Sookie

Chapter VIII

Hours later Sam and I closed the bar. I knew he wasn't happy about the route I'd chosen but he didn't say anything. He called the pack master and we would be meeting them in less than an hour. To hang out with Sam was one thing, to go see a werewolf I didn't know was a whole other matter. I was scared to death. It wasn't without reason I soon found. The meeting with the representative of the pack went a little something like this: Out of the frying pan into the fire.

The Alpha sent his second in command. He had tanned skin, rippling muscles, and curly dark hair. Alcide Herveaux was a handsome guy. He was a handsome and scary guy. I felt like he should frighten any sane person. It had nothing to with the scar that ran down the left side of his face, it was his eyes that burned a hole on the side of my face the entire time he was speaking to Sam.

"Who's picking on your girlfriend?" he bluntly asked Sam.

"I'm..." my words were cut off as Sam tugged on my arm reminding me to be quiet.

"Fairies," he replied, not correcting the title by which I was addressed. "And they have her brother."

"I might know where to find some fairies," he said still staring. Sheesh, didn't he blink. "The question is, why you?"

"I'm a telepath," I said.

Sam elbowed me. I grumbled and rubbed my side. It didn't take a genius to figure out that if I went blabbing I might get Jason's finger in the mail or something. It wasn't like we rehearsed a script in the car or anything. I figured telling the werewolf that much would allow him to infer whatever conclusion he liked.

The intensity of Alcide's look turned to high beams. I tried not to jump out of my skin as I visibly saw him lean into the wind to catch my scent. "My pack needs a shaman. I'll track down your brother and…"

"What's a shaman?" I asked.

At the same time Sam elbowed me again and growled, downing my noise of protest. "Ouch," I muttered rubbing my side.

"The answer is no."

"You're a guest," Alcide said with his face hardening. "Watch your tone."

Okay, so it looked like no one was going to answer my question. Sam growled, pushing me behind and away from him. "And you're nuts if you think that's a fair trade."

It happened quickly. All I saw was Alcide taking a step. Then Sam leapt forward as if to tackle him. The next time I knew an enormous russet colored wolf was scrapping with a lion. The fighting was fast paced and the air rang with snarls and roars and growls of aggression. I was transfixed by the whole scene, watching utterly amazed with my hands over my ears. The strange thing was I wanted to shut my eye but they seemed to be glued open.

I knew what Sam was. I'd seen his Collie form. Once he'd even turned into an identical replica of Tina. That was cute. This, his lion form, was nothing short of ferocious and lethal. In my opinion Alcide was out of his league but he didn't quit. He was faster than Sam but not stronger. In no time at all he was pinned down with Sam's jaws around his neck. Knowing he was beaten, Alcide went limp.

"Sam don't," I called. I didn't want him to kill anyone because I'd been stupid and insisted on the meeting and spoken out of place after I'd been warned not to.

Sam tossed Alcide clear across the lot with a shake of his head. With a parting growl at Sam and another glance at me Alcide trotted off. His tail wasn't between his legs but considering the loss he took it should have been. He got his wolf butt kicked. Sam didn't change back into Sam. He climbed into the truck in his lion form. I was trying to think up plausible excuses for having a lion in the cab of my truck in the event I got pulled over.

Half way home Sam did change back but that, too, was uncomfortable because he was naked. All the while he was shooting me looks that said 'I told you so.' Truth was, he had.

"Can I stay the night?" I asked parking his truck next to his house.

There was nothing wrong with my car or my house. I just didn't want to go home. Between Niall and the werewolf I wasn't sure I ever wanted to go home.

"Might as well," he grumbled limping inside. "Folks already talkin'."

Sam found clothes while I made tea. "Why was the shaman thing so bad?" I asked.

He scoffed. "Minus the psychotropic drugs they'll feed you by the cupfuls to enhance your ability, nothing."

Of course it had to be some sordid thing. I just couldn't seem to win for losing. All I gained after tonight was one more person who wanted a piece of me. It was perfect, really. While I was out shopping for fairy repellent I could pick up some werewolf spray too.

"Thank you," I told him. "I appreciate everything you've done, listening and telling me things I ought to know and kicking werewolf butt. No one else would have done that for me." No one and that included my brother.

He rolled his eyes. "Don't make it sound like goodbye, Cher." He reached across his small drop table and squeezed my hand. "It isn't."

Bless him. He wasn't even annoyed that he had gotten into a fight because of me. His show of support for some reason made me want to cry. I guess that was what you did when someone made you feel safe. You were able to fall apart. I hadn't had that in so long that I forgot what it was like.

"I don't know that it isn't." I told him sincerely. "I don't know anything."

I had no control anymore. It was ironic. I'd fought to remain standing on my own two feet throughout my adult life. Then, just like that, creatures from another side of reality mosey in to take it all away and there was nothing I could do. I sat there staring into my steaming cup of tea with Sam's hand in mine.

My Gran had raised me to be a fighter, to never let anyone take anything from me. So it was hard to admit even to myself that I was out of choices. All I had now were options and I went with the best one. Until I had something else, I had to go along with it.

Sam and I shared his sofa bed and my back was feeling every spring I'd slept on come morning. It didn't occur to me that I was sleeping in bed with a man. Mainly because he didn't see me like that. We talked into the early hours of the morning but it wasn't about the craziness of my life. I knew it had been his way to take my mind off vampires and fairies and werewolves. It worked. It made me feel normal enough to finally fall asleep.

In the morning Sam was up bright and early to receive shipments at the bar. I was bleary eyed and my hair was a birds nest. The thought of going home had me wishing I'd invested in bear mace at least. Sam read the expression on my face and chuckled.

"Don't worry about Alcide. I spoke to the pack master and he sends along his apologies. The guy is a great enforcer but a shitty person."

"Thanks," I sighed. That was a bit of good news. While I hadn't solved my main problem I hadn't added to it either.

In the end it was guilt that got me out the door right after him. Poor Tina had been home alone overnight and it was a first. I was turning the corner into my potholed driveway when I saw a sleek car ahead. Propped on the hood like an ornament was a woman. Even before I got close enough to see her fully I knew she was something special.

I felt a twinge of recognition though I didn't know her. She was pale and her river of dark hair had red and honey colored highlights when caught in the sunlight. It fell in perfect ringlets to the middle of her back. Bright round hazel eyes lit her face. The peach wrap dress she wore accentuated her long legs, which seemed to go on for days.

She sashayed well into my personal space. "Hi," she said with a smile that displayed perfect teeth and dimples. She sniffed at me subtly but kept the results of the sniff test to herself. "I'm your cousin Claudine."

Of course she was. Not much could surprise me at this point. It was now amusing that I used to bemoan the fact that my family tree was trimmed to nothing. "I'm tired," I replied sidestepping her extended arms.

I'd expected her to pop into my house but she walked alongside me. In her high heels she still glided over the gravel as if it were her very own cat walk.

"Nice to meet you Tired," she said. "I'm looking for Sookie. Have you seen her?"

"Nope," I said.

My tone had been biting and there had been more than a little sarcasm. I'd hoped it would warn her off, but no such luck. Instead she laughed. It pissed me off that it sounded like the peal of heaven's bells.

"That's funny," she said draping an arm around my shoulder. "You're funny."

Yeah, yuk it up. I shrugged out from under her arm and she reached for my hand and used it to pull me the rest of the way up the back steps. It was as if she couldn't keep her hands to herself. When I pulled my hand free she was leaning her shoulder against mine as I unlocked the door. I hadn't said anything more to her but she didn't seem to mind nor did it mar her good mood.

It could be paranoia but I thought Niall was changing tactics. Where he was reserved and infuriating, Claudine was touchy feely and hard to hate. It wasn't her per se that I was averse to. It was just all the things she represented. I wanted her to leave so I could pretend for at least a while that my life wasn't getting overrun by fairies.

"What do you want?" I asked cutting her off at the door. She seemed genuinely startled by my hostility. Right.

"Ada says to take you shopping," she looked at me up and down and from the slight frown I knew I'd failed some inspection. "We have much to buy."

I left her in the kitchen with my Benedict cat in her lap. Tina was getting her ear scratched and purring to within an inch of her life. I shook my head but really I couldn't be mad at her. They smelled good and I hadn't been around as much as I used to be. I showered and tried to fortify myself for all the implications of the day ahead.

~oooooo~

"We will eat lunch," she announced clapping her hands. "Something sweet will improve your mood."

From the sound of her voice I knew she had to be repeating this. I blinked and found myself back in the car. The backseat was piled high with a mountain of bags from stores I couldn't even afford to walk past. Claudine moved her lips throughout the entire outing. She smiled at me and at the attentive sales people but I didn't hear any of it. I simply disengaged. We weren't shopping for me. Niall was making sure I was the proper package as he presented me to Eric.

We ate in silence at the fancy bistro in the mall. It was the kind of place you went for special occasions, at least that would be the only reason I would have ever come here. By the time our meal arrived Claudine looked like the silence was grating on her. Despite myself I felt guilty. How the hell does that work? I felt bad for someone who was an instrument in my ruination. But she had sat there the entire meal with big hopeful green eyes and a slight pout on her bowed lips.

Simply because I felt I deserved it I ordered a slice of strawberry cheesecake. Claudine looked at my dessert and the sad face intensified. In a not too subtle gesture, she began toying nosily with her fork. I pushed the plate towards her. Sure eating all that sugar might make me feel better now but I would regret it later.

"So you are my guardian, is that like a fairy godmother," I asked because I honestly wasn't sure. "Or do you grant wishes like a genie?" because I had to say I had a few.

She laughed softly and I had to admit that it made me want to smile just to hear it. "No and you never want to meet a genie," She shuddered visibly. "I'm your guardian because I'm your older cousin." Then she took a forkful of cheesecake. "In terms of power I cannot do much. I'm fairly young and…undecided in my pursuits, so here I am."

Not having a clue what she was being evasive about left me unable to pick through it so I just didn't comment. In any case she didn't give me a chance as she fell into Vampire Decorum 101. It was a lot more useful than anything Sam had told me because it was based on the vampire I was to marry.

"Going to him with the scent of another man on you…would be bad," she said looking at me pointedly. Then her sniffing at me clicked. She had smelled Sam on me. She didn't elaborate and I didn't comment. "He is old and from what I have heard he is mellower than your average vamp but there are things you shouldn't do."

The explanation she fell into was mostly things I'd learned in my upbringing. Others Sam had told me. In short I basically had to mind my manners and defer to his dominance and ego. I figured she thought I was really dim because she felt the need to tell me not to pick a fight with a vampire or to stay out of his way.

"Will he kill me if I do any of those things?" I asked out of morbid curiosity. "Am I the first mail order bride the Sky Prince is delivering to him or do they not last?"

Claudine stilled with her lips over her straw. The expression on her face was horror struck. I'm not sure why my question had unsettled her so much. It seemed like a reasonable thing to be curious about given with the run down she had given me.

"It doesn't have to be like you fear," she said squeezing my hand.

I noticed that she didn't answer the question. Annoyed, I pulled away from her. "How will it be then?" I asked because I didn't believe her, not for one second.

She shrugged and a mask of calm fell over her pretty features. "I do not know but it could be better. He cares greatly for his image and that will be to your favor."

Dollars to donuts no one had ever forced her to marry a vampire. "Yeah, it could be rainbows and roses but then it could also be worse than I could ever imagine."

I had to laugh when a reviewer asked me not to hold my chapters hostage for reviews. It's not that I'm holding them hostage its that i'm trying to pace myself so I don't hit a point where you guys are waiting more than a few days for updates. See, I'm thoughtful like that, now review or I'll come and get you! :-D (I'm totally joking, seriously no one should feel the need to report me to FF admin)