Rubywoovamp, this chapter is dedicated to you. I hope I do you proud!

Chapter 23

Vikings, Vampires and Sex, Oh My!

Eric's POV

I can recall the exact moment that I first saw Sookie Stackhouse. At first glance, I was not immediately impressed. My interest was piqued when I sensed the overprotective way Bill Compton was crowding her. As a rule, I covet what I think I cannot have and if Bill had indeed claimed this human as his own, that made her interesting by default.

When she first spoke to me, the way she did her bizarre head nod and half bow, as if I were royalty, struck me as humorous. Humor is not an emotion that I entertain often. I do, however have a sense of humor. One cannot be stuck for month's at a time on a Viking Battle ship with 200 other Norse males without one and expect to come home sane. But that was long ago in my human life and I truly have not had much need for it since becoming vampire. There is nothing funny about being undead in this world where a piece of wood can accomplish what God had not been able to do in a natural way.

Vampires have many enemies and few allies. The fighting between our own kind is savage and bloody. Vampire memory is long and grudges last eternally. To find a human such as Sookie, with her considerable talent as a mind-reader made her indispensable to me. I am my own biggest fan and ensuring my survival is always a top priority. At that point, though, she was an asset and nothing more.

I soon found myself seeking her out when I had no real reason to do so. I would call Bill in to Fangtasia for no other purpose than to pick his dead brain for news of Sookie. I felt ashamed of the way I was letting this human affect my everynight routines. Instead of handling my business like I always had, I delegated much of it to Pam and Longshadow. I had been the reason that the traitorous bartender had been able to embezzle so much money from my business. If I had kept my mind on these matters, he would not have found a way to steal from me. Even after I eventually had to stake him and assure his final death to protect Sookie from his fangs, he had continued to cost me. I paid a stiff fine for killing a vampire to protect a human.

I cannot totally regret that incident. It led to the initial agreement between my lover and I. Sookie had agreed to work for me if I agreed that no humans would be harmed, but instead turned over to the proper authorities. I originally had no intent to keep my end of the bargain. How would she possibly ever know if I decided to end a few lives of some people who had wronged me? Oddly, I felt an uneasy allegiance to her that went against my own immoral code. I lived by my own ideas, me first, all is fair as long as I decide it is, you get the picture.

I was disgusted to realize that, even though I tried to convince myself her life or death was of no consequence to me, I followed her to Dallas and ended up taking a bullet for her. The wound was never a real threat to my existence but I played it for all it was worth. I wanted to look like a hero to her. Someone mattered to me for the first time in my vampire life and I didn't like it. It made me feel idiotic and weak.

She was gaining power over me at an alarming rate and I had briefly considered killing her to end my madness. Very briefly. The thought of a world without her in it seemed empty and pointless and I loathed myself for feeling that way.

I was surprised to realize that Pam was a Sookie fan. You would have never known it at first, to hear the way Pam dismissed her to her face. But as soon as the little blonde had left that first night with Mr. Compton, she had been very vocal with ideas about how I should approach Sookie, take her into my protection, and so forth. She hadn't wanted to admit it to me but my blood bond with her had told me the truth, she actually liked the human.

It had taken an annoyingly short time for my feelings to reach an obsessive and possessive state without my ever even having been alone with her. That annoying piss-ant of a vampire, Bill, was always around. But I knew things about him that he did not realize I did.

Bill had approached Sookie under direct orders from our Queen, Sophie-Ann Leclerq. She had bade him to seduce the telepath, to keep her close. The Queen was no fool, nor was I. I appreciated Sookie on many levels, but her abilities were the first such that I had encountered in a human and were priceless to ones as ambitious as the Queen and I. Bill was unaware that as I was the Sheriff of his new home area. the Queen had felt obligated to inform me of his mission under her orders. It had been strictly professional courtesy for I knew Sophie-Ann was no fan of mine.

So I did my best to convince myself that it was a fascination attributable to my sense of self-preservation. I am a great liar to others but horrible at self-deception. I had felt as if Sookie had procured some spell of enchantment, a sort of magic that had allowed my still heart to beat again.

It was purely by accident that I came across two pivotal things in Bill Compton's house one night. I had arrived there early for a meeting with him and let myself in.

I wandered for a bit, looking at his old, boring photos on the walls and played Wii golf for a while. I decided that I might like a warm bath in Bill's huge antique tub, so upstairs I went. It was at the top of the steps that I caught Sookie's scent.

I followed the trail of it like a bloodhound to a closet in what would have been the master bedroom. Inside that closet was a small wooden box hidden behind some shoes. Inside that box I had found Sookie's white frilly undergarments and some very graphic and recent letters from the Vampire Lorena. That was how I came to know that Bill was not only a liar but an unfaithful asshole. My heart ached for her, she deserved to know the truth. But I needed a plan, some way to get to her on an intimate level so I could reveal the truth about Bill while they were together. The bond between them had to be severed completely if I were to have any hope of gaining her favor.

She had called me a mere three days later and asked for my protection during an orgy while she tried to ascertain who was responsible for murdering her friend, Lafayette. She had also requested that I pretend to be gay. As I have heard humans ruminate for years now, the things we do for love.

Most of that night had been predictably boring. Ugly humans lay everywhere, fucking joylessly, exposing parts of themselves that they could have had cut off instead of displaying. It became much more promising when Sookie had asked me to take her outside, she was buckling under the horror of what she was seeing inside the crowded, disgusting cabin.

I had not been able to help myself as she lay pinned under me on the hood of my Corvette. I knew I wouldn't be able to glamor her into yielding to me but I tried just the same. I was shocked when I had kissed her and felt her respond. I was angry that I had not been able to sense Bill as he approached from the woods to interrupt our interlude.

She had flown to his side, leaving me feeling somewhat rejected. I was wallowing in self pity and was inattentive when apparently Bill had said something that did not sit well with the little wildcat. She had a small display of displeasure, stomping his foot angrily, and then had stormed off down the long driveway. I was about to go after her when I heard the girl Sookie had called Tara leave the party in a hurry. She was in foul spirits as well, her boyfriend had found me rather appealing. Who could blame him? The friend would no doubt stop and offer Sookie a ride.

Inspiration struck as I looked at Bill. I had the perfect ammunition in his discovered and pilfered letters from Lorena and I realized that a little blackmail was in order. I am not, it seems, the only vampire who has the instinct for self-preservation. Bill would acquiesce when confronted with my newly gained knowledge of his infidelity, for I had gleaned from her letters that Lorena knew nothing of his relationship with Sookie either.

So, I had made him an offer he could not refuse. I would not tell Lorena of his intimate relationship with Sookie nor the Queen of his top secret vampire database. (He had ignorantly told me of this little side venture in an attempt to look important.) This was in his best interest for I am sure she would have viewed his silence regarding it as traitorous. All I asked in return was that he help me bed Sookie.

He had laughed at first, a snide, mocking laugh that I knew Sookie had heard as well. He had told me she would never go for it, that we both knew she could not be glamored into doing it.

I told him that all he needed to do to uphold his end of the deal was put the idea in motion, I could handle the rest. He was so smugly self assured, he had never dreamed for one second that Sookie would be so open to the idea. Nor could he have foreseen how much the idea of a Sookie sandwich would appeal to him. I can be very, very persuasive when I need to be.

Everything had fallen into place perfectly. I have never been one to believe much in faith, but if there is such a thing, it was smiling down upon me that night. It did not go as smoothly as I would have liked. She had protested loudly with her mouth even though her body had been screaming yes with all the tell-tale signs of arousal. The smell of her wetness had caused me actual physical pain, I had strained those ridiculous spandex shorts to the point of ripping. So intense was my longing for her, when she had implied that I might not respect her afterwards, I had felt extremely angry. Had she no idea at all what she meant to me? Of course she did not, I was not even sure of that myself.

I had glared at Bill and mentally told him that he needed to say something to convince Sookie that he wanted this as well. I was slightly taken aback when he had responded with more enthusiasm than I thought him capable of.

And to seal the deal, I had actually had Sookie tell me that she wanted me to fuck her. It was the most erotic thing to hear her say it, unfortunately Bill was still there and part of the deal. I was not expecting the feeling of jealousy that was awakened by the thought if him touching her, kissing her, drinking from her, or entering her. He didn't deserve to grovel at her feet, the traitorous wretch. He was unworthy to even gaze at her from a distance.

I had placed myself in front of her with Bill behind. My desire was uncontrollable, I had not been able to stop myself from biting her brassiere in half out of passion. The sight of her breasts alone would have taken my breath away if I had actually needed air to survive. I had sensed her inner turmoil, known how she felt betrayed by her body. There was something else building inside of her as well. Just as I had thought that she might protest and tell us to stop again, she orgasmed. I had felt enthralled with this woman. I wouldn't have thought it possible for a human to achieve release without more stimulation and I told her as much.

Bill, the premature idiot vampire had decided to interrupt with his urgent message relaying that surprisingly he was horny and wanted to fuck her immediately. I couldn't bear the thought, so I had stalled.

I relayed to him mentally that he would be wise to go along with whatever I said from there on out.

I had insisted to Sookie that she needed to drink our blood and we needed to drink from her as well. I had been able to tell that Bill was not happy about the idea but he had agreed. The wave of arousal that had come from Sookie was incredible. She had stared into my eyes and I felt how badly she wanted me inside of her.

Bill, ever the so-called gentleman offered his blood first. It was a very stupid move on his part, I had known that he would be briefly incapacitated after the drinking and I would have Sookie almost completely to myself. As she had begun to drink from him, I had smelled and felt her arousal intensify so strongly that I had almost felt lightheaded. I had to taste her! She hadn't minded when I sank to my knees and used my mouth to satisfy her. I was not sure, but I was of the suspicion that Bill had never done this for her. He really was quite selfish in more ways than one.

She had had Bill's pathetic organ in her hands, doing all she could to please him with her mouth and hand movements as I was bringing her closer to another orgasm. I could feel every twitch and spasm and had noted which movements I made with my tongue seemed to please her most. I felt her eyes upon me and I stared up at her, refusing to break the gaze. I had slid one finger up inside of , reveling in the heat and moisture of her, and she had exploded all around it. I had projected my thoughts as forcefully as I could at her, letting her know that it was my thoughts she was hearing. I had wanted her to feel the way she made me feel and told her so. I had asked permission to do this, to share my mind with her and she had said yes. I had felt a rush of adrenaline, never had I wanted to be inside of a human mind so badly! She had sensed that this silent conversation was for she and I only, surprising me yet again with her quickness of mind.

Bill, the light weight, had slumped to the side pathetically. She had drank more than her fair share from him and he was mentally somewhere else.

I wanted her to attack me, take my blood as forcefully as she could. She had had a boost from drinking of Bill, and I had wanted her to take advantage of it. When she had asked me to get on my knees for her, I am ashamed to admit that I almost ejaculated in my shorts. Her voice had been almost otherworldly, heavy with lust and husky sounding.

No sooner was I on my knees than she had wrapped herself around me and torn into me with a vengeance. I cried out from the pleasure of feeling her teeth on my skin, her tongue lapping my blood. I am not sure what exactly I had been thinking while she drank, I felt as if I was home after a long trip abroad. I knew her soul, it felt like a reconnection rather than a new experience to have her feed from me. And then I went blank.

The next thing I can remember was seeing Sookie biting into Bill's groin and drinking vampire blood for the third time that night. It was too much, too soon. I had no idea what might happen to her as a result and I was fearful. I had warned her mentally and she had turned to look at me. The beauty of her face, the sight of a trickle of blood running down her chin, the naked lust that displayed across her features was incredible to behold. I had been stunned enough to mentally stutter like a stooge. An ancient Scandinavian proverb had come to mind with the realization that I was deeply and totally in love with this woman.

He who follows the river comes at last to the sea.

Every decision I had made in my long and sometimes almost unbearable life as a vampire had led me to her. Every moment and incident, whether great or small, had paved the way for us to meet and for me to feel that there could be something more than just acquiring wealth, power and respect. All that I owned and controlled paled in comparison to the need I felt to have her to myself.

As I had took in the sight of her looking at me and then realizing that her hand was still connected to Bill in a way that displeased me greatly, I couldn't control the surge of hatred for the wretched, faithless excuse of a vampire. I had thrown him up and over the back of the chair he had been in and had exclaimed officially that I was claiming Sookie as my own. Only a fool would have challenged me and Bill Compton is nothing if not a fool.

****A little note.....From the laptop of PleasantlyWeird

Sorry it has taken me longer than usual to post a new chapter. This has been a tough one for me to pound out. I have never written an entire chapter from a male perspective before. I found this one to bee extremely challenging. Eric's is a tough mind to get inside and I wanted to stay true to the beautiful, tough and jaded Eric that CH created for us to lust over. It was a bitch but I think I did him justice. Please review and let me know if I should continue adding an Eric POV here and there. I am also toying with the idea of a Bill POV chapter. I really want to get inside of his weaselly mind so we can all be even more disgusted with him! I love you guys and thanks so much for the kind words, keep them coming!!!****