Disclaimer: I own nothing related to True Blood.
Two years previous…
A twenty-four year old Paige visibly gulped as she and a group of her girlfriends made their way through the busy casino and headed in the direction of the bar. Her eyes darted between the various noisy, colorful slot machines that they passed, an undeniable feeling of greed and yearning beginning to consume her and making her positively itch to start gambling.
"C'mon, Paige!" One of the girls called back to her. "Hurry up!"
She hadn't realized she'd fallen behind until that moment and the call was enough to snap her back to reality – Paige tore her eyes away from the loud, tempting machines and jogged a little to catch up with the other girls, smiling half-heartedly at her friend Jamie when the girl looped her arm through Paige's and pulled her along with the others.
They had come to DaimondJacks this weekend because Hillary, a good friend of hers from work, had wanted to try something new on the night of her bachelorette party and had chosen to drag them all to Louisiana for a weekend of drinking and gambling. Though most of the other girls in the group had never stepped foot in a casino before, this was not Paige's first rodeo – as a matter of fact, she had been to this very casino several times before. And since the moment she'd found out that this was what Hillary wanted to do, she'd been dreading this weekend.
Plain and simple, Paige had a gambling problem. She'd had one since her friends had brought her to DiamondJacks for her twenty first birthday. That first weekend had been a very good one – she'd benefited from 'beginner's luck' and managed to walk away with a boast-worthy amount of winnings. But this had unfortunately resulted in her seeking the thrill of gambling over and over again, desperate and determined to have the kind of success that she'd had that first time - thus far the only thing she'd managed to successfully do was put herself in a bit of debt. But as much as Paige tried to fight it, she couldn't resist gambling if presented with it; it was her weakness, her vice, her addiction. Now as if that wasn't bad enough, since Hillary had known that Paige had visited DiamondJacks a few times in the past (more than a few times really, but that was Paige's well-kept secret), she'd asked Paige herself to show her and the other girls the ropes. That was when she started trying to convince Hillary not to go gambling for her bachelorette weekend, when she started suggesting they do anything and everything else in the world but going to DiamondJacks so that she wouldn't have to suffer through another wonderfully torturous, bank-breaking weekend. Her attempts had been in vain – Hillary's mind was set and there was no getting out of returning to DiamondJacks and facing the demons that had been constantly hovering over her like evil vultures ever since she'd been introduced to this tempting new world.
Trying to hide that problem now whilst also attempting to show her friends a good time was without a doubt the hardest thing she'd had to do in a very long while.
"So you know what I heard?" Jamie asked, turning to look at Paige with raised eyebrows.
"What did you hear?" Paige asked distractedly, eyeing a black jack table they passed by with a sort of hungry expectation.
Jamie looked around for a moment as though checking to make sure they weren't being eavesdropped on – nobody was paying them any attention, they were all too focused on Hillary as she bounced around near the front of the group and drew a fair amount of attention to herself, shouting loudly for all to hear that it was her bachelorette weekend. "I heard that there are tons of vampires in Louisiana." Jamie said in a low voice before glancing around with a note of wariness, as though expecting a vampire to suddenly appear at any given moment.
Paige's attention was definitely caught by that statement and she turned her eyes away from the tables so she could look at her friend with raised eyebrows – it had only been a few months since the vampires had "come out of the coffin", and though Paige was a little bit intrigued by them (how could she not be?), that didn't necessarily mean that she wanted to actually meet one. "Yeah?" She asked uncertainly. "That's…interesting, I guess."
Jamie just shrugged. She then started to say something else but paused when one of the other girls, Anna, dropped back from the rest of the group to join them. "As long as we're exchanging gossip, do you know what I heard?" She asked with a smirk, clearly having overheard their conversation. "I heard there's already some vampire club not that far from here." Then she giggled and turned her eyes over to Hillary. "If Hillary really wants to try something different, we should go and check it out."
Paige and Jamie shared a sharp look, both looking equally unnerved by her suggestion. "I don't think that's a very good idea…" Jamie trailed off uneasily before looking to Paige for support.
Paige, knowing good and well that Jamie wasn't very accepting of vampires and that she'd never take so much as a step in the direction of a vampire club, pursed her lips and looked towards Anna. "I'm with Jamie on this one." She said, making Jamie sigh in relief. "We're here to do something new and fun, not new and life-threatening."
"It was just a suggestion." Anna defended immediately, huffing at them. "You guys have no sense of adventure." She then accused before turning her nose up snootily and hurrying her pace to rejoin the other girls.
Paige rolled her eyes and shared another look with Jamie before they too quickened their pace to catch up with the group.
Hillary had already run up to the massive bar and was talking animatedly to the bartender when Paige and Jamie and the rest of the girls arrived – the loud, excited bachelorette informed the bartender that it was her last weekend as a free woman before promptly demanding that they be gifted with free drinks. Luckily the bartender was good-natured and laughed at her enthusiasm, offering two free rounds on the house before turning to start preparing drinks for the group. Paige leaned against the bar as the girls around her began taking photo after photo and eyed the gambling tables nearby, unable to help tapping her fingers in anticipation.
Tonight was going to be the death of her.
After getting their first round of drinks, the group broke off to find entertainment – half of the girls wandered off towards the slot machines, figuring it would be safer than trying to play at a table, while a few others went to talk to some guys that had just motioned them over. Paige, thinking it would be much smarter to just stay away from the colorful machines calling out to her like sirens, opted to stay near the bar with Jamie and a few of the other girls so they could chat with the bartender and few other nearby patrons. The girls eventually started getting up to their antics, behaving like typical bachelorette party attendees by being loud and requesting vulgar things from the braver guys that dared to come and talk to them. Paige just sat back and watched the madness ensue, sipping on her drink and laughing all the while as she had a good time with her friends…
A solid hour and a half passed by and Paige was finally starting to feel confident that this night might not be so bad after all. So far she'd resisted temptation and hadn't gone near a slot machine or table – maybe, just maybe, she'd make it back to the hotel with a full wallet this time.
As Paige sat at the bar chatting away with Jamie and feeling rather proud of herself, that was about the time that her ears picked up on a conversation taking place nearby.
" – not that far away from here." Paige glanced over her shoulder and looked to the girl that had been speaking – Anna. She was having a private looking conversation with Hillary, whose eyes were alight with interest. Paige, frowning in disapproval, was fairly certain she already knew what they were talking about. "It's the only vampire club in town."
Her suspicions had just been confirmed – Anna was telling Hillary about the vampire club. As dread began to creep in on her, Paige nudged Jamie and quietly informed her of the conversation she'd just overhead. Jamie immediately frowned before she and Paige both turned their attention to their friends to see what came of their conversation. Hillary, ever searching for a new adventure, was already nodding her head in agreement. Paige and Jamie shared another look – Hillary wanted to check out the club, and they both already knew there would probably be no stopping the stubborn woman from going now that she'd set her mind to it.
"Alright, I'm intervening." Paige finally said resolutely when Anna and Hillary started gathering their things.
But just as Paige stood from her barstool with every intention of pulling Hillary to the side for a very serious one-on-one conversation, one of the other girls nearby suddenly gasped. "Look!"
Paige turned her head and looked in the direction that she was very obviously pointing in, wondering what could possibly be so attention grabbing. Her eyes searched around curiously before she noticed that a small crowd near the poker tables had dispersed and moved out of the way for a few people coming through the area – and that was when Paige was finally able to see what had caught everyone's attention.
There were two of them, one male and one female. The male was very tall with blonde hair that brushed his shoulders and a large, strong looking frame. He walked with an air of confidence and power, one that commanded the attention of the room and sparked curiosity within Paige at once. The female was beautiful but in a dangerous sort of way, and as she followed behind the male she regarded the people around her with boredom. They finally reached a set of couches not far from where the bar was and they both eased onto the plush cushions gracefully, settling in and looking completely unbothered by the fact that everyone in the near vicinity was staring at them.
It was all too obvious that they were vampires – their skin was so pale and their movements so graceful that it was the only explanation that made any sense. But though their presence was a little frightening, as hard as she tried Paige couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from the painfully handsome male vampire that was lounging on the couch like he owned the place. She almost couldn't believe their luck; they'd come to the Louisiana for the weekend and had run into a couple of vampires on the very first night. She had to briefly wonder if there were more in the casino and she just hadn't realized it yet.
"Excuse me, sir!" Anna hissed at the bartender to grab his attention. Paige finally snapped out of it and focused in on their hushed conversation. "Those are vampires, right?" Anna asked quietly, leaning closer to the bartender so she wouldn't have to talk too loud.
"Yeah…" The bartender grunted with a short nod.
"Do they come here often?" Anna asked next, watching the bartender with growing excitement.
The bartender then shot a dark look towards the two vampires. "They have been the past few months." He said, also speaking in a low tone.
Paige chanced a look towards the handsome vampire before starting in surprise – he was looking right back at her. Blood immediately rushed to her cheeks and she felt like her heart had leapt up into her throat. She quickly shifted her eyes away from the blonde Adonis across the room and dutifully paid attention to what the bartender was telling them.
"That vampire club – Fangtasia, I think it's called – it's not far from here. They make the rounds 'bout this time at night to try 'n get some more patrons over there." He explained in his thick drawl. "They think they draw people to them with their 'good looks' and 'mystery'…more like misery if you ask me…" He scowled before walking over to help other people trying to order drinks.
Anna looked positively beside herself with excitement now. "You hear that? They're from Fangtasia! It's meant to be – we absolutely have to go there!" She announced to the group.
A few of the other girls immediately walked away and headed for the slot machines, clearly not interested in hearing about a trip to the vampire club, but one person in particular was looking sorely tempted. "Hillary…" Paige said warningly.
"What?" Hillary asked with an innocent grin. "It's my bachelorette party." She informed Paige, as though the redhead needed reminding. "We're here to have fun and try new things, right?" She then asked with a shrug, turning excited eyes over to the two vampires – Paige saw that a small group of women had wandered over to the couches and were now speaking with the vampires. The male vampire seemed uninterested in whatever they were saying, but the female was smiling at them in an unsettling way.
"But don't you want to live to marry your fiancé?" Jamie asked her incredulously, standing with her hands on her hips and looking like a stern mother scolding her child.
"Look!" Anna said to bring the debate to a halt and catch the group's attention. They all turned to see that the female vampire was now escorting the women out of the casino; the handsome blonde was still seated on the couch. "They're going!" She whined. Paige half expected her to stomp her foot and pout.
"I'll go." Kim, one of Hillary's childhood friends, suddenly offered.
Anna immediately thanked her and turned a smug smile on Paige and Jamie, her eyebrows shooting up and her expression clearly asking, You guys in or out?. While Jamie looked at Anna with incredulous eyes, Paige gnawed on her bottom, feeling torn. Part of her was curious to see what this vampire club was all about, especially if it meant getting away from this torturous casino before she lost her cool and started gambling all her money away. At the same time, however, she was terrified to go into a place like that – they had no idea what could be waiting for them in there. For all they knew, they might not ever see the light of day if they went into Fangtasia.
"Well, we're going." Anna finally said with a resolute nod when she grew too impatient with Paige's hesitance.
Paige's jaw dropped in shock and she watched helplessly as Anna grabbed Hillary's hand and started pulling her towards the door the female vampire had just left through. Joining them was Kim and one other girl named Vanessa, who both looked excited with this turn of events. "Well…" Paige said with a huff, sharing a shocked look with Jamie. "Now what do we do?"
"I'm gonna try to stop them." Jamie said with a heave before hurrying after them. "Go round up the rest of the girls and meet me outside."
"Okay." Paige agreed, not like Jamie gave her much of a choice as she was already hurrying after Hillary and the rest of the girl, leaving her very much alone at the bar.
Great, Paige thought to herself with a heavy sigh. First she'd been sweating buckets all night because the slot machines were practically trying to serenade her into playing them, then two vampires had decided to make an appearance, and now half of their party was off to get eaten alive by a bunch of blood-suckers – she had thought this weekend was going to be tough one, but she hadn't thought it would be this eventful.
She turned and flagged down the bartender, very suddenly finding herself in need of a strong drink. "I'd like a vodka Redbull, please...heavy on the vodka." She ordered, turning her eyes towards the slot machines in search of the rest of the party – they were grouped together not far away but looked to be gathering up their things to move; it seemed like they were about to come back to the bar.
"Here you go." The bartender said behind her, setting her drink down on the bar with a clink.
"Thanks." Paige said, turning around to grab it. She noticed that the bartender was sending another dark look towards the couches and unconsciously followed his gaze, wondering what the male vampire was doing now that he was on his own.
As soon as Paige turned her head, she froze…because her eyes had immediately connected with those of the unbelievably handsome vampire, who was staring back at her unblinkingly. She watched, heart pounding, as his head tilted to the side and eyes trailed over her body appraisingly. Nervousness, as well as an unexpected, heated rush of desire, immediately erupted within her under his intense gaze – she used all of her will power to turn away from him, downing half of her drink in the process. Paige shook her head, not understanding the things this strange vampire was making her feel, and was immensely relieved to see that the rest of the girls had indeed decided to rejoin her.
"Hey, Paige." One of the girls greeted, looking a bit concerned. "What's goin' on? Melanie said Hillary and Anna were talking about going to that vampire club and then Jamie went running by looking all kinds of flustered – did they end up going there?"
Paige nodded, thankful for the distraction but still mindful of the gaze that she felt on her back. "Yeah. Jamie went to try and stop them but I don't think she's gonna be able to. Hillary and the others were pretty set on going." She explained, casting a quick, discreet look in the vampire's direction – her spine stiffened when she realized he'd moved from his spot on the couch and was slowly sauntering in the direction of the bar.
"Should we go after them, too?" Another girl asked, pulling Paige back to reality and reminding her of the problem at hand.
"Yeah, we're gonna meet Jamie outside." Paige confirmed, already collecting her things . She finished her drink with a few more large gulps and set it loudly on the bar, choosing to ignore the fact that the vampire was now leaning against the counter only ten or so feet away. "Just a warning, we might have to go into Fangtasia ourselves to get her."
A few of the girls looked a bit frightened but still nodded in understanding. "Okay." One of the girls agreed. "We'll go on ahead. You tell the bartender where we're going in case they come back while we're gone." Paige tried to protest this, not wanting to be left alone while the vampire was lurking nearby, but the group was already departing. "We'll be right outside waiting for you!"
Then they were walking away, leaving a helpless Paige standing at the bar all by herself again.
There wasn't a doubt in her mind that the vampire had watched the entire exchange between herself and her friends, because his gaze had practically been burning holes in her shirt for the past five minutes. She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep, calming breath before turning around to flag down the bartender. Paige tried to resist looking in the vampire's direction, knew that it would probably only encourage him if she continued to pay attention to him, but her eyes betrayed her in the end and drifted over to the tall blonde. Sure enough, he was still leaning casually against the counter of the bar, his eyes focused solely on her. She didn't know why he was so interested in her – or why he was looking at her like that – but it was very, very unnerving.
Paige dutifully turned her eyes away from the vampire and focused on the bartender, ignoring the blonde's burning gaze. "Sorry to bother you…" She started to say to the bartender, hating the betraying, nervous edge to her voice. "But my friends and I are leaving to go after our other friends that just left. If for any reason they come back while we're gone, would it be too much to ask that you tell them we went looking for them and to just stay put? We should be back soon enough."
The bartender frowned a little at the favor being asked of him but still nodded his head in agreement. "Alright…where should I tell 'em you went to if they come back before you do?" He asked, taking out a scrap paper to jot down the message.
Paige flushed with embarrassment. The vampire lurking nearby had come with the intention of getting more patrons for the club that he obviously worked for and here Paige was revealing that that was exactly where she and her friends were going. What if he followed her? Or worse, what if he attacked her?
"Er….F-Fang-Fangtasia." She stuttered out, gnawing on her bottom lip and refusing to look in the vampire's direction. "Okay, thanks. Bye." She then said quickly, not bothering to wait for the bartender's response as she turned and hightailed it towards the exit.
God, she felt so stupid! Paige cringed and resisted the urged to smack herself on the forehead – she could only imagine what that vampire must be thinking of right then knowing she was headed to Fangtasia.
"If you're looking for Fangtasia – " a voice suddenly said near her ear, making her jump in surprise before turning and swinging wide, frightened eyes up to see who had followed her. It was the vampire. Paige pressed a hand over her suddenly pounding heart, visibly gulping in fear now that she was standing before him. His eyes flicked down to where her hand rested over her chest before his gaze met hers again. " – I would be ideal for directions." He finished, standing a bit taller and clasping his hands together behind his back.
She was too stunned to respond. In fact, all she could seem to think about was how tall he was – Paige herself was no short girl standing at five foot seven inches, but the vampire had to be at least six foot five; it made her feel oddly small and fragile. He was also much paler up close. Impossibly handsome, yes, but so pale that she could almost see his veins underneath his skin.
His left eyebrow twitched upward, jerking Paige back to the present. "Do you know how to speak?" He inquired in a serious tone, not even so much as a hint of amusement on his features.
Paige shook herself out of her own stupor. "Y-Yes." She answered hastily. "Of course I do." She continued, frowning at him and feeling both slightly offended and a little miffed with his condescending demeanor – what did he expect? Did he really think that he, a vampire, could sneak up on her, a human, and believe that she would be able to take it in stride as though it were an everyday occurrence? Obviously he had to realize by her reaction to him that she'd never been around a vampire before. "Do you know how to announce your presence so you don't scare people half to death?" Paige couldn't help but shoot at him, crossing her arms over her chest grumpily.
She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. His expression shifted to one of annoyance, maybe even anger, leaving her to suddenly wonder if she'd just signed her death certificate in her own blood. The vampire took a step in her direction and she instinctively backed away – why was no one in the casino doing anything? Shouldn't someone be coming to her rescue right about now? That was when she remembered that this here was a vampire and that everyone else was probably just as terrified of him as she currently was.
"Have you ever met a vampire before, little girl?" He asked rudely, crossing his massive arms over his chest and mimicking her pose.
"No." She answered truthfully. "You're the first."
He processed that answer for a quick moment then slowly nodded. "I'll forgive you for your attitude, then. But only this once." His tone let her know that he was being completely serious with her.
Paige wondered what the hell made him think he had the right to treat her like he was a king and she was naught but a street peasant who had just spilled pig slop on his best shoes, but, having always been a quick learner, she knew better than to voice that question aloud. There was a very threatening aura around him, one that clearly said he would have no problem putting her in her place if she overstepped her boundaries. And since Paige was in no hurry to provoke the wrath of a massive vampire, she chose to play nice – she nodded her head in understanding, just to appease him.
"What is your name?" He asked her, mild interest showing on his features.
She looked him up and down for a moment, sure that he had to have already heard one of her friends calling her by name at one point or another. "I'm Paige." She told him slowly, opting not to try and shake his hand.
He nodded again. "Well then, Paige…" Something about the way that her name rolled off his tongue made her knees suddenly feel a little unstable. "I must ask – why would a young, innocent girl such as yourself have any interest in a place like Fangtasia?" The vampire asked, already headed for the exit that all of Paige's friends had departed through.
For a moment Paige was unsure if she should follow him, but when he turned to her and raised his eyebrows impatiently, she quickly hurried to catch up.
"Four of my friends decided to venture out tonight, as I'm sure you're already aware of." Paige told him, watching him closely for his reaction – he smirked a little but neither confirmed nor denied whether he had eavesdropped on their conversations or not. "We're going to make sure nothing bad happens to them." She finished explaining. The vampire made a thoughtful noise, but said nothing in response as he studied her with his ice-blue gaze. "What's your name?" Paige couldn't help but ask.
"Why do you want to know?" He retorted quickly.
She frowned at him skeptically. "Why don't you wanna tell me?"
Instead of answering, the vampire fixed her with an unreadable look then moved like he was going to open the door as they reached the exit. Paige, however, quickened her pace and planted herself in front of him to block his path. He froze, staring at her with something akin to astonishment in his eyes - she got the impression that people didn't stand up to him very often. "I'm not going anywhere with you unless you tell me your name." Paige said stubbornly, forgetting her previous caution.
"Why? So that you have a name to give the police in case I try to drink your blood?" The vampire shot at her tauntingly. Paige merely quirked an eyebrow at him, waiting patiently for him to give the information she'd requested. "Fine." He finally gave in, clearly realizing how stubborn she was going to be about it. "My name is Eric, you obstinate mortal."
Paige nodded in satisfaction, ignoring his insult. "Well then, Eric…" She tried not to think about how nice his name felt on her tongue. "If you could just tell me how to get to Fangtasia that would be an awfully big help. And don't worry, I'll make sure to tell your boss you brought in hordes of new patrons." Paige added.
She had just turned the handle of the door and was starting to push it open when Eric suddenly closed a hand around hers and yanked it shut again, making her eyes swing back up to his. His face was only a mere few inches from hers, making her heart pound hard against her ribs out of both fear and something else that she didn't quite want to admit to just yet.
"I own Fangtasia." Eric clarified in a low voice. "And you'll do well to have me escort you if you wish to make it back out of the building in one piece and..." He paused and let his eyes slide over her form again, the gleam in his gaze making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. "…untainted." Eric finally finished, practically purring the word as his gaze locked on hers again.
Dear God, what have I gotten myself into?, Paige suddenly wondered to herself. She wasn't sure what frightened her more, though – the thought that Fangtasia was actually that dangerous or the way Eric the vampire was currently making her feel. "I-Is it…" Paige cleared her throat, hating how weak she sounded. "Is Fangtasia really that dangerous?" She finally managed to ask, all too aware of the fact that his hand was still closed around hers.
Eric's eyes studied her face for a long moment before he smirked and slowly reached out to toy with a strand of her red hair with his free hand. Paige gulped, not missing the way his eyes dropped down to her neck for a split second. "Many vampires are not yet accustomed to having humans in their presence so…willingly. Sometimes it becomes too much for us." He explained slowly. "But it would be especially dangerous for you to walk around without protection." He continued with a note of mystery.
"Why?"
His finger stopped its idle twirling and his smirk widened as he leaned even closer – Paige pressed her lips together, unsure how she felt about his close proximity. "Because virgin blood is the sweetest tasting of all."
And with that being said he pushed the door open and walked outside, leaving Paige to suck in a long, staggered breath and stare after him. He knew she was a virgin simply by smelling her blood? She closed her eyes for a second to collect herself, wondering if she was making the biggest mistake in the world by trusting this vampire – what if he was only playing nice now because he had ulterior motives for later? But as she remembered that her friends might be in danger – and that Eric was now standing outside with her other friends, unsupervised – Paige pushed her doubts aside and located the courage to follow after him. As much as she didn't like it, she was just going to have to take Eric at his word and trust that he wasn't trying to trick them.
Her friends had fallen deathly silent at the sight of Eric. They were all staring up at him with wide eyes, resembling deer caught in headlights - they only relaxed some when Paige finally stepped around him and into their line of sight.
"Guys, this is Eric." Paige introduced slowly, watching as her friends looked between her and the vampire numerous times. "He owns Fangtasia. He's gonna take us to find the others." She then hastily explained. Then she took a look around before frowning. "Where's Jamie?"
"Got a cab to take her to Fangtasia." One of the girls managed to speak up, though her eyes remained trained on Eric the whole time. "She was getting in just as we came outside."
Paige nodded in understanding before turning expectant eyes on Eric.
Eric stared down at her for a long moment before turning to walk towards a small limousine. The driver scrambled to get into the driver's seat when he saw that Eric was approaching. "If you'll follow me, ladies, you'll find we already have a car waiting." He encouraged, motioning for the six of them to follow him. He then opened the door to the backseat and gestured for them to start filing in. "You'll have to forgive the lack of space." He said as Paige's friends struggled to find room to sit. "Had I known I would be showing six human girls the sights of Louisiana, I would have brought a van instead."
Paige, who was the last of the group to get into the car, looked up at him with raised eyebrows, unsure if he was trying to be funny or not. "Thank you for this." She told him in a courteous tone.
"Thank me after you retrieve your friends from Fangtasia…hopefully we will find them unharmed when we arrive." Eric countered, not sounding very accepting of her gratitude. He then motioned for her to get in the car before slamming the door shut behind her once she was settled inside. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was suddenly in the passenger seat – Paige and her friends all shared looks with each other, awe-struck by how fast he was able to move. "Back to Fangtasia." Eric commanded his driver.
"Yes, sir." The driver answered.
And with that, they were headed for the vampire nightclub Fangtasia.
Jamie was already outside the club and causing quite a scene by the time they arrived at Fangtasia. The petite, normally very mild-tempered blonde was gesturing wildly and using very heated words, looking both agitated and frightened and irate all at the same time as she tried to gain entrance to the nightclub. The vampire receiving the brunt of her wrath was the same female that had visited the casino with Eric. She and another vampire were standing in front of Jamie with stoic expressions on their faces, neither seeming overly pleased with the way Jamie was currently treating them.
As soon as they were all out of the car Eric strode over with purposeful steps, quickly gaining the attention of not only the arguing trio, but also everyone that had been loitering around and watching the scene unfold.
"Is there a reason why these patrons are being denied entrance, Pam?" He asked the female, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows.
The vampire named Pam seemed unintimidated by Eric. "They want to take away some of our business. I told them I'd be happy to let them in if they stayed." She explained with a dismissive shrug of her shoulder. "Thus far we seem unable to reach a compromise."
Jamie looked relieved when she saw that Paige and the others had arrived with Eric. "I tried to stop them from going in but they wouldn't listen to me." She said to Paige, shaking her head as she came to join them. "Lord only knows what's going on in there right now…"
Paige frowned and looked up the bright lights reading Fangtasia for a moment before patting Jamie's shoulder. Then she walked over to join Eric, who gave her his full attention when she appeared at his side. "Eric, this is turning into a bigger deal than it needs to be." She said quietly. "Just let me run in and grab them real fast, then we'll be out of your hair – I promise. No muss, no fuss."
The female named Pam and her thus-far-unknown companion seemed positively astonished that Paige had referred to Eric so casually. Eric himself didn't seem bothered, though. A thoughtful look had crossed his features instead as he mulled over her suggestion. Finally, after a long stretch of silence, he placed a hand on her shoulder and led her away from the others. "Let us strike a deal instead, Paige." Eric said, either not noticing that she was stiff as a board under his touch or just choosing not to comment on it. "If I let you go in and collect your friends, you must return tomorrow night with four others." Paige's jaw dropped in shock at his request, which made him smirk and shrug a shoulder at her. "I have to keep my business running, do I not?"
Paige gnawed on her bottom lip and glanced back at her friends, considering the deal he'd presented her with. Every last one of them would probably think her crazy for accepting, plus returning to the club more or less defeated the purpose of rescuing her friends tonight, but Paige didn't really see any other options – the others were worried and she knew they wouldn't leave unless they had the rest of the friends; she had to go in and get Hillary and the others, plain and simple.
She looked back up at Eric and crossed her arms over her chest. "If I said yes, how long would I have to stay in…there?" She asked, nodding her head towards the club with displeasure.
The quirk of his eyebrow let her know he disapproved of the way she'd referred to his business. "No less than an hour." He informed her, using a tone that said there would be no negotiating on that.
"With your full protection?" Paige asked next.
"Of course."
Paige thought it over for one more second before heaving and nodding once in agreement. "Fine." She agreed snappily. "Now let me in." She demanded.
Eric flashed her a warning look but said nothing in response as he turned to lead her toward the entrance. Paige ignored the numerous sets of eyes trained on them and followed him – Eric opened the door for her once they reached it and motioned for her to go in first. Paige did as she was told, immediately having to suck in a steadying breath when Eric placed a hand on her back and followed close behind.
She couldn't help but gape at her surroundings once they were finally in Fangtasia. The club was decorated mostly in red and black and, though probably a fairly new establishment, was actually rather crowded. Vampires decked out in leather from head to toe danced on tables while patrons of the club – both human and vampire alike – either watched on with rapt interest or found someone in the eclectic crowd to mingle with. Paige couldn't help but notice as several nearby vampires, both male and female, turned their eyes in her direction and began leering at her quite conspicuously. One even licked his lips and started to come towards her, but the instant he caught sight of Eric he quickly changed his mind and hurried away; the other vampires, Paige noticed, had also averted their gazes upon realizing who she was with.
"You've gained quite a bit of attention, just as I suspected you would." Eric said in her ear – she was amazed she could hear him over the loud, pumping music. "Vampires can smell…purity." He continued, his lips dangerously close to brushing the shell of her ear.
Paige gulped and quickly turned to face him, once again unsure whether she liked him being so close to her or not. "Any sign of my friends?" She asked to change the subject, emphasizing her question by pointedly searching around the club.
Eric eyed her for a long moment then pointed over her shoulder – Paige turned and craned her neck to get a look over the crowd, sighing in relief when she spotted Hillary and the other girls giggling away near the back of the club. "I'll just collect them, then." Eric told her. "Do not go anywhere."
He was gone before she could say anything in response, leaving her to stand in the middle of the club and feel incredibly awkward. With Eric gone the vampires around her felt brave enough to shift their eyes back over to her again, though none made any moves to approach her this time around. Their stares were a bit unnerving, but luckily for Paige she was only subjected to it for a few minutes before Eric was returning with her friends in tow – thankfully none of them seemed as though they'd been harmed in any way.
"All is well. Pam made sure they were taken care of." Eric said with a smirk.
"Do we have to go?" Hillary immediately whined as Paige pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm having so much fun!" She added, pouting at her pathetically.
"Yes, we have to go…and now before Jamie has a damn heart attack outside." Paige said, already starting to usher the four girls towards the door. The girls went, though not without protests and begrudging expressions. Eric patiently watched all of this happen, clearly waiting for her to give him her attention again – when Paige finally did, he came to stand right in front of her and stared down at her with expectant eyes. "W-what time do you expect us tomorrow?" She asked in as calm a voice as she could.
"Midnight sharp." Eric informed her firmly – he then hunched over some, bringing his face closer to hers. "And if you're even one minute late, know that I will come and collect you myself." He said in a low, warning voice. "That is not something you want me to do, Paige." Paige gulped and nodded her understand. This seemed to satisfy him, because he smirked at her in approval before nodding towards the door. "Go."
Without another word a confused and somewhat unstable feeling Paige turned and started making her way out of the club, feeling even more befuddled when vampires scrambled to move out of the way as she went. She stopped at the door to glance back at Eric, unsurprised to see that he was still watching her. Paige had no idea what the vampire was all about or what it was that he wanted from her, but she definitely had a feeling she was going to find out soon enough.
A/N: Review!