving!' He laughed. I was standing still as a stone.
'How much have you had to drink?' I replied, dragging him to a kitchen chair.
'I went to a paaaaaarty.' He slurred, smiling sheepishly.
'A party? Where? With whom?' I filled him a big glass of water and assured he drank it all.
'With Holly!' he replied, grinning like an idiot. My brother had been quite the party animal in his younger years, but I could have sworn he hadn't been this incapacitated in at least five years. He didn't drink much anymore so his state was quite a shock for me.
'Holly? Holly Clearly? You know her?' I replied, suspicious. I didn't like that woman one bit. Not the influence she had on Tara, not the way she seemed to be befriending Arlene. Heck, I didn't trust that woman at all.
'Yeah. With Crystal! Was verrrryyy fun.' He continued, gulping down the remaining of his glass. Who the hell was Crystal? A drug? A girl?
As I knew I wouldn't get anymore out of him for the time being, I pulled him up, draping his limp arm around my shoulders and helped him to my old bedroom where he slumped fully dressed on the bed and snored the moment his head hit the pillow.
When I was sure he wasn't going to roll off the mattress and hit his head on the nightstand, I closed the door quietly and resumed to my kitchen.
'What's next?' I sneered out loud. 'Anymore surprise visits from creepy people for tonight?' I asked my fridge. The machine simply purred slowly. Yeah. Appliances tend to give you one-way relationships.
I almost fell asleep at my table before I decided to crawl back into bed. My head had just hit my pillow when tapping at my front door startled me. I looked at the clock on my nigh stand. I was 4:24 am. Damn it! What now!
I crawled out of bed, into my robe and to the front door. A huge figure was looming in the shadow. Great. Now I was going to get ripped to shreds by a madman. What a night, my friends, what a night.
I looked through the curtains and recognized Alcide. That was just great, I thought. Perfect. What next? Debbie? An undead René? Damn it.
I opened the door, my brows furrowed. Alcide stared at me for a second before he finally opened his mouth to speak. I was faster than him.
'This better be really good because I have had ENOUGH for one night!' I growled at him. 'What the HELL do you want! It's four thirty in the bloody morning!'
Alcide took a step back and his shoulders slumped.
'I thought you might me in danger.' He muttered gruffly.
'Oh, you too! Great. See, I'm fine. Goodnight! Come again!' I said, trying to close the door. He did not comply with my dismissal and instead walked in. 'Or you can just barge in my house without permission. And slump on my couch.' I said, annoyed.
'Sookie. Debbie has escaped. And she's after you. I'm not feeling too, too good about leaving you alone.' Alcide muttered, caressing my arm in a sweet manner.
'And so you thought it would be alright to wake me up in the middle of the night to tell me so?' I said, trying to shy away from his touch. 'Jason's here. Sleeping. There. I'm not alone, you can go.'
'I missed you.' He whispered, hugging me tight to his chest. It felt like the embrace of a bear. I giggled at the thought because this was about as close as it would get. He lifted my chin with his warm hand and before I knew it, he was kissing me.
Oh. Perfect. His lips were warm and inviting and I was almost tempted to let him ravish me on my couch but my sanity and annoyance took over.
'Okay, what was that for?' I whispered, drawing away from him.
'I've grown quite fond of you, Sookie.' He said, sitting on the couch, dragging me to him. He was so big and tall and strong, I felt as if I was a tiny fragile thing he wanted to protect.
'I really like you too, Alcide, but now I think my bed would win in an international Whom-does-Sookie-Love-More competition. I haven't slept all night.' I yawned at that moment, proving just how much my bed was calling to me.
'Why?' he simply replied.
'First, there was Eric at Fangtasia who basically shooed me out when a bunch of bitchy witches came in, then there were the werewolves around my house that had luckily left before I came back. Then Bill showed up for a surprise visit. And then Jason who was drunk as a bloody barrel and is now drilling a hole through my old mattress with his snoring. And now you. I mean I need my beauty sleep!' I explained. Man, busy night, Sookie, busy night.
'Oh.' Was all Alcide said. 'Okay. I'll let you sleep if you're not alone. I'll be back this afternoon if that's alright with you. I really need to talk to you.' He muttered, kissing me chastely on the forehead. Okay. Bye, bye Alcide. I accompanied him to the door and he walked out, throwing me a meaningful look before he climbed in his truck.
Jesus Christ. I crept back to my bed and put my pillow on my head. The house could crumble, I wouldn't move a toe now.