Sookie turned a million shades of red as she looked at him. He was really there. Like in person, no hallucinations this time.
"I just wanted to make sure you got home alright."
"Oh." She swallowed hard.
He stepped closer to her.
"Bill thinks that you planned the attack and that you're trying to use me as a pawn." The words came out quickly as he looked at her.
"And what do you think?"
Sookie took a step back. "I think it would be an awful lot of trouble to go through for someone you barely know." She felt a lump form in her throat.
At that moment he wanted to tell her everything. He was willing to risk it all and hope that she would understand but then his phone rang. He glanced at it and sighed. It was Pam.
"I um, should go inside."
He sighed heavily and ran his hand through his hair. The ringing stopped and was filled with the sound of numerous text messages.
"Good night, Eric." She quickly went inside, and he looked back at his phone.
Answer your fucking phone!
I'm not fucking joking, Eric!
Nan is here. Get your ass back to Fangtasia, NOW!
"Fuck." He huffed and then he was taking off.
Meanwhile, Bill Compton was making plans of his own.
He stood before the Magister with a grave look on his face. He would do what he had to if it meant keeping Sookie safe even lying if necessary.
The Magister looked up from his desk and regarded Bill with a stern expression. "What brings you to me on this balmy fall night, Bill Compton?" He asked.
"Magister, I have come to report a crime committed by Eric Northman," Bill replied. "He has been illegally selling vampire blood to humans."
The Magister's eyes narrowed. "That is a serious accusation, Bill. Do you have any evidence to support your claim?"
"Yes, Magister," Bill responded. "I have firsthand knowledge of Eric's activities and I can testify that he is involved in the sale of vampire blood."
The Magister nodded slowly, his expression growing darker. "This is indeed a grave matter. Vampire blood is a precious resource, and it is strictly forbidden for vampires to sell it to humans. Do you have any idea how long this has been going on?"
"I believe it has been going on for some time," Bill replied. "Eric has a thriving business and I suspect that he has been doing this for a while. Haven't you ever wondered why his club is so popular with the humans?"
The Magister leaned back in his chair, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "We cannot tolerate such flagrant disregard for our laws. We must investigate this matter further and take appropriate action. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Bill Compton. You have done a service to our kind by exposing this criminal activity."
"Thank you, Magister," Bill replied. "I am only doing what is right for our kind and for human safety."
The Magister nodded once more. "Indeed, and you have my full support in this matter."
Eric got back to Fangtasia, and it was now empty except for Nan and a few of her men.
"This better be important, Eric. I was in the middle of something." Nan sighed with frustration. "Your message said this was of the utmost importance."
"Eric, what's going on?" Pam asked with concern.
"Let's go to my office." He ignored Pam and looked at Nan. "Alone."
"Stand back." She looked at her men as they began to walk towards his office.
"Yeah, fuck you too Eric!" Pam yelled out and then looked at the men. "Get out of my way!" She stormed past them.
"We don't have much time before sun up and I would rather stay in the ground than in this place." Nan rolled her eyes.
"I have information regarding the blood of Lilith." He walked over to his desk and poured himself a drink. "I need your help."
"The blood of Lilith? Are you blood drunk? There is no such thing." She looked at him like he was crazy.
"It's real and if we don't destroy it then it will end our way of life." He knew this was a risk telling Nan about the blood but he needed someone close to the authority to get him access to the place not to mention he had a past with Nan. One that went back nearly a hundred years.
Eric and Nan had quickly moved up the vampire hierarchy, not by coincidence. They both learned early on that in order to succeed in this life then it would be better to work together as a team. Over the years they had used their cunning skills to blackmail many senior vampires and humans alike. It was what made them able to come out of the shadows a few years ago.
"I need you to get me into the authority." He spoke cooly as he sipped his drink.
"What?" She laughed. "Because you think they are somehow hiding a fictional object?" She shook her head and turned from him, but he was right there.
"You owe me or do I need to remind you about Senator Smith?" He raised an eyebrow and she rolled her eyes.
"We both gained from having him step down from congress." She narrowed her eyes at him.
"But with him gone it helped to move you right up the pyramid. Talk shows every night and a never-ending supply of young blood." He cocked his head. "We both know hiding that vampire blood in his estate paved our way."
"You wouldn't say anything. It would be signing your own death warrant too." She stood her ground.
"If I don't get that blood then we are all good as dead anyway."
"There is no goddamn blood, Eric! It's all myths and legends." She huffed.
"Just get me inside, that's all I need."
"They won't just let you roam around in there and if they think you are up to something." A look of fear crossed her features.
"Just let me worry about that. Just get me in."
"Fine but I want a favor." She sighed.
"Of course, you do, what is it? More virgin blood?" He raised an eyebrow at her, and she smiled wide. "You know pretending to mainstream is one thing but your obsession with virgins." He rolled his eyes. "You should really find a less conspicuous habit."
"How badly do you want to get into the authority?" She stood her ground.
"Fine. Whatever. How quickly can you get me in?"
"Give me a day or two." She quickly left his office and he sighed. He needed this to work. He needed to destroy that blood!
Sookie tossed and turned in her bed. Bill had texted her earlier and said he wanted to bring her out somewhere special. As much as she wanted to be excited about a night out with Bill, she couldn't help but think of Eric. He had come to see her, and she wanted nothing more than to run into his arms. What the fuck was wrong with her?! She turned on her side and sighed. It was nearly six am and she hadn't slept all night.
"You need to stop fighting this." He spoke from behind her as she rolled over and looked at him.
"I can't do this with you. I am with Bill."
"But you know that you have feelings for me, Sookie. You can't deny it."
She knew that he was right, but she didn't want to admit it.
"I don't know what to do," Her voice barely above a whisper. "I care about him, but I can't stop thinking about you. It's tearing me apart."
Eric reached out and took her hand, his touch sending shivers down her spine. "I know it's hard, Sookie. But you can't keep denying what you feel for me."
Sookie closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, savoring the warmth of his hand on hers. She knew that she was supposed to be with Bill, but she couldn't deny the pull that Eric had on her.
"Nothing is stopping you from giving in to your desire." She felt his mouth on her neck and then it trailed slowly up to her lips.
"This isn't real." She moaned softly as he continued to place soft kisses down her neck.
"This can be real. We can be real." He hovered over her. His strong arms holding him up. "Let me show you."
When she opened her eyes, they were both completely naked in her bed. She could feel the heavy weight of his erection against her stomach. The look of desire etched on his face, echoed hers.
"You. Are. Mine." His fangs descended and she shivered with anticipation. He entered her body hard and swiftly as she cried out in pleasure.
The sound of her alarm going off made her eyes open. Eric was gone. She was alone in her bed, the morning light just starting to filter through her window.
Sookie sat up, her heart pounding as she tried to shake off the hallucination. She knew that she couldn't let her feelings for Eric consume her. She had to focus on her relationship with Bill and forget about Eric.
But as she got up, she couldn't help but feel a sense of longing and sadness. She knew that things would never be the same between her and Eric, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was meant to be with him.
She tried to use work as a distraction. It was always good for that but as soon as she got to Merlotte's everyone was looking at her, especially Arlene. The look of overwhelming grief made Sookie swallow hard.
"Hey. I wasn't expecting you in for the rest of the week." Sam walked over to her. He had a look of concern on his face.
"I just um."
Arlene walked up to Sookie, her expression tight with anger and frustration. Sookie could feel the tension in the air and immediately knew that she should have stayed home.
"I am so sorry, Arlene."
Arlene took a deep breath before launching into her tirade. "This is all your fault, Sookie. If you hadn't gotten involved with that vampire." Her voice cracked with emotion.
Sookie's heart sank as she realized where this conversation was going. She knew that Arlene still believed that Rene was innocent.
"It's not like that. He came after me."
Arlene shook her head in disbelief. "You're a fucking liar, Sookie Stackhouse!" She yelled with tears. "If you hadn't been mixed up with those vampires, Rene would still be alive. He wouldn't have had to defend himself against them."
Sookie felt a surge of anger rising in her chest. "Rene was a murderer, Arlene. He was going to kill me. He stabbed me!"
Arlene's eyes narrowed. "You and your damn vampire boyfriend. Always causing trouble and ruining people's lives."
Sookie's fists clenched at her sides. "Don't you dare blame them for what happened to Rene. They had nothing to do with it."
"Listen we don't need to get our emotions all caught up. This has been hard on all of us." Sam added.
"Screw you, Sam!" Arlene yelled at him and then looked back at Sookie.
Arlene just shook her head, her eyes filled with tears. "I can't believe that you're still defending those monsters. You're just as bad as they are."
With that, Arlene stormed out of the bar, leaving Sookie standing there, feeling helpless and alone. She knew that she couldn't change Arlene's mind, but she couldn't help feeling guilty for everything that had happened.
"Sookie." Sam reached out for her.
"Just leave me alone, Sam." She quickly took off as tears ran down her face.
As Sookie returned home from her confrontation with Arlene, her heart was heavy with guilt and frustration. She knew that her friend was grieving Rene, but she couldn't help feeling hurt by the accusations Arlene had thrown her way.
Her grandmother, Adele, was sitting in the living room when Sookie arrived, and she could immediately see the sadness etched on her granddaughter's face.
"What's wrong, Sookie?" Adele asked, concern lacing her voice.
Sookie sank into the armchair opposite her grandmother and let out a heavy sigh. "It's Arlene. She's blaming me for everything that happened with Rene."
Adele's expression softened, and she reached over to take Sookie's hand. "I know it's hard, dear, but you can't blame yourself for what happened."
Sookie nodded, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. "I know, but it's hard not to feel guilty. I just wish Arlene could understand that he came after me."
Adele gave Sookie's hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm sure she'll come around in time. She's just grieving right now, and she needs someone to blame. But deep down, she knows that you're not at fault."
Sookie leaned her head back against the armchair, feeling slightly comforted by her grandmother's words. "I hope you're right, Gran. I just wish I could make things right."
Adele smiled softly. "You already have, dear. You're alive, and that's all that matters plus a serial killer is off the streets."
Sookie smiled weakly, grateful for her grandmother's unwavering support. She knew that it would take time for Arlene to come to terms with everything that had happened, but with her grandmother's love and guidance, she felt a glimmer of hope for the future.
Jessica stood in front of the mirror, examining her outfit with a mixture of excitement and nerves. She had used her entire allowance to buy a tight, low-cut dress that showed off her curves and left little to the imagination. Her long red hair was styled in loose waves, and her makeup was smoky and seductive.
She couldn't help feeling a little guilty for what she was about to do, but the thought of becoming a vampire was too tempting to resist. Eric had promised to turn her if she could seduce the vampire from his office, Bill. She was determined to do whatever it took to make that happen.
As she stood there, lost in thought, her mind drifted back to the conversation she had had with Eric at Fangtasia. He had approached her with an offer she couldn't refuse.
"Maybe you can help after all." He had an intrigued look in his eyes.
"Anything."
"I want you to seduce the vampire that was just here. His name is Bill."
"Seduce him? Why?"
"Because you're young, beautiful, and innocent," Eric had replied. "He won't be able to resist you."
"I'm a virgin." She swallowed hard.
"Trust me you would want to change that before you become a vampire." He walked across his office. This may just be what he needs to get Sookie to leave Bill once and for all. "Take it or leave it. How badly do you want to become a vampire?" A sly smile played at the corners of his lips. "You'll have eternal youth and beauty, and all the power and freedom that comes with being a vampire."
The thought of becoming immortal had been too tempting to resist, and Jessica had agreed to Eric's plan. Now, as she stood in her revealing outfit, she couldn't help feeling a mix of excitement and trepidation at the thought of what was to come.