It was hard to miss the dress. Rather, it was hard to miss the vast expanses of deliciously exposed skin that the scraps of material failed to cover. The dress would have been labeled "trashy" by anyone who was asked; Eric would have suggested it for inclusion in the Louvre. He didn't like the color on her, but who the fuck would be looking at the fabric? He touched the tip of his tongue to his partially extended fangs and stared. Her graceful back was completely bare, and her chest might as well have been so. The generous curves of her breasts tested the thin material that covered them, and the tantalizing valley between them was there for all to see. An inch or two lower, and the plunging neckline would have afforded a glimpse of Sookie's navel as well.

With so much bounty on display, he had no difficulty ignoring the shifter at her side. Less easy to ignore were the bruises on her face and the bandages on her arms. If they hadn't promised the Pelts… He was distracted for a few moments with thoughts of what he'd love to do to them, but his mind quickly switched back to the much more pleasant reflection about what he'd love to do to Sookie.

He was on watch tonight. Something was about to happen here, and he could see it on most of the vampires' faces. In spite of the compulsion to go to Sookie and steal her away from Quinn for a dance, he maintained his position against a far wall and observed in silence.

Sophie-Anne stood beside Threadgill, who looked like a tiger ready to pounce. No, that was Quinn, Eric thought bitterly. He watched Sookie step close to Mr. Cataliades, and when she drew away, one of her bandages was gone. Eric frowned. What the fuck? Then she offered her hand to the queen. Normally, Sophie-Anne would look on such a gesture with utter disdain, but she didn't hesitate to take Sookie's hand. Whatever the two women were saying, Sophie-Anne looked very pleased. She was a lover of women, and doubtless she appreciated what Sookie and her tease of a dress had to offer. Sookie then spoke briefly to Threadgill before walking with Quinn to a shadowy corner across the room from where Eric stood.

Anastasia, the night's mistress of ceremonies, signaled the room for attention and announced in a voice still slightly accented with Russian, "Sophie-Anne and Peter welcome you to their first joint entertainment. Sophie-Anne and Peter invite all of you to have a wonderful evening of dancing, eating, and drinking. To open the dancing, our host and hostess will waltz."

Eric paced down the length of the wall where he'd placed himself, watching the dancers, watching Sookie move to the refreshment table and engage in conversation with another couple, watching Bill watch Sookie, watching the conspicuously dressed Arkansas vampires. Quinn and Sookie glided onto the dance floor, but Eric's eyes were drawn elsewhere.

Threadgill nodded at Ra Shawn, a vampire who stood some yards from Eric, and minutes later, Eric saw the flash of a sword, followed by Wybert's body falling to the ground as the bodyguard's head hurtled towards the dancers, leaving a trail of blood and gore behind it. He blocked out the screams and commotion as his eyes swept the rapidly forming chaos for Sookie. She stood alone at the edge of the room, near a pillar, and Wybert's head lay at her feet.

Satisfied that she was safe, Eric began making his way towards the queen and her allies in the center of the room, where the Arkansas vampires were surrounding them. All except one. Eric stopped and whirled, searching for Ra Shawn. The sword-wielding vampire was eying Sookie, walking slowly along the wall towards her.

Eric roared, bared his fangs, and practically flew to Sookie's side, knocking her flat and covering her body with his own, just as he had done in Dallas. She made a move to defend herself, but he pinned her down. "I've got you," he assured her.

Her breasts swelled as she gasped for the breath that had been knocked out of her. "What the hell are you doing?" she demanded, oblivious as always. Her cheeks were flushed, her skin lightly misted with sweat.

He grinned down at her. "Protecting you." Enjoying the feel of your body under mine once again.

"I don't see anybody coming after me." She struggled beneath him, and the movement only added fuel to his desire for her. "It seems to me like the queen needs you more than I do, but I appreciate it."

I don't give a fuck about the queen, he thought rashly – but the rashness of it made it no less true. Sookie was the only person in that room he cared about protecting. He crushed his lips to hers and took his time kissing her, his raw lust of this evening combining with the passion he now always felt for her. He pricked his tongue on one of his fangs as he kissed her. The small drops of his blood wouldn't do much, but she could use all the extra strength she could get.

Now there was business to attend to. He broke off the kiss with regret and smiled down at her as he reached for the decapitated head. "Bowling for vampires," he quipped, feeling giddy with bloodlust and Sookie-lust. With hardly a glance, he pitched his bloody bowling ball at Ra Shawn, and the shiny sword fell to the floor with a clatter. In the space of one second, Eric left Sookie and scooped up the fallen sword. He gave his enemy the Wybert treatment, and another head joined Wybert's on the floor.

He gave a loud shout of victory and charged at the Arkansas vampires who surrounded Sophie-Anne and her people. Eric knew himself to be a master of three things: business, killing, and sex, in no particular order. He had no qualms about showing off any of these skills when they were called for, and he left a bloody trail behind him.

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Sorry for the long wait and the short chapter. BUT! This brings me to the end of my least favorite of the books, and now I get to start on my MOST favorite. So you can expect the story to be updated regularly with longer chapters as I used to do. =)