Author's Note:
Hello Everyone, happy July 4th to the Americans. I hope you enjoy this update. Thanks for coming back and reading the fic. I hope you'll take the time to post a review!
9-8-10 Many thanks to betas, bajan-martini and WWEchica!
All the best!
Chapter 21: The Preamble
Damn, he's big…JESUS, HE IS HUGE!...Shit! She can't hold him…shit…SHIT!
"KENYA!" I ran towards the hovel that these people where calling a home. We were answering the call of a domestic violence emergency. The perp, short for perpetrator, was Donnie Cox, a huge – both in girth and height, probably 6'3" and well over 300 pounds of combined muscle and padding – had just resisted arrest by body-slamming Kenya into the adjacent wall of the front door. She had been trying to handcuff his hands behind his back, when he lurched backwards.
When I reached the postage-stamp-sized, front porch, I leapt forward and dove at him, tackling him before he could hit Kenya with a second slam. This was not a situation where we could use weapons - he wasn't armed and it could jeopardize the safety of his petite girlfriend and two-year old son, who were still stuck in the room. It was going to take smarts, skill, and maybe the shock from a taser.
I landed on top of him, I was belly down, and he was on his left side. I took advantage of his momentary disorientation and wrangled him onto his belly. I got him into a headlock hold and yelled at Kenya to get the woman and child out of the room, which she did quickly.
I tightened my chokehold on him, limiting his air supply, which in turn drastically reduced his struggling.
In between gulps of air, I whispered, "Okay, Donnie…you stop struggling and I'll let up…deal?"
He stilled his body completely. He gasped for air and croaked out, "Yah."
I slowly released him and started to sit up – when the wily motherfucker butted the back of his head into my face, busting my bottom lip wide open! I fell on my back, landing in the door entrance.
I struggled to recover my senses, then I crabbed-walked myself out the door to distance myself from the meth-infused giant. Simultaneously, Donnie and I were scrambled to our feet. I backed away from the entrance, while yelling for him. I had to get him out of the residence, because it was too small for me to maneuver in. He could easily catch and trap me in the space. The apartment was actually a former motel room, and the room was only big enough to house a queen-sized bed, a dresser, one chair, and one bedside table. It was way too small for someone of Donnie's size and two other people to live in.
I started yelling, "Come on, Donnie! You want to hit a woman – well come on! I'm a big one." I practically screamed, "COME ON!" I backed further away from the residence until I was standing in the middle of the dirt and gravel parking lot. "Hey! Show me what you got Donnie! I'm going to whip your sorry, fat ass!"
No self-respecting, hopped up, woman-beating redneck could resist my challenge, so he came out of the room, charging like a bull. His size made him strong, but not swift. By the time he chugged up to me, I was ready. I couldn't let him get a hold of me or I was toast. I quickly reached down and grabbed a handful of dirt and gravel and threw it in his face. He yelled out in pain, "Bitch," and stopped abruptly, clawing at his face, trying to remove the dirt from his eyes. That pause in his attack gave me the chance I needed.
I kicked him hard on the right knee cap and I was almost positive that I had dislodged it. I knew it hurt like hell - secretly, I was glad that it did. His rap sheet stated that Donnie had done a lot worse to his girlfriend over the last three years. I wanted to kick him in the balls but I couldn't reach them, his stomach covered them. He crumbled down to the ground, yelling in pain and cursing me and all of my relatives. I finished subduing him by a knee-kick under his jaw, which knocked him onto his back.
I staggered towards him, wiping the dripping blood from my lip, and coughed up the blood that was lining my throat. I yelled at him, "Donnie, roll onto your stomach and hands behind your head! Roll over now! NOW, DONNIE!"
He did not do as I asked; instead, he glared defiantly and blurted out, "Fuck you!"
I shouted at him, "Watch it Donnie! Don't do anything stupid! Come on, be smart or I will stun you! I will stun you with a high voltage of electricity. Do you understand me? Roll onto your stomach NOW, or I will subdue you with my taser. NOW DONNIE!"
In my peripheral vision, I could see that a small crowd had gathered. Shit, this is all I need, a fucking audience.
After removing the girlfriend and child from the room, Kenya had called for back-up. She now joined me, standing by apprehensively, trying to assist me. Her strength, skill, and reflexes weren't equal to mine, and she could easily be overpowered by him, again. I quickly waved her away and pointed towards the crowd, letting her know that I needed her to do crowd control. She nodded her acknowledgement and quickly went over to handle the crowd.
I un-strapped my taser, getting it ready to use just in case…he did exactly that - thank you, Donnie!
Donnie was as dumb as I had hoped. He lunged for my leg, which allowed me to 'use aggressive force as necessary' – so, I zapped him with the taser. That 'zzzzz-zap-crackle' sound was music to my ears. He lay motionless, staring at the sky. His body jerked sporadically, as his nervous system tried to jump start itself. I took my time banding his wrist and ankles with plastic, restraining strips. While maneuvering Donnie's large carcass, I had to stop myself from laughing out loud at my own asinine thoughts – Lookee, lookee me, I'm as busy as a bee, trussing up my own holiday turkey…
Whatever that stuff was in the little glass jar that Liam gave me – well, it was absolutely incredible stuff! That very night, after Liam gave me the ointment, as instructed, I applied just a smidge of the ointment to my bruises and cuts before I went to bed. Then, when I woke up the next morning – well, it was incredible. I felt tremendously better! After another nighttime application, I felt absolutely no pain in my ribs and my bruises and cuts were practically healed or completely gone. I felt invigorated, alert, and just a little stimulated – if you know what I mean. Those Celtic warriors knew what they were doing, that stuff was fan-fucking-tastic! I called Liam several times and thanked him profusely.
While I was cleaning up after my playtime with Donnie, I remembered that I had brought some of Liam's ointment into the office, for times like today. Damn good thing, too, because I really needed it. I dabbed a tad of it on my lip and applied miniscule amounts to the various scrapes and bruises obtained from my encounter with Donnie. Within an hour, my lip had already started to heal and the pain was insignificant.
This is great stuff! Liam needs to bottle and sell this stuff!
I decided to treat myself, or should I say 'escape,' to dinner at Merlotte's bar. I needed the diversion and humor of the eccentric staff.
As I drove over to the bar, I mentally rehashed the report that I had received from the hospital. The hospital staff that was attacked by Lacey had already turned into the flesh-biting, monster-zombie things. They turned earlier than Miss Sadie, Ruby Jean, and Lacey – almost two days earlier. I wondered if they would die sooner.
After entering Merlotte's, I said my 'hellos' to everyone and then settled at the bar. I ordered a double scotch. My mind was full of a hundred and one things, but my main thought now was in regards to my AWOL deputy, Ted. He hadn't shown up for duty for the last couple of days. We tried calling various homes of his family members, assuming or hoping that they knew where he might be, but we got no response from any household. We left messages, but none had been returned. Kyle was going to stop by Ted's house in the morning after he got off of night duty.
Arlene caught my attention with a wave of her hand, "Hey there, you alright, Sheriff? Hey, git your mind off it, whatever it is…you need to take a break. Okay, so we was just sayin' where we wanted to be in thirty years. What about you? Where do you want to be or be doin' in thirty years? I want to be happily married, with healthy kids and grand kids, and I want to have money!" She was standing behind the bar, leaning on her elbows and smiling intently in my face. She was kindly trying to pull me out of my frown-causing thoughts.
The restaurant was relatively deserted; I was told it would be like that for another week or so, because people were using their 'eating out' money to purchase Christmas presents. In two weeks time, the bar would be filled to the brim with folks bragging about their purchases.
Lafayette had sashayed out from the kitchen and was serving himself a bottle of water. Sam was wiping glasses, Terry was restocking the supplies behind the bar, and Tara was trying to remove a splinter from her finger. There were two new waitresses-in-training, who were standing around with nothing to do. It was the usual Merlotte's gang.
For the most part, I found the gang relaxing to be around. They were hilarious and could get me laughing so hard at their jokes and stories, that I would have tears running down my face. Coincidently, they were also an excellent source of information, in regards to the private and personal business of the good people of Bon Temps. That was quite a bonus point.
Sookie wasn't there that evening. She now only worked at Merlotte's on rare occasions. The impression I got from the Merlotte's gang was that she practically worked fulltime for Eric Northman. She was constantly doing errands for him and making secretive trips with him, or on his behalf.
"Where do I want to be in thirty years?" I thought about it for a few good, long moments and then slowly began to narrate my train of thoughts. "Well, I guess I want to be happy…financially stable, and…" I took a sip of my scotch before I continued, "There was this ventriloquist...I think his name was Flowers…Warren…Wayne – oh, Waylon, Waylon Flowers…He was young and good-looking, and he had a doll named Madam. She was as ugly as he was good looking. Her face looked like a dried up apple core. He dressed her in pretty gowns…she sat on his lap and he would control her little arms with a rod thingy…and he had his hand up the back of her dress, discreetly, you know. That's how he moved her head and body…that's where I want to be."
Lafayette, who had struck a pose while daintily drinking his water, stopped and asked me, "That's what you wanna to be doin' in thirty years? Bein' a ventriloquist?"
I shook my head slightly and made a sucking sound with my front teeth and tongue. "No, I want to be dressed in a beautiful gown…sitting on the lap of a good looking, young, man, who's supporting me…and he's discreetly got his hand up my dress."
Their response was immediate and loud – like an atomic sound bomb going off, full of laughter, screams, and shouts. I could hear Lafayette saying, "Oh no you didn't! You did NOT just say that! Damn, that's a hell of a good fantasy. That's MY new fantasy. Yessir…hot, young, hung, and rich…but we wouldn't be sitting, we'd-"
I had to block out the rest of Lafayette's statement, for obvious reasons. Terry had turned scarlet and stood rooted to the floor, his mind totally blown to the point that he couldn't move. Tara was screaming and laughing, while she jumped up and down. Arlene was doing the same as Tara, but she was telling us that she wanted to change her fantasy to match mine. Poor Sam, he was trying so hard not to laugh out loud, but failing miserably. His eyes were scrunched closed, while he pinched the bridge of his nose. He finally gave into some mental image, and he bent forward with roaring laughter. Both waitresses looked at me with stunned, awed expressions. Their hands where covering their mouths, as they tried to mute their giggles.
I guess it wasn't the most professional thing to say, but I knew from experience, that one bawdy joke here and there wasn't going to strip me of their respect. These people had allowed me to connect with them, if only for a little while. Roman wasn't…well, anyway. I didn't always have to be Amazon sheriff – stoic and aloof; I could be seen as a regular human being. It wasn't a sin. But, I knew where the boundaries were, I did know where to start and when to stop. I was in touch with my feelings and I acknowledged to myself how lonely I felt. Coming here helped.
Damn, it feels so good to laugh…
My cell phone rang. I checked it and saw that it was Kyle. I answered with a "Hey, Kyle, what's up?"
Kyle was talking a mile a minute. It was almost as if he had called me while in the middle of conversation, "SHERIFF? Sheriff – I've got him, and he was sucking the blood from a male hustler, but I got him to stop, but the hustler got away, and I'm on my way to the station and I called them and their getting that cell ready and I did it all by myself, I couldn't believe it, I just sprayed the citrus, I mean the sitter….that silver spray stuff, and then-"
I interrupted him, keeping my voice calm and quiet for his benefit and so that I wouldn't draw the attention of the Merlotte's staff. "Kyle, you arrested a 'special' perp, is that what you are telling me?"
He excitedly yelled back, "Yessum! I arrested a vampire! I swear! I got him in the back seat, covered in more silver than a hippy girl!"
"Good. Are you okay, is everything under control?" I glanced over at the gang and was glad to see that they weren't interested in my current conversation. They were still caught up in re-hashing their fantasy futures.
Kyle said he was fine. I asked him what his ETA was and he told me his estimated time of arrival was ten minutes. I told him I would meet him at the station; then we hung up. I sadly ordered my meal to go and said my goodbyes. My tour of duty just went into non-paid overtime.
I had called Eric to notify him of our new prisoner. That was our deal. I left messages, since he didn't answer the phone. He had never returned my prior inquiries about his health. It was now going on three days since I had seen or heard from him. I was roused out of my thoughts by a text message. It was Eric and his message was, 'On my way.' I quickly suppressed all irrational feelings of joy, excitement, and sexual yearnings. Dammit, when are those feelings going to stop?
All vampire prisoners were hooded, that way they couldn't glamor the arresting officer. Before you hooded the vamp perp, you had to apprehend them. The recipe for apprehending a vampire was as follows: significantly spray the vampire with silver nitrate (mace for vampires). While the vampire is recovering from the sting of the silver in their eyes and on their skin, stun them with a taser. Immediately hood them, and quickly cuff their wrists and ankles in silver lined cuffs. Continued to stun as necessary – it will not kill them. Maximum force, which equated to wounding the vampire with the use of a real gun, was to be implemented only when deemed absolutely necessary. The whole process was legal and practiced by all law enforcement agencies everywhere. More elements have been quickly added to the recipe, most recently, glamour resistant goggles. These special goggles were the same type that were used when operating light lasers. Almost weekly, we were learning new techniques and receiving new equipment.
It took us thirty minutes to unload and move our vampire prisoner into one of the special underground holding cells. Basements in Louisiana were a rarity, due to underground water springs and resulting flooding issues. But, it was the best place to hold a vampire. We could seal them in the ground if they broke free of their restraints or broke out of the holding cells.
The holding cells were simplistic in design, but reportedly quite effective. They were modular-type boxes, entirely built out of titanium-on-silver sheeting. The bars were coated with silver. At all times, the vampire had to be shackled and chained to the wall. Several remote cameras and microphones were operating at all times. The whole set-up was quite impressive, and this was the first time we had ever used it in Bon Temps.
It's the little, rude vampire. The moment I saw the vampire's face, I knew I had seen him before but I couldn't place him. Eventually it hit me. He was the same vampire that had caused a scene at Merlotte's, when he harassed Sookie about his unsatisfactory TruBlood drink. Plus, I had seen him at Fangtasia and I remembered Bill telling me that the rude vampire was a courier for the Louisiana vampire queen.
His name was Allitar Zalarus. He hadn't lost any of his rudeness or attitude since our last big encounter. He refused to cooperate with us. He looked the same - short, olive-skinned, long black hair in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He immediately invoked his rights and asked for a lawyer. He then spent his time glaring at us through the camera. I let him know that Eric Northman was on the way. He didn't look too happy about that little bit of news. One good thing about the whole exercise of his arrest was that it proved to us that our methods, gear, and training were on point – even the goggles seemed to work.
My interaction left me with a terrible headache. It took four Advil to mute the pain. I had allergies, but I took medicine for that and it worked pretty well, but this wasn't an allergy attack. It was the kind of head ache that was unique to my living and working in Bon Temps. I started to see a pattern. I always got them at night and this is my third one while being near or in the presence of Allitar. Curious…I'll have to talk to Eric or Bill about this.
I could tell that Eric had arrived. There was something in the air, I wondered if static electricity was snapping between people; the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Unfortunately, unwelcomed feelings flooded through me, but I pushed them aside - again. I had a job to do.
Eric was wearing a tight-fitting, silk-screened designed, black t-shirt. The design was of a burnt-out forest. The trees were drawn in grey and white and were set off nicely by the black background. His hair was slicked back. He wore tight black jeans, a black leather coat, and black boots. He looked sexy, and he had the whole bad boy look down to perfection. Well, he was a bad boy, probably one of the originals ones…a very yummy, sexy, hot bad boy…Dammit Jo, focus!
After briefly greeting Eric, I had one of my deputies escort him down to see Allitar Zalarus. I let Eric know that the entire holding cells area was under surveillance. I watched their meeting through the remote camera. Eric stared intently at Allitar for almost a full minute, but didn't speak a word; I wondered if he was telepathically talking to him. Then, I heard Eric tell Allitar to cooperate fully and not cause any trouble. Allitar responded with one word replies to all of Eric's questions and statements. Eric was smart enough not to discuss the arrest. He only supplied Allitar with information on the bail process and about a lawyer that will be sent for his defense.
Eric and I met in my office before he left. He refused my offer of a seat, he preferred to stand. I sat behind my desk.
"When will the judge see him for a bail hearing?" Eric's question was asked with an undercurrent of harshness in his voice. He stood very tall, straight and stiff, with his hands on his hips. He reminded me of military commander in the field, ready to give orders to the troops.
I tried to defuse the mounting tension by responding politely and quietly. "I'm hoping for tomorrow evening. We have to find a judge that won't mind holding a hearing at night. We don't have night court here, so...I'm sure we'll get someone. In the meantime, we'll do everything possible to ensure Mr. Zalarus's comfort."
"Good enough. I have a human lawyer that will be here shortly. He will not need a public defender..." Eric speech slowed until he stopped speaking completely. His face twisted into a question mark. He took two small steps in my direction and inhaled, loudly drawing in air through his nose. He stared at me with a look that wasn't easy to decipher – he didn't look happy. He looked around my office and then back at me. He asked me, "Did you touch Zalarus at anytime tonight?"
Something in the tone of his voice sent up a warning flag for me. Ah man - don't go all drama princess on me, Eric…I could feel my heart's rhythm increase, so I took a quiet, deep, relaxation breath and let it out slowly. I calmly responded, "Yeah, why? Is there something wrong with that?"
He looked at me through slit eyes. He was analyzing my answer, why, I don't know. It seemed that he decided to accept my response; he nodded his head slowly and responded, "That must be it. Well, I have to go. He should behave himself. Let me know if you have any problems with him."
He started to leave my office but I stopped him with, "Wait, wait! What's wrong with me touching him?" I received an exaggerated, bored smirk in response to my question. So, I changed my subject matter, "How are you feeling? Are you okay? I didn't hear…Listen, …thanks for – well, you know. Really. I really owe-"
He turned his back on me and walked towards the door while replying, "Yes, you do owe me. A lot. You smell. I can smell him on you - wash it off. It's not becoming. And…I'm feeling fine…and looking finer. Don't you think?" He briefly turned around to wink at me and then left my office.
Yes, you are looking fine, asshole.
The following day was a continuation of the prior days. I felt like I was on a treadmill that was going faster and faster, but I couldn't see any results from my efforts. The level of stress and tension was close to the level of when I was in Iraq. I laughed to myself. I thought that this would be a no-brainer, no-strainer job. Man, was I so fucking wrong…
We were hit with a couple of disappointments. First disappoint - we couldn't get a judge to hold Allitar's bail hearing for another twenty-four hours. Second disappointment – the girlfriend of Nathan, our diseased, deceased vampire victim, had apparently left town. We finally found Crystal's remote rental house, but it was abandoned. From the rotten food in the house, it looked like it had been abandoned since Thanksgiving. There were no neighbors to question about her whereabouts. The third disappointment was Deputy Ted's house. Kyle went by Ted's house and found it abandoned. There weren't any signs of a disturbance, it was just empty. Ted, his wife, and two kids weren't there. His car was missing and the house door was unlocked.
We did have a break, or at least, I was hoping it was going to be a break for us. The receptionist at the Dynamic Diagnostic s Lab, Suzette Megginson, had called. She said she remembered something that she thought might be helpful to us. Kenya was going to meet with her and find out what she had to say.
The report from the hospital was grim. The infected staff victims at the hospital were becoming extremely hostile. The doctors had heavily sedated and restrained them, but the victims were fighting the medication. The hospital facilities manager wanted them removed from the hospital. The manager was afraid the victims would get loose and attack other patients and staff. I told her I would look into it and get back to her. I didn't have a clue of what to do with them or where to take them. I was really going to have to pull the answer to this one out of my ass. FUCK!
One bright moment in the day was Liam. He showed up at my office and surprised me with lunch. We had an impromptu picnic on my desk, enjoying deli sandwiches, pickles, and drinks. At one point, he announced that as a doctor, he could not sit by and watch another human being suffer. So, he jumped up and gave me a shoulder massage that was so incredible, that I almost proposed marriage. And the piece de resistance – he brought me another jar of that wonderful ointment!
It was evening and I was tired. I had promised myself that I would leave early today and here I was, an hour after quitting time. That's it, I'm out of here. Doctor Liam's orders. I packed up and left for home. I needed a break from the on-going twelve hours, or more, work days. I actually felt guilty as I drove away.
It felt weird to be home so earlier. I decided to make the most of my downtime and give myself a night of pampering, something I didn't indulge in nearly enough. I took a long, hot bubble bath, and then put on very comfortable lounging clothes – an ugly tank top from Hawaii and paint streaked, well worn, sweat pants. I then did something that I rarely ever did – I gave myself a facial and a pedicure with polish. I kept my hands and feet tidy and presentable, but I hardly ever wore polish. It looked pretty, which made me feel good. Hell, no one's going to see it, no worries.
Later, I fixed myself a steak dinner with all the trimmings. With a glass of my favorite merlot for company, and a bag of chocolate within reach, I snuggled up on the couch to watch my mother's favorite movie, Moonstruck. I missed my mother, even after all of these years. She and Avis had been the most important women in my life. Now they both were gone, but hopefully together in the imaginary "better place" that I liked to believe in.
Various joints were aching, so I lavished on a large amount of Liam's ointment. The stuff was just amazing, not only did it help any new wounds, but it also helped with my old ones, too. Out of curiosity, I applied it to my old wounds from the helicopter crash, and I was astonished to find that it greatly alleviated the pain. It worked so well in managing my pain that I didn't have to take any pain medicine, prescribed or over the counter. Luckily, it smelt good – I could detect the scents of lavender and peppermint in the jelled lotion. Both smells are used in aromatherapy for relaxation and stress reduction. For the first time in who knows when, I actually felt relaxed and almost pain free.
I would never, ever doubt the validity of herbs ever again. I had learned a very valuable lesson from both Miss Violet and Liam – the powers and abilities of herbs were real. They had protected me from supernatural beings and healed my wounds. I was now a true believer.
Around ten o'clock, I heard a knock at my front door. I sat up from my reclined position and watched in bemusement as Eric opened the door and entered the house.
"Goood eveeeening - ha, ha, ha." He oozed out a very campy Bela Lugosi imitation of Count Dracula, including the mocking laugh that Bela never did, but everyone assumes he did, and therefore everyone does it when they do a bad Dracula imitation. He sauntered over to the couch that I was sitting on, and he plopped himself down at the opposite end of the couch from me. He looked fabulous, all in black, wearing an expensive looking sports jacket over a clingy silk shirt and black slacks. His hair was parted on the side and hung freely. He smelled fantastic. In comparison, I probably looked like a frumpy, loser hag. I'm sure the wine, bag of Hersey kisses, and chick flick added just the right touch of 'pathetic.'
Though I was made speechless by his unexpected appearance, I recovered quickly and chuckled, "I didn't know you had such a good sense of humor." I felt like a Wal-Mart greeter when next I asked, "May I help you?" I received a smile in return to my question.
I thought he was here about Zalarus' delayed bond hearing, so I decide to address it, assuming that was the reason he dropped by, "If you are here to talk about Zalarus-"
Eric smirked away my mention of Allitar Zalarus. He clasped his hands behind his neck and then stretched his long and luscious body. He closed his eyes, smiled and said, "No, I don't care about him. But yes…Yes, I do believe that you can help me, how kind of you to offer."
He moved so fast that it was a black blur. I didn't have enough time to react before I found the back of my head cradled in his right hand and his left hand caressed my right cheek. He leaned over and placed a small kiss on my lips. He whispered, "I missed you."
I quickly pushed him away, saying "Stop. I'm not in the mood for this or…" I almost said, 'of you and your crap.'
He looked at my wine glass and empty candy wrappers and said, "Awww, had a bad day today, hmmm? Okay, we'll slow down the pace." He scooted back to the end of the couch. He smugly smiled at me, "But, don't take too long or my mood might pass." He patted the empty space beside him and made himself comfortable.
I sneered at him, and shot him a look that said 'fuck off.' A minute ticked away, during which time, I leisurely sipped my wine and pretended to totally ignore him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Eric adjust his body several times. He looked like he was irritated and it seemed like he couldn't find a comfortable position.
Eric broke the silence with a dramatic exhalation of breath. Since vampires don't breathe, I understand that he was expelling the air for emphasis. "I don't need a lot of foreplay, but you have to do better than this." He patted the area beside him again and called to me in a sing-song voice that I used when I would call my childhood dog in from the yard, "Come on…come here." Pat-pat-pat. "Are we playing 'hard-to-get' tonight? I'm getting mixed signals, Jo – it's a little confusing."
I opened my mouth in shock and he quickly took advantage of it. He swooped in, wrapped me in his arms and kissed me deeply, with his tongue staging a full-out attack on my mouth.
I pulled away from him and twisted my mouth from side to side, trying to avoid his mouth. Secretly, a part of me was doing a lust-driven mating dance, and was screaming at me to go get him! But, reason said to not cross the line with him anymore; things were just too complicated in our little corner of the world. Keep it professional. I added voice to my resistance, "Ho, hey…hey there! Okay…you're in a good mood. Okay, let's just…I need some personal space here…so back off a little…okay, okay?" I had tried moving but couldn't escape his arms, so I then tried to gently push him away. He pushed through my offense and his lips grabbed mine again in another spine-tingling kiss.
He pulled off of my mouth just when I was getting desperate for oxygen. In between kisses that he peppered around me face, he mumbled, "Yes, I'm in a very, very good mood. I've just received some very, very good news." He looked into my eyes, and I almost lost all of my resolve. He moved to kiss me again, but I stopped him by placing my right hand over his mouth and said, "Stop, Eric. Please, just stop."
I could feel his smile fade away behind my hand. He reached up and gently encircled my wrist with his hand; I could feel him starting the motion to pull my hand from his mouth, when he stopped - completely motionless. I watched while the lust and humor faded from his eyes. His eyes changed from brilliant, sky blue to black fury. His grip tightened on my wrist and he slowly pulled my hand away from his mouth. He then loudly sniffed the palm of my hand.
He grabbed my left wrist and in the same manner, sniffed the palm of that hand. He jerked me forward and loudly sniffed around my shoulders and torso. I stuttered a little when I asked him what he was doing and to take it easy. I got this sinking feeling in my stomach that said he was upset about something.
I was proven correct when he responded with a deep, guttural growl that rumbled in his chest. He pushed me down flat on the couch, on my back, and pinned my wrists above my head. He bared his fangs at me and his face distorted into an evil, angry mask. He roared out, "Who has claimed you?"
I stared at him in utter disbelief and confusion. Here we go again, psycho Eric - "Eric, what the Hell! Knock it off…I'm not in the mood for this crap tonight!"
He quickly grabbed my shoulders and shook me so hard that I could feel my brain move in my skull. "ANSWER ME, JO! Answer me!"
I yelled, "Eric, you're hurting me. Stop it! Stop…my head..."
He placed his face so close to mine, our noses almost touching. His voice was gravelly and hoarse, as he asked me "Who gave you their blood? Who did you give your blood to?" He shook me again, trying to force me to talk, but thankfully he didn't shake me as hard.
"What the fuck! Eric, nobody gave me any blood! Fuck! If I wouldn't drink your blood, why the Hell would I do that…with someone else? Get off of me!" I started to struggle, trying my hardest to get leverage so that I could push him off of me.
He grabbed my neck with his left hand and whispered in my ear, "You lie. You smell of vampire blood. It's all over you. Everywhere…Did you enjoy him…did you?" He sat up immediately, releasing hold of me. I tried to sit up but he placed his left hand on my chest, and held me in place.
I looked at his face and watched in amazement as various emotions paraded across it. His face settled into a twisted, confused expression. His scrunched up brow and pursed lips made me think that he was contemplating some unspoken question. With his free right hand, he ran his index finger over my right shoulder.
He tentatively smelled his finger. He then glanced at various parts of my body. He ran several of his fingers over my shoulder, as in he was wiping something off. He smelt his fingers. He quickly repeated the gesture over various areas of my body. All the while, I continued my futile efforts to dislodge myself from his grip. I cursed and scolded him in a continuing tirade of "What the fuck…what the Hell! Eric, what the Hell! Stop it! Let me up! Get the fuck out of here!" He ignored me like a burnt-out parent ignores a whiny child.
Eric stopped his inspection and smiled. He lay down and partially covered me with his body. He still had me pinned to the couch but he had retracted his fangs and no longer looked angry. He held up his fingers, the ones that he had ran all over my body, and asked, "What's this? This oil…it's a lotion, isn't it? Where did you get it?"
I was truly dumbfounded; I had to make an effort to change mental gears to keep up with him. "What? What is…oil? Oh, I used an ointment…that's an ointment for muscle aches and pains…and stuff." Almost as a reflex action, I pointed to the empty jar sitting behind me on the side table.
Eric grabbed the jar and smelled it. "Who gave this to you?"
Oh, shit…no, no,no. I can't tell him. I evaded his question, keeping my response focused on the ointment. "It was a gift. It's herbs and oil…it helps muscles…helps to heal cuts and bruises. It really helps. I really can't-"
He looked at me and smirked, "It has vampire blood in it. That is what I smelt. That is why it is so effective. Vampire blood has healing powers." He made a 'tsk, tsk, tsk' sound with his tongue and said, "Josephina, the use and consumption of vampire blood is completely prohibited, except for licensed medical and research purposes."
He sat up and released his hold on me. My emotions quickly ran the gamut – from astonishment, to fear, then to anger. I was truly pissed now, but not at Eric – I was now pissed at Liam. I barely acknowledged the fact that Eric had pushed me into a sitting position.
What the fuck…dammit Liam! You gave me something with vampire blood in it? You asshole, I could get…SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!
He asked me again, "Who gave it to you?"
I looked at him helplessly. I couldn't rat out Liam. "Eric, listen, I didn't know what was in it. I got it as a gift from someone who got it from someone else, who…I don't know who really made this." I was lying, of course. I quickly shot him a glance behind lowered eye lids, hoping to see that he believed my lie. He was smiling, he knew I was lying.
"Was it your lovely neighbor down the lane?" Eric wrapped an arm around me and pulled me into the crook of his shoulder.
"No! Absolutely not! It…it…" Dammit, stop sputtering, Jo. Lie better and faster, nitwit! "It was…a fruit stand at the side of the road-"
Eric chuckled and handed the jar back to me. "Stop. I know your neighbor is the one that placed the herbs around your house. I know her sister. Her sister is a doctor by the name of Ludlow. Dr. Ludlow extends her services to the supernatural world. She uses vampire blood in some of her salves and lotions. Did a doctor give this to you?"
A chill ran up my spine and a small sheen of sweat broke out on my upper lip. There was something about the way that he said "doctor" that made me very nervous. He said doctor without including Ludlow's name…I slurred out, "No, sssaa…it wasss…n't…a doctor…doctors, or anyone like that…"
Eric looked at me and smiled, but the smile wasn't reflected in his eyes. "Well, I believe she has permission to use our blood…That's probably how your neighbor got it. Your neighbor is a healer, too. Isn't she?"
I just stared at him and blinked repeatedly. When I remembered how my tongue worked, I replied to him. "Eric, Miss Violet did not give me this ointment. I swear it!" He silenced me with a kiss and then whispered, "We'll wash it off together…I'll be very thorough." Before he could slay me with another nerve shattering, toe-curling, exquisite kiss, I pulled away.
I eloquently bellowed out, "What the fuck is going on! Why do you always do this? First you're nice, then you're mean; kind then cruel - you hurt me and then want to cuddle! You are too fucked up, do you know that? Can't you just ask a question in a normal fashion? You're …you're trying to drive me crazy, aren't you? I'm right, huh? GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!"
He smiled and ignored my rants. Instead of doing what I requested, he hugged me gently and closer to his chest. I could feel him kissing my left temple and I felt his body vibrate as he spoke, "Shhh, calm down, Jo. Shhh…Poor Josephina, you're overwrought. You're so sensitive. You've had a bad day and you're overreacting. Take a moment to relax. You really shouldn't let yourself get so frustrated over the little things." I struggled against him and tried to come up with a witty retort, but all I came up with was, "Fuck off." and "You're an asshole."
He chuckled and said, "Aww, your words are as sweet as a newborn's blood…" I squawked out a "What?" He ignored me and continued speaking, "The solar system is aligning itself in my favor. I wanted to celebrate. I thought I would treat myself to something…someone very special."
I found myself reclining in his arms, cradled like a baby. I found just the right words for the moment, "You're fucking out of your mind! Do you know that? Are you high? Can vampires get high? Is there like…vampire cat nip?"
As he looked at me, I noticed that his eyes had turned the color of dark sapphires. They turned this color when he became sexually aroused…At least it happened when he was trying to seduce me. He stretched his neck towards me, as if to kiss me. I was ready for him and went into a full verbal assault, "Eric…No! No, no, no! I'm not interested…listen. You're too complicated for me. No, uh-uh, I was having a really nice evening at home and I really…" He cut my whining off with a kiss.
His kiss was followed by caresses. His rich, deep voice whispered promises of ecstasy beyond my imagination. His hands calmed me and then started on a mission to arouse me. Slowly, my defenses started to melt away…melting…relaxing…enjoying…
I made another attempt to rally up my common sense, but it was hopeless. My common sense was now agreeing with my libido and both were telling me that I was a fool to not relax and enjoy this extraordinary male.
Dammit… Fuck…This just can't...oh, fuck it! What the Hell…
I grabbed the back of his head and responded to his kisses. My hands took on a will of their own. They went on an adventure, seeking out Eric's special places. Everything was special on Eric. His broad, strong chest…muscled arms that felt like steel…his back went on forever, a mountain range of muscles…aaahhh, his firm, compact butt…wow, such strong thighs…oh my...oh yes…
I pulled away from a soul inspiring kiss and was surprised to find out that I was now topless…and so was he. He pulled me up into a sitting position and then pulled me close to his chest. His chest and my chest were together, rubbing together. I enjoyed the sensation of my softness meeting his hardness.
My God, you are one beautiful male…
I felt him moving my legs so that they encircled his waist. He then stood up, supporting my bottom with one arm, and cradling my upper back and my neck with his other arm. I wrapped my legs tighter around his waist. We started kissing almost savagely. With me lashed around his waist, he started walking in the direction of my bedroom…
YYYYEEEEEEEEESSSSSS!
I heard his cell phone ringing in his pocket.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
He stopped moving, threw his head back, and loudly growled at the ceiling. I saw his fangs recede. I didn't even realize that he had them exposed. A thrill shot through me. I was secretly pleased that I caused them to come out for passion. His phone continued to ring; I slowly collapsed against his chest, laying my head against his neck.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and answered it with a steel cold, "Yes." I could hear a woman's voice talking. I wasn't sure, but it sounded like Pam.
He slowly walked to the couch and gently placed me down on it. He turned and walked outside, closing the door behind him. He started talking, but he was so quiet that I couldn't hear him through the door.
I knew he had to leave even before he returned to tell me. He came over to the couch, crouched down in front of me and gently kissed me. Our eyes met and held each other's gaze. I don't know what he was thinking, and I tried not to think of anything, promise myself anything, or demand anything.
I did have a couple of thoughts, but I kept them to myself. They just didn't seem like appropriate things to say in the moment…I'm getting "blue balls"…or is it "blue ovaries" for girls?...I would make a lousy slut…I can't even get laid by a vampire…
On his way out, Eric stopped in the door portal and did something that just knocked me for a loop. He bit into his wrist until the blood ran freely from the wound. Then, he spread the blood over and around the exterior part of the door frame. He looked at me intently and said, "I'm marking my property." He smiled and left in a blur.
Okay…so, he's talking about the house, right? I yelled out, even though he was probably too far away to hear, "You better be talking about the house, asshole!"