My body was full of adrenaline as Eric Northman kissed me. We were in a dungeon, with someone beaten bloody and tied up in chains behind us. It was as if we walked straight out of an old vampire novel, and as long as the kiss lasted, I could forget the reality that surrounded us.
But everything had to come to an end. As the kiss broke off it dawned on me what we had done, and the consequences that would be coming with it. The adrenaline that just occupied my body left me in an instant and was replaced with a sense of dread and fear.
"You can't go home," Eric said softly, as if our prisoner could hear us. "Once they realize one of their guys is gone, your house is the first place they will come looking."
I nodded in agreement. "I can book a hotel here in Shreveport. I'll stay here until it all blows over."
"No," Eric stated. He still had his hand on the back of my neck. "You'll stay with me."
"At your place?" I stuttered slightly. I had never been to a vampire's home before, and I had no idea what it looked like.
"Yes," Eric replied. "You'll find it very comfortable. And not many know my address. You'll be safer."
Safer sounded okay with me. I also really didn't want to be alone after everything that had happened and everything that was going to happen. This seemed like the perfect solution to all of our problems—for the time being at least.
"What do we do with him," I said, nodding my head in the direction of the photographer.
"He can stay here. We'll check on him in the morning."
And so we went on our way. We got into Eric's car, deciding to leave mine at Fangtasia's parking lot. He drove a striking yellow Corvette, and I had no idea how we were not going to catch any attention driving this thing, but once again I placed my trust in his hands, and hoped for the best.
During the drive I began to wonder how many people had been to Eric's home. Well, probably not many people, but I couldn't imagine he had never brought another vampire over to his place. In the moment, I caught myself feeling jealous at the prospect of him sleeping with other people, and I quickly told myself to get a grip.
We drove to a part of Shreveport I had never been before. We were surrounded by fancy-looking apartment buildings rising high up in the sky, and when we came to a halt in front of one of them it became apparent that this was where Eric lived.
For some reason I had expected a creepy house upon a hill with a shabby planked exterior and creaking window shutters. Instead, we went into a small, yet well-decorated lobby. Everything in here was finished to an impeccable standard, and I pondered how much wealth Eric had managed to acquire over his years on this earth.
The elevator took us all the way to the top floor. Penthouse. Eric wasn't kidding when he told me I would find it very comfortable. We stepped inside, and I was greeted by designer furniture. The place smelled as fantastic as it looked, the soft scent of pine and vanilla filling my nose. To my delight, Eric hadn't continued the red and black theme of his bar in his own apartment. Instead, everything had a clean cut minimalist look with wooden features everywhere.
"This is beautiful, Eric," I said, roaming around to take in everything. The view from the living room over down town Shreveport was outstanding, and I couldn't wait to see what the sunrise looked like in the morning.
"You should go to bed," Eric said. He always managed to make demands sound so cordial. "It's been a long night."
I couldn't disagree. My body was aching from all the tension, and my eyelids began to feel heavy with every second that passed.
"The bedroom is through that door," Eric continued as he pointed. "You can find clean clothes in the closet."
Within a split second he stood before me. He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek, his hand resting lightly on my hips. I felt my cheeks glowing as he disappeared again as fast as he had come.
Vampires didn't sleep in beds. I knew that, yet it was still somewhat awkward to sleep in his all by myself. They never told anyone where they slept during the day, for the fear of being exposed. I had no idea what he was going to do for the remainder of the night, but as long as I was here I told myself I was safe.
The bedroom was decorated in the same style as the living room, and the bed looked about twice as big as mine was. I moved towards the closet, my fingers running along all the fresh t-shirts, deciding I would wear a black one as my nightgown. It was too large for my frame, but it felt soft and comfortable. I lifted the fabric to my nose, smiling softly as it had traces of his scent.
As I climbed in his bed it almost felt like he was with me, and with that in mind I fell asleep without a worry in the world.
Eric was gone when I woke up. Of course he was, it was light outside. Where the apartment had felt safe the night before, it now felt eerily empty.
I got up and went to check the fridge to see if he had something to eat, but what did I expect? The fridge was stocked up with Tru Blood, his favorite blood type turning out to be B negative. Vampires didn't eat food, so of course there was none.
My stomach was rumbling, and I felt goosebumps forming on my legs from the air-conditioning in his apartment. I had no clothes and no food. Eric wanted me to stay here and be safe, but without any supplies and nothing to do, I decided a little trip home couldn't hurt.
And so I found my way back to Fangtasia, jumped in my car, and drove back to Bon Temps. I promised myself I would just pop in and out. It wouldn't take more than five minutes, nothing could happen to me in that time. To be extra safe, I placed the pepperspray that was still in my possession on my lap, ready to use it if necessary.
I managed to get inside, throw as many clothes in a suitcase as I could and hoard everything in my fridge in a backpack, in a mere fifteen minutes. Everything seemed like a success, until I got outside and walked straight into Hoyt Fortenberry.
"Serena, I'm so sorry," he apologized, helping me get back on my feet. "Are you going somewhere?"
"Uh, yeah," I mumbled, trying my best to keep a straight face. "I'm heading down to New Orleans for the weekend. Visit some old friends."
The lie rolled off my tongue more easily than I expected. It would be better if everyone here believed I was out of town. No one would come looking for me, and perhaps if the supremacists heard they would seize their search for me. It would give me and Eric a little more space to breathe and figure out exactly what the plan was.
"Oh, really? Have fun, Serena."
Hoyt flashed me a kind smile and was on his way again.
I let out a sigh of relief. While I didn't suspect Hoyt of belonging to that group, I still for a moment believed I got caught redhanded. As fast as I could I returned to my car and drove back to Shreveport.
Eric's apartment was still empty when I returned, the only sound coming from my sneakers rubbing against the hardwood floor. My eyes fell on my watch, noting it was not even noon yet. I still had a long time to go to entertain myself before Eric would return from wherever he was hiding during the day.
I decided not to unpack my suitcase. This stay was supposed to be short, and I really was intending on going home again soon. I didn't want to give Eric the idea that I would be fine with staying here for longer than a couple of days. I wanted this matter resolved quickly—as quickly as possible.
My stomach was rumbling, but food wasn't the only craving I had to satisfy. After making myself a sandwiches (surprised to find Eric's kitchen was stocked with every utensil I needed), I decided to check out the master bathroom.
Like everything else in his apartment, Eric's bathroom was just as impressive. Everything was made out of white marble, from the sink to the toilet to the shower. But what caught me eye was the bathtub that was displayed prominently in the middle. It was big, big enough to fit two people and then some. Since I couldn't return to my usual spot for transformation, this had to do.
My tail fitted exactly, as if the bathtub was made for me. I made a mental note to remember its size—I needed this at home. While I couldn't swim, being submerged in the water was enough to satisfy my needs for now, and after discovering the jet streams which creates bubbles in the water I was one happy mermaid.
Feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world, I returned to the living room. When I picked up my iPhone I noticed I had one voicemail waiting for me. I recognized the number being from Merlotte's, but figured Sam just wanted to ask me if I was coming in to work today, which obviously I wasn't.
"Serena, it's Sam. I just spoke to Hoyt who said you were leaving for New Orleans. I know you are supposed to work this weekend and I know I shouldn't count on you coming in—but we both know you are not heading down there. I'm worried, Serena. Where are you? If you are in trouble, find a way to let me know. I asked your friends and they had no idea about your travel plans. Please call me back to let me know you're okay."
I had to admit the concern in his voice did something to me, and I began to feel bad. I hadn't even let my friends know I was going away. While the chaos of the entire situation didn't leave much time to send everyone elaborate texts on my whereabouts, I recognized that I had not only behaved very suspiciously, but I also was a very bad friend.
My fingers darted over my phone as I send everyone a text to let them know I was in New Orleans with an old acquaintance (I mean, Eric technically was an old acquaintance) and told Sam not to worry about me and I would let him know once everything was resolved.
The clock struck four times. I had been in the bath longer than I thought I had been, but still there was a lot of time to kill until Eric would wake up. I made myself as comfortable as I could and began to watch the Gossip Girl-rerun on television and waited patiently for night to come.
"Good evening," Eric said.
He was standing behind me, his voice as dark as the clothing he was wearing. Even though it was impossible, it almost looked like he had some color to his cheeks, and I figured he had already had dinner before he came to see me. A wise decision, which I very much appreciated.
"I hope you slept well," he continued, sitting down besides my on the couch causing the butterflies in my stomach to flutter.
"I did," I replied after turning my body towards his. "But we need to talk about something."
Eric's brows ruffled and I then realized he of course didn't know I had left his apartment during the day. For a moment I considered not telling him, but then I remembered the suitcase in the bedroom which couldn't have appeared out of nowhere, not to mention the food in the fridge.
"I went to my house to grab some stuff," I began. "I know, I shouldn't have, but I needed some of my clothes, and food. Nothing happened, but I ran into a neighbor. I told him I was staying in New Orleans for the weekend, but I made the mistake of not telling anyone else. People are worried about me and I just spent the last couple of hours convincing everyone through text that I was fine."
I ran my fingers through my hair, biting my lip as I tried to think of the words to continue. I didn't want Eric to feel I blamed him for this—because I didn't—but the truth was that it was about time this stalker thing was over.
"When will it be over, Eric? I've lived a lie for my entire life, but the more they keep piling up the harder it is to make sure everything fits. Someone will find out what's going on. Sam is already onto me, and I doubt my friends really believe I'm in New Orleans. When will we take action?"
Eric took my hand into his and forced me to look in his eyes. If I wasn't a supernatural I would've been afraid he would try to glamor me into believing everything was okay.
"We will soon," Eric stated. "We have a solid lead with the photographer tied up in my basement. I've got Pam watching him closely. I know groups like those will never want one of their own get murdered by a species they are so much against. They will come, and then, we will do what's necessary to end this. I promise you, Serena."
I nodded slowly. I really wanted to believe him, and his words were the only thing I had to hold onto. There was no point in arguing. I had to trust him.
Eric leaned in, and pressed his lips against mine, catching me completely by surprise. My body was tensed, but as soon as his hands began to trace every inch of my skin, I began to ease. The day had been boring and lonely so it didn't take long for me to give into his demands.
I moved on this lap, wrapping my leg around his waist. The kiss deepened, and while I figured he had already eaten, I could still feel the attack and the hunger as his tongue played with mine. His fangs came out mid-kiss, but I didn't care. There was no stopping us now. No one could interrupt us, and this was finally going to happen.
His fingers found the hem of my t-shirt and began to push it up. Obligingly, I took it off and immediately began to work on opening my bra, throwing that behind me as well. Now my torso was bare, Eric began to direct his kisses to my breasts. The delicacy of his lips moving on my nipple was surprising for a vampire, and I couldn't suppress the moan which escaped from my mouth.
And then his hands were on my ass and he picked me up like I was as light as a feather. We moved into the bedroom, and he placed me down on the bed. While he was taking off his own clothing, I unbuttoned my shorts and pulled them off simultaneously with my panties.
For a moment, Eric remained standing, admiring my body. He had seen it before, but that didn't stop him from taking everything in.
"Come here," I murmured impatiently as I extended my arm for him to come closer.
Before he did so, Eric took of his own boxers. Like he had seen me, I had seen him naked as well. His body was almost an exact replica of a Greek statue—well toned, well-endowed, and as pale as marble.
Eric moved on top of me, our bare skins now touching each other and while it felt cold, the spark between us was warmer than ever before. He continued to kiss me, his hand going from my neck, to breasts, to my hips, and then finally further down. I had never had such a considerate partner before, and he made sure I was absolutely ready before he entered me.
I cried out in pleasure as our bodies began to move together. Eric's almost primal grunt escaping from his mouth every so often only turned me on more. I finally understood what people meant when they claimed vampires were incredibly good at sex. Eric was unlike anyone I ever had made love with, and I doubted anyone could top this.
His fangs were scraping my neck, and in that moment I had to intervene.
"Eric," I managed to get out between moans as he showed no sign of stopping. "No blood this time, okay?"
He only let out a gentle hum and directed his attention to my breasts again. His hands were under my back and pushed me upwards. My fingers ran through his hair as I tried to get his attention, not entirely convinced by his response.
Eric finally looked at me. "No blood," he repeated firmly.
I repeated his words in my head. For a moment, I couldn't believe I was doing this. If someone would tell me a month ago that I would be having sex with a vampire, in his apartment, and he promised not to drink my blood, I would've said you were insane.
But here I was, crying out in pleasure as I fully gave myself to Eric Northman.
A/N: This was probably my favorite chapter yet. I can't wait to hear your responses!