Deadly Words

by 22wolf

A big mouth can always get you in trouble...with vampires, it can be a lot of trouble. "You told them you were mine. I'll take that as you offering yourself to me. Consider yourself mine." Eric said eric/OC Dina, D/s, violence, lemons, for adults only

25. Yellow with EPOV

My coauthor, Shadokat, and I (Wolf22) would like to address some of the recent reviews we've been getting about the BDSM content of this story. First of all, for anyone who has taken the time to review, THANK YOU. That goes out to everyone whether your review was positive or negative. We need those negative comments to know what we are doing wrong. We're having a hard time understanding the way some readers are interpreting the relationship between Eric and Dina.

*First of all, Dina is not afraid of Eric. There are things she's not sure about, like in the last chapter where he tied her too tightly and she didn't say anything. It wasn't fear that kept her from speaking up. It was uncertainty. In a Dominant/submissive relationship, especially during training, the submissive cries a lot and feels uncertain because little by little her barriers are being broken down so that she can belong completely to her Dominant. That is part of what's happening here. People who are unfamiliar with this relationship dynamic may see it as unhealthy or abusive when it is far from that. Also, Dina has a history of taking on too much without asking for help. Eric is trying to work with her on this, as we've seen.

*Eric loves Dina deeply. He doesn't understand yet that he does. When he demanded that their relationship change to D/s and that he wanted her to live with him, he did it partially out of fear for her safety. He freaked out and wanted her with him every minute. He's also a Dominant and craves this relationship, so yeah he was a little bit selfish too. She had a choice and she chose to give this new thing a try with Eric. They may write up a contract between them as many of you have suggested. Thank you for bringing it to our attention that we neglected to even mention it.

*We'd also like to note that if Eric needed D/s as a deal breaker, he needed to tell her. If she gave/gives him a deal breaker, such as monogamy, its likely most people won't be angry with her. I (Wolf22) was also a little offended by the notion that because Dina is a woman she is ruled by emotions and need for a relationship. Eric has never put her down or lowered his opinion of her because of her sex and we won't either. (Remember our Viking has one child and chose that female to be his second and most trusted ally)

*We are making a huge effort to show love between them, especially coming from Eric, and happy playfulness. Are those scenes too short? Some readers don't seem to see that part.

*Eric is not perfect. He makes mistakes. He's making a lot of mistakes. We know that. We are doing that deliberately. We want you to see him making mistakes so it feels that much better when he improves.

Please keep the reviews coming. We appreciate all of them. We are glad you choose to read our story and hope you'll keep coming back. Thank you! Now please enjoy the chapter.

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Dina POV

I slept. I slept hard. I only woke up twice. Once to adjust the blankets as best I could with the chain on my ankle. The other time I had to pee. I didn't want to move. I was so tired. The urge to pee got me up – slowly. I was stiff and didn't enjoy walking with a chain on my ankle. I noticed something the second I moved to get up – my butt hurt when I moved because of the plug. Each step was discomfort. I wasn't used to constant penetration of this part of my body. The pain was worst when I sat down on the toilet with my legs open and my weight straining on my lower half.

I considered taking the plug out. It would ease the pain. However, I worried how it would feel as it came out. But more than anything else, I knew Eric would be furious. I never feared him seriously hurting me or ever punishing me unfairly. I was certain he wanted the plug in and if I took it out, I would be punished. I cringed at the thought of what he'd do. I quickly peed and wiped. I glanced in the mirror, but knew I had to look terrible. I felt terrible. I moved with my chain back to bed. My bottom was sore and I sincerely hoped Eric wouldn't keep one of these in me all day again.

I glared at my resting Vamp. I was so mad about how he left me last night. Not so much that dawn took him from me, but that he left me plugged and chained up. I glared at him before slipping into bed beside him. I had no energy and went back to sleep within a few minutes. Typically it was hard for me to fall asleep and to stay asleep. I woke up here and there during the night – well the day now – and then dozed back to sleep. I had already been resting for a few hours. I hoped to get up soon and actually do something, but I just had to lie back down right now. I was so tired.

Eric POV

I opened my eyes to a delicious scent. My Bonded lay next to me in bed, soft and warm and always willing. I pulled her to me and used my fingers to pull her collar down closer to her chest. Then I stuck my nose into the soft place between her jaw and her shoulder, nudging her gently to make sure I could feed. She complied by turning her head away from me, completely relaxed. I kissed her neck a few times, licked the salt from her skin and gently bit, loving my first meal of the night.

After about thirty seconds her body suddenly tensed and she tried to pull away from me. Out of instinct I growled loudly and used one hand to force her head to remain still while I pinned her hands and arms with my other hand and immobilized her body with my legs. My cock had already been hard for her, but now the lust I felt was maddening!

"Eric! Stop!" I heard her cry. Why was she telling me to stop? Why was she struggling? Her voice seemed to be a long way away because the sound of her accelerated heartbeat and the blood racing through her veins had become thunderous in my ears. Feeding from the unwilling was beyond exciting for a Vampire! I bucked my hips, stroking my cock against her soft skin in the space between her hipbone and her stomach – so close to where it wanted to be the most! She was frantic as she jerked away from it, or tried to with as much movement as I was allowing her, which wasn't much.

But something was wrong! Dina usually welcomed my attentions and enjoyed my feeding. Why was she struggling? I finished my meal, sealed and healed the wounds, and let go of her, releasing my hold on the rest of her body as well. She pushed at me and jumped off the bed, backing away from me until she had retreated into the washroom.

My predatory instincts came alive and I jumped up to follow her at my own speed. When I suddenly appeared in front of her she held her hands up and said "No! Eric please!"

It was at that moment that the beast inside of me backed off, letting the man come forward. "Dina, Lover, what is the matter?" I held my hand out to her but she tried to back away, and couldn't. I heard the sound of metal against wood and looked down. Oh, yes! I had chained her to the bed to keep her near me and teach her that I could restrict anything and everything she did.

"Why are you feeding on me when I'm asleep?" she shrieked at me.

I was confused. When I had nudged her she had turned her head, I thought to give me access to her neck. But thinking back, nothing else on her body had moved or made any kind of gesture to welcome or encourage me. My waking mind had not yet felt the bond between us, which would have told me she wasn't awake. "You were sleeping?" I had to ask.

"Yes!" She was shaking and started to cry. I hated tears, especially coming from her. I had learned, only in the past months actually, how to deal with a crying woman about whom I cared. She couldn't move any farther away from me, so I went to her and, even though she struggled, pulled her into my arms.

"Ssshh, Dear one," I said softly, stopping her struggles and holding her tightly to me, rubbing her back with one hand. After a few seconds, she put her arms around me. This told me that she was accepting my comfort. I picked her up and carried her back to the bed. As I lay her down, I dialed the combination to unlock the lock that held the chain to the cuff around her ankle, and then I pulled her to the middle of the bed, wrapping both my arms and legs around her.

She continued to cry for a few minutes but gradually quieted. "I'm sorry for flipping out like that Eric!" she shook her head, put her hand on my chest and looked up into my eyes. The look she gave me was heartbreaking. A lesser man would have fled from it.

"You turned your head when I nudged you. I swear I thought you were aware of what I was doing!" I explained in a soft but firm voice. But I was in the wrong. I had to make amends. "I am sorry, Love."

She reached up and kissed my lips, softly. I didn't try to go further because of her mood, but I was still excited sexually. When she had resisted me, it had brought out the urge to take her by force. I could easily have raped her if I hadn't been able to control myself. She touched my cheek with her palm, and that enough was to calm me. I leaned into her hand, grasped it with my own, and kissed it.

"This isn't like you, Lover," I told her. "You don't usually sleep this late in the afternoon. Were you unable to sleep this morning?"

She thought back for a few seconds. "No, I went to sleep pretty fast, considering…"

Yes, considering. She had been upset and crying when we had gone to sleep. The dawn had forced me into my slumber while my Bonded cried over something I had done to her. "We should talk about that," I said firmly.

Tears formed in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. Not again! "It hurts, Eric!" she sobbed, reaching for the box of tissues on her nightstand to try to control her crying. She blew her nose and waved her hand around for a few seconds, unsure of where to dispose of the tissue. There was a wastebasket next to the big dresser. I took the tissue from her and threw it into the wastebasket, where of course it landed perfectly.

"Two points," she said with a small laugh. I looked at her blankly, having no idea what she meant. She stared at me like I was clueless, which I was, and then said, "Um, never mind," chuckling. I wasn't happy to have missed the joke, but at least she had smiled.

She rolled onto her back but then came back up on her side, grabbing on to me like I was the last lifeboat leaving the Titanic. Her tears resumed. "I don't understand this!" she cried. "Why are you deliberately hurting me? Why won't you tell me what you're punishing me for? It hurts so much!" She buried her head in my chest and sobbed her heart out.

I held her close until she quieted somewhat. "I told you; I am not punishing you!" I said it a little tersely; I was tired of being asked why I was punishing her. "Well, perhaps I am, a little bit, but not for the most part." Her look told me she expected an explanation. "I needed a way to show you that your body belongs to me, most particularly that part. No other man will ever touch you there. That means something to me!" My voice was more emotional than I wanted it to be but it got her attention. She started caressing my chest, and it felt good. I closed my eyes for a few seconds, then opened them and smiled at her. "Yesterday you asked me why I was getting up your ass about that man. It gave me an idea. You are not ready for me to take you there yet," I cupped her ass cheek for emphasis, "but I could get up your ass, with the plug, while simultaneously demonstrating my ownership. I didn't realize that it would hurt you so much."

She looked away from me, and when she looked back her eyes were angry. "How would you know how much it hurts?" she demanded. "Have you ever had anybody stick something up your ass whether you wanted them to or not, and then leave it there no matter how much you asked them to remove it?"

I debated with myself for a few seconds before answering. "Yes," I said quietly. It was a very old memory, and one I preferred to keep buried.

She was extremely surprised to hear that. "You did? Really?"

Her curiosity was peaked but I gave her a very sharp look that said in no uncertain terms that I did not want to talk about it. She got the message and lowered her eyes. We were both silent for several minutes. I was trying to force the unwanted images of my past from my head before I became angry at Dina for bringing them out. Her question had sent them to flood my head. But I finally regained my composure. "I do not plan to leave it in you all night. Come, let's remove it."

I felt her mood spike through the bond, although I still wouldn't say she was in a "good" mood. I took her into the washroom and made her spread her legs as she leaned over the counter top. I grabbed a towel and held it against her ass as I slowly began to pull it out. It was in there pretty tightly but I had lubed it well. It didn't take much effort to slide it out, even with the tight grip her outer muscles had on the thin part before the handle. After I pulled it out I put it in the sink for cleaning and wiped her off in case there was discharge. Some of the lube spilled out as liquid but not much. She felt like she had to "go" and so I let her sit while I pulled out some special sanitizing soap from one of the lower cabinets and proceeded to wash the plug. After I washed it I slathered it with hand-sanitizer and left it in the sink. I'd wash it again later. I never took chances with toys, especially toys that were used anally.

Dina was embarrassed again, and I turned around to watch her struggling, her face very red. Little "air" sounds could be heard down below. "Nothing is coming out!" She complained, more tears in her eyes. Gods, would the tears never end tonight?

"That's probably because nothing is ready to come out yet," I said matter-of-factly. "I am no expert on the human body, but you were cleaned out last night and only ate a little while later. I expect you will have to wait another day, or at least a few hours."

"The feeling is going away now," she conceded, then yawned.

"Dina, why are you yawning? You slept all day?"

She thought for a moment and then sat up straight. "What day is this?" she asked me.

"The 14th; why?" I was curious.

She counted on her hand. "I think I'm going to get my period any day now."

"Your what?"

"You know, Eric! When I bleed!" she was embarrassed again and looked down.

My fangs clicked into place and I grinned. "Is that right? This is good news!"

"God, no wonder I've been crying and sleeping all day!"

She was going to bleed for me soon. My mouth watered at the thought. The last time I had fed from a woman during her bleeding was back in the 1960s during the summer of love. Women were so free with their bodies at that time! I had feasted on their monthly flow, especially during the Woodstock festival. I could smell them, and half the time they were high on LSD or Quaaludes, or both. LSD was an interesting experience. It did not affect me as it affected humans, for the most part. It made colors brighter, the world clearer, and added what I could only describe as a pleasant "buzz." It was easy to use my glamour to get what I wanted, but many times I didn't have to because they thought my fangs were a hallucination from the LSD or just a dental implant to differ myself from society and its constraints.

It was a good memory. And my Dina would give me the same treat again, minus the LSD of course. I wouldn't have her taking drugs like that. But I was, to say the very least, excited!

"Oh, can you please not be so happy?" She grunted and moved to stand and wash her hands and face. Her cheeks were still puffy and red from crying.

"Why? This will be a great experience. And one we can have monthly." I didn't understand her irritation.

"Eric, it's not comfortable….it's…I don't want to get blood everywhere. So I do have to be mindful. It also wipes me out sometimes, like today. Not to mention the bloating, cravings, and emotional ups and downs." She stopped her tirade to breathe and dry her hands. "And I know you are happy to have me as a meal, but I'm not exactly thrilled with that either."

I stopped for a moment. I was aware, vaguely, that women weren't always happy when they bled. Unless they were scared about breeding when they weren't ready or didn't like the father of their potential progeny. Dina didn't have these worries with me. But I didn't ever stop to think about the things she mentioned. Her body must have been exhausted for her to sleep the way she did today. I could definitely see these 'emotional ups and downs' she was referring to. I didn't like them at all. Something told me she wouldn't appreciate me voicing this agreement however. I suppose one of the happiest times for me wasn't going to be the same experience for her. I'd have to show her the positives.

"I see. I understand not all women enjoy their bleeding. But you might come to like this time. I will pamper you. You won't have to lift a finger. We will enjoy our time feeding and bonding together. I promise." I pulled her into my arms and tracked her feelings through the bond. She was unhappy and still depleted of energy. I assumed with the blood loss I should try and feed her more.

"I hope so. Not that I have a choice in this or where you eat from…"

"You are too grumpy. Let's feed you and we can talk."

We walked with my arm around her shoulders. I decided to give her some room. My demands were grueling, but I was anxious to get her out of this house and do it a way where I was assured we could be safe. I had to ensure she was submissive to me in front of others. My Bonded still had a mouth that moved before her common sense could stop it. I got her settled on the couch with her blanket. She laid down and I hoped she wouldn't fall back asleep. I could tell she was still upset about last night, but our activities might brighten her mood.

Tonight I would let her call home. I knew her family meant the world to her. I disliked not being her only. I also knew it would be hard when she went on to outlive them all.

I'd concocted a great story for her. She was going to be my assistant. I, of course, had her sign a confidentiality agreement. She dropped out of school due to the demands of her new job. I gave her a pre-work vacation for her troubles. She would be traveling me and working odd hours so it would be best if she took online classes. As her employer, I wanted her to finish school and add skills to my business. I would be covering her tuition. Later, we could tell them we developed an affection for one another and became lovers. It was simple and believable.

I looked around the kitchen and found a little less than two pounds of something she called 'sloppy joes' in a bowl. It didn't look very appetizing, but I put some on a plate and warmed it. I then put it on one of her hamburger buns. I made her buy the expensive ones. She admitted they tasted better. I grabbed one of her fizzy cans of "pop" for her to drink and added ice to a glass for her. I took the plate, covered, to the living room and set it down in front of her along with everything else on a tray. She thanked me and I saw she had found a Law and Order: SVU marathon. Satisfied that she was content, I went back to the kitchen and started cutting her up some cucumbers and tomatoes to have on the side.

We'd call her family after she ate. I was only going to give her somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes. I didn't need this turning into a long thing nor it being a bigger distraction from her training than was necessary.

I returned to the living room and was pleased to see that she hadn't opened the dish that contained her sloppy joe. She was aware that I might want to feed them to her myself and for that reason she had waited. I smiled and sat down next to her, setting the cucumber and tomato plate down. I took the lid off the top of the dish. "Thank you for waiting for me," I said. I had cut the sloppy joe in half for her, and I picked it up. Some of the filling fell right back onto the plate. Dina giggled lightly, covering her mouth with her hand. She knew of my aversion to anything messy. "Now I see why you call them 'sloppy joes,'" I said, wrinkling my nose and setting the thing back down. "I think I will let you eat that yourself, but I will still feed you the tomatoes and cucumbers afterward."

She picked up the same sandwich half as I had and scooped up the stray bit of filling with her fingers, putting them into her mouth and licking them with delight. "Mmmm, I am so hungry!" she stated, obviously enjoying her food a great deal. I had to smile at this sudden return of her good humor. I had heard about mood swings in women who were having their monthly cycle. I guessed my Dina was one of those affected. I would have to do what I could to keep her happy while I enjoyed this time. I would not be denied! I WAS going to have my treat, and I didn't want to have to tie her down to get it. Although that could be fun…

"Eric?" she suddenly piped up. I raised my eyebrows in acknowledgement. She looked at my shyly. I knew that look. My Bonded wanted something. "Can I have some of that banana cream pie too?" She smiled sweetly at me and I couldn't resist her. I actually wanted her to gain a few pounds so I was glad to oblige. Humans often lost weight when they first became involved with vampires. I guessed being around creatures who didn't eat decreased their appetites or perhaps without the social interaction of eating with another they ate less. I wasn't entirely sure, but knew that weight loss was typical. I was going to be a step ahead and keep her plump for the rest of her human life. The pie was frozen, so I put it in our microwave on the defrost setting. It had that new inverter technology that didn't melt everything you put in it, so the pie came out just a bit cool to the touch.

She finished her sandwich and waited for me. I noticed she'd had to use all of the five napkins I'd provided for her. Sloppy Joes. Not too appetizing and very messy as far as I was concerned. I knew she wasn't happy being fed but I insisted. It was part of her training to make it normal for her to look to me for everything. I picked up the plate and fork. "Keep your hands down and don't try to help me," I said very seriously. "Sit on your hands if you have to." She nodded at me, her face expressionless. I knew this was hard for her. The first bite I handed over, up came her hands. "Dina!" I growled in warning. "Don't make me get out those handcuffs you 'love' so much!"

"Sorry Eric, it's just a habit."

"Then take my advice and sit on your hands!" I said sternly. She did, and about the third bite she started giggling.

"I feel silly!" she giggled.

She was actually very cute and I laughed with her, and by the time she'd snorted out two bites of her food I grabbed her and pulled her into my lap. "I'll make you laugh!" I started tickling her in the ticklish spots I'd forced her to admit to me she had. "Do you yield?" I asked her.

"No!" she shrieked, trying to block me with her hands, but I was much faster. I doubled the speed of my hands, no longer playing fair, and I got my fangs involved, nipping and biting at her everywhere.

"Yield!" I demanded.

"No! Not fair Eric!" she kept laughing.

Finally I pinned her down on the couch with my fangs at her throat. "Yield to me!" I growled softly, the mood suddenly changing. I grabbed her hands and held them above her head with one of mine while I touched her between her legs with the other, spreading her lower lips and dipping my fingers inside, looking for moisture. There was plenty. I moved my hand to myself and guided my cock home, sliding in smoothly in one long stroke.

She gasped as she felt the sensations; the first stroke never failed to get her attention – I knew she was very sensitive. "I never said I yielded," she breathed at me, her eyes wide and her voice full of sex.

"You didn't have to, Lover. Your body did." I lowered my head and kissed her softly as I began to move, my strokes strong and powerful. I wanted to bring us both to climax together quickly. "Do not cum until I give you permission," I ordered softly.

"What? You can't do that to me!" she protested.

"Yes, I can and I am. Listen to my voice. Concentrate on my voice Lover!" I kissed her, over and over and over while I felt the bond between us. I knew when she was coming close. My Dina was so sensual and responsive. She needed no other touch but my cock inside of her. "Not yet, Lover!" I crooned to her, feeling my own release rapidly approaching.

"Eric!" she exclaimed urgently, her eyes telling me what she didn't say.

"Not yet!" I told her. "Not yet!" I quickened my pace and just as I was about to explode, "Cum for me now, Lover! Do it now!" Then I bit her neck just as I exploded, releasing my seed inside of her. I only took her blood for a few seconds, then quickly healed the wound.

"Eric! Oh god! Eric!" she cried out, her voice full of her excitement. I felt her walls convulse around me and kept moving until we were both too sensitive to go any further. We were both panting as our bodies quieted.

"Oh God. You ruined my dinner!" She pretended to scowl at me.

"It was worth it. I know you agree – I can feel it." I smiled at her with my fangs out. She stuck her tongue out at me. Quicker than she could put it back, I had it between my teeth where I bit just hard enough for a little discomfort. Before she could protest, I sucked it into my mouth and kissed her deeply. Then I bit her tongue with my fang to draw a little bit of her blood into me. It made our exchange mutual even though it was such a tiny amount. I healed her with my own blood and drew back. She continued to lick her lips until she had swallowed every bit of our blood.

"Mmmm, Eric, is there something wrong with me that I love when you do that?" she smiled her special smile for me.

"Yes, you are sick, demented, twisted, marred, ruined, and perfect," I told her, surprising my own self that I would say such a thing. She blushed, smiled, and lowered her eyes, making me grow thick and hard inside her again. But we had to call her family soon, so there wasn't time for another round.

I pulled away, sat up and sat sideways on the couch. Then I pulled her onto my lap and pulled her legs around my waist, impaling her with my hardness. I slowly let go of her, and she had no choice but to lean back on the couch resting on her hands. She gave me a dirty look followed by another smile. My Bonded had a sense of humor!

"Not fair, Eric!" She accused me.

"I know that. Now you are mine, Lover! I can do anything I want!" I proceeded to lean forward and bite both of her nipples, taking a little more of her blood each time. She held her breath. I knew this hurt her a little bit, but the way the smell of her arousal deepened and she flooded me with her moisture inside, it also turned her on. I didn't heal my bites. I liked my fang marks in all of her secret places. "Where were we?" I pretended to wonder. "Oh yes, you were mocking my ability to feed you. For that, I shall do it slowly while you can't use your hands." I fed the cucumbers and tomatoes to her slowly, but she started to feel fatigue on her arms and hands. I took pity on her and put my arm around her back to support her. "Hold on to me!" I ordered, wrapping her arms around my torso. Then I fed her the banana cream pie, partially with a fork and partially with my fingers. I made her lick and clean them thoroughly afterward. I told her what we would say to her family as I fed her. She seemed displeased with the lack of honesty. I tried to explain why we were doing this, but I felt guilt and sadness in our bond. I assured her one day we'd keep fewer secrets from them. When she was all finished eating, full, and content, I reclined on the arm of the couch. I pulled her with me so that I was still inside her and she lay on my chest. This was a very comfortable position for us; she put her head down on my shoulder and closed her eyes.

"I'm so tired!" she whispered. I would call Ludwig about this. I did not like her energy to be depleted this way. There must be something we could do to counteract it and make her feel better. I let her sleep for an hour, but then I gently shook her awake.

"Dina, Lover, it is time to call your family. Wake up!" She grumbled a little but managed to raise her head.

"Do I have to move? I'm so comfortable!" she said.

"Do you want to talk to your aunt and uncle with my dick inside of you?" I asked, suppressing a laugh. That got her moving. As she sat up, so did I, and I lifted her away from me.

"Um, Eric? Can I have something to wear?" she requested.

"Why?" I didn't understand.

She blushed and looked down. I enjoyed when she acted so submissive. It made me want to give her the world! "I feel, I dunno, self-conscious, sitting here naked with you and lying to them about where I am." She didn't look up at me and I could feel her uncertainty through our bond.

"Dina, we aren't lying. It's more like acting. They will know soon enough that we are together." I was a bit irritated that she continued to complain that we were lying to her family. She was preparing for her life with me, but we weren't going to tell them the more personal aspects of our relationship just yet. I kissed her forehead. "Give me a minute."

I went into the bedroom closet and slipped on a pair of pajama bottoms that I had bought for just such times, when my Dina might be uncomfortable with our nudity for some reason or other. I brought out the same cotton nightgown and panties that I'd given her to wear after her punishment. I'd sent it out with my laundry. I hoped it didn't remind her of that. I was trying to cater to her comfort. I also brought something else out – a few coils of bright blue silk rope. After the phone call we were going to spend the rest of the night relaxing and watching movies, and I was going to practice my rope skills on my favorite model. She didn't know that yet, and I hid the rope from her view.

She looked like she was going to cry when I handed her the clothing. She threw her arms around me and squeezed me tightly. "I love you Eric! Thank you!" she said softly against my skin. She kissed my chest a few times and then looked up at me.

I bent down to kiss her gently but thoroughly. "I hope this makes you feel better," I said with a smile. She didn't know what was behind my smile. 'You won't be wearing it for long,' I thought, just barely keeping my fangs in check.

Once she was dressed I threw her over my shoulder playfully, and she had fun smacking my ass all the way out into the living room. When we got there I didn't let go of her. While she shrieked at me, I put her over my knee and returned the favor. I didn't spank her hard and I didn't pull down her panties. We were only playing. I didn't want her to interpret it as punishment. I opened my computer and brought up the contact list I'd made of everybody she knew, and a few she didn't know I knew about. "Who are we calling?" I had my cell phone ready to dial.

Dina POV

I looked at the number as the phone was pushed into my hand. He had dialed my aunt who always sent me boxes. I smiled. I hoped he did it because he knew that no matter how far away she was, she kept the most contact. I hit the green button and listened to the number dial in my ear. She hesitantly grabbed on the fifth ring. My stomach was filled with butterflies.

"Hello?" She said in voice that told me she was curious and nervous about who was calling.

"Auntie, it's me – Dina."

"Oh!...Well there you are! Where've you been?" She practically yelled in my ear. "Wait a minute." I heard her move the phone away "Honey, Dines is calling….yea, I'll ask her. Wait-a-minute." I listened to her tell my uncle I was on the phone. I wonder if Eric noticed how she said all her words together, without pauses. Eric looked at me and mouthed 'Dines". I waved him off. I kinda wanted him to leave the room so I could have privacy, but another part of me wanted him here to help me as I 'told our story.'"

"So what have you been doing?" I heard both curiosity and irritation in her voice. I hadn't called in a while.

"I got a new job and took a vacation. I'm…I'm still settling in. it's a good job. I'm happy." I tried to sound natural.

"I heard. Not from you, but I heard." And the guilt begins. "What about school and your…psychology degree?"

"I'm going back to school – a different, online school – once I get everything in order. I'm, well, working for a vampire. So it's half day and night hours. I also might need to travel. I still am majoring in psychology and will finish my degree. I'm just getting it paid for through work."

"They are going to pay for all of it? What's in it for them?" She was skeptical.

"It's part of my contract. I am taking a lot away from my personal life so it balances. Eric – my boss – is very much into education. He supports me getting my education while working."

"You call your boss 'Eric'?" she asked in disbelief. I gave a fake laugh. Oh god. Eric grasped my knee and gave me a reassuring squeeze.

"I knew him before this job. On a first name basis. I'm sure I'll say 'Mr. Northman' in public and business meetings." Actually I was going to say 'Master.' My family was going to flip when they knew we were dating. God forbid anyone knew we were in this type of relationship.

"OK. Do you like him? Do you trust this…is this going to be a safe job?"

"Yes. I'm going to like this and it's a good job. Don't worry!" Eric reached for his cell phone and tilted it away from my ear to check the time. "Okay, I have to shower and get my stuff together for tomorrow. Can we talk later?"

"Yes, go do your stuff…call me soon."

"I will. Love you!"

"Love you! Talk-at-you-later."

"Bye." We hung up and I fell against the couch. Oh this sucked! I hated the lying! Hated doing things that would upset my family. I was so embarrassed. What if they knew what Eric and I did? I'd never live it down.

I looked at Eric and he could tell something was wrong. I thought I was probably being over-dramatic because of PMS. I started to cry. He immediately gathered me in his arms. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked kindly, wiping away my tears with his thumbs and then licking them away, like he always did. I smiled at that. It was so endearing!

"I don't know Eric!" I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm happy. With you. I know it doesn't look like it right now." I touched his face and looked into his eyes, giving him a kiss on his chin, as high up as I could reach. I stuck my head into the hollow between his chin and chest, my favorite place to rest. "I've always been close with them. Never gone more than a week without calling. They would help pay my cell phone bill sometimes just to keep me in touch. I can hear how worried she is. Now she knows I'm working for a Vampire, she probably thinks you'll kill me." I laughed to show Eric how ridiculous I thought that idea was. I trusted him completely with my life.

Eric rocked us back and forth and kept playing with my hair. "When your training time is over, I will let you call more often," he promised. "I did not know how close with your family you were or how much it would distress you not to call them. I have been selfish keeping all your attention focused on me and us. But you know I did this for a reason, right?" He squeezed me tighter and waited; I knew he expected an answer.

"I know Eric. It's OK; it really is. I want this too! You know I'm completely dedicated to the training. I love you. It's important to you so it's important to me." I could feel through the bond how happy my words made him even though he didn't say anything.

"I cut you very short because I thought you would like to call someone else. Would you?"

I was filled with emotion when he offered that and I had to breathe deeply a few times to keep from crying again. My throat ached and my chest felt heavy. "Yes!" I gushed at him. "Yes Eric! You are so sweet! Thank you!" I squeezed him tighter around the ribs but he pulled me away to plant a very hot kiss on me. By the time we were done playing tonsil-hockey I was ready to jump him again.

"Hold that thought!" he whispered, smiling at me full of fang. I reached up and kissed him again, wrapping my tongue around both of his fangs and drawing a little blood for him. He growled. "You had better stop that if you want to keep those clothes on!" He winked and put my hand on him. He was hard as a rock and I gave him a squeeze. He growled again in warning, his eyes glowing again. He stared at me intently for a few seconds and I swore he was going to jump on me right then and there. But then he calmed down – it looked difficult for him - and picked up his cell phone. "Who are we calling next?" I felt the tension in him like a coiled spring. One more trigger would set him off, so I decided to behave and chose a number from his list on the computer.

I called one of my aunts who was still in Chicago. She answered the phone in her typical tired from work voice. I told her it was me and asked how she was. Her answers were terse as always. I rambled about my new job for a few minutes and she told me to 'watch myself'.

"You are an adult," She began and I hoped Eric would leave the room. "But you need to watch it. You know the shit you see on the news about these fangers."

Speaking of fangs, I think Eric's were about to come out. "Eric is a good man and a great boss."

"Ok…I need to get to bed. Call and tell me how it's going."

"I will." I told her I loved her. She was never one to repeat those words. I told her to tell her kids I missed them. We hung up.

I looked over at Eric. I was unsure of what to say. He beat me to the punch.

"Make your next call. One long one or two more short ones."

I nodded and glanced at the list. I dialed another aunt and uncle. This time I hoped some of my cousins would be around so I could talk to them too. It went to voice mail, but once I started talking my aunt picked up. They didn't answer numbers they didn't know very often. She was very happy to hear from me. I went through 'the story' again, answering all of her questions. She also advised me to be careful, thankfully with no slurs added in. I think the sentiment was the same though. We started to talk about the family, work, medical stuff going on with her and my uncle, and their vacation plans. I was surprised more of my distant cousins got married and had babies. I tried to think about the fact that I was older than a lot of them and… didn't have an idea when or if those things would ever happen. Eric must have sensed something was wrong because he sat closer to me. I suddenly felt very sad. I loved babies. I loved kids. And Eric would never give me one. I tried to focus on talking with my aunt and told her I was getting tired. We ended the all with some 'I Love You's and I gave the phone to Eric. I was sure I went over whatever time he had in mind. And then suddenly I felt hungry again.

"Eric?" I asked him, feeling the blush creep up my face. He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. I had already eaten a full meal so I felt embarrassed asking. "Is it OK if I have another sloppy joe?"

He looked at me doubtfully for a minute. "Are you sure you can eat another one?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes, I am. That's another thing about when I get my… bleeding." I used this word so he wouldn't have to ask for clarification. "My appetite is bigger. I'll probably gain a few pounds."

That seemed to spur him into action. I knew he was trying to make me heavier. Maybe I should stop worrying about my weight because his opinion was the one I cared about. If he liked me fat, I'd enjoy eating enough to stay the way he liked me. "I'll be right back!" he said, and sped into the kitchen at Vampire speed. That made me laugh. Before I knew it, he was back with another plate containing two sandwiches. I didn't think I could eat that many.

"Thanks Eric!" I reached out for him when he didn't sit down next to me. He grasped my hand and kissed the palm and the wrist. I blushed and his fangs popped out. That got my juices flowing and I tried to pull him back to me for another round of "hide the salami." He resisted, though.

"I am going to go upstairs and find those DVDs we ordered. I'll bring a bunch down and we can choose what to watch."

That surprised me. Eric didn't really seem like someone who enjoyed sitting watching movies, but I hadn't been with him very long. Maybe he did that when he had time to relax. "OK honey. Bring back what you like. I liked everything you ordered." I smiled at him and he kissed my hand again. Then, in a flash, he was gone.

Eric POV with Pam

While Dina ate I ran upstairs quickly to find the box of DVDs. What I hadn't told her was that while she'd been using my phone I'd gotten a text from Pam, who wanted to come by. She hadn't given me an explanation, but I would never deny my child my attention. While in the kitchen making Dina's food I had texted her back to come over and meet me upstairs in my office. She had a key to the house. When I got upstairs, Pam hadn't arrived, so I found the box of DVDs and chose a selection: "Good Will Hunting," "A Beautiful Mind," "Practical Magic," "The Departed", "Pet Sematary," "Gremlins," "Annie," "The Sound of Music," and "The King and I," plus seasons 1 and 2 of "CSI," the original, and an "All In The Family" boxed set. I'd let her choose after she ate. Then I went to my office to wait for Pam.

I had brought in a few of Dina's boxes to sit in the corner of my office. I would probably bring them to the new house as soon as it was done. I was hoping Pam could give me a date, but apparently all my special requests were adding time to the finish date. Pam was quick to point this out with each and every request I made. I would make sure to grab the stack of DVDs before going back downstairs. I'd actually purchased a few more for her. I would enjoy getting her all the books and movies she wanted. I also hoped she would like our other home. I was putting a lot of effort into making it beautiful and accommodating to her.

It didn't take long for Pam to arrive. She entered my home with ease. She often kept a spare room in my homes and was welcome to sleep on my couch downstairs or share my bed if she so wanted. We hadn't been sexual in close to 60 years. It was also rare for Pam to cuddle. After a particularly vicious fight that involved all of the sheriffs and the Queen herself 40 or so years ago, Pam had stayed at my home for a week. We never talked about how scared she was after a young vampire we had both met – but not befriended – had lost her maker in the fray. She simply came home with me and informed me she was going to rest in my bed with me. And for seven nights we laid beside each other as though she was still a baby Vampire.

She had the courtesy to knock on my office door and I told her to enter. She came over and sat on my desk. I leaned back in my office chair.

"Pam…how is my house?"

"It's fine. If you keep adding things and ordering more furniture it will not be finished for another month or two. I suggest you finish your orders for what you want soon, so a final date for completion can be arranged."

"I know. I will discuss the plans with Dina and make sure she has everything a human can want or need." I waited. I knew mentioning Dina would draw us into the conversation we needed to have.

"Yes. How are things with your human?"

"They are well…now ask what you really want to." I cocked my eyebrow at her.

She looked like she was trying to think about what to say. She wanted to respect me as her maker, her sheriff, and someone much older than she. But she also wanted to question me and use our relationship to talk to me in a way no other could. It was a hard choice for her.

"Fine, what are you intentions for her?"

"Her name Pam. You can use her name. You've never borne her resentment before."

"I do not now either. I simply wish to know what your plans are."

I sat up and took her hand in mine. I was so used to touching my warm Dina that it almost felt alien to me. I played with her perfectly manicured nails. They seemed almost out of place on a Vampire who had killed a man this week. I remembered her hands when they were still warm as the blood that ran through them. Perhaps she was still too young to not be my only, but so many other vampires had siblings at a much younger age than she.

"Pamela, my child, you know what my plan is."

"I will not be your only child for much longer." She refused to meet my eyes. I began to tug her off my desk and pull her on to my lap. She didn't resist.

"Pam, is your need to have me all to yourself truly that strong? Do you never want a sister?"

She leaned her head on my shoulder and sighed in a very human way. "I don't know. I suppose having a sister would be nice. I do not have anything against Dina. I know you can tell me many wonderful things about her – if she gained your approval, she will have mine. But it's been you and I for so long. Forever. Since my life truly began."

"Life is about changing. It's part of survival, you know this. I'm adding to our lives. I'm making a family. It will be my two children and I until the end of time."

"Tell me the truth…is it me? Is my need to be more independent making you crave the close bond you'll have with a newborn?"

"Not at all. You are very different. Dina will never kill for me. She lacks our viciousness. But is very loyal. She also offers me her whole life. Pam, be honest, you could never be my submissive. You may have allowed me to enjoy myself during sex, but that's simply because you wanted to please me. I'm proud I created a strong vampire who longs to be by my side, but also wants to and can stand alone. Dina will never do this. She will stay always by my side."

I had thought a lot about how different, yet how similar my progeny and future progeny were. I decided not to share my analysis. I knew there would be rivalry. It might happen over my attention as a whole or over their skills. Pam had yet to show any special gifts, if she ever would. She was fast and had a strong sense of smell, even for a vampire. But she couldn't fly like I could. She never really got over that fact. I briefly wondered what would happen were I to allow them to shop together. Dina wasn't keen on using my money – now she had no choice since I didn't let her work – and Pam always wanted to use my money. Both of them loved to shop. I could imagine them bickering over Dina's refusal to use my money. Or Pam's need for designer labels clashing with Dina's bargain shopping. I wanted to chuckle at those possibilities, but then became fearful of what would happen once Pam won (and she would) and both of them began to use my money at the mall. Perhaps it was the time I open a new business. We might need more money very soon.

"When will you turn her?" Pam asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't know yet. I enjoy her as she is now. I want both of you to be ready when it happens." I answered this as best I could. Dina's age wasn't a huge issue; my blood was already slowing her aging. She was still quite young and we had years before there was fear of turning her after her prime. I knew she would react badly. She was too close to her family and friends. She had human beliefs about paradise after death – life could be a paradise if you played your cards right. I didn't look forward to the ensuing fight about her inevitable turning. I was also being very selfish. I loved having her warmth and blood every night. I liked keeping her locked up with me. Vampires never did well when they were kept inside. And as Vampires we'd both have to feed on others.

Pam could read my face easily. "What is bothering you about it?"

I laughed self deprecatingly. "Is it that obvious?" She nodded. "She will not be pleased to know my ultimate plans for her. She will fight against being turned."

Pam looked into space and gave a look of 'you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me!' "Another one?" she asked incredulously. "Where do you find them Eric?" I growled at her in warning. "Seriously! I can name 50 beautiful women right now who would be your submissive and be glad when the time came to be turned!" She shook her head and put her hand over her eyes.

"Dina is not just one of 'them' Pamela!" I said harshly. "She is not a fangbanger. She is not polluted with drugs. Her breasts are natural, unlike three-quarters of our clientele at Fangtasia!"

"Natural breasts? That large?" Pam's eyes widened and her fangs dropped. Pam was just as much of a boob connoisseur as I was. "Now I see why you want her!"

"No you do not see!" I glared at her. "There is more to her than a spectacular rack! Although it is spectacular… If you were to spend some time around her you would see that."

"I would love to spend time with her!" Pam's tongue came out to lick her fang in anticipation.

"That is not what I am talking about!" I pushed her gently off my lap and stood up, running my fingers through my scalp. "She is good, Pam. Not like us. There is a sweetness to her that has nothing to do with her blood. As I said, she will never kill for me. Do you know she objected vehemently to my killing Burnham even though she was the one he had insulted and threatened?"

"What?"

"I know, I don't understand it either. She gets under my skin, Pam. She is embedded deep within me now."

"Eric, you're in love with her, aren't you!" Pam tilted her head to the side, smiling. I didn't know if she was teasing me or if she was serious.

"Pam! You know better than that! I am a Vampire!" I denied. "I am not capable of it. Am I enthralled by her? Yes. Does she make me happy? Yes. Do I find her amazingly sexy? Yes. But love? I think not."

Pam sighed and shook her head. "Eric…"

"Do not question me on this, child! I can still turn you over my knee, or worse!" I gave her my Maker's voice. She had no choice but to submit. She bowed her head.

"Yes Master." She looked unhappy.

I softened. It wasn't Pam's fault that I was conflicted about Dina. "Would you like to come downstairs for a while, or just to say hello?"

"Yes, I would!" Any traces of the childlike Pam I'd held on my lap a few minutes ago were gone. She was back to herself.

"Come on then!" I smiled and took her hand, leading her through the barriers down into my lair.

Pam POV

I had spent time with Eric's human. He seemed to forget I was not only there when those fanatics attacked the little vampire, but was left with all the messy work Eric couldn't busy himself with. I was his lieutenant, his second – so he got to take the two buxom humans home and talk to them about the incident while I saw to the messy aftermath. It was hard to see her as brave. Eric sang her praises in private. I thought she was foolish. At the time, I wouldn't have minded if she died to save the vampire. But we were alerted before that occurred.

I guessed things worked out if he was truly happy with her. Eric was never a sad vampire or one who didn't love to be alive. But even I knew his happiness had plateaued in many ways. He lacked excitement and deep feelings. For the most part I did too, but I didn't mind living that way. Even as a human I was not an emotional creature. I always looked for pleasure and excitement, but nothing more. I was content just being a vampire. I truly was a higher life form. I had told Eric before that vampires were the single greatest species and race in existence. He said he wasn't sure. We didn't talk much about our superiority after that. I didn't want to know my Maker didn't know how great we were.

Eric came to the door and punched in his secret code. "Lover, we have company." He said loudly as we entered. Dina was sitting on the couch in some pajamas and her hands were covered in some kind of reddish sauce. In front of her held of plate of disgustingly drippy human food. I actually wondered how he could be with her if these were her feeding habits. Eric had taught me to feed when I was a newborn and stressed to me the importance of a clean bite and no blood drip from the punctures. We were civilized and clean beings.

Dina swallowed her food and stood up. She fidgeted on her feet. The smell of her food made me wonder if I was capable of vomiting. Her eyes went from me to Eric. She didn't know what to say. I imagined her manners fighting with the lack of direction Eric had given her. Eric decided to be kind and break the silence.

"Pam wanted to visit with us. Sadly, we can't offer her anything to eat, but we can offer her our company. He moved and stood beside her. He took her hand and they sat back down. I took my cue and went to sit with them. I caught the two sharing a look and then she spoke.

"It's good to see you again, Pam. How have you been?"

"Fine…I have been working hard at the bar and on the house Eric is remodeling." I replied, wondering how Eric put up with all these manners. I was so glad to be freed from a life that demanded them. Although, I still had a Maker who was my Sheriff and a monarchy over my head that I was forced to be polite to.

"Thank you for that. I know Eric wants to go there and I'm excited myself." She said, sweetly. She was not relaxed around me as she normally was – or tried to be. I guessed I'd joked about eating her one too many times. I looked at Eric. He didn't seem very pleased she was thanking me for following his orders. It finally clicked in my head in that second, she was trying to impress me. A part of me resented her, but the fact that she knew I might be angry at her attentions from my Maker calmed my animosity toward her.

One of the things Eric had taught me in this long existence we'd had together was to try to make the best of a situation so that we could come out on top. We had done that many times together. Now it was my turn, I surmised, to make the best of this situation that he was about to foist on me. Perhaps I would be more tolerant of her when she rose to Vampire like us. But I barely tolerated humans on many levels, and generally only when I was fucking or feeding from them. I wouldn't mind fucking this one but so far Eric had been greedy.

Maybe that was what was wrong with me. I wanted a piece of her too. If she was so sweet and submissive as he said, why couldn't I tie her down and sit on her face? The thought very nearly made my fangs descend and I only barely controlled it. Eric somehow knew exactly what I was thinking because he glared at me in warning and drew her closer to him. Whether it was protectively or possessively, it pissed me off either way. I smiled, trying not to look like a cat staring at a mouse.

"What are you eating, Dina?" I tried to show interest.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry Pam!" she blushed and jumped to her feet. Her blushes were very becoming. I'd like to see how far they went past the neckline of that camisole though. "Eric is very tolerant but it must really smell bad to you!" She grabbed her plate and dashed out of the room with it before even Eric could grab her. But he wasn't about to let her get away with that. He barely gave me a look of acknowledgment before he took off after her at Vamp speed. This might be good! Was I going to get to watch him discipline her?

"Dina!" I heard him say sharply only a second later. She gave a little shriek just as the garbage disposer was engaged. He must have frightened her. He lowered his voice but I didn't know why he bothered. I could hear everything. Maybe it was to give her the sense of privacy.

"This is unnecessary. You are in your own home and perfectly within your right to finish your meal! Pam does not mind!" Did he want to make a bet?

"Eric, did you see her face?" the girl whispered furiously at him. "You invited her down here and the place smells like something you yourself can barely tolerate!" I heard her spraying something and a clean smell came drifting through the room. Much better. Then water was turned on and quickly turned off.

"She is my child! She will tolerate it!" Thanks for your consideration Eric.

"NO Eric!" she told him firmly and tension filled the entire house. He did not like being told 'no,' and even I rarely got away with it. She hurried on before he did do something to her. "She is our guest. It's bad enough we don't even have Tru Blood to offer her! She deserves my respect and I'm going to give it to her!"

I heard Eric sigh.

Was I witnessing a first? Had she shut him down?

"Fine, Dina, go ahead and wash your hands but don't you dare run in and brush your teeth! I know what you would try to do for me and I tell you it is not necessary."

Well, he had to come up with something. My shoulders began to shake with silent laughter. Maybe I was going to like her being with Eric after all.

They came back out and I composed myself, but Eric knew. He glared at me again. They sat back on the couch and Dina smiled kindly at me. She was trying to be a good hostess! To me! I wish I could eat that popcorn stuff humans raved about when they saw new films. This was quite a show.

"So…the house is going well? I haven't seen it yet." She began to make conversation.

"It is." I nodded. "But of course, with all the last minute changes it's taking a long time to complete." I said with a little annoyance pointed at my esteemed Maker.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that. I know Eric likes things to be perfect. I really appreciate you working on this for us and taking care of the bar. I feel so bad, none of this was planned and it's all falling on you. I wonder if I can help-"

She was cut off by an angry Eric.

"Enough. You will not apologize for her working on tasks I assigned to her. I have not overloaded her with work, nor will you help with what she is perfectly capable of doing on her own. Your job isn't to run my bar, my other businesses, or oversee the remodeling of our home. And Pamela, do not think that I am pleased with your tone or the fact that you are making her feel bad for you."

Both of us stared at him. I think we shared a nervousness over whether or not he would punish us. He glared back at us, daring us to question him. Finally, the little human spoke.

"Fine, then perhaps we could discuss these changes and figure them all out. That way the project will be outlined and not changed over and over again." She said this diplomatically, but her smile was just a little too clenched. I was truly enjoying this.

"Yes, that sounds fabulous. Eric? You said you wanted to discuss the house anyway." I smiled sweetly at him.

"You both are very close to some serious trouble. But since you are working on our home and Dina hasn't heard anything yet, what would you like to discuss?"

I was suddenly put on the spot, the little human looking at me expectantly and Eric giving me a look that said I'd better talk. I directed my words to her, not completely able to ignore my maker fuming in the background. "You'll love the fact that Eric has gone to great expense to get marble veined in purple for the master bath. He says it's a favorite of yours. We've also ordered the fixtures and countertops in purple to match." In all of the houses Eric had constructed for himself, he had never brought purple in. His tastes ran toward bright colors and most rooms had some crimson, scarlet, burgundy, or lovely shade called lust. He enjoyed greens and blues. He once had a passionate jade phase that I tried not to think about. He was never one for purple though. I think it was too far from red and not close enough to blue for him. I also noticed less red in his décor planning and assumed it might also be because Dina wasn't a fan. I was surprised to see how much he cared for her preferences.

"That sounds amazing!" she said sincerely, taking Eric's hand and kissing it, giving him a bright smile. He tried to keep frowning but seemed unable to maintain a steely façade in the face of her cheerful enthusiasm. "Thank you Eric!" she gushed at him.

Normally such a sight would make me want to puke, but somehow I found this more than disgusting or amusing. In that one glance between them, I saw exactly how affected he was by her. She melted him. He turned soft and tolerant eyes on her and said, "You've only told me the story about the purple bathroom a thousand times." She blushed and I guessed I wasn't going to get to hear about it.

I'd done things designed to turn Sookie away from Eric when he'd been pursuing her, like the time he'd been fucking a dancer named Yvetta with her wrists chained to the walls on either side of her in Fangtasia's basement when I sent her down to see him. I knew I'd never be able to bring myself to try to sabotage this. I'd been glad to see the ass end of Sookie but this – this was different.

"The house has a huge kitchen with plenty of room for human food storage and the appliances are all professional grade. Do you like to cook?" I had never asked anyone that question in my entire existence! What the hell was wrong with me?

"I do all right," she blushed. "But now there's only me to cook for. What will I do with professional appliances and storage space?" she seemed bewildered but happy.

"You are going to use it!" Eric chimed in. "Your diet will no longer consist of convenience and what you call 'junk food!' I have spoken to Leila at length. She will show you how to purchase in bulk and cook ahead of time so when you want to…" you could tell the next words were foreign to Eric, "…just throw something at the microwave, you can. Then the rest of your time can be used for more important pursuits, like catering to me."

As soon as he said it, I also knew his mistake, and the girl and I both burst into laughter.

"What is funny?" Eric demanded, his face becoming a stone mask again.

She must have thought he would punish us if she didn't tell him. "Honey, you don't throw food at the microwave. You throw food in the microwave." She looked up at him sincerely as if sorry for laughing at him and she did it again.

He melted. He even smiled! Or smirked anyway. "I guess that is funny, isn't it?" He actually shrugged his shoulders at her!

I had to say it. "Who are you and what have you done with Eric Northman?"

Dina thought that was hilarious and busted a gut laughing. Before we knew it, all of us were laughing. Then I started to tell her about the amount of closet space allotted for her in the new house and asked her what designers were her favorites.

"That is my cue to go and… do something manly!" Eric announced. He apparently thought he no longer had to make sure I wouldn't eat his little morsel for dessert. He got up and left the lair. I heard him go into his office upstairs, where no doubt he'd turn the security cameras on us. That was fine.

"Well….I tend to like style and color over brands. I tend to go for what looks good and what's on sale…I'm friends with the clearance rack." She tried to explain.

I suddenly felt ill. Now I could respect style over names. Even off brands got it right sometimes. I preferred to find a stylish brand and be fairly loyal to it. I also understood the value of a renowned name. I had no problem with the logic of 'look' over 'label' some women had. But this one worried about sales and visited the clearance rack regularly? A part of me had worried that she wanted Eric's money; most did. There was little indication thus far and Eric rarely got attached to those who wanted his credit card more than the other things he offered – probably why he never formally took a human as his own and never kept a meal for longer than a few months.

"You do have more access to a rather large credit card and banking account now." I said evenly.

"Oh, that's fine. I have clothes. Eric seems insistent on buying more, but I'm good."

"You are his human. He must provide for you. The way you look around other Vampires will affect their respect for him. Some Vampires are rather ostentatious and prefer those around them to dress formally much of the time." I explained, wondering how ignorant she was of our ways.

"Yea," She sighed. "We'll argue about that. And then Eric will win." She sounded so defeated. What woman fought Eric over him buying her things? I never understood how my maker both found and enjoyed these odd women.

"That he will! So money aside, what designers do you like? Do any brands stand out with you? I know you look at style more than name."

"I really don't know Pam. Can you tell me your favorites?" she asked, seeming genuinely interested.

"I can do better than that. I can show you!" I told her. I'd just gotten brand new issues of Vogue and a few of the other fashion magazines I liked, and they were in my car. "I will be right back." I got up and headed up the stairs.

Not surprisingly, Eric was there to meet me at the door to the garage. He pulled me into a hug. "Thank you Pamela," he said sincerely. I hugged him back for a long minute, realizing how much I really did miss close contact with him. Finally, before I got emotional, I had to pull away.

"She isn't so bad once you get the food off of her hands," I told him. We stared at each other for a few minutes until it got embarrassing. Then I kissed his cheek and went out to my car. "I'm about to corrupt her forever you know!" He swatted me on the ass as I went back by.

I took the magazines back downstairs, where I thought she had actually gone to brush her teeth. She smelled like mint. Truth be told, I was flattered that she actually felt that I deserved respect and kindness. Eric took me for granted all the time. He rewarded me with whatever money could buy, but sometimes I did long for a little bit of courtesy.

We sat and thumbed through every magazine I had. I found that her taste was a little on the trendy side, but she was only a little over twenty human years old. That was to be expected. We did find a lot of things in common that we liked, and a new friendship began between us. I was surprised that something else also grew. It would infuriate Eric. But we began to subtly flirt with each other as well, and the attraction was mutual.

I felt Eric calling to me through our bond. I told Dina I had to be going and watched her fumble as she tried to decide how best to say goodbye to me. She actually rose to walk me to the door. This was truly a first for me, not only was I treated like a welcomed guest, but a guest in my own maker's home. I took some pity on her – alright, I actually felt the urge – and hugged her goodbye. I walked upstairs and slowed my pace halfway. I wondered how my maker would react as I came before him with his human's scent all over me.

Eric looked very relaxed in his swivel chair. I hesitated before closing the door behind me.

"I hope Dina finishes her food. I'm not pleased she was so uncomfortable eating with you here."

"I said nothing to make her want to put that….stuff away." I said honestly. I was a little worried he would punish me regardless. There was no guile between the two of us.

"You know you didn't have to say anything. This worries me. I won't have her risk her health every time I invite you to spend time with us. You know how important it is for you to spend time with her before she is with us for eternity."

I knew then I wouldn't be punished. But understood Eric's words. He wanted to give me the opportunity to become comfortable with his choice to turn her. I couldn't sway him, but he would give me time to adjust before I had a little sister he would be responsible for, just as he was responsible for me. I had to deal with her humanity. A part of me feared Eric would find ways to keep us separate, which meant I would be separate from him as well since her place was at his side. I also knew if I fought with my future sister too much I would leave in a huff and it would be hard for me to come back. My maker had turned a child with his pride and stubbornness.

"I will try to tolerate her eating habits more in the future. We got along quite well apart from the mess she was ingesting."

"Yes…quite well. Tell me Pam, what do you think about her? She was clothed when you came over. Did she tell you about her typical clothing?" He asked, his face clear of all emotion.

"Eric….She is yours. I would never touch or feed without your permission." I tried to not be afraid. Eric wouldn't punish me unless I truly misbehaved. Our flirting was very tame and innocent.

"Good. Only with my permission." He said calmly.

I instantly relaxed - he wasn't mad at all! Actually, he was suggesting one day his permission might be given. My mind began to wander with the possibilities. Before I could begin to lick my fangs and imagine rolling her breasts with my palms before I took a taste of her…

"Pam, she's going to be your sister. Do you really think I would be angry about sisterly love?"

I laughed. "You are possessive." I said sincerely. Eric rose and walked to me.

"The only vampire a vampire can trust is the vampire he made. I trust you. I am not removing you from any parts of my life. I have already told you this and I hope you believe me.

"You've never lied to me, Eric. Of course I believe you!" I thought about something that had been bothering me for a time and decided now was the time to bring it up. "I know it's been a long time since we were bedmates, but now that you have a regular one I find that I…" Was I really going to reveal this weakness? Eric was the only one I trusted with my vulnerability. "…miss you. Miss us."

He gave me the typical smirk but didn't mock with his eyes. "Are you jealous, Pamela?" He was trying to make light of it but I could tell he was taking me seriously.

"I don't think jealousy is the right word," I told him. Sookie had a stupid saying about being in for a pound. I was about to be. "It goes back to the security I felt when we spent every moment together, both waking and sleeping. You were mine, as much as I was yours, for that time." His eyes were clear, open. He nodded, remembering, but reserving comment.

"The safety of that feeling has stayed with me all these years, until you took another to your side with the intent of a permanent blood bond. You didn't bond with me that way. You'll be more hers than you ever were mine. And I don't…" my voice hitched with a sudden sob that I hadn't felt coming. I felt my cheeks wet and saw blood on my fingers when I touched them. I could not cry in front of my maker! He would think me weak. "Forgive me Eric! I have to go!" I started to back away but he wouldn't let me go. He caught me in his arms and held me tight. Instead of fighting against him I clutched him and trembled.

"Sssshhhh, child!" he whispered to me, going on in the words of his old tongue that he had taught me. "My daughter. My warrior. Until the end of time." He hadn't said that to me in over sixty years.

I repeated back my answering words in the same tongue. "My father. My protector. Until the end of time." Of course, 'father' and 'daughter' were very loose terms between Vampires; almost all makers and their progeny were lovers for at least a few years after the turning.

"My bed has always been open to you, Pam, for whatever purpose you desired," he assured me, holding my head between his hands and wiping away the blood from my face. I took one of his hands in both of mine.

"Your hands used to represent so much to me," I told him. "You loved me with them, you fought with them as you trained me, you hurt me with them as you punished me."

"And now?" He tilted his head to the side.

"Now they do the same for another. Will you teach her to fight at all?" I was coming back to myself little by little.

"Yes, but only because I must. I will not have her defenseless in my absence. I will have a sword made for her, as I did you, but I will not ask her to wield it." Still holding hands, we sat in the two chairs in front of his desk. He changed the subject. "I am glad there is attraction between you. It will make her more accepting of you when you do wish to share our bed. And make no mistake, she WILL accept you." He looked at me with determination. "She does not fear to sleep in my arms, and I do not want her to fear to sleep in yours either. While she is human, I will charge you with her protection if I must leave for any length of time. The two of you are my family and I will not lose either."

I nodded, accepting his words but wondering how he would bring them about. His little human might be as possessive as he was for all I knew. "Do you have a plan for that?" I allowed myself a small smile but didn't want him to think I was mocking him in any way.

"She is already open to the idea of others sharing my bed, although she is not happy about it."

"What do you mean?"

"When we formed our… arrangement, at first I had no plan to change my lifestyle. I told her I would continue to take fangbangers at my will. She believes that I still do."

"You do not?" I was surprised to hear this, but then thought about it and realized I hadn't seen him with anybody at all since she had come into his life.

"No, and I will not have sex with trash any more. I will take their blood if necessary, but only if she cannot provide for me." His voice and posture said he was adamant about this.

"Where do I come in?"

"You know that I observed the two of you together," he stated. I nodded. "I saw the budding attraction between you. She has had female lovers in the past."

"Really?" My eyebrows shot up in a good imitation of his own. My fangs descended involuntarily and I hurried to cover them with my hand. Eric chuckled. I smiled sheepishly.

"It is fine Pam! I trust that you will not touch or taste without my permission as we discussed. I will introduce this idea to her. The three of us do not have to be sexual to share a bed, but how much more fun if we are? He waggled his eyebrows as his own fangs came down. We laughed together for a few minutes and then became silent, looking into each other's eyes. "I believe we understand each other now?" he asked.

"We do, Eric. Thank you." We both stood up together and embraced tightly. He kissed my forehead the way he used to do when I was troubled, and I laid my head on his chest for a moment and then I turned to go.

"Now, go back and finish my house! I am anxious to leave this closet!" He swatted my ass playfully.

"As you wish, Master!" Things were back to normal.

Eric POV

After Pam left I sat in my office thinking about how to proceed. I knew Dina would fight against being turned but she did not have a choice. Pam had mentioned love to me. Even though I had told her otherwise, I wasn't sure if I could feel love. I felt something. It was deep and beautiful and filled my heart with joy. I didn't remember ever having such a feeling before. I could not allow Dina to die. I did not want to live without her by my side. I would have to do something to convince her that she could be happy as a Vampire. She loved me now, but I did not want to lose that love because I turned her against her will. It bore more serious thought but now I didn't have time. She was waiting for me downstairs and I was anxious to see how she would look wrapped in my blue rope. That thought made my fangs pop and my cock was instantly hard. I picked up the DVDs and headed back down the stairs, locking up each security door as I passed it.

She was lying on the couch with her eyes closed. Gods, had she gone to sleep again? But as soon as I closed the door behind me she opened her eyes, sat up, and treated me to that smile that I adored. "Did you enjoy your visit with Pam?" I asked her.

The room was instantly tense and she looked down at her hands. I understood why. I went to sit next to her. I wasn't going to prolong this or tease her. I needed her and Pam to get along. Few makers had other children when they were so close with their eldest. But some of me couldn't imagine a time where Pam wasn't always in and out of my life and always in regular contact with me.

"Was she friendly with you? Perhaps…flirtatious?" I kept my tone even, trying not to frighten her. After the time we'd had when we went over her contacts, she knew how serious I took other possible love interests in her life and might think I would want to punish her for the interaction between them.

"I… guess. I didn't… didn't expect Pam to act that way with me." Her voice was soft and she spoke hesitantly. She looked up at me with wide eyes.

"How did you think she'd act?" I asked curious; perhaps Dina thought her future sister would eat her in the 'draining' sense of the word.

"Well, I am kinda taking you from her. Not literally of course! But she was your one and only and now you are giving your time to me. I didn't expect to be anywhere on her 'favorite person' list." Leave it to my bonded to think of someone else's feelings. She even stopped eating in her own home. I didn't know what I was going to do with her.

"We can talk about that later. Pam will be fine with you and I want you to get along with her. Now answer my question." My voice was firmer now, closer to the Dominant voice that she knew she must always obey.

"She wasn't mean… what if she was a little flirty?" My bonded was smart. She answered me without really admitting to anything and asked me 'if' before she really started talking. At least I knew it was possible for her to watch her mouth and what came out of it.

"I will not punish either of you as long as there was no sexual touching or biting without my permission." I knew this relieved her, but her answers were still hesitant. I felt guilt in our bond. She felt like had somehow wronged me. I knew she had done nothing wrong, but my human was a monogamist by heart. Even attraction to another made her feel like she was on a slippery slope with me.

"I… I'd say we were flirty. She is a beautiful woman. But I'd never let anyone else bite me or touch me!" She reached and began to rub my forearms. "I only want you. You know that don't you?" Her voice was higher-pitched than normal. She felt like she had done something wrong and was still afraid even though I said I wouldn't punish her.

I kissed her nose. "I know how good-looking my child is and she knows how beautiful my Bonded is. I am not upset there is attraction between the two of you. Pam wouldn't ever touch what is mine without permission. Like you she is loyal." I smiled and pulled her close.

"You really aren't mad at me?" she had to ask.

"No, Dina, I am not!" I pulled back enough that I could take her face between my hands and look into her eyes. "You did nothing wrong. Flirtation between you and Pamela is not a threat to me or to us. I know that neither of you would do anything behind my back. I trust you. Do you believe me?" I didn't want this to linger between us the rest of the night.

She sighed and relaxed visibly, blinked her eyes a few times and smiled at me. She had fought back her tears; I could feel her strong emotions through the bond. She leaned in and put her head on my shoulder. "I love you so much Eric!"

I squeezed her tightly in response. When she said that it made my heart sing. I rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head, glad that the tension was gone from the room. I knew that if I held her this way too long I would push her down and have my way with her. Not just yet. So I changed the subject. "I brought down a bunch of DVDs. Would you like to watch one together?" We pulled apart and remained holding hands.

She hesitated a moment before answering. "I don't know Eric," she yawned. I'm pretty tired. I think I'll go get in bed." She got up and started for the bedroom. I followed. "Honey, why don't you stay out here and watch one of them? You'd probably have more fun doing that than watching me sleep." She waved her hand toward the living room as she said this.

Was I being dismissed? Really? After the conversation we had just had? Hell no, I wasn't going for that! "You are telling me you do not want to be with me?" I demanded, raising my eyebrows. Who did she think she was? Nobody was allowed to blow me off, especially not my Bonded submissive mate in my own home.

"Well, you'll probably want to feed and I'm just not in the mood for that!" she said off-handedly. Then she started to walk away from me again. I grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"You are not in the mood to feed me?" I was starting to get angry. I knew she was being moody and over-dramatic about things, but this was intolerable.

She looked at me innocently. "No," she said succinctly.

Wait a minute. Something was up. We'd had this conversation, or something very similar, once before. So I asked again in a rough voice. "Dina, are you willing to feed me or not?" 'Willing' being the operative word.

She looked down, and then she looked up at me through her eyelashes, a mischievous smile on her face. She raised her eyebrows and said coyly, and very clearly, "NO!"

Oh, it was like that was it? All right, game on! "Oh really?" I glared at her and then closed my eyes, calling forth the predator within me. The pressure rose in my chest and I felt my Vampire senses coming to life. I took a deep breath to clear my head and I let my fangs loose. They clicked into place, even longer than normal. They were like that when I hunted. I stuck out the tip of my tongue and let it lightly caress my right fang. I could feel her fear and anticipation. I could hear her heartbeat quicken. I could hear the blood rushing through her veins. I knew where every pulse point on her body was. I finally opened my eyes and stared at her intently, allowing the supernatural glow to come forward. I knew I looked scary; I meant to. I let go of her arm and heard her gasp as she took in my appearance, then, in my most lethal tone, I said one word: "Run."

She turned and let out a squeal, taking off in the direction of the kitchen. I would be patient. I counted slowly to five. After all, she was in my lair, locked in with no knowledge of the key combinations to unlock any of the security doors. There was no escape for her; she was trapped. Just the way I wanted it. One – Two – Three – Four – Five. I sniffed the air and I knew exactly where she was. I startled her, coming up on her fast with my Vampire speed. She was in the kitchen and let out a little scream when I popped up next to her. I didn't want this game to end quickly so I allowed her to put the island between us. I kept her in the kitchen, stalking back and forth on one side of the island – the side facing the house. She wouldn't be leaving the kitchen unless I allowed it, which I did. I suddenly dove over the top of the island, not disturbing anything on top, and deliberately missed. She ran for the bedroom. I smiled to myself. She had been so worried about my reaction to her and Pam just a few minutes before and she'd concocted this little game, which she knew I enjoyed, just to make me happy. I decided to "hide" for a while. What this meant was that when I didn't come after her, she would come looking for me. I would zip around the house faster than she could see whenever she approached my location. Then I would pounce when I was ready.

"Eric?" I heard her calling me when I didn't pursue her into the washroom or to the bedroom. Oh, I'd been there. She just hadn't seen me. She came back out into the living room area trying to sneak. It was so cute that I almost gave away my location chuckling. As she turned toward the kitchen where I was concealed I zipped past her, close enough to make a breeze on her skin. She laughed. "Not fair Eric!" Then she turned quickly, probably expecting me to be right there and grab her. That wasn't my plan. I guessed that her next plan was to try to turn the tables on me. "OK honey, well like I said I'm tired anyway. I'm gonna get in bed!"

Perfect.

I watched from the dark of the washroom as she moved to her side of the bed and started to get undressed. She pulled the nightgown over her head and set it down on the comforter. I took that as my cue to growl at her from the washroom. She heard me and froze. I felt the spike of fear that shot down her spine at my menacing threat. She wanted to be stalked by a Vampire. I would give her what she wanted. But then I zipped out of there and through the bedroom to the other side of the door. She decided to entice me.

She moved to the door between the bedroom and washroom, obviously thinking I was still in there. She faced in there and stretched her arms over her head, pushing her breasts forward toward where she thought I was. Then she grabbed them and rubbed them vigorously, making the nipples stand up. I enjoyed the show from behind. Then she turned sideways and bent over, shaking out her hair and massaging her scalp. When she flipped her hair back up and onto her back, she turned her ass toward where she still thought I was hiding and put her hands inside the panties, spreading her ass cheeks apart inside of them and then scrupulously straightening the garment. Then she became unsure of herself when there was no reaction. I wasn't going to come after her when she was putting on a show for me! She flipped the light on in the washroom and, what do you know? No Vampire. I felt her disappointment, and her very real fatigue. So I decided to make my move.

She came out of the washroom and rubbed her eyes, then she bent her elbows so they were straight out to her sides and her hands were next to her head in a very real stretch of her back and arm muscles. I flipped off the light, putting the room in total darkness, popped up behind her and grabbed her, my hands going through the crooks of her elbows to pull her arms roughly behind her. She screamed for real and I enjoyed that, making no effort to quiet her. Then she sighed, actually sounding relieved. "Eric, I…"

"Silence bloodbag!" I hissed into her ear in a lethal tone. I tackled her face down on the bed and ripped the underwear easily from her body. Then I tore it in two pieces and stuffed one piece into her mouth. I may have panicked her just a little bit because she began to struggle and kick at me in earnest – exactly what I wanted her to do. I let her get one really good kick in to my ribs – enough to piss me off – and snarled at her through bared fangs, my eyes glowing brighter than ever. I turned her to face me, making sure she saw what I looked like, and she was scared for real! She tried in vain to kick some more but I used my body to completely immobilize hers, one of my arms holding both of hers prisoner behind her. Her face was white and frightened beneath my close scrutiny, her eyes wide. But the bond told me something that made this all right. She trusted me and loved me. Yes, I was scaring her, deliberately. She had known that I would when she had enticed me in the beginning. She played her part well, trying to call me a filthy bloodsucker through her impromptu gag. I laughed evilly, covered her entire face with my free hand, and held her absolutely still as I forced her head to the side and bit. This was no lover's bite either. I made it hurt, and she whimpered and tried to move against me. But she was not going anywhere.

I took my fill of her and then slowly, gradually I loosened my hold on her. I made it a point to kiss her neck where I had bitten it and clean it thoroughly before I healed it. I would not let rough treatment from a game accidentally scar her beautiful neck. But as I lifted her up, gently pulling the cloth from her mouth, I began to inspect her for bruises that needed my attention. She suddenly put both hands together and came at me, smacking me hard in the chest and pushing me back several feet. "God-dammit Eric!" she screamed. Then she put her head into her hands.

I was stunned! 'Wait a minute!' I thought. What was wrong? Had I hurt her in some way that I didn't mean to? "Dina?" I came forward, remorseful but also very irritated that she had pushed me that way. Wasn't there a better way to talk something out between us?

She allowed me to take her into my arms and then looked up at me – with a big grin on her face! "Gotcha!" she wailed, nearly doubling over with laughter. I stood there a minute, affronted. Was this funny? She had just made me feel remorse when I had really done nothing wrong, then laughed at me for it! I must have had a startled look on my face because she laughed harder. "C'mon Eric! You know it's funny!" And I began to see the humor in it. My lips almost twitched in laughter, but instead I did something else.

"Oh, you think you can get away with that without punishment?" I let my fangs drop and kept my expression completely serious. "You do not insult Eric Northman and then laugh about it!" I stated emphatically. She had gone completely silent. I hauled her back to the bed, sat down, and tossed her over my knee, forcing her head down and imprisoning her wrists with that same hand. "Spread your legs!" I demanded. She complied. "Wider!" I ordered. She tried but it was really hard while on my lap. I moved my hand around on her cheeks as if trying to find the best spot to strike first, and I felt her cringing. I lifted my hand… and tickled her ribs! It took her a few seconds to realize that she wasn't really going to get punished, but then screamed at me.

"Eric! Let me up! I'm gonna kick your ass for that!" She yelled at me. I did let her up. I simply laid back on the bed and pulled her on top of me. Instead of kicking my ass she kissed me all over my face, smiling brightly. "I needed that!" she finally said, curling herself into my side warmly.

"So did I Lover! Thank you!" I said sincerely. "You make an excellent 'victim!'"

"You really did scare me for a minute, right there at the end," she admitted.

"And your trust never waned," I finished her thought. "That makes me happier than you know."

"Maybe someday I'll find out that I've been stupid all this time but I don't think you'd ever really hurt me. Your face and your eyes were the scariest things I've ever seen! And how do you get your fangs to go longer like that?" She was curious.

I was almost reluctant to tell her. "I was really hunting you," I said. "That was my true Vampire you met just a few minutes ago. The one who will never harm you. At least not consciously. But never forget. He is inside of me. That is why I urge such caution in certain situations."

"Is it too dangerous for me to play with you like that?" she wanted to know.

"Oh, probably," I smiled, dropping my fangs again, "but I hope you never stop." I turned to my side and let her thoroughly examine my fangs. She got up very close to them and touched them with her fingers. Then she wrapped her tongue around each of them, one at a time. This made me hard as a rock but I didn't want to ruin this sincerely honest moment we were having with each other.

"I love your fangs," she decided, then she reached up and kissed each one with her lips. They were sharp, so that scratched her. I swooped in to the rescue and kissed her, giving her my saliva and a little blood to heal them. "How do you kiss me without cutting me?" she wanted to know next.

I had to think about that one. It had become second nature to me throughout my life, especially before the Great Revelation when I'd had to hide my identity as a Vampire. "I just… do!" I told her, shrugging. "I used to have to. Now I do because I don't want to hurt you… all the time." I bared my fangs at her and winked. She laughed.

"What do you want to do now Eric?" she asked me honestly.

"I thought we'd watch a couple movies, and you get to help me practice my rope skills!" I waggled my eyebrows at her. She raised hers and smiled at me in inquiry, so I rolled over and pulled out the coils of bright blue rope I'd concealed there from her earlier.

"How did I know that tying me up had something to do with it?" she rolled her eyes at me. She reached out and touched the rope. "Soft! And so pretty! Where did you get it?"

Now it was my turn to be a bit self-conscious. "It is special, made for this purpose, and very expensive. All natural, for you, made with no animal products. I had it dyed. There is a blue dress you used to wear a lot. Notice the color here?" The dress was hot on her, and come to think of it, I hadn't found it in my exploration of her clothes. I'd have to find out where it was.

"Oh, I know the dress you mean!" she said, now taking a closer look. "I hope they still have it!"

"Who?" Suddenly I was feeling jealous of whoever had her dress.

She sensed it. "Stop it Eric," she reassured me. "It's at the cleaners. I spilled a bunch of barbecue sauce all over it and didn't think I could get it out myself."

"Really? When did this happen?" I'd seen her wearing that dress just four days before she called me from Merlotte's that first night. Who had she been out with?

"Are you still being jealous?"

"I am not jealous!" I insisted, but I was wasting my time.

"Really Eric? How often do I hear it from you? 'The bond does not lie!"

It was a very admirable imitation of me; I had to admit!

"I.. just.. wondered.. who you were with is all! I saw you in that dress just a few days before…"

"You saw me?" she demanded suddenly. "What do you mean?"

"Dina," I said sternly, refusing to let her put me on the defensive. "We talked about this! You know I was…"

"Stalking me?" she interrupted.

I kept up with my stern demeanor even though I was losing ground fast. "Interested in you!" I was good at euphemizing.

"OK then, if you were... INTERESTED in me like you say, how come you didn't know about those Vampires in Merlotte's?" she wanted to know next.

I considered again how much to tell her, but considering that she was here and wasn't going anywhere, I decided full disclosure would be best. "I couldn't come and look after you every day myself," I told her. "Somebody else was there but had been told not to approach you or interfere. He didn't hear what had happened inside. I had just hung up with him when I got your call. If you would have waited another five minutes to call, I would have been on my way there in the car. That you sounded so panicked was the only reason I flew."

She listened to all of this with considerable calm, considering I had just told her that not only had I considered taking her, but that I watched her sometimes and had others doing it as well. Then she blindsided me. "What if that hadn't happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"Those Vamps came in and I called you and then I was yours. You were thinking about grabbing me off the street. Would you have done that if they hadn't made it easy for you?"

The next thing, she'd be accusing me of orchestrating the whole incident, which I hadn't. Bill had been less than forthcoming with Sookie. He never seemed to tell her enough about our kind and the Supe world in general. I couldn't absolutely say that Bill's tardiness for his date with Sookie that had led to her being beaten nearly to death by the Rattrays was done deliberately, but it definitely gave him an excuse to get a lot of his blood into her not long after they met. His actions were suspicious to me. He always gave her blood, though they had no formal bond. I wondered why. Perhaps he didn't truly want her as much as he claimed. Sookie found it in her to forgive the questionable things Bill did. He was lucky that her love was able to overcome that. I knew better than to try anything like that with Dina or any other woman I held an interest in. Gaining someone's trust and later love while being habitually dishonest could break a relationship. I may have wanted her and considered taking her, but I would never lie to have her.

I closed my eyes and sighed. "If I was going to do it I would have done it already, before Merlotte's ever happened. I had already decided against it so your answer is no. But I was watching you and looking for an opportunity to get closer to you. You just happened to give me one." I felt like I was never going to live down the fact that I'd had less-than-wholesome ideas in my head for a time.

She laughed. "What kind of thing were you looking for?" I was glad she knew I wasn't lying. Sometimes the bond was a real pain in the ass for me, especially when I was doing something that I didn't want her to feel me doing. But it was good that it forced us to be truthful with one another.

"I don't know. I thought, maybe you'd come into Fangtasia, or maybe I could," I paused and waggled my eyebrows, "come to your rescue." We both laughed at that, because that was pretty much what I had done.

"And you did. But haven't you ever heard of just walking up to a girl and asking her out?" She smiled, shaking her head at me. "I mean, that is what they've been doing now for a few decades."

"Maybe I should have just sent you a picture of my cock!" I countered. If she was going to tease me about wanting to kidnap her I was going to tease her about that picture in her email.

"Eric!" she pushed at my chest and I just pulled her closer. I guess I won that round.

I didn't think I'd ever even been this open with Sookie, and we'd had a lot of heart-to-hearts before Bill had come back into her life. "I don't think it really matters how we got here," I told her, holding her eyes. "I don't remember the last time I was this happy, if I ever was."

First she looked shocked, but that look quickly changed to one of happiness and love. "Eric, I don't know what to say. You can be so sweet sometimes! You're not always the big hard-ass Sheriff of Area Five. I'm so lucky to have this part of you to myself!"

She read me well. I wanted to own her – every part of her. She had no idea the fever she created inside of me. I was harsh, dominant, and possessive. But only with her could I be soft. Sookie had almost seen that side of me, but I recognized that I was wasting my time. No matter the wrongs he had done her, for some reason she could not let Bill go. I did not understand. I was sure that if I had done those things to my Dina, she would have kicked me to the curb. Being me, however, I probably would have refused to go away. As a matter of fact, I knew I would have. She meant too much to me. But if I had done those types of things to her, I would have needed to make amends. So far, I hadn't seen Bill lift a finger. He hung all over Sookie, glared viciously at me whenever I was in her presence, and over all acted like an idiot. Of course, I had no idea what they had done in private, and I did not want to know. Bill was possessive with her, arrogant, and cocky. He felt like he had won something from me. He hadn't. I had a much greater treasure now. Sookie was contracted to me for whenever I wanted to use her telepathy. That was all I wanted or needed from her.

It was time now for me to be the dominant. For some reason, I felt the need to assert myself over my Dina. I wrapped myself around her body, holding on tighter than I needed to. I rolled on top of her. She gasped at my sudden change, but it was exactly what she had just been talking about. One minute I was very soft with her, and the next I would change and become the dominant Vampire. My fangs popped out without any prompting from my brain. I stuck my face into the soft spot between her jaw and her shoulder, nudging the collar aside. This collar was starting to irritate me. It was too big, too stiff, and was always in my way. I had also noticed it starting to irritate her skin and make marks. I would get her a new one - something pretty, something smaller, and let her have a choice. I thought she would like that. I whispered, "You are mine," and held my fangs to her throat, piercing the skin slightly. I did not want to take any more of her blood yet but I let her think that I would.

She raised her chin, tilting her head slightly away from me to give me more room to do what I wished. "Yes, Eric," she responded softly. "I am yours." With difficulty, I retracted my fangs, licked the blood away from the tiny puncture marks I had made, pulled that piece of skin into my mouth, and sucked hard. I wanted it to leave a mark. I knew adolescent human boys enjoyed marking their females in this manner, but no one would see this but me, and perhaps Sean and Leila. I growled possessively in response and licked at the mark I had made. I liked it. I moved back a couple of inches and made another one. "Eric!" She giggled. "That tickles!" This time she tried to raise her shoulder to block my access to her neck, but I was having none of that. I growled again and used my hand to hold her shoulder down, and as punishment, I moved forward and down below her collarbone, and made one more mark, this time adding a prominent set of fang marks in the center.

"I will mark you as I choose!" I growled roughly. But she had satisfied me. She had said yes. That was all I wanted. I levitated us both about three feet above the bed, causing her to gasp and clutch at me desperately. I chuckled. "Wrap your legs around me Lover." She had again done what I wanted. I wanted her to hold on to me tightly, and she did. Like I was her lifeline, even though if I dropped her she would land softly. I suddenly got an idea. "Do not move!" I ordered her, kissing her hard on the mouth. I grabbed both of her hands and put them over her head, and then I unwrapped her legs from around me and spread them out on the bed. There was no purpose to this except that I wanted to look at her this way. I gave her a stern look and got up off the bed, heading to the linen closet for a wicker basket that I'd purchased to take Sookie on a picnic. The picnic had never happened but I still had the basket. It was empty, but I brought it back to the bedroom and began to fill it with the twenty or so small coils of blue rope that I had gotten out for tonight. Dina still lay exactly as I'd expected her to and she was looking curiously at me.

"What are you doing Eric?" she asked timidly, probably thinking I was going to tie her to the bed.

"You'll find out in a moment," I said, giving her no clue as to what was going on. I set the basket next to her on the bed and then resumed my place on top of her. "Hold on tight!" I exclaimed, laughing as I levitated again. I only went up a few inches, giving her time to grab me around the neck and rewrap her legs around me. Then I grabbed the basket and levitated us, just as we were, out to the couch. By the time we got there, Dina wasn't ready to let go.

"Wasn't that fun?" I asked. She made no move to relinquish her hold.

"Fun? …Honey, I have feet for a reason. Let's keep them on the ground! Please!" She said and slowly let go of me.

"We were only a few feet in the air. I'd never drop you."

"I believe you. Let's just have me trust you and you try to keep my feet on the ground." She put on a fake smile. I shook my head. How would my little one charge into a fight between a group of humans and a vampire, yet be so scared of flying 6 feet off the ground? Unbelievable.

I got up to sit next to her and pulled her to stand in front of me. "Rope skills, remember?" I indicated the basket full of blue rope. She rolled her eyes and nodded, waiting for me to direct her. She had regained her composure since having her feet back on the ground, "where they belonged."

I had become interested in Shibari, one name for the art of Japanese rope bondage. It was beautiful when a woman was tied that way and it was also functional. I could simply tie Dina to look good for me, or I could suspend her in almost any position without pinching nerves or creating pressure points. There were many forms of rope bondage with many places of origination. I didn't keep to any specific one, but was interested in studying people who had invented their own knots and variations on harnesses and suspension ties. I was studying many different types of rope bondage.

This night I would be putting Dina in a simple harness with her arms folded behind her back and her breasts framed by the ropes. I'd add some diamond shapes on her body with decorative knots, run a double rope through her crotch and frame her ass/waist from behind. This was a combination of techniques and I'd studied several videos. It would not put a lot of stress on any part of her body and I could leave her tied for a few hours, as long as I checked in with her often. I was confident that I could complete it in very little time. She wouldn't be able to move her arms side to side or away from her body if I did it correctly and there was absolutely no chance of escape. I had other plans for her nipples while she was bound this way, and I had found these techniques while searching online for BDSM material for Dina to study and comment on.

"Turn to face away from me, Lover," I demanded in my Dominant voice. She complied without comment or hesitation and I was pleased. I gentled my tone but still kept it stern. "All you have to do is relax and tell me if anything hurts. I mean it this time Dina! If you allow yourself to become injured beyond what I expect there will be punishment." I growled in warning. "If anything feels more than slightly uncomfortable or like it's hitting a nerve, I want to know! If anything starts to tingle or go numb, I want to know! If there is recurring pain that worsens, I want to know! Use your safewords, just like I told you. 'Red, Eric' to ask me to stop or 'Yellow, Eric' to ask me to check something. If I ask you what color you feel like you are and everything is fine, you will say 'Green, Eric.' Otherwise there is no need for you to speak unless I ask you a question. You may ask for permission to speak if you need to. You will always use my name when speaking to me. This begins now. Do you understand?" The correct response was 'yes Eric.'

"Yes, Eric!" she spoke right up enthusiastically. "But can I ask you a question?" The last was spoken softly and hesitantly.

"Of course," I responded, stopping what I was doing for a minute.

"You said, 'if I was injured beyond what you expect.' What do you expect?"

This was actually a very smart question on her part and I was proud of her. I sent that to her through our bond and felt her happiness. "You may have a few bruises, which I will heal. I will try to avoid giving you rope burns, and this kind of rope is good for that. Beyond that you should have no injuries. Okay?"

"Yes, Eric," she responded, letting me know that she was satisfied with my answers. I felt her relief in knowing that she should have little to no injury from this activity.

I pushed her hair to the side and kissed the back of her neck, enjoying the shiver that went through her body. "Very good," I said softly. Then I began to work. It took about 45 minutes to do everything I wanted to do on the videos I had watched. Using my Vampire speed, I would be able to complete it in half the time. I kept the tension even and turned her a few times to work on the front or the back. I was counting on her to tell me if anything was wrong. Finally I walked her to the center of the room, leaving her there and walking away a few feet. When I turned back to her, the sight of the blue rope against her creamy skin was nearly my undoing! She was perfection! The rope harness wrapped around the base of each of her breasts and tied together in the center. Then another set of ropes were like straps and pulled up slightly. There was no loss of circulation or undue pressure on her breasts; I would be able to leave this on her for quite a while. The intricate diamond shapes I had formed the ropes into along with the large decorative knots I tried were breathtaking on her! "Turn around Lover!" I croaked, my throat dry. Nothing, repeat nothing, had had such an effect on me as far back as I could remember!

From the back she was even more spectacular! The sight of the ropes holding her arms prisoner and the knowledge that she could not get out of it made my fangs elongate. I was nearly drooling! The way the ropes went through her pussy and then came back around at her waist framed her heart-shaped ass beautifully! My eyes were automatically drawn to the tiny diamond I had formed just above the crack of her ass. Beautiful! I should have tied a knot in the rope right at her clit to see how she handled that! I put that thought in the back of my mind for next time. I had tied women up for centuries but had never paid attention to the art that this was. My Dina was a masterpiece. I was going to pull those ropes up tight between her lower lips and suck away the moisture there.

"Come here to me Dina, now!" I ordered, my eyes glowing at her. I tasted fear in the air. I must look a lot like I had when I'd stalked her in my full Vampire mode a while ago. "No need to fear; I will not hurt you!" I promised. But maybe she wanted me to hurt her. Hmmmm… we would explore that possibility later! She came to me without hesitation, staring boldly into my eyes until she stood directly before me, and then she dropped her gaze in submission. My cock nearly liberated itself from my pajama pants, it jumped so hard for her! I pulled her to me by the front of the harness and kissed her hard, deeply, passionately, almost brutal in my need for her. I put my hands on her breasts, kneading and squeezing hard, handling them roughly. There would be bruises later. My fingers found her nipples and I flicked at them with my nails until they stood at attention for me. Tonight I would see how far I could stretch them. I pinched them hard at the same time and took her cry of pain into my mouth. I felt her struggle against the ropes holding her arms behind her and a growl rose of its own accord from within my chest. My inner sadist had awakened. I stopped groping and pinching her breasts and encircled her throat with my hands. Instead of panicking or struggling, she stretched her neck out for me and stared into my eyes. "Mine!" I growled, squeezing a little. I felt her swallow but she didn't move.

"Yes Eric!" She responded appropriately. My chest swelled with pride and possession. I took the ring of her collar and pulled her to the couch. I stepped out of my pants and sat down, guiding her to her knees before me.

"You know what I want! Give it to me, now!" I ordered, pulling her forward with my finger still in the collar's ring and guiding my cock to her mouth. The hand that wasn't holding the ring found its way into her hair. I grasped it in my fist and pulled slightly, letting her know that this was going to be on my terms. "I want to see your eyes while you do it!" She was unable to respond as I pulled her onto my cock, all the way into her throat. She choked. The sadist in me reveled as she struggled. I let her go, giving her a look of warning. I wanted no words of complaint. The dominant sadist in me had been enflamed, and I needed her to put out the fire. "Again," I said in a low voice. This time she was prepared as I forced myself into her throat. She breathed through her nose and calmed her gag reflex. I pushed in harder, cutting off her air. Her eyes began to water but she didn't struggle. She trusted me to let her go before any harm was done, and I did. I took my finger out of the D-ring and placed it on the back of her head. I was keeping control but we found a rhythm that satisfied me. I continued to hold her eyes. "I'm pushing in," was all the warning I gave her before I thrust myself into her throat again. I began to slowly fuck her face, holding her still while I took her throat as I pleased. The muscles in my pelvis started to tighten. I was coming close. I began to growl louder as the tears streamed down her face in earnest. My pace quickened and my finger found the D-ring on the collar again. I forced myself into her throat over and over again, making sure that I didn't cut off her air for more than a second or two at a time. She began to moan and the vibration of her voice brought me almost to the edge. Then she swallowed just as I thrust, and she did it again, and again. My sac tightened. I was going to cum. I wanted to draw it out but I couldn't any more. "Dina!" I uttered urgently. "Take it all! Do not waste a…" I never got to finish my sentence as my cock let loose and my world exploded into a million colored stars. I felt like I was going to turn inside out as I powerfully sent stream after stream of my seed into her throat. I raised my head and praised her in my native language, calling her name again and again. Aftershocks rolled through my entire body in time with her heartbeat. I continued to thrust softly, unwilling to leave the warmth of her willing mouth, but I knew I had to. I gently pulled away and she collapsed against my thigh, spent. So was I. I felt like I could actually sleep.

"My Dina!" I crooned softly and lifted her into my lap. She curled her body against me. I'd forgotten how exhausted she'd become. "Thank you!" I whispered to her, planting soft kisses on her neck, collarbone, shoulders. I swung my legs up onto the couch and reclined, pulling her onto my chest. I couldn't lay her on her back or it would hurt her arms. I wasn't ready to let her go yet.

"Eric," she spoke so softly that only a Vampire, or perhaps only this Vampire, could hear her.

"Mine!" It slipped out without my thinking about it.

"Yes Eric," she sighed in that same tiny voice. Within the next few seconds she was asleep, bindings and all. I put a pillow under my arm sideways and fluffed it up so that it was high enough for her to lay her head down comfortably. I reached up for the soft throw that she insisted we keep on the couch. Now I understood why as I fingered its softness, finding it very pleasant, and gently put it over us. I put my arm around her, my hand resting on the bindings between her wrists. My other arm went around her shoulders, above the blanket, so I could make sure it stayed on her. I kissed my Bonded gently on the top of her head and stroked my hand through her locks. They were softer than they had been when I'd brought her here, and longer too. I would not allow Leila to cut her hair except for necessary trimming, I decided. My mate's hair would be the envy of all. Still stroking her hair softly, I closed my eyes and went into downtime.

Dina POV

I woke up slightly disoriented, only sure that I wasn't where I usually woke up – in the comfy bed I shared with Eric. But as my senses blossomed outward I realized that I was lying on his chest, and quite comfortably so. An attempt to sit up brought back the realization that he had bound my arms and was holding me in such a way that I couldn't really move. But I was comfortable. We were covered in the soft throw that I loved and kept on the couch all the time. One of his hands was below the cover with me, and he was lightly gripping one of my hands in his. I stretched out my fingers to meet his and he caressed them in response. His other hand rested on top of my upper back outside the cover.

As soon as he felt me stir, Eric's arms tightened around me. I rubbed my face happily against his chest and looked up at him to find him smiling back at me. "Did you have a nice nap?" he teased.

"God Eric, I'm so sorry!" I was embarrassed at my exhaustion. "I don't know why I can't stay awake tonight!" I hid my face against his chest.

He laughed and began to stroke my hair. "If it is for the reason you believe, I do not mind it at all!"

My face got even redder at his reminder that he was eagerly anticipating my period. It was too much to wrap my head around two minutes after waking up so I just changed the subject. "Can I have another pop Eric?" He looked at me for a minute like he might say no, but instead he asked a question.

"What is it about this Pepsi drink that you love so much? I must admit, it's strange to me and I am suspicious of it."

"Well Eric," I paused – I'd never had to defend my favorite drink before, "I like the taste, of course. I like the carbonation – the bubbles," I said when he looked confused. "But really it's the caffeine that I like the best."

"Caffeine?" He tilted his head to the side. Eric was obviously very unschooled on human foods and it showed. I wanted to laugh but I didn't. "What is that?"

"Well it's a… stimulant," I told him, searching for the right word. "It will help me stay awake." I hoped that would satisfy him.

"I know what a stimulant is, Dina!" he said, irritated. "So is this caffeine present in all human drinks?"

I was getting tired of this lesson in human sustenance, but I tried not to show it. "No, just stuff like cola drinks, some juices, energy drinks."

"Is it good for you?" He wanted to know.

"Ummmm, well, it's not exactly on the food pyramid…" He looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "I'll explain that another time. We shouldn't have a lot of it but it generally doesn't hurt us."

"How many per day is safe for you?" Oh great, now he was playing nutritionist.

"I don't know Eric! Three, four. I'm not a doctor or a food expert." I was getting exasperated; I just wanted some caffeine to help me wake up.

"I will give you one more tonight then," he stated. "And I will ask Dr. Ludwig what the limit should be."

I sighed and dropped my shoulders. I would have sat and drunk them one after the other all night if I didn't have to go through him. But he had to do everything for me if he wanted to keep me tied up like this. "Thanks Eric," I managed to smile and kiss his chin. His cheek was too far away. He sensed I wasn't happy.

"What is it?"

"You know what it is Honey," I responded, laying my head on his shoulder. "I'm used to doing what I want and having what I want. Asking you for everything is hard."

He sat us both up and held on to me. "I know it is but you'll get used to it." He sat me on the couch next and started checking the ropes that held me bound. "Is anything too tight? Hurting you? Are your hands going to sleep?" He checked my hands to make sure they were warm.

"It's all fine. You did a good job. I…" Suddenly I didn't want to tell him what I'd started to say so I looked away, hoping he'd let it go. Of course he wouldn't.

"You what?" He asked, cupping my chin in his fingers and forcing me to look at him. I blushed some more. He smiled. He was going to push, but in a nice way I guess. "Dina?" His voice became stern but still soft.

"Never mind Eric!" I tried to duck and cover. "It's too embarrassing!"

"Tell me, Dina!" he insisted. He backed me up against the couch cushions and crawled over me, forming a cage around me with his body. Then with his knee he nudged my legs farther apart and his hand was there, waiting to take control of my body.

"No! Eric don't… ooohhhh!" I moaned as his fingers found my clit and he touched it just right. By now Eric knew my body so well he could play me like a guitar. I arched my back and opened my legs wider for him, forgetting completely about our conversation. "Eric, oh god, Eric!" I breathed. His eyes held mine when I would have closed them. The world disappeared and there were only Eric's eyes, and Eric's fingers, and Eric's voice. He took me right to the edge and held me there.

"Tell me Dina, and I'll let you cum!" he crooned softly into my ear as he hovered over me, gathering me into his arms to hold me tightly.

"Not fair Eric!" I squirmed and tried to move into a position where he would be touching me the way I wanted him to, but he used his whole body to pin me down and hold me still while he teased me. Then he got the rope that went through my crotch involved, moving it back and forth softly over my swollen little nub. He wouldn't let me push against it though, instead holding it away when I did manage to move. "Please Eric!" He held me there right before the peak of the mountain.

"Tell me Lover!" he whispered wickedly, beginning to suck and bite at the skin on my neck and chest with his teeth and fangs. He knew what that would do to me.

"All right all right!" I whined, struggling against him but getting nowhere. "I like this! OK?"

He stopped what he was doing and looked at me. "You like what?"

"When you put these ropes on me. I like it, all right? I love it! I want you to make them tighter! I want you to add more!" Now that he'd gotten it out of me I was going to say it! "They feel good against my skin. They don't bite like metal. Aaahhhhhh!" The last was a scream as he kept his promise and let me cum. It was strong enough to make my entire body and his shake. I rubbed against him like a cat in heat. "Oohhhh God, Eric, I need you inside me, please?" I knew I needed to ask, not demand.

But Eric was hard and ready for me. Maybe what I said about the ropes excited him. He grinned at me through his fangs and got to his knees, pulling me with him. He turned us so that we could lie down fully on the couch and he moved over me, growling softly, his eyes emanating that soft glow. As he pushed me down onto my back he put his arm around my back, holding me close to his body as he rested on his other arm and kissed me thoroughly. His kisses were like a drug for me whether he was nibbling at me with his teeth, kissing me softly or taking my mouth with dominant passion. He never set me down to put my weight on my arms as long as he was kissing me, and he urgently thrust himself against my abdomen, his cock leaving a trail of moisture that felt like burning fire on my skin that ignited in me just below where it touched. I ground myself against him, wanting full contact, wanting him inside of me, but he resisted. I only wanted him to rub against my still swollen clit to get the fire burning hotter.

Finally he eased me down onto my bound arms and the ropes began to pull at them, biting into my skin and making me gasp from the strain. The softness of the rope helped it not to scratch me but I felt every strand where it looped around my arms and wrists. It made me feel helpless and vulnerable, completely at the mercy of my huge Vampire with glowing eyes and sharp fangs… I'd never been so turned on in my life! I began to struggle against the ropes just to feel them bite into my skin harder, to increase the feeling of being his willing captive. He held me still with ease and began to kiss and bite a trail heading south. His cool lips made me burn even more for him and he stopped to pay attention to each of my breasts. He loved to sink his fangs in on either side of my nipples and tonight was no exception. I nearly screamed with the pain when his fangs pierced my flesh, but instead I pushed my breast toward him, inviting him to take his fill of me. His eyes never left mine and I saw his dominance there, his assurance that I belonged to him and him alone, and I reveled in that look. It made me feel wanted, desired.

He reached around me and grasped my bound arms with his hands and felt the ropes that he had put there. He moved his hands around, touching each loop and knot as he took my blood with his fangs. I knew he was testing to make sure they weren't too tight, but I also felt through the bond that he enjoyed his power over me. As he kissed and nibbled at my hip bones his hands came back to spread my legs wide. I gave him no resistance. I was panting heavily, wanting his touch, wanting his cock buried inside of me, thrusting hard and taking what he wanted while giving me what I needed. He put his thumbs on the ropes that ran through my pussy, spreading my outer lips wide with them and gazing at his masterpiece. I could only imagine what the sight of that bright blue rope sitting where he had put it in my most intimate spot would do to him.

His head dipped down and his tongue began to taste me. He licked up and down my lower lips with a firm touch and then I felt him take the ropes between his teeth. As he held the ropes between his teeth his tongue delved inside of me, looking for the honey that he knew was there, the moisture that he'd created with his touch. The rope was so soft that he moved his lips downward to the point where it had been buried the deepest, and it felt like he actually sucked the moisture from the rope itself! As I squirmed and moaned at his attentions, his hands moved over my hips and he applied his strength to hold them still. I felt him very carefully take the rope between his teeth again and he pulled it tight, so tight that it was nearly painful! Then he took it in one of his hands and began to flick it with the other, causing it to strike my swollen clit over and over and over. He varied the strength of each strike, some very soft, some very hard, but he always kept up the pressure and the rhythm he had started. Before long I was thrashing and moaning and calling his name over and over and over. He reached down again with his miracle tongue and circled my little nub, then he pulled it into his mouth and applied his teeth gently in just the right spot. "ERIC!" I screamed as my whole body convulsed; I felt like I was having a seizure! Bright light exploded inside my head and I swore I floated up a dozen or so feet and drifted gently back down. Aftershocks rocked my body over and over as his tongue continued to lick and circle my hot spot. Finally it got to be too much to bear and I started to flinch and pull back when I felt his touch. Again the rope was tightened and his head disappeared – I couldn't see him any more and I felt the rope pull and tighten in a different spot. Then, like a spring, the ends came flying up and landed on my belly. The pressure was all gone and I felt Eric's fingers inside of me. I moaned and bucked against his hand. He quickly rose up over me again and rubbed my lips with the two fingers he'd had inside of me. I knew what he wanted and I opened my mouth to clean them thoroughly. I treated his fingers like they were his cock, licking and sucking and moving my head back when he pushed his long digits into my throat. Slowly he pulled his fingers from my mouth and replaced them with his tongue. He kissed me roughly, biting and letting his fangs cut me, then healing me and letting them do it again. I felt him growl again in his chest.

And then, quicker than I could think, his lips were gone and I was flipped over onto my stomach with a pillow under my hips. He pushed my legs apart with his own and slid fluidly into me. I sighed with relief until he bumped up against my cervix and I felt pain. He thrust again and again it hurt, and again. I flinched and instinctively pulled away with a little cry. He didn't like that at all! He spanked my ass with his hand and then he put that hand under my body and gripped my shoulder, hard. He grabbed my hair with the other hand and his thrusts became harder. I couldn't pull away because each time he pushed in he pulled me back with the hand on my shoulder and tightened his grip in my hair.

"Mmm, Eric…it hurts. Please stop!" I cried out to him, I think he felt I was just being difficult because of the bindings and not because I was in pain. Truthfully, I didn't have any urge to fight these ropes the way I fought being tied up the other day. "Yellow."

I remembered the colors we discussed and quickly used it. Let's see if it worked as well as I needed it to!

He stopped with his cock embedded deep in me, still holding me. His body went perfectly still and the pain stayed. "What hurts?"

"Inside… I'm very sensitive right now." I was gasping and breathless.

"Because of your impending bleeding for me?" he asked, sounding completely unaware of the possibility. I also noticed how a monthly period became 'for him.'

"Yes." I really wished he'd ease out already, but apparently 'yellow' just froze everything.

"You felt wet enough. I am not being any more rough than usual. Explain how to fix this." He sounded entirely perplexed.

"Eric… you are hitting my cervix. Which is probably angled differently and is sensitive. My ovaries are in a different position as well. I… I really don't want to give you an anatomy lesson right now! I think we need to stop and maybe try again in another position and go slow."

"I will google these changes you are describing to me. If you think that is best. I'm going to pull out of you now. I will go slow. Hold still." He said and seemed concerned. It stung a bit as he pulled out, but I felt better once we were disentangled. His hands fell on my back and ran down my legs. He gently pushed me as flat as I could go and began to soothingly rub my body.

I felt his fingers touch the skin not covered by rope and wondered how my skin would feel once I was unbound.

"This is very unexpected… I an beginning to understand why your bleeding makes you so unhappy. What can we do so I can mate with you, without causing you pain? Would you like to ride me?" He asked, attentively.

"No, I think that would be worse. I rarely…" I stopped, wondering if it was terrible to mention past encounters at a time like this. It seemed low class and also like something that would upset my possessive vamp.

"You rarely are on top and it's painful when your bleeding is coming. Is that what you are trying to say?" He filled in the blanks for me.

"Yes. Maybe we can try missionary?" I asked, wondering if that was possible with my ropes.

"I'd like to keep you tied up and don't want to hurt your arms. Let's try again in this position. You can adjust your body however you like."

I sighed and nodded. I lifted my butt into the air and leaned forward. I felt his hands move to grip my hips. I heard him spit and knew he was lubricating his cock. I relaxed in hopes we could do this without pain. I hated PMS and everything that went with it. Why would my body try to stop me from having the sex we both loved?

Eric slowly slid in and found a rhythm that was much slower. But I was shocked by one thing – he was only putting some of his cock into me. He barely brushed my cervix, but still rubbed my g-spot. I immediately felt like this was unfair. He wouldn't cum from this alone.

"Eric…honey, this is so nice of you. But you need to cum too."

"I am fine. I want to feel you cum around my cock. I promise you will get me off one way or another very soon." I heard the smile in his voice and couldn't help but smile back. I had a feeling I'd be repeating my earlier actions on his fingers, but on a different part of his body after I came.

For all his reputation for being ruthless, heartless, savage, unmerciful, and downright mean, Eric was a very caring lover. It was no wonder the fangbangers all wanted him, if anyone who had been with him had talked. But, then again, as with other parts of our lives, I might be seeing a side of him that he didn't show to anyone else. I couldn't imagine him sacrificing his own pleasure, even if only temporarily, for someone he really didn't care about and didn't plan to see again. Once again he was an enigma to me.

He really did know what he was doing, because he angled himself just so, and within minutes I was panting and moaning, writhing beneath him and loving the feel of him holding me so tightly. This time his arm was around my chest just under my breasts as he held me close to him, his other hand supporting his weight while he moved within me. I could feel the tension in him as he held himself back from thrusting so powerfully and fully into me the way he usually did. I tried to use my inner muscles to squeeze him, hoping that this would help him to enjoy it more, but the effort hurt me. Nevertheless I kept trying, but he picked up on my pain and growled into my ear to stop. He picked up his pace, able to thrust so quickly that we almost could have started a fire. I knew there was a fire inside of me and it was getting harder to control. My inner walls started to contract and convulse and as I arched my back to give myself fully to him the delicious sensations started to quiet the cramping that I still felt. "Ooooohhhhhhh!" I moaned passionately, about to give in to the quickening inside of me. "!" My body began to shake and my pelvis gyrated wildly as the climax overtook me, especially when I felt his fangs piercing the flesh of my neck. I tried to hold still for his fangs but it wasn't easy. A low moan kept going on and on and on, until I realized it was me and quieted myself. Amazed, I felt little fluttering spasms move throughout my abdomen and what must have been my internal sexual organs, calming the pain and relaxing the tightness I'd felt earlier. I sighed with pleasure and relief.

Eric finished what he was doing and kissed me where he'd bitten me. "What was that for?" he chuckled at me.

"You won't believe the feeling you just gave me! You relaxed everything! All the pain is gone!" I told him, astounded. I leaned my head back to rub my cheek against his. He pulled away from me very gently; he was taking my discomfort seriously! He sat up and pulled me into his lap, checking the ropes again to see if anything had slipped or become too tight. He pressed my skin in between the loops on my arms.

"How does this feel? Does it hurt or is it numb?" He was going out of his way to make sure that I was all right again as he had done before. He may have been keeping me bound for hours, but he was being responsible about it.

"What if I told you it hurt me?" I asked him.

He looked at me as if trying to judge whether I was serious. "I would untie you. Does it hurt?"

I shook my head. "No. I just wanted to know what you would say."

He stared at me almost with a look of suspicion for a few more seconds and then, seemingly satisfied, set me on the couch next to him. I immediately curled into his side. All of a sudden it actually dawned on me that he'd cut the rope that had run through my crotch – it had been pretty uncomfortable at first until I'd gotten used to it. Even so, the integrity of his ties hadn't changed. I could no more move my arms now than I'd been able to before he'd cut that other rope. He felt me moving around. "Are you sure you aren't uncomfortable?" he insisted.

"I'm way more comfy than I was actually!" I explained, and then I blushed. "You cut the rope that was, um, you know…"

"In your pussy?" he asked intently, his fangs down again and his eyes glowing. God, he was ready for the next round and I was exhausted! He caught the back of my head and kissed me hard. Oh yeah, he was ready for more! When he let me go he smirked at me and I caught a glimpse of what he had waiting for me, still needing attention. I shivered, and he growled. But he wanted to hear what I had to say first. "Finish your sentence." But I was caught by his eyes, momentarily mesmerized and speechless. "Dina?" he finally asked, waving his hand in front of my face.

I was so embarrassed! "Oh, I…" then I laughed. "Good thing you weren't trying to glamour me or you'd have gotten anything you wanted!"

He advanced on me then, turning his body in my direction and forcing me back until I was lying under him again. "I don't have to glamour you to get whatever I want, do I?"

God, he was so sexy! He took my breath away! I gasped for air for a few seconds before managing to say "I think you're right!"

"I am!" he said with Eric's typical overconfidence, lowering his body enough to press a certain part of his anatomy against my stomach. "Now, tell me what you were going to say so you can give me what I want!" He smiled with typical cocky Eric fashion and this time I rolled my eyes.

"OK but it's silly. I was just thinking how you cut that other rope and I still can't move my arms, that's all."

He obviously hadn't thought I would say anything like that because for a second he looked surprised. Then he laughed and shook his head. "That is just because of the way I tied you. You will never… escape… when bound by my ropes." The intensity had returned to his eyes and I realized he was serious. He thought I was trying to get away!

"Eric, I don't ever want to escape from anything that binds me to you," I told him sincerely. We held each other's eyes for a few minutes. No words were needed. He smiled softly at me and stroked my forehead, but then hauled me up off of my back to check the ropes again.

"Still all right?"

"Yes Eric," I said, giving him the submissive words he liked and lowering my eyes for him. I knew how much it turned him on for me to act that way. He growled at me again and then smiled dangerously, taking me firmly by the shoulders and putting me on my knees on the floor. He was so hard it looked painful.

I licked my lips in anticipation. I loved to taste him, almost as much as he loved to be in my mouth. I started to kiss the sides of his head. I was half sucking and half kissing all around the top of his cock. My lips opened, enclosed around him, and were pulled down until they were closed and ended by giving his dick a loving peck. Eventually I added my tongue and he began to thrust his hips at my face. I knew he was okay with my slow pace and light teasing. If not he would have grabbed my head and thrust into my mouth already. I decided to take pity on his need and brought his whole tip into my mouth. I sucked him and kept rubbing every bit of his head with my tongue. He enjoyed this very much! I wished I could use my hands on him.

I was surprised when the beginning signs of his approaching orgasm came. Since when did he cum just from me sucking his tip? He groaned very loudly and grabbed my head.

"Open." He said hoarsely.

I opened and he pushed deep into my mouth, touching my throat. I quickly began to move my head. I knew I was getting better at giving Eric what he wanted. I wouldn't ever be able to deep throat all of him, but I could take a lot of him in now. This time I was ready for the slight gagging and tears that stung my eyes when his hips jerked against my face. I didn't think he did it intentionally every time. He was fighting to hold back and draw this out. I wanted to finish him off. My pace increased. I alternated between bobbing my head and taking him as far back as I could and making sure his head received adequate attention from my tongue. This was my first time really seeing Eric respond so strongly. His body shook and his hands never stopped touching me, massaging my scalp, pulling my hair, holding my head tighter as he moaned louder and louder.

"Gods…Dina, swallow…every drop…" He let out a guttural near scream as his body convulsed. I felt a rope of cum hit the back of my throat. Followed by another, another, and I swallowed every bit I could. I tried to let go of his cock, but he kept it in my mouth by holding my head. "Almost," he said softly.

He reached his hand down and grabbed his base. He slowly and tightly slid his hand up his shaft. He was effectively 'cleaning his pipes' and pushing the last bit of cum into my mouth. I gently sucked it out, not wanting to be too rough on his delicate post-orgasmic member. Finally satisfied that I hadn't missed a drop he let go of my head and I lowered it to his rest on his leg. I kept it there as he gently played with my hair and let his body enjoy the aftershocks.

It dawned on me how natural this was. The first time I'd put my head on his leg in such a submissive fashion it had felt weird and very 'pet like.' Some of me had immediately thought I should stop. But now a part of me was beginning to admit I liked this. I was on my knees with my head on my Master's lap. He was being very affectionate as he played with my hair and massaged my sensitive scalp. My arms and body were still bound in rope and my jaw was recovering from pleasuring him. But something about this felt so very nice and right. I closed my eyes and sighed, smiling.

Eric must have thought I was about to go to sleep again, because out of nowhere he picked me up and held me on his lap. He seemed surprised that my eyes were wide open as I smiled at him. "What is it?" I asked.

He smiled his wicked smile again. "I didn't want you to go to sleep again, Lover. I'm not quite finished with you yet."

Last Revised Wednesday, April 18, 2012 Page 27 of 27