Chapter Eight: Dancing In the Shadow of Doubt

"For there to be betrayal, there would have to have been trust first."

― Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games

A/N: I apologize for the delay in getting this chapter posted, but life has been crazy and I wanted to make sure this chapter was just right. Thank you again to everyone that has been following and reading this story and I greatly appreciate all the reviews that you have posted. I hope this story continues to keep your interest and I am very excited to continue and stir things up a bit. Let's see what kind of trouble Sookie and Eric can get themselves into, shall we? Thanks again for reading, I appreciate all of you, including the silent readers Happy Reading!

Sookie's POV:

An uncomfortable silence hung heavy in the hot morning air around me as I sat at a small table directly across from my less than happy looking boss who had somehow managed to find me even despite some of my very best lies. I stared down at my fingers as they tapped nervously against the tattered wood beneath them and studied the scratched surface of the table as I searched my mind for any sort of an excuse that would make this situation any less awkward than it currently was. I had known Sam Merlotte for a very long time and even though he was in fact my boss, he was also one of my closest and dearest friends. He had always been there for me when I had needed him and he had never run away from me like nearly everyone else in my hometown had just because he saw something in me that might have potentially scared him. I truly wanted to be honest with Sam about why he had found me hiding out at a vampire bar in Shreveport, but I also didn't want to get into the argument that I knew would happen if I told him the whole truth behind my messed up little situation. I knew that after all of these years Sam deserved an honest explanation from me with everything that we had been through together, but the problem was the mystery of exactly how he would respond to it if I ever actually got up the nerve to give it to him.

"How did you find me, Sam?" I asked softly as I finally broke the uneasy silence between us after nearly going insane from the incredible tension that seemed to practically suffocate me where I sat. Sam smiled slightly as he shook his head in what appeared to be disbelief and then leaned back in his chair.

"I think the important question is not how I found you Sook, but why I had to find you at all in the first place." He answered in an angry tone as his eyes began to quickly attempt to burn holes into mine. I shrugged my shoulders as I stilled my tapping fingers and then quickly twisted them together nervously as I tried to figure out how exactly to answer the question at hand.

"Look Sam, I am really sorry that I have been out from work a lot lately and I completely understand if you cannot hold my job, but in all honesty you didn't have to come find me. Where I am at when I am not at work just really isn't any of your business. " I said sternly as I straightened up slightly in my seat and tried to look confident even though I couldn't seem to find a single ounce of self-assurance anywhere inside of my tensed body.

"None of my business, Sookie? I have known you for quite a long time and in that time you have never even taken so much as a vacation without giving at least a two week notice and a detailed explanation as to where you are going and why. Now all of a sudden you disappear into thin air, don't even tell your own brother that you're leaving and you seem to expect that no one is going to be concerned? I understand that I don't need to know every single detail of your life, but I think the least you could give me is a reason as to why I just found you in a vamp bar in Shreveport wearing nothing more than a man's shirt and guilty look." Sam said in a louder voice as his eyes moved over me and quickly reminded me that I had not exactly thought over what I was wearing before I had come upstairs from Eric's bedroom. I took in a deep breath and then leaned back in my chair as I quickly pulled Eric's shirt further down my thighs in an attempt to cover even a small amount of my exposed flesh and crossed my legs tightly.

"There are some…people…that are looking for me right now, Sam. I have been staying here for my own protection." I answered slowly as I raised my eyes to Sam's and cleared my throat formally.

"Protection? You actually believe that you are being protected by that vampire bitch that let me in here? She nearly killed me just for knocking on the fucking door." Sam said in an exasperated tone as his eyes widened in surprise. I shook my head as I tried to hide the smile that attempted to fight its way onto my lips at the thought of Pam dealing with someone as mild mannered as Sam. She didn't exactly seem to even have the adequate social skills in order to deal well with the dead people that she came in contact with, let alone those that lived in the light and were used to simple things like common courtesy and not being assaulted for simply asking a question.

"Yes, Pam is one of the vampires that have been protecting me, Sam. But it's the owner of the club that has truly been keeping me safe and he has also been incredibly…kind to me." I stuttered as I felt a chill run through my body at the mere mention of my protector. Deep down I knew that kind wasn't exactly the best word to describe Eric's hospitality toward me, but I figured that it was the closest word that I could find to use that Sam would truly be able to handle as far as I was concerned.

"And the owner of this club is Eric Northman?" Sam asked as he leaned forward in his chair with a very sarcastic curiosity. I narrowed my eyes at him as I wrapped my arms tightly around my chest as an uneasy feeling began to settle deep into the pit of my stomach.

"Yes, how did you know that?" I asked cautiously as I tried to figure out exactly how someone like Sam would know of someone like Eric considering their complete difference in personality and well…everything else possible.

"Everyone knows who Eric Northman is, Sookie. However, I have a funny feeling that if you are here with him willingly and trusting that he is actually protecting you…well then you definitely do not." He said as he stared at me sternly in a very paternal sort of way. I let out a frustrated breath and then rolled my eyes as I began to feel like a teenager getting in trouble for seeing the wrong boy.

"I know a lot more about Eric than you do Sam, so please do not come in here and act all high and mighty just because you don't approve of my choice in company." I said as I tightened my arms around myself and clenched my jaw in reaction to Sam's condescending tone.

"Alright Sookie if you know Eric Northman so well, then where is he from?" Sam asked sarcastically. I rolled my eyes at how incredibly childish my friend was currently acting.

"Sweden." I replied quickly as I mentally patted myself on the back for my intelligent reply. I knew more than Sam realized and he was about to have to eat his sarcastic words while I smiled and watched.

"Alright, close enough. How old is he?" He asked as he matched my posture and crossed his arms over his own chest. I fidgeted slightly in my seat and looked down at the floor as I felt my victory becoming incredibly short lived.

"Old." I replied sarcastically as I tried to mask my unease. Sam laughed to himself.

"How old?" He asked quickly. I kept my eyes on the ground and let out a shaky breath.

"Old enough to be as powerful as he is, Sam. Why the hell are you asking me all of this and how the hell do you know any of it to begin with? Last time I checked you weren't exactly a fan of vampires, so why the sudden interest and knowledge of them?" I asked as I tried to steer the conversation away from the fact that I obviously didn't know hardly anything about the vampire that had just been groping me only about a half an hour before.

"I am asking you all of this to prove to you that you don't know anything about these vampires that you believe are protecting you. It is vampires that are looking for you right now, Sookie. Why the hell would you think that other vampires would protect you from their own kind?" Sam asked in disbelief as he stared at me. I raised my eyes back to his as I felt my stomach tighten slightly, but I tried to push the doubt and Sam's words as far out of my mind as humanly possible.

"How do you know that it's vampires that are looking for me, Sam? I never told you who it was, so how the hell did you know that?" I asked as I tilted my head toward him in suspicion. Sam let out a labored sigh as he shifted in his chair and ran one of his hands through his tousled dirty blond hair.

"Ever since the night that you came to Shreveport for your birthday, things have been off at the bar. I started noticing that there was a man coming around that I had never seen before and I thought it was strange how he always asked about you, but never seemed to actually go up and talk to you. After you didn't show up for work for a couple days he eventually stopped coming in. I didn't really think anything of it at first since I was sure that he was just some freak that had a crush on you or something…but then last night..." He said in a rushed breath just before he finally stopped and began to fidget slightly in his seat. I tilted my head toward him and narrowed my eyes as my curiously suddenly peaked.

"What happened last night?" I asked curiously. I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that I knew exactly who the mysterious stranger following me had been, but I had an even worse feeling that this story was about to get much worse very quickly.

"Well, last night I was just about to close the bar when a woman came in that I had never seen before. She was beautiful, soft spoken and seemed kinder than anyone I had ever met. She told me that she was looking for you and that you were in a lot of danger. She said the vampires that were looking for you were incredibly dangerous, but not nearly as dangerous as…" Sam stopped and ran his hands through his hair once again. I swallowed hard as I uncrossed my legs and shifted forward slightly in my seat.

"As dangerous as what, Sam?" I asked as I stared at him so intently that my eyes began to burn. Sam let out another breath as his lips twisted into a smile that didn't quite reach his soft eyes.

"As dangerous as the vampire that you were seeking protection from, Sookie. As dangerous as Eric." He said in a strong and dry tone that sent shivers down my spine. I swallowed as I tried to process the information that he had just given me without completely freaking out.

"Listen, Sam I really appreciate you coming all the way out here because you were worried about me and all, but I can take care of myself. You don't know anything about these other vampires that are looking for me. They are vicious and evil and they will say anything to get what they want and apparently what they want is me. Eric isn't like them at all. He has kept me safe and defended me against those nasty little creeps and has never hurt me. I sure as hell trust him a whole lot more than I trust some mystery woman that came into your bar claiming that she needed to protect me. For all we know she was just another vamp that wanted to get her hands on me so that she could be the one to turn me over to the Queen and get whatever reward that I am sure is being offered for my head." I said defiantly as I dropped my hands to my sides and quickly pushed myself up from my chair. Sam shook his head as he let out a sigh and then slowly rose from his chair to stand beside me.

"I don't know who the hell this Queen is, Sookie, but I do know one thing. The woman that came into my bar was no vamp and she wasn't messing around either. She was very worried about you and she damn sure knew who it was that you were hiding out with. Eric Northman is a very dangerous man, Sookie. He didn't get as powerful as he is just by being a nice and upstanding guy. He is a killer, a liar and from what I understand a con-artist. What makes you think that he isn't just keeping you here and telling you that you are safe so that he can be the one to get what he wants from you first?" He asked as he stepped closer to me. I felt my head begin to spin as my heart sped up quickly in my chest. This wasn't true, Sam was wrong, he had to be. I knew that Eric wasn't exactly a model citizen or a candidate for Vampire of The Year or anything, but he wouldn't use me like this. If he wanted me just so that he could take what he wanted from me, then he would have done it by now. Why would he keep me around for this long just too eventually turn me over like a lost puppy for a reward? Eric wasn't like that. Was he?

"You're wrong, Sam. You don't know Eric and if you think that I can't take care of myself, then you don't know me very well either." I said harshly as I tried to turn the fear that was building up inside of me into anger since that had always seemed easier for me to deal with. Sam nodded and then put his hands into his pockets as he leaned back slightly on his heels.

"I know you very well, Sookie. I know that you want to trust everyone because you want to see the good in them no matter what, but some people just aren't good sweetheart. Eric Northman is a vampire and it is vampires that are after you. They aren't like us. They don't have the same morals that we do or the same emotions and when we don't do what they want us to, they either use mind control to make us obey them or they simply kill us. We are their food for Christ's sake, Sook. You need to wake up and get the hell out of here before it's too late." He said in a concerned and sharp tone. I stared at Sam for a moment as I let his words swim around in my head and then pulled Eric's shirt tighter around me and took in a deep breath of his scent that still lingered on my body. I desperately wanted to believe that Eric was trying to protect me and cared about me because…well I wanted to trust him, hell I needed to trust him. The way I felt when I was around him was exciting, enthralling and intoxicating and I didn't want to lose that just because Sam…Wait, intoxicating?

"Thank you for your concern Sam, but I really think it's time for you to leave. I need to get things cleaned up around here and then I really need to get some sleep." I said in a cold voice as I stared down at the floor and tried to hold back the tears that were beginning to well up in my eyes as the puzzle pieces of my relationship with Eric began to simultaneously snap into place. Sam took a step forward and then reached his hand out and slipped his fingers under my chin. He raised my face toward his until we were eye to eye and then he smiled softly as he stared at me.

"You know that I am right, Sookie. Please just come back to Bon Temps with me. If anyone can keep you safe it's me and you know that." He said in a voice that seemed so desperate that it almost sounded as if he was pleading with me. I took in a deep breath and for a moment I seriously considered getting into Sam's car and leaving Fangtasia behind me in his rearview mirror. However, there was something deep inside of me that kept me frozen in my place and seemed to practically forbid me to move any further. It felt as if Eric had his hand wrapped around my wrist and his lips pressed against my ear assuring me that it was alright to stay…that I needed to stay…that I was his and this was where I belonged because after all, I belonged to him.

"Goodbye Sam." I whispered as I stepped away from his touch and dropped my eyes back down to the floor. I could feel Sam staring at me for a few minutes as I assumed that he was waiting for me to come to my senses and take his advice, but unfortunately for both of us, that moment never came. Finally, he let out a sigh and then without saying a word he turned and made his way toward the exit and then disappeared out into the morning sun. I stayed planted where I stood staring at the door that Sam had just closed behind him in almost a trance as my mind flooded with questions that had never seemed to exist before that very moment. Why had I not left with Sam? Why was Eric protecting me from his own kind when it was his duty to actually protect them? Who was the woman that had come into Sam's bar looking for me? What was it about me that they all seemed to want so badly? And, of course the most important and disturbing question of all: Why the hell did it feel like I could not leave Eric and why after hearing all of this from Sam was I still being pulled toward that damn basement door?

Eric's POV:

It had been nearly three hours since I had woken from my rest and there was still no sign of Sookie for as far as I could sense. An uneasy feeling had weighed heavily on me for most of the day as I lay restless in my king sized bed, but I had fought against myself in believing my intuition as I assumed that I was simply still on edge due to the events of the night before. However, I now deeply regretted my decision to not trust the instincts that had always served me so well as I now sat staring out over my club searching in vain for my newest employee that had apparently disappeared into thin air after she had disappeared from my arms just earlier that morning.

Deep down I had known from the beginning that my decision to allow Sookie to see her foul smelling human boss had been a foolish one, but unfortunately I had been blinded by both my hunger for her intoxicating blood and my deep lust for her deliciously succulent body that I had allowed her to leave my side anyway. A few moments after Sookie had disappeared from my bedroom, I had finally realized that the sudden visit from Sam Merlotte had been far from an impromptu friendly visit and more along the lines of what appeared to be a hastily planned rescue mission. It was no coincidence to me that Sam had just happened to show up on the same night that I had paid a visit to a certain witch that was known for having quite the loose jaw. It did however, seem quite unlikely to me that little Amelia had actually ventured into my territory herself so quickly after I had left her shaking in her doorway just to give such news of my inquisition to one of Sookie's few friends that she herself I assumed had never even met. Amelia Broadway might have had a very catty tongue and acted as if she didn't have a care in the world, but I knew her better than to actually believe that she would take such a dangerous chance on a fairy waitress from Bon Temps all by herself without the promise of protection from someone else. Every being that walked this earth, no matter living, dead or supernatural had at least one fear that kept them from acting on every impetuous whim that entered their minds and after as many years as I had been alive I just happened to know Miss Amelia's quite well. Her greatest fear was vampires and her worst nightmare was me.

"Do you want me to call your little princess and ask her where the hell she is?" Pam asked as she appeared in a rush of air at my side with a mixture of sarcasm and anger dripping from her words.

"No, if Sookie does not wish to be here tonight then she is not required to be. I can easily replace her with another pretty face that probably won't draw as much attention as she has anyway." I replied coldly as I continued to scan the crowd before me for any signs of my very disobedient fairy.

"You are angry that she has left you after you protected her last night." Pam said flatly as she moved slightly closer to my chair, but avoided looking directly at me. I shrugged my shoulders as my eyes remained focused ahead of me still searching.

"You know that I do not enjoy being disrespected, Pamela. Of course I am angry." I said as I slumped down slightly in my chair and raised my hand to the side of my aching head. Pam let out a long sigh that indicated to me that she was about to begin one of her very long and drawn out tirades regarding my deep and longing heart that I knew better than to actually believe even existed.

"You are not angry with her because she disrespected you, Eric. You are angry with her because she left you and you care for her." She replied in a slightly more hushed, but still blatantly disrespectful tone. I could not help but turn my head toward my insolent child as she spoke to me once again as if I were a love sick teenager that needed her constant guidance even though I had been in existence far longer than her entire human lineage. I narrowed my eyes at her as I tightened my jaw and leaned slightly closer to her in my chair. Pam must have sensed the level my anger had risen to as she began to step back away from me the closer to her that I became.

"Do not tell me how I feel or why I am angry, Pamela. I do not care for Sookie in the way in which you are implying and the fact that you have the audacity to speak to me with such ignorance surprises me. Sookie Stackhouse is merely a human girl that I am using to get the power that I am so rightfully owed from the Queen and that is all. She means no more to me than any other human that has entered this club, am I clear?" I asked through clenched teeth as I stared at her coldly. Pam nodded slowly in response, but then leaned down toward me apparently finding her long lost courage after all.

"With all due respect Master, you are full of shit. You know just as well as I do that Sookie is far more than just a simple human girl. You are Eric Fucking Northman the Viking Vampire that takes what he wants and has never needed anyone but himself to secure the power that he knows is already rightfully his, regardless of what that little bitch Sophie-Ann might say. You are angry because you thought that Sookie actually wanted to stay with you after everything that happened last night and the fact that after one conversation with that mutt of a man she ran as fast as her legs could carry her; well that breaks your cold dead little heart." She said softly and far too sarcastically for my liking, as she inched closer toward my face. I stared my child down as I seriously contemplated grabbing her by the throat and shoving her into her coffin until I decided that she had indeed learned her lesson, but instead I remained frozen in place staring into her wild green eyes. I remained there not only because I truly didn't have the heart to hurt my own child in such a manner, but also because I feared that she might actually be right in this incredibly fucked up situation.

"Be careful, Pamela I do not appreciate your tone." I warned as I kept my eyes locked on hers and prayed that she did not sense the thin layer of doubt that was laced in my cold voice. Pam's expression softened slightly as she reached out and placed her cool hand on my forearm and then released a breath from between her perfectly painted crimson lips.

"I am not trying to upset you, Eric. I just …." She began, but I raised my hand to silence her as my head snapped quickly in the opposite direction of the club. I took in a deep breath and suddenly my body was filled with the sweet and delicious scent that I had been searching for ever since Sookie had left my bedroom the night before.

"We will discuss this later." I said dismissively as I waved my hand at Pam and focused my eyes on the vision of Sookie's small form moving in through the main entrance of the club behind a few of my regulars that had obviously also taken notice of her intoxicating scent.

Sookie's eyes caught mine the second that she reached the edge of the bar and I could feel her heart skip a beat the second that she saw me as if I were only a few inches away from her warm succulent flesh. She was wearing a short white cotton dress that floated loosely midway down her thighs and had her long golden blond hair pulled up into a high ponytail that exposed the long expanse of her beautiful neck. She kept her eyes locked on mine as she made her way slowly across the crowded dance floor until she eventually came to a stop just a few inches in front of my chair and remained completely silent as her pulse sped up erratically underneath her perfect skin. It took a moment for the reality of the situation around me to finally sink in, but within a few seconds of her reaching my chair, Sookie's emotions began to flood my system in an intense rush that seemed quite overwhelming even for me. Waves of anger, rage, sadness, passion, lust, confusion and pain pummeled my body with every sweet breath that she took as a tense smile remained locked uncomfortably on her full lips.

"You're late." I said tightly as I kept my eyes locked on the trembling woman in front of me. Sookie shrugged casually as she looked down toward the floor and twisted her hands together in front of her.

"I'm sorry, I overslept." She replied quickly. I nodded as I watched her begin to fidget nervously where she stood before me. I let out a slow breath and tilted my head toward her as I let my hand slip from my temple down to my chin. I needed to keep myself composed as far as my situation with Sookie was concerned, especially with Pam still standing at my side.

"I would appreciate it if from now on Sookie, you would call either Pamela or myself if you are going to be late and let us know rather than simply waltzing in whenever you feel like it. I hired you to work and therefore I expect you to do just that." I said in a cold tone as I straightened myself up slightly in my chair.

"I think we both know why you hired me, Eric." Sookie quipped back as she narrowed her eyes at me in defiance. I stared at her as I felt her emotions continue to rush out of her and push their way forcefully into my mind. She was in pain and it was completely overwhelming for her. She was desperately angry with me, but she didn't want to be and so it was incredibly confusing her which only seemed to anger her more.

"As I just told you, Sookie, I hired you to work. That being said, please go to the bar and tell Long Shadow that he is to take over at the front door. I expect you to work at the bar until close, do you understand me?" I asked quickly and sternly as I realized that having this conversation in front of my child or in public in general for that matter just wasn't going to end up being in my best interest. Sookie shrugged and nodded as she looked down at the floor. I could tell that she was hurting, but I could also tell that she did not want to be comforted, especially by me. She wanted answers and I could sense that she intended to get them far away from my eyes.

"Yes, Mr. Northman. I just need to run to the ladies room first, is that alright?" Sookie asked in a soft voice with an edge of sarcasm in her words. I stared at her as I ground my teeth together and felt my nerves began to twitch beneath my muscles. It irritated me to see her in pain without knowing the reason why, but it also infuriated me that this pain seemed to be somehow linked back to me.

"Of course." I replied tightly and then nodded just as Sookie finally took a step back and then began to make her way toward the hallway that led to both the human restrooms and my personal office.

It has always amazed me how incredibly ignorant humans seem to believe that everyone else around them truly is. They seem to believe that they are able to fool even those closest to them just by speaking a simple lie and then sneaking away behind a closed curtain to commit their devious crimes. I had hoped with Sookie being as different from all of the other humans that I had encountered as she was that she would have at least been smarter than them as well, but unfortunately I had been wrong. As soon as Sookie had slipped off of the dance floor, she quickly took a sharp turn away from the human restroom toward the back of the darkened club. After a few more steps, she turned and looked back quickly to see if anyone had been watching her, but since I had turned my head back toward the dance floor, she didn't sense my knowledge of her location when she did not meet my eyes. Once she had assured herself that she had remained unseen, she quickly turned the corner and disappeared behind the large basement door that had apparently been left unlocked. I let out a sigh as I finally turned toward Pam, who had obviously been watching her as well and had apparently been equally unimpressed by her secretive journey.

"It appears I have some business to attend to." I said sharply. Pam nodded as she watched me rise beside her.

"Remember not to kill her master, she is one of the last of her kind." She said with an evil grin as she motioned toward the basement door. I smiled tightly even though I was far from amused.

"She will be quite alive when I am done with her, Pamela." I replied as I smoothed my hands over my grey dress shirt and then turned toward the basement door. I ran my tongue over my lips quickly before I finally made my way across the dance floor and then down to the beautifully sound proof basement of the club in search of my devious lover.

I took my time making my way through the cold main area of the basement until I reached the concealed door of my bedroom. I quickly found it unnecessary to enter my security code as Sookie had foolishly left the door unlatched, so I made my way in quietly and then locked the door securely behind me. I stepped carefully down the few steps that led into my bedroom until I finally saw Sookie's small form bent over my once locked file cabinet rummaging through papers in a hurried blur of soft motion. I crossed my arms over my chest as I leaned back against the door from which I had just entered and then cleared my throat loudly in order to gain the attention that I believed I so greatly deserved.

"I think you are confused, Miss Stackhouse. This is not the ladies room." I said coolly as I watched Sookie jump up and spin around suddenly at the sound of my voice. The papers that she had been holding fell quickly to the ground in a scattered mess and she quickly began to shake as her eyes took in my large form. I could hear her heart pounding in her chest from across the room and it filled me with a hunger that I so desperately wanted to satiate.

"I…um…I was just…looking for something." Sookie stuttered quietly as she dropped her eyes to the floor and bit down on her bottom lip. I nodded as I watched her breathing pick up and her blood rush faster through her veins with every second that her mind seemed to search for a logical reason as to why I had just found her violating my very coveted privacy.

"Was it something that you didn't find in my office earlier?" I asked as I tilted my head to the side and narrowed my eyes at her in question. Sookie swallowed thickly as she slowly shook her head and quickly twisted her hands in front of her. Apparently, my little fairy had assumed that she was far better at covering her tracks than she actually was. I had known from the moment that I had entered my office a few hours before that someone had been there in my absence. My things had not been as I had left them the night before and the lingering luscious aroma that seemed to scream Sookie's name covered nearly every surface naming the perpetrator before I even had to ask the question.

"We need to talk, Eric." Sookie said quickly as she avoided my questioning and appeared to try to gain control of the conversation. I nodded as I studied her expression.

"What exactly would you like to talk about, lover? Would you like to ask me for the combination to my safe or have you already cracked that lock as well?" I asked sarcastically as I motioned toward the broken tumbler locks from my cabinet that now lay on the floor near her feet. Sookie took in a deep breath as her heart began to pick up speed once again.

"Why am I here, Eric?" She questioned suddenly as her eyes connected with mine and some of the coloring drained slightly from her face. I smiled slightly and shrugged as I relaxed against the wall behind me in hopes that my demeanor would calm the anxious woman in front of me.

"In my bedroom? Well I think we both know the answer to that, sweetheart." I purred seductively as I ran my tongue over my bottom lip. Sookie's soft tanned skin flushed with embarrassment suddenly bringing life back to her flesh as she quickly looked in the opposite direction and began to tap her foot against the floor.

"You know what I mean, Eric. Why am I here with you? Why have you been so hell bent on keeping me here?" She asked as anger flooded her soft voice. I let out a sigh as I pushed myself away from the wall and took a step forward realizing that this conversation was not going to be an easy one to say the least. Sookie watched me as I moved and quickly took a step back in what appeared to be fear the closer that I came to her.

"Well, you are here working for me and earning a very generous wage judging by how you don't actually work all that often in the first place." I said with a grin as I stopped in the middle of the room after noticing Sookie's obvious discomfort with my proximity. Why the hell I cared, I have no idea.

"And, why have I had to stay here even when I am not working? How come you didn't want me to leave with Sam this morning?" She asked quickly in frustration. I took another step forward as I quickly began to lose my care for Sookie's reckless emotions or comfort level at all.

"We have been over this, Sookie. There are some very unpleasant vampires looking for you and I am keeping you safe. I cannot keep you safe when you are away in Bon Temps, I can only keep you safe when you are near me." I answered as I scanned her small trembling form that seemed legitimately frightened of me for the first time since we had met; which I had to admit irritated me.

"And, what about you? Who is keeping me safe from you? Who is going to protect me when you get…unpleasant?" She asked in a shaky voice as she straightened up her stance and crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. I tilted my head at her in confusion as I felt anger begin to course through my system at the implication of her words.

"Why, exactly do you think that you would need to be kept safe from me?" I asked as I raised my brow at her as I took another step toward her. I did not enjoy the direction that this conversation was headed and I had a funny feeling that I knew exactly why it was headed that way in the first place. Sam Merlotte.

"You know exactly why, Eric! You are a murderer, a liar and…and a conman! I am no safer with you than I am with that Bill guy that tried to attack me outside of your club! You are just keeping me here so you can get at me before any of them do!" She yelled as I felt her rage hit me like a ton of bricks. I stared at her for a moment as I felt my own anger begin to rise even higher than before. I swallowed as I tried to remain in control of myself and then took a quick step forward that ended up bringing me directly in front of Sookie's angry face thanks to my heightened vampire speed.

"I have done nothing but protect you ever since the moment that you walked into this club and yet after one visit from your foul smelling friend, you have decided that I am some monster that wants nothing more than to devour you? I have news for you, Sookie. If I wanted to kill you, then you would be dead." I spat roughly as I inched closer to her face. Sookie swallowed and I felt her fear begin to wash over me as she studied my cold expression.

"You might not want to kill me, but you damn sure want to drain me until you've had your fucking fill!" She raged as she moved closer to me with her fists balled at her sides. I stared down at her and watched the pain inside of her cloud her eyes. She felt betrayed by me because she had felt something for me and now she was angrier at herself than anyone else because she felt stupid for actually trusting me.

"You have no idea what I want, Sookie. I have been trying to protect you and deep down you know that." I said through my teeth as I stared at her. So many emotions surged through my body as I watched her. Some emotions were mine and others were hers. They all seemed to tangle around inside of me until the only thing that I could be sure that I was feeling was my deep want for the woman in front of me.

"Why are you protecting me then, Eric? What is it that you…any of you want from me?" Sookie asked in a slightly hushed voice as she stared up at me with her bright blue eyes.

"You are special, Sookie. That is why I want you." I said slowly as I reached out and touched my fingertips to the side of her face. Sookie looked down as her skin heated at my touch and in an instant I felt a small amount of her anger begin to subside. She let out a ragged breath as she closed her eyes for a moment before she spoke.

"Why can't I leave?" She asked quietly as she leaned into my fingers that still caressed her face. I stared down at her and narrowed my eyes slightly in question.

"If you want to leave then you can leave, Sookie. I will not force you to remain with me." I responded in a hushed voice as I felt a painful ache settle deep inside of me. Sookie shook her head and then finally looked back up at me.

"No, I mean…I tried to leave. Today. When Sam was here he asked me to leave with him. My brain told me that I needed to listen to him and leave, but it felt like I physically couldn't. I felt held to the floor as if I was glued there and when I tried to fight the feeling it hurt inside so incredibly bad. Sam said such horrible things about you, but it was like it didn't even matter. He could have said anything, but in the end the only thing I wanted to do was to run back to you. Then after he left I tried to do it again because I didn't believe it had actually happened. I made my way downtown, but the further I got, the more it hurt…really hurt. Eventually, I gave up and just came back and suddenly the pain went away." She stuttered in a soft voice. I let out a breath as I traced my fingers along her jaw line and then down the soft expanse of her neck. She shivered under my touch which made me crave her in a sense that seemed too strong to ignore.

"It is the blood bond. You feel tied to me because of the amount of my blood that you have in your system." I said quickly as I tried to ignore my lust for her body and joy for her feeling so strongly for me after only this short time, but I kept myself in control.

"Will it ever go away?" Sookie asked quietly as she turned her face into my fingers and closed her eyes as my large hand cupped her face. I swallowed as I watched her revel in my touch. I needed her.

"It will get less intense over time. Once most of my blood makes its way out of your system you will not feel as drawn to me as you do now. The bond will always be there…for me at least, but for you it will get a lot easier." I answered as I slipped my hand down to Sookie's chin and ran my hand slowly over her bottom lip. She parted her lips slightly as she lightly kissed my cool flesh and I felt her desire wash over me quickly as if she could not find the will to fight it any longer.

"So, you feel it too then?" She asked quietly in a breathy voice that I craved to hear even closer to my flesh than it already was. I nodded as I tried to focus on the conversation and not on Sookie's mouth that was now softly brushing against my palm.

"I do." I answered quickly as I felt her place a soft kiss against the tender skin of my wrist. She swallowed thickly and I felt her pulse begin to move faster as she opened her mouth slightly over my vein.

"What…does it feel like…for you?" She asked slowly as she left a much more passionate open mouthed kiss in the same place that she had fed from twice over the past week practically burning my skin. I took in a breath as I moved slightly closer to Sookie, closing the gap between our bodies and taking in the heat from her aroused skin.

"I desire you in a very consuming way. I hunger for you in a way that I have never hungered for anyone before." I whispered slowly in a low voice as I dropped my head to the side of Sookie's face and began to run my lips gently over her ear. She groaned low in her throat as she turned into my touch once again and lightly brushed the side of her face against mine.

"How I feel around you terrifies me, Eric." Sookie whispered as she tilted her head back just as my lips dropped from her ear to the side of her neck. I opened my mouth and kissed her softly as I felt her skin erupt in goose bumps. Her pulse began to pound against my lips as my fangs pushed roughly against my gums.

"I will never harm you, lover." I spoke low in my throat as I slipped my hand behind her head and pulled her closer to me. To my surprise Sookie did not fight me at all. She willingly allowed me to pull her into my embrace and even though she was trembling, she did not seem to be filled with any of the fear that she had displayed only moments before.

"Please show me that I can trust you." Sookie whispered as I felt her hands slide up the front of my shirt slowly and her nails knick the fabric with her every delicate movement. I groaned as she ran her hands over me. Her hunger was overwhelming and it excited me to feel such power from such a tender woman.

"After tonight you will never doubt me again, Sookie." I whispered as I finally tangled my fingers in her hair and lifted her head toward mine just before crashing my mouth against hers. That would be the last night that Sookie would ever question leaving me ever again, of that I was sure.

Alright, well thank you all for waiting so long for this! I apologize greatly for the delay in getting this chapter posted. No, I did not give up, life was just crazy hectic for a while. But, I am back and I promise the next chapter will be up MUCH sooner. How did everyone like this chapter? Don't worry, I am not going to leave you hanging, the next chapter will be deliciously naughty Thanks for reading please please read and review, I appreciate it greatly!