Disclaimer: the characters depicted herein are the sole property of Charlaine Harris and HBO.
A/N: As always folks, I'd love to hear what you have to say. It's really the best way for me to find areas to improve in the fic. In other words, review review review. And did I mention review?
Chapter 26
I need to get this dress off I thought to myself while standing in the surf and letting a small wave roll over my feet. Eric was sitting on the sand a few feet behind me, watching closely but giving me space. The night's events had started to sink in, and, as I came down from the adrenaline that had driven me to fight by Eric's side, an overwhelming flood of grief took its place. Undoubtedly feeling my sadness through the bond, Eric started sending me love and reassurance. It didn't matter though. These feelings weren't my own; they weren't real. Thinking back to a few hours before when I was desperate to fight, when my body was humming with energy and the dagger had come to life in my hand, I realized that I was no longer the same Sookie Stackhouse I was when gran was alive. Whether I was human, fairy, or some unknown kind of supe I hadn't yet discovered, I wasn't sure. What I did know, was that right now I needed to wash the violence off my skin. I needed to feel something other than disgust. I needed Eric.
As soon as the thought came to my mind, I felt a touch as light as the night air, brush over my shoulders. Gently but with clear desire, I felt Eric pull the fabric of my lace dress down over my shoulders, my stomach, and legs. Standing in my bra and panties with my feet in the surf, Eric pressed his already naked body to mine from behind and kissed my hair. The smell of salt water, and wildflowers, and Eric, began to replace the smell of battle and for that I was grateful.
"Lover, let us do what we came here for. Let us enjoy the warm air and the sand under our feet. I want to be with you, I want to be inside of you. Let me." He said, while unhooking my bra and trailing kisses down my back. "Let me" he said again, and ran his fingers over my bare skin. Turning my head to the side and kissing his cool lips in response, I instantly felt his building arousal at my back. Bending over slightly to pull down my panties, Eric ran his hands over my bottom and then held on to my hips. Placing the tip of his gracious plenty at my opening, Eric growled in appreciation at my obvious readiness and then pulled us both down into the shallow surf.
As the first wave washed all the night's events from my mind, I gave myself over to him completely.
* * * * *
An hour or so later, Eric and I were feeling a little more prepared to go back inside and deal with the aftermath of the battle. We would have to speak with Preston, Pam and Bill, and we would also have to try and find Felipe. It seemed like a lot to do in the few hours before dawn, particularly since we had planned to leave the next day so I could work on Friday.
"Is Pam safe? Do you know where she is?" I asked Eric, while trying to pull myself together.
"Oh yes, I feel no threat to my child or even any abnormality in her mood. Both she and Preston are fine." Eric said confidently, and then added, "maybe Compton wasn't so lucky" almost under his breath.
I realized it was going to take time for Eric to forgive Bill his many indiscretions during the trip. I also realized it was futile to try and be presentable when wearing a dress that had a large rip in it and was covered in blood, vomit, and sand.
"I can't go see anyone looking like this, Eric. Do we have time to stop by our room before checking in with the others?" I asked him while pulling at a loose thread on the hem of my dress.
"If you are capable of changing very quickly, yes. I should have gone to speak with Preston immediately after battle but I could tell you needed some air." Eric said with a touch of regret in his voice.
"I'm sorry, dear one, that this has not been much of a vacation for you." He continued, and then wrapped his arms around me in a protective manner. "We must go now; there are only a few hours left until dawn." He finished, although I could tell he had more to say.
I imagine he, like me, was regretting the fact that our time together was always complicated by politics and war. He probably figured I was rethinking my decision to be with him. Am I? No. Not yet, anyway.
With that thought, he lifted me up and we flew back to the hotel.
* * * * *
A few moments later we were back in the hotel room, and I was pulling things out of one of my suitcases with abandon while Eric spoke on his cell phone. Evidently Pam had brought Preston back to her room since she didn't have access to his suite while he was unconscious. From Pam, Eric learned that Preston still hadn't woken and she didn't expect him to until the next night. Bill, she said, had gone to the quiet room where Felipe had been held to investigate how he escaped. After listening silently for a few moments, Eric began explaining the battle and then went through a list of vampires who had pledged fealty to Preston or himself rather than die as part of Felipe's retinue. He then went on to briefly describe the damage to the hall and the losses suffered by our side. With a small click, I heard him close his phone and sit down on the edge of the bed.
I got all this is from hearing half the conversation; the look on his face indicated there were still some things I didn't know.
"I have some news and I don't think you're going to like it." Eric said quietly as I rummaged around for a pain of jeans. "You needn't bother to get dressed." He said, and then I stopped what I was doing to sit by his side.
"There is little we can do tonight it seems. I need to speak with Preston before proceeding with any plans as to the new vampires who have pledged fealty. Unfortunately, Pam suspects he will not wake until tomorrow night. We have no lead on where Felipe or Brady might be, though Bill is looking into it with a few other vampires from my area." He said, and then looked at me for a reaction.
Perhaps it was the aftereffects of shock, or exhaustion, but I wasn't getting the point.
"I'm not sure why I'm supposed to be upset about this." I said questioningly.
"Dear one, we were scheduled to leave tomorrow night. You told the shifter you would work on Friday." He said the last part bitterly; as though it was Sam's fault we were supposed to be leaving tomorrow night. "It will take me at least another night, though probably more like two or three, to conduct negotiations with Preston. I will also need to contact the other regents, sheriffs and high-ups to see where loyalties lie and what expectations are. Otherwise, we will both be in danger." Eric said, and suddenly the implications of this night, of the whole trip, began to dawn on me.
His earlier comment of "I would either be killed, or made King" was starting to sound more like a promise and less like a joke. Looking into his eyes, I could see the exhaustion of 1000 years of similar politics settle them. I understood now that I wasn't the only one who was tired of all this.
"Eric, I understand. Let me call Sam and explain the situation. I rarely request time off, so I'm sure he'll be okay with it." I said, although I couldn't really afford missing the extra shifts and was more than a little irritated that I would be extending a holiday but not getting a chance to relax.
"Let me" he said with a grin "I really thought you were going to put up more of a fight about this. Thank you for appreciating the difficult situation I am in." Eric said, and then kissed my forehead gently and began dialing Sam's number.
"I will talk to him, thank you very much." I said while snatching the phone from his hand "I'm the one who works there, not you." I finished, an edge to my voice.
"Of course, lover, of course." Eric replied, though I could tell that his earlier apprehension was fading away and being replaced with anticipation. Was he really so concerned about my reaction to staying a few more nights? I thought as the phone started to ring. Maybe there's more to this extended stay than he's letting on.
After the phone rang a few times, Sam's voicemail kicked in. That's odd I thought. He always answers his cell when I call, even if it is 4am.
Eric looked at me expectantly as Sam's outgoing message started coming through the phone.
"The shifter thinks it unnecessary to answer calls from you at this late hour?" Eric said with his eyebrow raised in disapproval.
"No, it's strange actually. He always picks up." I said, concerned.
"It's a full moon tomorrow night, perhaps he is otherwise occupied." Eric said with a smirk.
"Maybe…" I said, not entirely believing him but feeling a little more at ease "I'll get up early and call him again. That way he'll have time to find someone else to fill in." I said, and then let myself fall back on the bed, exhausted.
"I need a shower, Eric. I'm also completely starving. Do you think it's too late to order room service?" I asked hopefully.
"I know that it wouldn't be too late for a vampire, under normal circumstances" he said thoughtfully and then added, "with the events of this evening it might be difficult to find someone who is performing their regular duties on the job. Depending on the severity of his losses in human staff…" he said, and then cut himself off.
"Go get in the shower, lover, and I will find a way to get you fed." He said, and then gently helped me up from the bed.
I didn't need to be told twice, and I quickly pulled off my disgusting dress and threw it in the garbage along with my bra and panties. Usually I would be sad to lose yet another new dress and new lingerie, but I really didn't need to keep any reminders of tonight's bloodshed. Turning on the taps in the luxury shower, I stepped inside and let the water run as hot as I could bear.
A few minutes later, Eric walked in. He was naked, but held a plate of strawberries he had halved and a small bowl of cream. Where he got them, I didn't ask. With almost vampire speed, I shut off the taps and got out of the shower. Eric picked me up and placed me on the vanity, wrapping my legs around him as he dipped a strawberry in the cream.
"I found this in the mini-bar" Eric said, "I know it's not much of a meal-
I cut him off by bringing his fingers to my mouth, and licking some cream from the strawberry.
"It's perfect, Eric, thank you" I said, genuinely grateful that he had found something for me to eat and more than a little excited about the prospect of being finger fed by a naked Viking.
Sensing my happiness and quickly developing lust, Eric held another strawberry to my mouth which gently nipping at my neck. Understanding his hunger, I tilted my head to the side for him.
"What you offer me is much much better than what I'm feeding you, lover," Eric said huskily into my hair. "But I promise to fill you up" he said, and then pushed his full length into me while piercing my neck with his fangs.
As I bit into the ripe, red, strawberry and a trickle of blood ran down my neck – I knew that I would be fed a gracious plenty.
TBC