A/N: This will be my last chapter until Wednesday (the 22nd) since I'm going out of town for a mini-vacation with my husband. I hope you all like it.

Chapter 36

Eric POV

Our plane was departing for Shreveport in an hour and Preston still hadn't stirred, regardless of all the blood we had been feeding him virtually non-stop since the night before. We had even gone to our rest together, Pam, Preston, and I, to ensure that no one dared try anything to the King while he was so vulnerable. Bill had offered to join us and I flat out refused. Until I figured out what he was up to I would keep him at arm's length. He was more valuable to me alive, for now, and that was truly the only thing keeping me from ripping his pitiful head off for annoying me so much.

Even so, it had been strange going to ground with my child Pamela for the first time in recent memory, made even stranger by the fact we had chosen a hidden location off the hotel grounds rather than our rooms as an added precaution.

I would have much preferred the company of my bonded. Watching her breathe while she slept was a very surprising pleasure of mine. Her lips parted, her long blond hair splayed on the pillow, her luscious breasts under the sheer sheets…it was too much to think about right now. I hadn't bedded her or fed from her in too long. The thought of her blood rushing to my fangs as I pierced the soft skin of her neck made me wild with wanting. I needed to go to her immediately when we landed or I might kill something to satisfy at least one of my lusts.

If Compton so much as looks at me in a manner I don't like I thought, it might end up being him.

At that, I looked over at him to see him bringing in yet another donor for Preston. I decided the time for simply hoping he would recover was over.

"Compton" I said "contact Preston's personal guard and inform them that they are to take the next plane to Shreveport. Have them bring his belongings with them."

He nodded and dialed a number on his phone.

Good I thought some fucking compliance.

"Master" Pam said, surprised "do you intend to bring Preston back to Louisiana?"

"He comes with us" I said "inform Anubis at once."

"Thank you" Pam replied "how will we hide his, condition?"

"I will glamour any human who comes into contact with him" I said "secure his spot on the flight. Now."

Satisfied that my orders were being carried out, I decided to make a few phone calls. One was to Bubba; the next would be to Sookie. Her message had reassured me that she was okay but I wanted more.

"King Eric?" Bubba said.

"I need to you go to Bon Temps to keep an eye on the Stackhouse residence." I said.

"I surely like Miss Sookie" he replied.

"So you'll go?" I asked. Normally I wouldn't ask as much as command but you had to use kid gloves with Bubba. He could be a liability at times but I still trusted him to be able to keep an eye on Sookie. At least for tonight anyway, while she was under no immediate threat that I was aware of.

"Yes Sir I will" he said, his accent coloring every syllable. I found it charming in spite of myself.

"Report back as soon as you arrive" I said "thank you Bubba" I added and hung up.

I figured I'd wait to hear from him before calling my lover. I liked the thought of knowing what was going on in her house before she had the opportunity to tell me herself. It usually irritated her a little and amused me greatly; a winning combination in any estimation.

Forty-five minutes passed during which some of Preston's affairs were hastily settled by Pam and Bill while the four of us were shuttled to the nearby private airport. I found myself anxious to hear from Bubba. Our plane was leaving in fifteen minutes and I wanted to speak to Sookie before we took off.

Finally, he called to inform me that Sookie had some company. Both Niall Brigant and Desmond Cataliades were presently dining with her.

I should be there I thought bitterly. She's me bonded and she will be my Queen. Any pertinent information or negotiations the sneaking fairy Prince was undoubtedly making with her needed to include me.

I decided that Niall would be hearing from me again very soon. I also wondered what Cataliades could possibly be doing there. The demon was about as high up as lawyers went in Louisiana these days. I knew he and Sookie were friendly acquaintances, especially after Rhodes, but I was very curious what he was doing at her house.

After speaking with her briefly I was satisfied that she was as anxious to see me as I her. I imagined that after spending time with Niall her heightened Fae scent was going to be overwhelmingly intoxicating to me. I couldn't stop the erection I immediately got just thinking about it.

I balled my hands into fists in frustration, and turned my thoughts to the present.

Our private plane was waiting for us and three beautiful flight attendants stood at the bottom of the aircraft stairs. Pam's fangs ran down immediately. She hadn't fed properly tonight because she had been more concerned with Preston. I figured she was in for a satisfying flight. Bill seemed completely uninterested. In fact he was looking a little sallow. I filed that small revelation away for later.

I could care less about their bodies or their blood.

By now Preston had been placed gently into an extremely extravagant and over-the-top coffin and was loaded on to the plane first. We all followed directly afterwards.

Sitting down on the leather sofa, I wished my fairy were here to tease me as she had on the way over. It had been excruciating and yet had excited me immensely.

I somehow didn't think Compton's conversation would prove as stimulating.

0o0o0o0

Sookie POV

After Mr. Cataliades left, I desperately wanted to be alone to process everything I had learned. Unfortunately, Amelia would be home from her shift any minute and Bubba was standing in the middle of my backyard. I doubted watching over me was at the top of his list of favorite ways to spend an evening so I figured I owed it to him to keep him company for a while.

I knew Amelia would be expecting a recap of my trip to Hawaii as well, and after everything she had done for me lately it was the least I could do.

I had no choice but to put on my big girl pants and temporarily shelf my weariness.

"Good evening, Bubba" I said, stepping out onto the back porch to the evening air.

"Evenin' Miss Sookie" he replied, every bit the gentleman.

It was times like this when I felt like my life was stranger than fiction. Vampire Elvis was keeping watch over my house.

"Can I warm you up a True Blood?" I asked.

"No thanks, ma'am" he said "I'm full as can be."

I hoped the neighbors' cats were all indoors tonight.

"Well, would you like to sit down? There's no need of standing over there all by yourself" I said, gesturing to the old chairs on the porch.

"That's mighty kind" he said "but King Eric wants me to keep an eye out. Better if I'm standin'."

"If you're sure" I said "how are you, Bubba?"

"Vampire Bill lets me stay at his place whenever I want. I like it there. I like listenin' to all the crickets. Nighttime music." he said.

I smiled at that, unsure what to say. Music was a difficult subject for Bubba. If he was in the mood to talk about it then I was certainly going to listen.

"I'm glad you're doing so well" I said, after I was sure there were no signs of him continuing his train of thought.

"Thank you Miss Sookie" he said, inclining his head a touch. "Vampire Bill talks about you a lot. He says you and King Eric are gettin' on real well."

I wasn't sure if that was a question. I could tell, however, that neither Bill nor Bubba seemed to think the fact was altogether decent. I decided to nip that right in the bud.

"It's nice you and Bill are friends" I said "did he tell you that Eric and I are bonded now? We love one another very much, you see."

Bubba seemed shocked.

After contemplating what I told him for a real long while, he finally said: "lovin' someone is a precious thing. You hang onto it."

Then he turned his head towards the road for a moment.

"A car is comin' this way" he said in warning.

"It's probably just my roommate Amelia" I replied, searching for her identifiably loud-broadcasting self.

Sure enough, her head was practically shouting thoughts through a megaphone. I clamped down my shields.

"It is" I reassured Bubba "I should go inside and say hello."

Bubba nodded and retreated to nearer the treeline.

As odd conversations went, that one was up there.

0o0o0o0

The rest of the night passed uneventfully. Amelia and I had shared some leftover dessert while we caught each other up on everything that had happened while I was gone. She told me that things with Tray were progressing nicely and that Merlotte's had been really strange without Sam and me. I told her about almost everything that had happened in Hawaii.

I trusted Amelia, but I still had boundaries and there were things I was just not comfortable talking about. I still hadn't processed half of what I'd been through.

After a while we each said our goodnights and went to bed. By now it was really late and I desperately needed sleep.

If I was honest, though, all I wanted to do was lay naked in Eric's arms. I found myself missing him with a hunger that almost frightened me. I wanted his lips on me. I wanted his hands all over me. I wanted every inch of him.

As I thought this I was hit with such a sudden wave of lust that I knew Eric was feeling my arousal through the bond. We had been bouncing our need for one another back and forth and amplifying it in the process. It was torture. I decided that I needed some air, so I got up to open the window. I wasn't sure if Eric would arrive in Louisiana with time enough to see me before dawn but somehow I felt like he would. I leaned on the windowsill gently and tried to distract myself by listening to the crickets and the wind. Nighttime music, as Bubba had put it. It was kind of lovely, in a way. I looked around for him and couldn't see him anywhere but I could sense his void nearby. I was glad he was out of sight. It would have been mildly creepy otherwise.

I noticed the air tonight was warm and humid. My skimpy nightgown clung to my skin and my desire for Eric only continued to escalate as the moments ticked slowly by, making me almost feverish. I began to pace.

I then felt something like anticipation.

Had he landed? I wondered, looking at the clock. It was 5am and the sun would be up before 7. I didn't know what time his flight had left. I continued to pace.

This is ridiculous I thought to myself just go to sleep and see him tomorrow.

But I knew I couldn't. I was so charged with our sexual energy through the bond that I felt like I had drunk an entire pot of coffee with aphrodisiac for creamer. I was all nerves, all excitement, all need. And so was Eric. He was close and getting closer. I could feel him.

With a gentle whoosh of wind I was suddenly standing naked in my bedroom and Eric was holding my hands together behind my back, kissing my neck and chest. With his free hand he ran his fingers through my hair and then lifted my chin to meet his mouth, kissing me roughly.

Not a word was spoken as he rid himself of his shoes, his socks, his belt and his pants. He let go of my arms and I pulled open the buttons of his shirt. Standing right in the middle of my room he lifted me up and lowered me onto his huge, rock hard erection. His hands on my hips, he lifted me up and down, up and down, up and down, as I bit his neck, his cheek, his shoulder. Pulling my hair gently he tilted my head to the side and plunged his fangs into my neck. Panting and moaning with the heat of the Louisiana night and our incredible desire for one another, we made love as though we were starving. Eric whispering in rapid-fire Swedish, me alternating between unintelligible swearing and breathless moans. Up and down, up and down he lifted me and pushed me back down over his slick and engorged cock. My whole body was tightening and tingling and electric.

As his tongue lapped up a last drop of blood from my neck, he erupted hotly inside me as I came undone in thundering shocks.

"Miss me, lover?" he said.

TBC