Within a flash Sophie-Anne was gone, leaving me and Eric behind. We were both stunned. He by the fact that he was being blackmailed and forced into testifying against a vampire I didn't know, and I because I had never thought I would be seeing Sophie-Anne ever again.

Silence followed. We remained in our spots, neither of us sure what to do and how to react. I wanted to reach out and touch Eric's arm, but at the last moment I decided against it. We both had explaining to do, and I could tell that neither of us was comfortable talking. It wasn't something we did very much, and in this moment it showed.

Eric had sensed my movement nevertheless and turned to look. It wasn't until I got my thoughts in order and figured out what I was going to say on my part that I dared to meet his gaze.

"We need to talk," I stated, biting my lip after.

He nodded, and guided me to the couch before fetching himself a bottle of Tru Blood and myself a glass of wine, which was considerate. I eagerly took a sip.

"I figure you want to know how I know Sophie-Anne…" I began, figuring there was no point in dancing around the subject. "Queen Sophie-Anne, I should probably say."

He nodded again. I wished he would say something. I could tell this was hard on him. Talking came easy, but talking about feelings, previous relationships—that was a lot harder.

My fingers played with the hem of my t-shirt. I focused on the carpet on the ground, gathering my thoughts just once more. I hadn't told this story to anyone—ever. Sophie-Anne was a thing of the past, at least I thought. I figured I had gotten rid of her by now. Hell, I figured she had forgotten me by now.

"I met Sophie-Anne many, many years ago. The thing about being a mermaid? I age slower than normal people, which I why I move around so much. We met in Paris. I lived in the suburbs so I was still close to nature to swim, as well as to the city. It was perfect, until I met her."

I looked up to see if Eric was still listening, but judging by the intense gaze that rested on my face I was willing to bet he was hanging off my every word.

"I was aware of vampires, but they were much more secretive about their existence, as you very well know. It was much harder to spot the difference between a human and a supernatural. I also lacked the experience to tell. While she couldn't glamor me, she captivated me nonetheless. Sophie-Anne convinced me that not all vampires were bad. She showed me that, and I believed her."

Eric remained completely still. His pale, yet radiating skin, made him look like a marble statue. I shifted my weight and noticed his eyes moved, following me closely. I wish I knew what he was thinking. I wished that often.

"Things started to change. She got possessive. Demanded that I gave her my blood whenever she wished, even though my health was suffering. She told me that when a vampire claimed someone as theirs that it was normal. I had no idea, I had never belonged to a vampire before. But then she trapped me in her apartment, even during the day. She told me that if I ran she would tell everyone what I was."

I swallowed, taking in a deep breath before releasing it slowly.

"I ran, anyway. During the day, and locked myself up at night. I began to figure out that vampires couldn't enter homes without permission. Sophie-Anne purposely kept knowledge of those things away from me. I went as far as I could, careful not to leave a trail, and eventually made my way to America."

My lips curled in a soft, yet apologetic smile.

"That's it. Now you know."

He remained silent. Eric was rarely struggling to find the words to speak, and in this case, his silence spoke for him. He felt remorse, which was more than I could ask for. I leaned forward and grabbed his knee with my fingers, looking up into his eyes as if to say that I'm okay now. What happened in the past is in the past, and the fact that it came back to haunt me was just a tiny detail. I couldn't let Sophie-Anne get to me, and I couldn't let Eric do this for me.

"Look," I began. "If you don't want to testify against this vampire. You don't have to. What are the chances of them actually believing her? Mermaids are supposedly extinct, right? Let her tell them. We'll make it work. I've ran away once, I can do it again."

"No," Eric replied. It seemed the only thing he was able to say. "No. Regardless of Sophie-Anne… I have to testify."

I scanned his face, trying to look for an expression, trying to read what he was trying to say ahead of time.

"The vampire Sophie-Anne is prosecuting is very old, older than I am. While he is not my maker, I used to be very loyal to him."

"Used to be?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation going now we were finally having one.

Eric nodded. "I distanced myself from him a couple of decades ago. He massacred an entire village, leaving hundreds upon hundreds of people dead. It was the worst thing to happen to us as a species. A death here and there is easy to cover up, but this? On this scale? It was near impossible. Vampire laws were not as elaborate as they are now, so he walked away without any repercussions. Sophie-Anne received intel that he is planning something similar. Not all vampires are as accommodating to humans as we are. She needs me to provide the proof and testify."

"We can't she testify herself?"

"He is her maker."

"Oh."

It was the only thing I could say. The relationship between a maker and a vampire was incredibly strong and unlike anything she would ever know. Testifying against your own maker? That would be considered something like treason. No. Even worse than that. It would undoubtedly result in the true death.

"Since we revealed ourselves to the humans, things have gotten more complicated. We have to answer to the government now. We have a reputation to uphold, and even though I do not particularly want to cross a vampire older than I am, I have no choice. I have to do this."

My fingers found his hand and held it, forcing him to look at me.

"I just want you to know that you don't have to do this for me, okay. Don't let her use me as a prop to blackmail you. We can't let her win."

But Eric shook his head. "No, it's okay. I need to do this, regardless whether you are in my existence."

We sat in silence, the only thing audible my soft breathing. Eric could probably also hear my heart beat slowly settling down, and my blood rushing through my veins. I was very thankful for his presence, and even more for the conversation we had. Talking wasn't a thing we did too often. We mostly skipped straight to the sex, and after that my body was so tired I couldn't bring myself to speak. Our schedules were conflicting in more ways than one.

"Are you hungry?" I then found myself asking. I didn't offer my blood that often, as I preferred to keep sex and dinner separately. It was also a way of protecting myself. I knew that my blood was extra special, and tasted better than that of humans. I was afraid that someday he wouldn't be able to stop drinking.

I don't truly know why I did offer myself to him tonight. Perhaps out of guilt. Perhaps out of fear. But also out of dedication. I needed Eric to know that all the trouble I was bringing him wasn't for nothing. I didn't want him to feel like I was using his powers. I wanted to know that I cared for him, like he hopefully cared for me.

Sophie-Anne's words found their way back inside of her head again. Vampires cannot mix with other species. But I had it seen go right so many times before. Vampires and humans have been sharing beds for decades. My train of thought continued, and then I realized something. I could remember countless of humans falling for vampires, but I couldn't think of any shifters. Weres were out of the questions as well, the two hated each other. Witches? No. Faeries? They wouldn't dare.

Eric's cold hand on the small of my back snapped me out of my trance. I had gotten used to his temperature, but it still managed to catch me by surprise every now and then. His eyes were full of lust. and hunger

I tilted my head to the side, feeling Eric's soft lips brush against my skin, which was growing hotter and hotter as my sudden revelation settled. This is why it can never work out between you two.

"Are you sure?" Eric asked one final time even though his fangs were hovering dangerously close to the perfect vein in my neck.

I nodded and pushed my head further to the side to let him know I gave him permission.

A sharp, but short pain followed. The feeling didn't feel as foreign to me anymore, and it had gotten to a point where I didn't mind and even began to enjoy it a little. The idea that I was providing for someone was enticing me. It felt a little romantic, even though blood was involved, and he was technically eating me for dinner.

Eric's hand held my head still by my chin while his other rested on my shoulder. I closed my eyes. His tongue moved around my skin, licking up the blood that had slipped under his lips. I never had to tell him when to stop. Years of experience gave Eric the ability of knowing exactly when it was enough.

He then brought his own finger to his fang and made a small cut, big enough to rub away the bite marks in my neck. While vampires were winning ground regarding equal rights, the sign of being bitten by one was still very much frown upon. Vampires cannot mix with other species.

"Thanks," I said in return to his healing abilities.

Eric smiled softly, licked the excess blood from the corners of his mouth and then leaned in to place a kiss on my lips. It always struck me how he was able to convey so much passion in such a small act.

"Can I stay here?" My voice was low, as if I was fearful for anyone to hear me. "Until the sun comes up?"

I didn't want to go out there. Not yet. I knew Sophie-Anne found me too valuable to just murder me on the spot, but her reappearance in Shreveport made me feel uncomfortable. I didn't want to go out there and face reality.

"Of course."

And then Eric kissed me again.

A/N: I hope this chapter showed that Serena isn't relying on Eric to solve all of her problems. I know it was an aspect some of you criticized. As always, thank you so much for all of your support. Hopefully I'll see you again next time and please don't forget to leave a review. Take care :)