I own none of the characters in this fan fiction. They are based on the Sookie Stackhouse series. This story is located somewhere between "Dead as a Doornail" and "All Together Dead". It takes parts from the whole series, but there is a twist I promise. I was devastated when the author did away with the blood bond and ultimately ended the relationship which I think defined the series. This is very Team Eric / Sookie. This is rated M for sexual content and violence.

Chapter 3

The three of them spent the rest of the early morning searching the woods looking for any trace of Sookie. Not surprising to Eric, they found nothing and returned to Fangtasia just before sunrise. He decided to stay at Fangtasia, not wanting to return to the house right now with Sookie gone.

When he arose the next day, his skin was crawling with anger. Nothing! No trace. He placed a call to Alcide, who was the recently appointed Pack leader. "Alcide, this is Eric. I was wondering if you could meet me at Fangtasia tonight. I have a matter of great urgency to discuss with you." He glanced over at Pam. "He will be here within the hour."

The hour went by fast. Pam was out in the main bar trying to calm the jittery staff. Alcide strolled into Fangtasia glancing cautiously from left to right. Typical wolf, he thought as he watched him. Moving at lighting fast speed, he appeared in front of him. "Please" he said motioning towards a booth. "Alcide, thank you for coming on such short notice. Sookie has gone missing. We have combed the woods by her house and there is not even a trace of her. I was hoping that you could assist in the search to see if you can pick up something we missed."

"I should have known…" he muttered under his breath. Realizing that Eric could hear him, he cleared his throat, "Sookie is a friend of the pack. We will do what we can. If anything has happened to her, I will hold you personally responsible." While Eric didn't particularly love Alcide, he did realize that he was particularly fond of Sookie and he would absolutely use every advantage he could to find her.

Eric nodded. "I hold myself personally responsible."

Pam interrupted "Eric. Bertrand is on the phone."

Before you could say "poof", Eric was on the phone. "King, this is Eric, Sheriff of Area Five. How can I be of service?" Eric knew that if Bertrand had anything to do with Sookie's disappearance it would not be a wise move to insult him and question him on the phone. "What time would you like us there?"

He hung up the phone and stared at the wall. "Pam, now". He looked back at Alcide. "Let me know what you find. Pam and I are going to North Carolina to meet with the King." Alcide nodded at him in agreement. Eric walked towards the back door, Pam trotted along after him. "Go home, pack and meet me back here in an hour." He was already on the phone with Anubis chartering a plane to Raleigh. He got in his car and took off towards his house to get some clothes and personal items.

Pam was waiting outside the bar when he returned. She hopped in the passenger side and they sped towards the airport. "The plane is leaving in about twenty minutes. I have arranged for us to stay at the Crimson Abyss." Crimson Abyss was Raleigh's finest vampire hotel. "Pam, you need to promise me something. If we find Sookie and something happens to me, you have to promise me you will get her out and get her somewhere safe. I have arranged to take care of her in my absence but I want your promise that you will defend her the same way you would me. I don't know what Bertrand wants with me, but I'm sure it's not to share a blood and remember good times."

"Eric, don't talk like that." Pam looked down. Pam cared for Eric the way any child would care for their maker. But even still, in that moment, if she had a heart, it would have broken to hear him talking this way.

"Promise me Pam!" He said with clenched teeth.

"Yes Master I promise. I will take care of Sookie and make sure she is safe if something happens to you." She looked away out of the window and just stared into the darkness. There was a bad feeling in the air, or was it a premonition?

Sookie's POV

She struggled to open her eyes. She couldn't see anything. Her heart was pounding out of her chest trying to remember what happened and where she was. It was completely black and very contained. Fear started to overwhelm her senses. She screamed "Eric!" The words barely escaped her throat when the lights when out again.

Eric's POV

"Sookie!" Eric yelled as he pulled the car off the road to a screeching halt. He jumped out of the car and started frantically scanning the dark horizon as if she were somewhere close to him. "Pam! I felt her. She was there and then she was gone."

"Eric we have to go. We are going to miss the plane." Pam stood there helpless watching her maker struggle in so many ways that were deeply disturbing to her. "Eric." She said again, this time almost pleading with him to come to his senses. He snapped out of it and jumped back in the car.

"I swear, I will kill whoever is responsible for this. I will kill them no matter who they are, even if it's the King." He snarled as his hands gripped the wheel tightly and he sped off towards the airport.

They reached the airport in record time and were in the air shortly after. Eric sat at the window just staring out of it; his entire mind longing to see her again and hold her. His thoughts would go from this to rage and back again.

He went into downtime after that and didn't stir until the plane landed. A limo was waiting to take them to the Crimson. As they walked in the door of the airport, a young and very quirky vampire sauntered up to them. "Sheriff. I'm here on behalf of the King. He has cancelled your reservations and requested that you stay at the palace. My name is Alex." Eric threw a glance at Pam and then nodded at the young vampire. Their luggage was loaded into another car and Eric and Pam climbed in the back.

The King's palace was quite beautiful with green manicured lawns that stretched in every direction. The Palace sat about a half mile off the road, surrounded by a tall electric fence and a guarded gate. The marble pillars in the front stretched up three stories and the palace had an air of richness about it that was hard to not be impressed by.

Eric and Pam stepped out of the car and were shown through the grand foyer to a sitting room nestled in the back of the grand mansion. "Pam. I don't feel her here." At that moment, a man of very tall stature entered the room. He had long straight blond hair that was brushed back into a single ponytail. He was attractive and lean. His dress was reminiscent of the Victorian era only updated to more of a steam punk fashion.

"Sheriff…please sit" The King nodded to a sofa and he sat down on the sofa opposite. "I'm sure you have guessed by now that I have something that is very valuable to you. I'm also sure you have guessed that she is not here, so before you go planning any coups, you may want to keep in mind that I am the only vampire on my estate that knows the location of Ms. Stackhouse."

Eric's fangs were partially extended as he leaned forward. Pam grabbed his arm and pinched him as hard as she could. He retracted his fangs and better considered his position. "King, what exactly do you want? It is highly irregular to take a human and involve them in vampire politics. Sookie is mine. She has nothing to do with our politics."

"Well now, Sheriff", Bertrand considered, "We aren't just talking about any human are we? We are talking about a telepathic human. She is not only a telepathic human, but one that happens to be part fairy. Oh and by the way, you can't feel her because she has been heavily sedated and will remain that way. I cannot have her mind active and calling out to you. But I assure you, she is in perfect health otherwise." Eric's hands clenched the cushion of the couch. Pam looked down hoping that he would gain his bearing.

He knew! He know that she was part fairy! How the hell? The implication that word had somehow spread through the kingdoms was a bad omen. It meant that Sookie's fate was tenuous at best. It meant that the most powerful vampires in the America's knew that she was part fairy and that did not bode well at all.

"What is it that you want from us, your Majesty?" Pam asked poignantly. She glanced down and Eric had relaxed his grip on the cushion somewhat.

"I want your area Sheriff. I want you to relinquish control of Area Five to me."

"That's treason! To knowingly swindle another King out of a territory is treason. The council will have your head for this."

"The Council, Mr. Northman, is fully behind this. The Council has been trying to figure out a way to get the King of Arkansas out of power since he pulled that little coup with Sophie-Anne. The Council does not want rogue vampires in control of one territory let alone three!" He relaxed his voice a little.

"Sheriff, if I may? You are out-witted, out-powered, and out-numbered. You will agree to relinquish control of Area Five or Sookie Stackhouse will die, regardless of her worth to our race. You have far too long put the welfare of this human above the welfare of your own kind and that simply will not do Mr. Northman. "

Pam sat there quietly listening to all that was transpiring and not believing what this had come to. She looked over at her Maker. She knew that this was only the beginning. Eric would not rest until Sookie was safe and the King was dead, or worst case scenario, until he himself was dead. Eric was a Viking. He was not used to backing down and he never walked away from a fight. This fight, she thought, was only just beginning.

"Please let me show you to your rooms Sheriff."

Eric nodded sullenly. He and Pam rose off the couch and followed the Kings assistant, who had just entered, down the hall and up the staircase.

Eric nodded at Pam. He crossed the beautifully decorated room to the window. Looking out the window, he said, "Pam, this is not going to end well." He sent a text to Alcide. It simply read 'Sookie is somewhere in Raleigh. Please come as soon as possible. Pick up her scent. I will contact you later.'

"Pam. I want you to go back to Fangtasia. Gather whoever will fight with me and wait for my word. You will have to be silent about it. They will be watching. Call the council to make an inquiry. I don't trust what he says. If the council was behind this, they simply would have removed me by way of the Magistrate. Do not let on that there is any trouble. See if you can pick up on anything. Call Alcide and assist him with finding Sookie, BUT do not try to rescue her. Where ever they are holding her you can bet is well guarded. After all, they knew that it would be me that would come after her. You may have trouble getting out. Be careful." He turned to look at her. His look was so intense and was unlike anything she had ever seen in their time together.

"Master please reconsider this. You will be here without any protection." The situation was beyond bleak at the moment. Desperately she tried to think of any other way to proceed, but there was no other way.

"Pam. I already am." He stared out the window. "Go. Do what I said. Remember what you promised. You promised to get Sookie out and protect her as you would me."

"Master I will if it comes to that I will do what I promised." Her face was sullen and she knew what she was agreeing to. She was agreeing to defend Sookie before him, so if it came to a fight and he was in danger, she would let him die to save Sookie. This was not a small promise. On the maker/child scale, this was an incredible sacrifice. Eric had always put Sookie before himself. Pam had never understood it, but she had gotten used to it and she knew there was no way around it. Over time, she herself had become protective over the telepath, just not to the point where she would sacrifice herself or her maker.

He also knew what he was asking, but he had to know she was going to be safe and at least have a chance of making it through all this alive. He watched Pam disappear through the window. He listened after her. There was no doubt in his mind that she would get out. After all, next to him, she was lethal and she had unreal senses and skill. He heard dogs barking for a short time followed by nothing. Either she had killed them or she had outrun them.