a/n: I suppose it need not be said, but just in case. I don't want people to think I am promoting the idea that it's okay to initiate a dom/sub relationship (including, but not limited to sex) without a healthy and mature discussion first. Which is seriously lacking in the story because... yeah. Like, it's fantasy.

4. Investigation

Eric smelled her fear the instant the door opened. Every vampire in the room did, and every vampire head in the room turned toward the front door. He couldn't believe his eyes when they met hers.

Wide brown eyes met his in startled recognition. Her hair was down and she was actually wearing makeup. Everything about her raised his deepest vampire instincts. She was like a startled doe, her brown eyes large in her face and her body trembling with the slightest tremor of fear.

The most revealing thing he'd seen her in so far had been long baggy shorts and an oversized, thick t-shirt. But now she wore a figure-hugging pencil skirt and a shirt that clung to her body and hid nothing as the light from the lot shone through it.

As little as a hundred years ago, he would have devoured her on sight. And he knew that the younger vampires in the room would find her utterly irresistible. She would be drained before the night was through. He could not allow that at his bar.

He flitted across the room, grasping her by the upper arm. "You cannot be here," he told her, trying not to stare at her. He turned her around and dragged her out the door, ignoring it as she tripped on one of the ridiculous, sexy shoes.

"The man at the door said humans are allowed. And I know my sister used to come here! I'm going to find out what they did to her, and you can't stop me!" she jerked in his grip, trying to free herself.

Taken aback, he blinked at her. "Are you trying to tell me that she disappeared from my bar?"

"This is yours?" she demanded. He fought to control his fangs, finding his patience running out.

"Obviously," he told her.

"Then yes. Haley was eaten at your bar, and you did nothing to stop it," she said, her voice bitter and accusing.

"One would think that as terrified as you are, you would know to hold your tongue," he snapped. "You have no idea the danger you're in here."

"I'm not terrified," she objected.

He leaned forward and she cowered. "You reek of fear to a vampire. You're like a little frightened fawn, smelling of meadows and terror. In other words, you smell like..." he snapped his fangs out, "...dinner." He stepped even closer to her. "You have no clue the very real danger you are in, just because of how delicious humans smell when you're so scared you're about to piss yourselves."

He grasped her arms and held them behind her with ease. "You're just smart enough to be afraid, but not smart enough to protect yourself. You seem to have no idea just how vulnerable you really are, little doe." He took a deep breath of her sweet fragrance, pulling her against him as she began to struggle slightly, shaking her head. "Shhh," he whispered against her neck, feeling her hair cascading over his hands. It was incredibly soft and her breasts yielded against his chest, also soft.

"Let me go," she whispered.

"Oh, I don't think so, little doe. You came to my bar, offering yourself up on a platter." Her scent was intoxicating and she was so hot. Her heartbeat roared with the roll of thunder and the blood rushing through her veins called to him with its siren's song of life.

He tangled his fist in all of that hair, pulling her head backward and tasting her neck with his lips.

"Are you going to eat her right here, or were you going to shove her in the car first at least?" Pam's sarcastic voice came from behind him.

He jerked upright, feeling guilty. He had almost lost control like a newborn.

"Get in your car and go home, Alexis. You won't survive here. You should never have come here."

"But Haley-"

"Give me a picture of her, and I will look into it."

"But-"

"I promise," he added.

"I have one right here," she told him, and leaned over into the open window of her car. He groaned at the pert little ass that was pointed right at him. Long legs were exposed as the skirt rode up to just below the point of indecency.

Pam stepped up beside him and gave him a familiar look, also surveying the delights in front of them.

When Alexis stood up and turned around, she saw them both openly appraising her bottom and blushed. She first pulled the photo in against herself as if it were a shield, then thrust it at Eric. "That's the most recent one I have," she told him.

He took it.

"I don't normally like the terrified little mice," Pam said from beside him. "But I'd be willing to make an exception for you. You have a sweet, tight little body."

"That will do, Pam," he reprimanded her.

She smirked at him, then turned and walked back into Fangtasia with one last hungry look at Alexis.

He took the photo, then slid his other hand along her neck and jaw into her hair. She trembled and he fought his vampire instincts. "Don't come back here, Alexis. I won't be able to protect you. You are too intoxicating. They will swarm me to get at you." He leaned forward, almost kissing her, but not quite. "If I don't lose control and take you, myself, first."

He stepped back and clicked his fangs in. He watched her scramble into her car and drive away and stood for long moments. His cock was so hard he ached. Who would have thought she would look like that? Her glasses and her scraped-back hair had hidden her sweet, heart-shaped face and her clothes disguised her delectable little body. He took a deep breath and wondered what havoc she had played by just her few fear-pheromone laden moments in his bar.

Almost as an afterthought, he lifted the photo of her sister. The instant he saw it, his attention was arrested. She had been in his bar many times. She had spent a lot of time with Liam, who would no doubt have taken her home to Malcolm and Diane.

He scowled. A woman had vanished while frequenting his club, and he'd had no idea. That really wouldn't do. At all.

He stalked back inside, his mood now furious. Malcolm and his nest were dead, but there had been no sign of Haley. That meant that either her body had been stashed somewhere, or she was still alive somewhere. He would find out if she had been turned or not, at least.

But there was little he could do that night, he knew. So he crooked a finger at one of the dancers. She immediately stopped and stepped down, to the boos and irritation of the patrons. Eric didn't care. He would take out his unslaked desires on her for tonight, and investigate this matter the next night.

As he walked off down the hallway with her in tow, he heard from behind him, "I miss the days when they were all like that."

Eric didn't. He hated the part of himself that wanted her as much because she was afraid as because she was sexy and impertinent and surprisingly lovely when she wasn't hiding herself.

OoOoOoO

There could be no other word for what Alexis did than 'fleeing'. She jumped in her car and did her best to drive sedately out of the parking lot. She didn't stop shaking until she was home. She had never imagined that she would walk in and that everyone would turn to stare at her.

Many women loved being the center of attention, but for Alexis, there were few things as nerve wracking. She sat on the bed and brushed her hair, trying to shake the combination of fear and anger that boiled in her gut.

He wasn't going to do anything. He didn't care about some random human. He had probably thrown the photo away.

Unfortunately, though, he was right. She couldn't go back. She couldn't shake the feeling that he had almost killed her himself. There was no telling what had made him stop, though she was sure that the statuesque blond had been a part of it.

Maybe as a local business owner, he had to keep certain appearances. Whatever the reason, it didn't matter. He would do nothing. He'd probably buried and hidden more humans in his lifetime than she'd even met.

The next day after work, she went into her small 'office' and logged onto her computer. She did a search for "Liam vampire". To her surprise, she found a story about a vampire in Louisiana named Liam who had died with two other vampires and a 'fangbanger'.

She hadn't known there was a special name for vampire groupies. She chuckled at the idea. But she read a couple of the articles, finding one that had a photo. It chilled her to the bone. He was definitely the same Liam. He had dropped Haley off a few times on his motorcycle.

But she was at a dead end. The man was dead, along with his 'nest' as the newspapers called it. There was some comfort in the knowledge that at least Haley hadn't died in the fire with them. But it was a very small comfort.

Alexis paced. She was certain that Liam had something to do with Haley's disappearance. What it might be, she didn't know, but there was definitely linked in some way.

At last, she went to bed, stymied and disappointed. She didn't even know how to go about researching vampire culture, much less have any idea how to ask about dead vampires.

The next two days, she thought about it constantly. Now that Mormor was gone, she no longer felt she had to protect her from the truth, and she wanted to know it for herself. She couldn't let Haley go. Even though Haley had placed herself in the situation against all of Alexis's recommendations and warnings, she still felt obligated to find out what had happened and to put her to rest. Or rescue her.

Though Alexis was certain that the latter was an empty dream.

It was on the third day that she got the idea. She sat down and looked over the articles again. They referenced a Bud Dearborne and Andy Bellefleur as the investigating officers. For the first time since she had begun her working life, she called in to work and told them she wouldn't be in that day. Then, screwing up her courage, she got in her car and headed for Bon Temps.

"Hi there, Sheriff Bellefleur," she greeted the heavy, bald man behind the counter.

"Hey," he said. "What do you want?"

A bit taken aback by his attitude, she felt her smile slip slightly. "I had hoped to ask you a few questions about the vampires that burned here-"

"Don't know nothin' about them them, except they're dead," he cut her off.

"Do you happen to know if they had any known associates?" she asked.

"What are you wantin' with vampires, anyways?" he demanded.

She took a deep breath. "I think they may have killed my sister."

"Oh. Well. I'm sorry about that. No known associates, except maybe Vampire Bill. Out by the cemetery."

"Thank you," she told him, and turned to leave.

"I wouldn't go sniffin' around Vampire Bill if I was you! He ain't nothin' but trouble!" he yelled after her.

"Thank you," she called again, letting the door close behind her.

But it was too early to go and question him now. So she drove around, finally asking the Garmin to find her a restaurant. She found herself in the parking lot of Merlotte's Bar and Grill a few minutes later. Shutting the car down, she hid the Garmin and locked it.

Inside, she was greeted by a bouncy blond waitress who intimidated her as much with her excessive animation as her flagrantly strong personality. Then again, Alexis found pretty much everyone intimidating.

She ordered an ice tea and a grilled reuben on rye. When she was finished eating, she checked her watch. It was hours until sundown. She decided that she just as well go home and come back.

"Pardon me," she asked the waitress as she picked up the check. "Do you know who Vampire Bill is?"

"Well sure," she said. "Everybody does."

"Can you tell me where to find him? All the Sheriff would say was 'at the cemetery', which seems a little vague."

"His is the really big house," she said. "With all the lights." She cocked her head, "May I ask what you want from Bill?"

"I only wish to speak to him about some associates of his. Well, one in particular. A vampire called Liam."

The blond's smile vanished. "He's dead. They're all dead. And good riddance, too, I say."

"Yes, I know. But I think... they might have had something to do with my sister's disappearance. I just want to ask him if he knows anything about her or ever saw her with them."

"Well, I doubt he does. But when you go up there, just tell them at the gates that Sookie sent you. They'll let you go in."

"Okay, thanks," Alexis smiled at her. "I appreciate it."

"Sure thing," she said, bouncing away, ponytail swinging.

Alexis wondered what on Earth she was talking about, but she stored the name away for her visit to Vampire Bill.

A few hours later, she pulled up in the driveway of what could only be considered a mansion. Getting out, she walked toward the front doors, her heart in her throat. This was going to be harder than she could ever have imagined. But what if Haley was alive and needed her?

"Excuse me, ma'am, you can't go in there."

"I need to speak to Vampire Bill," she told the man in black.

He spoke into a mic on his shoulder. "He's not receiving guests tonight, and he was not expecting you," he told her. She tried not to react to his unflattering description of her.

Taking a deep breath, she said, "Sookie said that if you wouldn't let me pass, to tell you that she sent me."

He spoke into the mic again and then stepped aside. "Please do go on," he told her.

She walked through the double doors and another black-clad man gestured at a second set of French doors. Steeling herself, she knocked.

"Enter," came the masculine voice from beyond the doors.

She opened the door and slipped inside the huge office. A man sat behind a massive desk, his dark hair glimmering in the light of the lamp. His fangs snapped out, and he looked away, covering them.

She fought the overwhelming impulse to run screaming into the night.

"Forgive me," he said. "I had no expected you to be so frightened. I will not hurt you." He got his fangs under control and gestured at a chair. She perched on it and he continued, "So why has my wife sent you?"

She blinked. "She's your wife?"

"Indeed," he said with a smile. "I am fortunate that she agreed to marry me. Now, what can I do for you?"

"Did you know a vampire named Liam?"

"I did," he replied. "He is dead, as are the others of his nest."

She took a deep breath, her stomach boiling with fear. "I believe he may have been responsible for my sister's disappearance," she told him.

He raised an eyebrow. "That is a very serious accusation," he told her. "Do you have proof?"

"No," she said miserably. "But she was dating him when she disappeared. It was right before the incident where he was burned. I tried to warn her, but she wouldn't listen." She wrung her hands. "She was very interested in vampires after you all came out and she was blindly infatuated with him."

"It would seem that you and your sister were little alike," he told her with a benevolent smile.

She smiled. "Opposites, in fact. In almost every way. But until she took up with him, we were close."

"Well, Miss.."

"Gudersson," she provided.

"Miss Gudersson," he amended, "I will look into the matter. However, I must call in the local Sheriff, or I would be considered remiss in vampire society. If you will pardon me a moment?"

"Thank you," she said, almost overcome with hope that finally someone was going to at least try to help her find Haley.

He spoke on the phone for a moment, then hung it up.

She stood up nervously. "Would you like for me to go wait in the foyer?" she asked, hoping he would.

"No need. He will be here in but a moment."

A knock sounded on the door. He smiled again, "Ah, there he is."

He opened the door. "I believe this situation is more appropriately handled by a Sheriff," he said, and then gestured for the man on the other side of the door to enter.

"Did I not tell you already to let this go? That I would look into it?" Eric demanded as he strode in and towered over her, glaring.

"Ah, I see you've met," Vampire Bill said, walking back behind his desk.

"And do what? Nothing! What if she's still alive somewhere and needs me? And I'm waiting around for you to do nothing?" she jumped up. "I can't sit around and ignore this!"

"You will wait and let me do my investigation," he snapped at her, his fangs popping out.

"No, I won't, she's my sister. You don't know her and don't care, but I do!"

"Yes, you will. You are wrong, I have a lead that I am already investigating," he told he, stepping toward and causing her to back up against the chair.

"You aren't the boss of me," she crossed her arms and tried to fight the terror burgeoning in her belly.

"Yes, I am," he told her. "If you want me to continue to pay the bills on your grandmother's house, and if you want to continue to live there, you will do as I say!"

"You're a high-handed, autocratic jerk!" she told him, fighting to keep her voice steady.

"Maybe," he said, stepping so close to her that her vision was filled with his powerful chest and she could smell him again.

An unfamiliar feeling swept through her and she was aghast to realize that she found him attractive.

"But I am still the boss of you, and I'm telling you to let me do my job. Your grandmother did what she did because she wanted me to protect you. She took care of my father's things, and I'm going to repay her by doing what she wanted and protecting you. Even from yourself."

"I don't need Mormor's house," she told him, wishing desperately for a place to retreat to. "I make my own money. I'm not helpless."

"Where do you think you can go that I can't find you?" he asked.

"What? You can't-"

"Who's going to stop me?"

Her eyes flickered to the dark-haired man sitting behind the desk.

He looked at Eric and raised an eyebrow.

"She is mine," Eric said to him.

Bill looked back at her. "I'm afraid this is really none of my business," he said.

She felt Eric's hands in her hair and stiffened. He deftly pulled pins out until it fell. "And stop doing that to your hair," he told her, his voice low and soft against her ear.

He stepped back. "Go home, Alexis. Stay there and wait for me to update you on what I have learned. Do not bother the King again." He inclined his head toward Bill.

She tried one more time. "People aren't property, you know," she said.

"Well, it's a good thing you're just a human, instead of a person, isn't it?"

Her eyes met his for the first time. He was grinning at her, his eyes twinkling with boyish humor.

He turned to Bill and said, "My Liege, I apologize that my human disturbed your evening." Then his eyes met Alexis's again. "It will not happen again."

Bill merely nodded, waving his hand at them.

Eric stepped back and opened the door, waving her out of it. She marched to her car, trying to ignore his presence beside her.

"Mormor did not want you to-"

"Yes, she did."

"She wouldn't-"

"Yes, she would."

"You don't even know her!" Alexis said.

"Maybe you are the one who didn't know her as well as you think you did."

She started to speak again and he tilted her face up toward his with his hands. "You've nearly gotten yourself killed once already, Alexis. You've wasted your life in musty old books. Your Mormor knew that you would go looking for your sister. I don't need to understand what she was asking of me. I only need to know you."

"But I-"

"You can't find Haley alone, Alexis. You have to let someone else help you sometimes. You took care of your grandmother for many years, but when have you let someone else do something to help you?"

He wouldn't let her look away. She felt stripped, as if he had taken away all the layers she'd built over herself so carefully through all the years.

Unexpectedly, he picked up her hair and smelled it. "Leave it down. It reminds me of my misspent youth. The better parts of it. The days when women considered their hair to be part of catching a man." Then he stepped back and sped away into the darkness.

Vulnerable, confused, and uncertain, she got in her car and told the Garmin to take her home.