Chapter Thirty Three:

It was early afternoon when I woke up between my two vampires. I couldn't help but smile despite all that I've gone through in the past few days. It was hard not to smile when I looked upon their faces. They were both smiling, both looking more peaceful in their dead rest than they ever looked while awake. And I found that I liked it. I wish I hadn't put all this drama on their plates. They hadn't signed up for this, not at all. But they had surprised me over and over again with how well they were dealing with my mysterious powers, with what I was and how that now affected both of them. Eric surprised me the most. I would have assumed he would have ran, or at least shoved me from his bed after the triumvirate had been formed. He wasn't a vampire that seemed to like being tied down to anything or anyone. And now we had a bond that would last an eternity. Or until one of our lives ended. Though I wasn't so sure how that would affect the rest of us. If my heart beat for them, if their blood pumped for me, then what would happen if one of us died? Would the others follow? Would we all be doomed for the same fate?

"Stop thinking like that." I scolded myself. The mere thought was morbid and depressing. And after everything, I just wanted to be happy, at least for a little bit.

So I just laid there, between my two vampires, and watched as they slept. They truly did look dead to the world. Their chests didn't raise, no breaths emitted from their lips. They were even cold to touch as I traced my fingertips across the tattoo rising up Godric's spine. My eyes dropped to the red round mark on his back and I wondered how he had gotten the vicious looking brand. I had noticed it before, but I had also noticed what it was right away. He had been branded, and I knew it must have been a sore subject for the vampire. It was a part of his human life and that was a past that Godric didn't seem to like to revisit. But as I lightly ran the tips of my fingers over the brand mark, I couldn't help but love Godric even more. He had gone through so much, and the marks of his past that haunted him, they only made him more beautiful and endearing in my eyes. He was my vampire now, all mine. Whoever had harmed him in the past was long gone now.

Turning onto my side, I turned my attention onto the blonde beside me. I felt my heart swell as I raised a hand to brush back a strand of hair that fell into Eric's eyes. He was always so put together while he was awake, that it was a nice change to see him in such a natural, vulnerable way. He may have been a vampire, but there was still a hint of humanity left in there. If there wasn't, he would have rushed to my side last night, he wouldn't have done all that he had to ensure that I was alright. He would have just shrugged it off and not given a damn. But he had given a damn. He had given a damn about me since day one. I had just been too scared to notice. I couldn't say I hadn't cared. Because I had. I had tried so desperately to not think about him, to not want to desire him. But I was tired of hiding those feelings away. I wanted to shout to the world that I loved Eric Northman. And it brought me a great deal of joy to know that he felt the same.

"I so love you." I looked back over to Godric, my smile widened. "Both of you."

I was about to curl back up and drift back to sleep between the two when I heard a creaking noise. Paranoid, and after what happened last night, I snapped up into a sitting position, my eyes growing wide. I held my breath, as if it would help, and just listened. I could faintly hear footsteps somewhere in the penthouse suite. I strained my senses, but couldn't hear a word being uttered. The footsteps were growing closer however. Much closer. And then suddenly they stopped. I frowned as I looked between Eric and Godric, wondering if they knew someone was coming over and hadn't told me. But no, they would have said something so I wouldn't be worried or scared. Could it be an intruder? Could someone unknown have slipped past the doorman and made their way up to the penthouse suit, knowing that two vampires were here. But then why didn't they just barge in. why had the footsteps stopped?

Unless they were waiting to strike.

My heart began racing as I slipped from the bed, searching for a discarded shirt of Eric's before shuffling as quietly as I could towards the closed bedroom door. I put my ear against the door, trying to make out if anyone was waiting just outside of it. I couldn't hear anything however. It was the middle of the day; a vampire couldn't have snuck in. If it had been a human, I would have heard something, wouldn't I have? Breathing, fidgeting, something. But I heard nothing.

Until the footsteps returned.

"Maybe I should wake them up..." I glanced back towards the sleeping forms of my lovers. I had this instinct that if I needed to, I could wake them up. I wasn't sure if that was the blood bond I now shared with both of them or the triumvirate that had been forged. Either way, even during the day, I knew I had them there for me when I needed them.

But this was something I didn't want to wake them over. What if it was just a housekeeper or something and I sent in the brigade? I would never get over the embarrassment. Maybe I was just being paranoid and hearing things. After everything that's happened, it wouldn't be completely crazy to believe. All I need to do was to take a quick peek around the penthouse before cuddling back up between Eric and Godric. Once I had peace of mind then I could...

Glass had broken.

That, I was certain about.

I really wasn't alone. I really wasn't being paranoid. I cursed under my breath as I slowly pulled the door open inch by inch. I peeked out into the dim hallway, searching for the intruder, but only found shadows. I sighed before mentally hitting myself and keeping as quiet as possible as I slipped from the room. I kept my back to the wall, my eyes darting from side to side, as I moved further into the apartment. I could hear the shuffling again, a low voice muttering. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest, it was almost becoming painful. I was glad it couldn't have been a vampire, as they would have known I was there long before I made myself known.

As I drew closer to the kitchen, the noises became louder until I was standing in the hallway around the corner from the large, elegantly designed modern kitchen. I looked around me, searching for a weapon to use against the intruder and quickly found an antique looking vase sitting on a hallway table. Carefully picking it up, I crept closer to the kitchen where the light was bouncing off the walls. I held my breath, readying myself for whatever it is that I was about to find, and tore around the corner with speed. Without even looking, I raised the vase, about to smash it against whoever had broken into the apartment. But a single, frightened voice stopped me.

"Whoa! Put the vase down!" the squeaking voice was a man's.

I opened my eyes, which I had closed somewhere along the way, and peeked around the raised vase. Standing there before me was a thin man not much taller than I was and looked to be about in his thirties. His hair was mousy brown, and his eyes matched perfectly. He looked so...normal, so average. Though I suppose I shouldn't have been judging, as that was exactly how I saw myself. It was my aspirations that set me aside from all the rest. And well now apparently the fact that the dead were my specialty. Though I wasn't so sure that was something to brag about.

But of course, appearances were deceiving, especially in this world that we lived in. Godric may have appeared to have been a mere teenager, but he was much, much more than that.

"Who are you?" I demanded, hoping my voice didn't sound as scared as I felt. Just because I was a necromancer and had this great magic inside of me, it didn't mean I could exactly defend myself. Against the dead, against another witch, maybe, it was possible. I could fight back against a dead corpse with no problem I was sure once I knew how to actually use my own powers. But against human being, or at least that's what I hoped was before me, I was absolutely powerless.

"Just don't hit me with that thing." The man hesitantly took a step back, his hands raised before him, showing he had no weapon with him.

"What are you doing here? Who are you?"

"My name is Bobby Burnham; I'm Mr. Northman's day man." The man explained quickly and all in one breath that I had to strain to understand what he was even saying. He looked worried and just as scared as I felt inside. His beady eyes darted from side to side, as if looking for a way to escape. There was even a bead of sweat sliding down his forehead. It was for that reason that I slowly lowered the vase, though I held onto it tightly in case this was all an act. But as I peered into those brown eyes of his, I could see no threat here. Hell, he looked like a case of nerves. Not exactly someone I would imagine as Eric's eyes and ears during the day. "You're not going to hit me with that thing, are you?"

"Are you really Eric's day man? Because I have a strict policy on letting strange men chop me up into a million pieces." I eyed him closely, but I still couldn't see a single reason to feel threatened by this man. I wasn't exactly sure how he had managed to get this job, seeing as he seemed to be frightened when he merely spoke Eric's name, but he seemed to be telling the truth. Eric and I were going to have to have a little chat about the people in his life. So I wouldn't accidentally send them to the hospital while he was dead for the day.

"I wouldn't lie." Bobby shook his head, still backing up until his back hit with the island counter. "I've been working for Mr. Northman for the past three years."

"He never mentioned you." I felt myself relax as I moved towards the counter to set the vase down onto it. Bobby flinched as I moved passed him and I had to suppress an eye roll. I couldn't believe I had been frightened of this man who looked like he would be afraid of his own shadow. "No offence, but you look frightened to be here. How exactly does someone get a job working for a vampire when they're terrified of them?"

Bobby just shrugged, still looking around the room warily as if something was going to jump out at him.

"Right, well I'm sorry for this." I waved at the vase as I set it on the counter and took a look around. I noticed a few bags sitting on the kitchen table, and as I peered closer, I was surprised to find food and even a bag of clothes. "If you don't mind me asking, why exactly are you here? You scared the hell out of me. I thought you were some axe murderer."

"Sorry." Bobby's cheeks reddened, his hands fidgeting before him. "Mr. Northman asked me to stock the kitchen for food and to pick up the clothes he placed on hold for the human he said was going to be staying here for a few days. I guess that would be you."

"Well I don't see any other humans running around, so that would be me." I nodded, rummaging through one of the bags before lifting a rather revealing dress up and raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, Eric out did himself."

Bobby didn't say a word and instead, began inching towards the door.

"Leaving so soon?" I shot him a glance. "We could be besties, you know."

"I have other business to take care of for Mr. Northman." He quickly turned and slipped from the room.

Curious, I followed after him, tossing the dress back onto the table and leaving the kitchen.

"What sort of business." I inquired.

"Business that he usually doesn't tell his humans."

"Humans, as in more than one." Now I was definitely interested. I quickly caught up to the man as he came to a stop before the elevator, his foot tapping impatiently as he waited for the contraption to rise to the top floor. "What do you mean by that?"

"The others usually aren't this...inquisitive." he eyed me, his lip curling in disgust as he shook his head and looked back away.

"What was with that look?" I grabbed onto his arm and pulled him away, a frown on my lips. "You don't know a thing about me Mr. Burnham. I would appreciate not being judged."

"You're only a kid." Bobby shook his head. "Usually Eric goes for women a little bit older than you."

"So you deal with his...women a lot then." I assumed, my heart sinking.

"This isn't the first time I've been asked to stock the kitchen." Bobby shrugged.

"He's brought a lot of women up here?" I was the one fidgeting now, not sure if I wanted to hear the answer.

But he was going to tell me what I didn't want to hear anyways. "You're not exactly the first. Or the second. Or the tenth."

It felt like a knife had just pierced my heart. I was almost glad when the elevator arrived and Bobby stepped inside, barely even giving me a second glance before the doors closed and whisked him back down to the ground floor. I was left alone to stumble into the living room, sliding down onto one of the couches as I tried to understand what I had just been told. I knew Eric had had many lovers over the years. He was a thousand year old vampire, and a Viking before that. He had had many conquests, and he hadn't bothered to hide that past from me either. But I had always thought they had just been a sex object to him, just a blood bag that he tossed away when he was bored of them. That thought wasn't exactly pleasing, but I didn't want to think that I was just another girl Eric had brought here, just like all the rest. I wanted to be special, I thought I had been. But what if I was just one of the many? Sure, he said that he loved me, and I knew emotions weren't exactly easy for him. But was he just playing a part, playing me like I was sure he had played all the others. He couldn't just glamour me into wanting him, not really, not while I was completely aware of what was going on. And now with this triumvirate, I wasn't sure even if I was out of it, if he could glamour me. I was stronger than I had been when he had kidnapped me. I was so much stronger now. So what if he was just playing some game to get exactly what he wanted, and that was me in his bed.

"There you are."

A pair of lips met the base of my neck and I shuddered. I was still in the same position in the living room hours later as Eric and Godric began to rise. I could hear them shuffling in the bedroom and still I sat there, my thoughts betraying me as I believed the worst.

"What's wrong, lover?" Eric whispered in my ear, his lips brushing long the length of my neck.

"Nothing." I mumbled, pulling away from him as I stood from the couch, my arms wrapping around myself.

"Well that's an obvious lie." Eric rolled his eyes as I turned to find him leaning against the back of the couch, his arms crossed over his chest. "What's wrong, Savannah?"

"I met your day man today, Bobby Burnham."

"Ah, so he did what I asked of him. Good." Eric nodded.

"You should have told me someone was coming by today, Eric. I thought he was an intruder or something." I frowned.

"I didn't think you would be up early after last night." he simply shrugged. "I would have told you if I thought otherwise."

"I'm not a vampire, I can't sleep all day."

Eric sighed heavily as he came around the couch, his hand reaching up to cup my cheek. "What side of the bed did you roll out of today? What's wrong with you, lover?"

"The real question is what's wrong with you." I pushed his hand away and took a step back.

"I can honestly say I have no idea what you're talking about." A frown slid across his own lips. "Just spit out whatever you want to say, Savannah."

"Fine." I gritted my teeth. "How many women have you brought here before me?"

A look of shock registered in his piercing blue eyes before he quickly masked it. "Where did that come from?"

"Just answer the question, Eric. How many? A couple? A dozen? What number am I to you exactly, Eric?" I questioned.

"You don't really want to know that answer." He shook his head. "You know my past, Savannah. You know I haven't exactly been celibate the past thousand years."

"I know that. I know you've had carless fucks with your blood bags. But what I want to know is how many women you've brought here just like me? How many of them have you said 'I love you' to? Huh?" My bubbling anger was getting the best of me as my voice began to rise and rise until I was nearly shouting.

"Is everything alright in here?" Godric questioned, stepping into the room with a look of confusion on his face. "Eric? Savannah?"

"Everything is just peachy." I glared up at Eric. "How many?"

"Savannah, please." Eric rubbed the bridge of his nose and I could tell that his own anger was rising inside of him. I couldn't just see it however, I could feel it. His anger, it felt like fire burning me from the inside out. The flicker of anger burned everything it touched, and that included me.

"That hurts, Eric." I bit down hard on my bottom lip to keep from wincing. I ran my hands up and down my arms, as if trying to battle away the flickers of flames, or should I really say, anger. "Stop it."

"Control yourself, Eric." Godric moved to our side, looking between us in worry. "You need to control your anger. It's becoming out of control. She can feel it."

"You should know well enough by now that you're the only human I've said those words to." Eric hissed, his gaze furious as he glared down at me. He stepped forward, towering over my short form. "Does it matter how many women I've brought here, how many I've been with? None of them are you, Savannah. None of them I've ever loved. They were meals, snacks. They were never..."

"Did you ever bring Sookie here?"

The silence that followed was deafening. I watched the man I love transform from that sweet knight in shining armour back into the vampire I knew he was deep down inside. My breath was caught in my throat as he suddenly grabbed me by the shoulders, shoving me hard into the wall. I didn't bother to hide the wince as it slipped from my lips, Eric's fingers digging into me as he trapped me there against the wall, his fangs extending with a terrifying click. I knew he would never harm me, not really. He couldn't be sure what that would do to him and Godric. And I knew deep down inside, he really did care about me. I was just blinded by jealousy, once again, and I couldn't help but feel threatened by the others in his life.

Especially this Sookie girl.

One mention of her name and Eric snaps. That worried me. She couldn't have just been one of his usual fucks, one of his snacks as he liked to call them. She was much more than that. But how much did she actually mean to him? How much did he care about her, and how exactly did I fit into that picture? He and Bill had spoken about her like she was gone, so where was she? And would she come back, and for Eric? Was my time with him going to be cut short? Was I just some replacement until the real thing came back?

"How many times do I have to tell you that she means nothing to me?" Eric growled so low, I felt a twinge of fear in my heart.

"Eric, let her go." Godric could do nothing but watch helplessly. "Don't do this, not after everything we've gone through."

"I've told her time and time again that I love her and yet she still doubts me." Eric's grip tightened and another wince escaped my lips. "I'm getting tired of this."

"She knows you love her." Godric turned his gaze on me, and as I peered around Eric's shoulder, I found the older vampire giving me a look of disappointment. I knew I had been the one to bring this on; I had been the one to egg on Eric when there was no need for it. But when the green monster flared, it had a mind of its own. "You know that, don't you Savannah."

"I...I do." I just nodded.

Eric's eyes narrowed into slits as he suddenly shook me. "Then why the fuck won't you just leave this alone?"

"Eric, I command you to stop!"

A roar sounded from Eric's throat but did as his maker commanded him to do. Though I wasn't so sure what he would have done if Godric hadn't of stepped in.

"I can't deal with this right now." Eric growled, glaring darkly down at me before his hands released my shoulders. They throbbed and I fought the urge to rub them as I watched him storm not towards the elevator, but to one of the many windows covering the living room wall. He moved so fast that I had to blink to refocus, and once I had, I found that Eric was no longer in the apartment. I sighed and leaned the back of my head against the wall, tears already forming in my eyes. I felt like an idiot. I had started this. I had begun a fight that never had to happen. But I couldn't help my jealousy. It was eating away at me. I was scared that this Sookie was going to come storming back into Eric's life and demand his heart back. I knew in my heart that he loved me, but was I really the first he had allowed himself to care for?

I was beginning to doubt that I was.

"Ah, Mr. Burnham, this is a pleasant surprise." Bill looked up from the paperwork he had been filling out in his office when the double doors leading out into the main foyer opened. A charming smile crossed his lips as he nodded at his guards for them to leave them in privacy, the doors closing behind the mousy man.

Bobby Burnham nervously fidgeted his hands as he inched closer to the King's desk. Bill tried to put the man at ease, his smile warming as he motioned for him to sit. Bobby quickly did so, barely a peep sounding from the man. He was nervous, just as he was whenever he was around vampires. Bill knew of Bobby well. He was the eyes and ears of Eric Northman during the day. He was the most peculiar human though, one who feared vampires and yet worked for one of the most influential vampires in the new world.

But with his place of employment, came information that Bill would do anything to get his hands on.

"Well, what can I do for you tonight, Mr. Burnham?" Bill leaned forward, clasping his hands together on the top of his desk.

"I have the information you were asking for." Bobby's eyes were darting from side to side.

"Do you now? Wonderful. And the girl, did you speak with her?"

"Yes sir." Bobby nodded nervously. "I told her what you asked me to."

"Good." Bill's smile widened. "And this information, what did you find?"

Bobby quickly stood, reaching around to his back before pulling out a few ripped pages from what appeared to be an aged journal. Bill raised an eyebrow as he held his hand out and collected the papers, his eyes quickly scanning the content. His blue orbs grew wide at what he read.

"And this is everything?" Bill questioned, not even giving Bobby a second glance as he read through the papers over and over again.

"Yes sir." Bobby was fidgeting again. "Is that everything? Can I leave now?"

Bill only nodded as he waved the man away. Bobby quickly scurried from the room, the guards at the doors barely having a chance to open them before he went bursting through them.

"Well isn't this interesting." Bill muttered to himself, leaning back in his leather chair with a raised eyebrow. "Savannah Kingsley isn't so innocent after all; she's a Necromancer."